Save The Date: Spring Fling 2009

For all of you who have not yet read the announcement here on Garden Girl's blog, here is the information you have all been waiting for:

the date of Spring Fling 2009 Chicago is May 29-31!

Yes, the inaugural committee meeting of the Chicago area garden bloggers took place yesterday at the Morton Arboretum.

(Pictured from left are Rosemarie (Rosemarie's Garden), Rachel (On the Shores of Lake Chicago), Linda (Garden Girl) and the person trying pull all this together. Ladies, it was a treat to meet you all finally.)
There are more Chicago garden bloggers who couldn't make it yesterday, which is too bad, as we had a great time sampling free wine, admiring Callicarpa berries, and making fun of Anemone 'Party Dress.' If there are any Chicago area garden bloggers who have not been contacted by any of us yet, please do not feel left out. Leave a comment here with your email address and we'll contact you. We want to include everybody in the planning of Spring Fling.
Those of you who do not live in Chicagoland, but have ideas for the next Spring Fling, please don't hesitate to offer them. The Chicagoland garden bloggers may be hosting this event, but Spring Fling is for all the garden bloggers. We want to make this the best Spring Fling so far (which is a tall order, as Austin did such a great job). Make our job easier by telling us what you want, and for those of you who attended Spring Fling 2008, tell us what you liked about the last Spring Fling and what you think could be improved.
I think I'm ready to take the keys to the Spring Fling blog, so stayed tuned for when that's up and running. I'm getting excited already!

The Truth About Japanese Anemones

As I noted in the first installment of this series on the Truth, truth is subjective. This is about how these particular plants perform in my garden. They will not necessarily perform in this exact way elsewhere, but their performance here is a good indication of their likely performance in other gardens.

Have you ever noticed that you see only closeup photos of the flowers of Anemone x hybrida 'Party Dress'? Have you ever wondered why? While the flowers are large and semi-double, as Kim/Blackswamp Girl (A Study in Contrasts) and I have found out, this plant can't stand up on its own, it is, in fact, the first "groundcover Anemone." This Party Dress is a spaghetti-strapped silk chemise on a woman of a certain age. Left au natural, it's a mess. With the proper support (thanks, Victoria's Secret), it can be stunning. As I'm still experimenting with methods of staking, I'm not sure these are the proper supports.

By contrast, Anemone x hybrida 'Andrea Atkinson' needs no support. This sturdy plant, with a height listed of 3-4 feet, has started topping out at well over 5 feet now that it is well-established. 'Andrea Atkinson' has presence and is the defining feature of my autumn garden. So why then am I considering ripping it all out? As Gail of Clay and Limestone will attest, I'm not the only one who has found a Japanese Anemone to be a thug.
But this goes beyond mere thuggery. 'Andrea Atkinson' has started trying to take over the garden by popping up in the middle of the path and has even started crowding out my new Cornus alternifolia 'WStackman' (Golden Shadows). I dig up the new growth; it grows right back.Circled in white is more of the plant that has regrown away from the mother plant, which is also threatening some Aquilegias. When I finally excavated a large section out of the path, this is what I found: long runners well below the surface. I have a phobia of plants that spread by underground runners. Plants that self-sow abundantly I can handle, I can see the seedlings all over. Plants that spread by above-ground runners are manageable too, but plants that spread by underground runners seem subversive, sneaky and dishonest.
I hereby apologize to everyone to whom I've given divisions of this plant, but the fact is that I didn't know it would do this! I planted these three Anemones over 10 years ago, and while they started getting wider, they never before this year (well, maybe a little last autumn) started sending out underground runners. Normally, I ruthlessly eradicate or confine plants that spread this way. I truly am at a loss for what to do about 'Andrea Atkinson.' It's such a great plant otherwise, long-blooming, low maintenance, big display. It's a sad thing when the gardener is afraid of her own plants.

(Edit. 9/28/08 Here's a link to the Chicago Botanic Garden's evaluation of Japanese Anemones.

Little Class on the Prairie

Big Bluestem (Andropogon gerardii) towering over my head.


Last week I went with the girl's class to Grigsby Prairie in Barrington Hills, Illinois. This is a restored prairie owned by a private organization, Citizens For Conservation. (Last year I chaperoned my son's class to this same prairie, but that was in November, when there were no flowers in bloom and it was quite chilly.) This year it was warm and the prairie forbs were still in bloom.

I wish I could remember who* asked about the identity of this plant, but my memory is starting to resemble a teenager's bedroom: what I want is in there somewhere, but I just can't find it right now. Whoever it was, here it is, Indian Plantain (Arnoglossum plantagineum), from the Aster family. Someone else (I can't recall who) had a question about the identity of a Goldenrod, which she described as having almost round leaves. I wonder if it was this oneStiff Goldenrod (Oligoneuron/Solidago rigidum), which has flat-topped flower clusters.

I've been seeing Praying Mantises on blogs a lot lately, including Prairie Rose's Garden and Ledge and Gardens, so I thought I'd join in the fun. One of the boys in the class spotted this one.
I felt like abducting it to my garden.
In addition to the standard blooms of Asters and Goldenrods, we saw the blooms of Prairie Penstemon,and the jewels of the prairie, the Gentians. That's Closed or Bottle Gentian (Gentiana andrewsii) in the above photo and this is Fringed Gentian (Gentianopsis crinita).

The Illinois prairie is at its peak of beauty right now. I wish I could take everyone along to experience its sights and sounds, but we can't hold the 2009 Spring Fling in the autumn because it would conflict with the Garden Writers of America Conference. Maybe I'll learn how to upload videos and post a mini tour that way. I love the prairie, it is such a special and unique place.

*Thanks to Beckie for refreshing my memory. It was Lisa of Greenbow who asked about a wild, white-flowered plant. It might this.

The Feedburner Dilemma

I don't know what to do. As many bloggers & blog followers are aware, many Blogger blogs' feeds have not been showing up on Blotanical. Stuart is trying everything to fix the problem, but there is not fix from Feedburner in sight. As an option, us Blogger bloggers can change our Feedburner feed address/url, so that it will appear on Blotanical again. The problem is that the change will directly affect other feed subscribers, as the feed will no longer work. So, do I try to change the feed url, or sit tight and wait for a fix to come from Feedburner?

I think I'm going to give this feed change a try. Wish me luck.

The Secret of My Success with Hostas

I've heard the whispers: "How does she do it? How does she get her Hostas to look so good? I wonder what she uses for slug repellent? Maybe she doesn't have any slugs? How does she kill them?" It's time to answer those questions with the simple answer that I don't do anything. I wish I could claim some special gardening skill or technique, but it isn't me, it's the Hostas. I don't use slug repellent, but I have slugs, as this photo of a very slug-mauled Hosta can attest. So how do I have such good looking Hostas (other than this one)? I try to buy only those that are slug-resistant. That's not a typo, it says slug-resistant, not slug-proof, but any damage to the leaves of slug-resistant varieties is minor. What are these slug-resistant Hostas, you ask? In general, slug-resistant Hostas are those with really thick leaves, or as it is described in the trade, "heavy substance."('Olive Bailey Langdon')
Those nasty slugs have a hard time chewing through leaves of heavy substance or those with heavy corrugation. Most blue Hostas are slug resistant because of the coating on the leaves which give them their bluish cast.('Krossa Regal")
Here is a list of some slug-resistant Hostas. Some of my slug-resistant cultivars are not on this list, such as 'Winfield Gold' and 'Maui Buttercups.'Sometimes the plant tag will state that a particular cultivar is slug resistant, or a nursery's catalogue will provide that information. If there is no such information available, do the touch test: if the leaves feel thick or bumpy with corrugation (as shown in the photo of 'Maui Buttercups'), chances are good that it is slug-resistant.
Sports of slug-resistant Hostas usually are also slug resistant,such as these Hosta 'Halycon' and its sport 'June.'(Yes, Hostas make good container plants. I put this 'June' in a container because I had to move one, and there was no readily available space. Container growing is also good if the garden's soil is too dry for Hostas. Surprisingly, well-established Hostas are drought resistant. During the terrible drought of 2005, when all watering was banned, I didn't lose a single plant, and my soil is not known for its moisture-retentive ability. On the contrary, my soil is very well drained.) "The Color Encyclopedia of Hostas" by Diana Grenfell lists which plant a particular cultivar is a sport of in its description.
I'm a firm believer in finding the path of least resistance. Why bother to fight against slugs if you can have beautiful Hostas that aren't bothered by them?

Beautiful Berries

Jack-in-the-Pulpit (Arisamaea triphyllum)

In a comment on Carol's post about her Beautyberry (Callicarpa), Lisa of Greenbow suggested that we should all post about our autumn berries. Well, Lisa, here's your meme. I'll get things started with the berries in my garden.

Pagoda Dogwood (Cornus alternifolia)

the native Spikenard (Aralia racemosa)

Cornus kousa 'Beni Fuji'

Solomon's Seal (Polyganatum biflorum)

my favorite autumn berries, Smilacina racemosa (Solomon's Plume)

Show me your berries, I'd love to see them.

A Soggy September Bloom Day

High 68F/20C
Low 54F/12C
Accumulated rainfall in 48 hours (September 12-14) 8.5 inches


After nearly three weeks with virtually no rain, the Chicago area is now literally deluged with it. According to reliable sources, September 13th was the wettest day in Chicago history, and this has been the wettest September and third wettest month on record. The Weather Channel is so obsessed with hurricanes, that they completely blew this one. That'll teach them not to ignore Chicago's weather! While the retention pond behind the garden got very high, my ridiculously well-drained soil saved the day. There were only four puddles on the entire property: three right along the driveway and one at the very back of the garden where the sump pump water leaves the property. And yes, it has finally stopped raining.This bucket was empty on Friday when repairs to the fence had to stop on account of rain.

But enough about the rain. Here are the blooms.

New this month:
Actaea/Cimicifuga simplex 'James Compton'
Anemone x hybrida 'Andrea Atkinson' and 'Party Dress'
Colchicum 'The Giant'
Heptacodium miconiodes (Seven-son Flower)
Hosta lancifolia
Hylotelephium/Sedum 'Matrona' and 'Black Jack'
Symphyotrichum ericoides/Aster ericoides 'Snowflurry'
Symphyotrichum Novae Anglia/Aster 'Honeysong Pink'
Symphyotrichum Novae Anglia/ Aster 'Hella Lacy'
Symphyotrichum species (lateriflorus? ericoides?)
Solidago 'Fireworks'
Tricyrtis 'Gilt Edge'

Still blooming:
Aster species (from Heronswood)
Campanula 'Samantha'
Campanula 'Sarastro'
Campanula persicifoia 'Telham Blue'
Ceratostigma plubaginoides
Clematis 'Crystal Fountain'
Echinacea purpurea
Eurybia divaricatus/Aster divaricata
Geranium 'Rozanne'
Geranium nodosum 'Svelte Lilac'
Heuchera 'Rasberry Ice'
Hibiscus syriaca 'Red Heart'
Hosta plantaginea
Hydrangea 'Bailmer' (Endless Summer)
Lobelia x 'Monet Moment' and 'Sparkle DeVine'
Lobelia syphilitica
Tricyrtis Tojen
Phlox maculata
Phlox paniculata 'David,' 'David's Lavender,' 'Laura,' and 'Nicky'

Things in bud:
Clematis 'Cezanne'

Symphyotrichum leave var. purpuratum/Aster laevis 'Bluebird'


Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day is the baby of Carol of May Dreams Gardens, the hardest working woman in garden blogging.

(If you have trouble seeing the slide show, click on view all.)

Real Art for Squirrelhaven

I'm so excited, I finally got my sculpture that I commissioned. My aunt, who is an artist, had mentioned that she wanted to get her husband, a former shop teacher who can fix anything, to start doing his own art, specifically metal sculptures. I immediately suggested that he could make me a garden sculpture. I decided I wanted something reminiscent of a Solomon's Seal (Polyganatum biflorum), so I emailed them this drawing.(This demonstrates quite clearly why my medium is plants.)
My aunt drew up a design inspired by my drawing, and my uncle built it. This is what it looked like when they brought it over.
(It's four feet tall.) It has already begun to acquire an attractive rust patina.
Thanks, Uncle George!

"HGTV" is a Misnomer

Pots of 'Hidcote' Lavender laid out ready to be planted.

Once upon a time, there was a new cable channel. It was called Home and Garden Television (HGTV). It had lots of gardening programs on it, such as "A Gardener's Diary" and "A Gardener's Journal." Time passed, and the powers that be at HGTV realized that they were getting more bang for their buck on home improvement programs, so the evil networkmeisters cut back on the gardening programs. Back when I haunted the fora of Fine Gardening (as "borzoi") and GardenWeb (as "entling"), there were a lot of gardeners who were, quite frankly, honked off at HGTV for its lack of gardening programs. There was even a campaign to bring back "A Gardener's Diary." Alas, the campaign was only partly successful, as the program returned to HGTV, but only as reruns. Currently, "A Gardener's Diary" , the only "gardening" program on HGTV worth watching, is on at 6 a.m. Central Time on Thursdays (but I always forget to watch it and I can't record it, as they kids have taken over the DVD recorder). Unlike like the other "gardening" programs (using the term very loosely) on HGTV, "A Gardener's Diary" is about gardeners and the gardens they have created.
Recently, the blogging gardeners on Plurk, Robin of Bumblebee Blog and the Gardening Examiner, Cindy of From My Corner of Katy, Elizabeth of Gardening While Intoxicated and Garden Rant, Mary Ann of Idaho Gardener, and Carol of May Dreams Gardens, Vanillalotus of New Sprout, and Dee from Red Dirt Ramblings, were again complaining about the lack of gardening programs on HGTV. We agreed that the name "HGTV" is misleading, as it is really a channel about only home improvement or buying and selling real estate, so we resolved to join together to demand that HGTV either put its programming where its name is, or drop the "G" in "HGTV."

So now I'm making it official: HGTV, either put on more actual gardening programs or change the name! If Outdoor Living Network could successfully change its name, so can you, but we gardeners would all prefer that you simply put some gardening into your network. Or is that too much to ask?

False Alarm

I must give thanks to the patron goddess of Squirrelhaven, Inertia, for her guiding influence and wisdom. If it wasn't for Inertia, I would have needlessly removed and destroyed a healthy Hosta 'Striptease.' Last year I thought it was diseased with Hosta Virus X. I should have removed the offending plant immediately, but I did not. Then, in July, I suspected more of my Hostas were diseased with HVX. Instead of panicking, I ordered some HVX Immunostrips. After receiving my HVX test kit and using it on several of my Hostas, including 'Striptease,' I found that they were all clean! Yes, I didn't have HVX. I was instead suffering from Horticultural Hypochondriac Syndrome By Proxy (HHSBP).
That is a strange thing for me, as I am not a hypochondriac as regards my own health, or the health of my children or pets. I can only chalk it up to another malady, Obsessed Gardener Syndrome (OGS). Yes, I'm afraid I must admit that I worry more about the health of my garden than about the health of my loved ones. But I ask, is it wrong? If I have concerns about kids or pets, I can call a health professional, or bring them in for a checkup. Or, more frequently, the children's grandmothers bring things to my attention. The garden and its plants are reliant on me and my paltry expertise. Yes, I could call the Chicago Botanic Garden's helpline or the one at the Morton Arboretum or I could bring in bits of plant for them to see, but I have to be on the alert for problems in the first place. Gardens need their gardeners to be aware of the myriad problems, insect infestations, and diseases that threaten their well being. I think, in this one instance, I can be excused a little paranoia. When I discovered the availability of a test, I immediately sent for it. I can't help it if I had the mantra "better safe than sorry" ingrained into me since childhood. At least Inertia was watching over the garden and saved me from a mistake. And yes, I'm feeling much better now.

The Quiet Entry of Autumn

High 63 F
Low 57 F
Summer has slipped away, and I hardly noticed, what with all that getting the kids ready to go back to school and all that the resumption of school entail. But now, finally, the rain has returned, the air has cooled, and quiet has again descended on Casa Squirrelhaven and environs. I have the time now to look at the garden, where I find foliage and berries already showing autumnal tints. The flowers of summer are making way for those of autumn. When the rain stops, the lawn will need to be raked for the first time. The final scene is set for the garden, and I look forward to the dramatic finish.

Working Hard

In honor of Labor Day, I decided to report about some of my recent manual labor in the garden. To be more precise, my laboring to create new garden beds. Way back in March, I complained about how my house looked like it had a green mustache. After many fits and starts, detours and delays, I am happy to report that there is one less Yew in front of the house. It took a lot of hand digging with a trowel and my "Harikari" knife and a few passes with the chainsaw, but we got one out. The next one looks mostly dead, so hopefully it will be much easier to dig out. While we were digging, I discovered that the Yew, which was probably about 25 years old, still had twine on it from when it was planted.As this photo shows, the twine was starting to girdle the root. This crud should never be left on shrubs or trees when they are planted. It will still be there after the plant has died of old age.

The other project is much more satisfying because I was able to finish it. A couple of years ago I planted a young Cornus kousa between my driveway and the neighbors' driveway. This spring, at the girl's request, I planted a 'Carefree Beauty' Rose. One shrub plus one tree equals a bed, and it was time to make it look like one. I hate, detest, abhor the practice of edging beds by chopping at the edge and throwing the excess soil onto the bed (and all the plants therein). I won't do it; I categorically refuse to do it. I also won't leave the bed without an edge, as the lawn would rapidly invade and try to reclaim its lost territory. There needs to be a peacekeeping force between the new residents of the bed and the grasses that claim historical rights. My choice of peacekeeper is the brick edger, or as I prefer to call it, the mowing strip.

Step one is to get the bricks, which are actually landscaping pavers. Regular brick will break during the freeze/thaw cycle of a Chicago winter. Step two is to decide which way the bricks will be placed: on end, on their side, or flat. For the mowing strip out back, I laid them flat. This time, I decided to put them sideways because this bed is on a slight slope. Step three is to lay them out as they will be placed to determine the exact number and position.Step four, start digging, and step five, place bricks in sand to prevent frost heaving (which is nearly as bad as dry heaving). At this point, it is important to make certain that the bricks are level and even. This step took the longest, as I had to make adjustments repeatedly due to an ant nest. (Don't ask.) Finally, the sand is topped up around the bricks and smoothed off. After a bit of compost and mulch, the bed is finished.

For all those who love before and after photos, here they are:

before and after. In a year or so, the grass will have grown up to the edge of the bricks, softening the edges.