We were planning on putting a list of things we should be doing in our vegetable garden on today's blog when we ran across Uncle Jim's Almanac. Bob's Market and Greenhouses supplies our growers with young plants produced for our garden center. Located in the Central Ohio Valley, Bob's climate is much like ours. Read on for some excellent gardening tips.
Be careful in the heat out there this week.
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| Asparagus Photo Courtesy of University of MD Extension |
Growing asparagus is very rewarding; after all, the perennial may last for decades. Usually planted with one-year-old roots, it can take three growing seasons for a good harvest.
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| One-year-old roots are sold in bunches of 10 or 25 |
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| Photo courtesy of Nourse Farms |
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| Asparagus beetle photo courtesy of Maryland HGIC |
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| Photo from NYT cooking column |
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| Photo courtesy of Catholic Review |
St.
Patrick’s Day celebration traditions include the wearing of green, a fun
parade, corned beef and cabbage, some Guinness, Jamison’s or green bear, and a
shamrock plant.
Legend has
it that St. Patrick used the three-leaved Shamrock to explain the Holy Trinity-the
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit- to the Irish in the 5th century. The
tradition of wearing a shamrock dates back to the 1700’s.
The shamrocks we sell are in the Oxalis family. They can be grown from bulb-like
rhizomes, found in our garden shop. Large, blooming shamrocks are featured in our greenhouse
this time of year.
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| Oxalis green with white or pale pink flowers |
The shamrocks have clover-like leaves, in green, purple, or with an Iron Cross. Though primarily sold as houseplants, they can also grow as annuals in spring and summer. They contrast beautifully with other annuals in containers.
Purple Shamrock Oxalis triangularis
Use a good potting mix. Place in full
sun to partial shade and allow the surface of the soil to dry between waterings.
The plant may go dormant in the winter (cut back on watering) and reemerge in
spring.
Oxalis tetraphylla-Iron Cross Shamrock blooms are dark pink
Don’t be concerned when the leaves close up at night or when disturbed. That’s normal for the Oxalis.
Though Oxalis may be carried all year, we have the best selection for several weeks preceding St. Patrick's Day.
"Never iron a four-leaf clover; you don't want to press your luck".
Tillandsias, aka airplants, are magical, quirky weidos. Why do people grow them?
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| Tillandsia on cholla with moss |
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| Our own display is chock full of different tillandsias. |
With so many shapes, forms, and textures, the furry, spiky, curly, symmetrical, chaotic objects are living sculptures that can be fashioned all sorts of ways.
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| Various bold-colored blooms |
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| Last week's Tillandsia Workshop |
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| Choosing just the right plants for the project |
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| Fun epiphytic workshop |
What's not to love about Hellebores? They're evergreen, deer-resistant, shade-loving, early bloomers, and, above all, beautiful! Once this dang snow melts, you're bound to see flowers emerging from this remarkable plant.
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| Pearl-white blooms on dark foliage |
Hellebores are native to Europe and Asia. Though some will reseed, they stay put where they are planted in our area. The one to two-foot plants are popular in woodland gardens. Stems bear cup-shaped flowers in white, purple, pink, and green shades. Plants are poisonous, which is why they are deer-resistant.
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| Mixed varieties add early color to my foundation garden |
In my garden, they thrive in light to heavy shade. The garden soil is well-drained. They have become drought-resistant after several years. Hellebores are hardy in our zone 7 and from USDA zones 3-9.
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| New, tender growth emerging in early March |
Hellebores like cooler temperatures for planting, making spring and fall ideal. Be careful not to bury the crown too deeply and avoid mulching near the crown.
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| Pink -tipped blooms nod in the garden |
As the flowers are soon to emerge, remove any tattered leaves to make room for the new growth. Many of the newer varieties of Hellebores stand up straight, not nodding like many of the varieties in my own garden.
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| Nodding pink flowers on bright green leaves |
Fertilize in fall or early spring with Plant Tone or your favorite organic or slow-release plant food.
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| The forager in me picked early maple leaves, cedar, and bleeding heart to accompany the Hellebores. |
Enjoy these wonderful plants early this season. See our Plantfinder for a look at each of the almost 50 varieties we sell at Valley View Farms in our perennial department.
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| Patterned leaves with a purplish back |
Grown as a houseplant indoors or as an annual in the spring, it is a great choice for hanging baskets and trellises. In a large container outside, after all chance of frost has passed, Rex Begonia Vine makes an incredible spiller in a mixed pot or raised bed.
The following culture guide and photos are courtesy of The Missouri Botanical Gardens.
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| Photo courtesy of the Missouri Botanical Gardens |
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| Photo courtesy of The Missouri Botanical Gardens |
Easily grown in evenly moist, rich, well-draining soil in part sun. Prefers warm, humid conditions. The foliage will lack its distinct variegation if grown in too much shade. Too much sun will scorch the foliage. Hardy in frost-free Zones 11 and higher. Performance will be negatively impacted by prolonged temperatures of 50°F and below.
Cissus javana, (also known as Cissus discolor), commonly called rex begonia vine, is a herbaceous, tender perennial vine native to Southeast Asia, where it is typically found growing on woody vegetation. Mature vines have delicate, red stems and will reach up to 10' long and 1' wide. The narrowly ovate leaves have cordate bases and will reach up to 6" long and 4" wide. The upper surface of the foliage is dark green and mottled with silvery white while the lower surface is deep purple-red. The small, inconspicuous flowers are held in compound, axilary clusters. The fruits are rounded, 0.25" diameter, purple to black berries. Synonymous with Cissus discolor.
Genus name comes from the Greek word kissos meaning ivy.
The specific epithet javana means "from Java", in reference to part of the native range of this species.
The common name rex begonia vine refers to the appearance of the foliage. This plant is a member of the grape family Vitaceae and is not closely related to begonias.
Watch for whiteflies. Low humidity or too much full sun can cause the foliage to develop brown patches.
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| Raised beds at The Missouri Botanical Gardens. Notice how well it contrasts with the chartreuse of the sedum planted in the same bed. |
Suitable for use in mixed borders, hanging baskets or allowed to spill over the edge of a container. Provide a trellis or other structure for the vines to climb up if an upright form is desired. Use as an annual, or bring indoors to overwinter in a bright location when temperatures fall to 50°F.
Nepenthes are tropical carnivorous pitcher plants, most often sold in hanging baskets in greenhouses. Monkey pods, nicknamed because monkeys in places like Borneo will drink from the cups that also trap insects, are modified pitcher-shaped leaves. Native to Southeast Asia, they grow as vines.
Nepenthes attract prey with nectar. The insects fall into a pool of liquid where they drown and are digested.
The vining plants can climb or sprawl with pitchers developing at the ends of the leaves.
Found in tropical regions, various varieties grow in hot, humid lowlands and cooler highland regions.
Nepenthes is named after the mythical Greek potion nepenthe, mentioned in The Odyssey. It was given to Helen by the Egyptians to banish sorrow.
Nepenthes care:
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| Tiny pots of Nepenthes and other Carnivorous plants are available in our greenhouse. |
