Polygonatum odoratum ‘Variegatum’

has been named 2013 Perennial Plant of the Year by The Perennial Plant Association.

Common Name: Variegated Solomon's Seal

The graceful, arching stems of Solomon's Seal add an exotic touch to the shade garden and are often described as being architectural. This selection has arching burgundy stems with alternate, lance-shaped green leaves edged in creamy-white. Dangling, fragrant, creamy-white, bell-shaped flowers appear in late spring looking much like pairs of ballerina slippers. Fragrance is lily-like. Excellent for cutting. Beautiful in the shady woodland garden, combining well with ferns and Hosta of all kinds. Plants are a little slow to establish, but clumps are long-lived and carefree. May be divided in early fall, once clumps are large enough.

 

 

Sun Exposure:  Full or Partial Shade

Soil Type:  Normal or Sandy or Clay

Soil pH:  Neutral or Alkaline or Acid

Bloom Time:  Late Spring-Early Summer

Plant Uses & Characteristics:   Accent: Good Texture/Form - Alpine & Rock -   Border  - Containers -    Cut Flower -   Rabbit Resistant -   Fragrant - Deer Resistant -   Massed .    

Poisonous/Toxic:  Specimen,   Woodland                                                                                                                                                                                                  
Height:  20-23 inches 

Spread:  12 -18 inches
                                                                   
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  

 

 

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             

 

Gatsby's Star™ Oakleaf hydrangea Hydrangea quercifolia

 It's got star power! Doubled blooms are similar to those of 'Snowflake', but the individual petals are pointed instead of rounded. The result is a beautiful, lacy panicle - and a very showy plant. It's a fun way to add some unexpected drama to woodland gardens.

Features

Native. White flowers. Burgundy fall foliage.

Fall Interest

Native to North America      

Characteristics                             

Shrub Type:

Deciduous

Height Category:

Medium

Garden Height:

60 - 72 Inches

Scape Height Maximum:

72

Spacing Maximum:

72 Inches       

Spread:

60 - 72 Inches

Flower Colors:

White

Foliage Colors:

Green

Foliage Colors:

Red

Foliage Shade:

Green foliage turns burgundy in fall

Habit:

Mounded

Container Role:

Thriller

Plant Needs

Light Requirement:

Part Sun to Sun

Blooms On:

Old Wood

Bloom Time:

Summer

Hardiness Zones:

5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b, 9a, 9b

Uses:

Border Plant

Uses:

Landscape

Uses Notes:

Mixed borders, woodland gardens

Duration:

Shrub

Water Category:

Average

Maintenance Category:

Easy

Maintenance Notes:

Best in moist, well-drained soil. May need winter protection in the North.

 

 

In the hopes of reaching the moon, men fail to see the flowers that blossom at their feet.

Albert Schweitzer

Northern Cardinal

Cardinals are non-migratory birds that are attracted to bird houses and feeders especially those with a great supply of food.

They gather in big flocks of about 70 birds during winter time and often nest in bushy thickets.

When the female cardinal sings from the nest, it may be a sign to the male that she is in need of food.

Both male and female cardinals sing but the female normally sings longer and in a more complex melody.

The male cardinal is the defender of their breeding territory. In fact, it can spend long hours fighting his reflection he sees in glass surfaces. The brighter red cardinal males prefer territories in thick vegetation, they feed at faster rates and are more successful in reproducing.

The young cardinals often go hungry as they defecate after every feeding. After defecating, the parent bird usually takes away the fecal sac and brings it far away from the nest to hide their location from predators.

The cardinal is considered as the only red bird with a crest in the entire United States.

 

Its family was given the name cardinal as the bright red color of the male species is very similar to the vestments used by Catholic cardinals.

Cardinals are one of the favorite backyard birds in North America because they frequently visit backyards with feeders and bird houses.

These songbirds are a picture of sweetness especially when mate feeding. During this time, the male looks for food and feeds the female by putting the food into its mate’s bill as if kissing each other.

Cardinals were popular in the 1800s as cage birds mainly because of their bright red color and capacity to sing different songs.

The Migratory Bird Treaty Act which was passed in 1918 protects the cardinals and has prohibited their sale.

Cardinals are also known as red birds and Virginia nightingales.

A study has shown that northern cardinals eat 51 kinds of beetles, four types of grasshoppers, termites, ants, flies, dragonflies and 12 kinds of homoptera which includes leaf hoppers, cicadas and aphids.

Bird banding efforts have helped increased the population of cardinals over the years. According to the bird banding web site, more than 350,000 northern cardinals were banded between 1955 and 1997. Of the total number, 3.2 percent or more than 10,700 have been recovered.

Cardinals found in the wild can live up to 15 years as confirmed by banding studies.

American Elderberry   Sambucus Canadensis

• Flowers provide nectar for many native pollinators.
• The fruit is favored by birds and other wildlife.
• Excellent for naturalizing in moist soil.
• Easy to grow.
• Fruit is perfect for jams and jellies.

Used for its antioxidant activity, to lower cholesterol, improve vision, boost the immune system, improve heart health and for coughs, colds, flu, bacterial and viral infections and tonsilitis. Elderberry juice was used to treat a flu epidemic in Panama in 1995.
Elderberries have been a folk remedy for centuries in North America, Europe, Western Asia, and North Africa, hence the medicinal benefits of elderberries are being investigated and rediscovered. Elderberry is used for its antioxidant activity, to lower cholesterol, to improve vision, to boost the immune system, to improve heart health and for coughs, colds, flu, bacterial and viral infections and tonsilitis. Bioflavonoids and other proteins in the juice destroy the ability of cold and flu viruses to infect a cell. People with the flu who took elderberry juice reported less severe symptoms and felt better much faster than those who did not. Elderberry juice was used to treat a flu epidemic in Panama in 19951
Elderberries contain organic pigments, tannin, amino acids, carotenoids, flavonoids, sugar, rutin, viburnic acid, vitaman A and B and a large amount of vitamin C. They are also mildly laxative, a diuretic, and diaphoretic. Flavonoids, including quercetin, are believed to account for the therapeutic actions of the elderberry flowers and berries. According to test tube studies2 these flavonoids include anthocyanins that are powerful antioxidants and protect cells against damage.

Elderberries were listed in the CRC Handbook of Medicinal Herbs as early as 1985, and are listed in the 2000 Mosby's Nursing Drug reference for colds, flu, yeast infections, nasal and chest congestion, and hay fever. In Israel, Hasassah's Oncology Lab has determined that elderberry stimulates the body's immune system and they are treating cancer and AIDS patients with it. The wide range of medical benefits (from flu and colds to debilitating asthma, diabetes, and weight loss) is probably due to the enhancement of each individual's immune system.
At the Bundesforschungsanstalt research center for food in Karlsruhe, Germany, scientists conducting studies on Elderberry showed that elderberry anthocyanins enhance immune function by boosting the production of cytokines. These unique proteins act as messengers in the immune system to help regulate immune response, thus helping to defend the body against disease. Further research indicated that anthocyanins found in elderberries possess appreciably more antioxidant capacity than either vitamin E or vitamin C.
Studies at Austria's University of Graz found that elderberry extract reduces oxidation of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol. Oxidation of LDL cholesterol is implicated in atherogenesis, thus contributing to cardiovascular disease.
1. J Alt Compl Mod 1995: 1:361-69 2. Youdim KA, Martin A, Joseph JA. Incorporation of the elderberry anthocyanins by endothelial cells increases protection against oxidative stress. Free Radical Biol Med 2000: 29:51 60

“Let us be grateful to people who make us happy; they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom.” — Marcel Proust

“Gratitude can transform common days into thanksgivings, turn routine jobs into joy, and change ordinary opportunities into blessings.” — William Arthur Ward

 “When we become more fully aware that our success is due in large measure to the loyalty, helpfulness, and encouragement we have received from others, our desire grows to pass on similar gifts. Gratitude spurs us on to prove ourselves worthy of what others have done for us. The spirit of gratitude is a powerful energizer.” — Wilferd A. Peterson

Butternut Squash with Apple & Cranberries 

      Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup butter, melted
• 1 medium butternut squash (about 1-3/4 lbs.), cut into 1/2 inch cubes (about 5 cups)
• 1 medium apple, cubed
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 2 tablespoons real maple syrup or brown sugar    

Preparation

In 1 1/2-quart baking dish, combine all ingredients. Season, if desired, with salt. Cover and bake 30 minutes. Remove cover and bake an additional 15 minutes or until squash is tender. 

      * Mix melted butter with cinnamon, nutmeg, and maple syrup or brown sugar and stir to coat the squash.

Torenia aka Wishbone Flower

In the September newsletter we talked about downy mildew on impatiens and how widespread and devastating this disease was. Click here to read September's article. 

If you were one of the unfortunate individuals to have experienced this epidemic  first hand,  you will need to plant an alternative crop next year.   


One of my favorite shade plants is Torenia.  Torenia is often called wishbone flower and is a genus of plants in the snapdragon family.  If you look closely at the flower, you will see a tiny wishbone in the center. Torenia:

• loaded with flower power,
• come in a variety of brillant colors,
• are easy to grow
• provide continuous blooms from spring until fall.  
• grow equally as well in sun or part shade. 

I hope you'll give Torenia a try next spring.  You won't be disapointed!

Do you see what I see?  Yes, a beautiful yellow finch enjoying the seeds of this black eyed susan!

Share the Bounty
Woodbridge Greenhouses is collecting donations of extra garden produce.
We deliver it to the Trinity Episcopal Church Food Closet.
Woodbridge is open and accepts donations every day from 9 to 5.

Thank you for sharing your bounty with those in need.

It's time for our

Annual End of Season Sale!

Save 25% on All Trees, Shrubs & Perennials

Come in and choose from our wide selection of Trees, Shrubs, & Perennials!

Stop in Soon for best selection.

Offer Good until October 14, 2012

"I cannot endure to waste anything as precious as autumn sunshine by staying in the house.

So I spend almost all the daylight hours in the open air.

- Nathaniel Hawthorne



Multi-Layered Approach to Protecting Spring Bulbs

The temperatures are cooling down, which means it's time to start thinking about your Spring garden bulbs.

This year, with the groundhog family still threatening our garden, it's time to take some defensive action. Woodchucks, also known as groundhogs (among other choice names in my house) along with squirrels, moles and voles can wreak havoc on your bulbs and garden. Not only do they nibble on the flowers, but they also dig down to get at the bulbs. It may take a combination of a few measures that may protect your tulips and bulbs from groundhogs. I've come up with a three stage plan:

Moles and Groundhogs aren't entirely evil. Moles do a great job of aerating the soil, amending the garden soil with their "organic matter" and devouring grubs. My plan is just to keep them from devouring our bulbs.

Preparation: The Trench

In front of our porch where the bulbs share garden space with our peonies (it's time to give them a little TLC, too). The peonies need to be divided and their soil amended. I usually mix some bone meal, and peat moss into the soil.  Digging a trench is more time efficient than planting bulbs individually. I also prefer a mass of colorful flowers rather than a few bulbs here and there.
Stage One: Block pests from below.

A bottom barrier of 1/2-inch galvanized wire mesh below the level of the bulbs and peony roots will line the trench. You can place mesh around larger plants individually. The mesh will allow the roots to grow while will stopping moles from uprooting them and killing them.

Stage Two: Deter pests from nibbling.

1. Sprinkle Granulated Plantskydd in the bottom of your hole. (You may also choose to spray the bulbs with liquid Plantskydd. Follow the directions on the container and allow the bulbs to dry before planting.)

2. Cover the Plantskydd and wire mesh with a thick layer of soil.

3. Plant your bulbs - gently pressing them into the soil pointed end UP.

4. Cover with soil leaving an inch or two for Stage Three.

Stage Three: Block pests from above.

Top your trench with a piece of chicken wire that extends a few feet past the garden's edge. Top with a layer of soil and cover that with a thick layer of mulch.
Another option is to install a fence around your garden. It would need to be 3 feet above ground and 10-12 inches below ground to keep groundhogs from digging under the fence.

About Plantskydd's®  Granular Formulation:

Plantskydd®  is a natural repellent that REALLY works!  BONUS: Plantskydd's active ingredient is an organic fertilizer.

Protect your garden, plants, and trees from: rabbits, voles, hares, chipmunks, squirrels, mountain beaver, nutria, opossum and other small rodents with Plantskydd GRANULAR Repellents. One pound of granulated Plantskydd will cover approximately 600 square feet.
October is also a good time to spray liquid Plantskydd on your trees and shrubs that are susceptible to deer damage. The odor fades in a day or sy, but it keeps working for up to 6 months!

Article compiled by Renee C. Brannigan

"The autumn always gets me badly,

as it breaks into colours.

I want to go south,

where there is no autumn,

where the cold doesn't crouch over one

like a snow-leopard waiting to pounce."

- D.H. Lawrence, Letters

URI Master Composter

The URI Master Composter program trains volunteers to compost and to become advocates for composting and recycling within their local community and around the state. To earn the title 'URI Master Composter' participants in the program must attend all classes and fulfill a volunteer commitment of at least 30 hours.

Location

Classes will be held at URI's main campus in Kingston. Directions will be emailed prior to the class starting. For field trips we will meet at scheduled location. Directions will be provided during the first class. Carpooling is encouraged and time will be set aside to organize on the first class if people are interested.

Price: $100.00

payable by check or credit card during online registration.

Click here to Register.

 

For more information about this course and others, visit the URI Outreach Center's website here.

What a sad summer for Impatiens.

Impatiens are one of the most common and colorful bedding plants in the United States. If you've seen your lush, full colorful impatiens fade and wither to scrawny stalks, you've seen Downy Mildew (IDM) up close. It is a plant disease (specifically a fungal-like pathogen) that is spreading. Downy mildew was spotted on impatiens on both coasts last year.

Powdery or Downy?
Since downy and powdery mildews are managed differently, it's really important to identify the issue correctly.

Downy mildew:

• Appears very rapidly and is difficult to control.
• Found on the underside of leaves
• Causes the leaves and flower petals to drop off, and begins with leaf stippling, downward curling of leaves and leaf yellowing. After losing their petals and leaves, infected plants will die and appear like they had heavy frost damage.
  
• Also affects basil, coleus, snapdragon, salvia, alyssum, pansy, rose, rosemary, and ornamental cabbage, and Perennials including aster, coreopsis, geranium, geum, lamium, potentilla, veronica and viola.

Powdery mildew:

• Can occur on either the upper or lower surface.
• Spreads slower than downy mildew.
• Causes minor long-term damage, stunting growth.
• Different species affect different plants/crops.
• Powdery mildews are most severe when the weather is warm and dry, and they affect virtually all kinds of plants: cereals and grasses, vegetables, flowers, weeds, shrubs, fruit trees, and broad-leaved shade and forest trees. Many plants have been developed to be resistant to or tolerant of powdery mildew.

GOOD NEWS: New Guinea Impatiens (Impatiens hawkeri) are resistant. Next year, you can plant them in rotation with susceptible impatiens in fresh planting beds.

Largely considered a minor nuisance since the 1940s, DMI has been known from scattered and minor occurrences in the U.S. beginning in 2008 it began to spread in eastern parts of the U.S. It is a type of “water mold” that is weather dependent requiring humid, moist conditions and spreads by both airborne and water spores.

 

Without a susceptible host the pathogen will eventually die off in the planting bed.

 

To prevent the disease from living in your soil over the winter and returning next year: 

1. Remove and dispose of infected plants (roots included) immediately.
2. Don't compost the infected plant material.  

Speaking of next year, plan to plant your impatiens in different flowerbeds to avoid a re-occurrence of the disease.   It is safe to plant other flowering or foliage plants in affected beds next season.

Don't give up hope, with a few adjustments, common garden impatiens will continue to be a mainstay of our landscapes.

Sources:

http://www.anla.org/knowledgecenter/ticker/index.cfm?view=detail&colid=123&cid=360&mid=5422&CFID=4020987&CFTOKEN=56688396 by Joe Bischoff, ANLA

http://www.anla.org/knowledgecenter/ticker/index.cfm?view=topic&colid=123&cid=360 by Joe Bischoff, ANLA

http://www.state.nj.us/agriculture/news/hottopics/approved/topics120706.html The State of NJ Dept of Agriculture

More Resources:
Click here for the Ball Horticulture fact sheet.
Click here for the Syngenta fact sheet.

Click here for more information and photos.

Information compiled by Renee C. Brannigan

"A late summer garden

has a tranquility

found no other time of the year."

- William Longgood

Share your Bounty

 

Woodbridge Greenhouses is collecting donations of extra garden produce.

 

We deliver it to the Trinity Episcopal Church Food Closet.

 

Woodbridge is open and accepts donations every day from 9 to 5 .

 

Thank you for sharing your bounty with those in need.