Monthly Archives: May 2009

Garden Grids for Tall Trellises

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Clematis vines like to climb, so aim high. Our back garden is surrounded by a 6-foot fence. For years, I've tried to train clematis to grow up the fence with some success. Keep in mind that clematis will grow up, not horizontally. You can tease out the vines as they grow, encouraging some to spread laterally, but they will always grow vertically if left on their own. By training the vines early in the season, I get a nice display on sections of the fence. However, I find that the vines reach the Read more [...]

Double Trouble

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A proven method for preventing peony flop. Sarah Bernhardt is a lovely pink double, but the stems are fairly long and slender. I usually float one or two in our lotus bowl during peony season. The trouble with double peonies is that they're too much of a good thing. Yet everyone has them. Fluffy, white Festiva Maxima has been a favorite among gardeners for a century with no sign of decline in popularity. The problem is, they're floppers. Diligent gardeners get their peonies trussed up early Read more [...]

Supports for Veggies and More!

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Can you train a cucumber to climb like a pea? Cucumber plants with pea fence in place. Inside the enclosure. Ready for chilly spring nights. I’ve been using galvanized wire tomato cages for about 15 years now, and most of the originals are still in service. I prefer them over stakes or ladders (most readers of this blog agree) because they are easy to use (no pruning or tying) and I like being able to wrap them with garden fabric to create a cozy, early-season microclimate. I Read more [...]

Praying Predators

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New residents fill contact center with excitement. One of the immature mantids.It was a frosty January morning when I arrived at my desk in the Gardener's Supply call center to find a small box and a note. The box contained about 15 praying mantid egg cases; the note read: "These came in unsolicited; we thought of you. —Your friends in the Merchandising Department." Thank goodness I had a net enclosure to put the cases in: The praying mantids (Mantis religiosa) started to hatch right away, several Read more [...]

How I Like My Kale

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Who says vegetables can't be ornamental? They can be stars of the border. A kale and cardoon "hedge." really stands out. Redbor kale has gorgeous, frilled leaves. The buds of the cardoon are as striking as the foliage. The flowers are about the size of a baseball. In kitchen gardens, cardoons are grown for the leaves, which have a thick midrib that's sort of like celery. Every year, I try something different with the long bed that goes along our front sidewalk. Last year, I got a little wacky Read more [...]

New Life for Hydrangeas

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Root-pruning technique helps plants live within their pots. The lacecap hydrangea, so-named for the ring of larger (sterile) flowers that encircle the center cluster of fertile flowers.   A plant that's ready for root pruning. Roots have grown to the edge of the mass. Slicing off pieces of the mass with a soil knife. A clump of congested roots, sliced from the bottom of the mass. After Read more [...]

Know Your Grass

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Ornamental grasses are reliable, beautiful and pretty much carefree. Just remember to divide them regularly. With a nod to garden designer Piet Oudolf, we planted this 50-foot border of perennial grasses, mixed with rudbeckia and echinacea for extra color. If you want a dramatic, easy-care display of plants, it's hard to beat ornamental grasses. For more photos, see the slideshow of this garden. The doughnut-shaped growth pattern in this clump of switchgrass indicates Read more [...]

Hey, Baby, What’s Your Zone?

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While we wait for the USDA's new zone map, it's important to remember that it's only a guide. I always get a surge of pride when the leaves of this maple (Acer shirasawanum) start to unfurl. It's zone 5; my backyard is zone 4. After three Vermont winters, it's not dead. According to an article on the Scientific American website, the U.S. Department of Agriculture will soon release a new Plant Hardiness Zone Map. This guide was last updated in 1990, so there's lots of talk about how the new Read more [...]