Bursting into Spring

 

Pulsatilla vulgaris

syn. Anemone pulsatilla
Pasque Flower

Type    Perennial
Hardy range    5A to 8A
Height    6" to 10" / 15cm to 25cm
Growth rate    Slow
Form    Rounded
Exposure    Partial shade or partial sun to full sun

Bloom Color    Purple
Bloom Time    Spring

The flowers are suitable for dried flowers.

Environment
This plant tolerates drought.
This plant will grow in moist soil.
Suitable soil is well-drained/loamy or sandy.
The pH preference is  a neutral soil.

Leaf Color    Green
This plant has attractive foliage.

Culture Notes
Since the beautiful blooms of this plant nod, planting on a slope will make it easier to appreciate them.   Do not let the soil get too wet, or rotting may occur.   The seed heads do not need to be removed, because they form interesting plumes and do not rob the plant of its vitality.  Division can be made to the tuber in fall or early spring.  This plant does self seed easily and forms large colonies. Plants serve as butterfly nectar sources.

Phlox x arendsii 'Anja'

    Arend's Phlox

Type    Perennial
Hardy range    3A to 8A
Height    18" to 24" / 45cm to 60cm
Spread    12" to 14" / 30cm to 35cm
Growth rate    Average
Form    Upright or erect
Exposure    Partial shade or partial sun to full sun
Persistence    Deciduous

Bloom Color    Purple
Bloom Time    Spring and 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

Culture Notes
Plants can be lifted and divided in the spring and the fall.  Plant in areas with good air circulation.  Periodic pruning until mid summer will produce more stems and a later blooming plant.  'Anja' has purple blossoms that have a red tinge to them.

Anemone magellanica
    Anemone

Type    Perennial
Hardy range    5B to 8B
Height    6" to 12" / 15cm to 30cm
Growth rate    Average
Form    Upright or erect
Exposure    Partial shade or partial sun to full sun

Bloom Color    White
Bloom Time    Spring and Summer

The flowers are suitable for cut flowers.

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

Leaf Color    Green
This plant has attractive foliage.

Culture Notes
Leave anemones undisturbed after planting.  Do not let the soil get too wet, or rotting may occur.

Narcissus 'Avalon'
    Daffodil

Type    Perennial
Hardy range    4A to 8A
Height    6" to 9" / 15cm to 23cm
Spread    12" to 24" / 30cm to 60cm
Growth rate    Average
Form    Upright or erect
Exposure    Partial shade or partial sun to full sun

Bloom Color    Yellow
Bloom Time    Spring

The flowers are fragrant and suitable for cut flowers.

Environment
This plant will grow in moist soil.
Suitable soil is well-drained/loamy or sandy.
The pH preference is an acidic to slightly alkaline (less than 6.8 to 7.7) soil.

Leaf Color    Green
This plant has attractive foliage.

 Culture Notes
'Avalon' is a Division 2 large-cupped cultivar.  Clump forming bulbs that can be lifted and divided in the fall.  Will increase in numbers if left undisturbed and dry in late summer.

Oakleaf Hydrangea, Deciduous Shrub Of The Day

Hydrangea quercifolia 'Snow Queen'
syn. Hydrangea platanifolia

Oakleaf Hydrangea

Type Shrub, woody plant
Hardy range 5B to 9A
Height 6' to 8' / 1.80m to 2.40m
Spread 6' to 8' / 1.80m to 2.40m
Growth rate Fast
Form Rounded and upright or erect
Exposure Partial shade or partial sun to full sun
Persistence Deciduous

Bloom Color Pink and white
Bloom Time Spring and Summer
The flowers are very showy, suitable for cut flowers and suitable for dried flowers.


Environment
This plant tolerates drought, occasional wetness and a little salt. This plant will grow in very dry to occasionally wet soil. Suitable soil is well-drained/loamy, sandy or clay. The pH preference is an acidic to slightly alkaline (less than 6.8 to 7.7) soil.


Leaf Color
Green
Fall Color
Purple and red
This plant has attractive fall colors.


Culture Notes

Because of their size, most residential landscapes only need one or two of these plants. Especially attractive at the edge of woods or other natural settings, Oak-Leaf Hydrangea likes fertile, acid, well-drained soil, and requires no attention once it becomes established. It makes a nice accent in a shrub border or growing out of a ground cover. Flowers appear at the ends of short shoots with two to three sets of leaves. After plants have flowered, new shoots emerge from the base of the flower stalk. Flower buds for next year's display will develop in the terminal bud at the end of these shoots. Deer enjoy chewing the stems and will eat plants to the ground.

Planting and establishing shrubs

The 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.
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Gold Band Liriope, Featured Plant of The Day

Liriope muscari 'Gold Band'    
    Lilyturf,  Border Grass,  Blue Lilyturf,  Liriope,  Bigblue Liriope

Type    Perennial
Hardy range    6A to 10A
Height    12" to 18" / 30cm to 45cm
Spread    12" to 36" / 30cm to 90cm
Growth rate    Slow
Form    Rounded
Exposure    Partial shade or partial sun to full sun
Persistence    Evergreen

Bloom Color    Lavender
Bloom Time    Summer

The flowers are showy and suitable for cut flowers.

Environment
This plant tolerates drought and some salt.
This plant will grow in moist 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    Green, variegated and yellow
Fall Color    No change in fall color
This plant has attractive foliage.

Culture Notes
This plant usually is slow spreading.  The plant should be sheared back in the early spring to enjoy a flush of new growth.  Easily propagated by division in the early spring.

Unlike Liriope spicata, this plant usually is slow spreading.  The plant should be sheared back, usually with a sharp lawn mower blade, in the early spring to enjoy a flush of new growth.  Please do this before new growth emerges or you will live with the cut foliage for the rest of the year. Easily propagated by division in the early spring.

Attractive, violet-blue flowers give this plant its charm. Lilyturf is a 6- to 12-inch-tall herbaceous perennial that is useful in the landscape as a ground cover and accent plant.  This plant spreads slowly by rhizomes and forms thick tubers that look like small potatoes.  The 8- to 20-inch-long, grass-like leaves arise from a central crown.  The small, purple flowers of Lilyturf occur in terminal racemes that sit atop an 8-to 10-inch tall, violet-brown scape.  These flowers appear in the summer and are followed by blue-black berrylike fruits.  Flowers are mostly inconspicuous due to the brightly colored foliage. This plant is considered mostly allergy free and causes little or no allergy problems in most people.

Lilyturf is a great plant for bordering a sidewalk or as an edging for a landscape bed.  It will grow well underneath trees or around shrubs.  However, it will not tolerate foot traffic. Liriope will grow in a sunny location, but prefers one that has partial shade or full shade.  It prefers well-drained soils and is moderately tolerant of drought and salt spray.  This plant does have a negative reaction to high temperatures and can melt out in warm weather.

Prairie Petite Lilac, Featured Plant of The Day

Syringa x 'Prairie Petite'
    Lilac

Type    Shrub, woody plant
Hardy range    3B to 7B
Height    24" to 4' / 60cm to 1.20m
Spread    24" to 4' / 60cm to 1.20m
Growth rate    Average
Form    Rounded and vase shaped
Exposure    Partial shade or partial sun to full sun
Persistence    Deciduous

Bloom Color    Blue and lavender
Bloom Time    Spring

The flowers are fragrant and very showy.

Environment
This plant tolerates drought.
This plant will grow in very dry soil.
Suitable soil is well-drained/loamy, sandy or clay.
The pH preference is an acidic to slightly alkaline (less than 6.8 to 7.7) soil.

Leaf Color    Green
Fall Color    No change in fall color

Culture Notes
Lilac is a common flowering shrub that grows best in a sunny location.  The plant will grow in shade but flowering is poor and powdery mildew is likely to be severe. Pollen bothers certain people. The growth rate is rapid and the plant produces many suckers. Pruning should be completed after flowering and by late spring to ensure next year's flower buds are not removed.

Planting and establishing shrubs

The 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.

Sweet Alyssum, Featured Plant of The Day

Lobularia maritima     syn. Alyssum maritimum
    Sweet Alyssum

Type    Annual
Height    6" to 8" / 15cm to 20cm
Spread    10" to 12" / 25cm to 30cm
Growth rate    Fast
Form    Irregular or sprawling
Exposure    Full sun

Bloom Color    Pink, purple and white
Bloom Time    Spring through Fall

The flowers are fragrant.

Environment
This plant tolerates salt well.
This plant will grow in dry to moist soil.
Suitable soil is well-drained/loamy, sandy or clay.
The pH preference is an acidic to slightly alkaline (less than 6.8 to 7.7) soil.

Leaf Color    Green
Fall Color    No change in fall color
This plant has attractive foliage.

Culture Notes
Sweetly fragrant flowering plant that can be encourage to bloom longer by pinching.  Seeds can be grown under glass in the winter, or sown outdoors in the spring.  This plant will often self sow.