Colleen Vanderlinden's Blog
Posted by Colleen Vanderlinden
"My heart found its home long ago in the beauty, mystery, order and disorder of the flowering earth."--Lady Bird Johnson
Plant and garden lovers across the world were saddened today by news of the passing of Lady Bird Johnson. Johnson initially came into the public eye in her role of First Lady, but has become beloved by so many of us because of her dedication to the conservation of our nation's native plants and wild places. In 1982, on her 70th birthday, Mrs. Johnson founded the National Wildflower Research Center, which was dedicated to the re-establishment of native plants in both natural and planned landscapes. In 1997, the center was re-named the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center. She is also responsible for the Beautification Act of 1965, which mandated that advertising and junkyards along the nation's highways would be cleaned up, and encouraged the installation of plants along those highways. In fact, many of the wildflowers that so many of us see planted at the side of the interstate are there because of Mrs. Johnson.
For those of us who would like to pay tribute to Mrs. Johnson, the family of the former first lady has asked that donations be made to the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center Endowment Fund. Another way to pay tribute is in our very own gardens. Consider planting more native plants and wildflowers. Get involved in local conservation efforts, and spread the word about the importance of native plants. And, if you're ever near Austin, be sure to visit her legacy, the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.
Posted by Colleen Vanderlinden
The next gardens we will be looking at are located in balmy, beautiful Georgia. Specifically, we'll take a look at the State Botanical Garden of Georgia, located in Athens, as well as the Atlanta Botanical Garden. Running with the Georgia theme, we'll explore plants that will thrive in hot, humid conditions (Useful information for many northern gardeners as well, by the way-- summers in my home state of Michigan are hot, hot, hot and humid!) and we'll discover garden blogs written by gardeners from the Peach State.
One of those bloggers is my pal, Barrie Collins, who is a landscape architect and creator of Garden Mob, which is an information-packed, edgy, completely gorgeous blog about growing roses and perennials. Stop by, but be sure to set aside plenty of time--you'll find yourself happily lost in Barrie's infectiously enthusiastic writing as well as his gorgeous photography. Besides having a killer garden blog, Barrie's been a huge help in my research for this series of articles. So, thanks Barrie!
If you've visited a great public garden in Georgia, I'd love to hear about it! Leave a comment in the discussion area.
Posted by Colleen Vanderlinden
Located on the flowing water of the Detroit River, with the magnificent Detroit skyline in the background, Belle Isle Park is beloved among area residents. The 982 acre island was originally settled by French colonists, who named it Île aux Cochons, or "Hog Island." It was so named because it was a safe place to keep their livestock. In 1879, it was renamed "Belle Isle." While the park was originally swampy, Detroiters yearned for a wold-class, European-style park of their very own. To fulfill this dream, the city hired famed park designer Frederick Law Olmstead to design the park.
Belle Isle contains several acres of wooded areas, a nature zoo featuring animals from Michigan, a stunning fountain, golf courses, marinas, and a yacht club. But for our purposes, we'll focus on the Anna Scripps Whitcomb Conservatory and gardens. Built in 1904, and designed by architect Albert Kahn, the conservatory is fashioned after Jefferson's Monticello. The Whitcomb Conservatory covers over one acre, and contains areas dedicated to tropical plants, desert plants, a fernery, and a display gardens area. If you visit during the winter holidays, the display gardens are filled with gigantic "trees" made of poinsettias. The conservatory also houses one of the nation's largest municipally-owned orchid collections.
Outside the conservatory are the perennial gardens, rose garden, and lily ponds. All together, the conservatory and its gardens cover about 13 acres of the island. It is a wonderful way to spend a summer afternoon.
Posted by Colleen Vanderlinden
Michigan's state motto ("If you seek a pleasant peninsula, look about you.") is especially true for gardeners. The climate in Michigan is ideal for growing a wide variety of ornamental and edible plants, and the glacially deposited soil is very fertile. In general, the climate of Michigan is classified as moist, temperate, continental. The four Great Lakes that surround the state have a tremendous effect on the climate, causing lake effect snow, cool moist springs, and diverse microclimates, especially along the coastlines. Summers in Michigan are hot and humid.
The growing season can last anywhere from 70 to 170 days depending where in Michigan you're located. The state is mostly classified as USDA Zone 5, but several areas (including the southern west coast and the Detroit area) are classified as Zone 6, and a few places in the northern part of the state are a frigid Zone 3.
Thanks to its temperate climate, the west coast of the state is home to many productive farms, orchards, and vineyards. Michigan is also home to several wholesale nurseries, and is the nation's largest supplier of flowering hanging baskets and the third-largest supplier of bedding plants (annuals). Ferry-Morse Seed Company got its start in Michigan under founder Dexter Ferry, right in the city of Detroit.
It should come as no surprise that a state so perfectly suited to growing has a treasure trove of public and botanic gardens. This week, we'll be taking a look at the great gardens of Michigan.
Posted by Colleen Vanderlinden
When I took over the helm here at North American Gardens, it seemed that I would be trying to carry on the direction that fomer Feature Writer Kate Copsey had established, i.e., how to garden in North America. But the fact of the matter is that Suite101 already has several amazing writers who explain that. Robert Dailey knows more about desert gardening than I'll be able to learn in my entire lifetime. Barbara M. Martin can teach you everything you need to know about flower gardening, and Angela England is a master at introducing plants of all kinds to Suite101 visitors. What's really left for me?
This line of thinking brought me (with the help of Home and Garden editor Barbara Bell) to the conclusion that this section needed a new direction, a new focus. From now on, rather than trying to explain "how to garden in North America," this section will focus on "the great gardens of North America." State by state, and province by province, we'll visit the continent's public garden treasures. Consider it a tour of North America's public gardens, right on your computer screen. Non-gardeners can enjoy the beauty of our public gardens, and gardeners are sure to find plenty of inspiration for what is possible in their own back yards.
Next week, look for articles and blogs about the gardens of my own home state of Michigan (it's as good a place to start as any :) ) and every week or so we'll visit the gardens of a different state or province.
I hope you'll come along for the ride, and please feel free to let me know about your favorite public and botanic gardens. I'd love to hear about them!
Posted by Colleen Vanderlinden
I love Siberian irises. When we moved into our current home four years ago, I was delighted to find a huge (overgrown) clump of purple Siberian irises in the front yard. From that one clump, I've now got nine nice-sized clumps scattered around my garden, as well as given a few clumps to friends and family.
About Siberian Irises:
Botanical Name: Iris sibirica
USDA Hardiness Zones: Siberian iris is hardy in zones 3 through 10
Sunset Zones: 1-10, 14-23, 32-45
Description: Siberian irises have grass-like foliage that stays attractive even after the blooms have faded, giving a bit of texture to the garden. The flowers on Siberian irises are much smaller than those of bearded irises, and come in a range of colors including violet, white, pink, and blue. They grow from tough, fibrous rhizomes.
Size: Plants grow to around two feet tall and typically spread up to three feet.
Preferred Conditions: Siberian irises prefer full sun, but will handle light shade. Moist, fertile, well-drained soil is a must, and additions of plenty of organic matter in the form of compost, manure, or peat will make your irises thrive.
Planting: Plant Siberian irises in spring in northern regions. In areas that have really hot summers, such as the southern Midwest, Southeast, or in the Plains States, plant them in September.
Care and Maintenance: Siberian irises are easy! If you choose to fertilize (which isn't really necessary) simply apply a balanced fertilizer in early spring. Mulch the plants to conserve moisture and discourage weeds. Remove the flower stalks after the plants are finished blooming. After the first hard freeze, the foliage will turn brown and fall over. At that point, cut if off to a few inches above the soil. Clumps don't really need to be divided, but they can be divided every three years or so. While Siberian irises prefer moist soil, short dry spells don't seem to bother them too much. During long stretches of dry weather, try to give them an inch of water every ten days or so, and they'll be fine. Siberian irises have few pest and disease problems. The iris borers that so often plague bearded irises are much less of an issue with Siberian irises.
Posted by Colleen Vanderlinden
My tomato plants are getting their first blossoms now. Those of you who were organized (or dedicated!) enough to start plants for super-early tomatoes are probably seeing fruit already. When I first started gardening, containing the tomatoes was one of those tasks that always seemed to get away from me. I'd put it off, and put it off some more, until I found myself in July with humongous tangles of tomato plants. Then, I'd search the house and garage for any spare stakes, poles, sticks, and twine I could find to try straightening the whole mess out. It's safe to say that I've gotten a little more organized since then!
The pre-made tomato cages they sell just about everywhere this time of year is just fine for smaller tomato plants that don't produce enormous fruit. But if you're growing something larger, like a Brandywine (yum!) those supports can be a little wimpy for the task. There are two ways to go then: staking or caging.
Stakes are the way to go if you're diligent about pinching out the new stems that form along the length of the tomato vine. If you do that, the plant will be easier to control, and tying it to a sturdy stake will work just fine. The good thing about stakes is that it's easy to see, at a glance, whether you have ripe fruit or not.
If you're not as diligent about pinching the plants back, sturdy cages are the way to go. I use concrete reinforcing wire, which you typically find in large rolls in the concrete/cement section of home improvement stores. The cages you make from this inexpensive, durable material are around four feet tall, and any diameter you like. You just use wire cutters to cut the mesh to whatever size cage you want, wire the ends together, and install around whichever plant you want contained. Easy!
There is another method. It's called the "let it sprawl" method. If you have plenty of room, don't care about keeping the garden super neat-looking, or are just too busy to stake and train vines, just let the vines do whatever they want to do. It works.
So, stake, cage, or sprawl? Which do you use? Take the poll at the bottom of the page, or leave a comment in the discussion area. Have any of you used those spiral tomato stakes? Or maybe you have a method all your own. I'd love to hear about it!
Posted by Colleen Vanderlinden
It's been hovering around the ninety-degree mark here in Michigan for the past several days, and the garden, happily, is looking pretty healthy. The key has been paying attention to my plants' watering needs, watering at the right time, and mulching.
But just because it's hot doesn't mean you need to get the hose out and start dousing every plant in the landscape. Established trees, shrubs, and perennial vines don't need any water unless a prolonged drought is accompanying your hot weather. Established perennials, as well, will do just fine without constant water. Right now, the flower stalks on my lavender plants are drooping over. It looks like the plant really, really needs a drink. But lavender is a tough plant, and would become stressed (and eventually die) if I constantly babied it. That "drooping" is the plant's reaction to the heat, not a sign that it needs more water. By evening, when it cools down, those flower stalks will stand straight up again.
So, what should be watered when the mercury soars?
- Annuals, in beds, containers, and hanging baskets
- Vegetable gardens, especially as plants are producing fruit, which requires constant, adequate moisture
- Perennials, trees, and shrubs that are not yet established
Just remember that, in general, established plantings and lawns need an inch of water per week to thrive. Mulching your beds and watering in the morning to conserve water and make sure more of the water stays in the root zone is a great idea. Containers and hanging baskets may need to be watered twice a day in the hottest weather.
Keep these ideas in mind, and your garden will get through a heat wave just fine!