Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Blue mistflower: one of my favorites

Eupatorium coelestinum, blue mistflower, oh how I love you. You are unassuming, don’t ask for much, and yet you bloom for months on end. Your assertive nature is endearing and your lavender blue flowers look great with everything!

This plant is truly one of my favorite native perennials. When you see it in action on a hot August afternoon, it’s easy to understand why. This plant flourishes at a time of year when many perennials start to look weary.

In his revised ‘Garden Perennials’ Allan Armitage calls this Eupatorium “A terrific weed, much more tolerant of heat than most other members of the genus.” This cousin of the well-known Joe-Pye Weed grows about 2' tall and blooms summer through fall.

A word of warning, this plant is assertive (not aggressive). I’ve seen it spread by runners as well as by seed; new plants will pop up across gardens and driveways alike. While easy to weed, this is something to consider before planting.

Blue mistflower is a terrific bedding plant and does well in containers too. It is the perfect compliment to Sedona Coleus, Verbena bonariensis, and Sweet potato vine as shown in the above image. And if you can’t find any to purchase, I have some to share!

dog days

We are in the 'dog days' of summer; plants are flagging, lawns are crunchy, and my morning coffee has to be iced. It hasn't rained in a while, so I'm watering everything several times a week.

The peppers are doing well and I've even had enough to share with friends. I'm trying to utilize jalapenos in every dish I can think of including stir-fries, eggs, and even tuna melts (pictured). The tomato is from my garden as well.

Tuesday, August 23, 2011

cucumber salad


The garden is growing well. The knockout roses are thriving and blooming more everyday. The peppers and herbs are very productive but I’ve had a paltry tomato yield. Finally, we had a good thunderstorm and with it almost two inches of rain this week!

Cucumber salad uses fresh ingredients right from the garden. This recipe is a blend of several sources including friends and neighbors (who supplied the banana peppers) and Jamie Oliver. I added the garbanzo beans to boost the protein and iron content. This salad was even better after a few days of marinating.

cucumber salad:
*1 large cucumber, peeled and chopped
*1 large tomato, chopped
*3 banana peppers, sliced
*1 can garbanzo beans

dressing:
*3 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
*1 Tbsp. lemon juice
*1 heaping Tbsp. natural yogurt
*salt and pepper to taste

1. mix salad ingredients in a large bowl
2. mix dressing ingredients in a mason jar
3. combine salad and dressing, mixing well
4. chill at least 1 hour before serving

serves 3-4

Wednesday, August 17, 2011

Frederick Law Olmsted & the Olmsted elm

Today marks the beginning of landscape architecture’s campaign for awareness. What is landscape architecture? It’s the design of outdoor spaces for environmental, socio-behavioral, and/or aesthetic purposes. Landscape architects design college campuses, golf courses, public parks, backyards, and everything in between.

The most iconic figure of our profession is Frederick Law Olmsted, often referred to as the “father of Landscape Architecture.” FLO was a journalist, naturalist, social critic, and public health advocate who believed that green space must be equally accessible to all citizens. His first design, New York’s Central Park in 1858, embodies that ideal.

Most Americans have probably visited an Olmsted commission, which are numerous and span the entire country. While touring FLO’s Emerald Necklace in Boston, I had the opportunity to visit the Frederick Law Olmsted National Historic Site in Brookline, Massachusetts. Olmsted referred to his home office in Brookline as Fairsted.

Administered by the National Park Service, Fairsted remains virtually unchanged. Housing nearly 1,000,000 original design records for some of the most important American landscapes including the U.S. Capitol grounds, the Great Smoky Mountains, Niagara Falls Park, the Biltmore, etc.; Fairsted is a national treasure.

A central feature of the property was the ‘Olmsted Elm,’ a statuesque 200+ year old American elm tree which held court over the pastoral landscape Olmsted personally tended. And just as the man became a symbol of our profession, the elm has become a symbol of the man. Unfortunately, the Olmsted Elm’s tenure has ended.

Suffering from Dutch elm disease, the tree exhibited typical signs of decline, including crown die back, dropping limbs, and peeling bark. This spring, the NPS decided to fell the historic tree which posed too great a risk to visitors. There are high hopes that one day a genetic clone of the tree will be planted in its place, though this may take many years.

In the meantime, the images of the Olmsted Elm will endure as FLO’s design theories and social principles have endured in his writings and throughout our nation’s great public spaces. Olmsted is a touchstone for many in our profession; his paradigm for egalitarianism and environmental conservation continue to inspire us, 150 years later.

This poignant video documents the felling of this historic tree.

Friday, August 5, 2011

my surrender to the knockout


The garden has been sort of uneventful lately. The tomato production is slow; but I’m harvesting a bumper crop of jalapenos and have several bell peppers ripening. The basil, parsley, and cilantro are doing well too. I’ve spent a lot of time watering, as we’ve had record heat for weeks now.

Overhauling the Iris bed by my mailbox has been the current focus of my gardening energy. The Bermuda grass had practically taken over and the area was looking very unkempt. After hours of weeding and edging, the planting bed is starting to look good again. I've decided to add some knockout roses, a river pebble border, and pine straw mulch.

Knockout roses always seemed like such a horticultural cop-out to me that I’ve never considered planting them at my house before. But then I saw them on deep discount at Home Depot and thought, why wouldn’t I want something that’s low-maintenance and blooms half the year? So I bought three double knockouts, for only $15!

These knockouts will not have tightly bound blooms full of heavenly fragrance on long stems for cut flower arrangements. But they will bloom throughout the hottest, driest part of the year with nary a chemical application. All I'll have to do is cut them back once a year and it's the low-maintenance, inexpensive attributes that have finally won me over.

The pebble border fills in the newly-cut edge and I hope will be a barrier to the Bermuda grass. If nothing else, it will make it easier to spray the Bermuda with herbicide as it creeps into the planting bed. I’ve had a chance to try out several natural herbicides and will weigh-in with my results on a future blog posting.

I think my grandfather would be tickled that not only have I planted his Iris in the bed, but with the addition of the roses it will be almost identical to the planting bed he tended for so long at his mailbox (which is now my mom’s mailbox). Now if only I can keep those roses happy through the dog days of summer!

[Pictured is of one of my favorite plant and color combinations, Verbena bonariensis and ‘Veterans’ Honor’ Hybrid Tea Rose.]