amsonia Archives - Page 2 of 2 - The Obsessive Neurotic Gardener

Best Fall Foliage Plants

Posted on September 23, 2014 by jmarkowski Posted in Fall color, Foliage .

Today we’ll take a look at my best fall foliage plants.

This list only includes plants I have lived with and experienced in my own garden .

Amsonia tabernaemontana (Blue Star)
The more well known Amsonia hubrictii has a much more impressive autumn color but I only added them to my own garden this past spring and it is too soon for me to share any photos of them.

Tabernaemontana still is impressive in its own right as the fall foliage color starts as a pale yellow and develops into an eye catching orange hue.

Viburnum carlesii ‘Aurora’
I have quite a few different Viburnum shrubs (some real young and still small) and to date, this has been the best autumn performer. Each individual leaf starts to transform slowly to a maroon color starting at the end of September and the majority of the leaves remain on the plant until the end of October here in zone 6B.

Fothergilla ‘Mt. Airy’
This deciduous shrub, while interesting in early spring with its white bottlebrush blooms, really stands out in the fall with that kick butt orange foliage color. I’ve added a few more this year to really up the impact each autumn.

Panicum (Switch Grass) ‘Northwind’
This ornamental grass and PPA award winner may not be thought of as a fall foliage plant, but that yellow color works for me as the perfect complement to the more common red fall foliage color of other plants.

Clethra alnifolia (Summersweet) ‘Hummingbird’
Another shrub not thought of as a fall performer, but again, I like to mix in that yellow/gold color wherever I can.

Itea (Virginia Sweetspire) ‘Henry’s Garnet’
This shrub, by far, has the greatest red fall color of any plant currently residing in my garden. The fall color starts subtly in August and then kicks it into overdrive by early September. The leaves start to fall off in mid October with a few remaining as late as Thanksgiving.

Miscanthus purpurascens (Flame Grass)
Another ornamental grass, this one takes color to all new heights. Just look at all of the color shades represented in those blades. It is the plant that draws the most attention/questions from onlookers from August through October.

Two new plants I’m digging

Posted on July 10, 2014 by jmarkowski Posted in Ornamental grass, Perennials .

Even though they are just youngn’s and maybe 1/10 of their eventual size, I am already in love with my newly introduced and recently planted :

Amsonia hubrichtii (I had tabernaemontana only):

As well as Andropogon gerardii ‘Red October’:

Much more to come on these two stallions.

Why I post so often

Posted on May 7, 2014 by jmarkowski Posted in Blooms, Foliage .

I have this friend (dude knows who he is) who on more than one a hundred occasions has asked me “How can you possibly take any more pictures of your garden? Seriously, you have like hundreds of posts in only four years, haven’t you said/photographed it all?”

First off “friend”, and I use the term loosely, I have actually posted 868 times since February of 2010. And while some of the posts are of questionable mind, most are simply an observation of what is going on in my garden at that time. I introduce new plants to my garden each season/year, plants get more robust with age, take on a completely different look and feel when relocated within the garden, change dramatically through the seasons and often times die. And many times it is a combination of all of these things. That is why I can take hundreds of photographs in one session.

Here are some examples just from today.

This is my first witness to a Fothergilla blooming in my own garden as I just planted it last Fall:

I dig the bottlebrush like flowers and are even cooler up close:

I get all jonesed up seeing my Redtwig Dogwood leafing out, knowing we are transitioning from early to mid spring:

Before I know it, it will fill out completely and take its understated turn in the landscape:

The Amsonia are finally emerging from the ground and I frickin love how they look when doing so:

The next step is seeing the first buds forming:

Soon following will be a cacophony of buds:

Then the first bloom:

And finally full bloomage:

All of the foliage on the Astilbes have this cool red/brown/green/rust combo right now and it is fantastic:

Eventually it will settle in all green with hints of red stems:

Then the first buds appear:

And then boom, we’ve got serious blooms:

The photos tell the story and that alone, friend, should give you enough evidence as to why I am now easily completing my 869th post.

The many faces of Amsonia tabernaemontana (Eastern Bluestar)

Posted on October 14, 2013 by jmarkowski Posted in Perennials .

A trip back in time with Amsonia tabernaemontana, starting with today and looking as far back as the middle of spring:

Blooms, Blooms, Blooms (And no more peony talk)

Posted on June 3, 2013 by jmarkowski Posted in Blooms .

Just to prove that I am not completely fixated on my peonies (that didn’t sound right), here are some other blooms in and about my garden during this fantastic time of year.

Veronica just about on its last legs but hoping the periodic deadheading will extend it a bit further:

Physocarpus (Ninebark) ‘Diablo’ just started blooming and looks OK; I still value it mostly for the foliage:

Geranium ‘Brookside’ which I’ve been rather critical of in the past, looks good now that it is allowed to roam wild a bit:

Itea ‘Henry’s Garnet’ doesn’t blow you away in bloom, but it is reliable and performs so well in my native bed where it is consistently moist/wet:

I know I am going to enjoy Amsonia ‘Blue Ice’ for years to come as six of these were planted just last fall as tiny plugs and they already look fantastic. Not to mention they are ignored by the deer and the rabbits and survived wet feet this past winter:

Blooms nice, the rest … not so much. I am losing it for Tradescantia (Spiderwort) ‘Sweet Kate’ so they better shape up soon or they are gone:

Penstemon ‘Husker’s Red’ just about to bloom in full; give it about a 7 on a scale of 1 to 10:

First blooms on Hypericum ‘Albury Purple’:

Spirea ‘Snow Storm’ … hmmmm … takes up space … blooms are “decent” … suppresses weeds since better than bare ground … guess she can stay:

Amsonia tabernaemontana

Posted on January 30, 2012 by jmarkowski Posted in Perennials .

There is nothing better than when May arrives and the local Native Plant Sales commence. I’m like a kid on Christmas morning giddy with anticipation of what I’ll come home with. There is some planning involved before shopping, but for the most part, I grab on a whim and then learn about what I’ve got when I get home.

A perfect example of one of these purchased “on a whim” plants is Amsonia tabernaemontana. I picked up a few of these three years ago with little knowledge of their attributes.

These perennials struggled a bit in years one and two, but really came into their own last spring/summer. I anticipate further progress in 2012.

Amsonia tabernaemontana emerges in early spring, with their narrow leaves bright green in color. The blooms typically start to form in mid to late May:

By the end of May, the light blue, star shaped blooms are in full effect:

While I’ve read that the flowers of Amsonia tabernaemontana attract the Ruby-throated Hummingbird, I’ve never witnessed it. What I have witnessed, are various moths enjoying the sweet nectar of the flowers:

But truth be told, I love these shrub-sized perennials not for their flowers, but for their billowy texture and ability to contrast well with other shrubs/perennials. This is how they looked after I had cut them down post-bloom to about 12 inches:

And if the “Gods of Autumn” are listening, I’m banking on big time fall color this year as that may be its true claim to fame. This is as good as it got for me last year:

If things go according to plan, there will be some serious bright golden/orange puffs throughout the yard in the fall and I will be sure to share those photos with you all.

Before I go, some additional info on Amsonia tabernaemontana:

Matures in size at about 3 feet by 3 feet
Survives in zones 3-9 (a bit more hardy than the more popular Amsonia hubrichtii)
Prefers full sun to partial shade and may flop if in too much shade
As mentioned previously, it is a US native, typically found along streams and in moist woods
While I’ve yet to attempt it, I’ve read these can be tough to divide
They have been deer resistant to date, apparently due to a sticky substance on their leaves

Tell me about your successes and/or failures with this plant. Any information is good information.

John

Falling for Fall

Posted on October 7, 2011 by jmarkowski Posted in Fall color .

Even though we are expected to see 80 degree temps this weekend, make no mistake, autumn has arrived. All I want to do is eat apples, juggle pumpkins and put on a hoodie. Yes, I’m embracing the season and have moved on from the summer. A few photos for you:

I’m still trying to determine why this maple tree is called ‘October Glory’:

The River Birch trees are ready to step up to the big leagues now that it is getting cooler. The yellow foliage is the appetizer with the peeling winter bark one mutha of an entree:

Amsonia and Itea ‘Henry’s Garnet’ are quite the dynamic duo, eh?

Have a great one!

John

Plants I expect big things from this year

Posted on March 14, 2011 by jmarkowski Posted in Uncategorized .

More than a few times this winter I have reviewed all of my garden photos in a “slide show” as a means to get myself all pumped up for the spring/summer. Each time, there are certain plants that have me dreaming big when they pop up on the screen. These are plants that are only a year or two old and have yet to put on their best show.

I’d like to share my optimism with you today and please, share any experiences you may have had with any of these. Just make sure you lie to me if there is anything negative; I’m on too much of a high right now to be brought back down to reality.

I purchased a bunch of Helenium autumnale at a native plant sale last spring and I was blessed with a never ending amount of blooms in late summer.

But, I did a poor job of pruning for height control and left these in an exposed location so they toppled over rather easily. With a new locale and a pruning plan, I expect monstrous results from these natives this summer.

Another native, Amsonia tabernaemontana (Eastern bluestar), was planted two years ago and has not only remain untouched by the deer (due to it’s sap on the leaves) but has also survived in a spot that remains wet at times. However, it has yet to bloom real well and it’s biggest selling point, the yellow, smoke-like fall foliage has not been there as expected. So, everyone say it with me, this is the year to take it to the next level.

I was happy to get a few blooms on a few different Siberian Iris ‘Snow Queen’ last spring and hope to double that output this spring. Isn’t she a beauty?

I loaded up on Chasmanthium Latifolium (or as you common folk call them, northern sea oats) in the Fall of 2009 and they have not disappointed. They worked from spring to late Fall and I would love more of the same this year, even some reseeding is OK (should I be careful what I wish for?).

I am a sucker for foliage, especially anything in the red/maroon/scarlet family and I planted a few Hibiscus ‘Kopper King’ late last summer. I honestly could skip on the blooms as long as the foliage looks good all season. I liked how they stood out as somewhat of a focal point and contrasted real well with all of the other green foliage. Bigger and badder this year please.

Miscanthus ‘Super Stripe’ was slow to grow last year but damn, I love that variegation. Let’s agree to double in size this year OK?

Miscanthus ‘Variegatus’ gets real big and can flop but I’m not scared. I have two planted where they can get as big as they want and I’ll deal with the floppiness if necessary.

Echinacaea ‘Fragrant Angel’ – beautiful blooms and beautiful scent – just want MORE MORE AND MORE.

I know that Sambucus ‘Black Lace’ will struggle in my poor draining soil and will be nibbled by the deer but I have to have it. So, I plan on growing it in a large container as a specimen on my deck. That foliage is sweet and hopefully this year it gets close to “specimen” size.

And last but not least, we have Baptisia ‘Twilite Prairieblues’ which had some blooms last year that were stunning. From all indications, I should expect the plants to at least double in size and produce a lot more blooms this year and that my friends, would friggin rule!

Good night and welcome back to the work week.

ONG

The Natives are restless

Posted on May 10, 2010 by jmarkowski Posted in Uncategorized .

It has become a Mother’s day tradition (OK only for the past three years) at the ONG household. We make Mom breakfast in bed (and the term “make” is a bit of a stretch) and then the kids and I go out for the morning/afternoon to give Mom a truly deserved day off from being all mom-ish. We will go out to lunch and then we head for the Bowman Hill native plant sale in New Hope, PA (click here to read more). I spend the prior week studying their catalog in great detail and I identify which native plants will work for me and I bring that list with me. Then the spending spree begins and I purchase a ton of plants I had never heard of before. Below is a photo of everything I bought earlier today;

What are native plants and why should you buy them? Glad you asked … school is in session (and my apologies to all those who know this already).

Native plants are those plants that grow naturally in your particular region and have grown there for a long period of time. They thrive under your region’s conditions and require very little maintenance. Here are some reasons why you should go native already:

As previously mentioned, these plants are way low maintenance since they have existed in the wild for a long period of time without any special TLC.
Very little water is required in allowing these guys to thrive. Umm … hello … good thing!
Natives have developed natural resistance to diseases and insects which make them even more appealing.
By planting native, you are keeping with the natural and unique look of your area and that will keep your garden from looking so cookie-cutter.
In my simple words – you keep shit the way it is supposed to be. The whole balance of nature is not disrupted and you my friend will have good karma. The wildlife will get what they need and keep that whole circle of life thing going.

Now to keep it real, I don’t only plant native. There are just too many non-natives that rock. But by educating yourself on what the native plants are in your region, you may find that there is a native plant that will serve the same purpose, or give you the look and feel you are going for with a non-native.

Here are some native plants I have purchased in the past that are absolutely kicking butt today:

Lobelia Siphilitica

Amsonia Tabernaemontana

Chelone Glabra

Phlox Paniculata

Aster (Purple Dome)

Boltonia

Chasmanthium Latifolium (Northern Sea Oats)

Echinacea (Purple Coneflower)

Eupatorium

OK … enough of the preaching … for your viewing pleasure here are some updated photos from the garden this afternoon: