Spirea Cuttings

     I read somewhere that after trimming summer blooming spirea, mainly the summer blooming varieties like 'Anthony Waterer' , 'Neon Flash' and any other similar variety, those trimmings can be easily propagated.  I actually did this with Neon Flash and I was amazed. I don't have any pictures to go along with my post but for now I'll just explain how easy it is.
     When the plant starts to sprout leaf buds, that is when its time to prune.  I cut back a few feet and with those clippings I prune them down to about 6 inches in length with a nice set of leaf buds coming out.  Pin down horizontally to a nice rich potting soil with wire and keep moist for a few weeks or so till you notice that the leaf buds are actually growing. A semi-shady spot works well. I suggest doing them in pots.  Mine were in pots mixed in with Canna Lilies to ensure moisture was present and a little shade so soil didn't dry out. 
     After a couple of months they actually flowered and i keep them in pots till Fall planting season and transplanted to permanent spot in my garden.

Took this Picture 5/16/12

Spring cutting was cut and rooted last year.

It was transplanted fall of 2011 where it resides and its foliage is sprouting.

propagating hydrangeas

      It doesn't look pretty but this is a fool proof way how to get a nice new Hydrangea plant without having to go to the nursery and spending money.  I have these set ups over different locations in my garden as well as neighbors yards as well, of course with their permission.  The mother plant is to the right and what i do is just pin down the stems into a pot of soil, with the outer edges of the pot cut to leave room so the stems rest in a horizontal position.  You can nick the stem side that is going to touch the soil if you feel the need. I like to see nature take its course.  The rocks help with making sure the rooting stems stay in place.  I usually wait till at least after flowering of the main plant to cut loose the new plant.  By then the new root system is fully established and you have yourself a nice healthy offshoot.  Just plant wherever you feel the need to where it has plenty of room to grow in the coming years. 

Is not pretty but it works, take my word for it.

The new plants thanks me very much.

These methods are usually done with big leaf varieties but any other variety will work. Climbing hydrangea do all the work themselves.  I have plenty of those offshoots ready to dig up if anyone wants any.  This pic is a climbing hydrangea gone wild around an old Hickory stump.You can see it spreading into the trail but that's not going to get tolerated.

By the way, These methods work with my experiences just as good with Rhododendron, Mountain Laurel, Deutzia, and any other shrub you feel might have a chance. 

Lasdon Park Arboretum and Veterans Memorial

  

     In my travels going east and west for the past 5 years going to and fro from my Brother's house in Putnam Valley I have passed numerous times in Somers on Route 35 a Westchester County Park which seemed to me just to be an open field. On this past Saturday in early March I decided to kill some time and after making that turn in up the windy road to my surprise its a Horticulturists paradise with a Military Historical twist. I wont talk much about it because I would like you to experience the surprise i got. You can find all the details about this park on www.westchestergov.com.  I can see you easily spending half the day when the weather starts getting nicer.

Witch hazel already in full bloom.

 Calluna in full bloom

Top Picture and two following Pics

Winter setting of a traditional English Garden

This is the trail introduction which if you are not moved by then your patriotism should be checked at the front gate

Hydrangea Pruning and Care

    I have a basic rule when it comes to pruning Hydrangeas, "DON'T".  Unless its the late flowering Hydrangea Paniculata or "PeeGee" or similar varieties, which I will prune just as the buds start to open up in the spring. Of the PeeGee Varieties I prune back my 'Limelight' ,'Tardiva' and 'kyushu' pretty hard and they respond well to it. I have a 30+ year old  Pee Gee 'Grandiflora' which I have used as the center piece for my garden and I prune it back hard every year.

     The basic Hydrangea Macrophylla, including Big Leaf, Lace Cap (personal favorite) or Mop Head should be left alone. "Flowering occurs on previous years growth". This also happens with a lot of other types of shrubs which at a later date I will mention.  So if you pruned these plants late in the previous year do not expect a lot of flowers or if any for that matter.  You can prune off just the old dried flower heads but leave it at that, which is what I do with my Oak Leaf Hydrangeas.

I will further be discussing in an upcoming blog post how to easily propagate these many varieties.

Below is a properly pruned big leaf Hydrangea with all dead wood cut out as well as old flower heads making it look nice and tidy.

If you enjoy blue flowers on your Hydrangea you can add some aluminum sulfate which can be bought in most garden centers.  Just add that into the soil which I have done this past week.

Seed Stratification

     Its that time of the year to start germinating your perennial seeds indoors, especially in the northeast.  If you have made your rounds in the garden and collected seeds for next years seed starting it doesn't stop there.  Just a reminder that certain seeds need that pretreatment or "stratification" to mimic their natural environment. I guess its up to you to do your own research,which can be done online because the list is quite extensive with seed requirements.  When in doubt I keep the seeds in question in the fridge in plastic bags, small containers or boxes.  Just some preventive measures to take so disappointment doesn't set in when germination does not take place.

Lanscape Design Ideas

This is a mixture of Purple Cone flowers that have not yet bloomed with Butterfly Weed, Rose Campion, and Gloriosa daisies

 

 

Next is a Summer Flowering mix of Perennials based around a Peach Tree.

This is a shady island border planted with Astilbe, Bishops Weed with Blue Globe Thistle, Monkshood, Evening Primrose and Bee Balm centered with a Rose of Sharon which is an off-shoot from its mother plant of  40-plus years. The original Rose of Sharon plant just died two years ago.  There are also Peonies, White Swan Cone Flower and Joe Pye Weed mixed it. 

This area is a semi-sunny border which stays relatively moist because it is on a low part of the property with nice soil with sand mixed in for good drainage.Plants in this area:  Bee Balm, Helenium, Astilbe, Purple Salvia, Garden Phlox, and Obedient Plant. You can see also in the back some basic roadside day lilies. 

This design is something out of a primeval setting.

There are so many different varieties of shrubs and perennials the list would be lengthy.

This picture was taken just a few weeks before full flowering but I liked the scenery and the different textures of leaf growth.  Feel free to leave a comment and describe plant you like in picture and I can identify for you. 

That is "Georgie" almost being engulfed by the foliage. He enjoys his place in the garden and is a permanent mainstay. Georgie is a white cedar block my brother William carved out with a chain saw some years back.

Here Georgie is exposed in the winter with a nice hairpeice

Kerria Japonica

     This is a very interesting shrub I actually bought through a mail order catalog 8 years ago and all they sent me was a twig. My first reaction was "are you for real?".  Let me tell you that the word "invasive" should have been included with its description but it has become one of my favorite early spring flowering plants.

     Both pictures I have on this post were taken in the last week of April. They are both about 3-4 feet in diameter with plenty of sucker offshoots from around the base. I dig these up and transplant somewhere else to take over. New offshoots will grow quickly so make sure to plant it in a place where it has plenty of room to expand. These plants do well in shade or sun, the top picture is in a shady spot and I find that better. After the flowers have faded I give it a hard prune back to about one third its original size.

If anyone is interested in some offshoots and lives in the Westchester, NY or Norwich, CT area, feel free to comment and leave an address or email where I can arrange a drop off or ship some of  these plants so you can enjoy them as well. 

Kahlua hanging in the Four o'clock patch

Caught red handed in the garden.

Then Its Nappy Time

Butterfly Weed Seeds

     I forgot to mention in my last post about the thousands of seeds I have from last years crop.  If anyone if interested in some seeds I will send them to you at no cost. Just include an address and they are yours.

Butterfly Weed-Volume 1

     Butterfly weed is low maintenance and does not like an area that is too moist and thrives in full sun. The root system is a deep tap root so once established rarely needs watering or care.

This hands down is the easiest perennial I have found to grow from seed and a great starting plant for novice growers. I start all of my seeds in pots, anywhere from the early spring to late summer/early fall. When starting seeds, place them in a pot and lightly cover them with a starting mix of soil. My seeds have at times flowered on the same year after germination. When you are ready to plant seedlings pick out a spot where you want your butterfly weed to stay for many years to come, as it does not transplant well after a year or two due to its deep tap roots (although I have done it when needed with care.)   

Collect seed pods when barely opened in early fall for next years seed planting.