The Surprise of Pink Hydrangea Invincibelle Spirit

Hydrangea Invincibelle Spirit by Proven Winners. The flower heads in my garden are a shade lighter.Readers might recall that I once had a roller coaster emotional experience with the pink flowering Hydrangea, Invincibelle Spirit. That love-hate relationship continued for the first two years after planting. The saga ended when I made peace with the plant by treating it as an integral part of my flowerbed design, i.e. as a summer perennial. I staked it when necessary and dead headed the spent florets when they blackened.

Image supplied by Proven WinnersHowever, something magical happened this season. This summer, Invincibelle Spirit, arched over nicely so that staking became an option and not a necessity, and the spent flower heads did not turn black. Then, during the month following the initial blooming, the spent flowers transitioned from pink to ivory-beige. As it appears now in my flowerbed, it provides a fascinating texture to the overall composition.

The camera captured a prominent green cast to the color of the spent flowers that was not visible in the garden.The unexpected and pleasant surprise continued when, in the midst of drought and searing heat, the spent hydrangea shrub was audaciously transplanted, by this sometimes reckless gardener, without any apparent consequences.

If only I had remembered one important fact about this plant, learned while researching it online:- deadhead flowers when spent. That action would have stimulated reblooming and I might have enjoyed an additional crop of pink florets. I’ll remember that for next year.

The above image demonstrates the appearance of the spent flower heads at the beginning of September, over a month after they lost their pink color. In full disclosure, the plant was staked just before it was photographed. Otherwise staking was not required, even after transplanting.

It has taken three years for me to appreciate firsthand what the grower, Proven Winners, had promised so long ago. I hope the results that I’ve experienced this summer turn out to be a permanent evolution; and not an aberration brought on by the unrecognizable weather conditions we’ve experienced lately.

Proven Winners attaches elaborate hang tags to plants in their series of Endless Summer hydrangeas. These tags are full of information influencing and reinforcing consumer decisions to buy. I wish that a similar marketing strategy had also been used for Hydrangea Invincibelle Spirit. That way, I might have been alerted to the possibility that this plant required maturation before I would reap benefits.

From another perspective, perhaps this variety should not be brought to market until it is at least four years old. It must be very challenging to be a commercial grower and find that, in spite of the sincere efforts of humans, the unpredictable and uncontrollable power of nature will always prevail.

Best Performing Perennials for USDA Zone 2, a book review

The Northern Gardener, Perennials That Survive & Thrive, Barbara Rayment, Harbour Publishing.

In northern climates, where the growing season is short, gardeners need to celebrate their flowerbeds as quickly as possible. They have no time to invest in the lengthy process of discovering a perennial’s innate personality. In unforgiving climates, therefore, gardeners appreciate forewarning about a plant’s behavior so that, during a protracted spring and summer, they can enjoy their perennial beds instead of correcting them.

Ms. Rayment successfully grows over 80 different plants in Canadian Zone 3; aka USDA Zone 2. In this handy guide for the cold climate flower gardener, she authoritatively draws upon personal experience with each plant to present the reader with one of the most truthful and well-balanced descriptions of perennials that I have ever read.

A short summer demands honesty about plant information. Revealing an intimate relationship with perennials, the author delivers both the good and the not-so-good about each one. Some are so robust that early frost kill is of no consequence; the plant will rebound quickly. A beautiful perennial may be so invasive that it will self-seed or spread vigorously. Another attractive one will secrete harmful sap that requires the gardener to wear gloves when handling.

More than 80 cold-climate hardy perennials are identified. With a warts-and-all biography for each, the gardener is assured that there will be no surprises in the flowerbed. It is also encouraging that these plants are attractive, tried-and-true perennials that require very little effort for them to flourish. Most are no-brainers, the workhorses that make us and our flowerbeds look good.

Since most books and web sites appeal to gardeners in all growing zones, it can be frustrating for those in cold climates to extract important technical details specific to their locations. What makes this guide so useful is that it pares down encyclopedic information to what is suitable for northern gardeners.

Consequently, there are specific lists of hardy perennials for wet sun, moist sun, wet shade, dry shade, and gravel or sandy soil. There are also separate lists for sunny rain, rockery, or woodlands, as well as plants that live in the extremes of soil pH and for those that are beneficial insect attractors. Readers interested in groundcovers will find lists for very low, low, mid height and tall perennials.

In order not to overwhelm the reader with the wealth of information they need, Ms. Rayment has sprinkled cautionary paragraphs and solid advice throughout the alphabetical plant biographies. In these easy-to digest nuggets, one will learn about aggressive spreaders, aphids, slugs and pest control, rodents, pets, bears, moose, clay, mulch, drought, flood and salt- tolerant plants, deer and rabbit-resistant plants, the importance of drainage, the role that ancient glacier activity played in determining the quality of northern soils, perennial maintenance, snow loads, soil texture and amendments.

This publication is also replete with so many plant photographs that northern gardeners might imagine they are paging through a catalogue created exclusively for their needs. That is exactly what the author has created. However, unlike a catalogue that only praises plants, in this book, the writer forewarns where necessary.

This is a clearly written, no-nonsense guide; the information is crisp and precise. The book is an example of the art of communication at its best; it delivers exactly what the reader needs; not a word or sentence has been wasted.

The "Gardens of the Bank of Springfield" is a Masterpiece

(c) Adam Woodruff + Associates Adam Woodruff is an award winning garden designer whose landscaping for the Gardens of the Bank of Springfield, Missouri has been recognized by the Perennial Plant Association, the Missouri Botanical Gardens, and featured in Horticulture Magazine.

His remarkable comfort in designing with perennial plants is evident in the eye-catching photos taken of his creation. These images tell us that he is more than a garden and landscape designer. Adam Woodruff is a talented artist who uses colorful plant combinations as his medium. There is originality and vibrancy to his work and the powerfulness of his execution is rarely seen elsewhere.

The image posted above is one of ten sumptuous photographs. They illustrate an article he wrote that was reblogged on April 20, 2012 by Designers on Design, titled Commercial Seasonal Display, Part 1. Although they were intended both for commercial publicity and professional colleagues, the collection of images posted there will amaze and deeply touch all perennial garden lovers. 

In his bio, Mr. Woodruff pays homage to his mentors, Piet Oudilf and Roy Diblik. However, after seeing pictures of his work, I think we should be paying homage to Adam Woodruff himself. Isn’t it admirable when students take what they have learned from talented masters and use it to reach heights that surpass their mentors?

Unusually imaginative planting schemes give his gardens their originality. Using the term garden artisans to describe himself and his associates, the work produced by the team of Adam Woodruff + Associates is pleasurable and engaging. By combining herbaceous plants with woody ones, the resulting landscapes provide visual interest for all seasons.

A hearty Thank You to the team at Designers on Design for raising our awareness of an American treasure.

Chelone Obliqua: a Tall, Pink Perennial with Turtlehead Flowers

HORT 218 Herbaceous Landscape Plants ~ Horticulture & Landscape Architecture - Purdue UniversityGardeners, who shop for plants only in spring, miss an opportunity to be seduced by the easy-care, cold climate perennial, Chelone obliqua. A late summer blooming plant, it has insufficient growth in early spring to draw the plant hunter’s attention. Even if one examines its label, there is little to attract because plant tag photography does this flower an injustice.

However, by reading the information on the tag, the astute gardener will notice that it is a tall growing, long blooming perennial that thrives both in sun and part shade. It reaches 23 to 35 inches in height [60 to 90 cm] has a wonderfully small spread of 18 to 23 inches18 [45 to 60 cm] and it blooms not only for a lengthy period but also at a time when most other perennials are waning.

I discovered this plant by accident. Seedling-sized plants were on sale at a ridiculously low price and I kept filling my basket with all of the pink perennials I could find. Of the hundreds that I chose, and then discarded because they did not please me, Chelone obliqua is one of the few that I kept.

http://www.stauder.net/c.htmIt crept into my affection stealthfully. During the beginning and early summer, it remained unnoticed. Its deep green foliage did not project from far. However, just as I was beginning to dread that many plants were about to end their flowering, Chelone broke into bloom, unexpectedly. Its rich, deep-pink flowers and its tall, elegant shape were pleasing to behold.

Chelone obliqua is a neat, versatile plant that adds a lush background to the perennial border. Its height makes it a perfect candidate for the last row in the flowerbed, where its slow but steady growth adds texture, and form to a garden’s composition.

Up close, one may appreciate its polite lipstick-shaped floral buds that open into upward facing turtleheads. However, from a distance, this plant requires maturity before it can add its voice to the garden's chorus. When viewed at a length from the flowerbed, a young lone stalk of Chelone in bloom is difficult to notice; its flower bud is small and its shade of deep pink does not project effectively.  However, a mature clump, with a dense amount of flower heads, is impressive.

http://www.aujardin.ch/view_plante.php?detail=237Chelone is a disciplined perennial; it grows neatly and upright, with florets that are confined to the top spear- tips of its stalk, while its tight clump does not spread beyond three feet. When it reaches that width, not only is it impressive, in shape, color, and flowers, but it is also easy to propagate. In spring, its root ball may be sliced easily into many other plants. However, if propagated in late summer, or even autumn, the cuttings will regenerate into rugged plants by the following spring.

Do not be misled by its beauty. This is a tough, hardy perennial. On many occasions, when it would overwhelm me with pleasure, I would break off a few outside stems, at the point above ground where they grew away from the plant, and stick them into soft earth. They did not die. In fact, they began to grow roots imperceptibly and by the following season, the stems had generated into respectable plants.

This perennial shows better in the garden when several are planted within view of each other. One Chelone is impressive but subtle. Three Chelone, that can be viewed, all at the same time, have a more substantial presence that is enhanced by the rhythm of odd-numbered plants.

http://www.ljono.no/Planteliste.htmI have grown the species Obliqua and a variety called Hot Lips. There is no contest between them. I allowed Hot Lips three years to develop but it never grew into a satisfying perennial. The species, obliqua, grows taller, more floriferous, and richer in color.

Chelone Obliqua ia a versatile wildflower, native to North America. It grows under any pH conditions, in most soil types, and in most moisture levels. It performs well in both sun and part shade and blooms from late summer into mid fall. This plant is a northern gardener’s dream. It is a cold climate perennial, very easy-care, and it contributes structure, form, and beauty to the late summer landscape.

There is great benefit from using hardy plants native to North America. With absolute and total neglect from me, this perennial flourishes reliably in USDA Zone 4; and some sellers report that it is hardy to Zone 3. It is heat tolerant to USDA Zone 9.

Persicaria amplexicaulis ‘Firetail’: Is This Perennial Too Good to be True?

Image: vivaces.netTwo summers ago, I planted Persicaria Firetail with some trepidation; I wasn’t convinced that it would grow in my area. Some sellers promised that it is winter hardy to USDA Zone 4 while others suggested Zone 5. Lucky for me, it survived its first winter in Zone 4, and by the end of the second season, it had grown sufficiently to be propagated.

I was attracted to this plant because of its casualness and its long bloom period. It appears to be the sort of perennial best suited to a cottage garden. It is also ideal for a flowerbed with a meadow theme, as it looks stunning when combined with ornamental grasses.

image: defriesgardens.comThe most impressive characteristic of this plant is that by insinuating itself among other perennials – it must be seen to be believed - it weaves a theme of crimson through my garden to anchor all of the other hot colored flowers that bloom there.

Firetail will spread to 4 feet in diameter. By its second year, most of that spread appears to have taken place above ground. I cannot report with any accuracy if its root base, growing exponentially from its center, will also spread that wide underground. Nor am I able to predict if it will, or will not, choke out neighboring plants. More growing time is required to accumulate that information.

image: flowerfarmandgardens.blogspot.comCrimson is not a color I would embrace in my English style pastel gardens, however, the brown fence that separates me from my neighbor calls for yellows, corals, and red flowers. Consequently, the flowerbed located in front of the fence has become home to yellow helianthus, heliposis, vivid achillea, and a variety of coral, tangerine, and scarlet-colored hemerocallis.  A crimson plant, like Firetail, that can hold its own in this tropically colored setting, is a welcome addition.

The second most impressive characteristic about this plant is the longevity of its flowers; it blooms June to October and sometimes to the first frost. In the future, I will have to decide if its extended bloom period warrants growing such a spreading plant in an urban flowerbed.

Firetail in my garden in September, after all other perennials have finished blooming.The third most impressive characteristic about this sprawling plant is the root ball. While fleshy and dense, it is easily divisible from its extremities.

Persicaria amplexicaulis Firetail, also known as Polygonum amplexicaule Firetail, is a tall, upright, spreading perennial, which forms large, dense, bushy clumps of leathery dark green leaves, typically 3 to 4 feet tall. This tall foliage supports bottle brush-shaped crimson flowering spikes, up to 6 inches long, which bloom all summer.

This plant needs elbow room to achieve its potential. Without ample space, it will weave itself among other perennials, which, frankly, is a rather artistic way to grow this plant.

As it crochets its way throughout my flowerbed, it is about to enter year three of its growth. Therefore, I am unable to report on its long-term development. One of the problems with recently introduced varieties is that there is no established garden lore to guide us. Who can predict how it will behave when it matures?

Sellers recommend this plant for massing in moist areas, but I have grown it in a rather dry location. Perhaps that is why it took two years to make its presence felt.

Unlike its white, spectacular cousin, the strongly territorial Persicaria polymorpha, this cultivar is not too aggressive. However, like its cousin, it needs lots of space to grow. While this plant is a steady spreader, it is not considered to be invasive. Only time can judge that characteristic, because one gardener’s spread might be considered another gardener’s invasion.

Firetail grows in sun and part shade, in normal, sandy, or clay soil providing the earth is moist. It attracts butterflies, and is deer and rabbit resistant. Due to its spreading habit, some might consider experimenting with it as ground cover.