The Obsessive Neurotic Gardener

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Garden resolutions for 2014

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Resolutions are useless.

We get a temporary jolt that “this will be the year”, but we all know, shit ain’t going to happen.     

Exhibit A – take a look at my garden resolutions from last year:

Soil test – fail
Compost – fail
Education – fail
  
I couldn’t have made my resolutions any more attainable and yet I still went 0 for 3.

Dope.

So for this year, we are going to shake it up a bit. A little reverse psychology if you will.

Here we go: 

Growing your own food really is a waste of time. I would much rather just buy our produce from a big old supermarket and pay more for it. So let’s make a promise to grow less fruits and vegetables this year:

I love having to move large shrubs once they outgrow their location. The pain of digging it out and trying not to destroy all of the plants in its path once it is unearthed is the frickin best. I vow to ignore proper spacing rules in 2014:
     

I love taking my chances on a plant that deer love to chow down on. Those plants that are not deer friendly, like Allium, are so boring:
    

 

I find berries on shrubs/trees to be such a distraction and an unnecessary mess. Plus all those annoying birds come and devour them. No more plants with berries in 2014:

One of my favorite moments in summer is when we go on vacation and I fail to line someone up to help water the containers. I love the mystery of returning home to see if any of the flowers or even the plants survived. Pure adrenaline. I am going to do more of the same in 2014 and even try to plan our vacation for the hottest and driest part of summer:     

 

The wear and tear, cost and effort of cutting the grass is so worth it. It is so rewarding to spend most of my free time sitting on a lawn tractor. So let’s remove more of those garden beds and add more lawn:

 
Native plants are so uninteresting and do not add a lot to the garden. In 2014 we eradicate them all and add more yuccas and hostas: 

Ignore what my daughter has to say and do my best to fail to live up to her expectations:

Remove all blue foliage plants from my garden:

 
 
 

Keep ignoring my conditions and try to fit a square peg in a round hole. I refuse to attempt to grow a bog garden:

Happy New Year my friends and let’s ignore our resolutions in 2014.

John

Clethra Ruby Spice

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When I shop for shrubs, I have specific criteria that I cannot compromise on. The shrub must be deer resistant and tolerant of wet, poorly drained soil. Luckily, over the years I have found that my pool of potential shrubs is much larger than I ever originally imagined.
One of the shrubs that has joyously met my criteria and thrived for years now is Clethra Ruby Spice.
This deciduous shrub has become a personal favorite of mine as it consistently blooms like mad each summer and the scent of these blooms is other worldly. Some other tidbits on this shrub:
  • Survives in zones 4-8
  • Maximum size seems to average out at about 6 x 5. Mine is about 5 x 3 in year four
  • Here in zone 6, the bottle brush-like blooms usually appear in early July and last until early August. The blooms are an absolute magnet to butterflies and bees, especially bees.
  • This shrub appears to be cool with full sun to partial shade but from what I’ve read, can bloom in deep shade and that is all sorts of awesome
  • Like all Summersweet shrubs, Clethra Ruby Spice will apparently sucker although mine has yet to do so
  • Clethra are native to the eastern U.S.
Some photos of my ‘Ruby Spice’:
In bloom:
clethra ruby spice bloom

 

clethra ruby spice bloom

 

clethra ruby spice bloom

 

The shrub shape has been good for me and the bright green and lustrous leaves make this one look good from afar:

clethra ruby spice bloom

The seed capsules look good, post bloom period:

clethra ruby spice

And fairly decent (don’t believe some of the hype), autumnal color:

clethra ruby spice fall color

 

clethra ruby spice fall color

 

clethra ruby spice fall color

Besides the somewhat underwhelming fall color, the only other possible negative is that this shrub is late to leaf out in spring. One would be wise not to place this shrub in too prominent of a location if one isn’t OK with the lack of green in spring.

Beyond that, count me as a huge fan of Clethra Ruby Spice.

What has your experience been like? Please, do tell.

Powdery Mildew on Monarda (Bee Balm)

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AUG 2017 UPDATE: After reading this post, read here to see the latest on my beloved Monarda.

I guess it was inevitable.

With all the rain we’ve had the past few weeks and the high humidity to go with it, I knew there was a good chance that the powdery mildew would rear its ugly head. And today it did, on a bunch of my Monarda (Bee Balm) plants:

 

These perennials are susceptible to this fungus so it wasn’t much of a shock. This particular cultivar – ‘Colrain Red’ – is supposed to be mildew resistant and I haven’t had an issue with it since I first purchased these two years ago. But they have all nearly doubled/tripled in size since I first planted them:

 

So I think now that the Bee Balm have less air circulation due to their ever expanding clumps, I’ll need to thin out the stems earlier in the spring to help fend off the powdery white stuff. Spraying any type of chemicals on these plants is never an option; I don’t do chemicals and I’m too busy moving plants around to even try any of the more natural methods.

I’ve learned over the years that the powdery mildew fungi typically overwinters in plant debris and the spores are then transferred to the plants through some combination of wind, water that splashes up on the plants or even through visiting critters. As referenced earlier, there are specific conditions in the garden that make mildew a distinct possibility:

1. Wet conditions due to heavy rains or excessive overhead watering on the plants leaves
2. Humidity
3. Lack of air circulation due to plant overcrowding
4. Plants that are known to be susceptible to powdery mildew (bee balm, phlox, lilacs, etc.)

Knowing there is really no means to treat the mildew, I figured my best bet was to simply cut down all of the stems of the Monarda and dispose of them, hoping to remove all of the affected parts of the plant:

I also made sure all of the leaves that had already fallen from the plants were scooped up and disposed of as well:

I’m not worried that this fungus will have any long term affect on the health of these perennials and plan on enjoying them for years to come:

 

 

There aren’t too many plants that are ignored by the deer, are cool with wet feet, smell damn good (others may disagree), bloom for long periods of time and can fill in an empty space in no time. A little whiteness on their leaves from time to time still seems worth it.

But only time will tell.

 

Introducing a new blog series – “I Have to Friggin Move That”

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I never shut off “garden analysis mode”. Never.

I am evaluating when I take the dog out for a walk.

I am studying when I take the garbage to the curb.

I am projecting plant growth three years into the future as I throw the football with my son.

I am mentally relocating shrubs while burning the chicken on the grill.

The entire exercise is more of a curse than a blessing. While it keeps my mind active and stokes the creative fire, I can never shut it off. I am thinking about the hideous state of my Sneezeweed plants as I type this sentence (more on that in an upcoming post – Grrrrrrr).

But what I have discovered over the last three years while authoring this blog, is that this type of affliction makes for good post fodder. I feel better as I pour my heart out and hopefully, you can relate in some way, leave me a kind comment to let me know I’m not alone and we can all sleep well at night. Win/Win … actually, Win/Win/Win/Win.

With that in mind, I’d like to introduce a new blog series that ideally, will accomplish what I just outlined in the previous paragraph. I am calling it “I Have to Friggin Move That”. It may be the simple relocation of an ornamental grass to a more strategic locale or the moving of an overgrown conifer or even the violent upheaval of a bunch of perennials that are making it difficult for me to concentrate on anything else.

You get the idea.

So now I will provide you with the first story in a series that will not only force me to take the appropriate corrective actions so I have blog material, but will also stimulate gardening conversation. That is always a good thing.

Please take a close look at the two shrubs in the middle of the photo below:

Actually, here is a closer shot of said shrubs that will drive home my point in a much more obvious way:

The shrub on the left is a Viburnum ‘Aurora’ and the shrub on the right is Hydrangea ‘Endless Summer’. I see these two shrubs each and every day as I walk up my front walkway. They have been together for a few months now, ever since I relocated the Viburnum to a deer-free zone back in the Spring. I was only getting two to three blooms on this gem of a deciduous shrub each April as the deer were nipping off the buds in Summer/Fall.

I have been brutally unhappy with this pairing as they are too similar in leaf shape, color and overall size. Because of that, they look really bad situated next to each other. Like really bad. Like a good gardener would never dream of that combo bad. On top of that, I am way down on ‘Endless Summer’ as the blooms are always weak and the shrub itself fails to impress year after year. I have been moving that Hydrangea in my mind for too long and I needed to take action for my own sanity.

And I finally friggin did it:

The Hydrangea was moved to a location where it will have one last chance to show me that it is worth keeping and I moved an Arborvitae ‘Sherwood Frost’ a few feet from its prior location. The Viburnum and the Arborvitae will now have sufficient room to grow and there is a nice contrast in texture between the two new bedfellows:

I have lost the love for Arborvitaes over the past few years but this one caught my eye with its variegated foliage and white “frost” on the new growth. I especially look forward to seeing how it performs in the Winter:

The entire work effort took about ten minutes but it was oh so worth it.

Check another one off. I’ll be able to sleep just a little bit better tonight knowing this is officially off of the mental to-do list.

Evening photos

Plant combos

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Here are some plant vignettes I am enjoying this fine evening:

Geranium maculatum ‘Espresso’ and Tsuga canadensis (Hemlock) ‘Moon Frost’



Boxwood and Heuchera

Astilbe and Physocarpus (Ninebark) ‘Diablo’



Coneflower ‘Fragrant Angel’ and Hydrangea ‘Lady in Red”



Miscanthus ‘Super Stripe’ and Eupatorium (Joe Pye Weed) ‘Gateway’

Coneflower ‘Sunrise’ in front and Lobelia siphilitica (Blue Lobelia) in background 

Blooms of Panicum (Switch Grass) ‘Rotstrahlbusch’ and Hibiscus ‘Kopper King’ 

Sedum ‘Matrona’ and Sorghastrum (Indian Grass) ‘Sioux Blue’

Phlox and Dwarf Barberry

Amsonia ‘tabernaemontana’ and Panicum (Switch Grass) ‘Northwind’

Eupatorium (Joe Pye Weed) ‘Gateway’ and Miscanthus ‘Morning Light’

Even More Ornamental Grass Talk

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Yes, I know that I have a decent ornamental grass collection, but after I pulled out pad and paper to fully document it all, I realized just how big it has become. And you know what, I am pretty damn proud of them, warts and all.

So here is yet another post highlighting some of my OG’s.

Chasmanthium latifolium (Northern Sea Oats) ‘River Mist’ was just a wee little thing when I planted it in spring of 2012 and she has progressed nicely, standing at about 18″ today:

The variegation on this grass is fantastic:

As are the “oats”:

While it is still too soon to make a full blown judgment on this one, I like what I’ve seen so far. Of course that all could change if the reseeding is as rampant as it is with the “standard version”.

This next grass was planted early this spring, but I am already in love. Check out the color on this one:

I mean REALLY check out the color on this one:

How friggin awesome is that? This is Panicum (Switch Grass) ‘Cheyenne Sky’ and while it is only about 10″ high, it is already making quite a statement.

A very similar looking Panicum (Switch Grass), this is ‘Ruby Ribbons’:

A closer shot of the foliage:

I’ve actually had this one for over 4 years now and it has yet to thrive. It has also been nibbled down quite a bit by either the rabbits or the deer so I relocated it, fingers crossed, to a more sheltered spot. The reputation on this one is that it is one of the best red switch grasses so we’ll wait it out a bit more.

Miscanthus ‘Strictus’, after 2 years, is at about 5 feet tall and has held up beautifully the past two fall/winter seasons, even in a completely unsheltered location:

And that leaf variegation is kick butt:

The real test will be when it gets closer to its maximum size of 8 to 9 feet and will it hold up well to adverse conditions?

And finally for today, we have Miscanthus ‘Cabaret’:

Again, another grass with great variegation that is truly visible from a great distance which is why I have it located a good distance from the house:

This OG has held up through the winter and while it has a way to go in terms of growth, all signs point to a winner.

As always, I would hove to hear your thoughts on your experience with any of these grasses.

Our Trip to The Lake – 2013

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A water snake chomping down on a fish and ready to feast on my leg.

I am an overprotective parent to an embarrassing degree.

Looking for “bugs” is a great distraction.

Campfire? Really? How about a baseball game instead?

Those statements above are teasers for this post about our annual trip to Chester, CT where we stay in a cozy cottage on a lake that has been owned by the family for over 40 years. We look forward to it each and every summer; a chance to “escape” and convene with nature; our version of camping and teaching the kids about the great outdoors:  

But if we are being honest with ourselves, it is really none of those things. And that is where our story begins.

As we navigated the always traffic-filled Rt. 95 on our way to “The Lake” early last week, we kept replaying a conversation my wife had with a family member the night before. As said family was enjoying their time in The Lake the weekend before, they were greeted by an angry snake who emerged out of the water ready to take them all down, right after he finished destroying the giant fish he already had between his giant sharp teeth.

I’m pretty sure this is exactly how he looked.

I knew that the kids loved swimming in the lake and floating freely on rafts and that they required my presence in order to do so. Normally, I’m good with that and don’t mind the nibbling fish at my feet or stomping some weeds growing out of the lake floor, but this was going to test my resolve.

Sure enough, we arrive at the cottage and the kids have their bathing suits on before we can even drop our suitcases. I didn’t even have time to assess the location to determine the most likely spot where I would be attacked by the anaconda.

In we went, woo hoo, and I did my best to seem confident and enjoying the hell out of myself. The kids were not aware of Snakegate 2013 so I had to remain calm:    

I am their father and protector so a little snake wasn’t going to do me in. I’ve encounter snakes on my home turf all the time and don’t even flinch. Why should a “Snake in a Lake” (How good of a movie title is that? Sequel to “Snakes on a Plane”?) be any different. Time to put my big boy pants on … and I did just that:

We were all going to be alright.

*Post mortem – We never did see the snake, the kids eventually learned of it and weren’t freaked a bit and I found drinking a few beers before entering the lake each day worked like a charm*

After the kids were worn out from swimming, they wanted to move on to other lake activities like taking out the canoe:

Or the paddle boat:

That’s what you do when all of those things are at your disposal, right? Actually, you would be wrong. I wouldn’t take them out in any vessel. Mean SOB, right? Nope, I’m just terrified that we will tip over and life jackets be damned, would be stranded for days. Sensing a theme here? 
Overprotective – check
Paranoid – check
Scared of Mother Nature – check
Well, that last one isn’t really true, just a bit wary of things in and around bodies of water. 
One of my strongest parenting skills is ignore and distract. If you pretend not to hear children while they are babbling nonsensically, then they never really said anything. Try it, it works well.
So I never heard, “Can we take the canoe down to the swamp?”. Nope, I ignored it and moved into distract mode with “Let’s be all nature-y and stuff and observe all the wonderful insects and critters this lake has to offer”:          

And while we’re at it, how about the wonderful flowers we’ve been provided, free of charge:

That worked for like 35 seconds, but they did forget about canoeing. Nice.
Mornings on the lake are absolutely stunning and you really can lose yourself just sitting on the porch and watching all of the lake activity. It’s as if nothing else exists. And what screams lakeside relaxation more than a drive to go hunt down gourmet coffee? As you can see, we are teaching our son well (yes, it is decaf): 

And while we are talking all things lakeside, what better way to get out in the elements, smell those familiar smells and be at one with nature than … a baseball game? Didn’t see that coming did you?

My son added even more autographs to his growing collection and we had an awesome time with perfect weather. We even got to see some pretty kick butt fireworks. I love lakes!

On our final morning, we made it into town for the Sunday Market and I am proud to say that our kids get “eating local” and “growing your own” so maybe I’m not all that bad of a parent:

So even if we don’t do all the stereotypical things while at the “Lake House” and even if we drive 45 minutes to hunt down the best lobster sandwich:

It is all about family and togetherness and enjoying vacation time to do the things we love to do. We cherish our moments at The Lake each summer and have made some incredible memories, including me dancing around in the water thinking there is a snake circling me as prey.

John

New additions to the family

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It is with incredible joy and unhinged excitement that I would like to introduce you all to the following new members of my extended family.

Allium ‘Mt Sinai’

She might smell real bad, but what an overachiever already with her wonderful blooms:

Bergenia ‘Rosi Klose’

It was a tough road making it to my garden, but we’re confident she will recover quickly and provide us with entertainment (being evergreen and all) throughout the winter:

Asclepias tuberosa (Butterfly Weed)

We never thought he would make it after disappearing for weeks on end this spring, but he is a tough one and we couldn’t be prouder.

Achillea (Yarrow) ‘Pink Grapefruit’

She looked so great early on with her bright pink blooms, but after a few weeks, not so much. A true underachiever already; color us concerned.

Juniper ‘Gold Cone’

It is tough to find conifers that are deer resistant and can handle poor drainage, so we welcome this guy with a little bit of fear. But he seems tough and hopefully we’ve located him in an OK spot. That foliage color is so handsome ain’t it:

As Fall approaches, we’ll be sure to welcome even more to our family and we cannot wait to introduce them all to you.

God Bless

Filling in nicely

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I looked back at my posts for this day from prior years and found a common thread. This is the time of year when most of my shrubs and perennials have reached their peak or those that are on the decline have been sufficiently hidden. It is the time of year when I can actually say that I’m proud of my garden. I’m sure by morning I’ll change my mind, but as I type these words, I’m in a good place. 
Here are a few samples of how things look as we approach the end of July:   

Astilbe, Ninebark ‘Diablo’, Catmint and Hydrangea ‘Endless Summer’ 

Joe Pye Weed backed by Miscanthus ‘Morning Light’ 

l
Miscanthus ‘Morning Light’, Panicum ‘Northwind’ and Joe Pye Weed 

Too many too list but Miscanthus ‘Gracillimus’ anchors it all

Coneflower, Astilbe, Ninebark ‘Diablo’, Catmint, Viburnum and some others

Indian Grass ‘Sioux Blue’, Sedum ‘Matrona’ 

Have a great weekend!