The Obsessive Neurotic Gardener

Monthly Archives: November 2017

Garden tour – 11/29/17

Posted on by Posted in Winter interest .

At first glance, my garden looks like it has called it a year, as it slowly collapses on itself.

But upon a closer look, that may not be true.

Here’s what’s going on as we head into December:

 

Time for the evergreens to shine

As subtle as they may be, the white-tipped stems on Tsuga canadensis (White Canadian Hemlock) ‘Moon Frost’ allow this conifer to stand out, especially right now when everything else around it is brown and dying. The deer do nip it but I have been fighting them off with spray.

 

Here’s another conifer – Chamaecyparis pisifera (False Cypress) ‘Golden Pincushion’ – that remains hidden through most of the year but is now on full display. This plant may only grow a few inches per year, but I’m doing my best to remain patient and to enjoy the contrast with all of the surrounding perennials. The deer have yet to discover this one. Yes, I just jinxed it.

 

Another slow growing evergreen that is now standing out in the garden is the Korean boxwood, ‘Wedding Ring’. And yes, the deer ignore it.

 

I have had this Thuja occidentalis (Arborvitae)’Rheingold’ for 10+ years and I love how it transforms from light green/chartreuse in spring/summer to the more buff color it exhibits right now. The deer have never touched this, but honestly, I don’t know why other than the fact that it is close to the garage door.

 

I don’t know which evergreen shrub this is because I’ve misplaced the tag and I’ve yet to update my plant spreadsheet. Bad me. Here’s hoping this anchors this spot in the garden for years to come.

 

Yes, Dwarf Alberta Spruce bores me too, but it has persevered for more than a decade and I appreciate the green throughout the fall/winter.

 

Have I mentioned that I like grasses?

What more is there left to say?

These are mainly Panicum (Switch Grasses).

 

Panicum virgatum (Switch Grass) ‘Northwind’

 

Miscanthus sinensis (Maiden Grass) ‘Morning Light’

 

Miscanthus sinensis (Maiden Grass) ‘Variegatus’

 

Panicum virgatum (Switch Grass) ‘Heavy Metal’

 

Bouteloua gracilis (Blue Grama Grass) ‘Blonde Ambition’

 

Looking good, even while dying

Monarda (Bee Balm) for days. They look even better when covered in frost.

 

A Eupatorium (Joe Pye Weed) bloom.

 

Maybe a bit of a stretch, but aren’t the spent flowers of Amsonia (Bluestar) still pretty cool looking?

 

Monarda (Bee Balm), Amsonia (Bluestar) and some grass.

 

Allium (ornamental onion) slowly yellowing.

 

 

Staying green

Packera aurea (Golden Ragwort) has been a phenomenal addition to the garden the past two years, even beyond the high flower count in spring. They remain evergreen for most of the winter and you guessed it, the deer haven’t chowed down too much on them.

The only concern is that they might grow out of control over time. I’ll deal with that when it comes.

 

Another subtle change, but one I am enjoying: Phlox stoloniferous (Creeping Phlox) turning yellow and remaining evergreen all winter. I like.

 

A closer look

A weed and a powerful one at that, but ain’t this Thistle kind of pretty?

 

 

Thanks

Posted on by Posted in Blog stuff .

I’m thankful for my family’s health, even if my back tightens up whenever I sit for a period of time.

I’m thankful for the impact my father-in-law left in this world, even if he left us all way too soon.

I’m thankful for a large garden, even if 1/3 of it looks like shit.

I’m thankful I found a passion for writing, even if I struggle to find the time to enjoy it.

I’m thankful for my son’s intelligence and awareness of all that goes on in the world, even if he proves me wrong on a daily basis and seems to revel in it.

I’m thankful for my daughter’s whimsical and optimistic view on life, even if I can’t fathom how she still believes in the tooth fairy.

I’m thankful for my wife’s compassion, authenticity and natural beauty, even if she thinks I’m full of shit when I say it.

I’m thankful that my parents are still here and I can continue to interview them and pick their brains, even if I don’t tell them that enough.

I’m thankful for this blog and all that is had provided to me, even if I don’t write here as much as I want to.

I’m thankful for ornamental grasses, even if I still have a lot to learn before I can write my book on it.

I’m thankful for the 30,000 words I’ve written for my new book, even if it is a bit self-indulgent and deeply personal.

I’m thankful for you readers, even those who don’t announce themselves.

 

After the first frost

Posted on by Posted in Winter interest .

And just like that, the bright, saturated and vivid colors of autumn have disappeared.

We’re now in what I like to call the “Pre-Winter Phase”. And you know what?

It ain’t so bad.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Amsonia ‘Blue Ice’ and Ajuga ‘Black Scallop’

Posted on by Posted in Plant combo .

After the first hard frost hit earlier this week, “color” in the garden is at a premium.

The one spot that stands out right now is this combination of Amsonia ‘Blue Ice’ and Ajuga ‘Black Scallop’.

 

This Amsonia is absolutely on fire right now in terms of fall color. And it looks even better with the almost black foliage of the Ajuga at its feet.

 

Shockingly, I didn’t plan this combo (sarcasm alert).

I originally planted the Ajuga as a means to control the weeds around the stepping stones that lead from my back deck. And of course I also dug the dark, chocolate-like foliage.

 

Soon after I purchased 6 ‘Blue Ice’ plants and needed to find them a home. Planted among the Ajuga seemed to fit the bill and so, I did just that.

After a few years of living with this combo, I can safely say that just as the Ajuga blooms start to fade, the Amsonia ‘Blue Ice’ flowers emerge.

 

 

From there, the Amsonia is covered in blue star-like flowers for weeks on end.

 

 

 

Once the blooms disappear, both of these plants provide clean and contrasting foliage up until the fall color arrives, which typically starts in mid-September.

This spot in the garden is in full sun, frequented by deer and rabbits and the soil remains wet most of the year.

To date, these two plants have thrived in these conditions.

 

Before autumn leaves us

Posted on by Posted in Fall color .

I’m desperate to not miss out on the beauty that is the fall garden. Cold temps are in the forecast in the very near future and before we know it, all of the delicious colors of fall will be gone.

I’m not ready for that.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

John Scheepers bulbs

Posted on by Posted in Bulbs .

Being a garden blogger, who has been at it as long as I have, has its privileges.

A few weeks back I received an e-mail from someone who I had previously interviewed on one of my old podcasts (RIP my podcast) letting me know she was sending me a package.

I like.

This package would contain bulbs from John Scheepers, the renowned flower bulb company.

I like even more.

Here’s the best part: she had read through my blog and determined the bulbs that would be the best fit for me and my conditions.

She nailed it.

Those bulbs arrived a few days ago and I was thrilled to have another garden task left on my plate this late in the season. I dread the winter and nothing left on the to-do list.

So I happily endured the high winds and cooler temps and got to planting my haul.

I cherish the challenge of where to plant bulbs in my garden. Like so many of you, I have little empty space available, but of course, we manage to find a way. We will always be able to squeeze in more plants.

We never say “I’m good.”

With bulb planting it requires some imagination. We need to imagine what our garden will look like at the time the bulbs are scheduled to bloom. We need to anticipate the state of all of the plants surrounding these blooms.

The in-flower bulbs can’t be blocked by other plants.

The bulbs can conveniently reside in an area that is bare in spring, but will eventually be occupied by perennials. The added advantage here is that the emerging perennials can hide the declining foliage which needs to decline in order to restore energy to that bulb.

But you all know this already; I’m preaching to the choir.

After a 20-minute strategy session with myself, I had a plan of attack for getting all of these new bulbs in the ground.

Out came the shovel, the trowel and I got to work.

 

I did my best to work around existing plants, trying to not disturb their roots. I think I succeeded but only time will tell.

I considered taking detailed notes to ensure that I would remember what was planted where, but that would be too logical.

I opted for being surprised come spring.

Because these bulbs were gifted to me, it would be easy to simply say:

“Oh yeah, they were all in perfect condition.”

But the truth is, they really were.

Like pristine and healthier than any other bulb I’ve ever planted.

 

No lie.

I also managed to find large swaths of earth that had yet to be traversed, which allows me to plant these bulbs in bulk for maximum impact come bloom time.

As you can see in the photo to the left here, my soil is not what you would call “ideal”. Far from it.

But from all that I’ve researched, these bulbs were chosen for that exact reason. They’re tougher than the more tender options.

That there is quality customer service from John Scheepers.

Within an hour or so, I had all of the bulbs planted in the ground with the exception of one pack of 10 daffodils (narcissus).

This was part of the master plan as I love to plant some bulbs directly into a container and store it in my attached garage for the long cold winter.

Come spring, the foliage will appear and I’ll then move the container outside on to my back deck where the flowers can be enjoyed from inside the house.

The only winter maintenance is the occasional watering but not too much or else the bulbs become susceptible to rotting.

Beyond that it is simply sit back and wait.

Before I show you the exact bulbs I was given, along with photos of what they will look like when in flower (courtesy of the John Scheepers website), I have to share something else with you that is funny.

Well it’s funny in its seriousness.

I wrote a poem.

About bulbs.

And actually shared it with readers over at Medium.

 

 

If you have the intestinal fortitude and won’t be embarrassed by amateurish poetry, check it out by clicking here.

You’ve been warned.

Here are the 6 different varieties of bulbs I planted. I encourage you to read more about them on the John Scheepers website (click on the bulb name to read more).

I can’t wait to post the flowering photos in spring where we can then see just how phenomenal I am with garden design.

Or not.

But at least the flowers on their own will be pretty.

Enjoy.

Allium ‘Pinball Wizard’

 

Brodiaea laxa ‘Silver Queen’

 

Ornithogalum nutans ‘Silver Bells’

 

Hyacinthoides hispanica ‘Excelsior’

 

Narcissus ‘British Gamble’

 

Narcissus ‘Decoy’