Beautyberry

American Beautyberry

Recently I confirmed a suspicion of mine, Japanese Beautyberry (Callicarpa japonica) is an invasive exotic. A landscaper had mistakenly installed a few of these shrubs for a client one winter, to replace some dead shrubs in a grouping of American Beautyberry (Callicarpa americana); now there are seedlings of Japanese Beautyberry growing in nearby planting beds.

Observing these two species side by side it is easy for me to choose a favorite. The American Beautyberry has medium-green, medium-textured foliage with rich-colored violet-magenta fruit clusters that surround stem nodes of gracefully arching branches. This shrub is perfect for massing between turf and wooded areas and in the naturalized border. The fruit is not a favorite among wildlife, but will be gobbled up before winter. I have never seen this species re-seed itself.

Japanese Beautyberry

The Japanese Beautyberry by contrast has yellowish-green foliage of a slightly finer texture and more coolly-colored purple fruit on arched branches that have a more erratic structure. The flowering and fruiting cycle of the two species is similar, and I would imagine the flowers and fruit are similarly attractive to pollinators and wildlife alike. Japanese Beautyberry grows faster, but both species can benefit from pruning to within 6”of the ground each spring as they bloom on new growth.

There is an abundance of information (and misinformation) on-line about the many Beautyberry species, some of which have been classified as invasive (Callicarpa dichotoma). Jam recipes were surprisingly popular, which proves the point that when you add enough sugar to anything, it will be edible! Fall is the time to enjoy this shrub. And this fall, I will appreciate the native species even more.

containing winter

"Every season hath its pleasures;
Spring may boast her flowery prime,

Yet the vineyard's ruby treasures

Brighten Autumn's soberer time."

--Thomas Moore, Spring and Autumn

(bold mustard leaves make a statement in the above container planting;

with coral bells, pansies, fern, and acorus)

Just last week I picked the final green tomatoes and jalapenos from the garden, just before the first frost. Despite this later than usual frost, there are still petunias blooming with mums and pansies on the front porch. The parsley and cilantro are still growing strong, and the lettuce has re-seeded itself.

Most garden centers are now discounting winter annuals and bulbs and I recently picked up some orange violas and ‘Bright Lights’ Swiss Chard for my blue glazed planter. Accompanied by the changing yellow-orange leaves of the Spirea, it is a striking combination. I’ve also included spring-blooming Grape Hyacinth (Muscari armeniacum) bulbs in my containers this year.

The conventional “thriller, filler, spiller” ideal in container gardening for year-round enjoyment can be simple to achieve. I suggest the following fool-proof recipe as a perennial backbone to which annuals can be added:

1. Thriller: Autumn Fern (Dryopteris erythrosora) and or Sweetflag (Acorus)
2. Filler: Coral bells (Heuchera)
3. Spiller: Sedum and/or Creeping Jenny (Lysimachia)

With appropriate moisture, this combination can work well in the shade, partial shade, and sun. This provides an evergreen and tardily deciduous framework to which you can add coleus, sweet potato vine, petunias, pansies, vincas, or violas depending on the season, size, and exposure. Best effect is achieved with 3-5 different plants. 

Top 10 Plants For Fall Color

"Autumn is a second spring where every leaf is a flower."

--Albert Camus

Blue star (Amsonia hubrichtii) yellow

Sensitive Fern (Onoclea sensiblis) yellow

Summersweet Clethra (Clethra alnifolia) yellow

Fothergilla (Fothergilla major) yellow-orange-red

Oakleaf Hydrangea (Hydrangea quercifolia) orange-red

Maple (Acer rubrum & A. saccharum) yellow-orange-red

Bottlebrush Buckeye (Aesculua parviflora) yellow-red

American Smoke Tree (Cotinus obovatus) yellow-orange-red

Ginkgo (Ginkgo biloba) yellow

Black Gum (Nyssa sylvatica) yellow-orange-red

This past week was the peak of fall color in my part of the world and I had the pleasure of attending a wedding that wholly embraced the spirit of autumn. By no means is this an all-encompassing list for fall color, but the perennials, shrubs, and trees above are show-stoppers.

In many respects this time of year is the most colorful; and it’s the best time of year to add new plants to the garden. Be sure to keep newly transplanted plants well-watered as it also tends to be the driest time of year in the south with little rain and windy conditions.

deconstructing the garden

deconstructingpresent participle of de·con·struct (Verb)

Verb:

Analyze  Dismantle

Shorter days, cooler nights, and the patchwork of fall-colored canopies frame life this time of year. Taking out warm coats and scarves, bringing in the last tomatoes and peppers; it is time to deconstruct the garden once more.

Cutting back perennials and extracting summer vegetables make room for mums and pansies which brighten the beds and endeavor to pay tribute to the finest of fall gardens, Dumbarton Oaks. All senses now perceiving fall.

Falling leaves and garden debris join forces in the compost pile. Black gold divided among the beds, and daffodils for planting; all the while planning next year’s venture. Enjoying the moment and aspiring for the future.

happy birthday to me

Camellia, one of my favorite flowers, blooms each year on my birthday. There is a hedge of Sasanqua Camellias planted along the back side of my house, which I started from cuttings while a student at the University of Georgia in Athens. Camellia’s aren’t thought of as particularly cold hardy (especially Sasanquas); but these have survived several cold Nashville winters and now stand over 5’ tall.

Sasanqua Camellias bloom earlier and are more demure in flower and leaf size than their cousin, the hardier Japanese Camellia (Camellia japonica). Another cousin, the Tea Camellia (Camellia sinensis) is not nearly as showy as the other species. But its value lies in creating more cold-hardy crosses, and it is the plant from which tea is made!

The Camellia’s blush white to deep red flower stands out well against its dark evergreen foliage. And while I have planted specimens of this shrub for a few clients, I prefer to see them in groupings. My favorite grouping is at the Founder’s Memorial Garden at the University of Georgia, where Camellia hedges create walls of lush foliage and colorful blooms.

Between my love of UGA’s campus and my reverence for cold-weather blooms, I was destined to adore this shrub. Camellia’s are much more versatile and low maintenance than many realize. For a safe bet on cold hardiness, select a Camellia variety with ‘winter’, ‘snow’, or ‘ice’ in the name. Most prefer some shade and moist, well-draining, slightly acidic soil.

Buttonbush [Cephalanthus occidentalis]

This plant ‘labors in obscurity’ says Dr. Dirr in his Hardy Trees and Shrubs manual; which may be why I wasn’t able to readily identify it when a friend asked me what it was last month. Except for these strange, creamy white flowers that appear in August, this large native shrub remains fairly anonymous. Its habit and texture remind me of Viburnum.

The temperatures are falling and the days are getting shorter. The garden is growing well and we received some much needed rain last week. Unfortunately that wind and rain bent over my smaller butterfly bush and I had to cut it back several feet. I still have blooms in the garden, but they are growing fewer. It’s time to think about fall annuals and select spring bulbs.

I’m turning my attention to planning and possible garden renovations this fall. I’ve decided to grow fewer tomatoes and increase my pepper varieties next year. I’ll remove some of the sedum and ultimately have more room for perennials. I’d like to include cut flowers and increase wildlife/pollinator habitat/food sources where possible.

fall planted bulbs are abloom!

I don’t need a calendar to tell me it is spring. With temperatures in the 70's, there are new blooms to enjoy every day. Among my favorite flowers right now are crocus, grape hyacinths, daffodils, and my favorite deciduous magnolia, the Saucer Magnolia (Magnolia x soulangiana).

Perennial Crocus grow from corms (like a small bulb) planted in the fall. Their grass-like foliage and petite flowers won’t grow taller than 5”, so use them in the front of a planting bed. The white and purple varieties nicely offset the electric orange central stigmas. The spice saffron is obtained from the fall-blooming cousin of this plant (Crocus sativa).

Grape Hyacinths (Muscari) received their name from the spikes of blue flowers that resemble a bunch of grapes. This perennial, grown from a bulb planted in the fall, is even more petite than the Crocus. It’s perfect companion is a yellow daffodil, King Alfred for example, planted in alternating clumps/drifts.

Despite it’s observed commonness, the Saucer Magnolia is truly a thing to marvel. I first noticed this tree while going to school in Athens, Georgia. One specimen in particular (pictured in Dirr’s Hardy Trees and Shrubs) located out front of the AGD house on fraternity/sorority row is particularly memorable.

Its canopy of tulip-like pinkish-purple flowers is “one of spring’s greatest spectacles” according to Dr. Dirr, and I’m inclined to agree. This deciduous magnolia is a real show-stopper, with an attractive multi-trunked habit. But, since it’s just a one season wonder, I would plant this only as a specimen or focal point of a spring garden and not in a group.

This weekend marks seed planting time for my lettuce, carrots, and Swiss Chard! Another landscape project I hope to start is installing a stone border that wraps around all the planting beds against the house. Aside from aesthetic benefits, the border should also help slow the spread of Bermuda grass into the planting beds.

And speaking of grasses, if you haven't already cut back landscape grasses such as River Oats (Chasmanthium), Sioux Blue Indian Grass (Sorghastrum), Sweet Flag (Acorus) et cetera, do it now, before the new shoots emerge!

first blooms of 2011!

As big snowflakes flurried around Nashville this morning, I saw the first signs that spring is in fact right around the corner…daffodils peeking through the soil! It will still be several weeks before they bloom, but it is exciting nonetheless. Today I was also greeted by the first bloom of 2011, Witchhazel (Hamamelis vernalis).

Witchhazel is a beautiful large shrub of which there are several native varieties. Landscape features include gorgeous yellow fall color and pungently fragrant yellow/orange flowers in late winter. This is a great shrub for massing in the back of a naturalized border planting. “A tough plant with an alley-cat tenacity” says woody plant expert, Dr. Dirr.

Another plant on my bloom watch list is the Lenten Rose (Helleborus). Speaking of Lenten Rose, the person who introduced me to that amazing perennial, Dr. Allan Armitage has revised Armitage’s Garden Perennials. The new version will be out this summer and is a must-have book for any perennial gardener.

Last weekend I took advantage of extraordinarily mild temperatures to finish cutting back all remaining perennials and mulching a few of the planting beds. Working in the garden, I noticed how graceless my large butterfly bush has become. I’m going to have to cut it back and remove a lot of water sprouts before it leafs out.

[Water sprouts are vigorous growths along a branch that grow almost vertically and are aesthetically displeasing.]

This time of year can be down-right depressing with grey days and freezing temperatures. Knowing that spring will soon be here provides some relief from winter doldrums. Until then, I will keep thumbing through garden catalogues and dreaming of warmer days and the beautiful blooms to come!