Serenity in the Garden

Stunning Display at Missouri Botanical Garden  Variegated Sweet Flag (Acorus calamus 'Variegatus')  is a striking, wetland plant that grows from 2' - 4' tall. Each iris-like leaf sports a prominent creamy-white stripe. Zones: 4-8.  It makes a punchy addition to a wet area; streamside, pond's edge, or in a container. sweet flag in a pot Creeping rhizomes slowly spread to form large colonies in favorable conditions, but the variegated form is not as aggressive as the regular green variety.  ALERT: the normal green variety is now listed as an invasive -  The New Jersey Invasive Species Strike Team, http://www.njisst.org/index.asp, has this listed on the 2017 Do Not Plant List lovely  leaves  from grasslands nursery uk This perennial doesn't require a bog or wetlands but it needs to be constantly wet in the summer months.  Although native to Europe, it was introduced into North America by settlers in the ...

Electric Blue Gecko Elephant Ears Want to create a bold statement in your garden this summer? Elephant ears (Colocasia esculenta) sport large, colorful leaves and  give your garden an instant tropical effect. They  like sun, moist soil and warm weather (zones  8-11 ) .  Great in pots - source: Logees The Gecko series from breeder Brian Williams of the mail order nursery,  Brian’s Botanicals  in Louisville, KY is vigorous and change color like a true gecko. 'Electric Blue Gecko' grows 3 ft x 3 ft and has foliage that can look deep purple, black or even metallic-blue in different light.  It has maroon undersides.  It looks great against coleus and colorful annual flowers!  NYBG - Electric Blue Gecko with coleus and more  Deep blue stems hold the foliage high which makes it look great in a container or in  mass plantings and in the front or middle of the border. It likes  moist but well drai...

from  Garden Design - photo by Jason Dewey What plant is popular in Europe and was the 2010 Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) Plant of Merit?    The 3' - 4 ft tall  'Firetail' Knotweed or  Persicaria amplexicaulis  ‘Firetail’ photo courtesy of Big Dipper Farm Beloved by James Van Sweden and Piet Oudolf, this non-invasive Himalayan perennial adds a “nice red spark” to the late summer garden (from July through frost). It forms a bushy mound of foliage topped by brightly colored “tails” of tiny crimson flowers. A good plant for moist areas along streams or ponds, it prefers partial sun to full sun conditions. It has no serious disease or insect problems.  Hardiness USDA zones 5 to 9 It looks great in a mass planting and wonderful as a background for asters, mums, short grasses,  and geranium 'Rozanne'. avalon perennials Contrasts well with purple salvia, echinops, helianthus, nepeta or perovskia. Underplant it w...

Acorus calamus 'Variegatus' at the Missouri Botanical Garden   Variegated Sweet Flag is a striking, wetland plant that grows from 2' - 4' tall. Each iris-like leaf sports a prominent creamy-white stripe. Zones: 4-8.  It makes a punchy addition to a wet area; streamside, pond's edge, or in a container. sweet flag in a pot   Creeping rhizomes slowly spread to form large colonies in favorable conditions, but the variegated form is not as aggressive as the regular green variety. lovely leaves  from grasslands nursery uk This native perennial doesn't require a bog or wetlands but it needs to be constantly wet in the summer months. Sweet Flag is very hardy and semi-evergreen in zone 7 and south.     sweet flag photo from Waterford Gardens  

photo by Danielle Donders   It is a rainy spring where I live. Rain and more rain. Days of rain with intermittent breaks of sun.   So when life gives you raindrops....   You make...   photo from this blog (click here)   Mud Pies.   Learn to love the mud and you will be a happier person, I assure you....   Annual Mud Day Celebration in Westland, Michigan   My stepmother once chided me for playing in the dirt and mud, saying this wasn't proper for a young lady (I was 11)... She didn't understand that this was (and is) my greatest joy.  Perhaps I should have shown her one of my favorite poems. It is called 'In Just' by e e cummings.      a poem in praise of spring, mud, childhood and more by e e Cummings:   in just- in Just- spring       when the world is mud- luscious the little lame balloonman whistles     ...

Carex phyllocephala 'Sparkler' - photo by Laura McKillop What is deer resistant, grows in part to full shade, has varigated leaves, likes wet soil, has no serious pests and will naturalize and spread?     Carex phyllocephala 'Sparkler'                  'Sparkler' Carex or sedge thrives in moist, organically rich soils so it is perfect for rain gardens or heavy soil. It is considered to be winter hardy to USDA Zone 7 ( hardy to 10 degrees).  It can be grown as an annual is colder regions.   ‘Sparkler’ is clump-forming and has whorl-like clusters of grass-like, variegated leaves at the end of each 12" - 24" tall stem. This makes it look like a mini palm of narrow leaves with broad white margins. Tony Avent describes Carex Sparkler as “a grove of miniature variegated palm trees.” photo taken by Laura McKillop in the conservatory at Longwood Gardens In southe...

from simply waterbutts What is a water butt? This is what I thought when I looked at Hermes' posting in his marvelous 'Gardens of a Golden Afternoon' blog.... If you live in an area where the summer months are dry you may want to collect rainwater from your roof to keep your garden watered. This can be done in a rain barrel or as the people in the UK call it,  a water butt. Plastic rain barrels (in various sizes and styles) can be connected to a downspout of a house to collect rainwater from the gutters. They can collect water through the top lid or through the side through a pipe diverter. If you use a diverter then the rain fills the barrel (or water butt) first then,  once it's full, flows down the drainpipe as usual. A gutter filter can be used to will keep out unwanted debris. I found several water butt sites and want to share a few fun items with you: The Cascatia Decorative 245 Litre Waterbutt is made of plastic, but looks lik...

Rain gardens are making a splash these days ( sorry - I couldn't help it)... And with good reason! The low, damp, dank areas that are vital to good drainage, wildlife, and air quality don't have to be swampy lowlands....they can be made into RAIN GARDENS. These special gardens can be beautiful as well as functional and require a minimum of care, once established.  The garden I show you here in this video was essentially a 'no-mans-land' before we enhanced it. The wetland plants soak up the water. The subsurface pipe I installed ( to prevent massive flooding) works to keep the flooding in check.  Sensitive Fern and Blue Bunny Sedge in the Rain garden The garden I show you here has just been planted - in a few years it will be glorious!