Plant Talk

Q&A: Practical and Pretty

Question:
Can you please tell me where I could purchase or view the wire garden cages by Carl Ulmschneider - saw a picture in Pacific NW Magazine this morning and fell in love with them!!

Thank-you,

Kristine Hill

Answer: The artistic wire cages you're admiring are in Alf and Shirley Collins' Whidbey Island garden, profiled in last Sunday's Pacific Northwest magazine. Retired engineer and Whidbey resident Carl Ulmschneider makes a variety of styles and sizes of these practical, beautiful cages - you can use them as scaffolds for climbing plants, to protect plants from deer and rabbits, and/or as garden art. In the summer, I stick mine in a raised bed and grow sweet peas up it, then in late autumn I move it around to the front door and cover it with little white lights - a perfect winter-long Christmas tree.  You can find the cages shown below at Museo Gallery on First Street in Langley;  Cultus Bay Nursery on the island also carries Carl's cages. Well worth a trip to Whidbey Island to check out Carl's work.....

"Brita"
120"x36"

"Trellis Concave, Trellis Convex"
108"x40" each

"Vessels"
various sizes

 

Q&A - Daphnes and Mountain Ash

Question: My children gave me a Daphne 'Summer Ice', and I do not know if i should plant it in the sun or the shade. Would appreciate any info you could give me about the plant.

Thanks,

Marlene

Answer: Your children have great taste - Daphne x transatlantica 'Summer Ice' is one of the prettiest and longest blooming daphnes, with crisp white variegation and fragrant little flowers. 'Summer Ice' prefers sun,with some light afternoon shade.  Most important is good drainage, for daphnes won't tolerate extremes of wet or dry.  Make sure you plant it in well-draining soil. Prune lightly, and mulch with gravel or pebbles because daphnes dislike their roots heating up. If you find the right spot, 'Summer Ice' will reward you by growing into a mound of lovely foliage with perfumed flowers that bloom many months of the year. For more information, check out my Pacific Northwest Plant Life column on daphnes from couple of years ago. 

Question: Dear Ms. Easton,
While Googling information on the mountain ash in Seattle, I came across your extremely informative article for Horticulture. I am researching for a short piece of fiction based on my childhood in Seattle and remember the mountain ash berries dropping nearly all year around on our walkway. We lived on Ravenna Boulevard and had a large mountain ash near the entrance to our house that was the bane of my father's existence. I thought the berries started to fall as early as spring--April or May--but could I be wrong? My story takes place in spring and I'd like to use this detail, so I am hoping my childhood memory is not entirely faulty.

Many thanks for your help,
George

Answer: Mountain ash trees (genus Sorbus, and called "Rowan" in England) are known for their beautiful red and orange berries (the Asian types have pastel berries)  beloved by birds for their juiciness. Since berries follow flowers, I can't believe mountain ashes berry up much before mid-summer, but perhaps the berries (those not eaten by the birds) hang on all winter? For a definitive answer, I'd suggest you check in with our local tree expert Arthur Lee Jacobson, lifetime Seattle resident, who is the authority on trees around here. Check out Arthur's website at www.arthurleej.com/

Q&A - What Tulip Is That??

Question: I’ve attached a picture of tulips in my neighborhood. I find them gorgeous, but alas, the woman who planted them has moved from the rental where they are blooming, and can’t tell me their name. My internet searches haven’t been successful — I’ve seen tulips that look  similar, but the evolving color and lush peony quality hasn’t been the same. Do they look familiar to you?

Thanks,

Suky

 

Hi Suky,

These heavy-headed beauties may well be some type of peony-flowered tulips, so densely ruffled their stalks aren't strong enough to hold up the blooms. They're gorgeous, but perhaps better for the vase than the garden. Do you think they might be the double-flowering 'Orca' (below) described as very fragrant, and changing from pale honey orange to tangerine as the blossoms age?  Brent and Becky's Bulbs and White Flower Farm both have good selections of double tulips, so you might want to search their web pages to be sure...your mystery tulips could also be 'Orange Princess' or 'Charming Lady' (both available from Brent and Becky's)

Q&A - Tulips

This just might be my favorite question ever....from Taryn who is in 5th grade in Waxahachie, Texas.

Question: I'm doing a research project on tulips, and I just read an article you wrote on tulips. So I was wondering:

. What are the main tips to growing tulips?

. About how long does it take to grow a single bulb?

. How do you think the tulip's population affect the society?

Thank you again for taking your time and helping me with this project!

Answer: Hi Taryn,

Did you know there's an entire book called "The Tulip" written by Anna Pavord, and it's a big best-seller? You might want to get a copy from your public library. In the meantime, here are the answers to your questions:

How to grow tulips:

-Tulips  grow from bulbs that need to be planted in a sunny location in soil that drains well. So if you have thick, heavy soil, it's best to plant tulips in pots or raised beds so the bulbs don't rot. You plant tulip bulbs about 4-6" deep, pointed side up in late autumn, for they need to be chilled over the winter. There are many different kinds of tulips that bloom at different times from March through May, so if you plan well, you can have tulips in bloom for months.

-How long does it take to grow a single bulb? Plant it in October, and it'll bloom the following spring.

-The bright, cheerful colors of tulips, and the fact they bloom in springtime, have cheered human beings up for centuries. In fact, hundreds of years ago, people in Holland considered tulips to be precious beyond jewels. Today we have so many colors, heights and shapes of tulips to choose from that its great fun to choose which we like best.  Also when you plant tulips in autumn, it is exciting and comforting to think about how they'll bloom in springtime.

Good luck with your research project, and I hope it inspires you to grow some tulips in your own garden.

These are all easy-to-grow Darwin hybrid tulips; photos courtesy of White Flower Farm

'Apricot Impression'

    

'Garant'

'Banja Luka'

 

Q&A: Leyland Cypress.... Why Not Branch Out?

Question: Hi Valerie,

I'm wondering about using a Leyland Cypress near my fenced property line. Can you suggest a proper distance from the fence and spacing? Also, I live in a very windy area, and a neighbor of mine has had a couple of these trees partially blow over. I've read conflicting things about their ability to withstand strong winds, so am concerned about this. Would it help to keep them trimmed / headed to avoid wind damage?

Thanks,

Tim Tomassi

Answer: Dear Tim,

I wouldn't advise anyone to plant Leyland Cypress because it's so boring and expected....I know, because they line my driveway (my only excuse is they were there when I moved in; I'm interspersing other trees and shrubs to make the hedge a little more interesting). But since I'm so prejudiced against them, I took your question to an astute consulting arborist friend, Sue Nicol (susanmnicol@gmail.com). Here's Sue's answer:

"Leyland Cypress is a hybrid, with hybrid vigor, and therefore grows quickly. It is susceptible to a number of diseases, so I don’t recommend it. If he really wants one, I would plant it at least 10 feet from the property line. There is no reason to think that an otherwise healthy Leyland Cypress will fall over in a wind storm any more than other conifers. The ability of a healthy tree to withstand strong winds depends on a number of factors, including soil drainage and whether there are girdling roots near the base of the trunk. If the root system is circling inside the container and he doesn’t fix that at planting time, then the tree is likely to develop girdling roots which can prevent a root system from adequately anchoring the tree in the ground."
 
(Now here's the best part - a good alternative to the ubiquitous Leyland cypress:) "I think a better conifer for urban yards is Western Red Cedar. I suggest the cultivar 'Virescens'. It is narrower and shorter than the species. All Western Red Cedars need occasional summer water since they naturally grow in moist soils. He should water deeply but infrequently during the hot dry months."

So there's your expert opinion....good luck with your decision...

Val

Q&A: Feed Troughs, Ground Covers & Poppies

 Question: I noticed (from your photos) that you use horse watering tanks for vegetable growing. Please comment on their efficiency or point me to info on the subject. Was going to have wooden planters made but would like to know about the tanks as an alternative worth pursuing.
Thanks,  C. Gay McVey

Answer: My garden is mostly raised beds, including round feed troughs, each four feet in diameter. I love the look of the feed troughs (they also come in a slimmer, bullet shape). They must be the least expensive large planter possible, their metal sides heat soil up earlier in the spring, and if you drill enough holes in the bottom so that they drain freely it appears they're indestructible. To locate feed troughs, see www.polocenter.com/health/feeduswa.htm for a city-by-city list of feed and livestock stores in Washington state.

Here's a photo of the feed troughs just after they were installed, and the first year they were planted:

Question: I Need some advice on where to purchase ground cover and what you would recommend. This would be in-between steeping stones/pavers. Look forward to your advice.

Thank you,

Noel Ramos

Answer: What will work best depends on your taste in plants, your soil, sun/shade..You'll want groundcovers that can take some foot traffic. Buy enough to plant them close together so that they fill in quickly. Until then, weed and water regularly.  There's a bunch of tough groundcovers marketed as "Stepables" - check out the web page for ideas, and then shop one of our larger nurseries for a good selection.

Question: Dear Valerie,

My great-grandmother grew the full, tall, pink, bread-seed poppies back in the late 1800's.  The seed has been passed on through the generations.  Each year I hold my breath that I haven't killed off the line.  My late mother planted her seeds from the previous year around Washington's birthday in February.  I tried that but found if I planted them in the backyard they'd grow in the front yard (I suspect from seeds in my compost) .  Either one heck of a root system or they're taunting me.  I suspect the latter.  I just read a suggestion of planting in the Fall for zone 7 here in Seattle.  Would appreciate your advice on  1) storing the seed, 2) when to scatter, and 3) how do you handle mulch/wood chips?  I like to use mulch to control the weeds but, since the seeds grow so shallow I worry about smothering.  Could I mulch first and then scatter, or would they do better in plain soil.  Thank you so much for your great articles and any poppy advice you can offer.  Shelley Butchart

P.S.  Apparently marrying a man with the last name of "Butchart" does not make me a gardener.  It worked for the woman in Victoria, but for me, not so much.

Answer: Avoid the wood chips when it comes to poppies, and sow them directly into the soil. Either spring or fall is fine, but I'd wait until later than February. I sow poppy seeds in late March when the soil has warmed up a bit, and again in early October.

Garden Touring

There's no more enjoyable or illuminating way to learn about gardening and meet fellow enthusiasts than to tour open gardens...as reflected in this inquiry from blog reader Nancy Crowell:

Question: Hey Valerie - Do you or anyone else you know of publish an accurate list of garden tours in the Pacific NW? I keep missing the ones I'd like to see because I'm not sure where to go to find the info!

Answer: We live in gardening paradise, with a wealth of skilled gardeners creating inspiring properties. But how to keep up with what's open when? One way is to join the Northwest Perennial Alliance; with membership comes the prize of an "Open Garden Directory". Various NPA members open up their gardens every weekend of the season, so pick your geographical area and start touring. It's a chance to move at your own pace, avoid the crowds, see cool plants and meet enthused gardeners.

For a thorough and updated list of area garden tours, see the Miller Horticultural Library's web page. You'll find a handy list of dozens of open gardens, from a midnight pond tour to a champagne gala for the Bellevue Botanical Garden. The staff at the library keep it current, along with a list of area plant sales...beware falling down the wiki-hole of this tempting web page...better yet go on into the library, and discover the riches of this collection, open and available for public use.

Mystery Tree

 Hello Valerie,
We were at Langley, Whidbey Island yesterday and we sighted upon this beautiful tree with upside down bunch of white flowers at downtown Langley . It was somewhere inside the little shopping area, beside the Useless Bay Coffee Company. The tree had a lovely bird bath below it. Attached is a picture of the tree.

I have been piqued by this lovely tree and cannot tell what it is. We asked the local garden store lady, the wine shop owner (Nancy) and the sandwich store owner(Sandy) and none of them could help us. I would much appreciate if you can tell me what is the name of this mysterious tree with such lovely riotous June blooms ?

Thanks much,
Uma Raghavan

Dear Uma,
Your mystery tree (photo below) is a Japanese snowbell (Styrax japonica) a graceful little Japanese tree with fragrant flowers in June, just when we're out in our gardens most to enjoy them. It's ideal to grow where you can look up into it to appreciate the flowers that dangle below the branches; above a bench as you describe, or on a hillside (if you can give provide it adequate water on a slope), or in a large raised bed are all ideal. Japanese snowbells need regular summer irrigation, have few or no pests, and grow and flower well in sun or part shade. It's cousin, Styrax obassia, has larger, bolder leaves and is a bigger tree altogether with more presence in the landscape, but less grace than Styrax japonica.

Photo by Uma:

 

Q&A - What's Happened to the Garden Contest?

Question: Will there be a Northwest Garden Competition this year by the Arboretum Foundation?
Thanks,
 Doris Leister

Answer: I've been wondering the same thing, as months go by with no final word on the fate of the Northwest Flower and Garden Show. So I checked in with Arboretum Foundation Director Paige Miller. Here's her answer, which means the end of an inspiring Northwest garden tradition - for now, anyway.....Paige writes:  "Because the Flower and Garden Show has been a main sponsor of the garden contest and the contributor of the major prizes, and because the future of the Show was uncertain, the sponsors (including the Seattle Times) have made the decision not to hold the competition this year.  We will re-evaluate when we know more about the future of the Show. I know that the competition has been a very popular activity with our local gardening community and that many will be disappointed that we are not able to hold it this year.  We hope that we can restore it in the future."

Q & A- heirloom vegetables, feed trough containers

Question: Enjoy your columns very much - I noticed that you have some galvanized feeding troughs being used as large planters. I would like to know where you found them in Seattle.  Were they expensive?  And how do you like them?  How did you drill draining holes? 
 Thank you,
 Masayo

Answer: I love the feed troughs because the galvanized metal brings a glint to the garden, soil heats up faster raised up in metal, circle shapes look great in the garden, and they must be the least expensive option ever for such roomy containers. They come in several sizes  in round and bullet shapes, and you can find them at feed stores...I got mine at Cenex Skagit Farmer's Supply Store in Freeland, on Whidbey Island. The web page www.polocenter.com/health/feeduswa.htm has a list of all the feed stores in the state, by city. I'm sorry I can't remember the exact price, but I believe that the four foot round (the largest) costs about $80 (or anyway it did five years ago when I got mine). Just be sure and drill plenty of holes in the bottom for drainage;  we used landscape fabric inside the troughs to keep the soil from running out of the holes.

Question:   I just read your interesting article on smart nursery shopping, and I was wondering if you know of any local area nursery that sell heirloom vegetable starts?

Thanks – pray for sun!
Dave

Answer: Wouldn't a little sun and warmth lift our collective spirits? It has to warm up soon...doesn't it?

West Seattle Nursery carries heirloom vegetable starts and most nurseris have a good assortment of heirloom vegetable seeds. You'll no doubt find the best variety of heirloom starts at the Tilth Edible Plant Sale and the King Couny Master Gardener's Plant Sale, both held the weekend of May 2 & 3; see websites for hours, locations and details.

I learned in researching your question that even large nurseries like Swansons, Molbaks, Sky and Wells-Medina have little about vegetables on their websites and don't distinguish if they carry heirloom varieties. But that doesn't mean that they don't carry heirlooms.....it's certainly worth a nursery visit to find out....