Garden Gab
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Camellia japonica blooming on January 2 in the Flagler Perennial Garden.

A walk on a cold winter’s day can yield surprises. People are amazed when we tell them Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden has blooms year-round.

“Really?” they asked skeptically. True, January doesn’t yield the profusion of blooms of say, April, but in some ways – that makes what is blooming even that much more special.

(Especially after a holiday season of sensory overload!)

So pictured above is a lovely gem from the Garden today – Camellia japonica. I was out looking for hellebores, and a scarlet bloom on the ground caught my eye. Because it is so vibrant against the muted winter landscape, the bloom almost tempts you to take a second look to make sure it is real.

You may be familiar with camellias, but if not here are few quick facts – they are a native of China; over 3,000 varieties are cultivated; are a member of the tea family; bloom from late winter to early spring; are hardy in USDA Zones 6 – 9; are often used in borders and hedges; and in some Asian cultures, camellias represent longevity and faithfulness.

I am happy to report other blooming activity in the Garden as well – amid a brief swirl of snow flurries, I saw a few flowers on the winter jasmine and hellebores.  We’ll be using the blog to chronicle a year of blooms and beauty—as well as offering gardening tips and “behind-the-scenes” views. Stay tuned!

Beth Monroe is public relations director at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden.

Here it is the last day of 2007 – a day to look back on the year that was. It’s truly been a year of growth as the Garden continues to mature in its plant collections AND in its role in the community.

So here we go:

February: The Garden held a water management symposium —Streams of Stewardship – in cooperation with the Virginia Society of Landscape Designers. A drought later in the year underscored the importance of this analysis of water management on the property.

During February, the Garden also celebrated Ikebana of Richmond’s 40th Anniversary with Ikebana (Japanese floral arrangements) around the property.

Registration for adult education classes went on-line!

April: What a shock to see SNOW on the tulips – on Easter Weekend! The exhibit “A Place to Take Root” took root in the Conservatory, celebrating the history of the flower pot.

May: The growing season really got under way, as well as the exhibit “Pottering Around: A Celebration of Container Gardening.” As part of this exhibit, a bathtub used as a plant container almost landed us in hot water later in the year when a Henrico County couple cited for a zoning violation pointed to the Garden as inspiration for their own tub container.

The Garden hosted a delegation visiting for the Jamestown celebration, including the Mayor of Richmond Upon Thames, England. In celebration of the event, the group presented the people of Richmond, Va., an English oak sapling which was planted at the Garden.

June: The Garden also had two Jamestown-related exhibits: A “Red, White and Blue Garden” and “Plants of the Powhatans”.

July – October: Due to public demand, we continued to expand evening hours with Flowers After 5 and added wine-tasting to the jazz, which proved to be a hit. Special “Fidos” nights in partnership with the Richmond SPCA allowed leashed pets and the Garden went to the dogs.

Summertime was also THE time for the Children’s Garden —especially WaterPlay when many adult staffers wished THEY could jump in! With its creative programming for visitors and school groups, the Children’s Garden continues to prove learning is fun. Special programs opened up the exciting world of plants and gardening to under-served populations. The vegetable garden also reaped rewards as children harvested the produce and donated it to the Central Virginia Foodbank.

October: Broke ground on the Rose Garden which will triple in size and offer more than 1,800 blooms and more than 80 varieties in 2008. What a treat to look forward to!

And these are only a few items – not to mention the hard work by staff and volunteers in all kinds of challenging conditions and weather and the countless ways the Garden has touched many lives on very personal levels – from those who had a special event here to those who come to walk the grounds and be refreshed. Of course the support from donors, sponsors and members make the work here possible.

Perhaps one of the most exciting initiatives in 2007 was the Garden’s work with Tricycle Gardens, a community garden in Church Hill. Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden has been involved in a project with Tricycle to “seed” several additional community gardens in different areas of the city. The conversion of unused urban space for gardens for food and beauty has been an exciting opportunity for us.

And, of course, we started the blog in 2007! Here’s wishing you a happy and healthy 2008.

Beth Monroe is public relations director at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden.

Nandina berries at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden help brighten a winter’s day.

The shortest day of the year (the winter solstice) is past, holiday bustle is dying down, so with a little more time and light in the day, I ventured out into the winter garden. 

While you might think there’s not much to see right now, I relished the small surprises you can find:  a splash of nandina berries, textures of birch and crape myrtle bark, surprising colors like the brilliant branches of red-twig dogwood (Cornus sericea and C. sanguinea), including the ones in the West Island Garden and one you see if you park in the east parking lot—it’s a fabulous coral color.  Hellebores are starting to emerge, and red hips dot our gray and thorny rose bushes in the Grace Arents Garden.

Author and photographer Karen Bussolini is a fan of gardens in winter, too.  She’ll be speaking on “Gardens in Winter” on January 18.  I’m looking to this lecture to re-inspire me, right when our gray and rainy southern winters start to get me down.

Karen will also speak the next day, on “Designing with Elegant Silvers.” Another one of my winter pastimes is planning the next spring’s garden—or continuing to work on my (imaginary) perfect garden.  I don’t know much about ‘silver’ plants (gray-green to blue-green), so I’m looking forward to exploring this color family with her and going beyond dusty miller and lamb’s ears.

For details of those lectures, visit http://www.lewisginter.org, select ‘Calendar,’ then ‘Education for Adults’ and click on January. 

Phyllis Laslett is adult education manager at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden.

Tillandsia bulbosa or Air Plant

I received this FYI email from Mary Cathron (Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden’s Conservatory Gardener) the other day:

“…in the East Wing [of the Conservatory] in the boot of the Bismarkia [palm] is a Tillandsia bulbosa that is in bloom. The plant is very interesting with twisted, tubular leaves of green that have turned red around the flower which is reddish pink and purple. I read that the leaves turn red at the top of the plant to attract hummingbirds to pollinate it.”

Well, I wasn’t sure what a “boot” was, but this plant sounded interesting so I grabbed the camera and hiked up to the Conservatory.

Mary Cathron is one of those people who is just passionate about her job – her eyes practically shown as she held back leaves so I could photograph the Tillandsia.

She explained a “boot” is created when you cut off the leaf of a palm. It’s kind of like a little shelf and these Tillandsia or air plants can be tucked in and grow there.

Really? No dirt required?

It’s true – these plants survive by absorbing nutrients through its leaves – all they need is fresh air, good light and humidity.

You never know what little surprises you can find tucked away in that Conservatory. The perfect plant for those who do not like to get their hands dirty!

Beth Monroe is public relations director at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden.

One of the hobbit dwellings in the model train display at GardenFest.

Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden’s GardenFest of Lights is not limited to lights—there are also wonderful botanical displays.

The horticulture staff has done an outstanding job creating “hobbit-like” dwellings as part of the model train display. They have used natural materials and the detail is amazing. Want to see more? They are all on the Garden’s website (including a link so you can see what materials were used): GardenFest Hobbit Houses.

Enjoy!

Beth Monroe is public relations director at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden.

GardenFest of Lights has become a favorite holiday tradition for many.

Hard to believe we here at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden have been doing the Gardening Blog for almost five months now.

What started as a three-month “experiment” has become an important means of communication. Recently, when two months worth of entries were accidentally erased (not by me!), it was disheartening.

I couldn’t help but wonder “Is this really worth my time?”

And then, I read the comments – like the one under December 13. A reader was “underwhelmed” by GardenFest of Lights. I’ll admit, my first impulse was “Oh no, get that comment off!”

But then I realized it demonstrates the value and the power of blogs. This is truly two-way communication. You, the reader, can tell us what you think and we, the bloggers, can answer directly without having to go through other channels.

So, if I might respond—we know GardenFest is not going to appeal to everyone. We’ll have about 50,000 visitors and I think it’s safe to say no two people are going to have exactly the same experience—especially since the displays change every year. What makes this light show different is it has a botanical theme—because that’s what we are, a botanical garden.

Response to GardenFest has been overwhelmingly positive, but that doesn’t mean we don’t listen carefully to all of the feedback. The blog just makes it much more public than ever before! A good blog is one that really engages readers and has them commenting. So please, continue to let us know what you think.

Beth Monroe is public relations director at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden.

The “peacock” at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden’s GardenFest of Lights

What’s the biggest “wow” at GardenFest of Lights this year?

Hands down, it has to be the peacock.

Strutting his stuff in front of the Conservatory in the Sunken Garden, the peacock boasts more than 4,000 lights in vivid colors. Envisioned by the Garden’s executive director Frank Robinson and brought to life by operations assistant Justin Brown, the peacock knows how good he looks. If you look carefully—you can catch him looking at his own reflection in the pool in the Sunken Garden.

Hard to believe he used to be a topiary figure in the old Children’s Garden!

Not to be left out, the frogs in the Four Seasons Garden are also enjoying a little GardenFest magic. “Bubble” lights have replaced the water in their fountain.

(Many thanks to Frank Robinson for sharing his photos for this blog entry.)

If you’ve been to GardenFest this year—what’s been your favorite feature?

Beth Monroe is public relations director at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden.

Yesterday I noticed that blog entries from the past two months are missing! I am not sure why and am currently trying to find out what is going on.

Please accept my apologies if you are here looking for images of GardenFest—if entries cannot be reposted easily, I will work to recreate some of what was on here.

Beth Monroe, public relations director at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden.

An Example of Ikebana

Yesterday at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden we had a visit from a master – Tetsunori Kawana. Mr. Kawana is an installation artist and master teacher of Sogetsu Ikebana.

So, you may be asking – what is Ikebana? Very simply, it’s the Japanese art of arranging flowers. But really, it is so much more! I hesitate to even write about Ikebana because of its complex nature.

So I though I’d show a few images from yesterday’s presentation with some web links if you want to learn more. Oh, and if you REALLY want to learn more, Ikebana of Richmond meets here at the Garden on the first Thursday of each month. In fact, it was really their program that I attended yesterday.

Just one more quick paragraph about Ikebana before I insert photos – you know how in Western culture we tend to arrange flowers in a mass of blooms? Well, Ikebana is based on a triangular framework created by the line of twigs and/or leaves. Some schools (yes, there are schools of Ikebana!) say the three main “points” represent heaven, earth and man. There is also great emphasis on negative space.

But back to Mr. Kawana!

The grand finale of yesterday’s program was a large (and I mean large!) scale installation. In a fascinating and frenzied fifteen minutes, huge boughs cut from the Garden were assembled into a remarkable display – honest to goodness, the action and drama almost had a rock concert quality to it!

Mr. Kawana and his assistants create the basic framework of the piece.

Mr. Kawana “fills in” space (at times he almost disappeared into the installation!)

Mr. Kawana takes a step back for an overview; gestures to an assistant to bring just the right bough...

Time is almost up! Last-minute touches are made.

The finished piece.

If you’d like to learn more:
Information about Ikebana on Wikipedia: Ikebana
More about Mr. Kawana-Tetsunori (his work is fascinating!): Kawana-Tetsunori

Well, I’ve tried my best to tell you a little about Ikebana. (One of my very good friends reads this blog from her home in Japan – Akiko, how have I done?) If anyone has questions, please comment!

Beth Monroe is public relations director at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden.

The weather is gorgeous, but all of these warm sunny days are not helping drought conditions.

The cover story in the Tuesday, Oct. 2’s Richmond Times-Dispatch highlights the issues and some of the restrictions. We thought it would be a good time for the gardening blog to offer:

TIPS FOR THE BEST WATERING TECHNIQUES

When you are watering, focus on trees and shrubs – especially newly planted ones. Newly planted trees and shrubs are vulnerable to extremes in heat and moisture and can be expensive to replace if roots are damaged by drought.

It’s good to water established lawns and shrubs about one inch per week, but during this critical time you can cut that to one quarter of an inch per week. (Use a rain gauge to track how much water you are using.) For newly established plants, water when the root systems are dry. The best way to tell is to put your finger in the soil about two to three inches deep around the young roots – if the ground feels dry, it is time to water. Be sure to also look around your yard for signs of stress. If you see wilted leaves or leaves turning yellow, pay attention to these plants. Azaleas, which are shallow-rooted plants, show signs of stress quickly and are a great “indicator” plant.

It is better to water deeply and less frequently. For instance watering once a week, allowing water to drip slowly into the root systems for three to four hours, is more helpful than frequent shallow waterings. Watering deeply helps establish deeper root systems. Be sure to monitor weekly.

The best time to water is early in the morning just before dawn. It’s important to get the soil thoroughly wet. The morning sun will dry off the foliage, which lessens conditions for fungal diseases. Watering in the morning is also good because evaporation loss is minimal – the humidity is higher and the winds are calmer.

The best way to water is to allow water to drip through the hose right into the root system. Gushing water is not good because it washes the soil away and the water often runs into other areas instead of soaking in around the plant’s roots. One easy tip is to build a dam of soil around the base of the newly established plant. The dam holds the water in around the plant, allowing it to seep into the root system.

Building a dam around a plant can help with watering.

Another option is to use self-watering bags. These are special bags with a small hole that are placed on the ground and are strapped to the trunk. When the bag is filled up with water, the water will slowly drip out and directly on to the root system. Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden uses these bags extensively to conserve water and they are available commercially. The bags are relatively inexpensive (especially when you consider what it costs to replace a tree), but if you are looking for a home-spun alternative, simply take a five gallon bucket, poke a small hole in the bottom and place next to the plant. This is not as visually appealing, but it is effective! In either case, check water penetration by digging carefully to see if water has reached to the root zone.

A “tree bag” can provide you with good, slow watering.

The current drought conditions are a good wake-up call for us all to reassess how we garden and how we use water. For instance, as you are planning next year’s garden, think of ways to incorporate drought-tolerant plants. Study what other gardeners in drier climates do. And remember, less time spent watering means more time for you to enjoy your garden!

Tom Brinda is assistant director of horticulture and education at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden.

Bathtub Plant Container at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden

The ways in which bathtubs have been used for things other than bathing over the decades provide an interesting insight into the human mind.

They served as convenient and excellent containers for making bootleg gin during prohibition.

My wife’s family routinely used theirs to ice down a hog before their annual family pig roast. Perfect size and drainage, but a bit disconcerting if you had to make a visit to the bathroom in the middle of the night.

A friend’s family had the tradition of de-thawing the Thanksgiving turkey in their bathtub for several days before the big dinner – one those unforgettable childhood images from the holidays, as our job was to go in and poke it to see if the thawing was on schedule.

There is current debate about the use of a bathtub in a Henrico County back yard as a planter for seasonal flowers. It seems that this violates zoning regulations.

If you have ever lived where there are NO zoning regulations, you are probably – like me – grateful for them, for we humans do tend to a bit undisciplined. Zoning rules do serve a purpose, and their impact is probably among those invisible things we all take for granted, until they are violated on the property next to you.

But – a confession – we have a bathtub on display in the Botanical Garden this summer. We really did not want to set a bad example. We just thought it would be fun to create a water garden in one – of course, an old tub with feet on it.

Old bathtubs have become collectible objects – not quite Tiffany lamps, but the footed ones do bring memories back to those of us old enough to remember them (and those of us who actually bathed in them!).

Do they belong in a backyard garden? This is obviously more difficult to answer than we might have thought. There is a very prominent garden designer and author named Felder Rushing who encourages such things – and more (much, much more!) You can read about him at http://www.felderrushing.net. Felder calls this kind of creative design the “American Cottage Garden”, and thinks we should all free ourselves of the long-held expectations of rigid and predictable garden design we inherited centuries ago from the Italians, Dutch and British.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. What if you behold something as objectionable? We pride ourselves in the U.S. as having freedom of expression – but every freedom has its limits. I don’t know if the limit is met when one puts a bathtub in the backyard. No doubt, one’s perception of the end result relates to one’s sensibilities, the beauty of the tub’s plantings and the perception of a bathtub as an antique “objet d’art” versus a discarded, obsolete household item.

Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden is in a Conservation Zone in Henrico County, and we have not yet been able to answer the question whether our bathtub planter violates County code, which is different from Residential coding. Our bathtub is part of an 80-foot annual display of unusual planters with varied planting schemes, including window boxes, a chair, a wardrobe and traditional pots. The context, and limited visual impact on neighbors, probably makes our bathtub more acceptable from a pure aesthetic sense. We hoped it might inspire some smiles, and quietly encourage folks to think outside the box.

I once saw a children’s garden made entirely of planted shoes and boots. It was delightful – every shape, color and size planted with such a wide variety of plants. It was obvious that the children who created these shoe gardens did so with great enthusiasm and individuality. Shoe gardens are highly mobile, and just the right size for a little one to care for. I suppose a shoe garden would not violate zoning codes, but one never knows.

I have a neighbor who has the most fascinating garden. He wraps native Virginia Tulip Poplars with wire fencing, and grows Asian gourds and melons 10-15 feet up the trunks. I don’t know how his immediate neighbors feel about his garden, but I always encourage the dog to walk in that direction so I can check on the melons. I love this ingenuity, and enjoy watching the melons and gourds grow fat and round. But, then, I like plants, and I like the cultural diversity our neighbor expresses through his garden.

There has been a lot of commentary that Henrico County has more important issues to address than an old bathtub in a backyard garden. Of course they do, and of course they are. I have great respect for the leadership and effectiveness of Henrico County, and if the bathtub at the Botanical Garden is in violation of the zoning code, I will remove it, for these are laws we have all tacitly “agreed to” in our political participation, or lack thereof. And, we have more important work to attend to than taking a stand over a bathtub.

Henrico is changing. More and more folks are coming here who have lived in different places around the globe, and who originate from different cultures. At some point, there will need to be more discussion and perhaps more acceptance of differences – whether that is about bathtubs or melons in trees.

There are local ordinances against allowing yards to go un-mown – becoming urban/suburban meadows. These are founded in concerns about controlling vermin, like rats, and maintaining aesthetic standards. However, we are beginning to understand the costs to the environment (pollution) and basic resources (water) in keeping perfectly manicured lawns. Native plants are adapted to our climate, and provide important habitat and food to birds, pollinating insects and small mammals, which are part of the critical food chain.

Our laws usually lag behind changes in our reality and growing understanding of what is best for society and for the world which sustains us.

It is a good thing that events like the bathtub initiate new discussion. Otherwise, progress might never happen.

I hope the bathtub issue will force many people to take a deeper look into what we should be encouraging in our yards – from a design standpoint, an aesthetic standpoint, a cultural standpoint and an environment standpoint.

Our birds are disappearing. Our butterflies are becoming more and more scarce. There is a collapse of the honeybee population. Fertilizers and pesticides are poisoning our rivers and bays. Fossil fuels are becoming more expensive and pollute our air (e.g. gas lawnmowers, trimmers and blowers). Pets are developing cancers from the chemicals we spray on our lawns.

I do not advocate outlawing any of the above. The American landscape has constantly evolved over time, and there is an expectation and appearance that we can generally agree upon. I am not ready to give up all of my lawn, or my favorite rose. But, there are reasons for us to reconsider and rebalance. I water and fertilize my lawn less. I have left part of the natural flora along the perimeter of my yard. I can be intrigued by melons in trees. And, if planted well, a bathtub might be a novelty.

Some things are transient – like bathtub gin and frozen turkeys – but others have longer-term impact. There are things happening in our backyards that are worse and more dangerous than an antique bathtub – and that is where this conversation, at the personal level and the County level, needs to go next.

Frank Robinson is executive director at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden.

Succulent Pillow in the Sunken Garden at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden

Pretty racy title, eh?

Actually a “succulent pillow” is what we’re calling a display currently in the Sunken Garden. It’s a project horticulturist Shannon Smith has been working on—I learned about it as I tagged along on a tour given by garden guide extraordinaire Linda Miller the other day.

The “pillow” is a form made from chicken wire and filled with sphaghnum moss. Then succulent plants are tucked in and can grow—it’s the same concept as a living wreath (which may be more familiar).

Aren’t succulents fun? The colors and textures—I had to take a few detail shots. And I just love some of the names, like the first one below:

Sedum Burro’s Tail

Sempervivum ‘Branunii’

‘Aloevera’ Aloe (tall spiky plant); Delosperma ‘Kelaidis’ (the one with the flowers); Echeveria runyonii ‘Topsey Turvey’

This looks like fun and something I could even try at home. This particular display requires full sun and you have to be careful not to water too much—Shannon was explaining some rain a few weeks ago had been a challenge.

Let me know if you’d like to learn more about how to make a succulent pillow and I can include in a future blog.

Beth Monroe is public relations director at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden .

Monarch Chrysalis

Here at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden, we’ve been talking a lot about how we define success.

Is it by the number of stroller-pushing moms with toddlers in the Children’s Garden?  By the number of new households enrolling Garden memberships?  Is it success that we have extended Flowers After Five through October, because so many folks enjoy seeing the Garden in evening twilight?  How many visitors have discovered the Garden because we’ve granted free admission—is that a measure of our success?  In the non-profit world, we certainly care (and worry about!) the bottom line, but there are many ways of measuring our achievements, and data alone is only part of the picture of success.

So how does this relate to my recent obsession about Monarch caterpillars? Well, the data was not looking very good.  The Asclepias physocarpus ‘Oscar’ was proving to be a great host plant in my garden, but over two weeks practically every caterpillar became a statistic as birds plucked them off for dinner.  Even the protective tree netting that I had used to cover the milkweed plants didn’t stop the feeding frenzy.  So I cut stems of milkweed and with a few intrepid caterpillars clinging for life, I brought the whole business inside. 

Over the past week, I’ve checked several times a day on three very hungry caterpillars, bringing in extra milkweed and misting the leaves occasionally so that they stay tender.  Around the planter where the stems are lodged in floral foam and kept moist with daily watering, bits of frass (caterpillar poop) indicate that the caterpillars are well nourished.  So why, yesterday morning, was I able to find only two of the three critters?  By last evening, the answer was spectacularly clear!

I have a chrysalis! About the size of a peanut, glistening pale green, with a string of tiny gold “beads” adorning it, the chrysalis is attached to a milkweed leaf, near the bottom of the planter.  If all goes well, by next weekend a Monarch butterfly should emerge.

But what if it doesn’t, for some reason?  Will I have failed?  I don’t think so—the discovery of this chrysalis lifted my heart and gave me an up-close glimpse of one of nature’s many small, but sublime miracles. 

How do you define success in your garden? Overcoming aphids? An abundance of arugula? Is it the number of quarts of tomato sauce, or the memory of the taste of a sun-ripened cherry tomato? 

Randee Humphrey is education manager at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden.
http://www.lewisginter.org

Virginia Garden Festival

Tomorrow (Saturday, Sept. 22) the Virginia Green Industry Council hosts its second annual Virginia Garden Festival at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden from 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Going green is an issue we are all talking about—especially here at the Garden. We spent one of our recent staff meetings dedicated to this very topic. Our in-house caterer Meriwether Godsey has even taken strides to “go green” by switching to plastic cups instead of disposables and using containers made of corn-based materials rather than petroleum-based ones.

We’re taking environmental considerations into what we’re doing here at Lewis Ginter in everything from day-to-day operations to planning for new gardens. In spring of this year, a Master Water Management Plan was devised for the Garden’s 82-acre property and the plan is to incorporate it as much as possible as we move forward.

Are there some things you are doing in your garden to “go green”?

Beth Monroe is public relations director at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden.

American Boxwood

Again, thanks to all who are reading our blog! June Buntin commented on the entry about mulch with a question of her own:

I used a 4 or 5 thickness of newspaper (no slick inserts) around my boxwoods, topped with pine needles, as a mulch for the winter.  What do you think? These are in the front of the house by my walk. I don’t have a ready source of hardwood mulch.

Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden Librarian Maggie Southwick and the library volunteers had the following reply:

The Boxwood Handbook by Lynn R. Batdorf, American Boxwood Society, 1994 is the best reference for information on boxwood culture.  It recommends that mulch be applied only to a depth of 1”, and cautions to avoid mounding mulch under branches.  Pine needles are listed as an effective and attractive mulch.  Newspaper is not mentioned, but a thin layer such as is described would probably function in much the same way as geotextile fabric or shredded leaves, both of which are listed as being recommended in the handbook.  The American Boxwood Society also publishes the Boxwood Bulletin.  Each quarterly issue usually includes two pages of questions and answers about boxwood culture.

Just a side note about boxwoods—someone told me once the way to tell English and American boxwoods apart is by the shape of the leaves. English is more rounded and oval, while American is more spear-shaped with a tip at the end of the leaf.

We were out in the Garden earlier today with a group from the National Press Women’s Association and we were talking about “very Virginia plants.” Boxwood certainly falls into that category! What are some others you would add to that list?

Beth Monroe is public relations director at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden.

Hydrangeas

Today we get to talk about hydrangeas—thanks to Betty Ann Dillon who commented last week with questions about pruning hydrangeas.

She writes: Now, if I could just learn how to prune hydrangeas, I’d be pleased.  What are some good resources?

Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden’s library to the rescue! Specifically, Maggie Southwick, our librarian, and the library volunteers.

The first question to answer when pruning hydrangeas is “What type of hydrangea do I have?” The large pink and blue blooms that are seen throughout Richmond in the spring are Hydrangea macrophylla, or big leaf hydrangea.  These plants bloom on “old wood,” that is, they set their buds for the next year right after blooming.  If pruning is done on these shrubs it needs to be done soon after the spring bloom is finished.  Pruning in winter or early spring removes the flower buds.  Hydrangea paniculata is an upright shrub that can be pruned to a standard.  It’s large white blooms appear in August and September in this area.  It blooms on “new wood,” that is, it flowers on the new growth that appears in spring and summer.  These hydrangeas should be pruned in early spring, before active growth begins.

A good resource for pruning in general is the following book: American Horticultural Society Pruning and Training: A Fully Illustrated Plant-by-Plant Manual by Christopher Brickell and David Joyce, (1996) is an excellent general reference for pruning all types of plants.  The illustrations are particularly clear, and there is always a “When to Prune” entry for each plant.  It has an entire page on hydrangeas.

Two very good articles that go into more detail about hydrangeas are:

“Bigleaf Hydrangeas” by Dick Bir, in the July-August 2003 issue of Fine Gardening, pp. 45-48.

“Reblooming Hydrangeas by Richard E. Bir in the July-August 2003 issue of American Gardener, pp. 32-36. Page 34 of this piece is a “Quick Guide” to the different types of hydrangeas.

There is also a recent book about hydrangeas, by Michael A. Dirr, Hydrangeas for American Gardens, Timber Press, 2004. 

We here at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden have witnessed firsthand the resurgence in popularity when it comes to hydrangeas—whenever there’s a class, it tends to fill up quickly. What is it about hydrangeas that appeals to us so?

Beth Monroe is public relations director at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden.

It’s been a busy couple of days here at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden—and it’s not over yet!

Yesterday was the first day of the Fall Plant Sale -- it continues today and tomorrow (Friday, September 14, 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. & Saturday, September 15, 9 a.m. - 3 p.m.). The volunteers have been working so hard on this event (as they always do) and attendance and sales have been good. Maybe people are realizing that fall really is one of the best times to plant!

Last night was also another Flowers After 5/Fidos After 5 evening. I snapped a few shots of people and dogs. I’ll let you decide—who looks like they are enjoying themselves more—the people or the dogs? (The next Fidos night is Thursday, October 11.)

A big thanks to everyone who is reading and commenting on this blog. We’ll get to answers for some of the comments/questions next week!

Beth Monroe is public relations director at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden.

While walking between home and the local diner this evening, I picked up a Monarch caterpillar.  Or perhaps it was he who picked me up.  In any case, it wasn’t until I was seated in the booth, carefully laying my napkin in my lap, that I discovered the hitchhiker.  After a shriek that startled my son, I gently used the napkin to pick up the caterpillar, and politely asked the waitress for a small to-go box.  And over the next hour—safely enclosed in a Styrofoam cell and about as long as a French fry—the caterpillar busily tried to poke his way out of the small opening left by the tab that locks the top to the bottom of the box.

Do caterpillars sense a change of venue or notice the smell of the grill or the thump of too-loud music? I imagined him quickly forming his chrysalis right then and there, just to escape the din.  But judging from its size, this caterpillar has a few days yet to feed voraciously on a host plant in preparation for its magical transformation.

Once home in my garden, with my flashlight-wielding son, I gently lifted the caterpillar onto the leaves of a sturdy milkweed plant, to take up temporary residence with two others already gorging themselves.  The newcomer immediately seemed content to nestle on a leaf, and in the morning I hope to see all three having a milkweed breakfast.

This particular milkweed, Asclepias physocarpus ‘Oscar,’ is a hearty, upright plant that has grown to over 5’ tall.  I covered my plant over the weekend with tree netting, to keep the mockingbirds from snatching the juicy caterpillar morsels (which to my despair happened last week to three others).  Come by the Garden’s “Pottering Around” container display border, and you’ll see ‘Oscar’ flowering with other butterfly-attracting plants.  Also known as “swan plant,” it has narrow, pointed foliage and creamy white blooms in late summer, and then forms balloon-like pale green pods with spiky hairs.

I’m grateful to our volunteer Julie Abbott, who talked me into purchasing ‘Oscar’ during the Garden’s spring plant sale.  “Butterflies love it,” she said, and judging from the number of Monarch eggs and caterpillars my two plants have yielded so far, Julie was right.

Will my dinner guest thrive on a steady diet of ‘Oscar’? Will I succeed this time in nurturing the caterpillars to the chrysalis stage?  Will they emerge as Monarchs in time to wing their way to Mexico for a winter vacation?  Will I succumb to another round of volunteer recommendations at this week’s Fall Plant Sale (beginning Thursday and continuing through Saturday)?  I hope so! 

Randee Humphrey is education manager at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden.

Do you ever wonder how much mulch you should be putting in your garden?

Mulching is applying any material over the roots that will retain moisture, control weeds and help cool the roots of the plant.  Some elaborate schemes have been concocted for “just the right” mulch, but mulching is really a simple technique. If you have the opportunity to apply mulches now, do so! It will help relieve drought and heat stress on plants and save watering.

Commonly applied mulches are compost, shredded tree bark, and shredded leaves. There are a few matters to consider before putting mulch down:

Are you using fresh materials or have they been composted? If you use fresh materials, add some fertilizer containing nitrogen to the surface of the soil before the mulch is put down. This is necessary because fresh materials will “grab” or deplete nitrogen in the soil as they decompose.

Are you putting down plastic? Some people put down plastic before they apply mulch. Plastic should be used only if soils are very moist BEFORE it is laid down. With our drought conditions, you may want to wait and use plastic in the spring.

As we enter the fall season, mulch’s best use is on newly planted trees and shrubs. One important point – do not pile mulch against the trunk because it can damage the tree’s bark. Make sure the mulch covers the area beneath the tree because the root system needs the heat insulation and drought protection. 

On cultivated, established annual and perennial beds where leaves of the plants are touching, it may be difficult to apply mulch now. You may want to wait until late fall when the beds have been cleared of the season’s growth.

The amount of mulch that should be used is often debated. Many central Virginia gardeners are using mulch for moisture retention on non-irrigated landscapes with heavy (even compacted) clay soils. In such situations, two to three inches of hardwood bark is plenty. Applications thicker than that will dry out between rainfalls and will shed precious rainfall before re-hydrating.

Mulch—not exactly the most exciting of garden topics, but it always seems to prompt some questions! Do you have any?

Beth Monroe is public relations director at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden.

This gardener will be out in the very early morning and from late afternoon,
attentive to small changes in the quality of light and the atmosphere, as well
as to every nuance of the season, which combine to create perfection.
-- Susan Hill and Rory Stuart, Reflections from a Garden, 1995

Where are you at 7 a.m.?

There’s a group of people already here at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden—the horticulture staff and some volunteers. Horticulturist Peggy Combs is one of these early-risers and she caught this beautiful shot of a sunrise with the Conservatory in the foreground. Thank you, Peggy, for sharing this with us. (I have to admit, it’s a view I am not likely to see in person!)

People often ask me how many people work in the gardens—and are amazed when I tell them it’s about a dozen staff members (plus some seasonal help and interns) and a corps of dedicated volunteers. If you’ve visited Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden, you’ve certainly enjoyed their extraordinary talent and hard work.

Beside the obvious cooler temperatures, what do you love about mornings in your garden?

Beth Monroe is public relations director at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden.

By all these lovely tokens
September days are here,
With summer’s best of weather
And autumn’s best of cheer.
- Helen Hunt Jackson, September, 1830-1885

Isn’t amazing how the turn of a calendar page can make all the difference?

Even though fall doesn’t officially start until September 23, there’s just a different “feel” out in the garden right now. The quality of light as it filters through the leaves, the chorus of insects buzzing and chirping, even the colors turning more golden and bronze.

If you’re out in your garden these days, here are a few tips about what you can be doing now. (Or, if you simply want to kick back and enjoy the beauty, that’s fine, too!)

Keep basil, parsley, mint, sage and lemon balm producing by pinching out the bloom spikes and seed pods.

Root cuttings from annual bedding plants such as begonias, geraniums, and impatiens.  These plants can be over-wintered in a sunny window and provide plants for next year’s garden.

Allow trees, shrubs and perennials to finish the summer growth cycle in a normal manner. Never encourage growth with heavy fertilizer or excessive pruning at this time.

Start planning for next year – it’s time to order spring-flowering bulbs.

What are you doing in your garden now?

Beth Monroe is public relations director at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden.