Patrick's Picks: More Gifts for Gardeners

Checkout my gardening gifts column in this month's Kansas City Gardener.

For the newbie and experienced gardener, the award winning Veggie Gardener Answer Book could be very useful. The book is organized by crop to make for easy usage as a reference. At a little over $10, it would make a great gift or even a stocking stuffer.

The next book is Best Garden Plants for Kansas. A Wichita Master Gardener is a co-author making the recommendations very valid for our area. As an introduction to gardening or an idea starter for garden designing, this book delivers on both accords at a reasonable price of $12.71. As part of a series, there is also Best Garden Plants for Missouri

For veggie or flower gardeners, the themed seed packet collections from Renee's Garden would also make a great gift. The distinctive watercolor packets only add to the charm of such a gift. I really like the Hummingbird and Butterfly, Children's and Container Vegatable selections.

www.reneesgardens/seeds/seeds-hm/collections.htm

Logees Tropical Plants is the premiere choice for hard to find plants. You can find the Tri-Color Hanging Bromeliad Wreath on the homepage for $29.95.

http://www.logees.com/

Another company favorite is Gardener's Supply. Check out their deep-seated garden kneelers. This ingenious product serves as support to lower yourself down to weed and then push down to raise yourself up without needless straining. Family Tree Nursery and Garden Center also nominated a similar product While you're there also check out the Balsam Peace Sign Wreath from $34.95 to $44.95. http://www.gardeners.com/

If the recession isn't impacting your budget I have two other companies. Charleston Gardens is well known for thrir upsca;le gifts. But Iliked the more practical ergonomic canvas for $95.00. Check it out just for fun. http://www.charlestongardens.com/

If you've seen enough poinsettias and amaryllis, then check out the jasmine at White Flower Farm. Not for the faint of heart or nose, the rich, sweet perfume can carry through the house. They are running "a special" of three delivered to three addresses for $99.00.

http://www.whiteflowerfarm.com/

Best of Proven Winners Combos

I'm working on an advertising project and asked the marketing team at PW what do they consider to be their best combos? Picture above are three of those combos.

From top:

Purple Haze

Supertunia 'Boudeaux' x 1

Supertunia 'Royal Velvet x 1

Superbena Large Lilac Blue x 1

Picasso's Fantasy

Alyssum 'Snow Princess' x 2

Sweet Potato 'Sweet Caroline Light Green' x 1

Supertunia 'Pretty Much Picasso' x 2

Freedom Rings

Superbena Dark Blue x 1

Verbena Tukana Scarlet Star x 1

Verbena Tukana White x 1

yellow itoh peonies

one of the holy grails of peony breeding was to introduce the deep yellow of tree peonies into the tradional peony. the new catergory are called intersectionals or itoh peonies, named for the japanese breeder toichi itoh. his is a story of perserverence. in 1948, he took on the challenge and some say after 20,000 crosses, he bred the first intersectional hybrid, a white that would become the seed parent for 36 hybrids. these hybrids would bloom after his death in 1956.

from these hybrids, modern breeders like Don Hollingsworth from nearby Maryville, MO (who knew?) have created hybrids like ' Garden Treasure' (pictured).

last winter i asked for trial plants from the one of the Monrovia sales rep and surprisingly received three yellows to trial. i was shocked when i found out the retail price is $100 per plant. i would not have been so bold to ask if i knew the price. the price for being on the cutting edgre. i was surprised to read these yellows don't burn up in the sun like tree peonies. i'll keep you .updated on their progress.

if i did have money to burn, i'd try 'kopper kettle'. that rusty color also comes from the tree peonies. it will be fascinating to see where it goes from here.

blue pumpkins of australia

when australians think of pumpkins, they think blue. Without Halloween to drive the jack-o-lantern industry of thick skin type pumpkins. Australian pumkins are all about taste.

Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds http://www.rareseeds.com/ offers three aussies, just part of their overwhelming ninety squash varieties. 'Queensland Blue' (bottom left)is the most popular in australia. this variety is the one grown in my grandparent's market garden. in the moderate climate, this type of pumpkin can be stored for 5-6 months. i'll try to convince some farm friends to try it next spring.

next is 'Jarrahdale' (top left) named after a small town near perth. it weighs in at 6-10 lbs 100 days. baker's creek describes it an excellent variety.

i hadn't heard about 'treamble' (top right) until Baker's. it also known as the shamrock pumpkin due to three lobe form. baker's describes a fine, rare variety for eating.

Collecting Antique Seed Packets

I've always been a collector from Christmas ornaments to watering cans. Now that I'm in an apartment I've been looking for an inexpensive catergory that didn't need a lot of storage. I just happened to see a blurb on collecting seed packets. And where else do you start but ebay?

My first packets just arrived. I got a dozen for $15.00 which looks lilke a steal since individual packets range from $3.00 to $18.00.

My first packets are from the Tillinghast Seed Company in La Connor, WA. They were the first seed company in the Pacific Northwest. They started selling cabbage seed and went national with a full range of seeds in the 1920's. My packets could be printed any time between the 30s through the 50s.

Several of the varieties are still on the market including 'Orange Gleam' nasturtium and 'Fire Chief'' petunia. Chief was a Gold Medal All America Selection in 1950 and the first true red petunia. I found a newspaprer clipping from the St. Petersburg Times hailing the new winner. 'Fire Chief' had been the only other gold medal variety since the 'Scarlett Ohara' in 1938 which is also still on the market today.

'Cream Star' was the AAS winner in 1940. I've grown Tithonia 'Torch', the orange mexican sunflower that was the AAS winner in 1951. 'Torch' is widely available in seed packets.

Heucheras New Hybrids Explosion

for many years heucheras were dark green plants with insignificant flowers. then a dark purple seedling was bred at Kew Gardens in London. i can personally tell you that Kew is wonderful. (name dropping over). it turned out to be the world acclaimed 'Purple Palace' named after Kew Palace found on the grounds (who knew?)

the next historical event was 'Snow Storm' from Dan Heim at Terra Nova in 1988. (above right). some would say its creation kicked off the explosion of what you see in today's 'Key Lime', Peach Melba and 'Midnight Rose' and whereever we go from here.

Photo credits: MOBOT & Terra Nova

backyard giant pumpkins

in honor of the season, i'm enjoying reading a book titled "backyard giants - the passionate, heart breaking, and glorius quest to grow the biggest pumpkin ever." it's a documentary following a father/son team from Rhode Island trying to break the world record of 1,500 pounds.

how can pumpkin growing be heatbreaking? try being on track to break the record only to have your pumpkin catch a bad fungus and break open the day before the weigh off. since they feared the soil would continue to foster the fungus, they acquired additional land next to their home for $225,000. i recall an old perfume ad from the 80's : "somewhere between love and madness, lies obsession."

i believed for many years, these types of sizes were achieved with 'dill's atlantic giant' variety but the genetics have progressed many generations since then. to take advantage of the extra vigor coming from hybrids, a select female bloom is polinated with a different male flower. eventually only one pumpkin per vine will be permitted to mature. the seeds of a world record holder can fetch over $200 per seed at auctions the following winter. see what i mean about obsession.

another thing i learned is where each set of leaves occur, they bury the vine so sadditional roots can send more energy back to the fruit. i had no idea. to find out if the father or son breaks the world record, check out this beautiful written book at your library.

the largest fruit, yes like tomatoes they are fruit, in kansas topped the scales at over 950 pounds. our summers are just too hot for whopping pumpkins.

Perfection

I recently watched A River Runs Through It for the upteenth time. There's a scene where Brad Pitt's character braves enormous rapids to catch a rainbow trout with his exquisite fly fishing skills. Robert Bradford's character witnesses this was a time he had witnessed perfection.

This started me thinking, when have I seen perfection? And once again, it harkens back to a rose. Peace spanned the front fence of my boyhood home with huge lemon and pink blush petals. In my child's eye, they appeared to be the size of small balloons. In the tradition of many generations of Australian kids before me, my mother sent me to school with a bunch wrapped in wax paper and I laid them at the foot of the Virgin Mary. In my recollections, this is when holiness met perfection.

Crape Myrtles in Midwest

Crape mytles are a small woody ornamental in the South. However, we can push the envelope and have a small shrub here in zone 5b. It may burn down to the ground or you may have some amount of the wood from the previous season hanging on. Don't panic when your plant doesn't bud out until early summer. They will be the latest shrub to get going each year.

Consult your local garden center pro to find out the hardiest for our area. If you can carry more wood through the winter, the more mature plant is more impressive. If you like to increase your chance of more wood in the spring, Larry Limburg of Clearfield Farms in Douglas County recommends putting a wire cage around the plant just like rose care. He stresses putting a foot of hay, as opposed to straw, inside the cage to insulate the plant. The average soul may consider this to be high maintenance butis not necessary to be successful

Plant on the south side of the house is the best advice Ken Wood of Family Tree Nursery and Garden Center can give you. In this type of microclimate, Ken estimates you will burn all the way to the ground every six out of every 10 years.

So have a little fun googling crape myrtle images and lust over the tree form. But take solace in knowing you can have a beautiful shrub.
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green flowers

i'm reading a great book titled - "green flowers - unexpected beauty for the garden, containers or vase." i've always had a thing for green flowers and have enjoyed the book. here are some of the selections for our zone:

columbine 'chocalate soldiers' - brown petals with larger green bracts.

clematis 'plena'

amaranthus 'viridis' green form of love lies bleeding - looks great with burgundy one in vase

kousa dogwood -early spring flower is beautiful with a tan and white/green combo flower

snow-on-the-mountain 'silver queen' great volunteer in the garden (above left)

lisianthus 'piccolo green' simply elegant form of texas bluebell

green snowdrop 'virescens'

helleborus 'double green' grow close to house so can be seen in early march

daylily 'green flutter'

hydrangea 'limelight'

bells of ireland - easy to grow annual is favorite of hip florists

nicotiana 'Lime Green' - stunning in garden or vase

rudbeckia 'green wizard' - imagine yellow form without petals

tulips 'spring green' 'greenland'

calla lilies 'green goddess' 'captain eskimo' great name!

Iris dichothma - The Vesper Iris

The Vesper Iris opens in late afternoon in a matter of minutes just as the evening vespers would have been heard in old monasterys. Iris ditchoma has traditionally been the last of the iris family to bloom but some reblooming bearded irises hasve taken that title away
.

I was genuinly excited to pick up three small plants at the Powell Garden Plant Sale last spring. i'm planning cvan evening garden by our patio and the star of the show with 4ft high flower stalks will be the vesper irises. Being Australian both the blackberry lily and pictures of the vesper remind me of my dear kangaroo paws. Apparently, both blue and white flowers can appear on the same plant.

For the love of a rose.

Photography courtesy of Michael Gordon

It brought a big smile to my grandmother's face when she recounted the story of how the rose Peace was created. The Meilland family in France were the hybridizers and were successfully trialing it around Europe before the beginning of World War II. On the last Clipper flight to leave France before the Nazis came in was a box of cuttings sent to a notable rose hybridizer.

The family was unsure if the plane had been shut down by the Nazis or if the cuttings had made it into usable condition. After no communications for four years, they received a letter from the grower informing them that 3-25-40 had been a complete success. The huge flower with yellow petals with touch of pink blush had enchanted rose growers around the world and the introducer was inspired to call the rose Peace. The date it was first introduced to the rose world, was Sunday, April 29, 1945 -- the day Berlin fell. And on the day it received the All-American Rose Society Award, Japan surrendered. This is the hardest thing for me to grasp, within the first nine years over 30 million bushes were sold. And Francis Meilland was the leader for worldwide plant patents, so he made a ton of money and built the Eiffel Tower (just kidding!)

Of course, this was before I surrendered to blackspot. So I just have the memories of my grandparents plant and the huge Climbing Peace bush that was front and center in front of the old house in Sydney.

The Mitchell's Daylily Backyard Paradise

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After forty years in the gardening world, I was six when I started, I can only think of three times my breath hss been taken way and when I entered the Mitchell's Prairie Village backyard was one of those times. Jock had invited the Joco Master Gardeners to tour on the weekend before our visit but I can't get the wheelchair around in crowds. So Jock invited to my mother and I for a private tour.

When you pull up to the Mitchell's unassuming front yard, you have no idea that when you open the gate you will be greeted by hundreds and hundreds of blooms. This garden is more than just the flowers. Jock and his wife have crafted flagstones surrounded by small pebbles to meander through the entire backyard. The center of the garden is divided by a glorious waterfall complete with tropical water lilies and lotuses.

Jock is a retired doctor and has focused on hybridizing daylilies since retirement. All his plants are meticulously and subtly labeled to aid in his hybridization work. The program is all about self-satisfaction not getting named daylilies to the market. The last image above is his latest creation he is most proud of to date. So far there are only three rhizomes and I can't wait to get my hands on one when he gets enough rhizomes to share.

Jock has graciously offered to create new garden beds with daylilies for me at Trinity. Jo Roderson of American Daylillies & Perennials in has also graciously offered to provide me with daylillies at no cost to me. BTW, if your looking for the highest quality of plants, check out their website at http://www.americandaylilly.com/.

Thanks Jock for taking my breath away. Somehow I think it will be a long time before somebody else or some plant takes my breath away again.

Patrick's Picks - Compact Grasses

The long and thin blades of ornamental grasses weave into the broader leaves of perennial plants to create captivating displays and provide winter interest in the garden. But what makes including grasses in garden design difficult is that most varieties are far too are large for the average sized garden.

All three of our professionals this month recommend the same plant for the first time since I began writing this column. Alan Branhagen, the director of Powell Gardens in Kingsville, MO, describes Sporobolus heterolepis ‘Prairie Dropseed’ as a "lovely tuft of fine blades that somewhat reminds me of Tina Turner’s hair. The inflorescences are not colorful but open, airy and light reflective. ‘Prairie Dropseed’ has the Plants of Merit distinction from the Missouri Botanical Garden and matures to 2' x 2'.

Branhagen is also excited about the characteristics of Schizachyrium scoparium ‘Little Bluestem’.He says "This is one of the most beautiful native grasses in fall when it often turns russet reds, bleaching to more sandy through the winter. It is not seedy and remains in a clump, while the inflorescences are not showy but sparkle when backlit. Bluish leaved forms add to its interest in the summer." Little Bluestem grows to 3 feet tall with a 2 foot spread

The last selection from Branhagen is Sideoats Grama, Bouteloua curtipendula . He says "The inflorescences are lined on one side with spikelets of scarlet anthers. They turn dry sandy blond for winter and remain ornamental". The plant is locally native and grows to only 18” to 3 feet tall with inflorescences and 18” wide. Sideoats requires full sun or only part shade in average to dry soils with good drainage.

Jan Vinyard and her husband Wayne operated Longview Garden in Lee's Summit, MO, for 27 years before retiring in 2007. Her first choice, Miscanthus sinensis 'Little Dot' has a nice 3-4' height habit with "plummy-red" inflorescences to 5'. "Distinctive gold cross bars make it show up in the garden to brighten up dull spots in the border. It spreads slowly and should be divided about every 3 years.” tall. Jan recommends Gaillardia 'Goblin', Sedum telephium 'Autumn Fire' and Aster nova belgii 'Professor Anton Kippenberg' as good companions.

Panicum virgatum 'Shenadoah' has a stunning combination of red-burgundy foliage through the summer and delightful tawny-pink influorescence. This is a native switch grass cultivar will grow well in places too wet for other grasses. Jan recommended good companions including Rudbeckia nitida 'Goldsturm', Monarda fistulosa 'Clair Grace' and Liatris spicata. Dried heads of these flowers all compliment each other in a winter landscape and offer great seed for finch.

I hope these relatively compact plants can help you take another look at including ornamental grasses in your perennial or mixed border. Life is too short and fertile garden soil is too valuable to put up with an underperforming plant.

Hail Mary!

I lived in St. Louis for about three years. On "The Hill", known for its fantastic Italian restaurants, is surrounded by beautiful older homes. Most homes feature a statue of Mary front and center.

Of course being a gardener, mine had to be tied into the landscape. Since Mary is traditionally known for blue, I had to have a blue clematis bred in Japan named "Roguchi”. I read about the breeder and his plants in Horticulture several years ago. Once again, I bookmarked the plant in my head and had to have it. The nodding flowers grace Mary on my weathered statue. Hail Mary full of Grace, pray for us.

Iris Butterflies In Flight

The other memorable plant for me in Ken's presentation was Iris 'Butterflies in Flight'. I have seen this Japanese Iris before and I remember bookmarking it in my mind. I was wondering its timing was about the same as 'Caesar's Brother' Plant of Merit Siberian Iris. I doubt it but it creates a beautiful picture in my mind.

Everybody needs a mentor -- even gardeners!

After being a gardener for 35 years, I must stress I was only six when I began, you can't help it but develop a know it all attitude. But the spring I learned that every gardener needs a mentor. I went to the now retired Longview Gardens with an extensive list in hand for both the annuals and perennials. Then Jan Vinyard laid some magic on me and in the course of less than 45 minutes she redesigned my new perennial garden and had tons of other suggestions for my annuals. Being this veteran gardener, I thought I was cheating but I got over quickly.

As a society, we talk about child mentors, professional mentors and spiritual mentor. If you know a gardener, no matter what skill level, I'm sure they would be flattered if you ask them to be your mentor.

Iris Pseudatas; The New Eye Shadow Irises

I just came back from a Master Gardener training session with Ken O'Dell maven plantsmen and a long time volunteer for the Overland Park Arboretum. Ken was a wholesale grower since retired and his major push with the Arboretum is a the major grower for their spring plant sale. Ken presented a wide ranging discussion of working with perennials. It was a standing room only crowd of over 300 people andKen overwhelmed us all with three hours of PowerPoint slides.

However it was two types of rare species iris that inspired me to ask a volunteer sitting next to me to write down the names for me. Iris pseudatas is a cross between iris pseudacorus and the Japanese iris ensata. By water these irises can reach 5 feet but generally around 3 feet in common garden conditions. They are hardy in our area and reportedly bloom over three weeks, but who knows in Kansas at this time of year.

Pictured is 'Beyakuya No Kumi' or Land of the Midnight Sun.

Variegated horseradish

Photography courtesy
Rob's plants



The first time I ever saw this stunning plant was in my favorite gardening book, The Collectors Garden by Ken Druse. It looks like regular horseradish until after three or four years the leaves explode with a mass of cream leaf with some limited green variegation. Being the plant head that I am, I had to wonder how the plant could survive with such limited chlorophyll in the green parts. But after I got over my OCD, I was determined to find this plant. The only source I found was at Forestfarm nursery in a 1 gallon size. I bought two plants and I am at the beginning of the third year. I know I need some help, but I'm really excited to find four leaves that have a significant piece of variegation (as seen in picture above. I guess I will just have to keep looking at Ken's book until I have my own explosion in the garden. I'll keep you updated.

The Most Beautiful Tree for The Midwest

Photos courtesy
University of Georgia Atlanta



The first time I saw the Fringe Tree was at a Rose Society meeting. This of course was before I had surrendered to blackspot. A woman brought it to make an arrangement that included the tree. The whites blooms looked like fringes of lace and I decided at some point I had to grow it.

Years later, I found a 3 foot Chinese variety, as opposed to our American native variety, in a 2 gallon pot at Arbor Village Nursery in Holt, select key Missouri. I planted it to close to a window that it looked great for about three years. I had to give it up when we moved to a ranch dueto my spinal cord injury.

I went back to Arbor Village, and this time through their catalogue. It was really nothing more than a stick and with limited garden space I had to put it in a cramped location. It grew too large very quickly and I had to move it last summer. Anyway, it didn't make it through the winter so I went in search of another one. Last wee fringe, one of my best friends and I traveled Skinners Garden Center in Topeka, Kansas, which was the only place I could find any dwarf white redbud. I was so impressed with the quality of their material, I decided to head back there for a day nether fringe tree. I was not disappointed. They had a both American and Chinese and five and 10 gallons and 1 1/2 caliper trees. At the 10 gallon Bush style for about 150 bucks. The the 1 1/2 caliper was 180 and I didn't think my wife would go for that. But when I came home she was like why did you spend the extra 50 bucks to get a tree. So I am trying to figure a way to get my went back to the Topeka and bring back the larger size in a pickup truck.

I was helped by Aaron in their shrub and tree department. He had done some on-the-job training at Gage Park in Topeka he told me there are some mature trees in the park so I can't meet to check them out when they bloom next spring. He also Said that the birds like the black berries that come in the summer. He said that they were responsible for seedlings in the park.

Without a doubt, this is the most beautiful tree for the Midwest. Go check it out.