Planting Ideas for 2010

Lilium 'Gardenia'

Asiatic Lily

Type Perennial

Hardy range 5A to 9A

Height 12" to 36" / 30cm to 90cm

Spread 18" to 24" / 45cm to 60cm

Growth rate Average

Form Upright or erect

Exposure Partial shade or partial sun to full sun

Bloom Color Pink and yellow

Bloom Time Summer

The flowers are fragrant and suitable for cut flowers.

Environment

This plant will grow in moist soil.

Suitable soil is well-drained/loamy.

The pH preference is a neutral soil.

Leaf Color Green

In medieval times, lily bulbs had several medicinal purposes. Plants will be less productive if allowed to seed. Lilies can be easily divided by lifting and propagating the bulbs in early spring. Flowers produced in the summer come in various colors.

Culture Notes

Viola pedata

Bird's Foot Violet, Crowfoot Violet, Pansy Violet

Type Perennial

Hardy range 4A to 9A

Height 2" to 6" / 5cm to 15cm

Spread 6" to 10" / 15cm to 25cm

Growth rate Slow

Form Rounded

Exposure Partial shade or partial sun to full sun

Persistence Deciduous

Bloom Color Blue, purple and white

Bloom Time Spring

The flowers are suitable for cut flowers.

Environment

This plant tolerates drought.

This plant will grow in dry soil.

Suitable soil is sandy.

The pH preference is a neutral soil.

Leaf Color Green

Culture Notes

Seeds can be collected in the summer or allowed to self sow. Dormant root cuttings can be taken in the early spring. Viola pedata prefers a gritty dry soil, poor in nutrient. Needs a covering of mulch in the winter. Pruning will keep plants full and compact. Deadheading will continue blooming all season.

Iris germanica 'River Hawk'

Bearded Iris, Tall Bearded German Iris, Orris Root

Type Perennial

Hardy range 4A to 10A

Height 18" to 30" / 45cm to 75cm

Growth rate Average

Form Upright or erect

Exposure Full sun

Bloom Color Lavender

Bloom Time Spring

The flowers are fragrant and suitable for cut flowers.

EnvironmentThis plant will grow in moist soil.
Suitable soil is well-drained/loamy.
The pH preference is a neutral soil.

Leaf Color Green

Culture NotesPrefers a sunny well-drained fertile soil. Will tolerate some shade in well-drained areas. Division can be done in the fall as well as early spring before new growth. The Orris Root can be dried and used in potpourris and other mixtures needing a lavender scent.

Berberis thunbergii 'Bagatelle'

Japanese Barberry

Type Shrub, groundcover, woody plant

Hardy range 4A to 7B

Height 12" to 18" / 30cm to 45cm

Spread 12" to 24" / 30cm to 60cm

Growth rate Slow

Form Rounded and spreading or horizontal

Exposure Full shade to full sun

Persistence Semi-evergreen

Bloom Color Yellow
Bloom Time Spring

EnvironmentThis plant tolerates some drought and a little salt.
This plant will grow in dry soil.
Suitable soil is well-drained/loamy, sandy or clay.
The pH preference is an acidic to alkaline (less than 6.8 to more than 7.7) soil.

Leaf Color Purple
Fall Color Orange, red and yellow

This plant has attractive foliage and attractive fall colors.

Culture NotesJapanese Barberry is thorny, so it's useful for barrier plantings. The plant tolerates most light exposures and soils, but purple-leafed cultivars turn green in shade. This shrub grows slowly but transplants easily. Japanese Barberry can be sheared and used as a hedge plant.
The main ornamental features are persistent red fruits and fall color in shades of red, orange and yellow. This cultivar is a form of the variety atropurpurea and is more compact than many other cultivars. This plant is considered mostly allergy free and causes little or no allergy problems in most people.

Planting and establishing shrubsThe most common cause of young plant failure is planting too deep. Plant the root ball no deeper than it was in the nursery. In most instances, the root flare zone (point where the top-most root in the root ball originates from the trunk) should be located just above the landscape soil surface. Sometimes plants come from the nursery with soil over the root flare. If there is soil over this area, scrape it off. The planting hole should be at least twice the width of the root ball, preferably wider. In all but exceptional circumstances where the soil is very poor, there is no need to incorporate anything into the backfill soil except the loosened soil that came out of the planting hole. Never place ANY soil over the root ball. If a row or grouping of plants is to be installed, excavating or loosening the soil in the entire bed and incorporating organic matter enhances root growth and establishment rate.

Weed suppression during establishment is essential. Apply a 3-inch thick layer of mulch around the plant to help control weed growth. Keep it at least 10 inches from the trunk. If you apply it over the root ball, apply only a one or two inch layer. This allows rainwater and air to easily enter the root ball and keeps the trunk dry. Placing mulch against the trunk or applying too thick a layer above the root ball can kill the plant by oxygen starvation, death of bark, stem and root diseases, prevention of hardening off for winter, vole and other rodent damage to the trunk, keeping soil too wet, or repelling water. Regular irrigation through the first growing season after planting encourages rapid root growth, which is essential for quick plant establishment.

Hyacinthus orientalis 'Atlantic'

Hyacinth

Type Perennial

Hardy range 3A to 7A

Height 6" to 10" / 15cm to 25cm

Spread 3" to 5" / 8cm to 13cm

Growth rate Slow

Form Upright or erect

Exposure Full sun

Persistence Deciduous

Bloom Color Purple

Bloom Time Spring

The flowers are fragrant and suitable for cut flowers.

EnvironmentThis plant will grow in dry to moist soil.
Suitable soil is well-drained/loamy or sandy.
The pH preference is a neutral soil.

Leaf Color Green

Culture NotesBulbs should be purchased and planted in late autumn. Once the tubular flowers are finished in the spring, they should be removed. Feed the bulb generously until the foliage goes dormant in the summer. In colder climates, mulch to protect from the cold winters. Often the bulbs will not bloom as well in later seasons. Hyacinths are more commonly used as forced plants, and the plants are discarded after the plant goes dormant.

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