A book update

Posted on January 19, 2018 by jmarkowski Posted in My book .

Good afternoon friends.

Hope you had a decent week and hope you are looking forward to this upcoming weekend. It’s supposed to be warmer here in NJ which will hopefully remove all of the snow and ice that I’ve grown to despise more and more each year.

The 2nd book has been written. That was the fun part. That was the easy part.

Now it’s time to edit and determine how it will be pulled together. There are 42 short stories and I really hope they all make it to the final product. Grouping them into sections/chapters and creating a flow has been challenging. I know what I want to say and why. I just need to ensure that it translates to the reader as well.

I hired a freelancer to assist with copy editing, cover (front and back) design, proofreading and file creation so this book can be created as hardcover, softcover and as an e-book (Kindle). This will ensure a great looking final product. I’ll just have to cross my fingers and hope the writing can keep up.

As of right now, I have two weeks to submit the final manuscript so her work can then commence. I’m thrilled to have an actual deadline and will be head down for the next 14 days. I look forward to it and have massive anxiety at the same time.

Here’s where you all come in: I still don’t have a working title. I desperately need your help. Any and all suggestions are welcome.

Here are the tentative section/chapter names as a guide:

“Early gardening interest” (Childhood)

“Finding my way” (College, writing, jobs, early adulthood)

“Getting educated” (On all things gardening)

“Taking it to the next level” (Hardcore gardening)

“Looking back to look forward” (Looking to childhood joys for inspiration)

“Worlds collide” (Gardening and writing)

“All in the family” (Gardening + Writing + Family)

“Inspiration” (Who and what keeps me going)

“Evolving” (Gardening and in life)

“Navigating through” (Fun times, tough times, the future)

Let’s up the stakes. If I choose your title, I’ll send you a gift card to one of my favorite online plant purveyors.

So get those brains churning, feel free to ask me any questions and please, save me from myself.

Thank you.

The to-do list

Posted on January 17, 2018 by jmarkowski Posted in Garden problems .

Shopping for plants is a nice escape this time of year. It’s easy to get lost in the flowers and lush foliage and the imagined scents of spring. I was there the past few weeks and loved every second of it.

But today it was time to get down to business. Time to get serious. Time to start thinking about what needs to get done in the garden in just a few short months from now. It’s never to soon to start building the to-do list.

Here are 5 things I added to that list today:

Move that shrub

This Salix ‘Hakuro nishiki’ (Dappled Willow) has got to be moved. Even after cutting it to the ground in spring and selective pruning throughout the year, I can’t control it.

Many of you have pointed out that these are shallow rooted and somewhat easy to relocate so I’m not too concerned with the hard labor required.

I’m more concerned with the deer gaining easier access with this moved further away from the house.

But that won’t stop me.

Too much of a good thing

I love me some yellow or chartreuse foliage. It can pop when sited appropriately and really brightens up a shaded area of the garden.

But too much of it lumped together is a turn-off.

I need to strategically relocate and/or rearrange these Heuchera because I can’t stand looking at them in their current state.

Of course if the rabbits keep gnawing away at them I may not need to worry at all.

Divide and conquer

I can’t put it off any longer.

I have so many ornamental grasses that need to be divided. These are some serious clumps of grass so it won’t be easy, but the reward at the end is more grasses.

That is always a good thing.

Anyone want some? Make your reservations now. Yes, I’m serious.

Break it up

I shared this photo with you all back in the summer. You all gave me great suggestions on how I can improve the look of this section of garden.

Time to add some height.

Time to add some larger leaved plants.

Time to add some non-plants for interest.

This is what makes gardening so much fun.

Thank you.

Selective weed control

I believe the photo below is Bull Thistle. It is a biennial, rosettes year one and blooming/setting seed in year two. It’s hard to not allow this to flower when you see a scene like this one.

Canada thistle is another story. I need to stick with the “chopping it down to the ground regularly” strategy so it can burn itself out.

The point being I need to develop weed prevention plans by getting educated on the specific weeds I need to eradicate. Included in there are no chemicals and possibly allowing some weeds to stick around where it makes sense.

Time to evolve even more.

Diervilla ‘Cool Splash’

Posted on January 9, 2018 by jmarkowski Posted in Shrubs .

I carefully plan every plant purchase. Only after I’ve identified a viable open spot in the garden, done extensive research on all of my options and carefully evaluated my budget will I take the plunge.

And if you believe that, well, we need to get to know each other better.

I’m a reckless plant shopper. I grab first and ask questions later. I never have to locate available space in the garden because there is always available space in the garden. That’s rule 4.27 in the garden shopping handbook.

A few years back, while shopping at my local nursery, I spotted a variegated shrub that I assumed was a boxwood or euonymous. Upon closer inspection I was wrong. It was a Diervilla which I’m ashamed to admit I’d never heard of before. The common name is “bush honeysuckle” but that still didn’t help me.

So I put in my cart and bought it and brought it home without any additional research.

That’s how I roll.

I was the proud owner of Diervilla ‘Cool Splash’.

The next day, after some cursory research and a few walks around the garden, I found the spot. A partially shaded location along my front foundation where this section of the garden was screaming for some brightness among all of the green foliage. I squeezed it in right behind some red Heuchera (Coral Bells) and it instantly brought the spot to life.

But let me back up.

Here are some specifics on this deciduous shrub:

Size: 2-3′ high X 2-3′ wide

Zone: 4-8

Exposure: Full to partial sun

Moisture level: Normal

Bloom: Yellow flowers in June-July

Deer resistant: So far yes, but I’m still skeptical

By mid-April, this deciduous variegated shrub starts to break bud.

Within a week or two, it has fully leafed out and the foliage color is at its “whitest” at this time.

While the shrub is listed as 3′ x 3′ at its max size, it does spread through underground rhizomes and can allegedly form a colony. No signs of that yet for me, but I’ll be watching closely.

I have my Diervilla ‘Cool Splash’ next to pink Monarda (Bee Balm) and the bloom color contrasts beautifully with the bright foliage.

The variegated foliage remains on the shrub into November before it falls off.

If I take a step back, and show you this section of the garden from a distance, you can get a better feel of this shrub’s impact.

Here it is in late summer.

And in the middle of fall.

And finally in late fall, still making a statement.

I can only hope that impact increases year after year as the Diervilla ‘Cool Splash’ attains its full size.

What do you think?

Plant shopping at Bluestone Perennials

Posted on January 3, 2018 by jmarkowski Posted in Plant shopping .

It’s that time again.

It’s time to do some plant shopping.

First stop is at Bluestone Perennials. I’ve been a customer for decades now and have never been disappointed with the quality of the plants. They are my first go-to for online plant shopping.

For today, I used their “Shop by Gardening Solution” functionality and focused on plants that are wet site tolerant. As many of you know, that is the biggest struggle in my garden. But that doesn’t stop me, that doesn’t slow me down. I’ve learned to embrace it.

I also filtered my search to include “deer resistant” knowing that isn’t always accurate but it’s a good start.

My search efforts resulted in 82 options. A good majority of these plants already reside in my garden but there were enough new options to get my gardening juices flowing.

Here are the top 5 plants I discovered, all now residing in my virtual cart on the Bluestone Perennials website.

Click on the photos to get specifics for each at the BP website.

Filipendula Flore Pena (Meadowsweet)

I have two different pink-flowering Meadowsweet in my garden already and was pulled in not only by the white blooms, but the fern-like foliage.

I like the 2-3′ size as it would appear to work in most gardens.

It blooms in June and appears to thrive with afternoon shade.

Eupatorium fortunei ‘Pink Frost’ (Joe Pye Weed)

A variegated Joe Pye Weed was all I needed to hear. I’ll take 5 please.

Tradescantia andersonia ‘Blushing Bride’ (Spiderwort)

This is a new addition to BP this spring and color me way intrigued.

The foliage is way different than the typical Spiderwort and check out those unique markings on the leaves.

Throw in the flower color and I’m sold.

Physocarpus opulifolius ‘Tiny Wine Gold’ (Ninebark)

I am a Ninebark fan and this is a sweet addition to my ever expanding collection.

While not deer resistant, I’ll do my best to find a good hiding spot. Or I’ll plant it in a container on my deck.

The effort is worth it for that leaf color IMHO.

PSST … it’s on sale right now. Half off. Jump on it.

Deschampsia cespitosa ‘Northern Lights’ (Tufted Hair Grass)

I was sold as soon as I saw the foliage colors in the photos.

This is a cool season grass (growth starts in early spring when the soil is still cool) which is on the smaller side 16″.

I see it kicking some booty planted in mass as a groundcover of sorts.

The Obsessive Neurotic Gardener

Monthly Archives: January 2018