New domain for the blog!

Just wanted to point out that I have made a few small changes.  I've been working on integrating the blog with the rest of the Botanophilia business.

One of the changes is that the URL is now http://www.confessionsofaplantgeek.com.  The old address from blogspot will still work and redirect you to the new one.

I've also added page links to the online catalog, Botanophilia homepage, and the about us section.

Last, I've added a like button for Botanophilia's facebook page.  Please stop by for a visit and like us!

Blood in the Garden

One of my favorite spring wildflowers is blood root, Sanguinaria canadensis.  It's a common woodland wildflower found all over North American from Manitoba to Texas and eastward to the coast, named for the bright red sap that leaks out of the cut roots.

Blood root in bloom in my garden.

Every spring woodlands explode a carpet of white anemone-like flowers that arise along with the leaves that are rolled into tubes as they emerge from the ground.  The flowers last a few days before the wind scatters the petals to the ground like miniature magnolias.  The scalloped leaves unfurl and are very distinct, looking like no other foliage around them.


Blood root makes a great addition to the shade garden as well.  Clumps get to be about 8" tall and 10" wide over time and the foliage persists throughout the season and blends well with other shade plants like hostas, ferns, corydalis etc.  Any soil seems to be fine as long as it isn't too wet, but it prefers organic-rich soil with good drainage.  It self-seeds readily without being a nuisance.  The seeds are spread by ants which are attracted to the eliasome, which is a fatty structure attached to the seed.  Ants eat the eliasome and discard the seed, often carrying it some distance.

Blood root foliage seen with another favorite wildflower, Hepatica.

If you don't have blood root in the garden, give it a try!  The flowers don't last long, but they really brighten the garden while they're blooming and it's hard not to smile when you see them.  There's even a form with double flowers, but mine hasn't bloomed yet so I don't have a picture.  If anyone every finds a variegated one, let me know!

Hamamelis 'Jelena'

Last year I finally did what I always said I would do once I owned a home.  Plant a witch-hazel.  I love witch-hazels, and thanks to a weekly ID contest from a wholesale supplier (Oregon Pride Nursery - for those of you in the industry NOT buying from them - they are awesome!) I won a tree form Hamamelis x intermedia 'Jelena'.

Buds just opening

Fall color

Witch-hazels are one of the harbingers of spring, bursting forth with confetti-like flowers often before the snow is off the ground.  That certainly wasn't an issue this year as spring has come very early and mine has been done blooming for 2 weeks now.  Normally for those of us in the north, they would be in full bloom now.  But this year they started at the end of February!

Flowers open

'Jelena' is a great variety, one of the best actually; great form, copper flowers fade to light yellow as they age, and fantastic fall color in shades of yellow, orange and red.  The only drawback is the complete lack of the fragrance that witch-hazels are known for.




Hamamelis like a well-drained soil that doesn't dry out too quickly and will tolerate full sun to quite a bit of shade.  They are easy to grow and one of my favorite ornamentals that falls in the category of small-tree/large shrub.  They are great for early season pollinators, which this year consisted of flies, bees, and moths.

New zone map unveiled

The USDA has unveiled it's new hardiness zone map, and it's now interactive!  No more staring at a tiny map and guessing, especially when you are near the border between 2 zones.  Enter your zip-code and voila!  You can also zoom in.  Nice and handy.  And based on 30 year data the trend is slightly warmer zones, which I agree with.

Fargesia

Fargesia nitida in January

People are always amazed that we can grow bamboo in Wisconsin.  The gardeners who know we can grow bamboo often seem amazed that we can grow some that don't have plans for world domination.  The various species of Fargesia are well behaved, unlike so many other hardy bamboos that are readily available.

In general Fargesia prefer partial shade and organic rich well drained soils.  They are slow growing, taking quite some time to reach mature sizes.  In cold areas they will not likely reach their full size, 1/2 to 3/4 size is likely.  With proper siting many will over-winter in zone 5 with few problems.  Keeping them out of strong winter wind is important.  I've grown 2 species of Fargesia so far.

I planted Fargesia nitida in 2003.  It started as a 1 gallon pot and has since grown into a 7' tall x 4' wide specimen.  Typically bamboo are semi-evergreen, but in colder climates they commonly drop their leaves in all but the mildest of winters.  They will usually leaf out again from the old culms, but it may take some time so be patient.  Mine has leafed out as late as mid-June, but usually is green by the end of May.  If it doesn't leaf out by mid-June, you may need to cut it back to the ground.  This happened in 2007 to all of the Fargesia that I'm aware of in the area.  For some reason I couldn't figure out they died back to ground level.  The winter wasn't terribly cold or windy and we had adequate snow cover.  After being cut back, they resumed regular growth and were 30" by the end of the summer.  Fargesia nitida is hardy to zone 4a, and can grow to 12' tall with a spread that is slightly less, probably 8'.

Fargesia dracocephala 'Rufa' has become quite common in the nursery industry, and is somewhat similar to F. nitida.  As a young plant it appears stocky, full and cascading; a habit it maintains into maturity although it does become more upright as it ages.  It will be smaller in stature than F. nitida at only 8' or so, but will be more full to the base and seems like it will be wider.  'Rufa' has also been more difficult to grow for me, though there are definitely differences in soil and exposure.  Mine has struggled, dwindling for a couple of years but seems like it is making a comeback.  This one is slightly less hardy, probably to zone 5.

Currently on my list of must haves:  F. dracocephala 'White Dragon' - a variegated clumping bamboo!  Now to find a spot for it...

Happy Holidays!

Happy Holidays from the garden!

Death of a plantsman...

I am a subscriber of the Plant Delights Nursery newsletter, and love Tony Avent's writing.  He often includes news of goings-on in the horticulture field, including stories of those who have recently passed.  This months newsletter gave me the sad news that Bob Stewart of Arrowhead Alpines passed away from his battle with colon cancer.  I had fully intended to make a trip to MI to see the nursery and meet Bob and Brigitta this past September, but we really didn't have the extra money to make the trip.  And certainly not the huge sum I would need to load the car with plants.  Seriously, they have one of the largest selections of perennials and other odd plants anywhere and I'm thankful that Brigitta will be keeping the nursery in business.  The catalog was always an enjoyable read, and I've learned a lot about plants that I've seen available nowhere else.

December has seen the passing of other well known plantsman, including Wolfgang Oehme, Dr. John AA Thompson (inventor of SuperThrive) and Kim Jong Il.  Ummm what?  Yes, Kim Jong Il.  From the PDN newsletter:

"Finally, the strangest of the plantsmen to pass away this month has to be North Korea’s Kim Jong Il...yes, you heard me right. The story goes back several years, when the late Dutch plant breeder Kees Sahin, who was friend of Kim’s dad, was visiting North Korea with Japanese plant breeder Motoderu Kamo. Kamo gave the elder Kim one his begonia hybrids, which was subsequently named Begonia ‘Kimjongilia’ for Kim Jong Il’s 46th birthday. Kim was so taken with the begonia, that he declared begonias the National Flower of North Korea. After supplying Kim with more begonia genetics, Kim Jong Il began what would become the largest begonia breeding project in the world. According to Kees, Kim would fly over his begonia fields in his helicopter and make his final selections from the air. At the time of Kim Jung Il’s death, there were sprawling greenhouse complexes all across North Korea, all for the purpose of housing Kim’s massive begonia collection. For international begonia shows, Kim would fly his prize begonia hybrids to the show with one person holding each begonia in the back of a cargo plane, to keep from damaging the plants. Also, according to Kees, Kim’s head begonia breeder became so renowned internationally, that Kim had him killed for upstaging the Dear Leader. As Dave Barry liked to say...I am not making this up!"

So... anyone know where I can buy one?  

Happy Holidays everyone!