Scott Arboretum Curator Andrew Bunting cautions, “Eye-catching flowers can pull us in as if we were another pollinator, but we don’t want to limit our garden shopping to just buying at the big bloom time for a particular plant. Sure, a flowering plant makes an appealing nursery display, but purchasing plants only when they are in bloom is not a good strategy. You can, however, think ahead. Look at typical bloom times for your region, and easily chart out your selections with the aim of having a good seasonal flow of flowers.”

We asked Andrew to fill in a calendar with monthly examples of signature flowering shrubs. Here are Andrew’s picks for a “book-of-hours” monthly approach to illuminating your garden:

The silky white buds of Edgeworthia chrysantha open to a mass of tubular yellow fragrant flower. photo credit: R. Maurer

March Edgeworthia chrysantha – This is my favorite shrub for early spring flowering.  In late March, the silky white buds will open revealing masses of tubular yellow fragrant flowers.

April Fothergilla gardenii ‘Suzanne’ – ‘Suzanne’ is a diminutive selection of the fothergilla.  Before the leaves emerge, this shrub is adorned with fragrant, white bottlebrush-like flowers.

May Calycanthus x raulstonii ‘Hartlage Wine’ – ‘Hartlage Wine’ is one of the most exciting shrubs for spring flowers.  As the leaves are emerging, this Calycanthus is covered in large open-faced maroon flowers.

June Hydrangea paniculata Little Lime^TM – This is the dwarf version of H. ‘Limelight’, reaching only five feet tall at maturity. In June, cones of lime green flowers will emerge, turning white for the remainder of the summer.

Emmenopterys henryi is a great tree for a show stopping display in July. photo credit: D. Mattis

July Emmenopterys henryi – Emmenopterys is an exciting tree for its July flowers.  The large white bracts look as if they are hovering above the foliage.

August Lagerstroemia indica [Burgundy Cotton®]=’Whit VI’ – The crepe myrtles are a quintessential summer flowering tree.  This new selection contrasts beautifully its purple-black foliage with white flowers.

Disanthus cercidifolius' heart-shaped leaves backlit by the setting sun. photo credit: D. Mattis

Fall Color Disanthus cercidifolius – Many shrubs have outstanding fall color.  Disanthus has spectacular fall color.  Depending on the siting, the heart-shaped leaves can vary from fire engine-red to reddish purple.

Late Fall Ilex verticillata ‘Maryland Beauty’ – ‘Maryland Beauty’ is one of the finest clones of winterberry hollies.  From September to March the branches are heavily laden with cherry–red berries.

The attractive bark of Acer triflorum provides winter interest in your garden. photo credit: R. Maurer

Winter Our gardens do not end with a killing frost.  There are many plants that continue to provide interest on through the winter, including those with attractive bark, like Acer triflorum.  This small maple has a depth of orange-brown colors in its flaking bark and makes a great specimen tree.

Crytomeria japonica 'Yoshino' attractive pyramidal shape looks lovely with this light dusting of snow. photo credit: R. Robert

Of course, conifers stand out in winter, and Cryptomeria japonica ‘Yoshino’ is a great choice. This cultivar of Japanese cedar holds its color well in winter, has a strong pyramidal shape, and sheds snow well. It grows tall and fast in the sun, but will also perform in shade, just growing more slowly.

The eye-catching flower display of Hamamelis x intermedia 'Jelena' adds to your winter garden. photo credit: R. Manduca

However, our discussionis about eye-catching flower displays, and there are plants to brighten up the dead of winter with blooms—witchhazels, in particular. Hamamelis x intermedia ‘Jelena’ is a great choice. It has a copper-colored flower, rewarding close inspection because it’s also fragrant.  ‘Jelena’ generally sheds last-season’s leaves, so those blooms are not obscured, which happens with some witchhazels.

You can get full descriptive and cultural information on the plants Andrew mentioned from the Plant Sale Handbook. All these plants will be available for sale at the 2011 Scott Associates Plant Sale.

Another good resource to help you plot peak bloom times is this table at the Missouri Botanical Garden website. The calendar charts blooming for their area of the Midwest, but their USDA hardiness is comparable to our region.

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Ted Patterson, from Wayne, PA, retired from public relations work with the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, is a co-chair of the woody plant section at the Scott Associates Plant Sale.

The post Monthly Stars for Your Garden appeared first on Scott Arboretum & Gardens.

With patience, the swamp white oaks of Magill Walk have matured into a striking alley. photo credit: R. Maurer

“Some components of a garden design offer an instant hit or they hit the ground running,” says Scott Arboretum Curator Andrew Bunting. “But there are plants where it takes a bit of patience for them to fully realize their true attributes. And that is really the ultimate gratification for a gardener—to nurture a plant through a number of seasons and see its development unfold.”

With that philosophy in mind, and in keeping with our 40th anniversary theme, Andrew identified some examples of plants that reward patience:

Wonderful fall color of Acer triflorum. photo credit: M. Blandford

Acer triflorum will develop into a beautiful small specimen tree with tawny peeling bark and wonderful sugar maple-like fall color.

Camellia japonica ‘Korean Fire’ is a perfectly hardy selection for the Delaware Valley.  Over time it will reach 15 feet tall and will be adorned in early spring with deep red flowers.

Cedrus deodora 'Silver Mist' has lovely silver-green foliage. photo credit: J. Coceano

Cedrus deodara ‘Silver Mist’ will develop into a majestic specimen conifer with silver-green foliage and arching branches.

Cercidphyllum japonicum ‘Morikawa Weeping’, a weeping form of katsura, becomes more and more elegant with time.  The long weeping branches create a stunning cascading habit with remarkable golden fall color.

Chionanthus retusus ‘China Snow’, like all Chinese fringetrees, becomes more and more spectacular with age.  At maturity it will reach 25 feet tall with an equal spread.  In May it will be adorned with feathery white flowers.

The distinquishing white bracts of Davidia involucrata. photo credit: R. Maurer

Davidia involucrata ‘Sonoma’ is a relatively new selection of the dove tree, which has larger than normal white bracts.  Davidia is unequaled for its significant flowers in the spring.

The white bracts of Emmenopterya henryi. photo credit: D. Mattis

Emmenopterys henryi remains one of the rarest trees in cultivation. This upright tree requires at least twenty years of growth before it comes into flower, but once this occurs you will be treated to stunningly large white bracts in July that look as if they are hovering over the branches.

Stunning fire-engine red fall color of Franklinia alatamaha. photo credit: R. Maurer

Franklinia alatamaha is a plant for all seasons.  In the summer, it is covered with large, white, camellia-like flowers; the fall color is a stunning fire-engine red; and the stems have interesting grey and white striations for winter interest.

Magnolia virginiana var. australis 'Henry Hicks' has intensely fragrant flowers. photo credit: ML Gessel

Magnolia virginiana var. australis ‘Henry Hicks’ was selected by Scott Arboretum’s own Dr. Wister because this sweetbay magnolia is nearly evergreen in the Philadelphia area.  Sporadically throughout the summer it has intensely fragrant flowers and is one of the few magnolias which will tolerate wet soils.

You can get full descriptive and cultural information on the plants Andrew mentioned—indeed on all selections, in advance—from the Plant Sale Handbook.

A final note on patience:

Biggest is not always best when it comes to purchasing plants. Large multi-gallon container plants or balled-and-burlapped plants do not necessarily succeed better than smaller container plants. All transplants take time to settle in and establish a good root system. A small container plant may have a quicker period of root adjustment, and after a few years of growth it may be equal in size to its multi-gallon cousin.

Plant experts helps shoppers at the Scott Associates Plant Sale choose the best plants for their garden. photo credit: J. Goren

Read about planting a tree on page 57 in the Plant Sale Handbook or discuss planting methods with a plant expert at the 2011 Scott Associates Plant Sale. We want your gardening patience to be rewarded.

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Ted Patterson, from Wayne, PA, retired from public relations work with the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, is a co-chair of the woody plant section at the Scott Associates Plant Sale.

The post Plants to Reward Patience appeared first on Scott Arboretum & Gardens.

Gardeners, Dwight Darkow and Sue Stark, pose for a whimsical photo. photo credit: D. Mattis

Sue noted, in addition to wildlife benefits, she was interested in plants that establish strongly—that could fill bed spaces, replace lawn, and in particular be an alternative to ivy. In many cases, she gave examples of how the plants have been used around the campus and how they performed.

Here, Sue highlights a few of our birds-and-bees plants, with a focus on ground covers:

Tiarella cordifolia ‘Susquehanna’: This is an example of an ivy replacement. It spreads quickly. Tiarella sp. is said to tolerate a wide range of soil conditions, including alkalinity, which means you can use it near the runoff from a concrete walk or roadway. This is one of the so-called “river series” of foamflower cultivars, named for eastern Pennsylvania rivers. T.c.‘Susquehanna’ is said to have more red in the leaf.

Speaking of ground covers, Waldsteinia ternata, barren strawberry, is also on the sale list. We used the native version, Waldsteinia fragarioides, around the campus as cover under shrubs. Step out of your car in the new Wister Center parking lot and you’ll find it nearby.  Walsteinia also works great with spring bulbs. W. ternata clumps more, doesn’t run out as much as our native, and perhaps can take the heat a little better, but either is an attractive cover.

You have to consider the ‘Gro-low’ cultivar of Rhus aromatic, a worthy native ground cover. We use it on campus near Alice Paul Hall, and it takes off. Bees will be busy around the spring flowers, birds are attracted to the berries, and the red-purple fall color is a delight.

Spigelia Marilandica in bloom. photo credit: Scott Arboretum Archives

Spigelia marilandica is another native perennial worthy of more attention although it is slow to emerge, it’s tough, and has a red flower, which draws the hummingbirds. We use it extensively near the entrance to the Scott Amphitheater.

Red flowers of Aesculus pavia. photo credit: R. Pineo

Also of interest to hummingbirds is the red flower of Aesculus pavia, red buckeye. We have ‘Biltmore Strain’ in the sale. It blooms earlier than the bottlebrush buckeye, Aesculus parviflora, and drives the hummingbirds wild. Whether you consider it a shrub or a tree, it will clump out nicely. You can see it used on campus near the Dana/Hollowell dorms.

Back among the perennials, I’ll mention Phlox paniculata ‘Jeana’ on the sale list. Commonly used, the Phlox flower has the attractiveness and attraction-interest of the non-native Buddleja sp., without the drawbacks. This new cultivar has 2 important virtues: it is very mildew resistant, and does not grow as tall as straight species making it less likely to flop.

Striking yellow flowers of Gelsemium sempervirens 'Margarita'. photo credit: R. Robert

Finally, we should consider a plant that is not listed as an “East-of-the-Mississippi” native—the Gelsemium sempervirens ‘Margarita’. Commonly called Carolina jasmine, this is a U.S. plant, but is found further south and out of our indigenous area. However, this selection has proven hardy up through zone 6. It has very fragrant, yellow, trumpet-shaped flowers that bring in butterflies and hummingbirds. It’s a vine that can be trellised vertically, or grown horizontally along a fence, or as a groundcover. Plus, it is a Pennsylvania Horticultural Society Gold Medal winner.

You can get complete descriptive and cultural information on the plants Sue mentions from the Plant Sale Handbook.

In addition, note the excerpt listings starting at page 53 in the back of the handbook, the “Plant Suggestions for Specific Needs.” Two categories particularly relate to our discussion here—the Native Plant list and the Winged Wonders list (for bird and pollinators). For your convenience, we’ve reprinted each as one-page lists—Natives here and Winged Wonders here. Read about other great wildlife and conservations recommended by Habitat Steward, Barb Elliot.

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Ted Patterson, from Wayne, PA, retired from public relations work with the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, is a co-chair of the woody plant section at the Scott Associates Plant Sale.

The post Wildlife and Conservation: Ground covers appeared first on Scott Arboretum & Gardens.

Barb noted she bases her home plant selections on a strict interpretation of “native”—giving the highest priority to plants she knows are indigenous to SE Pennsylvania and the Piedmont area. As an avid bird-watcher, her comments derive from many hours of observation of animals and insects. She recommends:

Asclepias tuberosa. People are starting to see milkweed as more than a roadside plant. Milkweed flowers are a nectar source for many butterflies and the leaves are the only food source for monarch butterfly caterpillars. Gardeners can watch the entire monarch lifecycle on this plant.

Lobelia cardinalis is scattered among iris around the pond in Barb Elliot's backyard. photo credit: T. Patterson

The nectar of Lobelia cardinalis, cardinal flower, is highly valued by hummingbirds and is a prime target during its late summer bloom time.

Phlox paniculata 'Jeana' photo credit: B. Elliot

Phlox paniculata ‘Jeana’ is a new mildew-resistant cultivar. It is great for butterflies and hummingbirds.

All of the aforementioned plants are available at the 2011 Scott Associates Plant Sale. Nearly one-third of the plants offered—both the woody shrubs and trees and the herbaceous perennials—are native to the eastern US.

Check out the large plant selection at the Scott Associates Plant Sale. photo credit: K. Bock

You can get complete descriptive and cultural information on the plants Barb mentioned from the full sale handbook, which is an easy download.

In addition, the group of native plants available is an excerpt listing in the “Plant Suggestions for Specific Needs,” page 51 in back of the handbook. For your convenience, we’ve reprinted it as a one-page list here.

Here is the detailed criteria Barb Elliot applies in selecting her plants for habitat gardening.

• Does the plant have multiple uses for wildlife, beyond food?
• Will having the plant on my property contribute to meeting year-round wildlife needs for food, shelter, nesting places?
• Is it an important host plant, increasing the opportunity for reproductive success for insects and birds?
• As a food source, is the nectar or pollen prized, is the foliage attractive to leaf-eating insects, is the bud/berry/seed/nut eaten by birds?
• Does the plant foliage provide protection from predators/weather; is it useful for nesting birds?

Enjoy a garden of any species by planting for all your neighbors, not just humans.

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Barb Elliot, Ph.D. in Educational Psychology, trained as a reading specialist, worked for GE Aerospace, retired from market research at AstraZeneca, and lives in Wayne, PA.

Ted Patterson, from Wayne, PA, retired from public relations work with the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, is a co-chair of the woody plant section at the Scott Associates Plant Sale.

The post Wildlife and Conservation: Native Perennial Plants appeared first on Scott Arboretum & Gardens.

Barb Elliot's yard has been a certified wildlife habitat since 1998. photo credit: T. Patterson

We asked Barb Elliot to highlight some plants ideal for our non-human neighbors. Barb is the co-founder of the Backyards for Nature program at the Valley Forge Audubon Society. Active in several Philadelphia-area conservation groups, Barb is a trained “Habitat Steward” by the National Wildlife Federation, and her yard has been a certified wildlife habitat since 1998.

Barb bases her plant selections on a strict interpretation of “native”—giving the highest priority to plants she knows are indigenous to Southeast Pennsylvania and the Piedmont area. As an avid bird-watcher, her comments are a result of many hours of observation of animals and insects. Barb’s recommendations include:

Betula nigra provides shade for the Harry Wood Garden. photo credit: R. Maurer

Betula nigra. I have grown three river birches in my yard. They grow quickly, and serve as great hosts for leaf-eating insects while maintaining an attractive presence in the garden.

The attractive fall color of Cornus florida. photo credit: R. Robert

Everybody knows the flowers of our native dogwood, Cornus florida, but we should also remember the value of the red berries for migrating birds. Dogwoods are hosts for a number of butterfly and moth caterpillars, including spring azure butterflies and the cecropia moth, our largest native moth.

The leaves of Quercus muehlenbergii, the Chinkapin oak, seen here, are said to remind one of the Chestnut (Castanea dentate). However, blight has largely robbed us of seeing Chestnuts. Q. muehlenbergii leaves are also similar to the Chestnut oak (Quercus prinus), but shiny, more narrow, and sharply toothed. Find it at the Scott plant sale, because it is very uncommon in commercial trade. photo credit: T. Patterson

Although I don’t have Quercus muehlenbergii, I do know that everyone should have an oak. Oaks are at the absolute top of Doug Tallamy’s value list—supporting some 534 species of butterfly and moth caterpillars. These insects are a key food source for migrating birds, and offer acorns for birds and other animals. Bird-watchers tell you, “If you want to see spring migrating warblers, look in oaks.”

Most people probably think about Vaccinium, the blueberries, for dessert, but remember it’s a wonderful multi-use native plant. We have a blueberry hedge along our back fence, and tons of bees are among the flowers. The foliage is a food source for several butterfly species. The reality is, whatever our measures, we’re likely going to be sharing those blueberries with the birds. Netting is dangerous to birds—something I won’t do, and I just expect to share.

Juniperus virginiana 'Grey Owl' dabbled in snow. photo credit: J. Coceano

Speaking of berries, I now have eight Juniperus virginiana in my yard. The Eastern red cedar is fabulous cover for birds, plus many species nest in them. Last winter, I found a screech owl roosting in one of my trees. The little blue berries on the females are a significant food source, with some 54 bird species eating the fruit. The plant is also a larval food for the juniper hairstreak butterfly.

Discovering great plants at the Scott Assoicates Plant Sale. photo credit: J. Goren

All of the aforementioned plants will be available at the 2011 Scott Associates Plant Sale. Nearly one-third of the plants offered—both the woody shrubs and trees and the herbaceous perennials—are native to the eastern U.S.

These plants have selected because they are adapted to soil and weather conditions in Delaware County. They are low maintenance, energy-savers—needing less water and fertilizer than many other plants. And more, important, they provide food and shelter for birds, butterflies, pollinators, and other beneficial fauna, which have evolved over millennia expecting the seeds, berries and pollen from these co-inhabitants.

2011 Scott Associates Plant Sale Handbook. photo credit: R. Robert

You can get complete descriptions and cultural information about the plants Barb mentioned from the Plant Sale Handbook.

For a complete list of native plants available see page 53 in back of the handbook. For your convenience, we’ve reprinted it as a one-page list here.

Subscribe to Garden Seeds to read about Barb’s perennial plant recommendations and selection criteria for wildlife and conservation plants in our next post. Read more about planting for birds, insects, and pollinators in the Fall 2011 issue of the Hybrid. Laura Stiebitz discussing how the Scott Arboretum’s Pollinator Garden became a certified wildlife habitat with the National Wildlife Federation.

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Barb Elliot, Ph.D. in Educational Psychology, trained as a reading specialist, worked for GE Aerospace, retired from market research at AstraZeneca, and lives in Wayne, PA.

Ted Patterson, from Wayne, PA, retired from public relations work with the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, is a co-chair of the woody plant section at the 2011 Scott Associates Plant Sale.

The post Wildlife and Conservation: Native Woody Plants appeared first on Scott Arboretum & Gardens.