What's New for Your Garden This Spring?

If you detect a pattern here, kindly ignore it. Last year about this time, I posted on this blog for the first time and the post was all about new plant introductions for 2008. So here I am again. Same theme…different year. What can I say? It’s just not spring without looking forward to the new plant gems that come on the market each year.

Apart from a couple of fun coneflowers, the new introductions last year were really nothing to write home about. That is most certainly not true this year.

My first case in point is a new Buddleia unlike any we’ve seen before. Many gardeners have come to love and appreciate the many wonderful qualities of the Buddleia, commonly called Butterfly Bush. In addition to attracting butterflies and hummingbirds, they are easy to grow and relatively pest-free.

This spring we have the first in a new series of Buddleia called ‘Lo and Behold’ introduced by the Raulston Arboretum. Their first introduction is Blue Chip, a two foot mounder that flowers continuously throughout the summer. It is perfect for front of the border, groundcover or even containers. It is deer resistant and drought tolerant. As it is hardy only to zone 5, it will do best in a sheltered southern location for us. I can’t wait to try this one and there will be more in the series to follow.

I’ve yet to meet a coneflower I didn’t like and I’m happy to discover that we will have more to choose from this year. For all of you Iowa State Cyclone fans who may be looking to show your school spirit in a new way, there are a couple of new coneflowers just for you. Echinacea ‘Tomato Soup’ and Echinacea ‘Mac ‘n Cheese’ are vivid cardinal and gold respectively. Both are new introductions from Terra Nova nurseries and they retain all of the ‘easy to grow’ characteristics we have come to appreciate about coneflowers. I’m not sure if they will be available locally this year, but they are widely available through mail order catalogs or through online sources.


A couple of other new coneflowers to check out: Echinacea Hot Papaya, the first ever double orange and Echinacea Pink Poodle, featuring large 4” double blooms that resemble zinnias.

Knock Out roses hit the market a few years ago and I have to say, they are aptly named. It’s hard to find fault with a rose that is hardy, low maintenance, disease resistant and a repeat bloomer. There are now seven in the series with this spring’s introduction of the Sunny Knock Out Rose. It is the first yellow rose in the series and if it’s anything like its predecessors, it will be a winner in any garden.

So many more plants to discuss, but alas, other duties call. Check out the new Endless Summer hydrangea Twist-n-Shout, the new Campanula Jelly Bells and a lovely new Tradescantia called Sunshine Charm.

Gift Ideas for Gardeners

The holiday season is always joyful and exciting but as we all know, it can also be stressful. Trying to come up with that perfect gift for everyone on your list can certainly add to the stress. But if you happen to have a ‘green-thumb type’ on your list, I think I can help.

Gardeners are actually very easy to buy for. Really. Think about it this way. If we’re not in our gardens, we’re thinking about our gardens. With that simple thought in mind gift ideas are easy.

Let me start with one obvious fact. A gardener can never have too many plants. So at the top of my list every year is a gift certificate to a local nursery, garden center or a mail-order company, such as Park Seed, Wayside Gardens or White Flower Farms. The wonderful thing about a gift certificate is that it takes away all the guilt of spending money on plants.

Another important fact is that we cannot garden without tools. A person can certainly get by with basic spades, trowels, pruners, rakes, hoes and forks, but there is something wonderful about the feel of a quality tool. Our local garden centers have a nice selection or look online at places like Smith & Hawkin or Lee Valley Tools. Check out these ergonomic hand tools.

There’s no question that gardening is hard on hands. Good garden gloves are always appreciated. Choose gloves that fit well and that are flexible yet sturdy. Also very much appreciated are hand care products to revive those abused hands. Crabtree and Evelyn make a variety of hand care products for gardeners. My favorite is the pumice scrub. You might also consider a microwavable hot pack to ease those sore muscles.

By the time winter arrives, we gardeners are already planning what we want to do with our gardens the following spring. Garden books and magazines help us feed our habit and provide creative ideas. Books are plentiful on a variety of garden subjects. Choose one that matches the interests of the gardener you are buying for. For example, shade gardening or herb culture. Books on garden design with large colorful pictures and good plant details are always fun. There are several good garden magazines to choose from. My personal favorite is Fine Gardening.

For those gardeners who also enjoy wildlife, you might consider birdfeeders, bird baths or whimsical bird houses.

Stocking stuffers can run the gamut from plant food spikes to seeds to plant markers to garden ornaments.

And finally if you want to spend a bit more, you might consider garden carts, garden benches or a Mantis rototiller.

Did I not say that gardeners were easy to buy for?

Making A Case For Delayed Gratification

So, I know it's a little late for this post here in Iowa, but no self-respecting garden blogger could let fall slip by without at least mentioning bulbs. I don't care if you're a garden maven or a hermit, I defy you to look at a drift of spring bulbs in all their glory and not be impressed. Those early season blooms of daffodils, tulips and the like cheer us immensely and provide proof that winter truly does come to an end each year.

If you want to enjoy these first flowers of spring in your own garden, you need to make plans for the show now. Fall is the time to get those bulbs in the ground.

There are a few simple planting rules to follow. OK, so this first rule may seem silly, but I'll say it anyway because it matters. Plant bulbs 'pointy' side up. Planting depth should be clearly marked on most bulb packets, but a general rule is to plant them 2 1/2 times as deep as the bulb is wide.

Bulbs need at least a half a day of sun to thrive. They will get weak and spindly without enough light, so choose your site with that in mind. The soil needs to be loose and rich, so amend it with compost if necessary. Once the flowers are spent, you need to let the foliage die back naturally to build bulb strength for next season’s blooms.

If you add fertilizer at the time you plant your bulbs, be sure to mix it into the soil well so that it does not directly contact and burn the bulbs. Bone meal can be a great slow-release fertilizer for bulbs, but beware of using it if you have critter problems. Raccoons will happily dig up all of your bulbs in order to get at the bone meal. I speak from experience.

Bulbs are one case where buying the larger, more expensive ones will pay bigdividends the first year they are planted. Bulbs are actually graded, much like eggs, though most nurseries do not list grades. Look for bulbs that are large, firm and free from soft spots or other signs of disease.

A few rules of thumb for bulb design. The first is, the more the merrier. One is definitely a lonely number when it comes to bulbs. When you plant just a few in one location they become lost and look like mistakes. The smaller the bulb, the more you need. For example, ten crocus bulbs might have the same effect as five daffodil bulbs. By interspersing bulbs with perennials you avoid holes in the garden and the foliage from the perennials helps to hide withering bulb foliage.

Large drifts of the same color always look great. Repeat the drifts in odd numbers or naturalize them by planting dozens or even hundreds of bulbs in carefree, informal drifts in lightly wooded areas, lawns or rock gardens.


No garden is complete without a few spring bulbs. Do a little work now and thank yourself for it for many springs to come.

Why Are We Talking Peonies Now?

Most of you are probably familiar with that old garden standard, the peony. If you are, then you know that they flower in the late spring and early summer, so you may wonder why I’m bringing them up now. The reason is simple. Peonies like to be planted or divided in the fall. But, let’s start with a little background.

There are many species of peonies, but for the purpose of this post, I’m going to focus on the most well known, Paeonia lactiflora, also known as the Chinese peony. These are the ones that gardeners are most familiar with. They are herbaceous perennials, meaning that they die back to the ground in the winter. The most common colors are shades of pink, red and white, but some newer cultivars are available in yellows and greens.

Peonies are known for their extremely fragrant single, double or semi-double extra-large flowers. A couple of my old favorite varieties are ‘Festiva Maxima’, a white flower streaked with hot pink and ‘Sarah Bernhardt’ which is a luscious soft pink.

Peony plants are substantial enough to make good anchors in the perennial border, but they work equally well as specimens, in rows or along fences. Plant them near patios & entrances where their heady fragrance can be fully appreciated.

Their rounded foliage is attractive year-round and pairs nicely with spiky plants, such as iris, which are kind enough to bloom at the same time. One of my favorite combinations is a hot pink peony in front of a deep purple Siberian iris…lovely. They also work well with low growing catmints.

To say that they are trouble free is a bit of an understatement, but you must put a little effort in when you first put them in the ground. As I stated at the beginning, fall is the time to plant and divide peonies. Full sun locations are best, but they will tolerate some shade every day. Because peonies will happily grow in the same location for many years, good soil preparation is a worthwhile investment.

Peonies are heavy feeders so they need good, rich garden soil amended with compost or manure. Do not plant them in heavy clay soils as you will be disappointed with the results. Planting depth is also very important. Peonies grow from tubers which are planted horizontally underground. Each viable tuber should have three to five ‘eyes’ which are the growth points. These eyes should be no more than two inches below the surface of the ground. Space them at least three feet apart as they will spread with age. Follow these guidelines, and you can’t go wrong.

Here’s an interesting bit of trivia about peonies. Have you ever wondered why there are always ants on peony buds? I was always under the impression that the ants are necessary for the buds to open because they eat off a coating that keeps the buds closed. Wrong. The truth is that the buds secrete a sweet substance that the ants like. The antsare not necessary, but happily do no harm as they do not eat the buds themselves.
Because of their large blooms, peonies can get top-heavy. Support stakes or rings applied in the early spring can solve this problem. You can also cut the flowers with about a foot of stem to enjoy indoors as peonies make wonderful, fragrant cut flowers.

Colors You Can Almost Taste

Tiramisu, Plum Pudding, Peach Melba, Key Lime Pie, Cherries Jubilee and Crème Brule. Southern Comfort, Ginger Ale, Pinot Noir and Cafe Ole. Marmalade, Mint Chocolate, Licorice and Georgia Peach. These are all enjoyable treats, but I bet you won’t be surprised to learn that they all have something else in common. This is, after all, a gardening blog.

Can you imagine how each of these delights might translate into colors? Now picture those colors as leaves and you’ll start to get an idea of the direction I'm heading. I admit I’ve taken a rather roundabout way to get there, but all of the names I mentioned above are varieties of heucheras, commonly called coral bells, and they are all the result of a revolution. A revolution in plant breeding.

Heucheras have come a very long way from the days when Palace Purple was the standard heuchera everyone grew in their gardens. Heuchera hybrids have exploded in the last ten years, largely due to the work of three men, Charles Oliver, Dan Heims of Terra Nova Nurseries and French breeder Thierry Delabroye. There is now a perfect heuchera for every spot in the garden. Though the flowers are lovely, the foliage is the eye-catching aspect of this plant and the main reason gardeners have fallen in love with them.

Although the primary focus of these new introductions has been to create new and unusual colors for the large, heart-shaped leaves, breeding has also provided some other benefits. Many new heucheras have interesting variegation and leaf texture and form, including ruffled leaves. They also show vastly improved sun and heat tolerance.

Of course there is a catch, and that is that heucheras can be a bit fussy to grow. Rich, well-drained, neutral soil is preferred and uniform moisture is a must. They should be watered in hot, dry weather, but do not over-water. Although many of the newer varieties tolerate sun better than standard heucheras, they will do best when they get some shade in the hottest part of the day. Too much sun can cause discoloration or dieback on the leaves. Strong sun can also ‘wash out’ the leaf color. Consequently, the most vivid colors are seen in spring and late fall.

Heucheras have few pest and disease problems but in our area, frost heaving in the winter can be an issue. Mulching will help minimize this problem, but one solution is to dig and reset them deeper in the soil in the spring, keeping the crown slightly above the soil line.

These plants generally grow from 12-18 inches, not including the flower spikes. The flowers produced are an airy cluster of bell-shapes held well above the foliage. They flower in shades of red, pink, white & purple and will bloom for four to six weeks in the late spring and early summer.

In addition to his work on heucheras, Dan Heims has also developed some lovely new heucherellas, commonly called foamy bells, which are a cross between heucheras and tiarellas (foamflowers). A couple of noteworthy varieties are Stoplight and Tapestry, both of which offer beautiful variegation on the leaves.

Look for the new heucheras and heucherellas locally or online and check out Terra Nova Nurseries website at: http://www.terranovanurseries.com/wholesale/index.php.

What is that smell?

Gardens are by no means one-dimensional. We tend to focus on their visual impact first, but well-planned gardens are capable of exciting all of the senses. Touch, sound and even taste can come into play, but gardens would simply not be gardens without their wonderful and intoxicating scents.

When we take the time to ’stop and smell the roses’, we benefit in many ways. A leisurely stroll thru a fragrant garden can relax us and lower our stress levels. We’ve all heard of the benefits of aromatherapy which uses essential oils distilled from aromatic herbs and other plants. Many people swear by their mood and health altering abilities. A fragrant garden is just a different version of this.

Fragrance also ties strongly to memory. Some experts argue that scent is the most potent trigger for memories. A familiar fragrance can quickly transport us back in time in a much more ‘real’ or emotional way, than say, a picture of something familiar. This is what lilacs do for me.

Even though we might like to think that fragrance in plants is purely for our enjoyment, in reality, its purpose is to attract pollinators. Bees, butterflies and insects are attracted to plants with strong scents. I was interested to read that one recent study has found that air pollution may be interfering with bees’ ability to follow scents to their source, thereby interfering with pollination.

Many people believe that the older varieties of plants were more fragrant than the modern hybrids. The argument is that breeding for larger flowers and other desirable qualities sometimes sacrifices scent. I’m sure that at least in part this is true, but there are still plenty of good options for almost any garden situation.

The list of plants that deserve a place in a fragrance garden is long indeed. Some, like Hyperion daylilies, are best appreciated up close, while others, such as Star Magnolias, have a scent that can be picked up on the breeze. The fragrances we choose to add to our gardens are unique statements about who we are. You may prefer the light perfume of roses, while your neighbor treasures the sweet, intense scent of peonies.

Flowering crabapples and magnolias are ornamental trees that can be highly scented. Fragrant shrubs include mock oranges, lilacs and butterfly bushes. Of course roses are a category all their own. Perennials that fit the bill include peonies, lilies, monardas and iris. A couple of fragrant vines are honeysuckle and sweet autumn clematis.


One of the most fragrant annuals is heliotrope. A few others with distinct scents are marigolds, nicotiana and alyssum. Hyacinths are bulbs that flower early and they are one of the first delightful fragrances from the garden to be enjoyed.




There are many aromatic herbs including some of the basic culinary ones like sage and rosemary. Some herbs are grown specifically for fragrance. Lavender is the one most people think about, but there are many more. One of my favorites is Sweet Annie (Artemesia annua) which can be dried and used in potpourri and wreaths.

When planning your fragrance garden be sure to site it in a sheltered location to help trap the scents. Place plants whose foliage must be rubbed to release the fragrance near walkways. Try to choose plants that flower at different times so you don’t have too many competing scents. If space is limited, fragrance gardens can also be grown in pots and window boxes.

The possibilities are endless, the choices are personal and the benefits are guaranteed.

Are You a Conehead?

Most gardeners are familiar with the old standard purple coneflower (Echinacea). It is a tough, native North American plant that has adapted to a wide range of environments. Coneflowers take hot, dry conditions and poor soil without complaint and yet they handle extreme cold and wet conditions with equal ease.

Coneflowers are low maintenance, vigorous bloomers that spread easily and make wonderful, long lasting cut flowers. Butterflies love them and the seeds produced in the fall are great for attracting birds to the garden. They sound pretty perfect, right? Well, in the gardening world, they are darn close.

Non-gardeners are familiar with Echinacea as an herbal remedy that helps ward off colds, flu and other infections. Echinacea has been shown to stimulate the body’s natural immune system thereby helping your body fight off disease.

An interesting bit of trivia…the genus name, Echinacea, comes from the Latin name for hedgehog which refers to the prickly lower stems.

Although the native coneflowers are wonderful plants, the new hybrids that have become available in the last few years are nothing short of brilliant. In addition to the traditional purple, there are now many shades of orange, yellow, pink, green and white. The best thing about these new hybrids is that, in addition to the exciting new characteristics they offer, they manage to retain the vigor and adaptability of their native cousins.

There are two primary researchers responsible for these new introductions. Dr. Jim Ault of the Chicago Botanic Garden and Richard Saul of Itsaul Plants in Atlanta, Georgia.

Dr Ault spent seven years developing the Meadowbrite series, with ‘Art’s Pride’ or ‘Orange Meadowbrite’ being the first release. It features tangerine orange flowers and a sweet, spicy fragrance on two to three foot sturdy plants. The series also includes ‘Mango’ and ‘Pixie.’

Richard Saul calls the interest in and development of new coneflowers the ‘cone craze.’ His claim to fame is the long-blooming Big Sky series. This includes ‘Summer Sky,’ the first bi-color coneflower as well as ‘Harvest Moon,’ a golden yellow variety, ‘After Midnight,’ which is magenta and ‘Sunrise’ and ‘Sunset,’ citron yellow and intense orange respectively.

‘Green Envy’ was developed by hobbyist gardener Mark Veeder. This one is a jaw dropper. The green portion of the petal slowly fades to magenta, creating a beautiful bi-color effect. The tips of the petals remain green for up to a month.

“Coconut Lime’ is the first double flowered white coneflower.

Other double flowered varieties include ‘Razzmatazz’ and “Pink Double Delight.’ And don’t forget ‘All That Jazz,’ which I mentioned in an earlier column. It features quill shaped petals that resemble spoons.

There are so many new and interesting coneflowers to choose from, it’s easy to see why so many gardeners are becoming ‘coneheads.’ If you don’t want to be left out of this newest craze, you better plant one or two this year.