Last June, I started my “Prune in June” series covering perennials I cut or pinched back in June to control the ultimate height and/or look of said perennials. June has come and gone already, but I logged my cutting back of these same perennials to once again closely analyze the results.
Today, we are talking Sedum ‘Autumn Fire’ but my guess is this same approach can be applied to other upright Sedum cultivars.
As a recap, here is what a pinched plant looked like by late Summer:
And a photo of an unpinched one:
A pinched plant in October:
And again, an un-pinched plant at that same time:
As you can see, the pinched plant bloomed later (by about 1 – 2 weeks) and provided extended color deeper into the Fall. That works for me.
The number of blooms on each stem was also greater on the pinched back plant which gave the Sedum a “fuller” look. Again, a win.
So for 2013, I pinched back each and every bud on each and every Sedum ‘Autumn Fire’ plant. Here is how they looked pre-pinching:
And how they now look post-pinching:
As I did last year, I’ll be tracking the results throughout the Summer/Fall. This is life changing info we all need and I am here to provide just that for you.
You are most welcome.
John
Two big “projects” have been completed and I am enjoying kicking back and enjoying the fruits of my (and maybe some others) labor.
This area under the only mature tree on my property has been a mess since we moved in to the house back in 2004:
So there was no better time than now to take action. Lots of weed pulling, weed digging, cardboard laying, limb trimming and mulching later, and we have this:
The kids playground area has admittedly been ignored for two years now (Yes, I am a selfish SOB) and I am embarrassed to actually show you how bad it got:
Well, Dad has made it OK to slide down the slide again and dammit, the kids better take advantage before it falls into disarray again:
So now I’ll kick back on the deck and simply stare at these two wonders … and pray I can maintain them this way.
John
A quick tour around the garden and some subsequent thoughts:
Back to the container attempts again.
This time I’m trying a variegated Weigela with some purple petunias at the base. Kind of digging how it will potentially look once the Weigela starts to gain some size:
Picked up these dahlias real cheap, loving the dark foliage color and the bright blooms. Not normally my color scheme or style but I’m all about branching out and trying new things in my old age:
Yes, I’m cheating by using a knockout rose, but my daughter sees pink roses and thinks I’m a star. She’ll never know the difference:
The foliage looks fantastic on this Hydrangea ‘Endless Summer’ but dammit the blooms are severely lacking:
I swore I would never buy another Arborvitae but got suckered in by the variegated-like foliage on ‘Sherwood Frost’. We’ll be keeping an eye on this one to see how it performs:
Along those same lines, loving my ‘Moon Frost’ Hemlock and its white new growth. Lights up this spot when shaded in the afternoon:
Remember my ‘Endless Summer’ issue mentioned before, no issues on this one:
They are fleeting, but the red berries on this Viburnum ‘Shoshoni’ are a nice bonus I’ve been afforded the past three years now:
‘Fragrant Angel’ Coneflowers about to bloom:
And hot damn, do I love Amsonia. That texture is off the charts and I have been steadily adding more and more throughout the yard:
Enjoy the weekend!
John
John and Dorothy Meggitt have a love of English gardens, so theirs overflows with perennials and specimen trees. The garden is approached across Pidcock Creek and up a hill where it presents itself as a wonderful surprise. It lies on the side of a valley and is designed so that views of Solebury Mountain can be enjoyed. The hillside is terraced with stone stairs, dry stone walls, and a pergola, so there are numerous places to sit, including a secluded belvedere. There is a water garden with hardy lilies, lotus, and many marginal plants. This is home to specimen koi and a large school of goldfish. A growing collection of significant statuary adds further interest. Much of the ten-acre property is in its natural state to provide a habitat for wildlife and can be explored by trails that lead to the creek.
I couldn’t have said it better myself.
On to the pics:
The description of the Garden at Federal Twist on the Garden Conservancy’s website nails it to a tee:
“When we moved into a mid-century house overlooking the woods, I immediately knew only a naturalistic, informal garden would be appropriate to this place. The garden is hidden. You enter through the house, where you first glimpse the landscape, a sunny glade in the woods, through a wall of large windows. Featuring many big perennials and grasses that evoke an “Alice in Wonderland” feeling (many plants are taller than you), the garden is in the tradition of such “new perennial” designers as Piet Oudolf. Visitors have described it as a highly emotional garden. Plantings emphasize structure, shape, and form as much as flower. Begun as an experiment to explore the potential for working in unimproved, heavy clay, the garden is ecologically like a wet prairie, and is maintained by cutting and burning in late winter. Flowers and butterflies peak in mid-July, then a second peak occurs in October when low sunlight strikes fire in the blousy russets and golds of the grasses. A small pond attracts hundreds of frogs, insects and wildlife.”
You feeling it? It is the closest to a Piet Oudolf style garden that I’ve ever seen in person. Lots of ornamental grasses and tall perennials, many with fantastic seedheads.
Oh those phenomenal seedheads: 
And winding paths that just dare you to see what lurks beyond: 
Nothing gives me a gardening “a ha” moment more than a well placed focal point and to this day, I haven’t pulled off even one successfully.
It looks so easy when done right:
