Category: In The Garden

By Carrie Haycraft

There are easy ways to get started with composting.

Composting is breaking down waste,by worms or cultures, into a fertilizer-type substance to use in your yard or garden, providing a substainable cycle of growth. Compost waste is made up of two parts, commonly called green and brown. Green has more nitrogen and is made of wet materials. Brown has more carbon and is made of dry materials. The proper mix,roughly half green and half brown by weight, is essential to get compost to break down quickly,without odors, and yield a correctly balance mix of fertilizer for the garden when the compost process is complete.

Making Your Own

The first step is to identify an outside area, ensuring that it is a spot with good drainage and without direct sunlight. You can use chicken wire, scrap wood, wooden pallets, brick or concrete blocks to construct your bin. The bottom layer should include heavier brown materials like leaves or hay.The next layer is a green and brown mix, followed by a the last layer of soil and water (about one inch thick, with enough water to make it moist) It will need to be turned one or two times per week and should be kept moist. While making your own compost bin or pile is the most cost-efficient, it can be the most labor intensive of the options and needs to be maintained to unwanted critters out.

Green Items include, fruit and peels, vegetables, egg shells, manure, frsh plant clippings, coffee  grounds.

Brown Items include, newspaper and cardboard, paper towels and napkins, hay or straw, tea bags, dried plant clippings,corn cobs.

Items to EXCLUDE, pet waste, meat and bone scraps,mayonnaise,salad dressing, colored or glossy paper,dairy products.

Written by Dawn Keable   

Remember when your mother used to send you outside and insist you stay there? That didn’t happen too much at my house. The request was there, but the end result wasn’t quite what she was looking for. Why? Because I was a reader. And, as all good readers know, you need a cozy indoor nook to stretch out with a book. Outdoor options were slim at best.  

 It was the ’70s and the outdoor seating choices at our house ranged from a scratchy foldable chair made of thick woven-nylon strips, a chaise lounge constructed of thin yellow and white plastic tubing that would heat and stretch as the temperature rose, if you didn’t fall out trying to get on it in the first place, or a rough wool blanket spread on the ground.

 I went with the most comfy choice —my bed. I would have dragged it outside with me if I could have. Apparently, I was onto something.

The New Face of Backyard Furniture  
Roughly 30 years later, innovations in style, design, and comfort have changed the face of backyard living for the better. Gone are the days where a simple charcoal grill, wooden picnic table, pink flamingos, and kiddie pool were the yard accessories of choice. No one knows this better than third-generation North Kingstown furniture retailer, Keith McKay, who, during the past five years, has noticed a real push on patio furniture. “People look at the deck as an extension of their living room,” said McKay.

 As a result, the industry has risen to the occasion, featuring not only the standards you’d expect like gliders, hammocks, and classic adirondacks, but comfy cushioned chairs, with materials that don’t retain water, ornate dining room sets that can seat up to 10, firepits, high-quality outdoor rugs, and lamps tough enough to withstand the elements and dressy enough to winter inside the house.  

 And for readers? According to Jackie Hirschhaut of the American Home Furnishings Alliance, the largest association of home furnishing companies in the world, this year brings a greater depth of products for sitting, relaxing, and conversation. On deck, literally, are complete seating groups that include sofas and sections, with expanded options like rocking and reclining features.

Decisions, Decisions
With all of the choices out there, how do you decide what to buy? First, you need to figure out the main function of the room, whether it be an outdoor family room, a second kitchen, or something in between. If you’re completely overwhelmed, there are designers that can step in to help. Once you’ve determined the purpose of your space, the rest is easy.   

 Your decisions from here on go back to the basics — personal taste. It’s that simple; Pick what you like. And luckily, whether your style be contemporary, casual, or eclectic, there truly is something out there for everyone. Hirschhaut notes that a “continued sophistication of design, product assortment, finishes, and materials create a seamless connection between the indoors and out.

Environmentally Friendly Furniture
 What better way to celebrate the great outdoors than to actively work towards preserving it? According to McKay, one of the biggest trends in outdoor furniture that he’s seen is recycled products. Envirowood, made from recycled plastic bottles and containers, mimics the look of real wood with an authentic grain texture and color. But unlike real wood, it is rot-, decay-, and insect-proof, requires no maintenance, and no trees are used in the process.

Other trends that McKay has noted on the local front include the continued growth of all-weather furniture, like products constructed from teak and wicker that can withstand the elements and still look brand new for years to come. Bright colors, like reds and oranges, will also make a noticeable appearance in 2007, and after surviving yet another dark, hueless New England winter, why not add some color to your world?

Buy Quality and It Will Last
Speaking of harsh conditions, one of the most basic tips to make your investment last is simply to cover it up. In addition, the American Home Furnishings Alliance offers up a detailed guide, broken down by material, on how to clean and care for all aspects of your outdoor furniture from umbrellas to tabletops. 

 But the single most important thing that McKay says anyone should remember when purchasing outdoor furniture is something that your mother has probably told you a million times. “Buy quality,” he said.

Once you find furniture that you love, you’ll be drawn outside to use it for seasons to come. And that’s something that will surely make mom prou

Tips On Caring For Your Outdoor Furniture
With a few simple steps, you can keep your outdoor furniture looking fresh and new for many years. The American Home Furnishings Alliance offers the following care and maintenance tips:

Aluminum frames
Clean with mild soap and water. For non-textured surfaces, apply an automotive wax every few months. On textured finishes, periodically apply baby or mineral oil. Occasionally spray oil lubricant on chair swivels or glides.

Tempered-glass tabletops
Clean regularly with a soft cloth, a mild detergent, and warm water. Buff dry with a clean, lint-free cloth. Commercial glass cleaners also may be used.

Outdoor wicker
Vacuum gently or brush with a soft bristle brush. Hose off every few weeks and clean periodically with mild detergent and water. Rinse thoroughly and air dry.

Vinyl straps
Wash with mild detergent and warm water, using a soft sponge or cloth. Rinse thoroughly. To remove scuff marks, apply toothpaste or gentle abrasive and rub gently with a dry cloth. To remove mildew, use a solution of warm water, mild detergent, and bleach (no more than one-quarter cup to 3 gallons of water). Apply vinyl protectant to the straps after cleaning.

Sling furniture
Wash with mild soap and water. Rinse thoroughly and air dry.

Cushions
Vacuum as needed to remove organic material and prevent decay. Clean by sponging with mild detergent and warm water. Rinse thoroughly. Air dry. If mildew occurs, use a solution of one-cup bleach and a squirt of detergent per gallon of water. Scrub with a sponge or soft brush. Rinse thoroughly with clean water and air dry. Always test an inconspicuous spot first to make sure the color won’t fade. Bleach may not be suitable for some fabrics.

Wrought iron and steel
Clean with warm, soapy water. To maintain the gloss on non-textured surfaces, apply automotive wax. On textured finishes, periodically apply mineral or baby oil. If rust develops, clean area by sanding lightly, then wipe thoroughly and apply touch-up paint (usually provided by the manufacturer).

Hardwoods
Clean with mild detergent and water. Rinse well. Some manufacturers recommend an occasional application of oil. Teak and jarrah can stay outdoors year-round. Pine, oak, and cedar should be stored for the winter. Painted woods require painting every year or so.

Umbrellas
Wash covers with mild soap and water, using a long-handled brush. Spray silicone on the joints of wire frames. Use wax or furniture polish on wooden umbrellas.

 

Written by Scott Shackleton   

Outdoor kitchens and bars have been a very popular West Coast phenomenon, which are catching on in New England. Now that summer is well under way, friends and families are getting together in the backyard or patio to enjoy their repasts in the comfortable weather. Often a charcoal Weber or free-standing propane-fueled grill will sear the meats and vegetables while the remainder of the food preparation is handled indoors or on a separate table. The outdoor kitchen consolidates these activities into one area, utilizing drop-in stain-less steel grills, side-burners, sinks, refrigerators, and storage units built into brick, stone, or concrete board cabinets.

One can incorporate a raised bar top with seating for easy food and drink service, making it the focal point of any outdoor gathering. This configuration enables the cook to interact with his or her guests rather than standing alone at the grill. Or, one can keep it simple with a built-in natural gas or propane grill alongside some counter space and perhaps some stainless steel drawers to house tongs, knives, and spices.

Not only does this backyard addition provide a comfortable efficient preparation area, it can add value to your home. For this reason, and to ensure you get the most enjoyment from your investment, it is wise to consult an expert to plan the kitchen island.

Things to consider in designing your outdoor kitchen include:

• Fuel source – Natural gas, propane, or charcoal? Propane is probably the most prevalent choice for outdoor kitchens, but natural gas ensures one never runs out of fuel mid-party.  Charcoal built-in grills are available but choices are fairly limited.
• Countertop – Granite, tile, concrete, or brick? Granite provides the most even and heat-resistant surface just as it does indoors. It also resists the elements better than tile or brick.
• Vertical surfaces – Rock, brick, tile, or synthetic coating. It’s generally best to stick with the theme of your home. Rhode Island’s own Dryvit Systems manufactures an incredible variety of quality synthetic surfaces.
• Electricity – Do you want to include a refrigerator, kegerator, or blender? What about extra outlets for a rotisserie or stereo? Under bar lighting can provide an exotic ambiance for after-dark entertainment.
• Sink – This can provide a wonderful, complete kitchen experience, but piping water to the structure and drainage from the sink basin must be considered.
• Space – Ensure you account for movement behind the grill area in addition to any bar seating in front. Don’t build your island right next to your pool, unless of course you’re building in pool-side bar service.

The outdoor kitchen can really create a relaxed environment for outdoor entertainment as well as giving your home that “WOW” factor, whatever your budget. And don’t let the New England winters dissuade you: I’ll be searing rib-eyes on my Newport deck in February, just like I’ve done every year I’ve lived here.

Written by Kathryn M. D’Imperio   

The long-awaited warm weather is finally here, perfect for barbecuing, relaxing, and sipping cocktails in the summer breeze. Just think of all the outdoor parties you can enjoy, not to mention bonfires and meteor showers. With all these wonderful thoughts in mind, now is the perfect time to start thinking about your patio or your deck and how you can spruce up your outdoor living space for summer entertaining, relaxation, and fun. An attractive deck or patio encourages you to spend more time outside enjoying the fresh air, sunshine, and moonlight. Consider these tips from deck and patio experts as inspiration for your own outdoor social settings. 

Creating the Perfect Deck for Entertaining

If you don’t have a deck yet or if you’re planning to build one sometime soon, you are fortunate in that you can plan every specification of your deck to meet your needs. You can create your own blueprint, consider a single platform versus a multi-tier style, choose the type of wood or composite material, and pick the color of stain or materials. Adding a deck to your home greatly enhances the social nature of your outdoor living space, giving you more room to relax, socialize, and enjoy the views. 

“We’ve completed a number of decks, some of which blur the boundaries between inside and outside,” says Joseph Cracco of Modern Yankee Builders. “Right off, I’d say that’s one of the biggest trends we’re seeing … that our clients want to blur that line so that the inside of their house has more of a connection with their yard. Sometimes it’s as simple as changing a wall to a bank of windows and putting in a window seat. Other times, it’s with a screen porch, which … well, isn’t your father’s screen porch anymore.”

Cracco says some of the latest enhancements to today’s decks include “dedicated areas of the deck or outdoor living areas for different activities — cooking/grilling, sitting/socializing, hot tubbing, etc.” He says level changes in the deck, such as changes in walking surface or integration of structures, create a better flow for the outdoor living space. The average deck designed for ultimate enjoyment may include “an area for shade (an awning, tent, pergola, or the like), privacy from neighbors (dense bushes, privacy screens, etc.), nicer furniture, space heaters to extend the season, and similarly, the integration of fire pits.”  

Patio Plants, Trees, and Flowers for Your Outdoor Living Spaces

With so many flowers, plants, shrubs, and trees available at your local garden centers, it can become overwhelming to narrow down the selection and choose something that’s right for your living space. Shade versus sun, potted versus planted, color, size, shape — there are so many factors to consider. Thankfully a good landscaper can make the decision process a snap.

“For an outdoor living space you want something that flowers in the summer,” says Robert Langille, founder of Landscaping Concepts. “I always use a lot of summer color —hydrangeas, happy return daylilies. Make sure they are ever-blooming. The endless summer hydrangea flowers all summer long. You’re out there from Memorial Day through June, July, and August. That’s why I try to pick things that flower in the summertime.” 

Langille recommends Summersweet, a shrub that flowers in the summertime and boasts fragrant white flowers and nice foliage. For a shade tree, he says a Honey Locust tree gives nice, filtered shade but drops a lot of leaves. He loves the idea of a pergola to break up the sun.

“It’s a structure that any carpenter can build,” he says. “It definitely adds value and it really puts some panache on your patio, by having a pergola that allows you to grow some grapes or clematis or wisteria vine. They flower in the summertime and also are fragrant.”

To add even more aesthetic impact or to soften up a corner, Langille recommends large urns with cannas, a tropical flowering plant that does even better as the summer gets hotter. If you find yourself short for space in your outdoor living area, he says a sitting wall can solve the problem. These walls are typically made of the same pavers as your patio and come to the height of a normal chair. A nice vertical element is achieved with this type of outdoor enhancement.

Finally, for the true gardener at heart, a container garden may be in store. Consider some of your favorite veggies and fruits for a decorative yet functional addition to your deck or patio setting.

“With such great interest in growing your own food today, I’d suggest vegetables and herbs that can easily be grown in containers on a deck,” says Adam W. Latham, ASLA, sole practitioner landscape architect with the Howland & Higgins Co. “A mix of a few herbs like basil, cilantro, parsley, thyme, and rosemary in a large pot will supply plenty for home cooking needs. Vegetables like tomatoes, peppers, lettuce, and cucumbers can be made more ornamental by selecting varieties with interesting colors and shapes of fruit and leaves,” Latham says. On a trellis, climbing annual vines such as scarlet runner bean and hyacinth bean can supply beautiful flowers and edible pods. For a more exotic flare, potted figs or lemons can be grown on a sunny deck in the summer and overwintered indoors.” 

Patio Sets and Deck Furniture Trends

Pergolas can provide shade, privacy, and an attractive way to showcase climbing vines.  Photo courtesy of Joseph C. Cracco, Modern Yankee Builders, Inc.
Tables, chairs, and loungers designed specifically for the outdoor elements greatly enhance the look and feel of your patio or deck. The right set of furniture makes your outside setting so much more inviting and just about guarantees you will be spending more time enjoying all that Mother Nature has to offer. Patio furniture allows you to relax, get lost in conversation, and enjoy a wonderful meal al fresco. 

“We manufacture high-density polyethylene outdoor furniture; it is quite the trend right now,” says Andy Boyce, vice president of sales at Seaside Casual Furniture. “High-density polyethylene outdoor furniture is really the number one growth category in the industry, not just regionally, but nationally. It looks like wood but there’s no maintenance. We have 13 different colors and several fabrics that we offer.”

Gerry Auclair, president of Custom Craft, Inc., says that teak furniture, wicker, and poly furniture are very popular now. His company offers more than 150 fabrics in their line of custom outdoor cushions, pads, and related accessories. “The 100% solution-dyed acrylic fabrics named ‘Sunbrella’ and ‘Outdura’ are the most popular fabrics,” he says. “These fabrics are very durable, water-resistant, mildew-resistant, and are excellent in color fastness.”

Auclair explains that customers looking to spruce up their existing patio furniture have countless options when it comes to the hundreds of fabrics available in a diverse array of colors and weaves. He says coordinating toss pillows and umbrellas are a great way to accessorize your deck or patio area.  “As a cushion manufacturer, the first way to enhance your patio is with new cushions,” Auclair says. “Even old furniture can look great with new cushions.”

Additional Accents for Your Deck

Outdoor entertaining is a favorite summer pastime for people of all ages. Countless options exist for sprucing up your deck and patio areas with everything from outdoor televisions and sound systems to fountains, fire pits, and the perfect mood lighting. 

“Don’t forget the lighting!” says Sam Brusco of Brusco Design & Renovation. “Lights built into your deck are not only decorative, but they keep you safe. Most people put floodlights on the side of their house to light the deck. Although this is surely enough to light up your deck (and probably your whole backyard), you should consider a lantern or some other attractive light fixture instead, and save the search light for another spot on your house. Too much light (and the bugs attracted by it) usually ruins a party or a romantic evening.

“You will also need separate lighting for your stairs. Even if you go with the 500-watt mega-light, your steps will be dark. There’s no fun in falling flat on your face. So, involve a licensed electrician in the planning and construction of your deck. You’ll enjoy your deck more and you’ll enjoy it in safety.”

While the weather keeps getting warmer, give some serious thought to the different ways you can enhance your deck or patio area. Remember, a comfortable and functional outdoor living space pays happy, healthy dividends for a lifetime to come.

Written by Lynne Merrill 

If there were a competition among shrubs for the favorite, there’s one that would be deemed No. 1. It’s the hydrangea. When it comes to variety, color, performance, adaptability, size, and utilitarian considerations, the hydrangea has no competition. And that’s not to mention its endurance quality.

Let’s take variety as one of the hydrangea’s attributes. Using more common references, there are the old-fashioned Annabelles, the oakleaf, the pom-pom, the PeeGee, the black-stemmed, the everblooming, the climbing, as well as the popular lacecaps. There is even a dwarf hydrangea. So, whatever your choice, there is a variety of this shrub for everyone!

When it comes to color, the hydrangea also offers great variety. Colors to choose from include snow white, cameo white, green, pink, blue, rose, and even more recently, the “reds.” Moreover, depending on the pH of the soil where you plant it, you may be able to change the color of your hydrangea. For mophead hydrangeas, if the soil is alkaline (high pH), the blooms will be pink, and if it’s acidic (low pH), they will be blue. Add lime to make less acid for pink flowers. Keep in mind, though, that some varieties will not change color. The Invincibelle Spirit hydrangea (Hydrangea arborescens), for example, will always have pink blossoms, no matter the soil.

Performance is another consideration when choosing a shrub, and hydrangea are at the top of the list in that category as well.  Any of the Hydrangea paniculata cultivars have a long-blooming show that starts with creamy white and ends with various shades of dramatic pink.  This variety will bloom profusely and hold its blooms from the middle of summer until late fall.  Other varieties begin blooming in the spring.  The variety H. macrophylla ‘Endless Summer’ blooms continuously, as its name implies.

As the name indicates — think of the root word “hydra” — hydrangeas love water and will enjoy as much moisture as any plant can tolerate, as long as the soil is not soggy. However, the hydrangea also does very well in draught conditions. Because of its adaptability to climate changes, it is a top performer in zones three through nine — quite a spread!  Its condition requirements range from full sun to partial shade, and it prefers moist, well-drained soil.  Some hydrangeas additionally have a cold-weather toughness that other shrubs may not have. 

Most varieties grow from three to five feet tall and wide, while some are even larger or smaller. That means that the hydrangea can fulfill lots of possibilities in your garden. It can stand alone in a container or in the ground as a focal point, or it can be a showoff with lots of company from other shrubs, perennials, annuals, or bulbs.  The climbing hydrangea can even attach itself and grow up against a tree or wall for a beautiful backdrop.

It’s understandable that its size lends itself to many adaptations. The size of the plant is one feature and the size of the blooms is another. Flower heads on the ‘Annabelle’ smooth hydrangea are about one foot in diameter. The trouble with this variety is the weight of the flower heads — they begin to droop. To solve this, new varieties have been produced with stronger stems. The new variety ‘Invincibelle’ is a cross between the ‘Annabelle’ and an arborescens variety.  Another cross with the ‘Annabelle’ produced a variety with an even bigger bloom called ‘Incrediball.’ Some smaller heads can be found on ‘Endless Summer’ and other dwarf varieties. H. paniculata is 12 to 20 feet tall and wide — not so good in a garden. This one has magnificent  six- to 15-inch white blooms  that cover arching limbs. They change from greenish white to pinkish red. Two worthy types are ‘Limelight’ and ‘Little Lamb.’ Wavy, white florets (the tiny parts of the whole flower head) can be up to four inches across on the giant star-shaped flowers called H. paniculata Great Star (‘Le Vasterival’). It reaches six to seven feet tall and seven to eight feet wide. This hydrangea flowers from mid-summer until the first hard frost.

Considering its adaptability and size, hydrangeas can be used in many and varied ways.  Some practical uses that are innovative as well as creative involve lining a long driveway on either side with H. paniculata ‘Limelights,’ for example, or creating a popular “outdoor room” defined by a grouping of H. macrophylla in a crescent shape for privacy. Another option is to plant climbing hydrangea (H. petiolaris) on either side of an arbor to frame that structure.  Finally, the H. lacecap ‘Bluebird’ has the ability to command attention even in a simple container by the back door. 

A simple pruning guide is as follows:

• H. Macrophylla – Late winter/early spring
• H. Arborescens – In early March, entire plant to six to 12 inches
• H. Paniculata – In early March, large blooms; No pruning, small blooms
• H. Quercifolia – If needed, after blooming

One more advantage of the hydrangea is its longevity. If you cannot do without them in the winter, you can dry them and bring them indoors. If you cut mopheads after July 4, strip the leaves and place in a dark, dry room.  For later-forming blossoms, wait until bracts feel papery on the tips. You can also put the stem in a container with about one inch of water and let the water evaporate.

To research more information about the hydrangea shrub, just Google it. Information abounds, and it’s easy to find. Everyone loves hydrangea, and why not?

********

Lynne Merrill is a National Garden Club judge and past president of the Rhode Island Federation of Garden Clubs, Inc. She lives in Middletown, R.I.

If there were a competition among shrubs for the favorite, there’s one that would be deemed No. 1. It’s the hydrangea. When it comes to variety, color, performance, adaptability, size, and utilitarian considerations, the hydrangea has no competition. And that’s not to mention its endurance quality.

Let’s take variety as one of the hydrangea’s attributes. Using more common references, there are the old-fashioned Annabelles, the oakleaf, the pom-pom, the PeeGee, the black-stemmed, the everblooming, the climbing, as well as the popular lacecaps. There is even a dwarf hydrangea. So, whatever your choice, there is a variety of this shrub for everyone!

When it comes to color, the hydrangea also offers great variety. Colors to choose from include snow white, cameo white, green, pink, blue, rose, and even more recently, the “reds.” Moreover, depending on the pH of the soil where you plant it, you may be able to change the color of your hydrangea. For mophead hydrangeas, if the soil is alkaline (high pH), the blooms will be pink, and if it’s acidic (low pH), they will be blue. Add lime to make less acid for pink flowers. Keep in mind, though, that some varieties will not change color. The Invincibelle Spirit hydrangea (Hydrangea arborescens), for example, will always have pink blossoms, no matter the soil.

Performance is another consideration when choosing a shrub, and hydrangea are at the top of the list in that category as well.  Any of the Hydrangea paniculata cultivars have a long-blooming show that starts with creamy white and ends with various shades of dramatic pink.  This variety will bloom profusely and hold its blooms from the middle of summer until late fall.  Other varieties begin blooming in the spring.  The variety H. macrophylla ‘Endless Summer’ blooms continuously, as its name implies.

As the name indicates — think of the root word “hydra” — hydrangeas love water and will enjoy as much moisture as any plant can tolerate, as long as the soil is not soggy. However, the hydrangea also does very well in draught conditions. Because of its adaptability to climate changes, it is a top performer in zones three through nine — quite a spread!  Its condition requirements range from full sun to partial shade, and it prefers moist, well-drained soil.  Some hydrangeas additionally have a cold-weather toughness that other shrubs may not have. 

Most varieties grow from three to five feet tall and wide, while some are even larger or smaller. That means that the hydrangea can fulfill lots of possibilities in your garden. It can stand alone in a container or in the ground as a focal point, or it can be a showoff with lots of company from other shrubs, perennials, annuals, or bulbs.  The climbing hydrangea can even attach itself and grow up against a tree or wall for a beautiful backdrop.

It’s understandable that its size lends itself to many adaptations. The size of the plant is one feature and the size of the blooms is another. Flower heads on the ‘Annabelle’ smooth hydrangea are about one foot in diameter. The trouble with this variety is the weight of the flower heads — they begin to droop. To solve this, new varieties have been produced with stronger stems. The new variety ‘Invincibelle’ is a cross between the ‘Annabelle’ and an arborescens variety.  Another cross with the ‘Annabelle’ produced a variety with an even bigger bloom called ‘Incrediball.’ Some smaller heads can be found on ‘Endless Summer’ and other dwarf varieties. H. paniculata is 12 to 20 feet tall and wide — not so good in a garden. This one has magnificent  six- to 15-inch white blooms  that cover arching limbs. They change from greenish white to pinkish red. Two worthy types are ‘Limelight’ and ‘Little Lamb.’ Wavy, white florets (the tiny parts of the whole flower head) can be up to four inches across on the giant star-shaped flowers called H. paniculata Great Star (‘Le Vasterival’). It reaches six to seven feet tall and seven to eight feet wide. This hydrangea flowers from mid-summer until the first hard frost.

Considering its adaptability and size, hydrangeas can be used in many and varied ways.  Some practical uses that are innovative as well as creative involve lining a long driveway on either side with H. paniculata ‘Limelights,’ for example, or creating a popular “outdoor room” defined by a grouping of H. macrophylla in a crescent shape for privacy. Another option is to plant climbing hydrangea (H. petiolaris) on either side of an arbor to frame that structure.  Finally, the H. lacecap ‘Bluebird’ has the ability to command attention even in a simple container by the back door. 

A simple pruning guide is as follows:

• H. Macrophylla – Late winter/early spring
• H. Arborescens – In early March, entire plant to six to 12 inches
• H. Paniculata – In early March, large blooms; No pruning, small blooms
• H. Quercifolia – If needed, after blooming

One more advantage of the hydrangea is its longevity. If you cannot do without them in the winter, you can dry them and bring them indoors. If you cut mopheads after July 4, strip the leaves and place in a dark, dry room.  For later-forming blossoms, wait until bracts feel papery on the tips. You can also put the stem in a container with about one inch of water and let the water evaporate.

To research more information about the hydrangea shrub, just Google it. Information abounds, and it’s easy to find. Everyone loves hydrangea, and why not?

********

Lynne Merrill is a National Garden Club judge and past president of the Rhode Island Federation of Garden Clubs, Inc. She lives in Middletown, R.I.

I know! I know! I’ve heard of people who do, and Candace Morgenstern, ex-president of the RI Federation of Garden Clubs, is just such a person but judging by the ongoing general lamenting I have to say she is in the minority. Her two dogs have the run of the garden with a few precious areas off limits. That said I recall one email from her: “I’ve made a great floral display by the front door with ornamental cabbage, gourds and mums – it lasted two hours – Begley just ate it!!” 

 We dog-owning gardeners are gluttons for punishment – that’s not news. So, to counteract the effects of the punishment I’ve honed my “zen” approach to gardening – I try to enjoy both being outside and being with my pup, Toby. I get done what I get done – and it’s usually less than I planned. 

 Since training your garden isn’t really an option the tough truth is that you have to train your dog. And yourself!  

 To create the garden of your dreams, with your adoring pooch at your side, is a challenge. But, if you’re up for the challenge here are a few small strategies to help you balance the love of your four-legged soul-mate with the love of your garden.

 When I use the word “training” I’m not talking advanced training where Molly brings your tools to you, or carries them for you as she follows you from bed to bed. I am referring to the lower realms of training – sit, stay, down, off. Taking the time to teach these simple commands will help enormously. If you notice her about to flatten the young beans “off” should work. Or “stay” if he’s heading towards the freshly-strewn organic fertilizer with that “love to roll in the stinky stuff” look in his eyes. “Mmm! Mmm! All over me – then the house!” 

 Dogs are pack animals by nature and you are his pack-of-one. Duke wants to be close. And any freshly weeded space is assumed to have been cleared just for him. It’s cool and soft and was obviously created to fit that 80lb frame – perfect for that much-needed extra snooze, always with half an eye on you. 

 I had an electric fence installed when Toby was a puppy. It’s been a fabulous success and has given him tremendous freedom. But I debated long and hard about having the fence put around the flower beds so that he couldn’t get into them. I’m glad I didn’t because I can’t stand to see him pine. He just wants to be with me, close by – that’s how dogs are. Even when I step outside the electric fence field he looks miserable because he cannot get to me – that limpid, sad, unwavering gaze! I would rather have him beside me as I weed, flattening the daylilies, than pining for me beyond reach. The daylilies will recover – plus I love getting nuzzled or reaching over and running my hands across that soft warm fur.  

 Keep in mind as you work that Maggie will mimic whatever you do. If you dig, she’ll dig. If you toss a handful onto the compost, she’ll toss a handful onto the compost. It just may be your best gloves and not garden debris. Train her to use a specific area in which to dig that is hers and hers alone. Once you’ve given it to her don’t take it back for your peonies. Just as she knows her bed inside the house is her own private space, so her garden area must be her own.  

 You can use the same technique for her “toilette” – something I read about and never got around to doing. Now I have to patrol the lawn at very regular intervals to clean up after Toby. My fault not his! You see, there’s a famous, and somewhat debatable quote, that goes something like: “There’s no such thing as a bad dog, just bad owners.” This admonition will ring in your ears as you careen across the lawn in hot pursuit of Rosie who has your best pruners clenched in her teeth. 

You don’t have to limit yourself to planting only mint! Believe it or not some plants can stand to be chewed or trampled – really! Replace brittle plants like bearded iris with flexible plants that bend rather than break – like Siberian iris. Ornamental grasses, or ground covers like lamium, or the indestructible lamb’s ears and pet friendly nepeta. Just bear in mind that Spencer cannot distinguish between a Siberian iris (somehwat bendy) and a bearded iris (not so bendy). There may well be areas in your garden that you’re just going to have to fence off – but why not put up attractive fencing that looks as if you really did intend for it to be part of your landscaping rather than the Berlin Wall.

Now, a most important suggestion – this is the time to go organic although just because a product is organic does not necessarily mean it is okay for your pet to ingest it. But using non-toxic substances and plants in the garden is a must if you have animals! There are plenty of plants that are poisonous for your pets such as morning glory. Visit the site of the ASPCA (American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) for a list of toxic plants (www.aspca.org)

My ultimate strategy is to make Toby a higher priority than my garden. I try and balance my need for perfection with my need for my loving and adorable companion.

I may never have a perfect lawn but I’ll always have a perfect friend.

   

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Written by Barbara Gee   

In the deep drear of winter, just when you think you’ll never see another bloom again, you need not despair. You can continue to delight in new blooms by growing bulbs indoors. The two most common are the flamboyant Amaryllis and the delicate Narcissus known as “Paperwhites”. All you really have to do is put them in a container with stones, pebbles or soil, and water. Voilla! – flowers in no time.

 The process is reminiscent of Beauty and the Beast, except the other way around. You plant the bulbs – ugly brown “onions” – and wait! You water periodically, stare at them occasionally, and wonder if anything’s going to happen. Then you wake up one morning and notice a tip of green white at the top of the bulb. After that there’s no stopping them! Nothing is quite so spectacular as seeing your winter bulbs bloom. It’s one of those moments when you know you’ll never stop gardening – driven on by the desire to see more of these miracles.

Amaryllis and Paperwhites are the very easiest of things to coax into bloom. There really is nothing to it. Pick your container, pick your growing medium, keep the water constant and place in the sun. If you’ve chosen a transparent container you get two pleasures for the price of one because you can also see the roots grow.

If you want instant blooms, or maybe you need a quick gift, you can purchase bulbs already planted by the garden center.

CHOOSING THE FLOWERS
The choice really comes down to what you like: Amaryllis – bold and buxom or Paperwhites – sweet and petite. But why settle for just one when you can have both. There are more choices of Amaryllis but there are also different Paperwhites to choose from although many garden centers don’t carry more than one or two. Just be sure to select healthy bulbs – they should not be too dry or wet. If dry they may be lifeless. If wet they could be rotting. Examine each bulb. Some will already have shoots some may not – this is not an indication of their health but rather how far along they are in growth.

Amaryllis
Most Amaryllis are in the red, orange, white, pink or apricot range; some are multi-colored or striped and all have wonderful names like: Naughty Lady, Clown, Ludwig Dazzler…  

— Large Amaryllis grow to about 22-24” in height and produce 2-3 stems with 4-6 flowers on each stem.

— Double Amaryllis are the same height as the Large but they produce double flowers so 4-6 flowers actually looks like 8-12 flowers.

— Dwarf Amaryllis reach about 12-16” in height and can produce up to 18 flowers from one bulb, although the flowers are smaller.

Paperwhite Narcissus
Paperwhite Narcissus are usually white but you can also find yellow ones which isn’t surprising since the Narcissus family is the family of daffodils and jonquils.

The differences, apart from color, is in the height range: 12” to 16” and the number of flower stems per bulb: 1-3. All have pretty star-shaped or trumpet-shaped white flowers with a sweet fragrance.  

If you are not able to plant the bulbs immediately after bringing them home, or if they are not showing any shoots, put them somewhere cool and dark (40-50°F) until they have sprouted – maybe a week at most. When you want to plant them soak the root area for a couple of hours to soften up the roots.

PLANTING
The container. Choose any kind of container – shallow glass or ceramic bowl, tall clear glass flower vase, a wine glass, terracotta pot, tin can – you name it you can use it which is part of the fun. The potting medium is the same for both – either an attractive gravel, pretty stones or pebbles used alone, or a good potting soil moistened – not both together. If you use soil it should be moist not soggy then plant the bulbs as you would any other potted plant.

Planting. Plant the bulbs to about two-thirds their depth in either growing medium leaving the top third exposed. Be careful how many Amaryllis you put in one container only because of weight considerations – they can be heavy when full grown. But if your pot is big and heavy enough then put in as many as will fit – they don’t mind being crowded. The same is true for Paperwhites. You can put one on its own, or grouped. If potted in soil a little spaghnum moss over the top hides the soil and gives the container an attractive finished look.

Adding water. If in gravel, stones or pebbles add water to half the bulbs depth – do not submerge them. If planting in soil just keep it moist. Then simply put the container in the sun – a sunny windowsill works very well. They like a temperature of 60-70°F

CARE
There is no care involved. Just keep the containers watered and in the sun. . Resist the temptation to overwater. Keep the bulbs moist not wet or they will rot. You can snip off dead blossoms and if you’re lucky maybe fresh blooms will come.

AFTER-CARE
Amaryllis

When the plant has stopped flowering cut the flower off and when the stem gets soft cut it back to the bulb.  Water it and fertilize through the summer and it will start to grow again in the fall. You won’t get a bloom at this time so when the leaves turn yellow cut the plant back to the bulb and remove the bulb from the soil. Clean the dirt off handling the roots gently. Place in a cool, dark place (40-50°F) for not less than 6 weeks. Then go through the same process as above to force blooms.

Paperwhite Narcissus

When the flowers start to shrivel and become papery cut them off. Wait until the stems start to become yellow and soft and cut them back to the base. Do not cut the leaves off. Continue to keep the container watered and in the sun. You can then plant your Paperwhites outside. You can cut the leaves off at this point. It may take 2-3 years before you see blooms, but you will.

A Choice Selection of Indoor Winter Bulbs

Amaryllis:
Large Amaryllis Minerva – orangey red with white center

Appleblossom – blush pink with white

Clown – broad red stripes on white

Double Amaryllis Ragtime – bright orange red

Lady Jane – salmon rose with white

Rainbow – white with strong pink markings

Dwarf Amaryllis Misty – mauve tipped with white

Girafe – red markings on white

Green Goddess – white with green center

Paperwhite Narcissus:
Ziva strong fragrance, 15”-16” height, 1-2 stems per bulb

Ariel strong fragrance, 14”-15” height, 2-3 stems per bulb

Inball lighter fragrance, 12”-13” height, 2 stems per bulb

  

In the deep drear of winter, just when you think you’ll never see another bloom again, you need not despair. You can continue to delight in new blooms by growing bulbs indoors. The two most common are the flamboyant Amaryllis and the delicate Narcissus known as “Paperwhites”. All you really have to do is put them in a container with stones, pebbles or soil, and water. Voilla! – flowers in no time.

 

 The process is reminiscent of Beauty and the Beast, except the other way around. You plant the bulbs – ugly brown “onions” – and wait! You water periodically, stare at them occasionally, and wonder if anything’s going to happen. Then you wake up one morning and notice a tip of green white at the top of the bulb. After that there’s no stopping them! Nothing is quite so spectacular as seeing your winter bulbs bloom. It’s one of those moments when you know you’ll never stop gardening – driven on by the desire to see more of these miracles.

Amaryllis and Paperwhites are the very easiest of things to coax into bloom. There really is nothing to it. Pick your container, pick your growing medium, keep the water constant and place in the sun. If you’ve chosen a transparent container you get two pleasures for the price of one because you can also see the roots grow.

 

If you want instant blooms, or maybe you need a quick gift, you can purchase bulbs already planted by the garden center.

 

CHOOSING THE FLOWERS
The choice really comes down to what you like: Amaryllis – bold and buxom or Paperwhites – sweet and petite. But why settle for just one when you can have both. There are more choices of Amaryllis but there are also different Paperwhites to choose from although many garden centers don’t carry more than one or two. Just be sure to select healthy bulbs – they should not be too dry or wet. If dry they may be lifeless. If wet they could be rotting. Examine each bulb. Some will already have shoots some may not – this is not an indication of their health but rather how far along they are in growth.

 

Amaryllis
Most Amaryllis are in the red, orange, white, pink or apricot range; some are multi-colored or striped and all have wonderful names like: Naughty Lady, Clown, Ludwig Dazzler…  

— Large Amaryllis grow to about 22-24” in height and produce 2-3 stems with 4-6 flowers on each stem.

— Double Amaryllis are the same height as the Large but they produce double flowers so 4-6 flowers actually looks like 8-12 flowers.

— Dwarf Amaryllis reach about 12-16” in height and can produce up to 18 flowers from one bulb, although the flowers are smaller.

 

Paperwhite Narcissus
Paperwhite Narcissus are usually white but you can also find yellow ones which isn’t surprising since the Narcissus family is the family of daffodils and jonquils.

 

The differences, apart from color, is in the height range: 12” to 16” and the number of flower stems per bulb: 1-3. All have pretty star-shaped or trumpet-shaped white flowers with a sweet fragrance.  

 

If you are not able to plant the bulbs immediately after bringing them home, or if they are not showing any shoots, put them somewhere cool and dark (40-50°F) until they have sprouted – maybe a week at most. When you want to plant them soak the root area for a couple of hours to soften up the roots.

 

PLANTING
The container. Choose any kind of container – shallow glass or ceramic bowl, tall clear glass flower vase, a wine glass, terracotta pot, tin can – you name it you can use it which is part of the fun. The potting medium is the same for both – either an attractive gravel, pretty stones or pebbles used alone, or a good potting soil moistened – not both together. If you use soil it should be moist not soggy then plant the bulbs as you would any other potted plant.

Planting. Plant the bulbs to about two-thirds their depth in either growing medium leaving the top third exposed. Be careful how many Amaryllis you put in one container only because of weight considerations – they can be heavy when full grown. But if your pot is big and heavy enough then put in as many as will fit – they don’t mind being crowded. The same is true for Paperwhites. You can put one on its own, or grouped. If potted in soil a little spaghnum moss over the top hides the soil and gives the container an attractive finished look.

 

Adding water. If in gravel, stones or pebbles add water to half the bulbs depth – do not submerge them. If planting in soil just keep it moist. Then simply put the container in the sun – a sunny windowsill works very well. They like a temperature of 60-70°F

 

CARE
There is no care involved. Just keep the containers watered and in the sun. . Resist the temptation to overwater. Keep the bulbs moist not wet or they will rot. You can snip off dead blossoms and if you’re lucky maybe fresh blooms will come.

AFTER-CARE
Amaryllis

 

When the plant has stopped flowering cut the flower off and when the stem gets soft cut it back to the bulb.  Water it and fertilize through the summer and it will start to grow again in the fall. You won’t get a bloom at this time so when the leaves turn yellow cut the plant back to the bulb and remove the bulb from the soil. Clean the dirt off handling the roots gently. Place in a cool, dark place (40-50°F) for not less than 6 weeks. Then go through the same process as above to force blooms.

Paperwhite Narcissus

 

When the flowers start to shrivel and become papery cut them off. Wait until the stems start to become yellow and soft and cut them back to the base. Do not cut the leaves off. Continue to keep the container watered and in the sun. You can then plant your Paperwhites outside. You can cut the leaves off at this point. It may take 2-3 years before you see blooms, but you will.

 

A Choice Selection of Indoor Winter Bulbs

Amaryllis:
Large Amaryllis Minerva – orangey red with white center

Appleblossom – blush pink with white

Clown – broad red stripes on white

Double Amaryllis Ragtime – bright orange red

Lady Jane – salmon rose with white

Rainbow – white with strong pink markings

Dwarf Amaryllis Misty – mauve tipped with white

Girafe – red markings on white

Green Goddess – white with green center

 

Paperwhite Narcissus:
Ziva strong fragrance, 15”-16” height, 1-2 stems per bulb

Ariel strong fragrance, 14”-15” height, 2-3 stems per bulb

Inball lighter fragrance, 12”-13” height, 2 stems per bulb

 

 

 

Written by Adam Latham  

Landscape lighting can be accomplished with line voltage (120v) or with low voltage (12v). Each method has advantages and disadvantages. It’s not difficult to install a low-voltage system yourself. You’ll need to have an outdoor 120v receptacle near where you’d like to make the lighting improvements.  Local lighting supply houses and big-box retailers offer system components, including transformers, fixtures, lamps (bulbs), wire, and educational materials. These systems offer the ability to easily and safely adjust the location of fixtures as plants mature or when you’d like to change the design for some other reason. Depending on the quality of the components, low-voltage systems may be more expensive to install than line voltage systems. But because of their low cost to operate, they can make up the difference in installation cost.

Line voltage systems do not require transformers and are easily understood by homeowners. However, these systems are more expensive to operate than 12v systems, and alterations to the system layout are difficult to make and potentially dangerous. For these reasons, I recommend limiting 120v systems to small systems close to or attached to the home and its door-side light switches.

The Design Side

In its simplest and most common form, everyday landscape lighting is thought of as purely functional, meeting a household’s need for nighttime safety. For example, a light is needed to shine in a particular location for a stated purpose — lighting a set of steps to mitigate a tripping hazard, say, or lighting at the door for security reasons — and a fixture is selected to do that singular job. The visual results of the selection of both the fixture and the amount of light have about equal chances of being appropriate and meeting the need, or being ineffective and possibly dangerous. Perhaps the only decorative component homeowners think of is what the fixture looks like. This way of thinking is actually upside-down.  Whether lighting is provided via line voltage or low-voltage, the lighting design objective should be the same: see the light and not the source of the light. In those cases where you do want to showcase the fixture, careful attention has to be paid to proper mounting height to avoid glare.

Outdoor lighting is all about illumination for beauty and safety, not showcasing the style of light fixture. You still need to select a light fixture for a stated purpose (ask yourself “why light?”), but now you can view the fixture style as unimportant because you really don’t want to see it anyway. For landscape lighting, I recommend that the light source should blend with the surroundings; black, brown, weathered copper and bronze are good colors for the garden. Imagine how your landscape would appear without six-foot-tall post lights. Why would you want a post light that shines in your eyes anyway? If a path needs to be lit at night, the best way to do it is with down-lighting, or throwing light from knee-level bollards or path lights. Using down-lighting is a way to add more effective and natural moonlight-style lighting. For lighting a path near a house, a fixture matching the house’s color can be mounted in the house’s soffit or an earth-toned light can be mounted 15 feet up in a tree, and the light will shine down and pool on the walk without glare to pedestrians. Add a few path lights in key locations, such as steps, or a change in direction, and you’ve accomplished evening security goals with interesting lighting effects.

For more dramatic effects, up-lighting and backlighting can be used to show off interesting plant forms and textures. Without their leaves, trees and shrubs with horizontal branching patterns like flowering dogwood and redvein enkianthus become more evident and are perfect specimens for backlighting. New fallen snow nestled in the peeling bark of a Heritage river birch or in the deeply grooved bark of an old tupelo can be softly illuminated for an interesting close-up scene.  Multi-trunked trees that are aligned with the view from a living room or kitchen window are the perfect trees to be illuminated by up-lighting, creating an inspiring natural sculpture to be viewed at night. This method of lighting can also be used to cast shadows from plants, garden ornaments, and sculptures against exterior walls.

New to the Market

Over the last few years, LEDs for landscape lighting have been reaching more and more of the mass residential lighting market. Although initially more expensive to purchase, LEDs last thousands of hours longer and use substantially less energy than conventional incandescent and halogen lighting, making them more financially attractive when viewed over the long term. Because they don’t emit as much heat as conventional lights, LEDs may have some limitations for use as uplights in our climate, as snow and ice will not melt off the lens as quickly as they do on conventional landscape lighting. They do, however, make great down-lights, bollards, cable lights, and path lights.

I hope you’ll use this season to experience the lighting of your landscape in a new way. For more on the design side of landscape lighting, an online search for landscape lighting manufacturers will yield bountiful information and sample photos to assist you.

www.rhodeislandhomedesign.com

Written by Adam Latham

Each year at this time of rapidly diminishing daylight, there’s a rush to get it all done before winter — to finish collecting the fallen leaves, clean gutters, cut the lawn for the final time, and cut back perennials, among other tasks. Remember that when winter arrives, your plants will be exposed to extreme environmental stresses like nor’easter winds, snow and ice loading, and arctic temperatures. Injury to plants caused by people using snow removal equipment and de-icing chemicals and by animals feeding on tender bark and shoots is also a cold weather concern. By instituting protection measures this fall, you may save yourself from added work and the disappointment of replacing dead plants or nursing an injured plant back to health next spring.

Environmental Injuries

To help avoid winter-burned leaves on broadleaf evergreens like hollies and rhododendrons, which are exposed to drying winter winds or are in full sun, apply an anti-desiccant when the temperatures are still in the 50s or wrap the plants in burlap. Several years ago I planted a small hedge of inkberry along the street in front of my house. Here in full sun, they bravely face an open windswept cornfield to the west. Each year I have applied an anti-desiccant to them via a small ready-to-use bottle. Last year it seemed like I pulled the trigger on that spray bottle a few hundred times. So this year, I’ll mix a larger batch in a two-gallon spray tank and avoid cramping my hand on the small bottle’s trigger.

If your mophead or lacecap hydrangea failed to bloom this year, it could be that the flower buds were killed by single digit temperatures last winter. This year, install a burlap barrier or wire fence around the plant and fill it with leaves or other natural insulating material to protect next year’s flower buds, which lie at the tips of the branches. This method obviously works best on younger, smaller plants.

Trees, shrubs, and perennials planted this year will benefit from an insulating layer of mulch over their fragile young root systems. If you didn’t mulch at planting time, it’s still not too late to get it done. At this point in the fall, don’t be too concerned about having to use mulch that’s coordinated with the rest of the mulch you’ve been using; you can do that in the spring. For mulching only a few plants, use whatever is available: shredded leaves, straw from a bale left over from fall decorating, or compost that’s bagged or from the bin.

Plant injuries from animals and people

The deer have begun seeking out alternative sources of food now that the leaves are gone, and the plants in your suburban landscape might be their next meal. Fortunately for me I’ve seen very little damage to my plants from these four-legged hedge shears, only some munching on a few young bottlebrush buckeye (which deer aren’t supposed to favor). The cemetery two lots down is the favorite place in my neighborhood for the deer to dine on a fine selection of arborvitaes and yews.

If winter browsing by deer is a problem for you, there are a couple of things you can do to protect your plants, including using physical barriers and deterrent sprays. For their favorites, such as arborvitaes and upright yews, installing seven-foot-high deer netting around the plants is the most effective method, although not the most attractive option. Set the fence a couple of feet away from the damaged plant and secure the netting to 2”x2” wood posts with cable ties. Deer netting can be draped over lower growing shrubs to deter browsing, but the deer will eat any plant material sticking through the net.

My wintertime skirmish is with the rabbits. Many rabbits live under the large and gangly multiflora rose hedge along one of my property lines. Here they gnaw the bark off the canes throughout the cold weather, to which I pay no mind. Unfortunately, they also savor the flavor of young blueberry bushes.  Two years ago, I planted three bushes. The first winter they were nearly chewed to bits. With the added benefit of deep snow, the rabbits were able to nibble the branches down from the tips, leaving nothing but stubby twigs about a foot tall. Last fall I encircled the bushes with wire fencing and they escaped injury. I’ll do the same each fall until the plants are large enough to fair for themselves.

The field mouse is another winter nibbling rodent. They’re tiny, but can be effective plant killers. In addition to your garden shed, they will find refuge under a deep layer of bark mulch or under a canopy of low-hanging evergreen boughs. Under these mouse-cozy covers, they will gnaw the bark off trees and shrubs. If the mice remove the bark all the way around a tree, called girdling, the tree will die. You can help to prevent this problem by pulling mulch away from the trunks of trees, especially young ones, and removing very low-hanging branches on evergreens such as spruces and firs.

If you have your driveway plowed, set out stakes to protect your lawn and adjacent plants before the ground freezes. Take some advice from this snowplow operator — in the middle of the night it’s very difficult to locate an unmarked driveway under a foot of new fallen snow.

In late winter or early spring, take note of the browned foliage on evergreen trees and shrubs adjacent to our roads. It is particularly evident on arborvitae and white pines that are planted close to the street.  The dead needles are the result of applying salt on our roadways. The fine mist that is generated by passing traffic accumulates on the foliage and desiccates it. On young plants, this often results in the death of the plant. There really isn’t anything practical that can be done to prevent the damage during the winter; just be more careful next time in choosing more salt-tolerant species to plant adjacent to roads.

www.rhodeislandhomedesign.com

Written by Barbara Gee

The following is excerpted with permission from Barbara’s upcoming book, The Rhode Island Gardener’s Companion: An Insider’s Guide to Gardening in the Ocean State, to be published by Globe Pequot Press in January 2008. Barbara will be presenting at the RI Flower Show in February, and signing her books.

All folks who garden by the sea face similar challenges—salt and wind. And given that there are 400 miles of coastline in RI it’s no surprise that there are many seaside gardeners in the state. There are islands, moraines, salt marshes, rocky shores, wetlands, beaches, cliffs, dunes, salt ponds – you name it and most Rhode Islanders are probably close to it. Doug Hoyt out on Block Island, for instance, gardens at his home high on a hill which has a great view but receives battering wind. He also maintains gardens in town too but still finds “drying wind and salt,” to be his main problems.

Anne Wilson suffers similarly at the seaside garden she has maintained in Newport for 18 years. Just off Ocean Drive it is very exposed and on a rock ledge which causes big drainage problems, she says. But the biggest challenge for her too is the wind – “coming from the west it’s not too bad but from north, northeast or south it’s bad.”  They have planted living barriers in the form of privet hedges which you can shape and, she says “is dense enough that it does help block the wind and hardy enough to cope with the salt brought in on the wind.”

Rhode Islanders are blessed to call Blithewold Mansion, Gardens & Arboretum their own. In Bristol, overlooking the Naragansett Bay, it is one of only two arboreta in the country situated on salt water. Visitors can explore 33-acres of plants that survive and thrive in those conditions. In particular the rock garden down close to the water gets battered by wind, salt and drenched with water every so often so anything growing there is an example of a great seaside plant.

Heather Driscoll is head gardener at Carnegie Abbey Club, a private sporting estate in Portsmouth on the Bay, directly across from Blithewold. She experiences similar problems “Gardening by the water has always been a challenge for me. Dealing with the elements of wind, salt air and microclimates are key factors in plant choices.”

Designing a Seaside Garden
How can seaside gardeners cope with their intrinsic challenges? “In a garden without the wind buffer of a house or even a shed,” says Driscoll, “sturdy plants like hydrangea and shorter varieties of ornamental grasses are at the top of my list. Add some Stella D’oro daylilies and hardy pink geraniums and you have a simple but classic seaside garden.” She also chooses perennials with strong root systems to withstand coastal winds. “Rudbekia Goldstrum and Bee Balm have been proven winners,” she says.

Right Plant, Right Site
A terrific book by two Rhode Islanders is Coastal Plants: from Cape Cod to Cape Canaveral by the late Irene H. Stuckey and Lisa Lofland Gould (who also founded the Rhode Island Wild Plant Society). It describes in detail the different habitats you encounter by the sea. They stress that knowing what kind of place a plant wants to be in – and then putting it there – goes a long way towards that plant’s happiness. And a happy plant needs less maintenance

Julie Morris and the staff at Blithewold deal constantly with gardens drenched by salt water and hit by drying winds… “Choosing plants that do well in our conditions is key,” she says.

Perfect Seaside Plants
June Halliday manages the perennials nursery at Chaves’ Gardens & Florist in Middletown. She gets daily requests from customers looking for plants that thrive by the sea. Her own garden in Jamestown has become a laboratory for these kinds of plants. And, as a bonus, she maintains that most of the following plants are not bothered by the deer that roam around her property. 

Shade & Part Shade
Pulmonaria ‘Benediction’
Ligularia ‘The Rocket’, ‘Brit Marie Crawford’
Heleborus ‘Foetidus’
Hakonechloa ‘Aureola’
Dicentra Formosa ‘Luxuriant’, Spectabilis
Fern – Anthyrium ‘Bramford Beauty’ Woodland
Spigelia Marilandica ‘Indian Pink’
Mertensia ‘Virginia Blue Bells’
Asarum canadensis ‘Wild Ginger’
Cornus canadensis ‘Bunch Berry’
Phlox divaricata ‘London Grove Blue’
Sun (very long blooming)
Cranesbill Geranium ‘Rozanne’
Salvia ‘May Night’
Dianthus ‘Rosish One’
Rudbeckia ‘Herbstonne’
Veronicastrum ‘Fascination’

Gene Rinker’s garden on Prudence Island is a testament to having the right plant in the right place. He could not be any closer to the water which is just across the street. Anything you see growing in his garden can definitely withstand being drenched, blown, battered and salt sprayed. He inherited the garden from his uncle who created it almost 60 years ago. Rinker highly recommends annuals and biennials like cosmos, cleomies, nasturtiums and hollyhocks, while his friend Anna Levesque just down the road prefers what she calls trouble-free perennials like shasta daisy, rudbeckia, daylilies, asters…

Wilson reels off a list of perennials that do well for her on the Newport ledge – “alchemilla everywhere – irises, japanese iris, thalictrum (lots of different ones) – cimcifuga, toad lily, hostas of any sort, differant hydrangea, niko blue – massive, ajuga, pachysandra does well in summer but dries out in winter depending on location – old standby, Hakonechloa, Houttuynia ground cover, ginger, solomon seal variegated…”

Driscoll finds from experience that plants with gray foliage like santolina or artemesia perform well by the sea. “Of course Rosa Rugosa is synonomous with seaside gardens,” she says, “but I have found that even hybrid teas and landscape roses do well with the salt air acting as a natural insecticide.”

 These are some of my favorite seashore plants:
• Panic grass (Panicum amarum ‘Dewey Blue’)
• Black fountain grass (Pennisetum alopecuroides ‘Moudry’)
• Miscanthus (Miscanthus sinensis ‘Morning Light’)
• Leatherleaf sedge (Carex buccchanii)
• Russian sage (Perovskia atriplicifolia)
• Coneflower (Rudbeckia sullivantii ‘Goldsturm’)
• Chrysanthemum (Chrysanthemum ‘Sheffield Pink’)
• Daylily (Hemerocallis ‘Happy Returns’)
• Stonecrop (Sedum spurium ‘Dragon’s Blood’)
• Mugwort or sagebrush (Artemesia stelleriana ‘Silver Brocade’)
• Pine (Pinus thumbergii ‘Thunderhead’)
• Spruce (Picea pungens glauca ‘Montgomery Blue’)

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The following is excerpted with permission from Barbara’s upcoming book, The Rhode Island Gardener’s Companion: An Insider’s Guide to Gardening in the Ocean State, to be published by Globe Pequot Press in January 2008. Barbara will be presenting at the RI Flower Show in February, and signing her books.

All folks who garden by the sea face similar challenges—salt and wind. And given that there are 400 miles of coastline in RI it’s no surprise that there are many seaside gardeners in the state. There are islands, moraines, salt marshes, rocky shores, wetlands, beaches, cliffs, dunes, salt ponds – you name it and most Rhode Islanders are probably close to it. Doug Hoyt out on Block Island, for instance, gardens at his home high on a hill which has a great view but receives battering wind. He also maintains gardens in town too but still finds “drying wind and salt,” to be his main problems.

Anne Wilson suffers similarly at the seaside garden she has maintained in Newport for 18 years. Just off Ocean Drive it is very exposed and on a rock ledge which causes big drainage problems, she says. But the biggest challenge for her too is the wind – “coming from the west it’s not too bad but from north, northeast or south it’s bad.”  They have planted living barriers in the form of privet hedges which you can shape and, she says “is dense enough that it does help block the wind and hardy enough to cope with the salt brought in on the wind.”

Rhode Islanders are blessed to call Blithewold Mansion, Gardens & Arboretum their own. In Bristol, overlooking the Naragansett Bay, it is one of only two arboreta in the country situated on salt water. Visitors can explore 33-acres of plants that survive and thrive in those conditions. In particular the rock garden down close to the water gets battered by wind, salt and drenched with water every so often so anything growing there is an example of a great seaside plant.

Heather Driscoll is head gardener at Carnegie Abbey Club, a private sporting estate in Portsmouth on the Bay, directly across from Blithewold. She experiences similar problems “Gardening by the water has always been a challenge for me. Dealing with the elements of wind, salt air and microclimates are key factors in plant choices.”

Designing a Seaside Garden
How can seaside gardeners cope with their intrinsic challenges? “In a garden without the wind buffer of a house or even a shed,” says Driscoll, “sturdy plants like hydrangea and shorter varieties of ornamental grasses are at the top of my list. Add some Stella D’oro daylilies and hardy pink geraniums and you have a simple but classic seaside garden.” She also chooses perennials with strong root systems to withstand coastal winds. “Rudbekia Goldstrum and Bee Balm have been proven winners,” she says.

Right Plant, Right Site
A terrific book by two Rhode Islanders is Coastal Plants: from Cape Cod to Cape Canaveral by the late Irene H. Stuckey and Lisa Lofland Gould (who also founded the Rhode Island Wild Plant Society). It describes in detail the different habitats you encounter by the sea. They stress that knowing what kind of place a plant wants to be in – and then putting it there – goes a long way towards that plant’s happiness. And a happy plant needs less maintenance

Julie Morris and the staff at Blithewold deal constantly with gardens drenched by salt water and hit by drying winds… “Choosing plants that do well in our conditions is key,” she says.

Perfect Seaside Plants
June Halliday manages the perennials nursery at Chaves’ Gardens & Florist in Middletown. She gets daily requests from customers looking for plants that thrive by the sea. Her own garden in Jamestown has become a laboratory for these kinds of plants. And, as a bonus, she maintains that most of the following plants are not bothered by the deer that roam around her property. 

Shade & Part Shade
Pulmonaria ‘Benediction’
Ligularia ‘The Rocket’, ‘Brit Marie Crawford’
Heleborus ‘Foetidus’
Hakonechloa ‘Aureola’
Dicentra Formosa ‘Luxuriant’, Spectabilis
Fern – Anthyrium ‘Bramford Beauty’ Woodland
Spigelia Marilandica ‘Indian Pink’
Mertensia ‘Virginia Blue Bells’
Asarum canadensis ‘Wild Ginger’
Cornus canadensis ‘Bunch Berry’
Phlox divaricata ‘London Grove Blue’
Sun (very long blooming)
Cranesbill Geranium ‘Rozanne’
Salvia ‘May Night’
Dianthus ‘Rosish One’
Rudbeckia ‘Herbstonne’
Veronicastrum ‘Fascination’

Gene Rinker’s garden on Prudence Island is a testament to having the right plant in the right place. He could not be any closer to the water which is just across the street. Anything you see growing in his garden can definitely withstand being drenched, blown, battered and salt sprayed. He inherited the garden from his uncle who created it almost 60 years ago. Rinker highly recommends annuals and biennials like cosmos, cleomies, nasturtiums and hollyhocks, while his friend Anna Levesque just down the road prefers what she calls trouble-free perennials like shasta daisy, rudbeckia, daylilies, asters…

Wilson reels off a list of perennials that do well for her on the Newport ledge – “alchemilla everywhere – irises, japanese iris, thalictrum (lots of different ones) – cimcifuga, toad lily, hostas of any sort, differant hydrangea, niko blue – massive, ajuga, pachysandra does well in summer but dries out in winter depending on location – old standby, Hakonechloa, Houttuynia ground cover, ginger, solomon seal variegated…”

Driscoll finds from experience that plants with gray foliage like santolina or artemesia perform well by the sea. “Of course Rosa Rugosa is synonomous with seaside gardens,” she says, “but I have found that even hybrid teas and landscape roses do well with the salt air acting as a natural insecticide.”

 These are some of my favorite seashore plants:
• Panic grass (Panicum amarum ‘Dewey Blue’)
• Black fountain grass (Pennisetum alopecuroides ‘Moudry’)
• Miscanthus (Miscanthus sinensis ‘Morning Light’)
• Leatherleaf sedge (Carex buccchanii)
• Russian sage (Perovskia atriplicifolia)
• Coneflower (Rudbeckia sullivantii ‘Goldsturm’)
• Chrysanthemum (Chrysanthemum ‘Sheffield Pink’)
• Daylily (Hemerocallis ‘Happy Returns’)
• Stonecrop (Sedum spurium ‘Dragon’s Blood’)
• Mugwort or sagebrush (Artemesia stelleriana ‘Silver Brocade’)
• Pine (Pinus thumbergii ‘Thunderhead’)
• Spruce (Picea pungens glauca ‘Montgomery Blue’)

www.rhodeislandhomedesign.com