Yesterday, I removed a plant from a client’s garden because of concerns over how fast it was spreading. Last year, the plant was about a quarter of its size.
Butterbur spreads from a thick, fleshy root 1/2 to 1 inch in diameter. New shoots start about every three feet along the root.
I put all the roots and plants on top of a pile of debris in the woods. If I see the remains starting to grow, I’ll cover it with a tarp to ensure its demise.
I’ve seen Petasitesjaponicus in a wet, boggy area where it took over.
Thankfully, I’ve never planted it.
Full disclosure: I originally posted this with the title unknown plant. However, thanks to knowledgeable gardeners in the comments below, I learned the plant is called butterbur (Petasites japonicus).
The white, reliable blooms of PeeGee Hydrangea slowly become pink as fall progresses. Other features of PeeGee Hydrangeas include a course habit and yellowing leaves as the temperature grows colder.
Prune PeeGee hydrangeas whenever you see fit, for they bloom on the current season’s growth.
PeeGee Hydrangeas are there every year; no matter how cold the winter, how wet the spring, or how dry the summer.
This is the same Hydrangea on May 15, while the picture at the top of the page is from September 8.
I cut back my PG Hydrangeas heavily every winter. Last year, I removed the top three feet of the main trunk, and the plant loved it.
Meadow Rue – Thalictrum rochebrunianum
On the extreme left of the photo at the top of the page is a Meadow Rue that self-sowed a few years ago. I tie it to the downspout by mid-summer to prevent thunderstorms from knocking it over.
Dawn Redwood – Metasequoia glyptostroboides
At the back right of the photo, in the shadows, is a Dawn Redwood (Metasequoia glyptostroboides) planted in the early 2000s. It was 6 feet tall when planted, and now it towers over the house’s roof.
My son learned to climb in that tree.
Dawn Redwood makes a great gift if you know anyone with children with a large yard. The child will enjoy climbing it by the time they become a teenager.
In front of the PeeGee Hydrangea is a bed of petunias. I planted Wave Petunias three years ago, and for the past two years, the petunias self-sowed. Last year, the flowers had more pink. However, this year, they’re showing more white.
I enjoy creating landscapes with staggered blooms to create multi-season interest. However, if Mother Nature wants to help with some self-sown meadow rue or petunias, that’s okay too!
I’m not sure how that post spiraled so out of control. Despite that, my work is done if you appreciate the PeeGee Hydrangea at the top of the page.
We all want to see color after a long dreary winter. However, what can we plant to get spring flowers sooner?
Yesterday, I looked out the kitchen window and the Arnold Promise Witch Hazel was on fire. It’s mid-march and I’ve already got a flowering tree in full bloom.
Arnold Promise Witch Hazel doesn’t have the showiest flowers but it does one thing very well. It is in full bloom when nothing else is, except for perhaps Crocus and Lenten Rose.
I enjoy the pre-spring flowers or Arnold Promise Witch Hazel. How could you not?
My nature-planted crocus are in full bloom. Crocus and Arnold Promise Witch Hazel are in the same time frame for succession of bloom. I’m in awe of Crocus every time I see them. The flowers may be covered by six inches of snow tomorrow.
The daffodils won’t be in bloom for another couple of weeks, give or take. I need to remove some of the shredded leaves I put on the plants last fall.
I have poppies emerging or simply growing. I don’t think poppies die back in the winter. They simply turn a little brown but maintain their vigor in the center of the foliage.
As dainty as poppy flowers appear they’re tough-as-nails plant that thrives in hot and dry locations. The photo below was taken in May or June.
My tulips are just beginning to emerge.
Here we are two days later and the temperature is in the low 30s F with two to five inches of heavy, wet snow forecast for today. Have I mentioned what a wonderful addition to the garden Arnold Promise Witch Hazel is?
Today I spotted flowers on a stewartia seedling in the yard. I was beyond ecstatic. I felt the rush only gardeners and adrenaline junkies know.
There was something special about those flowers.
The flowers were flatter,brighter and more delicate than the parent.
A flower on the parent stewartia (Stewartia pseudocamellia).
The parent Stewartia growing in the front yard. In hindsight, I should have planted it at least another six feet away from the house.
The flower I saw today.
The grouping of stewartia seedlings, the one I saw is in the center of the picture with two flowers.
Big difference!
While we’re taught that all plants of the same genus and species grow X feet tall and X feet wide and have X attributes they don’t. There is always some variation unless plants are grown from cuttings or cloned.
When I laid eyes on the stewartia I planted in front of the house I knew it was destined for my garden. The tree had a distinct upright habit, rare for stewartias, as well as a strong central leader.
Take the time to listen to plants they’ll tell you where they want to grow and what they need to thrive. Forget what you know and listen to the plant.
Coral Bells (Heuchera spp.) love dry spots in the shade, like growing through the cracks of a bluestone patio.
Cardinal flower (Lobelia cardinalis) likes soil that is always damp, but not wet, and spreads like wildfire in the right conditions.
Plant begonias or impatiens (Impatiens walleriana) on shady patios in large containers. Old fashioned. Yes. Easy, colorful and bulletproof. Yup!
Pink impatiens hide an outlet while creating a focal point. This explosion of color will last until frost or the deer find them.
I’m a huge fan of tuberous begonias on shady patios. They have colorful flowers all summer.
Columbine (Aquilegia spp.) likes to grow just beyond where the gutter drips. Don’t plant under the gutter, the plants will be smushed by downpours. Columbine goes dormant by the end of summer but you’ll be rewarded next spring.
We don’t treat all people the same. Why should we treat all plants the same?
When you learn that all plants and people are different you’re well on your way in this adventure we call gardening, and life.
I thought it would be fun to share some pictures of my tree peony flowers along with some tree peony growing tips.
Tree Peony Growing Tips
Many people think tree peonies are difficult to grow. They’re not. However, tree peonies are slow growers and take a long time to become established.
Once established, for me meaning over 5 years in one spot, I don’t recommend transplanting. I transplanted well-established tree peonies out of necessity years ago with no luck. That loss hurts me to this day.
Tree peony flowers prefer shade or they dry out quickly. There’s really nothing you can do about it, though some use peony umbrellas, but be aware that the sun does damage flowers.
I grow my tree peony in USDA Hardiness Zone 6. The soil is average, not too sandy not too organic. I wouldn’t plant a tree peony where the soil is wet all the time or on a sandy hillside.
Originally I had three tree peonies. However, over time trees have grown in and shaded them. While the tree peonies didn’t die they stopped getting bigger and only had a flower or two a year. Eventually, I removed them.
The tree peony in this picture has been in the same spot for about 15 years. I didn’t do anything fancy when I planted it. I dug a hole, planted the peony and watered it. I usually deadhead the spent flowers. This peony keeps performing with little care.
Unfortunately, I planted a Dawn Redwood 10 feet from the tree peony and I don’t know how long until the Dawn Redwood takes all the nutrients and sunlight from the area.
I hope these tree peony growing tips will give you a head start on planning where to plant your tree peonies.
Tree Peony Flowers
I started taking pictures of this Tree Peony on May 5th and took the last picture on May 9th. The Tree Peony was in bloom for a couple of weeks.
While Tree Peony blooms don’t last long they are show stoppers and well worth planting if you have a forever home for them.
I love the way the water beads off tree peony flowers and foliage.
An opening tree peony flower in the rain.
The tree peony shrub in the rain.
A tree peony flower at the end of the day in the shade of the Dawn Redwood.
The tree peony in afternoon shade and it’s doing great!
More flowers have opened a couple days later.
Need I say more? What amazing flowers!
This tree poeny flower is almost six inches in diameter!
There were a total of 9 flowers, there are two more flowers in tight buds on the lower right of the shrub and one flower about to open in the upper right.
A few weeks after bloom the tree peony is full of seed pods.
The seed pods have a very distinct look.
If you’re not going to collect the seeds of your tree peony they should be deadheaded by cutting off the seed pods where they meet the stem.
This brief video explains deadheading tree peonies.
If unsure whether to plant a tree peony or not use the tree peony growing tips above and go for it. Tree peonies, like all other plants, grow one leaf at a time. There is no magic involved in growing tree peonies.
I woke early today, I don’t know why, perhaps because of Daylight Savings. Seeing the sunrise inspired me to wander the garden with the Pentax.
The only other flower in bloom this week is Dorothy Wycoff Andromeda (Pieris japonica ‘Dorothy Wycoff’). It’s early-March with little else going on and Dorothy is covered with red buds. Andromeda is a reliable broadleaf evergreen growing 4 to 6 feet tall, the perfect size for the back of a foundation planting. Andromeda prefers partial shade, full sun can leave her foliage yellow and susceptible to lace bugs.
Gladiator Alliums (Allium ‘Gladiator’) are starting to emerge. I bought these on a whim and LOVE how easy they are to grow. Alliums, in general, are easy and deserve to be on the ‘Hard to Kill’ list.
There are several groupings of poppies around the yard. For such a fragile flower they are a ‘Die-Hard’ plant.
I have a funny story about poppies.
When my wife and I moved into the house twenty years ago there was a red oriental poppy by the front door. The previous owners were going for a period garden to match the age of the house.
My wife loved that red poppy. I didn’t realize how much until it was too late.
One day, I asked one of the crew to weed the gardens and, unfortunately, he didn’t know the poppy was a plant, not a weed. That poppy was my wife’s favorite plant in the yard. I’ve tried to replace it at least three times. I can never find a deep enough red.
My wife shows gratitude for the replacements but I can tell they’re not right in her eye. I’ll keep trying.
I bought a few tree peonies at Cricket Hill Garden in Thomaston, CT years ago. If you’re a fan of tree peonies you should visit Cricket Hill Garden when the peonies are in bloom.
The peonies have lingered since I planted them, yet it’s no fault of Cricket Hill Garden. They grow extremely slowly and only have a few flowers every year. Last year I culled two of them. This peony is surviving but only gives 3-4 flowers for a week each spring. The flowers are absolutely GORGEOUS so the plant keeps its place in the garden.
Last spring I was ‘Gung Ho’ about my square foot garden but as the season progressed enthusiasm waned. I cleaned out the weeds and vegetable plants last fall. I guess I missed the red onions. If onions can grow in the fridge why not the garden in the middle of winter?
Onions are biennials. The first year they get established the second year they flower and set seed. I should have a nice crop of onion flowers soon!
That’s it for this post. I’ve got to go move the clocks forward.
Last week, I wrote about the blooms on Arnold’s Promis Witch Hazel. It’s looking better than last week with flowers continuing to emerge.
This week I’ve got a few more things in bloom. Nothing is knocking it out of the park but need I remind you it’s early-March with temperatures going down to the twenties, and sometimes teens, at night.
My Lenten Rose has a few small flowers. I don’t remember the cultivar so we’ll call it Helleboris sp.
You have to look through the foliage to see the flowers. I had to kneel down to get this picture. There’s one flower in the middle with two other stalks flanking it.
I have a couple of clumps in the shade that aren’t as far along. They’re significantly larger clumps and put on quite the show every year. Every bit of purple you see is going to be a flower stalk. Green are the leaves emerging.
My Japanese cornel dogwood, Cornus Officinalis, is going to be in full bloom in a week or two. Even though the flowers aren’t fully open the tree has as much, if not more, color than my Witch Hazel.
The last flower in bloom is Crocus. About 8 years ago Crocus clumps started showing up in my side yard. Every year I find a few more. You have to be within a few feet to find the clumps but they give me something to look at as I wander the yard on warm days.
As I write I’m reminded of one more early blooming plant I’d like to add to the garden. Snowdrops, or Galanthus nivalis, have small drooping white flowers this time of the year. They only grow a few inches tall and form spreading colonies in humusy soils.
What are your favorite late-Winter blooming plants? Do you have anything in bloom?
A couple of months ago I planted a few Swamp Milkweed (Asclepias incarnata) on a whim. For this reason, within hours, possibly minutes, butterflies started gathering on the plants.
Consequently, this morning, as I topped off the bird baths I found two Monarch Butterfly Caterpillars.
Here’s the secret to attracting butterflies.
Choose plants butterflies like you’ll get butterflies. It’s that simple
Generally speaking, every time I’ve walked out the door and looked at the Swamp Milkweed there have been butterflies flitting around. It makes the yard an even more peaceful place to be.
Below is the grouping of Swamp Milkweed. It’s a spindly plant that grows 3-4 feet tall with small pink clusters of flowers. For this reason, it’s best for the back of the border or, obviously, wetland plantings.
A closeup of Swamp Milkweed flowers past their prime with some seedpods developing.
Here’s the picture from the top of the post. That’s a big, healthy Monarch Caterpillar.
Over the summer I planted a couple of Mandevilla Tropical Breeze ‘Velvet Red’ on a client’s property; moreover, the Mandevilla has bright red trumpet-shaped flowers which hummingbirds love. As a result, within minutes of planting a hummingbird was drinking nectar from the flowers.
Choose plants hummingbirds like you’ll get hummingbirds. It’s that simple.
I’d love to hear about any plants or methods, you’ve used to attract Monarch Butterflies, Monarch Caterpillars or other wildlife.
