Gifford Garden Archives, July 1999 - June 2000

Gifford Garden Archives, July 2001- January 2003

Week of 3 July 2000

What a wonderful growing season! Gardeners at IES are hoping that these frequent rains will continue through the summer months. Wouldn't that be great!

Before I "highlight" plants in bloom in the Perennial Garden, a few seasonal tasks that you should be performing in your own landscape:

• If you have not applied your summer mulch it's not too late. Conserve that precious soil moisture and discourage those weeds.
• I like to apply three foliar feedings to all my garden plants during the summer months. I will space them out at about 3-week intervals. I use a combination of sea kelp and fish emulsion (deodorized!). I also like the new class of "biostimulants" which, like the above, have very little macronutrient content (N-P-K) but are loaded with trace elements, liquid humates, growth promoting auxins, beneficial bacteria, etc. Check out two great websites that offer these and other organic products: www.norganics.com and www.planthealthcare.com
• Due to generous rainfall this spring, woody plants have put on an unusual amount of new growth. On certain types of trees and shrubs I "head-back" this new growth by a third or more. Within the Perennial Garden I like to restrict the new growth to keep the shrubs within a confined area and promote a "bushier" habit. On young shade and ornamental trees the new growth on certain branches may need to be reduced to alleviate future structural problems (i.e. too much weight at the ends of the branches).

What's in bloom? Far too many plants to list them all, so I'll mention a few worthy natives that rival any of the imported "exotics" in the garden. Black snakeroot (also called bugbane and black cohosh), Cimicifuga racemosa, a woodland native to the Eastern US with its long, wand-like, fragrant, white flower spikes is in full bloom. Reportedly hard to propagate from seed, we have found it readily self-seeds in our mulched beds. Don't deadhead the faded blossoms, as the fruit is quite attractive. Butterfly weed, Asclepias tuberosa, a trouble-free, drought tolerant native is beginning to offer its eye-catching, brilliant orange blossoms. Bowman's root (or Indian-physics), Gillenia trifoliata, another eastern US native is a wonderful shade loving perennial with loose, terminal panicles of starry, white flowers. The decorative red calyces persist after the petals drop. Beebalm (also Oswego tea, monarda, bergamot, horsemint, and red balm) is a common roadside, much cultivated native. John Bartram, the great early plant taxonomist, noticed that colonial settlers near Oswego, N.Y. were steeping the leaves to make tea, hence its name. It is still used today as part of the flavoring in Earl Grey Tea. Thin out about 1/3 of the stems to increase air circulation and thus discourage powdery mildew. Other natives (or cultivars of natives): harebell (Campanula rotundifolia); purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea); yarrows (Achillea ssp.) a naturalized European introduction; oxeye daisy (Chrysanthemum leucanthemum) yet another naturalized European introduction.

Brad Roeller
Manager of the IES Display Gardens

Week of 10 July 2000

Lilies are the "Aristocrats of the Flower Garden" according to the venerable horticulturist, T.H. Everett. T.H. was referring to "true" lilies, not to be confused with daylilies. The lilies in the Perennial Garden are in their full glory this week, and I want to take the opportunity to "highlight" this group of plants. There are about 80 to 90 species of this perennial found throughout the world. The generic name, Lilium, is Old Latin in derivation, akin to Greek leirion, meaning a lily. The name was first given to the madonna lily, L. canadidum, a beautiful ghostly white flowered lily. Lilies have come to symbolize purity and beauty and have played a long and prominent role in man's relationship with plants.

Driving throughout our area you may be fortunate to see one or more of our native lilies. I have personally seen 3 of the 4 natives growing wild on IES grounds. The eastern U.S. natives are the Canada lily, L. canadense, the turk's cap lily, L. superbum, the Michigan lily, L. Michiganense, and the wood lily, L. philadelphicum. All are suitable for the garden.

Lilies prefer growing in full sun to partial shade. They may be grown as single specimens or massed for a striking effect. I combine them with other perennials and allow them to grow up through their companions. Hostas and ferns are good candidates for this. The most important factor in growing lilies is drainage. If you have heavy (i.e. clayey) soil or poor drainage, don't even think about growing lilies. They require a good garden loam soil with excellent drainage. I always plant my bulbs surrounded with an inch or two of coarse sand to lessen the chance of water accumulating around the bulb. Fall, or early spring (April) is the time to plant lilies. Planting depth varies, but the general rule of thumb is to plant the bulbs 2-3 times as deep as the bulb is tall. One exception to this is L. candidum the aforementioned madonna lily, which should be set only and inch to two below the soil surface. Spacing should be about 12" to 18" apart. Most lilies prefer a neutral to slightly acid pH, although a few are lime tolerant (L. bulbiferum, L. candidum, L longiflorum, L. martagon, and Aurelian hybrids). The American species and hybrids and most Japanese species need humus-rich, acid soil for success. Don't shallow water lilies. Deep water down to the root zone (often 6" to 9" deep) only in the severest of droughts. We have found lilies quite drought tolerant.

Lilies are generally insect and disease free. Aphids can be a problem as they are the vectors for a viral disease (lily mosaic) which disfigures the blossoms and mottles the foliage. I have never witnessed this in our garden. Basal bulb rot is quite common and linked to poor drainage. The biggest problem in our garden is deer browsing on those big, appetizing flower buds. Only weekly spraying with a repellent keeps them for our enjoyment (we use Hinder or Bobbex to repel deer during the growing season).

One of the many benefits of growing lilies is their ease of propagation. All methods work quite well. You can sow seed collected in the fall from your favorite lily in early spring in shallow rows. Small bulblets are dug in the fall and replanted in spring. Clumps of lilies can be divided in fall and split into individual bulbs (treat your dividing knife with isopropyl alcohol between cuts). L. tigrinum and other species produce shiny black "bulbils" in the leaf axils. These may be harvested in August and sown immediately. "Scales" may be removed from the mother bulb and planted in the greenhouse or outside in shade. Replant in the spring and then reset in the fall their permanent location.

Enjoy ours and by all mean start growing and propagating ones that interest you.

Brad Roeller
Manager of the IES Display Gardens

Week of 17 July 2000

You know that the "dog days" of summer are here when the black-eyed Susans and the coneflowers are starting to bloom. Actually, both are termed coneflowers, but most recognize that the "true" coneflowers belong to the genus Echinacea. A little bit about one of the stalwart perennials of American gardens, the genus Rudbeckia.

By far the most popular of the Rudbeckias is the aforementioned black-eyed Susan, R. hirta. Originally a western United States native, it was introduced to the East years ago in samples of clover seed for trial. Like so many "aliens" it found a niche and has become well naturalized throughout the eastern United States. Undoubtedly you have seen it growing along roadsides and at the edge of woods. R. hirta is quite a useful plant, not only for its ornamental value, but has long been used by herbalists to treat skin infections. Current research is looking into the plant's potential as an antibiotic.

While the "true" black-eyed Susan is R. hirta, most people commonly refer to a close relative of R. hirta as black-eyed Susan as well. The ever so popular Rudbeckia fulgida has this distinction. Actually it should be referred to as "orange coneflower", but only a few native plant specialists or taxonomic purists use that moniker. Years ago plant breeders were looking to enhance black-eyed Susans (R. fulgida ... I'm not a purist!) and found a variety in its home range called var. sullivantii that exhibited stouter, shorter branches and was indeed more floriferous than the "typical" species. Through plant selection and backcrossing the renowned Goldstrum black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia fulgida var. sullivantii "Goldstrum") was introduced into the trade. The rest is history, as this is one of the most popular (actually number 11 in North America) of all garden plants.

There are 6 Rudbeckias indigenous to the eastern United States. By far the two most popular are the aforementioned Rudbeckia fulgida and R. hirta. The showy coneflower, R. speciosa, is very similar to R. fulgida but has larger flower heads with more rays. This species is more commonly found in wet woods and swamps which is probably why it hasn't caught on in the trade. The ragged or green-headed coneflower, Rudbeckia laciniata, can grow to 12' in height if provided with a rich, moist environment. This species has been hybridized with the most popular cultivar being "Goldquelle", a lower growing double-flowered coneflower. Another popular coneflower that is prominently displayed in the Perennial Garden is R. nitida "Herbstonne" the Herbstone black-eyed Susan. I don't know why this plant is routinely labeled R. nitida as that species, the shining coneflower, is a southeastern native and is not reliably hardy in the Northeast. These plants are actually a cultivar of the indigenous R. lacinata. (As if it's not already confusing!)

Another indigenous coneflower is the sweet coneflower, R. subtomentosa. This coneflower is also similar to R. hirta but has characteristic lower leaves that are 3-cleft. It is typically found in the Midwest, but does range into our area. The last of the coneflowers to be found in our area is the thin-leaved coneflower, R. triloba. Found in open woods and thickets, this plant is likewise similar to R. hirta but exhibits smaller, more numerous flowers with shorter and fewer rays. Enjoy them all!

Brad Roeller
Manager of the IES Display Gardens

Week of 24 July 2000

This wonderful growing season just keeps rolling along with welcomed soaking rains. The rain dances that IES gardeners are required to perform (by me!) must be working!

What's in bloom? Bunches of great perennials, too many to highlight them all. I'll concentrate on a couple of the best-of-the-best:

Queen-of-the-prairie, Filipendula ssp., are great perennials that have that distinctive "frothy" flower heads comprised of hundreds of tiny 5-petaled flowers. The most common of the lot is F. rubra "Venusta" with its deep-rose colored flowers. This cultivar of the eastern U.S. native can grow to 6' or more and thrives in the cooler sections of the garden. Naturally found along streams or lakes where the soil does not dry out, it performs well in well-prepared garden soil (i.e. amended with lots of organic matter) in the light shade sections of the garden. We do deadhead after flowering to limit the self-seeding potential of this plant. We also cut back some of the foliage after flowering for appearance sake only. There are no special maintenance requirements for growing this plant other than we do provide some winter protection (evergreen boughs once there is frost in the ground), as the plant is shallow rooted. In addition to reseeding, the plant also spreads by underground rhizomes. Divide the plant in the early spring to invigorate its flowering potential as well as obtain some divisions for your friends. Another well-represented Filipendula is dropwort, F. vulgaris (also sometimes mistakenly listed as F. hexapetala). This Eurasian species sports creamy-white flowers, is more tolerant of drier garden soils and attains about half the height of its North American counterpart. My favorite dropwort is the double flowered cultivar, F. v. "Flore Pleno". The Perennial Garden also has an unusual golden dropwort, F. v. var. aurea. The last "common" queen-of-the-prairie is F. ulmaria, another Eurasian species that is quite similar to F. vulgaris, except it grows taller and exhibits "bolder" more striking foliage. We have a very unusual variegated form of this Filipendula.

So many plants I want to highlight and space for just one more, what to pick?? So many visitors comment on the multitude of balloon flowers, Platycodon grandiflorus surrounding the parking lot at the Gifford House. This aptly named plant has flower buds that do indeed resemble a miniature hot air balloon. The common nursery variety is the compact form, P. g. var. mariesii (also "mariesii"). This East Asian member of the bellflower family (Campanulaceae) is truly a tough, adaptable, low maintenance plant that's hard to beat for its flowering proficiency. I've found them to grow in some of the most inhospitable areas (except shade) despite what the references say. They reseed so well that I have found no need to increase their number by division, which is reportedly hard to do due to their deep, fragile root system. I like the white flowered form, P. g. var. albus (we have a great white flowered form, P. g. "Apoyama Alba") and the blue-violet cultivar, "Apoyama". Other worthy cultivars are "Shell Pink" and the "Fugi" series. An added benefit to the more than a month long outdoor display is that balloon flowers make excellent cut flowers (remember to sear the base of the stem to prevent "bleeding").

Visit the garden and enjoy the bloom!

Brad Roeller
Manager of the IES Display Gardens

Week of 31 July 2000

Three wonderful natives that are hard to miss this week in the Perennial Garden are some of my favorites.

By far the tallest perennial in the garden has to be the cup plant, Silphium perfoliatum. Located in areas of the "Sun Beds" (including the Xeriscape Bed) it towers well over 7' in height. A member of the Helianthus or sunflower tribe of the huge composite family, Compositae, it is now in full bloom. The plant is has striking characteristics such as its thick square stem and large leaves arranged in pairs. The upper leaves clasp to the stem so as to make a "cup" in which water readily collects. A close relative of the cup plant (which also can be found in the Xeriscape Bed) is the compass plant, S. laciniatum. This "sunflower" is likewise huge and can attain a similar height. It is recognizable by its rough and very resinous stems and stiff, deeply divided leaves, the lowest ones growing to a foot or more in length. These lower leaves stand in a vertical position and tend to point in a north-south direction, therefore: compass plant. Both of these plants are native to the mid-west prairies. They are extremely hardy, obviously bold and large, don't require staking, have no disease or pest problems, and are very drought tolerant. They are very easy to propagate by either seed or division. We also have two Asian relatives of these natives, Inula magnifica and Telekia speciosa represented in the Perennial Garden.

Culver's root, Veronicastrum virginicum, is just coming into peak bloom this week. A great pinkish cultivar of the native, V. v. "Albo-Roseum" can be found adjacent to the steps leading up to the Gifford House terrace. The species is native to this area of the country and can be found in the lowlands at IES in the damp meadows and wood edges. A member of the figwort family, Scophulariaceae, Culver's root was important to early European settlers who quickly learned the value of the plant from the Indians. A tea made from the roots acted as a laxative. According to early journals it proved too drastic and irregular and substitutes such as blue flag iris were used for this purpose. While found in damp, rich "bottomland", we find the plant does fine in "ordinary" garden soil and withstands dry conditions reasonably well. Attaining a height of around 5', the plant does not require staking.

The last native I'm highlighting is the royal catchfly, Silene regia. The botanic name is derived from the Greek, sialon, or saliva. The common name, catchfly, comes from the sticky exudation on the stems and tubular parts of the plant, which entraps flies and crawling insects. You can't miss the deep-scarlet or crimson color of this member of the campion or catchfly family, Caryophyllaceae. Like the aforementioned cup plant and compass plant the royal catchfly is a native to the mid-western prairies. It is very adaptable, prefers full sun, but flowers well in the light shade of the front brick entrance walk. This plant is easy to propagate from seed or basal cuttings taken in late spring.

Brad Roeller
Manager of the IES Display Gardens

Week of 7 August 2000

There is fungus among us!!

Trying to deal with keeping your garden plants and ornamentals healthy and attractive is no easy task. Unfortunately with the "big two" fungal diseases, blackspot and powdery mildew, once the fungus is visually apparent on the leaf surface, it's usually too late for you to effectively save that particular leaf. Gardeners must employ a preventive fungicidal program in order to make the leaf surface of susceptible plants inhospitable for fungal spores to "fruit" on their surface.

Instead of relying on the conventional chemical fungicides so prevalent in the local garden centers, why not try a more "environmentally friendly" type of fungicide that is also much safer to use? In the IES Perennial Garden I have been using a few such products with great success. As mentioned earlier, you must begin your spray program before the advent of the fungus season (generally early June). However, it's not too late to begin now and protect new growth. For three years I have been evaluating a neem tree (Azadirachta indica) based product. Extracts from this tree have been used for centuries in India and Ceylon for everything from personal hygiene products like soap and toothpaste to seed extracts used to treat skin diseases, sores, and rheumatism. Another thing that USDA scientists found interesting and potentially useful to the "green industry" was that these extracts had long been recognized by the locals as an anti-feedent (repels insects from feeding) and used in graineries and food storage facilities. In the late 1980s and early 1990s the "first generation" of neem-based products hit the markets. BioNeem and Margosan-O (another common name for the tree is the Margosa Tree) were a great success as the active ingredient, azadirachtin, turned out to be both a great botanical insecticide (actually an insect growth regulator which stops the development of immature insects) as well as a feeding deterrent. I evaluated these products in the early 1990s, and they became part of my "arsenal" in my integrated pest management (IPM) program.

In the mid 1990s, James Locke, an American Rose Society research plant pathologist, found that a clarified hydrophobic extract of neem oil had excellent fungicidal properties (a 1% neem oil in water stopped 95-100% of powdery mildew on test plants). Further, the insecticidal properties were quite different in that instead of being classified as an insect growth regulator, it proved to be an actual insecticide (kills all life stages outright). It also proved effective as a miticide and still possessed the anti-feedent properties of the earlier generation of neem-based products.

This "new" generation of neem products is slow to hit the markets. I use a product called Green Light Rose Defense, which is available by mail order (tel: 210-494-3481). Another great little mail order catalogue for organic products is Gardens Alive! (tel: 812-537-8650, website: www.gardens-alive.com). Their neem-based product is called Shield-All Organic Fungicide. They also have another effective organic fungicide product that I like called Soap-Shield, which combines copper (a fungicide our grandfathers used) with a naturally occurring fatty acid. This product is effective on a wider range of fungi, including downy mildew, which is particularly bad this year. Most common fungicides will be ineffective against downy mildew.

John Olson, IES Senior Grounds Maintainer extraordinaire, just came in from mowing covered with an insect that is having a significant impact on the black locust in our region. For the last few weeks calls have been coming in wondering why black locusts are "turning brown". The culprit is the locust leafminer, Odontota dorsalis (thanks to Al Kling, Grounds Foreman forassisting in the ID). What John was covered with is the adult beetle. From Johnson and Lyon's Insects That Feed on Trees and Shrubs: "The beetle hibernates wherever winter protection can be found, often in litter under the host tree. In spring beetles emerge and begin feeding on the black locust's developing foliage. After short time they deposit flat oval eggs on the undersides of leaves. The eggs soon hatch, and the larvae eat into the inner layer of leaf tissue, forming a mine. As the larvae feed and grow, the mines enlarge. The terminal portion of the leaflet is the preferred feeding site. The mine, from its beginning, takes the form of an irregular blotch. When fully grown, the larvae are flattened and yellowish white; they have black legs, a black head, and an anal shield. They pupate in the mine. Upon emerging from their pupal cases, the beetles skeletonize the under-surface of leaves." This is the damage we are observing now. Don't run out and start spraying insecticides, as the window of opportunity for effective control is past (late May to early June, 298-533 growing degree days (GDD); and again in early to mid-July, 1029-1388 GDD). For current GDD data as well as data on other local environmental parameters, visit www.ecostudies.org/emp_daily.html, the IES Environmental Monitoring Station's daily report.

Next week I promise I'll get back to my usual format of plant highlights!

Brad Roeller
Manager of the IES Display Gardens

Week of 14 August 2000

I promised plants, and plants you'll get! This amazing growing season continues to roll on, fostering an abundance of plant growth and flowering. We are in our mid-summer flowering period, and I'm certainly not lacking for plants in bloom to highlight.

Visitors shouldn't miss our native gray-headed coneflower, Ratibida pinnata. You can't mistake this coneflower with its characteristic deep cut leaves and extremely reflexed rays. I enjoy the anise scent to the disk (center of the flower) when crushed. All in all, a great and very drought tolerant native that I'll put up against the best of the cultivated coneflowers.

Another native to our area are the Joe-Pye weeds, Eupatorium sp. While most are "bottomland" dwellers, we have found them to be quite drought tolerant and have even included a representative in the Xeriscape Bed. I find all the Joe-Pyes excellent and versatile perennials, suitable in the most formal of gardens. The most "famous" Joe-Pye weed is the hollow Joe-Pye weed, E. fistulosum, which as its name indicates does indeed have a hollow stem. The generic name honors a biblical herbalist, Eupator. In colonial New England a Native American herb doctor named Joe Pye was said to have used it to stop a typhus epidemic in Massachusetts; hence its common name. It has also been used to treat gout, dropsy and kidney stones. Other Joe-Pyes include the sweet and spotted Joe-Pye weeds, E. purpureum and E. maculatum, and the mistflower, E coelstinum. Do stop and smell our sweet Joe-Pye weeds to enjoy the vanilla-like odor to the crushed foliage. One of the white flowered Eupatoriums is boneset, E. perfoliatum. An unusual feature is the way the hairy stem seems to grow through leaves that are united at their base. Hence the species name, combining the Latin words per, meaning "through", and folium, "leaf". Herb doctors took this as a "signature", and leaves of the plant were wrapped into the splint or bandage for a broken bone in the belief that they were aided, as the common name suggests, in setting it. Finally, the last of our native Eupatoriums, white snakeroot, E. rugosum, is a plant all should be aware of. This plant will prosper in shady gardens and the bright white flowers add a beacon of light in the shade garden. As the common name, white snakeroot, suggests, it was used to cure snakebites. I find this interesting, as the plant is quite poisonous. The poison can even be transferred through cows that graze the plant; anyone who drinks their milk gets "milk sickness".

Well, I've done it again, rambled on leaving inadequate space to praise the numerous other plants in bloom this week at IES. However, do check out the following in the garden: the Buddleias; Russian sage, Perovskia atriplicifolia; cardinal flower (and cultivars) and great blue lobelia, Lobelia cardinalis and L. siphilitica; ligularias, Ligularia dentata "Desdemona" and L. stenocephala "The Rocket"; the different garden phloxes, Phlox paniculata (my favorite is the white flowered, mildew resistant cultivar "David"); lavender mist, Thalictrum rochebrunianum; the huge cultivar of the native shining coneflower, Rudbeckia nitida "Herbstsonne"; the Japanese and Chinese anemones, Anemone x hybrida and A. hupehensis; and the unusual Angelica gigas.

Brad Roeller
Manager of the IES Display Gardens

Week of 21 August 2000

You can't wipe the smile off my face this summer! Just when it appears that plants might start to dry out, it rains. What a growing season! The only drawback is the proliferation of fungal pathogens and some unusual tree-related problems.

I've witnessed several instances of "leaf scorch" on the margins (outer edges) of a variety of deciduous trees and shrubs. Coincidentally, the useful newsletter, "Branching Out", likewise noted this phenomenon. "Branching Out" is an integrated pest management newsletter for trees and shrubs put out by the Department of Plant Pathology at Cornell University. Plant pathologists cross the state documenting insect and disease infestations. This invaluable service provides people like me a "heads-up" on what's happening in the pest world. Quoting the venerable George W. Hudler from the most recent edition: "Most often, scorch is associated with water stress caused by drought, girdling roots, or soil compaction. With all the rain we've had in the Northeast this year, water stress for any reason is a hard sell. But in the 25 years or so that I've been watching declining trees, the possibility that we're seeing fallout, in the form of scorch, from last year's very dry season is still a very real one." So often we don't observe the consequences of environmental stresses until the following year.

OK, what's in bloom. There are some great, low maintenance perennials blooming in the shade areas throughout the IES Perennial Garden. Yellow waxbell, Kirengshoma palmata, is a wonderful shade-loving perennial that is just starting to offer its clusters of yellow, bell-shaped flowers. The maple-like foliage and interesting horned seedpods add to the uniqueness of this perennial making it a wonderful addition to any shady garden. Our specimens were collected in the wild on plant collecting expeditions to northern China in the mid 1970s. It's gratifying to see how one of our favorite perennials has really caught on to become one of the darlings of the perennial industry. The plant was not offered in the popular mail order catalogues until about 4 or 5 years ago. Another shade lover, adjacent to the Kirengshoma, are the willow-leaved gentians, Gentiana asclepiadea. Both the white flowered form, as well as the typical blue, are just starting to open their wonderful flowers. While our native gentians, the fringed gentian and the bottle gentian are what I would term ephemeral wildflowers (lasting only a short time), the willow-leaved gentian is a long-lived perennial. Our specimens are at least 10 years old and still thriving. Other shade lovers in bloom this week: Ligularias; the floriferous Japanese anemones, Anemone japonica (I like our A. hupehensis, and A. x hybrida "Robustissima"; and the native lobelias, the cardinal flower, Lobelia cardinalis (check out our numerous cultivars of this native), and the great blue lobelia, L. siphilitica. Not to miss is the striking, bright red berries of Arum italicum "Pictum" (note that this is a marginally hardy plant and needs an evergreen mulch in the winter).

In the sunny sections of the garden you can't miss those striking (and huge) yellow composites (members of the daisy family), the "Herbstsonne" shining coneflower and the floriferous "Goldstrum" black-eyed Susan. I'll rank our native prairie coneflower, Ratibida pinnata with the best of the cultivated coneflowers! Check out our Buddleias, I've never seen them better!

Mark your calendars:
Fall Plant Sale: Sept. 9^th (10am-4pm) and 10^th (11am-5pm).

Brad Roeller
Manager of the IES Display Gardens

Week of 28 August 2000

It's another wonderful week in the IES Perennial Garden. There is lots to catch your eye as you browse through.

Sedum 'Autumn Joy' has started to open, and makes a great display next to the masses of black-eyed Susan, Rudbeckia 'Goldstrum'. Helianthus decapetalus, commonly called thin-leaved sunflower, is blooming bright yellow in the butterfly bed. Vernonia noveboracensis towers throughout the gardens in shades of purple. This plant is commonly known as ironweed because of its rusty brown pappus, or seeds. The Teucrium chamaedrys, or germander hedge, in the herb garden is starting to bloom and is quite full and lush with its aromatic foliage.

Other noteworthy sunlovers are the grasses. Many are starting to send up plumes. Miscanthus sinensis 'Strictus', Andropogon gerardii, Molinia caerulea, Pennisetum orientale, Sporobolus heterolepsis and Pennisetum alopecuroides 'Hameln' are just a few to mention. Northern sea oats, Chasmanthium latifolium, is one of those great grasses that will tolerate a little shade. Its pendulous seed heads catch the slightest breeze and add an element of motion to the garden.

In some of the shady spots, lobelias continue to bloom along with anemone, japonica, and windflower. Toad lily, Tricyrtis hirta 'alba', has started to open. It has a long bloom time and adds interest to the shade garden late in the season with its orchid-like fuzzy flowers. Kirengeshoma palmata, or yellow waxbell, is flourishing with many buds to open. The purple-red stems are a nice contrast against its soft green palmate leaves.

Something different amongst the flowers is the bird house gourds whose vines twine up the lattice on the far end of the pergola. Also, a lone pineapple lily, Eucomis comosa, can be seen in the garden. It is actually a bulb that is not hardy in this zone, but is doing quite well.

A reminder to mark your calendars:
Fall Plant Sale: Sept. 9^th (10am-4pm) and 10^th (11am-4pm).
The selection of plant material is incredible!

Diane Fagergren
Horticulture Assistant

Week of 4 September 2000

September is here and the Perennial Garden, like our home vegetable gardens, is maturing and mellowing with the waning growing season. As dominating as the flower blossoms are the colorful and interesting fruits of many of our favorite perennials.

As visitors enter the garden from the parking lot, they are welcomed by the wonderful, deep blue berries topping the native blue cohosh, Caulophyllum thalictroides. This woodland native truly has two-season interest with its beautiful waxy white flowers in May, only to be outdone at the end of summer with its fruit. Other notable "fruiters" in the garden: the Korean dogwood, Cornus kousa, near the sunken garden, has set abundant fruit that resembles a raspberry in appearance (this fruit is edible and makes a "passable" jam). People unfamiliar with the Korean dogwood are pleasantly surprised that the fruit can be as ornamental as the impressive flower bracts. The fruit of the arums, both our native Jack-in-the-pulpit, Arisaema triphyllum, or the Asian Arum italicum, all show off their clusters of scarlet berries, another real eye-catcher! Not to be outdone, the blackberry lily's, Belamcandra chinensis, seed capsules are fully inflated and just about ready to split open and reveal the rows of jet black seeds that truly resemble a ripe blackberry. Don't cut this perennial back in the fall, as it is one of the best perennials for winter interest. The persistent "blackberries" set against an unmolested snow cover is a "Kodak moment"! Do enjoy the wonderful seedheads of the ornamental grasses throughout the garden. The maiden grasses, Miscanthus, are very effective in seed, both now and especially in the stark winter season. My personal favorite seedhead of the grasses is our native northern sea oats, Chasmanthium latifolium. Northern sea oat seedheads are routinely used in the dried flower business.

What's in flower? Quite a bit, indeed. While the eye is drawn toward the floriferous black-eyed Susan's, Rudbeckia fulgida var. sullivantii "Goldstrum", and the towering New York ironweed, Vernonia noveboracensis, many of the stalwarts of the garden highlighted in the past few weeks continue to bloom. Don't miss the unusual purple black snakeroot, Cimicifuga racemosa "Atropurpurea". Not only are the leaves tinged in purple, so are the leaf petioles as well as the typically white flower spire. Ours is a beauty prominently situated below the Gifford House patio. Adjacent to the rear door at the Gifford House, the huge Aralia cordata is in full flower. This plant is close to 8 feet in height with stems approaching 3 inches in diameter at the base! Asters are getting ready to bloom. The native white wood aster, Aster divaricatus, is already in full flower. This plant will grow just about anywhere, so, if you have one of those "I can't get anything to grow there!" spots, this may be for you. Note that this plant is a prolific reseeder. Another native that is at its peak this week is the white flowering "Joe-Pye-Weed", Eupatorium rugosum, commonly referred to as white snakeroot. Another native in full bloom is the Canadian burnet, Sanguisorba canadensis. Not only is a handsome perennial that is quite adaptable to differing growing environments, it was an important wildflower in colonial times. The aptly named plant, sanguis, Latin for blood, and sorbeo, to soak up, refers to the tannin-rich rootstock that has styptic qualities and was used as an infusion to stop bleeding from dysentery.

Fall Plant Sale: Sept. 9^th (10am-4pm) and 10^th (11am-4pm).

Brad Roeller
Manager of the IES Display Gardens

Week of 11 September 2000

Is it Fall already? With the IES gardeners scrambling to cover tender plants in the IES Perennial Garden and elsewhere last Tuesday night, I wonder. This is one of the most unusual growing seasons I've ever witnessed. There is no way gardeners should have to worry about frost this early! It might pay to acquire what we use to protect tender plants in early spring and (usually) late fall from frost settling on the foliage and the subsequent "frost burn". The product is called Remay, also referred to as floating row cover and is available from most garden centers. You can also mail-order it from that neat little organic supplier, Gardens Alive! (www.gardens-alive.com or telephone at 812-537-8651). It's a great, light-weight fabric that provides frost protection down to about 28 deg. F. For you vegetable growers out there, it is excellent for aiding germination by keeping the soil moist as well as providing protection from rains pounding the surface and the "crusting" that follows. Insects can't penetrate the cover, so plants aren't devastated from common garden pests such as loopers, maggots and virus-carrying aphids. Most of these floating row covers transmit about 85% of sunlight and all allow water and air passage through the polypropylene fibers so you can leave them in place over tender seedlings. With good timing they can easily extend the early and late growing seasons by at least a couple weeks. Great stuff!

Asters are a sure sign of fall. While some of ours, such as white wood aster, Aster divaricatus, have been in bloom for a couple of weeks, the showy New England asters, A. novae-angliae, are just starting to open. The botanical name, aster, comes from the Latin aster, a star; an allusion to the form of the flower. Asters have long been used for both their medicinal qualities as well as for their landscaping versatility. Indians ate the young leaves of many asters as a pot herb, and sufferers from rheumatism would soak in a bath containing the stems and flowers of our local fall-flowering asters.

Asters are quite a diverse group of plants with varying cultural requirements. They can be divided into 3 broad groups. It's important to keep these groups in mind and match the asters you buy to their cultural requirements. The first group contains asters of mountains or seashores, including, A. x alpellus, A. alpinus, A. amellus, A. x frikartii, A. spectabilis, and A. tongolensis. These plants require average to rich soil with excellent drainage in full sun; they cannot tolerate excess moisture or wet soil. Most also prefer cool night temperatures. These species form clumps and spread by slow-creeping stems. The second group contains the meadow, prairie, marsh, and roadside species, most of which thrive in average garden soil. Some are more tolerant of dry soil than others. A. ericoides, A. laevis, A. lateriflorus, A. tataricus tolerate the widest range of conditions. The third group is the woodland species. A. divaricatus, and A. macrophyllus typify this group. They tolerate deep shade, but bloom best in light shade. These species prefer moist, humus-rich soil, but will tolerate dry soil.

While the cultivars of the New England aster are all the rage (we exhibit "Barr's Pink", "Hella Lacey", "Honeysong Pink", "Purple Dome", and "Purple Monarch"), many of the indigenous natives are excellent selections for the sunny border. New York aster, A. novae-belgii, smooth aster, A. laevis, calico aster and A. lateriflorus, have all been used in the Perennial Garden with great success. A few tricks for enjoying the roadside or prairie group of asters: While most don't need staking, I "hedge my bet" by cutting the young plants back by about 1/3 in mid- to late-June to keep them somewhat lower in height and bushier. I also take this opportunity to thin out about 1/3 of the interior stems to allow more air movement through the plants and lessen the incidence of powdery mildew in mid-to late-summer. Both the New York and the New England asters do benefit from division in early spring every few years to maintain vigor. One of the "Top 10" perennials of all time is Aster x frikartii, Frickart's aster. It has a very long blooming season and is virtually mildew-free. The profuse large, single, lavender flowers make it a favorite low-maintenance plant. It's also excellent for cutting.

Brad Roeller
Manager of the IES Display Gardens

Week of 18 September 2000

What's new in bloom this week? Well, nothing new. However, I'm reminded just how great the late summer stalwarts of the Perennial Garden really are. Plants highlighted over the last 4 or 5 weeks continue to bloom and display themselves in their own particular glory. The native and cultivated sunflowers, Helianthus ssp.; the asters; the ornamental grasses, especially the maiden grasses, Miscanthus ssp., and the fountain grasses, Pennisetum ssp.; several Kirengeshoma palmatas in the shady sections of the garden; and butterfly bushes, Buddleias ssp.; as well as the "best plant in the garden this year" as voted in an unofficial survey of our staff, the outstanding purple-hued black snakeroot, Cimicifuga racemosa "Atropurpurea". All of these, and more, continue to solicit "oohs" and "ahhs" for staff and visitors alike.

This week I want to talk about a seasonal "labor of love" for most gardeners, fall division of perennials. In anticipation of the end of the growing season (i.e. the first "killing" frost), usually around the end of September or the first part of October, I undertake this task. Most perennials do benefit from periodic division. Not only does it invigorate the plant by planting only the strongest divisions from the "mother", it also affords the gardener the opportunity to "rejuvenate" the soil with the addition of organic matter. There are several perennials that do not like to be disturbed. Gas Plant, Dictamus, peonies, Butterfly Weed, Ascelpias tuberosa, and the rues, Ruta ssp., come to mind as plants in this category. However, the majority of garden perennials do indeed benefit from division. Be aware that certain perennials benefit from division in early spring, while others are best divided in fall. My "rule of thumb" is to divide plants that bloom before the 4^th of July in the fall, and plants that bloom after the 4^th, in early spring. A few other "rules" for division as cited in a great perennial reference, Rodale's Illustrated Encyclopedia of Perennials:

• Prepare the site for newly divided plants before you divide your perennials.
• Make sure your tools (knives, spades, trowels) are sharp.
• Take the plants out of the ground before you divide them.
• Discard or compost the dead, woody centers of old plants and cut the remaining sections of healthy, vigorous sections into smaller pieces.
• Remove ½ or more of the foliage on your divisions so it won't wick water away from the plant, but don't cut off more than that or you'll slow the growth and invite rot. (This rule is primarily for divisions made in the spring.)
• Keep divisions out of the sun and replant as soon as possible.
• Plant divisions ½-inch higher than they were planted originally; they'll sink a little as the newly worked soil settles. The goal is for them to end up at the same level as the original plants were growing.
• Water your divisions well.
• Shade newly planted spring divisions to protect them. Cover the plants with moist newspaper or burlap.
• Give spring divided perennials a foliar feed of liquid seaweed or fish emulsion to provide trace elements and speed establishment.
• Mulch well fall divided perennials once the soil has cooled (typically early-November), to prevent shallow freezing and frost heaving. I like to use fresh-cut evergreen boughs for this purpose.
• Don't divide perennials after early October, since the roots need time to establish themselves while the soil is warm.

So, sharpen those spades and divide and multiply!

Brad Roeller
Manager of the IES Display Gardens

Week of 25 September 2000

My wife informs me that grass seed is germinating in my dirty socks and the cracks of my work boots. This stands to reason as this is the best time of year to establish a new lawn or renovate a weak one. The cool nights, warm days, and heavy dews of mid-September all are to the liking of what we refer to as "cool-season" grasses. The IES grounds crew is taking advantage of the season and, with my help, is sowing grass seed as fast as we can. Over the next few "Highlights" I'll be covering some selected aspects of successful lawn establishment.

A primary consideration should be what type of grass seed to select. First of all, choose only quality grass seed, avoiding the "grass seed is grass seed" sales pitch. Check the label to see what the components of the mix are. Obviously there is a "sunny mix" for sunny areas, and "shady mixes" for the shade, but what are in these mixes? Manufacturers have matched various site conditions to the best grasses that will perform in those circumstances. I'm particularly fond of the new turf-type tall fescues. In the IES Perennial Garden I have replaced virtually all the sod, which was "Grade A" Kentucky Bluegrass, with tall fescues. There are over 125 cultivars of turf-type tall fescues. Today the newer cultivars show distinct improvement in growth habit, disease resistance, genetic color, heat and drought tolerance, and water use.

While tall fescues thrive best in fertile, well-drained, fine textured soils, they will survive even the most inhospitable of conditions because of their extensive root system. It tolerates low fertility, yet responds to fertilization. This grass grows better on alkaline and saline soils than many other cool-weather grasses. While being highly drought resistant, tall fescue also withstands wet soils and survives compacted soils. This versatile grass will remain green during adverse summer conditions (usually the norm around here!) when other grasses go dormant.

Several of the newer varieties of tall fescues are "enhanced" with endophytic organisms. Endophytes are fungal organisms that live symbiotically within the cells of the grass plants and reproduce during cell division. They create a bitter tasting toxin that repels most insects and kills many of those that continue to feed. If you have ever had to battle chinch bugs, bill bugs, or sod webworms, endophyte enhanced seed is for you.

Check out the great website: www.ntep.org This is the National Turfgrass Evaluation Program which annually tests virtually all grass seed in varying locations throughout the US and provides information on the performance of commercially available turfgrass cultivars under regional conditions. These trials provide an excellent database for selecting those cultivars which are best adapted to your local conditions. A few years ago, when I decided to "can" the Kentucky Bluegrass due to its high water and fertility needs, I used this database to select a mix for the Perennial Garden. The mix I choose was a commercially available one from the Lofts Seed, Inc. It is their "Athletic Field Mixture" and is comprised of 30% Tribute Tall Fescue, 30% Rebel Junior Tall Fescue, 20% Rebel 3D Tall Fescue, 10% Sydsport Kentucky Bluegrass, and 10% Palmer Perennial Ryegrass. It has proven a tough, durable drought tolerant turf, which requires minimal fertilization and looks every bit as good as Kentucky Bluegrass.

Enough on grass seed. Oh, I almost forgot: when checking the label to see which cultivars are in the mix and whether the seed has been inoculated with endophytes, check the "inert" ingredients and weed seed content. It isn't quality seed if that component adds up to much more than 5%. Finally, only use fresh seed as the germination success drops off the charts after a year or so.

Next week, methods and tips on establishing grass in your landscape.

Brad Roeller
Manager of the IES Display Gardens

Week of 2 October

The first two weeks of October is generally the last opportunity to successfully sow grass in our area. Last week I covered the different types of seed mixes, and this week I'll discuss methods of creating a new lawn and renovating a weak, patchy lawn. First, a new lawn, typically a task required after construction projects:

• Prepare the subgrade by mechanically loosening the areas where vehicles or other construction-related activities have compacted the soil. This is best done with a rototiller or the "teeth" of a backhoe. The subgrade should allow for a minimum of 6 inches of topsoil to achieve the "final" grade.
• Add the necessary topsoil to bring the area "to grade". I recommend that the final few inches of soil be screened loam topsoil for ease of raking. Check the pH of the topsoil, utilizing an inexpensive Cornell Kit, or one of the many pH meters available at garden centers.
• Once the topsoil has been raked (by all means, purchase a wooden "grading" rake as it sure beats an iron "garden" rake), add lime or sulfur as needed to adjust the pH to the 6.5 to 7.0 range. To increase the pH for a loam soil from 5.0 to 6.5, add 10.6 lbs. of lime per 100 sq. ft. To increase the pH from 6.0 to 6.5, add 4.1 lbs./100 sq. ft. To decrease the pH of a loam soil, add sulfur. To change from 8.0 to 6.5, add 2 to 3 lbs./100 sq. ft. To change from 7.5 to 6.5, add 1 to 1 ½ lbs./100 sq. ft.
• Broadcast a "starter" fertilizer as per label directions. A "cyclone" type spreader is the simplest for this task. If you haven't calibrated your spreader, start on a low setting and go over the area more than once to achieve the desired application rate. (This winter I'll discuss some tips for calibrating your lawn spreaders.)
• Spread peat moss over the entire area at about a 1 inch + thickness.
• Rototill to a 2-3 inch depth to incorporate the soil amendments.
• Rake to achieve the final grade and seedbed.
• Broadcast the seed evenly. I have found that the hand-cyclone spreaders work best as you have more control over the seed dispersal and rate than with their larger counterparts. As with the fertilizer, unless you are an accomplished "seed-sower", start with a light covering and go over a second time to achieve the desired coverage. Most seed mixes recommend 6 to 8 lbs. of seed per 1000 square feet. I like to add a pound or two of annual rye to my seedmix to function as a "nurse crop". This seed will germinate within a few days, and serves to shelter the slower germinating perennial grasses from the "elements". It also helps to stabilize the soil and decrease the seed washing and erosion on slopes.
• Using the back of a standard metal spring rake (the type you rake leaves with), "sweep" a thin layer of soil (a 1/8-1/4-inch covering is all that is necessary) over the seed. You should do this in even rows working in one direction.
• Roll, with a hand roller weighing a minimum of 200 lbs. the entire area.
• Shake out a thin layer of straw or hay over the entire area. If done correctly, you should just be able to see soil below the shaken-out straw. Remember that hay contains a lot of miscellaneous seed that can germinate in your seedbed; whereas straw is relatively seed-free.
• Once the seed is wet (a heavy dew will accomplish this), it is important to keep the seed moist by light overhead watering. Once germinated, the new seedlings will require less frequent watering, usually every two to three days.
• After the new grass seedlings are readily visible through the straw, carefully remove the bulk of the straw with a 5-tine fork or "manure" fork. Do not rake the straw off, as you will uproot the delicate, new roots of the grass seedlings.
• The new lawn should get about an inch of natural rainfall or irrigation per week until the growing season is over.

As usual, I'm out of space! I'll finish off lawn seeding with renovating a weak or patchy lawn next week.

Brad Roeller
Manager of the IES Display Gardens

Week of 9 October

This is it, the very last chance to germinate grass seed in our region. Last week I passed on some tips for starting a new lawn. This week it will be on renovating a patchy, weak lawn.

If the area that is in need of attention is relatively large (more than a few hundred square feet in area), the best approach is to "nuke" the whole area with Roundup (a 1 ½ to 2% formulation is adequate, i.e. about 2 oz. per gallon of water) to eliminate the weak grass as well as perennial and any annual weeds that are present. The only drawback to this approach is that you must wait a minimum of 10 days after the herbiciding to sow grass seed. After the treated vegetation has "browned", usually in about 10 days, you must mow it at the lowest lawnmower setting. With a bamboo or iron spring rake, thoroughly rake out the existing thatch as well as any treated grass and/or weeds that will come free. If you are not favorably disposed to this rigorous task, rent a power rake at any of the "weekend warriors" rental center. The next step is to loosen the top of the soil surface to prepare a seed bed for the grass seed. This is accomplished by raking the area with an iron grading rake. Once again, there seems to be a tool for every task. You can accomplish this step, as well as the actual seeding, by renting a slit-seeder, which not only slices the soil but deposits the seed in the slices during the same operation; a really neat machine that I have utilized many times out here at IES. If you are doing it the "manly" method (i.e. with the iron rake), the next step would be to sow the seed at the recommended rate with a cyclone-type seeder. With the back of a spring rake, employ the "sweeping" technique discussed last week to turn over whatever soil or leftover dead vegetation remains to slightly cover the grass seed. Roll the area with a drum-type roller, as described last week and cover the area with a light covering of well-shaken out straw (remember, you want to just be able to see soil between the straw ). Water the seed as per last week's guidelines. I generally do not incorporate a "starter" fertilizer when doing lawn renovation, as I did with new lawn establishment. Rather, I wait for the seed to germinate, and when the seedlings are about an inch or two high, I give the new lawn a light fertilization with either the aforementioned fertilizer or one of the specially formulated late season fertilizers typically referred to as "winterizer" fertilizers.

For seeding small, bare spots within an existing lawn, I employ the following method: With an iron grading rake, I loosen the soil within the bare spots and remove any thatch or weedy vegetation. Next, in a wheelbarrow, I mix with screened topsoil, the desired grass seed with a starter fertilizer. This "all-in-one" mix is shoveled onto the bare spots. With the back of your iron rake, level the topsoil/seed mix. Firm the loose soil by tamping it with your rake. To maintain my sanity, I generally do not try to cover these bare spots with straw. However, it is a good idea to add about 25%, by volume, annual rye to "nurse" the slower to germinate perennial grass seeds in your mix.

One last tip for thin lawns is to "top dress" the lawn with a soil/compost mix that has grass seed and starter fertilizer incorporated in it. This is simply broadcast by hand (i.e. shovel) over the thin areas and leveled with the back of a rake, or mechanically broadcast utilizing a heavy-duty cyclone-type spreader uniformly over the area. The results of this operation are truly rewarding.

Brad Roeller
Manager of the IES Display Gardens

Week of 16 October

Where are my long-johns? Boy, it seems that we're getting our first "killing" frosts early this year. As there's not much in bloom, other than hardy mums, I'll pass on what the prudent gardener should be doing at this time of the season.

Now is the ideal time to fertilize your lawn. The fall fertilization is by far the most important one from the grasses' standpoint. As a rule, I fertilize after my last mowing. The aim is to feed and foster the root system of the grass with a high phosphorus fertilizer (look for the "winterizer" fertilizers). The root systems of plants will remain active and grow right up until the ground freezes solid, usually in late November or even into mid-December. Your lawn will benefit from this late season feeding and get off to a vigorous start come spring.

In the garden you should attend to these timely chores:

• Check and adjust the pH of your garden beds now as it takes months for soil amendments to change the soil pH.
• Plant your spring-flowering bulbs now. Here's a tip we'll be trying this fall here at IES to deter rodents (primarily squirrels, chipmunks, skunks, and neighbor's dogs) from digging up the freshly planted bulbs. The problem has to do with both the rodents' taste for fat, succulent bulbs, and the enticing aroma of bone meal that we routinely use for bulb planting. Mix a tablespoon or two of both black and cayenne pepper in with 3 to 4 lbs. of bone meal for their deterring properties (one repels rodents, the other dogs). We'll see if this is more effective than other "tricks" such as dried blood, oyster shells, netting, etc. We will also be spraying the bulbs themselves with the repellent Ro-Pel before we plant them. We'll let you know the results in spring.
• Start cutting back perennials. Let Mother Nature be your guide as to which ones are "ready" to be cut back. The thoroughly browned, withered ones are safe to cut back (safe meaning the chance of the plant offering new growth is nil). The cool weather lovers or sheltered perennials will tolerate several frostings before they too succumb to the cold. I basically cut back the browned foliage to about an inch or two from the ground. The cut tops will indicate the position of the plants so I wont be inadvertently walking on them during fall or early spring gardening chores. If your garden plants have been prone to damage from meadow voles in the past, cut back perennials you normally leave standing for winter interest. This is especially true for ornamental grasses. Their foliage makes for ideal winter habitat for these pesky critters.
• After cutting back perennials and raking or blowing leaves from the beds, I like to add an inch or so of mulch over the entire bed, avoiding only the crowns of the perennials. Lightly cultivate and add the mulch as you work your way out of the bed. I like to use screened leaf compost or shredded spruce bark, or buckwheat or cocoa hulls. The only exception to mulching at this time of year is for "heavy" clayey soils. In this situation, mulching will only increase the potential for rotting of plant crowns and creating an ideal environment for plant diseases to attack your plants come spring. In these cases I apply just an "evergreen" mulch once the ground is frozen. I'll cover this type of mulching once winter is at out doorstep.

Brad Roeller
Manager of the IES Display Gardens

Week of 23 October

"An ounce of prevention. . ." is applicable to your landscape trees and shrubs when it comes to protecting them from the deleterious impacts the winter season can have on them. Last week I offered some tips on preparing your herbaceous perennials for winter, this week I'll cover the "woodies".

As you check the pH levels in your turf and flowerbeds, you should check out the pH of the rootzone of selected trees and shrubs. Conditions such as slopes, previous soil amendments and/or fertilizations and proximity to potential pH modifiers such as block foundations can result in differing pH levels within a landscape. As mentioned last week, now is a great time to add soil amendments to alter the pH level so that the optimum soil acidity is achieved that will allow plants to maximize nutrient absorption come spring.

Putting your trees and shrubs "to bed" for the winter is a simple, yet essential task. It is of paramount importance for newly planted and developing (been in the ground for 3 to 5 years) trees and shrubs. Most importantly, make sure that the roots are well watered going into the dormant season; and, apply a mulch to cover as much of the rootzone as is feasible. While the root system of most woody plants extends far beyond the drip-line of the plant, I like to mulch to the drip line where I can. Woodies in turf areas will benefit from an edged, mulched bed, the larger the diameter the better. Two-to-four inches of mulch is ideal. Make sure that the mulch is an inch or two away from the stem of the plant. Also, don't use "fresh" woodchips as they will tie up some of the available nitrogen while they are decomposing.

There are a few other measures I take with broad-leaf evergreens, such as rhododendrons, tender conifers, and newly-planted, thin-barked deciduous trees such as maples and fruit trees. These plants are susceptible to three environmental winter stresses: winter injury, sunscald, and tipburn.

Winter brings subfreezing ambient air temperatures coupled with frozen soil. While plants continue to transpire during the winter, especially on sunny days, the frozen soil does not give up any moisture to the root system, making replacement of this transpired water minimal. When more water evaporates during transpiration than the roots absorb, desiccation occurs. Drying winter winds will also contribute to this problem. Broadleaf rhododendrons, hollies, boxwood and tender conifers are susceptible to this. That's why we see our Catawba rhodos curl their leaves as winter temperatures plummet. What to do? Make sure the plant is well watered and mulched before the ground freezes. Apply an anti-transpirant, such as Wilt-Pruf or Vapor-Guard several times (2 to 3, especially in February and March) throughout the winter as per label directions. Note: Make sure that the air temperature is above 40°° F. when you apply the anti-transpirant and it stays above 40 for the complete drying time of the product. If the temperature dips below freezing and/or the winds kick up, tissue damage will occur and your specimen plant may succumb when growth is initiated in spring. Plants that are exposed to the prevailing winter winds (south and southwestern facing) are particularly susceptible to winter injury. Boxing and burlapping is an alternative to spraying with anti-transpirants.

Next week: sunscald and tipburn.

Brad Roeller
Manager of the IES Display Gardens

Week of 30 October

Continuing last week's discussion on preparing your trees and shrubs for the winter, sunscald and tipburn are wintertime environmental stresses that can affect certain types of woody plants.

After planting literally thousands of young, deciduous shade trees, I've become aware of the phenomena of sunscald and its potential to have a serious effect on young, newly planted shade trees. In the late winter months, on sunny, mild days, the southern surface of trees will warm more so than the northern side. With a sudden change of temperature, the differential heating and cooling of the bark actually causes the inner bark cells to rupture with resultant damage. Sunscalded bark will appear discolored and dried out, often in a long strip on one side (usually the southwest) of the trunk. Discolored, dead tissue is also present under the bark in the cambial tissues so the trunk is no longer expanding in that region. After a time, the injured area takes on a sunken appearance and the tree begins to produce callus tissue outside the "dead" area. Thin-barked young trees purchased at nurseries or garden centers, such as maples and fruit trees, are vulnerable to this phenomenon. "Good" nurseries will often put a dab of paint on the lower trunk of susceptible trees enabling the buyer to properly situate their new tree in their landscape (the painted side should face South to Southwest). Sunscald risk also can occur when one clears out around young trees to "open up" a site. What to do if you are planting a young, thin-barked tree, which might be vulnerable to harsh, direct southerly sunlight? Well, you could paint the bark with white latex paint to reflect the sunlight; however, this landscaper thinks that this approach is aesthetically not very pleasing. What I do advocate is to wrap the stem up to the first set of branches with an asphalt-impregnated "tree wrap" available at most nurseries and garden centers. I typically wrap the stems of fall-planted vulnerable trees. I remove the wrapping the following spring after the last frost, and will reapply the wrap come November. This process need only be repeated for two growing seasons. I don't like to leave the wrap on year-round as it makes a convenient habitat for insects, and I like to environmentally acclimate the bark during the growing season.

Tipburn, or the winter drying of evergreens, is typical to plants such as rhododendrons, laurel, holly, pines, spruces, and firs. This stress is rarely caused by excessive cold during the winter; the damage is caused, rather, by desiccation. Evergreens transpire continuously. Although water loss is typically lower during the winter months, it may increase significantly when the trees are subjected to drying winds or are growing in sunny spots. When roots are embedded in frozen or dry soil, water loss through the leaves cannot be replaced by root uptake, and drying out occurs. Scorching of the tips and margins of the leaves of broad-leaved evergreens leaves them brown in color. Indication of tipburn in narrow-leaved evergreens is typically the browning of entire tips of exposed branches. A couple of measures can be taken to minimize the potential for this injury: 1) Select well-drained sites for planting. Trees considered susceptible always withstand lower temperatures better when planted in soil with good aeration and water drainage. 2) Mulch well to prevent deep-freezing. 3) Ensure an ample water supply to the roots before the ground freezes. 4) Spray the leaves of susceptible evergreens with an antitranspirant. Apply the spray (such as Wilt-Pruf, or Vapor-Guard) with a sprayer on a mild day in late fall and again in mid to late winter.

Next week: Protect your trees and shrubs from dormant season deer browsing!

Brad Roeller
Manager of the IES Display Gardens

Week of 6 November

If you want to protect your favorite landscape woody plants from browsing this winter now is the time to act. Regardless of what methods you employ, the latter part of October and first few weeks of November is the time to act. If you delay much longer, chances are you will have considerable deer browsing damage.

As the dormant season approaches, deer's digestive juices slowly start to change to accommodate a greater percentage of woody "browse" in their diet. It's simply a matter of availability and quality. As herbaceous plants become unavailable due to dieback and snow cover, woody branch tips become the food of choice. That "food of choice" may be your favorite rhododendron or arborvitae. What to do? Well, here's a few tips offered from years of efforts trying to protect my woodies from deer.

First of all, while deer will browse year-round on succulent woody shrubs to their liking (hydrangeas, weigelas, mock oranges, deutzias, etc.), it is usually the norm that conifers, rhododendrons, azaleas, hollies and the like are safe from browsing during the growing season. Therefore, your strategy for "deer-proofing" your landscape should be a year-round, with basically protection measures for all your plants in place by this time of year. There are basically two options or combinations of options available to use to protect plants: utilizing spray-on repellants or erecting physical barriers around plants or plantings. Physical barriers include snow fencing, boxing plants in burlap or netting, or fencing (typically electric fencing or fences that are 8'or better in height.

I am a strong advocate of employing properly constructed physical barriers to protect individual plants or even whole landscapes. After refining techniques and evaluating numerous products in the IES Deer Browse Garden for nine years, we have found physical barriers to be 100% effective. Stop by the IES Perennial Garden or the Gifford House Visitor and Education Center to pick up a brochure and year-end report (IES Deer Browse Garden). The brochure includes tips for constructing physical barriers and ranks the repelling qualities of a wide range of natural or artificial deer repellants. Also included in the year-end report is a ranking for a large number of popular woody landscape plants as to how resistant to deer browsing they are.

The bottom line is this: There are few winters where spray-on repellants will be successful. Temperature is the key to success. Labels on all repellants instruct the user to apply the product when the temperature reaches 40 deg. F. One "pet peeve" of mine with chemical labels is that they don't tell you that the temperature must be 40 degrees or above for the complete drying time of the product! I see people " thermometer watching" and run out to apply their repellant of choice when the "magic" 40 degrees is attained, only to lament come spring when their rhododendrons and conifers die from "tissue burn" due to the spray freezing on the leaf surface. The risk you run if you are a repellant user is that the proper environmental conditions (i.e. temperature and to a lesser degree wind) are hard to come by in the mid and late winter months.

The real "kicker" is this: Many of the "best" of the repellants will advertise 120 days effectiveness of their products. A few even state that a single application is all you need! Hogwash!! In years of studying the efficacy and duration of virtually all commercially available repellants ALL have failed within 30 days of application if conditions are ripe for failure! I recommend that you reapply repellants on a 3-week interval. Having the proper environmental conditions for spray applications every 3 weeks in our region is chancy at best. Last year we had a mid winter stretch when the temperature did not reach 40 degrees for 35 days. Sure enough, I started to pick up considerable browsing on my "study" specimens after about 28 days. Finally, if environmental conditions are harsh (low temperatures, deep snow cover, high deer populations, poor mast year) no amount or frequency of application of repellant will deter a deer approaching starvation from browsing. So, rely on physical barriers so you can rest easy this winter!

Brad Roeller
Manager of the IES Display Gardens

Week of 13 November

Strategies For Protecting Your Landscape From Deer Browsing, Part 1:

Last week's "Highlights" pointed out that now is the time to initiate browsing protection measures. After over 25 years of observing what deer select for food in settings such as nurseries, formal plantings and "natural" habitats, as well as comparing and evaluating the effectiveness of a wide range of both products and techniques for deterring deer from browsing, I have developed some tips for "deer-proofing" your landscape. For the next 3 weeks, my column will be dedicated to this topic.

Proper Plant Selection

• Utilize one of the numerous lists of recommended plants that show resistance to browsing. This will serve as a starting point for selecting trees and shrubs for your landscape.
• Visit your neighbors and question them as to what deer select for food in their landscapes. This will assist you in narrowing the list of plants that will most likely be the best selections for your area.
• Plan on protecting vulnerable plants, or plants that do not appear on any list or have no "track record" in your area.

Become An "Environmental Forecaster"

• Access the size, health, and vigor of the local deer herd as fall approaches. Has it been a drought year where the quality and nutritional value of grass and herbaceous plants is poor? If so, their fat reserves entering into the dormant season are probably less than optimum for carrying them through the winter months. Is there an abundant mast (acorns and nuts) crop this fall? Mast is a prime, high fat food source for the whitetail deer during the late fall and early winter months. These factors will affect browsing pressure on your landscape plants come winter.
• Other environmental factors that will likewise determine dormant season browsing pressure: size of the local deer herd (Did you notice lots of twins with the does this summer?); snow cover (Are we due for a normal or above normal snow year?); and hunting pressure and success (Is there a group of successful hunters harvesting adult does off your and neighboring properties?).

Know The Deer In Your Neighborhood

• When and where do you see deer on your property? Are they passing through, or do they seem to be around at all hours of the day and night? Deer may be using your property to access more desirable food sources, or they may indeed hone in on your plantings as a primary browsing area. They may also be using your property as an area that affords them a degree of security and utilize it for bedding or "sanctuary" from hunting pressure.
• Are there "new" deer in the neighborhood? Instead of the familiar doe and fawn that you periodically observe, are there different deer now browsing in your landscape? Unfortunately, once deer, either "resident" or "new" deer, have found your landscape, your plantings will become a consistent "stop" on their nocturnal feeding forays. You must break this pattern through timely use of repellants and utilizing physical barriers to protect vulnerable plants.

Spray New Plantings

• With each new planting, regardless of the time of year that you are planting or the susceptibility of the plant to browsing, spray the plant with an odor-based repellant immediately after planting. Even though a wide range of woody plants, such as rhododendrons, yews, arborvitae, and other conifers, are not susceptible to browsing during the growing season, deer are curious by nature and will "check out" new features, such as plantings, in your landscape. If their first encounter is an unpleasant one, there are growing indications that deer will avoid this plant when they are actively foraging for food. Continue timed applications on new plantings throughout the growing season. Fertilizers such as Milorganite and Bobbex are very good warm-season repellants. It is important to track the amount of nitrogen you are applying when using Milorganite and don't over apply.
• Remember that "all bets are off" in so far as depending on natural and/or chemical repellants working effectively when deer are under stress and approaching starvation.

Next week: Part 2

Brad Roeller
Manager of the IES Display Gardens

Week of 20 November

Strategies For Protecting Your Landscape From Deer Browsing, Part 2:

Continuing the discussion I began last week, on deer-proofing your landscape . . .

Plan On Protecting Vulnerable Plants

• Keep protection in mind when designing and siting new plantings that warrant protection. Utilize rectilinear designs that facilitate construction of physical barriers such as netting or burlap.
• Sink galvanized pipe to grade around the perimeter of beds or large specimen plants that you choose to protect with netting or burlap. Simply cork the open end when not in use. This will speed up and simplify the process.
• Cut to size burlap and netting for individual specimens or beds. Label and store them for succeeding seasons when you dismantle your physical barriers in the spring.

Site Food Plots To Attract Deer Away From Landscape Plantings

• Under certain circumstances food plots can be effective in patterning deer away from plantings. In rural areas where large parcels are the norm, siting a food plot on the "back forty" can work. The primary factor for determining success of this technique is the amount of land involved. This method will not work in more residential areas with small lots. There is no lot size threshold where food plots will be effective as there are so many variables that can determine its success; however, I would not advocate food plots unless there the property involved contained at least 50 or more acres. Siting food plots on smaller lots may actually attract more deer into the vicinity.
• Food plots or stations (typically employing one of the popular automatic deer feeders) must be utilized year-round to be effective.
• Site the food plot as far as possible from landscape plantings. Additionally, try to select a location that also affords cover (i.e. brush) that will further encourage the deer to utilize this site.

Encourage Neighborhood Strategies For Deer Protection

• If several contiguous landowners in medium to high residential settings plan to develop a unified approach to deer protection, it can be extremely successful. Perhaps neighbors can pool resources and construct a deer fence around their properties. A common food plot may pattern the local deer to concentrate their feeding at that location. Make sure you check your local zoning ordinances about fencing, especially electric fencing.

Utilize Physical Barriers When Conditions Warrant

• If the environmental factors (summer drought, large deer herd, no or poor mast year, meteorological indicators of above average snow cover, etc.) point to the potential for substantial winter browsing, spray-on repellants most likely will not be effective. Properly erected physical barriers, such as boxing in plants with burlap or netting, snow fencing, and deer fencing can be 100% successful in protecting plants and beds.
• When utilizing netting make sure you purchase substantial netting such as poultry netting, not the flimsy type commonly sold as deer netting. Netting should be at least 6 feet in height; taller (typically 7.5′ or more) when protecting large areas. Secure the netting to the stakes or posts with good quality cable ties instead of staples. Make sure the netting drapes at least 6 inches past the bottom of the plant(s) as the whitetail's first attempt at broaching barriers is usually from below. If boxing individual plants cross brace the tops of the stakes (I use common 1″ x 1″ x 6′ oak stakes available at most Agway's or garden centers) with firing strips or lath to add rigidity to the structure.
• If utilizing burlap, the same techniques I advocate with netting should be followed. Cable ties are not used with burlap, so make sure that the burlap is stapled securely (I recommend at least 3/8″ staples stapled 8″ on center) to the stakes. I like to use pre-cut 45″ x 45″ good quality burlap squares for boxing in individual plants. If deer can't see the plant, chances are they will bypass it. I have witnessed evidence of repeated attempts by deer in trying to broach netting to get at plants. Do not wrap plants, especially broad-leaved evergreens, with burlap, as this will often cause winter injury to those plants.
• Standard 4′ high snow fencing is very good in affording protection for individual specimens too large to box and burlap. The "correct" distance for the perimeter of the snow fence to encircle the plant seems to be 18″ to 20″ from the furthest branches. With greater distances you run the risk of having deer jump inside the barrier; with lesser, deer can often reach over the fence, especially if it is not rigid. I utilize 4′ tall iron garden stakes, driven well into the ground, placed about every 5′ or 6′ on center. The snow fencing is securely wired to the iron stakes with 16 gauge galvanized wire. Rigidity is key to success.
• Deer fencing, typically 7.5′ or more in height can be very successful for protecting large beds or even entire properties. Woven wire and heavy duty PVC plastic fencing are very effective if properly maintained. If there are any broaches in your fence due to power outages (in the case of electric fences), or blow-downs on fences, deer will quickly find them. Additionally, fences must be erected quickly to be effective. Prolonged construction projects, especially with the "short" fences (typically the popular 6′ high electric vertical fences), or poor maintenance of electric fences (i.e. allowing grass or weeds to grow up through the wires, thus reducing the voltage) will certainly lead to failure. If the fence is not erected quickly, ideally in 1 day, deer will often simply jump over the short fences to enter the property. The all-important first contact with a new electric fence must be a good one (from your standpoint!). Once a deer has received a potent shock from an electric fence, it will develop a healthy respect for the fence and give it wide berth. The new generation of electric chargers, the "New Zealand" types, are very effective.

Next week: Part 3

Brad Roeller
Manager of the IES Display Gardens

Week of 27 November

Strategies For Protecting Your Landscape From Deer Browsing, Part 3:

Concluding my the discussion on deer-proofing your landscape ...

Develop A Year-Round Strategy

• Deer's diet and food selection slowly changes from a grazing animal during the growing season to a browsing animal during the dormant season. There is no fixed timetable for this event, rather it's a slow transition meant to maximize the available food resources as dictated by the season. However, even when the grass is green and succulent, deer may still select the tender new growth of woody plants for food during the growing season. Plants such as hydrangeas, weigelas, deutzias and diervillas, mock oranges and others are all susceptible to "warm weather" browsing. You must plan on protecting certain plants year-round, typically with repellants, as physical barriers are not aesthetically appropriate during the growing season. Broad-leaved evergreen and conifers are typically not selected as food except during the dormant season.
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• Have your physical barriers up and functioning after the first few killing frosts. If you are relying on repellants for dormant season protection, your spray program should likewise begin soon after the first killing frosts. As mentioned above, as the quality and availability of herbaceous browse declines in the late fall, deer will be selecting more and more of your woody plants for food. Once the grass has "greened up" in the spring, deer will once again concentrate on that food source as their primary one. You are typically "safe" in removing your physical barriers and halting your spraying once you have mowed your lawn a time or two in the spring.
• In drought years, remember that there will be more pressure on selected shrubs in your landscape as deer can easily digest the succulent new woody growth, and the quality of the woodies is superior to the dried up grass and forbs.

Relying On Repellants Is Chancy At Best

• Test repellants that you plan to use during the growing season. I have witnessed considerable tissue damage on new, tender growth with certain repellants, especially the "hot sauces". Soap-based repellants seem to be the most non-burning class of repellants.
• Do not believe what you read on the repellant label. I can assure you that the duration of effectiveness of virtually all repellants is not what is advertised. Some labels claim 120 days or more protection; some even boast all winter protection with a single application. In years of studying the efficacy and duration of virtually all commercially available repellants, I have found that all failed within 30 days of application if conditions were ripe for failure. Conversely, if we have a mild winter with minimal snow cover, coupled with a good mast crop and low or moderate herd size, most all repellants will be effective.
• Reapply repellants on a 3-week interval. Conditions must be optimum for spray applications. The temperature must be 40 deg. F. or above for the complete drying time of the product, which can be all day in the "dead" of winter. If you apply repellants when the temperature is not optimum, or it drops to freezing before the product dries, you will encounter winter injury on certain plants, especially broad-leaved evergreens. Once growth starts the following spring, plants that suffered from spray freezing on their leaves will brown up and desiccate, often leading to the death of the plant. The further north you are the greater the risk of not encountering optimum spraying conditions for the recommended application frequency.
• Alternate repellants to enhance effectiveness. You don't want to habituate "your" deer to one repellant.
• The new combinations of odor and scent repellants seem to be the most effective in deterring deer. Systemic repellants likewise seem to be effective, but not as long as the label will lead you to believe.

Brad Roeller
Manager of the IES Display Gardens

Weeks of 4 and 11 December

SOME POPULAR WOODY LANDSCAPE PLANTS THAT SHOW RESISTANCE TO DEER BROWSING
(From 25 years of observation and evaluation at the Institute of Ecosystem Studies)

Deciduous Trees:

• Most maples (Acer) *
• Most oaks (Quercus) *
• Birch (Betula) *
• Beech (Fagus) *
• Black Locust and Thornless Honeylocust (Robinia pseudoacacia and Gleditsia tiacanthos var. inermis) *

Deciduous and Evergreen Shrubs:

• Barberry (Berberis) Note: avoid the popular Japanese Barberry as it is an extremely invasive exotic that displaces many indigenous species. Utilize the William Penn Barberry (B. x gladwynensis "William Penn") as it appears to be sterile.
• Boxwood (Buxus)
• Summersweet (Clethra alnifolia) *
• Japanese and Mountain Pieris (Pieris japonica and P. floribunda)
• Bayberry (Myrica) *
• Bush Cinquefoil (Potentilla fruticosa and cultivars)
• Most Spireas (have evaluated Spiraea x bumalda cultivars, S. japonica, S. nipponica cultivars, S. x vanhouttei, S. dolchica, and S. prunifolia)
• Most Viburnums (have evaluated Viburnum acerifolium, V. alnifolium, V. x burkwoodii and cultivars, V. carlesii, V. x carlcephalum, V. cassinoides, V. dentatum, V. dilatatum and cultivars, V. lantana, V. lentago, V. opulus and cultivars, V. plicatum var. tomentosum cultivars, V. prunifolium, V. x rhytidophylloides and cultivars, V. rhytidophyllum, V. sargentii and cultivars, V. trilobum and cultivars) *
• Most Magnolias (Magnolia) *
• Most Lilacs (Syringa) *
• Red Buckeye (Aesculus pavia) *
• Pfitzer Juniper (Juniperus pfitzeriana)

Evergreen Trees:

• Most Spruce (Picea)
• Western and Oriental Arborvitae (Thuja plicata and T. orientalis) *
• California Incensecedar (Calocedrus decurrens)*

* May be selected for food during times of harsh winters and high deer populations when deer are approaching starvation.

Brad Roeller
Manager of the IES Display Gardens

Week of 18 December

There is one last seasonal task that the smart perennial gardener should perform about this time of year. Certain perennials benefit from an application of a winter mulch. Many plants have crowns (growing tips) that are above the soil surface and are susceptible to temperature-related damage. Other perennials are shallow rooted and likewise enjoy a wintertime insulating cover over their root zone.

Winter mulches typically fall into 2 categories: a compost mulch spread in a thin (1" to 2" deep), uniform layer over the entire bed; or laying evergreen boughs evenly over the bed. I like to utilize a combination of the two. I'll spread a well-aged compost layer between the crowns of the plants (assuming the plant is not a groundcover perennial), and layer evergreen boughs over the crowns themselves. It is best not to cover herbaceous perennial groundcovers like Dianthus or Stachys with compost mulch as most perennial groundcovers have evolved with their growing tips above the soil surface. Covering these types of plants will have a detrimental effect. Evergreen mulch is best suited for groundcovers. The best evergreens to cut for this purpose are firs and spruce as they retain their needles for a long time and lie flat.

All perennials benefit from even soil temperatures. They like a slow "cool-down" in the fall and a slow "warm-up" in spring. The mulches (compost and evergreen) will temper the soil temperatures to the benefit of the plant. Additionally, winter mulches will reduce what we refer to as crown heaving on plants such as coral-bells and pinks. Alternate freezing and thawing will lift the plant crown up from the soil surface and, when the sun defrosts the surface, settle it back down to its original planted position. This freeze-thaw cycle actually scarifies the crown and can lead to the death of the plant. I have witnessed numerous occasions where fall planted perennials have been "popped" right of the ground due to this phenomenon. One other benefit of utilizing evergreens as a winter mulch is that the shading they provide will delay the warming of the soil in the spring, thus delaying the onset of growth of those early spring perennials. By keeping the boughs on your beds in early spring, you can often reduce plant damage caused by late-April and early-May killing frosts.

Timing the application of a winter mulch is important. You should fight the temptation to do this "last" task after fall cleanup, typically early or mid-October. Applying mulch too early will help retain an artificially higher soil temperature creating a potential for late season plant growth. You must wait for "real" dormancy to set in, typically when there is "permanent" frost in the ground. IES gardeners applied their winter mulch only last week. We plan on obtaining unsold Christmas trees the week after Christmas to complete the job (what a great way to "recycle" your tree!).

Nature gives gardeners a clue on which plants benefit from a winter mulch. Woodland, shade-tolerant perennials have evolved where a seasonal leaf drop is the norm. If you are the fastidious type and clean every leaf from your garden, plan on applying a winter mulch. Likewise, plants that have evolved in the open environments have evolved with the wonderful insulation derived from dry grasses and forbs. Likewise, if you are the "no leaf in the garden type" and cut off all frosted foliage from your plants, plan on winter mulching as well. Sometimes when dealing with cultivated plants such as peonies, it is advisable to do rigorous fall cleanup, as the old foliage often fosters disease pathogens such as powdery mildew and gray mold.

Some of the perennials that require a winter mulch: Armeria maritima (sea pink or sea thrift); Ceratostigma plumbaginoides (leadwort); Filipendula spp.(queen-of-the-prairie); Sempervivum spp.(hens-and-chicks) as well as most rock garden type perennials; Thalictrum ssp. (meadow rues); Veronica ssp. (speedwells); breaded iris; Heuchera ssp. (coral bells).

Brad Roeller
Manager of the IES Display Gardens

Week of 25 December

Now that the gardens are officially "put to bed" for the winter, and covered with "poor man's mulch" (snow), I want to preview some of the perennials that will be featured in an IES brochure in progress: "The Best Perennials for Northern Gardens".

My first title for this work was going to be "Low Maintenance Perennials", but that would mean borrowing a title that already exists. My former boss, Robert Hebb, was the first horticulturist at the Mary Flagler Cary Arboretum. He came to us in the early days from the Arnold Arboretum where he studied under the venerable Donald Wyman, the "father of American horticulture". Bob's long interest in low maintenance perennials became a driving force for creating the Arboretum's Perennial Garden.

If you can find it, Bob's book, Low Maintenance Perennials, is still regarded as one of the best perennial books out there. During the Arboretum's years as part of The New York Botanical Garden, we partook in botanical exchange programs with the Soviet Union. Together with the Arnold Arboretum and the US National Arboretum, Bob spent months in the USSR as part of a team of plant collectors collecting seed and stock of Asian counterparts of North American trees and shrubs. The exchange programs of the late 1970s (Soviet American Botanical Exchange, or SABE), was instrumental in developing our fledgling woody plant collections. In the decade of the 70s we exchanged seed with over 200 botanical gardens, arboretums, and gardens.

Getting back to perennials, Bob, with his astute eye for interesting and "worthy" perennials, would collect seed or vegetative stock of exotic perennial plant species for evaluation back at the Arboretum. I have enjoyed working with these collected-wild plants for over 20 years and have observed several become the "darlings" of the perennial plant world. We were growing plants such as Kirengshoma palmata, Aralia cordata, Astilboides tabularis and the closely related Rodgersia spp., Cimicifuga simplex, Tricyrtis spp., Inula magnifica, Telekia speciosa, and numerous others, for years here in our gardens, long before they became available in the trade. Several of these collected wild plants are now prominently featured in perennial magazines and catalogues, with good reason.

For the next several "From the IES Perennial Garden" articles, I will be featuring several (not all) of the "best-of-the-best" perennials for our region. It is my hope that the new brochure will make its debut at some point during 2001. One of the holdups is our goal of digitizing the brochure and accompanying photographs, which will enable us to offer this informative brochure on our website. Getting good digitized photographs will be a primary goal for this growing season. The brochure will highlight these selected perennials and provide growing tips and other cultural requirements, along with ideas for how to use the plants in your garden.

Next week I'll explain the criteria that I used to select plants on the list. Many gardeners will be surprised that some of the "stalwarts" of the perennial world are not on the list. I'll also cover what I feel are the essential requirements in bed preparation and growing regimen for a successful perennial garden.

Brad Roeller
Manager of the IES Display Gardens

Week of 1 January 2001

Happy New Year!

Preview of "The Best Perennials for Northern Gardens", part 2:

In order to generate a list of what I consider the best perennials for northern gardens, I had to come up with criteria for inclusion in this "elite" grouping of perennials. My general goal for the list was to include plants that are truly low maintenance while possessing excellent ornamental attributes. In order to do this I came up with 8 criteria:

• The number 1 criterion is that the plant must have excellent ornamental appeal and seasonal interest. While most plants on the list are included because of their flowering attributes, some are "foliage" plants with outstanding color or texture.
• Plants must possess inherent resistance to disease and insect infestations. While most would expect peonies to be on any "best-of-the-best" list, you won't find them here, as peonies are prone to serious fungal diseases such as Botrytis (gray mold) and a plethora of leaf spots and wilt diseases. That's not to say that you shouldn't have peonies in your garden, but you should be aware of the maintenance associated with their success.
• All plants on the list require minimal maintenance. I look for plants that do not require staking, shearing, or dead-heading. Many of my favorite perennials such as daylilies and hostas are not on the list because they require frequent applications of deer repellants (maintenance) for success. I also look for plants that do not need to be divided frequently to keep them at their best. I arbitrarily use 4 or 5 years as a standard for evaluating a plant in its original planting site. There are no hard-and-fast "rules" about division of perennials, but many I have observed do perform best if divided every year or two. This is not what I'm looking for. I have found that most herbaceous plant benefit from a periodic (every 4 or 5 years) lifting, division and replanting. This also gives the gardener the all-important opportunity to amend the soil with organic matter.
• Plants that require several feedings are not on the list. I'm looking for perennials that can perform at their best relying only upon organically derived nutrients. With the incorporation of organic matter into the beds themselves and periodically applying an organic surface mulch, all of the plant's fertility needs should be met.
• Plants must possess inherent drought tolerance in order to "make the cut". Plants like astilbes, lungworts (Pulmonaria), and mums are not on the list for this, and in some cases, other reasons.
• Plants must not be invasive. Many ornamental grasses and bamboos spread rapidly by underground rhizomonous roots. Japanese knotweeds (Persicaria), the supposedly sterile Lythrums and other exotics are unfortunately popular in today's perennial garden. One of the worst that can be obtained in some prominent perennial catalogues is Cryptotaenia or honewort. While our indigenous woodland native honewort, C. canadensis, is not at all invasive, its Asian counterparts are. We have been four years removing the multitude of seedlings from one of these Asian honeworts from our garden here at IES. Another of these Asian pests is Anthriscus, related to the annual culinary garden herb chervil, which is now well entrenched in the Hudson Valley. Cultivars of this problem plant are likewise prominently offered by some perennial plant vendors.
• Plants must be winter hardy to at least zone 5 (minimum temperature of -20 degrees
• And, finally, plants must be long-lived. So many plants seem to "peter-out" after a year or two in the garden and will not appear on our list.

Next week: How to create a successful perennial garden, followed by profiles of selected perennials from "the list".

Brad Roeller
Manager of the IES Display Gardens

Week of 8 January 2001

Preview of "The Best Perennials for Northern Gardens", part 3:

Before I start extolling the virtues of selected perennials as part of a sneak preview of the upcoming new IES brochure, "The Best Perennials for Northern Gardens", I thought I would take this opportunity to provide some general principles for successfully gardening with perennials (as well as most plants!).

Just as the realtor preaches, "location, location, location", I offer "drainage, drainage, drainage". One of the main reasons for plant failure (i.e., death) has to do with poorly drained soils. Drainage problems occur as either surface drainage problems or subsurface problems, or a combination of the two. Surface drainage problems are typically when plants are situated in low-lying "pockets" which collect rain (and ice), often leading to rot. I often run into this problem after gardens have been "turned over" and planted, and the inevitable settling occurs. It is best to firm up the soil before you plant. Many perennials, such as Dianthus (the pinks) as well as most herbs, prefer being planted where water drains away from their crowns. Compaction can also compound drainage problems when water "stands" on the surface for extended periods of time. Subsurface drainage problems are usually related to "heavy", poorly drained, clayey soils. The problem here is that water remains in the root zone for too long a period of time, displacing essential oxygen infiltration into the root zone. Luckily, we here at IES are fortunate to have much of our soils fall into the "gravelly" profile categories (the infamous "Dutchess" County topsoil). Drainage is not a problem for the IES Perennial Garden.

The overwhelming majority of perennials prosper from good surface and subsurface drainage. For numerous perennials, the "kiss of death" is poor drainage. If your garden suffers from poor drainage, there are a few things you can do to correct the problem. First of all, you should determine the drainage capability of your soil with a simple test. Dig a hole in the garden about the size of a gallon jug. Fill the hole with water and let it drain. As soon as the water has drained, immediately fill it again and keep track of how much time it takes to drain. If it takes more than 6 to 8 hours to drain, you have a drainage problem that needs attention. The course of action can take several directions. If you are creating a new garden, or renovating large sections of an existing one, you might want to undertake a "project" aimed at bettering the subsurface drainage. Where feasible, you can excavate the top 12 inches of soil (18" is better) and place in the bottom of the excavation a "gravel blanket". A gravel blanket is typically a 3" or 4" deep layer of quarry stone (½" or 1" size) placed in the bottom of the excavation and covered with a landscape or filter fabric to keep the stone "blanket" from silting up over time. The soil is then replaced. If your garden is relatively flat, meaning there is little or no gradient (slope), you may want to supplement the subsurface drainage with underdrains, which will collect and dispose of subsurface water. The installation of a subsurface drainage system is best left to a competent landscaper or contractor. If nothing else, a gravel blanket by itself will create "positive" drainage and facilitate the downward movement of water in your garden. The problem arises seasonally when the ground has reached its saturation point (field capacity) and, if there is no subsurface gradient, the gravel blanket will be unable to "attract" additional water, resulting in the saturation of the root zone for extended periods of time. Additionally, if you are going through the trouble of providing an underground drainage system(s) for you garden, you should take the opportunity to replace your "heavy" soil with a better one, preferably an organic loam.

Ok, the above remedy is somewhat daunting and can be quite expensive. What alternatives are there to an underground drainage system? The "old" remedy for correcting heavy soils was to add sand to improve the "structure" of the aggregate and improve drainage. The problem with this method lies in the amount of sand that is needed. Depending on the soil, you may have to add huge amounts of sand (up to a third to one-half by volume!) in order to correct the problem. Not to worry! There is a cheap and easy remedy, one that will, in addition to improving the drainage of your soil, provide numerous other plant-related benefits.

Next week: compost!

Brad Roeller
Manager of the IES Display Gardens

Week of 15 January 2001

Finishing up the discussion of improving your soil's drainage capability, I mentioned that one cheap and easy way of doing this was with by the addition of compost. I'll devote future "From the IES Perennial Garden" columns to the benefits of compost, but today I'll give some pointers on how to use compost to improve drainage in those "heavy" garden soils:

• Utilize compost whenever you plant a new plant (tree, shrub, perennial, or annual) in your garden. The drainage in the immediate vicinity of the rootzone of that plant will be greatly improved.
• Periodically "lift" perennials from entire beds, or sections of beds, and introduce compost throughout the whole area. I advocate lifting and dividing most perennials every 4 or 5 years. There are a few perennials that definitely do not like to be moved, but the vast majority of perennials prosper from periodic division. In addition to rejuvenating the plants, surplus divisions can be offered to fellow gardeners. Renovating perennial beds allows you the opportunity to rethink your original design and try something new. Most importantly, you now have the opportunity to introduce organic matter (i.e. compost) into large sections of your garden. I was schooled in the "old" English method of "double-digging" beds in preparation for planting. Look up this method in some of your horticultural references. With today's deep cultivating rototillers, double-digging is pretty much a thing of the past. However, if you are incorporating organic matter into your beds to improve the drainage of your soil, rototilling generous amounts of compost may actually compound the problem, especially if you are not able to till very deep, say 6" or less. What you will do by shallow tilling is create an artificial frigipan, or impervious layer at the depth you have tilled. Water will quickly drain through the improved surface layer, only to meet the untilled clayey subsoil and sit there for prolonged periods of time. If that layer coincides with the rootzone of your perennials (generally within the top foot of the soil), many perennials that require good drainage will perish. With the double-digging method, you will be incorporating organic matter down 2 spade depths, or at least 20", well below the rootzone of most herbaceous and even woody plants (i.e. "feeding" roots, not the support or buttressing root systems of trees). How much compost to rototill or double-dig into your soil? I generally recommend about a third to half by volume, or for every foot depth of soil, I'll add 4" to 6" inches of compost to incorporate with the existing soil. There are two things to be aware of when adding large amounts of compost into your soil: 1) Settling — Make sure that the amended soil has a good opportunity to settle before you plant to avoid the danger of planting in "pockets" as discussed last week. The best "settling" technique, if time is not an option, is copious amounts of irrigation, either natural or artificial. Avoid the foot "stomping" method, as you will be compacting the amended soil and defeating one of the main intents of adding the compost, bettering the "structure" of the soil. 2) Grade — By adding a lot of compost into the soil you will invariably be raising the grade of the beds. This is good for surface drainage (i.e. avoiding "pockets") but could be the "kiss of death" if you have woody plants in your perennial borders planted at the original grade. Over time you will have to remove some of this amended soil to obtain the proper surface grades. It's not hard to find a use for this soil, as it is especially useful for grading low depressions in your landscape.
• Finally, utilize compost as a "summer" surface mulch in your garden. A 1" to 2" layer of "finished" (largely having completed the decomposing process) compost added throughout your bed will not only do all the wonderful things that surface mulches do (moderate soil temperatures, suppress weeds, reduce soil moisture loss, etc.), but will also eventually break down and be incorporated into the top layer of your soil, thus further improving the drainage capabilities of your soil. A good method for determining if your compost is "finished" is to germinate something that sprouts quickly (I use lettuce or radish seed) in the compost in question. If you get good germination, say 75% or better (remember, the older the seed the poorer the germination percentage), the compost is ready to use.
• What kind of compost is best? Basically, any properly composted organic matter will work. I won't get into the methods of composting and answering the question of "what is a 'good' compost"; suffice to say that if you are not an adept "composter", purchase compost from a reputable, certified-organic source, such as McEnroe Organic Farm Association, in Millerton, N.Y.

Next week: The final tip for successful perennial gardening: I.P.M.

Brad Roeller
Manager of the IES Display Gardens

Week of 22 January 2001

IPM, or Integrated Pest Management, is an integral part of successful gardening. Having my curiosity piqued by this "buzz" word in the early 1990s, I obtained a great, definitive book, Handbook of Integrated Pest Management for Turf and Ornamentals, edited by Anne R. Leslie. The editor is an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) scientist who gives this brief overview of what IPM is:

IPM came into existence in 1990 with the Pollution Prevention Act which established as a national policy a new hierarchy of environmental protection, placing pollution prevention first, followed by recycling and environmentally safe pollution treatment. Reduced use is seen as the one clear method for making progress toward pesticide pollution prevention and has become a stated Agency goal in relation to both agricultural and urban environments. The Environmental Protection Agency believes that sound IPM practices are integral to any progress toward real pesticide use reductions. The EPA defines IPM as "...an effective and environmentally sensitive approach to pest management that relies on a combination of common-sense practices". IPM programs use current, comprehensive information on the life cycles of pests and their interactions with the environment. This information, in combination with available pest control methods, is used to manage pest damage by the most economical means, and with the least possible hazard to people, property, and the environment. IPM programs take advantage of all pest management options possible, including, but not limited to the judicious use of pesticides.

What an admirable goal indeed, reducing pesticide use. Over the years gardening at IES, I have learned several lessons from practicing this management style. A few brief tips concerning IPM and successful gardening for the next few installments of "From the IES Perennial Garden":

• Know your enemy!! So often I see both the homeowner and many supposed professionals run out and apply the "pesticide du jour" at the first sign of an insect. Putting aside the health and safety considerations coupled with the typical lack of knowledge about the nature of the chemical they are applying or its mode of action, their applications often prove to be futile in controlling the pest! I have seen numerous occasions when application timing, pest identification, and application methodology are incorrect, inaccurate, unnecessary, or all of the above! I have also witnessed non-target, beneficial insects inadvertently killed due to ignorance. Two invaluable references are out there that describe the complete life cycles of both insects and disease pathogens and include wonderful color plates and listings of susceptible plants for each pest: Insects That Feed On Trees and Shrubs, by Warren T. Johnson and Howard H. Lyon, and Diseases of Trees and Shrubs, also by the same Johnson and Lyon along with W.A. Sinclair. Another great resource is the indispensable "2000 Pest Management Guide for Commercial Production and Maintenance of Trees and Shrubs", published by Cornell Cooperative Extension and periodically updated. It is the reference to use if pesticide intervention is called for.
• Timing is everything! Learn what growing degree days are (GDD) and how to calculate them. All pesticide applications should be linked to this environmental measure. They are easily calculated using the guide in "Cornell Recommends" (the commonly used term for the above publication), or available on the IES website in the meteorological data that is daily posted during the growing season: (www.ecostudies.org/emp_daily.html, sometime after March). Plant phenological indicators (PPI), which list what common plants are in flower when target insects are most effectively dealt with, are also listed in "Cornell Recommends" to further help applicators time their pesticide applications.

Next week: What the heck are "Biorational Controls"??

Brad Roeller
Manager of the IES Display Gardens

Week of 29 January 2001

Finishing off the discussion of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) and how practicing it can foster a healthy and successful landscape, the ultimate and logical direction a landscape or garden manager can take is to practice biorational controls when combating pests and diseases. I highly advocate this style of management as it limits the health and safety risks associated with conventional pesticide use, and is definitely more "environmentally friendly".

"Biorational controls" is a catchall term for a diverse range of both cultural and mechanical landscape management practices. In an agricultural application it might include practices such as crop rotation and diverse cropping. In the garden, thinning bee balm and garden phlox to improve air circulation would be a good example of a cultural biorational control measure intended to limit the proliferation of fungal spores. Removing sick or weak plants from your landscape would likewise be another example of a sound biorational control measure.

In addition to biological controls (I'll discuss those shortly), the IES Greenhouse utilizes traps to help control insect infestations. Traps may utilize food (as a bait), or light and color as attractants. Commonly used "sticky" traps are quite effective on certain insects.

The selection of plants is of prime importance for successful landscape and garden management. Utilize the best species and cultivars that either possess or have had good disease and pest resistance bred into them. For example, our native white birch, Betula papyrifera, is inherently more resistant to bronze birch borer than its European or Asian counterparts (B. pendula, B. platyphylla, et. al.). Princeton Nurseries and other commercial nurseries, along with governmental (i.e. USDA) and private entities, have developed and continue to develop disease and pest resistant cultivars. Their selections are periodically introduced into the trade. A good reference book, which highlights these plants, is Pest-Resistant Ornamental Plants, by D. Smith-Fiola.

A wise landscape and garden manager should set thresholds, which will define their tolerance for diseases and pests. These threshold levels can vary greatly in virtually all agricultural and landscape applications. An exhibition-class rose grower may have a much lower threshold for insect and diseases than an amateur rose grower. Once threshold levels have been established, if intervention is called for to eradicate or control pests and/or diseases, biorational control measures should "kick-in".

A few guiding principles for biorational controls:

• If pesticides are called for (usually a last resort measure), adopt a "least toxic chemical" rationale. Often a botanical such as neem or pyrethrins may do the job.
• Use "biochemicals" instead of pesticides. Examples of biochemicals are kairomones, pheromones, and insect growth regulators (IGR). Kairomones are chemicals that are produced by plants, which attract insects. Pheromones are chemicals secreted by insects. There are alarm pheromones, which will repel insects, and pheromones that attract insects (i.e. those Japanese beetle traps). IGR act on the hormonal systems of immature insects. They rarely kill the insect, but interfere with their development cycle (i.e. interrupt metamorphosis from one stage to the next) causing the affected insect to stop feeding.
• Biochemical controls often utilize botanical and biological controls. Bacillus thuringiensis kurstaki (Btk) is highly effective in dealing with larval caterpillars such as the gypsy moth caterpillar. Certain predatory nematodes and milky spore disease (Bacillus popilliae and B. lentimorbus) are used to control Japanese beetles in their larval stages.

A great reference on these biochemical controls is The Organic Gardener's Handbook of Natural Insect and Disease Control, edited by Barbara W. Ellis and Fern Marshall Bradley. It's another one of those great Rodale Garden Books.

I hope the last few editions of "From the IES Perennial Garden" have provided you with some tips for successful gardening (drainage and IPM among other topics). Enough though! Next week I'll begin some fun by highlighting the "Best of the Best" perennials for gardens in our region.

Brad Roeller
Manager of the IES Display Gardens

Week of 5 February 2001

Having satisfied my proclivity for offering unsolicited advise, I spent the last several "From the IES Perennial Garden" editions offering tips for successful garden and landscape care. Now, let's talk perennials!

As you may recall, I am currently working on a new IES garden brochure that will highlight 100 or so tried-and-true perennials for our region. To make the "cut" the plants have to largely satisfy the following criteria: possess ornamental appeal and interest; be inherently resistant to disease and pest infestations; require minimal maintenance (i.e. staking, dead-heading, frequent division, etc.); have low fertility and moisture needs; be long-lived and winter hardy. With those demanding standards, many of the garden stalwarts are conspicuously absent from the list. Hostas, daylilies, peonies, iris, roses, mums, astilbes and several other popular perennials do not satisfy all of the above criteria.

What I'll be featuring over the next several weeks is the "best-of-the-best" from that list. These plants will be easily picked out in the IES Perennial Garden by their blue colored labels that sets them apart from other perennials (all having brown labels). This elite group has necessarily been reduced to about 24 from over 100 great perennials. They truly are outstanding. So, here we go — here are some of crème de la crème of perennials for your garden:

Coreopsis. Many native species and their cultivars are featured in the "Best" list, and tickseeds easily qualified. Most of the 35 species of tickseeds in North America are concentrated in the Mid-west and Southeast. Tickseeds are members of the Composite family (Compositae), and closely related to sunflowers and coneflowers (Helianthus tribe). The botanical name for the genus is aptly derived. Coreopsis comes from the Greek koris, a bug; and opsis, like. The seeds of tickseeds look amazingly similar to a tick. Tickseeds are easily distinguished from their close "cousins", the coneflowers (Rudbeckia), because all have 8 showy rays that comprise part of the flower (the other part of the flower is the disc). Also, the rays are usually (not always) tipped with "teeth" or notches. Coneflowers, on the other hand, typically have more that 8, usually up to about 20 rays. Several species have "migrated" eastward, found a niche, and are evident along the highways and byways of the Northeast. All Coreopsis are great so far as I'm concerned, and I'm forced to feature but a few. All, with the exception of C. rosea, actually prefer dry, "ordinary" (I've got to find out what the heck this nebulous term means!) garden soil. I actually think they do best in our "Dutchess County topsoil", which is gravelly, has low fertility, and has excellent drainage. Tickseeds will not do well in rich, or "heavy" soils. All prefer full sun and love the "dog-days" of summer. They are extremely drought-tolerant and pest free. Their blooming period is one of the longest of any perennial, from mid-summer until fall. Don't fertilize your tickseeds, unless your soil is truly miserable in-so-far-as nutrient availability. About the only maintenance required of these hardy souls is dividing the plant every 4 or 5 years. We've got a patch of tickseeds in the garden that hasn't been divided in 15 or more years and still looks good!

Perhaps the most common of the tickseeds is the whorled or thread-leaf tickseed, C. verticillata. Native to the southeastern seaboard, it has naturalized in our area. It thrives in hot, dry conditions. Two of my favorite cultivars of this plant are "Zagreb" with its bright yellow flowers, and the popular "Moonbeam", which has been featured in countless gardening magazine articles. Although it is overplanted due to the marketing of this plant, is indeed worthy of all the attention it has, and continues to receive. "Moonbeam" won the Perennial Plant of the Year in 1992, as selected by the Perennial Plant Association.

Another recommended tickseed is the large-flowered Coreopsis, C. grandiflora. It is my favorite of the bunch. A mid-western and southern native that has also found its way east, it has the same growing requirements as the whorled tickseed, only larger flowers. There are several cultivars, all great, but my favorite is the compact "Goldfink". Very closely related to C. grandiflora is the lance-leaf coreopsis, C. lanceolata, in fact several of the popular cultivars have been developed from these two species. The cultivar "Grandiflora" has been bred to display huge (up to 3" diameter) flower heads.

A neat, bushy little tickseed is C. auriculata, the mouse ear coreopsis. This tickseed does enjoy more summertime moisture than its prairie-evolved relatives, but is worthy of inclusion into this elite group of perennials. The cultivar "Nana" is only 6"-9" tall and stoloniferous, like the species. It is a great candidate for the rock garden.

Finally, C. rosea, the pink tickseed, is a coastal native that can be found in peat bogs and wet sand along coast. However, it does very well indeed in the "ordinary" garden soil, and does quite well during periods of drought. I should put a qualifier by this tickseed, as almost very reference that I've come across notes that it can be quite invasive. In our garden I have not witnessed this trait, as I assume it requires moist, acidic conditions to proliferate.

Brad Roeller
Manager of the IES Display Gardens

Week of 12 February 2001

As much as I'm getting a little tired of shoveling the white stuff, it will surely get our early spring perennials off to a wonderful start. In addition to providing a wonderful insulating "blanket", when it melts it will provide ample ground moisture well into the early growing season.

Today I'm going to highlight one of what I consider the best genera of herbaceous perennials I've ever worked with, the barrenworts, or Epimediums. Barrenworts are members of the barberry family, Berberidaceae, and are indigenous to the Middle East and Asia. These are one of the few perennials that will actually thrive as an underplanting for trees and shrubs. If you are looking for a truly "grow anywhere" perennial, these plants might be just the ticket! I have used Epimediums under several surface-rooted trees such as maples, hemlocks, apples, spruce, and several other landscape trees and shrubs, and they have consistently flourished. I have never noticed any diseases or pests associated with these plants, although some references note that crown rot may be a problem (remember: drainage, drainage, drainage!). Barrenworts possess outstanding drought tolerance, and a few of them are ideal for the shady rock garden. If you have a shady, even a moderately heavy shade area, and are looking for either a specimen shade plant, or a shade-loving groundcover, definitely check out Epimedium species.

I love the foliage of Epimediums. The new foliage is largely basal and supported on strong, wiry stems, typically rimmed or veined in red. Several Epimedium species are evergreen, or semi-evergreen, which prolongs this feature of the plant. In our area, most turn a wonderful bronze color in winter. Ruth Clausen describes the flowers as: "The curious, mostly cup-shaped flowers are 4-parted. Their sepals are in two rows, the outer early deciduous, the inner petaloid, flat or reflexed. The petals are frequently modified into showy spurs or pouches". The effect of this floriferous plant in bloom is "cloud-like", as the multitude of flowers are held high above the dense foliage. These 8" to 12" tall plants typically bloom in mid- to late-May.

The only care we give our Epimediums is to shear back the old foliage in late winter (I've used a light rotary mower set up high for this task!). You can propagate the plant by division in early spring (before flowering) or anytime after the foliage has matured. We give a light topdressing of screened organic leaf mulch in early spring before growth starts. These plants are tough and virtually care-free! A