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Dividing Perennials in the Garden – Veronica

0 March 11th, 2010
Dividing Perennials Video

Dividing Perennials Video


Dividing Perennials Video – Click to View”

Division of most perennials should be done every few years. Early autumn is the best time to do this. The plant will be able to take advantage of the warm soil temperatures and establish a root system befor the cold winter months arrive. This veronica has become over grown and desperately needs to be divided. The divisions may be used to plant in other locations in the perennail garden, or given to friends. Step One is to identify the ones which need to be divided.

Step Two
Using a sharp knife or shears, cut the top foliage away from the plant. Discard the foliage on a compost heap or run it through a shredder.

Step Three
Clean up leaves, twigs and other debris around the now sheared off plant so you can see the plant and clearly.

Step Four
Using a large, sturdy trowel or small shovel, cut the dirt in a circle all around the plant. After the plant has been cut completely around, gently pry the plant out of the ground.

Step Five
Lay the newly dug out perennial on the ground beside the hole.

Step Six
Using the trowel, knock off the excess dirt from the root system. Look the plant over as it lays on the ground.

Step Seven
The root system should be in good condition, with several subdivisions of the plant visible. You can now decide how many divisions to make from the plant.

Step Eight
This perennial will be divided into four new plants. Using the trowel or shovel, place in the middle of the clump, push down sharply.

Step Nine
The perennial as is looks after one division. Theoretically, each of the small subdivisions could be cut away, making a small plant. This plant, divided like that, could easily provide a dozen or more fresh plants. But the larger divisions will make a showy plant quicker and will survive winter much better.

Step Ten
The final divisions ready for transplanting into their new homes.

Step Eleven
Dig a hole large enough to accomodate the new plant in its chosen location. Place the perennial in the hole and check to make sure it is suitable.

Step Twelve
Backfill the hole and water in well.


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Posted in Fall Gardening, Perennial Flowers, Plant Propagation |

Abes Beer Garden – Garden Row Cover

0 March 8th, 2010
Garden Row Cover

Garden Row Cover

The first seeds of the season went in the ground yesterday, the seventh of March. Snow still lies on the ground in many places, icy drifts which have defied the recent warm weather and cold rain. The hillside garden I am planting is free of snow, though, and the ground is workable with a hand cultivator and trowel. I planted peas near the asparagus patch. The wattle fence I put in to hold up the spindly asparagus plants will serve as a trellis for the pea vines.

In a different part of the garden, I planted lettuce, radishes, carrots, beets and spinach. I covered this area with a plastic row cover of my own construction. I used some six inch lengths of PVC pipe inserted into the ground at two foot intervals in parallel rows. Into these I inserted the ends of some flexible plastic rod and bent them over and inserted them into the pipes in the other side. The resulting hoop structure was ideal to support some lightweight clear plastic which was then anchored down with landscape staples.

The row cover will protect these early plantings in my garden from the hard frosts which can be expected until mid April. It should also speed germination of the lettuce, carrots and beets. It was simple to build, using commonly available materials. There are also many different types of row covers availble from garden supply stores, most of which are inexpensive. A row cover will help you jump start your garden season by at least two to three weeks, giving you earlier harvests and greatly extending your growing season.


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Posted in Abes Beer Garden, Greenhouses |

Shasta Daisy

0 March 5th, 2010

Shasta Daisy

Shasta Daisy

Shasta Daisy

Chrysanthemum maximum X superbum
Compositae family – Daisy

Full Sun

Perennial to USDA Zone 4 – 5

The perennial flower Shasta Daisy originated in the Pyrenees Mountains between France and Spain. It grows anywhere from one to two feet in height, depending upon the cultivar. The flower is two to three inches in diameter, again depending upon the cultivar, and the flowers can be either single or double. It will usually bloom once in early summer with a pretty heavy set of flowers. Some cultivars may re-bloom later in the summer if the plants are dead headed soon after bloom.

Shasta Daisy is good for use in borders and for cut flowers. There are dwarf varieties available which don’t need staking like the taller ones. The only real problem can be aphids, though these don’t seem to be a problem for my garden.

Shasta Daisy is a short lived perennial which needs to be divided every two years to keep it fresh. If you don’t divide it fairly frequently it will die out. It can also be propagated by terminal stem cutting taken just before bloom. Some of the cultivars are also available from seed which should be planted in a greenhouse, hotbed, or cold frame about six to eight weeks before frost. Shasta seedlings should bloom the first year from seed.

Some good varieties:

Alaska
This is an old variety which has been around for a long time. Pure white flowers are about three inches in diameter on stems about twenty four to thirty six inches tall. It is a good cutting flower. Early Alaska is perennial to USDA Zone 3.

Snow Lady
This is a dwarf variety which needs no staking. Flowers are about three inches in diameter. This is a good Shasta Daisy for borders and the front of the flower bed.

Crazy Daisy
A new, double Shasta Daisy. The flowers are double, large and each blossom is unique. This perennial flower will take some shade.


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Posted in Perennial Flowers |

Scabiosa caucasica – Pincushion Flower

0 March 4th, 2010
Scabiosa caucasica - Pincushion Flower

Scabiosa caucasica - Pincushion Flower

Scabiosa caucasica
Dipsacaceae Family – Teasel

Pincushion Flower

Hardy to USDA Zone 4

Full sun

The species name, Scabiosa caucasica, originates from the belief among ancient peoples that it could cure scabies, the genus name because the plant’s original home is in the Caucasus Mountains. It was introduced to European cultivation in 1803. It was given the common name Pincushion Flower because of the perceived resemblance to a velvet pincushion. It was also called Mournful Widow because the dark purple color signified death.

Scabiosa requires full sun, especially in the northwest and north. In the southeast it may need part sun. Pincushion flower is not a heavy bloomer, so if your goal is a big show of color you will need to plant several in a clump, or choose some other perennial flower. Scabiosa is pretty and unusual, so it has a permanent home in my flower garden. It seems to be problem free in my southeastern Indiana garden. No bug or diseases afflict it, and the butterflies seem to enjoy it.

Scabiosa grows to about a foot high and the blossoms are about two inches in diameter. It is propogated by seed or division. I like to divide the plants in mid to late fall when there is adequate rainfall in our area to give the plants a good start before winter sets in. Seed in the greenhouse about six to eight weeks before the last frost in the spring. The plants needn’t be divided often, every three years is adequate. Flower time is from mid summer to early fall. Though there are not a lot of flowers visible at any one time, it will flower over a fairly long period.

Some good varieties
Alba
Very similar to the wild species, Caucasus, but with white flowers

Fama
This scabiosa grows a bit taller, about twenty inches tall and makes a good cut flower. It has blue flowers.

Salmon Queen
This Pincushion Flower is fragrant and tall growing to thirty six inches tall. The flowers are a rich salmon/pink color.


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Posted in Perennial Flowers |

Abe’s Beer Garden – The Season Has Begun

0 February 28th, 2010
Potato Seedlings

Potato Seedlings

The garden season is officially under way in Abe’s Beer Garden. On February 15 the firsts seeds were planted. I planted green pepper California Wonder, Oriental Poppy, Florence Fennel and Black Eyed Susan in bedding packs, covered the seeds lightly with sphagnum moss and placed on the floor of our sunspace. The gentle radiant heat installed under the ceramic tiles provides the perfect heat for germinating seeds.I then placed a clear plastic propagation dome over the flat, after sprinkling the seeds with a gentle stream of water.
In addition to the pepper and poppies I planted four varieties of cabbage. Gonzales, Late Flat Dutch, Golden Acre and Stonehead are four types which mature at different times and should provide a long harvest of cabbage for our table. The last thing I planted were eight potato eyes from some Idaho potatoes which had sprouted in our larder. I sliced the eyes off with a small piece of skin and placed them in a shallow dish with a small amount of water in it as I prepared the potatoes for a meal. A couple of days later I placed these eyes in a bedding pack and covered them with soil.

By February twenty fifth the potatoes and cabbage had germinated and I moved them from the covered seed flat to an open flat on the sunroom floor. I will have to turn these every day to prevent the seedlings from growing crooked.


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Posted in Abes Beer Garden, Garden and Nature Journal, Seeds, Vegetables |

Blue Queen Salvia

0 February 24th, 2010
Blue Queen Salvia

Blue Queen Salvia

Blue Queen Salvia
Salvia X superba
Family – Lamiaceae – Sage

The Salvia family is a fairly large tribe of flowers extensively used in the flower garden. Most are annuals, half hardy perennials or biennials. Salvia X superba is an exception, reliably hardy in USDA Zones 4 – 8. The upper portion of the range it tends to do better in, as it blooms and grows best in cooler weather. In my USDA Zone 6 garden here in southeastern Indiana, the variety Blue Queen has been a good performer and reliably hardy.

The variety Blue Queen, which is what is in my garden, will grow to twelve inches tall and has deep blue flower spikes. It prefers full sun, but will tolerate some shade. Like all salvias, it is not too particular about soil as long is it is well drained.

Salvia X superba “Blue Queen” blooms in late May through mid June here in southern Indiana, and will bloom again lightly later in the season. Since the flowers produce no pollen, there will be no seeds, hence no possibility this perennial will reseed itself. If you want more plants you will have to take cuttings or divide. Salvia responds well to both these methods of reproduction.

Salvia X superba is fairly tolerant of drought conditions after it is established and the only pest listed in the various garden books that can infest it is white flies. I have never seen these pests on my plants, but have seen occasional infestation of aphids which seem to not harm them in the least. Blue Queen, being somewhat of a dwarf variety, is a good choice for the perennial flower garden.


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Posted in Perennial Flowers |

Rue – Ruta graveolens

0 February 23rd, 2010
Rue - Ruta graveolens

Rue - Ruta graveolens

Rue
Ruta graveolens
Family – rutaceae

Rue is really a perennial herb, but certain qualities it has makes it a candidate for the perennial garden. It is semi-evergreen, here in southern Indiana, maintaining a green color until almost Christmas most years. The yellow flower, while not spectacular, is showy. The blue green foliage and oval leaves are ornamental and attractive in the garden. Rue is also a food plant for various butterfly species, the flower providing an early spring treat, and the foliage enjoyed by the caterpillars.

Rue flowers in early June here in southeastern Indiana. It is native to southern Europe and northern Africa. No longer found wild in its native range, it does self seed and the plant can become locally naturalized anywhere in poor, dry soil.

Rue is somewhat fragrant, the natural oils produced throughout the entire plant can cause some skin irritations among some people who are sensitive to it. This perennial herb does have various herbal qualities which will not be covered in the scope of this short article.

Rue is best propagated by seed, saving the seed heads after the flower has dried and planting it the following spring is a good practice. Or just wait for it to re-seed itself and replant the resulting seedlings where desired. Rue can also be propagated by cuttings taken in mid summer, though I have never done this.


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Posted in Herbs, Perennial Flowers |

Abes Beer Garden – Seed Stratification Propagation Method

0 February 15th, 2010
Abes Beer Garden - Seed Stratification Propagation Method

Abes Beer Garden - Seed Stratification Propagation Method

Between snowstorms I have managed to get the first seeds of the season planted. On Sunday I planted the seeds of Autumn Clematis, Bittersweet, Deciduous Holly, Liatris, Norway Spruce, Scotch Pine, Blue Spruce, Spruce, Thornless Honey Locust and Weeping Spruce. These are seeds which I gathered last summer and fall from various locations around our home. This seed propagation method is used on these seeds because they all need to be cold stratified for a few weeks to allow them to germinate.

Many seeds of shrubs and trees need cold stratification to allow them to germinate. They have a very hard seed coat which will not allow germination until they have been subjected to a period of moist, cold conditions. This period of cold varies by species, but usually an eight to twelve week span of time is sufficient. I am a bit late getting these seeds stratified this year, but there should still be sufficient time to allow them to germinate.

To stratify the seeds, plant them in labeled pots and cover them with potting soil. Water well and keep them in a cold frame or garage where they will stay cold. The ground can freeze in these pots, and it may be good if it does. I usually try to do this in mid January here in our southern Indiana climate. This gives the seeds a good ten weeks of cold before warm temperatures begin to arrive. I normally place them in the cold frame, but because we have such a heavy snow cover I put them in my workshop until the snow melts and I can open my cold frames again.

I propagate many of my plants by seed. This process really begins in the summer when I gather them, dry them and store them. You can follow this process the rest of the season as I write about a season in Abe’s Beer Garden and the various propagation methods I use. These propagation methods include taking cuttings, planting seeds, layering and dividing perennials. There is a full season ahead and a lot of gardening to do.

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Posted in Abes Beer Garden, Seeds |

Periwinkle – Myrtle – Vinca minor

0 February 15th, 2010
Periwinkle - Myrtle - Vinca minor

Periwinkle - Myrtle - Vinca minor

Periwinkle – Myrtle
Vinca minor
Family Apocynaceae

Periwinkle, also called myrtle, is an native perennial ground cover from Europe. It likes shade to partial shade and blooms in early spring. The blueish purple flowers of vinca minor are about an inch in diameter and have five lobes. It is hardy from USDA Zones 4 – 9. It is a fairly tough plant when established, tolerating a fairly wide range of soils and growing conditions.

Vinca minor is a creeping vine which is available in many varieties, the modern varieties having flower colors in purple, redish purple, and deep blue. Leaves are a deep, shiny green on the species, but different varieties may be variegated.

Myrtle is propagated quite easily from division or cuttings. The cuttings are taken in late spring to early summer and rooted under mist. It may be divided in early spring or late fall by digging the plants and cutting apart at natural divisions in the root.

Periwinkle was used in Medieval times to place on the heads of condemned criminals on their way to the gallows. In Italy it was placed on the bodies of dead infants. Today it has lost its bad reputation, as another name for this pretty perennial is “joy of the ground”.

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Posted in Perennial Flowers |

Lychnis Arkwrightii

0 February 12th, 2010
Lychnis Arkwrightii

Lychnis Arkwrightii

Arkwrights Campion
Lychnis X arkwrightii
Family – Caryophyllaceous – Campion

The flowers of this temperamental garden perennial make it worth the bit of trouble it takes to grow it. The name Lychnis derives from the Greek word lychnos which translates as lamp. This aptly describes the brilliant orange-scarlet color possessed by this colorful flower.

Lychnis X arkwrightii is hardy from USDA Zone 6 – 8. It survives in our borderline Zone 5 perennial garden here in southeastern Indiana. Arkwright’s Campion is not a vigorous grower, sporting just a few blooms on a three year old plant. But those few flowers, borne in mid June here, really catch the eye.

Lychnis will grow from eighteen to twenty four inches tall, according to the garden books. Mine probably averages twelve inches tall. I usually cut the first shoot off, rooting it in a mist chamber. This accomplishes two things – it encourages more shoots to emerge from the shoot further down and helps increase the plants for more in the perennial garden in the fall.

The bronze foliage is attractive when it begins to emerge in the spring, adding to Lychnis value in the perennial flower garden. Arkwrights Campion is a hybrid of L. chalcedonica and L. X haageana. It is propagated by seed, division and cuttings.


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Posted in Perennial Flowers |

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