ANTI-FLOPPING CAGES we make for PEONIES/TALL PERENNIALS, AND CLEMATIS

we have over 120 peonies in our gardens, so we chose to make our own cages. here's what we devised: we buy the tallest 4- ring tomato cages and cut off the feet just ABOVE the lowest horizontal ring. we cut squares of 2" grid wire fencing big enough to just fit over the circle of the top rung on the tomato cage. then we bend the 4 corners of the fencing square over/around that same top ring of the tomato cage. we push down the tomato cage low enough that the peony's new foliage begins to grow up through the cage.(often you have to help weave the peony stems
up through the square holes of the fencing). we then lift the cage to its tallest appropriate height after the peonies have max'd their height. we also use these cages for other perennials that flop- like clematis integrifolia, veronicastrum, cimicifuga and eupatorium. the short,narrow cage that is left after you've cut off the bottom of the tall cage- you can use for veronica crater lake blue, nepeta,or any shorter sloppy perennials, to keep them from flopping.

For Clematis Vines that are not TOO huge-growing, we use the same tallest tomato cages, but this time, we turn the cages on their heads- over the clematis crown. and then we use staples
and/or stakes to pin down the cages. we gather the legs together through a washer or bolt or some decorative ball with a hole drilled through it.
the cages eventually rust and blend in with the ground. nice cheap obelisk for places where you want your attention to be on the flowers and not the architecture of the obelisk.

THE GLORY OF THE GARDENS : WHAT'S PEAKING/BEGINNING/ENDING 5/29/06
(severely heavy rains week of 5/8; v.hot 5/27-29)

PERENNIALS:
GERAN: MRS AT JOHNSON ,WOOD GERAN,
PPL GERAN-CB , SAMOBAR
ARISAEMA
BRUNNERA
WILD FORGET- ME- NOTS
CELANDINE POPPY
CANAD ANEMONE
PEONY-PEACH-HOUSE CORNER
CLEMATIS- NELLY MOSER? DELL//
LG BLUE LP FENCE LIRIODENDRON
END OF PULMONARIA
AQUILEGIA
POLEMONIUM- DRB
CENTAUREA LC, SHB
EUPHORBIAS CB, LC,SB
VERONICA GEORGIA BLUE EYES- CHASM
DICENTRA
LAMIUM ORVALA SILVA BEGINNING
ANTHRISCUS RAVEN WING
ELIJAH BLUE FESCUE
ORANGE POPPIES BEGINNING
POLYGONUM BISTORTA SUPERBUM
SOLOMAN'S SEAL- VARIEG

BULBS:
ORNITHOGALUM MAGNIFICUM
ALLIUM CHRISTOPHII, BULGARICUM
SCILLA HISPANICA

SHRUBS:
DAPHNE CAROL MACKIE
DEUTZIA NIKKO
ARONIA- HB
DR- RHODOS
AESCHULUS PAVIA
END OF BERBERIS ROYAL CLOAK
TREE PEONY LP
RHODOCHITON AND KERRIA AUREA GONE BY
KERRIA VARIEG
LILACS
NEILLIA
SAMBUCUS BLACK BEAUTY (MAYBE BEC. NEW AND IN POT)
WEIGELA
SORBUS SB
VIBURNUM SHASTA, SHOSHONE, SUMMER SNOWFLAKE,
AUREUM,TRILOBUM, ONONDAGA
ORANGE AZALEA BEGINNING
LONICERA :VESICARIA,
AND VINES BEGINNING


TREES:
CORNUS KOUSA- FR Y, HB
SAMARAS OF THE VARIOUS ACERS
CONIFERS' 'FLOWER-LIKE' NEW GROWTH- ABIES AND PICEA
NEW '05 AESCHULUS NO BLOOMS ST EDGE

PESTS:
LILY LEAF BEETLE DELETED W/DIAZINON AT BASE OF LILY PLANTS
LP ORANGE AZALEA LEAVES DEVOURED-WORMS

WINTER MOTHS DESTROYED JAP MAPLES RR P, VILLA TORONTO DELIV AREA, DESPITE 2 TIMES SPRAYING BY BOSTON TREE

BL APHIDS- CATALPA AUREA
W…CK HAS BEGUN PHLOX LC
TINY BEETLES ON SALIX SCARLET CURLS AND RAMS HORN

ADAPTING PLASTIC BINS FOR HOLDING/ TRANSPORTING PLANTS

I am a 'mass-production' oriented gardener.For me, that means that when I do a task, like dividing plants, I like to do a lot of it at the same time.So last month,when I found myself dividing, for an upcoming plant swap and for our own gardens, I devised this method for retrofitting a LARGE bin that could hold-over/grow-on many divisions at once. We have a number of red BJ's rectangular bins (they come w/lids)approx.24"W x 32"L X 8"D?) that we had bought in the past for winter-holding cannas,dahlias,etc. in peat moss. I realized that if I drilled some small holes in those same bins,they could serve double duty- both in the winter AND during the growing season. the holes would provide drainage for holding large numbers of divisions in the growing season, and, because they were small, would not allow much, if any, peat moss to pass through during the winter tuber-hold-overs.
SO, I used a portable rechargable drill and drilled into the bin SIDES, about 1/2-1" above the bin bottom, a line of 3 holes (they are about 1/8"/1/4" diameter): one at each end and one in the middle- of each side.IT CAN NOW RAIN ALL IT WANTS (as it has done these last 2 days in the greater Boston area)and my wet-peat moss -or- potting- soil divisions will not drown.
We were easily able to peel off the offensive 'BJ'S' labels from these bin sides. A plus with this system is that the bins can be stacked, criss-cross-like, still allowing light in, if you temporarily need to save space .With the same idea in mind, but for smaller bins, I use what are called in the trade- 'Fish bins',rectangular white semi-opaque bins approx. 17"L x 12"W X 5"d . I have a catering business, so I get my fish delivered in these, but you can often buy them cheaply from fish-store vendors who always have way more than they need.
We no longer have stacks of round plant pots(we recycle them at the dump or give them away). Of course i still use SOME round plastic plant pots, but for me,the rectangular bins are just much more efficient for most things: carrying and filling, holding over/storing, transporting. They are also great for sturdily , efficiently and cleanly holding many nursery plant pots. I take empty bins like these on nursery-buying trips, leaving the newly-purchased plants in them for efficient storage.(Sure beats those flimsy plastic basket-weave-like plant trays)! And when i'm ready to plant those new nursery plants, or held-over divisions, these plant-filled bins are light weight and easy to carry out into the garden.

A New Convert To Spring; May 4th 2006 in the Cotton-Arbo retum.
Z.5, Boston area.

It may seem strange to most of you, but as a lifelong gardener, I think I have just come, this year, to really appreciate Spring in the gardens. It must be the ‘glass half-empty’ syndrome, but previous to this year,I was always impatient for the “real” gardening season to get going. Maybe it’s the collective impact of a large and diverse finally-established collection, but I have finally seen the light. And like many types of converts, I want to Testify!! First of all, the visual field is not as dense as it is post-spring. Individual trees, shrubs, perennials, visually STAND OUT more. They haven’t yet been enveloped by the plantings around them.

Aside from the obvious bulbs blooming, here are most of the wondrous plants in which I am reveling. They are pretty much all about FOLIAGE. From the ground up to the sky, my eyes are filled with patches of yellow, purple, orange, blue, green, and variegation- in hundreds of different shapes, sizes, and permutations.

Trees: The Japanese Maples are the Queens- every possible color, and big patches of it. Even the green ones stand out beautifully because every green is different and also because of the hanging bright red seed/flower panicles that grace every Jap.Maple this time of year // Acer Negundo Kelly’s Gold simultaneously has its very yellow foliage and its drooping butter yellow flowers. And it’s right next to the deep Purple foliage of the Purple Leaf Plum tree// Prunus Kwanzan is just beginning bloom and Prunus Hallie Jolivette is still covered with long lasting dainty pendulous light pink flowers.The white and salmon Cornus Floridas have my very favorite of spring tree flowers.// Equal in my devotion are the Aeschulus Pavia. Their salmon red leaf sheaths, equivalent to a first flowering, are just fading as their stout upright salmon red flower stalks are getting ready to pop.// The dainty variegated foliage of Zelkova , Cornus Alternifolia and Liquidambar Styrac. Silver King, and the bolder splashy variegation and emerging flat flower heads of the Cornus Controversa// deep purple foliage of nascent Cercidiphyllum Red Fox and Fagus Sylv. Red Obelisk//Bright yellow of Metasequoia Ogon.

Conifers: how handsomely they stand out with their solid shapes of all versions of yellow, blue, and green.

Shrubs and Vines: Viburnums!!: Mohawk and Sweet Spice are blooming, Onondaga has outed its emerging maroon flowers; Aurea’s golden foliage is glowing.The tiny new Sino Calycanthus Hartledge Wine has it’s first maroon bloom. // Forsythias: assorted variegateds, and aurea, fully leafed out// Daphne Carol Mackie, my favorite but
most-often -lost shrub, all leafed out and beginning bloom// Spirea Gold Flame has its salmon/rust tinged gold foliage- so enjoyable without its later clashing fuschia flowers.//Pieris jap.Mountain Fire’s bright red new foliage and drooping ivory flower panicles// the glorious yellow foliage of that form of: Philadelphus , Physocarpus , Cornus Alba , Forsythia,Sambucus Sutherland Gold, Weigela, Berberis//gold- green leaved Kerria profusely blooming its single cream colored upturned flowers, in significant shade; the dainty leaved fountains of variegated Kerria with buttercup-yellow single flowers, in shade// the dainty pink pompoms of flowering Almond//
those high-impact large flowered salmon and multi-colored Quince with their month-long bloom period // the splashed yellow/green heart shaped leaves of Syringa Acubifolia Dappled Dawn// the small leaved, deep green/clear yellow variegation of Acanthopanix and Cornus Alba Goutchaltii, and green and white variegation of the red twigged Cornus Alba Ivory Halo and Elegantissima// the emerging light yellow/green variegation of varieg. mini and regular Weigela; the deep purple foliage of assorted Barberries, Weigela Summer Wine, Physocarpus Diablo , Sambucus Black Beauty, Purple leaf Sand Cherry,the just-emerging Cotinus Grace and Royal Purple// Vines: purple tinged Lonicera and deep purple emerging foliage of Clematis Recta Frieda; various yellow/green boldly-variegated Euonymus.

Perennials: The glorious aurea foliage of that form of: Dicentra, Centaurea , Stachys, Heuchera, Hakonechloa, Tradescantia , Carex Acorus, Lysimacia numularia.// brilliant blue flowers and silver spotted leaves in shade, of Pulmonaria HighDown? and Bertram Anderson? //Epimediums- thank heavens for these dry -shade tolerant dainties with their rust-variegated hearty shaped leaves and their shooting star flowers of white,pale yellow, cerise, etc.// various variegated silver and green leaved Lamium and Brunnera Jack Frost // Bright blue flowers of tiny mat-forming Veronia repens?Georgia Blue// large upright pink and white flower panicles of stately Dicentra// assorted white and red flowered Trillium, some with beautiful leaf variegation// felty green heart shaped foliage of Saruma Henryii with buttercup yellow flowers// the emerging salmon and white foliage of Fallopia Varieg.// purple-chevroned leaves of Tovara and Geranium Samobar// the emerging long-lasting yellow cushions of Euphorbia Polychroma// the deep purple foliage of Euphorbia Chameleon , Anthriscus, Cryptotaenia Jap. Atropurpurea, Cimicifuga Hillside Black Beauty,Lysimachia Atropurp., Eupatorium Chocolate,assorted Heuchera // the purple flush of emerging Japanese Painted Fern, Peonies, Astilbe// Yellow and green striped short Bamboo //the bold cream and green variegation of Liriope var., and the useful verticals of Hosta Fluctuans Variegata, Yucca Golden Sword, and Iris Pallida varieg.

So, I guess I have a lot to testify about. It is truly an eye- popping time here, and I am thrilled with Spring. Come visit! (See my Member page.)
Best, Mindy