Susan Mertz's Blog
Posted by Susan Mertz
"Mom, you know how much I love the horse I ride at the stables? Well, Tony is for sale. Can we buy him?" As I was flipping through catalogs of bulbs planning the front garden, my daughter asked that question. Now, I know that when I buy bulbs I will get beautiful flowers in the spring for a little bit of money. What do I get when I buy a horse? Vet bills and boarding fees.
Coming soon - an article on buying bulbs.
Not coming soon - an article on buying a horse!
Posted by Susan Mertz
At a workshop this week on tree roots, we learned a formula for protecting tree roots in areas undergoing construction. Measure the diameter of the tree trunk at breast height. Multiple this measurement times 1.5 feet. This equals the critical root radius that should be protected.
For more information on protecting trees during construction, The University of Minnesota has a Homeowner's Guide with helpful information.
Choosing a Tree with Healthy Roots is full of tips for selecting a tree for your landscape.
Posted by Susan Mertz
My husband keeps telling me that when we retire we are going to play golf and I will love it. I respond that while he is golfing, I'm going to love looking at the gardens.
At work I have been out and about visiting customers. This week I got to go on a garden tour at Shadow Glen Golf Course. Monica was the tour guide and showed us the gardens around the club house and on the front nine. With a prolific deer and rabbit population, gardening at Shadow Glen can be a challenge. A combination planting of annuals that looks great and seems to be critter proof is Cinderella Moss Rose and Desert Sunset Lantana.
For more on annuals in rugged conditions, click on Annuals in the Trial Gardens. The winners of the trial garden must survive deer, rabbits, insects, heat and drought.
Posted by Susan Mertz
Summer is a fun time at the nursery. Although it may seem quiet because it is hot and dry outside, we are actually busy planning for 2007. The plant growers are stopping by dropping off their catalogs and telling us what is new for next year. Watch for upcoming articles on new plants and trends for 2007.
Posted by Susan Mertz
I wandered away from the nursery today and visited some customers at their landscape projects. One of my stops was at the Nelson Atkins Museum of Art. The controversial Bloch Building has changed the layout of the land at the Museum and the sculpture park. The opening of the Kansas City Sculpture Park is September 30 and the landscapers are working hard getting the Museum property ready. Vic, with Shelton and Son, gave me a tour of the new gardens.
The rooftop gardens of the Bloch Building, that is under construction and due to open in June 2007, just fascinate me. Separating the plantings from the actual roof is a layer of foam, gravel and sand. The sod has the soil washed away and is planted on the layer of sand. Also on the roof in the sand are 1,800 Gro Low Sumacs and over a thousand Autumn Joy Sedums. One of the walls has over 40,000 plugs of Wintercreeper.
It is quite a project. Once the gardens are finished, I'll write an article with all the details.
Posted by Susan Mertz
Until I began writing for Suite101, I never owned a digital camera. It seemed like a good idea but we never got around to buying one. Since the first of April when I bought my camera, I have been quite a nuisance taking photos at the nursery and on garden tours. I was doing a good job creating files in the computer and saving them. And, then my hard drive crashed and all the photos are gone. I really wish I had saved them on a disk.
Posted by Susan Mertz
The vacation of my dreams is traveling to the Chelsea Flower Show. Unfortunately, with a couple of expensive teenage children, it isn't in my budget. It's overwhelmed with items such as braces, food, tuition, food, riding lessons, and more food. Someday the children will be grown and gone and then my husband and I will get to see the world. We'll be off to England to see the castles and the flower show. Until then, I visit the Royal Horticultural Society - Chelsea Flower Show 2006 website and watch the videos.
If you have experienced Chelsea, please write and share the details. I would love to read all about it.
© Susan Mertz, June 2006. All rights reserved.
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Posted by Susan Mertz
Not long ago, Irma Starr and her husband graciously opened their gardens to the public for a tour. Irma was in the art studio greeting guests and her husband was in the garden. Visitors are first greeted by the street with a topiary bear holding a flag. Espalier Pears line the driveway leading to the house. The studio is right off the driveway and overlooks a courtyard patio garden with a water feature. My favorite part are the grape vines across the roof overhang that frame the view of the patio garden. I'm pretty sure that with such a view, I would end up on the patio and get nothing done in the studio. Fortunately, Irma Starr stays in the studio and creates wonderful 17th Century slipware pottery.
While in her studio, my husband and I even had a conversation about Christmas gifts. Who knew a garden tour would put us ahead of schedule on discussing Christmas! Planning for Spring 2007 tells the story behind our family Christmas lists.
The following sites tell more about Irma Starr's art:
Smithsonian American Art Museum
© Susan Mertz, June 2006. All rights reserved.
Click on Plants and Bulbs for more articles by Susan Mertz.
Posted by Susan Mertz
Fortunately, when I planted my containers, I included an assortment of annuals. When the petunias stopped flowering I wasn't devastated. I was just confused. Everything else looked lovely. What was wrong with the petunias? It turns out I have a problem with Budworms. If your petunias and geraniums aren't flowering, you may also have budworms. The Tobacco Budworm eats small holes in the buds of these plants. The plants will have nice foliage but no flowers. You can control the budworms by picking them off or using a chemical control. Dennis Patton, K-State Extension, recommends "products with synthetic pyrethroid active ingredients such as permethrin, esfenvalerate, cyfluthrin, bifenthrin, lambda-cyhalothrin or related compounds." With either method, you will have to be vigilant because there will be a second generation in the late summer. This is all just too much effort for me. Next year, I'm passing on the petunias.
© Susan Mertz, June 2006. All rights reserved.
Click on Plants and Bulbs for more articles by Susan Mertz.
Posted by Susan Mertz
Academic, state, and federal forces have joined together to create a website to help with monitoring drought conditions and forecasts for the United States. The soil moisture and evaporation maps are a tool that can be helpful in determining how deep you need to water the garden or if the automatic irrigation system needs to be adjusted. Use it to help you decide if this is a good time to plant a new garden or should you hold off until additional moisture is forecasted. A click on the US Seasonal Drought Outlook map will tell you if there is any hope for moisture. If not, check out Desert Gardens for Robert's help selecting drought tolerant plants. Click on
Drought Monitor to access this website.
© Susan Mertz, June 2006. All rights reserved.
Click on Plants and Bulbs for more articles by Susan Mertz.
Posted by Susan Mertz
Many states have declared non-native Lythrum to be a noxious weed. Gardeners deny that it is invasive but government officials believe it is heavily reseeding and choking out native plants along streams and ponds. Quite a few growers, such as Bluebird Nursery, stopped production of this plant and encourage gardeners to substitute other tall summer flowering perennials in its place. Garden centers and nurseries must comply with the noxious weed laws or risk losing their Live Plant Dealer License.
But, everywhere I go, I see gardens with Lythrum and it is beautiful. Since it is banned in Kansas, gardeners go across the state line into Missouri to purchase it. I envy the gardeners that have it. As a gardener, I want it in my garden at home and want to go shopping in Missouri. But, as a nursery professional, I feel like I should set a good example and follow the rules. Got any advice for me?
Click here to start a discussion on this.
© Susan Mertz, June 2006. All rights reserved.
Click on Plants and Bulbs for more articles by Susan Mertz.
Posted by Susan Mertz
The landscaper for this project turned a dead tree into art. Quaking Aspen is a short lived tree, especially in areas with high humidity. Kristopher Dabner, owner of The Greensman, painted the trunks of this Quaking Aspen bright pink. Gardens by The Greensman are often featured in Better Homes and Gardens and Country Gardens
© Susan Mertz, June 2006. All rights reserved.
Click on Plants and Bulbs for more articles by Susan Mertz.
Posted by Susan Mertz
The fruit of the Serviceberries are ripe so it must be time for breakfast at Kokopelli Nursery. Recently I was in the Serviceberry, Amelanchier, block of trees and shrubs helping a customer select one for a landscape. He caught me trying to pick some of the fruit.
Serviceberry fruit looks and tastes like blueberries. As the fruit matures, it changes color from red to bluish black. They are good in pies, jams and jellies. But, that's too much work for me. I just wander out to the block of trees and fill up a cup.
Do you also wander around the yard eating the fruits from your plants? If so, click on Devorah Stone's article on Summer Fruit for ideas on including them in your recipes.
© Susan Mertz, June 2006. All rights reserved.
Click on Plants and Bulbs for more articles by Susan Mertz.
Posted by Susan Mertz
You don't need a bulldozer to construct this water garden. A small metal container that is waterproof, pebbles, plants and water are all that is needed. In a shady place in this homeowner's garden are two small rectangular containers sitting on a ledge. He has planted a mix of water garden plants including horsetail and carex.
© Susan Mertz, June 2006. All rights reserved.
Click on Plants and Bulbs for more articles by Susan Mertz.
Posted by Susan Mertz
Lined up in front of the display windows of a clothing store are four aged concrete containers. This store's location is on the north side of a building. Its dark frontage may not seem very welcoming. However, year round, these four containers are filled with color. In the winter, there are cuttings from Redtwig Dogwoods, branches with fruit, and a few evergreens. Ornaments are added during the holidays. In the summer, the containers are filled with Coleus, Scented Geraniums and other foliage plants. Containers of plants have helped a dark storefront welcome shoppers. It's an idea that can also work for homeowners to help welcome guests.
© Susan Mertz, June 2006. All rights reserved.
Click on Plants and Bulbs for more articles by Susan Mertz.
Posted by Susan Mertz
The landscapers at the Kauffman Memorial Gardens are working long hours changing out the beds from spring bulbs to summer annuals. The long planter boxes on the top of the pergolas have been planted with a combination of flowers and foliage plants that drape down. The Clematis and Hydrangeas are flowering in the Secret Garden. The Oriental Lilies and Hollyhocks by the conservatory are beautiful. A large Vitex is full of buds. But, all alone on one of the courtyards is a container that isn't quite ready for summer. It still has plants from winter: Ornamental Cabbage, Dusty Miller, and Variegated Ivy.
The Kauffman Memorial Gardens are located just east of the Country Club Plaza in Kansas City. Click on these sites for information on the gardens:
HGTV
© Susan Mertz, June 2006. All rights reserved.
Click on Plants and Bulbs for more articles by Susan Mertz.
Posted by Susan Mertz
Every year I plant at least one fragrant annual in the container by the front door. Last year I had White Nicotiana. This flowering tobacco plant is fragrant when the sun goes down. This year's selection is Blue Wonder Heliotrope.
The container by the front door is a glazed ceramic pot that sits on an iron stand. Although our wood door is plain, we do have a stained glass storm door. The flower colors of some of the annuals echo the colors of the stained glass.
Not only is Heliotrope fragrant, it has deep blue flowers. The coarse foliage contrasts well with the Kiwi Fern Coleus next to it. The silver foliage of Icicles helichrysum separates the Pink Million Bells from the Babylon Blue Verbena. In the center of it all is a China Doll Canna. It will mature to 3' and has reblooming bright pink flowers. I'm experimenting this year with Mandevilla Vine. It is in the container by the Coleus. I'm hoping it will cascade down over the side of the pot and not swallow up the other annuals.
I would love to hear if you have a container garden and what plants you are trying out this year.
© Susan Mertz, June 2006. All rights reserved.
Click on Plants and Bulbs for more articles by Susan Mertz.
Posted by Susan Mertz
Last year I tried Evergold Carex, Carex oshimensis 'Evergold', in a container with an assortment of annuals. I selected it for the combination because I loved the variegated foliage. Unfortunately, it ended up getting crowded out by the other plants.
This year, it is all alone. Evergold Carex has grass-like variegated foliage. The edges are medium green with a pale yellow stripe down the center of the blade. The container that it is in this year is a light terra-cotta with touches of dark green. It is really a pretty combination. All alone, the Evergold will have a chance to reach its mature size. Already, the ends of the blades are cascading over the edge of the container.
If you too are thinking about potting up a simple container, there are a few things to consider. You might want to choose a plant with a long season of flowers. Or, pick a plant with interesting foliage. This could also be a good place for a plant that might get out of control in the garden such as bamboo. A shrub that I'm going to try one of these days is Tiger Eye Sumac. I love the lines of the trunk and the bright chartreuse foliage. Since it has a colonizing habit in the ground, I think a large container might be just the right home for it.
© Susan Mertz, June 2006. All rights reserved.
Click on Plants and Bulbs for more articles by Susan Mertz.
Posted by Susan Mertz
Just as the entrance of a residence should be welcoming, so should the entrance of a business. Filling a large container with a mix of plants is one simple way of inviting customers in to do business. Selecting a pot that can withstand the winter weather will increase your plant selections. Or, plan to change out the plantings on a seasonal basis.
The container in the photo is ceramic and stands about 4' tall and has a blue-black glaze. Since it will crack in Kansas City's cold winters, it is overwintered inside. Currently, it is planted with a purple black foliaged canna and Golden Spirit Smokebush for eye catching contrasting foliage. Flowering plants include Dahlberg Daisy, Mandevilla Vine, Harlequin Mix Dahlia and Tapien Blue Verbena. The Canna will also flower in mid summer. The other foliage plants are Religious Radish Coleus and Icicles Helichrysum.
Later in the season, a few of the plants will be replaced to freshen up the container. A mum may replace one of the summer annuals. A small ornamental conifer might replace the canna. Silver Scrolls Coralbell could take the place of the coleus.
For a container that can be left out through the winter, an assortment of evergreen boughs would be a nice touch.
For a simple container, check out tomorrow's blog.
© Susan Mertz, June 2006. All rights reserved.
Click on Plants and Bulbs for more articles by Susan Mertz.
Posted by Susan Mertz
By placing a container of annuals by a statue of a little girl on my front porch, I have created a garden vignette. Last year I filled the container with the leftovers from my other plantings. For a while the combination worked but then the plants grew and the scale was all wrong.
This year I decided to have a plan. I chose annuals with smaller foliage and flowers. The two flowering plants are Babylon Blue Verbena and a pale pink Million Bells. Kiwi Fern Coleus was chosen because it has colorful narrow foliage. Fiber Optic Grass is in the container because it has delicate fine bladed foliage with buff color flowers on the tips and it drapes over the edge of the pot. Finally, the other foliage plant is a silver artemisia. I love the grey foliage combined with the blue and pink flowers.
To learn more about Proven Winners' Babylon Blue Verbena and Fiber Optic Grass, go to www.provenwinners.com.
Tomorrow's blog will feature a colorful container by an entryway.
© Susan Mertz, June 2006. All rights reserved.
Click on Plants and Bulbs for more articles by Susan Mertz.
Posted by Susan Mertz
For a long time, I hated the word juniper. I worked for a nursery with a landscape division that seemed to only plant Sea Green Junipers and Crimson Pygmy Barberries on their commercial jobs. Since then, I have discovered many junipers that are worth considering for the garden. Today's blog takes a look at the ones with yellow foliage, an easy way to add color to the garden.
Saybrook Gold Juniperus chinensis 'Saybrook Gold' has bright gold tips on the branches. Its smaller mature height, 2-3', makes it versatile in a mixed border.
Gold Coast Juniper Juniperus chinensis 'Gold Coast' matures to a height of 3'. Gold Coast also has layers of bright gold foliage.
Old Gold Juniper Juniperus x pfitzeriana 'Old Gold' is a larger shrub maturing to 4-5'. If the gold foliage of the Saybrook or Gold Coast is a bit too intense for you, Old Gold might be a better choice. The foliage has a subtle gold color.
Junipers prefer full sun and do not like wet soil. For a no fuss mixed border, try combining these golden junipers with flowering shrubs (Wine and Roses Weigelia, Home Run Knockout Rose, Red Chokeberry) ornamental grasses (Porcupine Grass and Dwarf Fountain Grass) and perennials (Rozanne Geranium, Purple Coneflower, Black Eye Susan, Shasta Daisy).
This is the final blog in this series on planting gold in the garden. Check back Monday for Colorful Containers. Future blogs will include a series on Roses That Will Knock Your Socks Off and Crazy About Conifers.
Click Planting Gold in the Garden to read about other plants that brighten a garden without flowers.
Posted by Susan Mertz
The annual trade show in Kansas City has 100's of booths full of plants. The growers and wholesalers tout the merits of their newest introductions. In January at the show, there were lots of new plants I fell in love with. But, there was only one caused me to drive the buyer nuts. Variegated Pineapple, Ananas comosus 'Variegatus', doesn't really fit our lineup of hardy plants for the Kansas City area. However, this tropical was too good to pass up. Hardy for zones 10-11, Variegated Pineapple will not overwinter outside in the Midwest's winters. It does brighten up our summers with the green stripe down the center of the foliage and light golden and bright rose colored edges. Variegated Pineapple can be planted in the ground or in containers. In a tropical climate, this slow growing pineapple will produce fruit on the top of the plant. Variegated Pinepple benefits from strong light, regular feeding and rich moist soil. The suckers that grow at the base can be potted up to propagate more plants.
Currently, I have one planted in a container too close to the front walkway. It will probably be moved to a safer location away from the pathway of family and friends. I do worry about someone brushing up against the spiny edges. But not so much that I won't figure out how to overwinter it and use it next year in a prominent place - perhaps in a large pedestal container where it will be safely away from unsuspecting shins.
Click Planting Gold in the Garden to read about other plants that brighten a garden without flowers.
Posted by Susan Mertz
The landscape customers kept carrying on when they heard the nursery I work for was planning to stock Golden Spirit Smokebush, Cotinus coggygria 'Golden Spirit' (hardy zones 5-8). At first we brought in just a handful to see if they would sell. Soon, we were out of stock and they were back on order. Most of our customers were buying them for their own gardens. Over and over I was told that I needed to plant one in my garden.
My construction zone backyard won't be ready for planting until next spring. In the meantime, the garden design for the placement of the Golden Spirit Smokebush is in the works. After guests pass under the arbor by the White Fringetree, they will go through a transition garden on the west side of the house. As they approach the entrance to the arbor leading the way to the covered dining area, the Golden Spirit will be on the right hand side by a bench. The mature size, 6-8', will help block the full view of the dining area from the front. As with other smoketrees, Golden Spirit also flowers. However, if the smoke-like summer blooms distract from the foliage, I will remove them. The brightly colored chartreuse foliage that holds up through the summer heat is what I'm wanting. Also, I love the size and texture of the leaves. This garden area will be full of other easy care plants such as Knockout Roses and ornamental grasses and conifers.
Also, I have to remember to plan for the wonderful fall color of Golden Spirit Smokebush. The Avant Gardens catalog describes the fall color as "brilliant shades of coral and orange." The late season white plumes of Yaku Jima Dwarf Maiden Grass may be a good combo.
What are your experiences with Golden Spirit? Have you found any good combos?
Tomorrow's blog features a colorful tropical plant.
Click Planting Gold in the Garden to read about other plants that brighten a garden without flowers.
Posted by Susan Mertz
Seldom is Mellow Yellow Spirea, Spirea thunbergii 'Ogdon', chosen for the garden because it has early spring white flowers. It is when the flowering show is over that Mellow Yellow really shines in the landscape. The graceful chartreuse birch leaf foliage is the main draw. The branches easily sway back and forth in a breeze adding movement to the garden. I think Mellow Yellow gets even better in the fall. The fall foliage takes on shades of orange and pink. A sunny location in the garden will produce the best foliage color. In a mixed border, the smaller mature size of 4'x4' allows Mellow Yellow to be the middle layer in the landscape. Plumbago, an intense blue flowering summer perennial with rounded leaves, will be a good choice for the garden floor. A tree form Tardiva Hydrangea will compliment this patio garden design. Adding a backdrop of Hicks or Citation Yews to the Mellow Yellow Spirea will give contrast to the bright chartreuse foliage and add year round interest.
Tomorrow's Garden Gold blog - is it a small tree or a large shrub? Call it what you will. Just be sure to notice the beautiful foliage.
Click Planting Gold in the Garden to read about other plants that brighten a garden without flowers.
Posted by Susan Mertz
Gold Sword Yucca, Yucca flaccida 'Golden Sword', should never be confused with your average run of the mill yuccas. I have had landscape customers who swear that they hate yuccas stop in their tracks when they see Gold Sword. The outer edges of Gold Sword are deep green. The center stripe is light gold. Gold Sword Yucca is a great choice for those brutal hot sunny locations in the landscape with poor soil. Remember that yuccas are evergreen and you can use it to create colorful combinations beginning in the early spring with Daffodils and other spring bulbs. Summer combinations might include Moonbeam Coreopsis and Homerun Knockout Roses. Fall flowering garden mums will freshen up this grouping in the autumn. Gold Sword has a tall white bell shaped flower in late spring. Hardy in zones 4-10, it will mature 2'x3'.
Click Planting Gold in the Garden to read about other plants that brighten a garden without flowers.
Tomorrow's blog features a plant that provides color and movement in the garden.
Posted by Susan Mertz
With creamy gold edges and a green center, Brim Cup Hosta quietly adds color to the shade garden. It is a nice contrast to the loud chartreuse foliage of Sweet Kate Spiderwort. The smaller mature size, 12 x 18", ensures that it will not overwhelm the spiderwort. In the background of this combo will be a larger blue hosta. The seersuckered leaves of Brim Cup are heart shaped. Although this hosta has a white summer flower, I will probably clip off the flower bud as soon as it forms. I don't want the hosta flowers to distract from the colorful foliage combination of the hostas and spiderwort. Brim Cup is hardy zone 3 - 8 and prefers a moist shady spot in the landscape.
Tomorrow's Garden Gold blog - a yucca that won't make you say YUCK!
Click Planting Gold in the Garden to read about other plants that brighten a garden without flowers.
Posted by Susan Mertz
A shady spot in the landscape doesn't have to be dark and dull. The bright gold foliage of Sweet Kate Spiderwort will add a punch of color from spring until fall. The long narrow grass like foliage is a good contrast to the rounded leaves of hostas. Sweet Kate is as tolerant of moist shady garden spots as it is when planted in full sun in poor soil. You will have better foliage color and flower production in a sunny location. The long season blue flowers really pop against the chartreuse foliage. Hardy from zone 3-9, Sweet Kate matures 12-18" tall. In my new shade garden, I'm going to combine it with Brim Cup Hosta and Sieboldiana Elegans Hosta. Tomorrow's blog will tell you why I chose Brim Cup Hosta. (A hint, it has creamy gold foliage).
Click Planting Gold in the Garden to read about other plants that brighten a garden without flowers.
Posted by Susan Mertz
HGTV's website recommends using Chollipo Euonymus, Euonymus japonicus 'Chollipo', as a "fast growing screen." Monrovia Nursery calls it a "problem solving broadleaf shrub." Planted close together, you can quickly create a garden wall blocking out neighbors and traffic. Chollipo is also dramatic when used as a specimen and is planted in a container. It can be easily pruned for formal settings. However it is used in the landscape, this broadleaf evergreen will make a statement. From the Chollipo Arboretum in South Korea, Chollipo is zone hardy 6-9. Zone 5 gardeners can successfully grow Chollipo by situating it in a warm micro climate. A backdrop of a stone or brick wall on the south side of a building will usually do the trick in zone 5. Chollipo Eounymus will mature 12'x6'.
Click Planting Gold in the Garden to read about other plants that brighten a garden without flowers.
Posted by Susan Mertz
Beginning next week, Planting Gold in the Garden will tell a design story with photos and descriptions. We will look at conifers and deciduous trees, shrubs, perennials, and grasses. Using yellow foliage plants in the landscape is a low maintenance way of adding color. Check back daily for new ideas.