Your Home, Garden and Travel

Sedum 'Green Expectations' grown up. This was just a tip off the old plant in 2009.

Buy one. Make more. Sedum keeps on giving and giving. In June 2009, I wrote about pinching back the tips of tall sedum to make more plants while keeping the mother plant sturdy and shaped. Those tiny tips are now mature and blooming for early autumn.

A tip taken from last year's tip!

Of the three sedum varieties that I pinched back, 'Green Expectations' has performed the best in one year. So well, that I have also pinched the tips of the new plants this year!

I actually use my pruners to make a clean cut, remove the bottom leaves and just stick the cuttings straight into garden soil.

The sedum performs best in drier soil and full sun, though they do well with afternoon shade. Choose companions that also work in the same conditions.

I grow sedum with salvia, perennial heliotrope, lavender, four o'clocks, agastache and purple heart.

The good news is that the rabbits leave the tall, blooming sedum alone, so I can grow these quite well inside the cottage garden fence. The bad news is that deer will probably eat the blooms, just when you are ready to enjoy the plant. Late summer and early fall is prime time for the deer to forage for food in flower gardens as the wild vegetation diminishes. Plants that deer ignore all summer may be more interesting in early autumn.

My 'Purple Emperor' sedum tips are doing well, but are not maturing as quickly as the 'Green Expecations'. I have blooms on only one of seven tips that I started in 2009. Sedum 'Bekka' has not done well in the summer humidity.

I would happily add more sedum varieties if I had the space! These are economical and carefree plants to fill a sunny garden.

Sedum 'Green Expectations' with deep pink Four O'Clocks and lavender-blue perennial heliotrope 'Azure Skies'

Sedum 'Green Expectations' with salvia farinacea 'Victoria Blue'

Sedum 'Purple Emperor' with gaillardia 'Grape Sensation' and foliage of cottage pinks (dianthus)

Words and photos by Freda Cameron, Defining Your Home, Garden and Travel. Deer and rabbit resistance varies based upon the animal population and availability of food. All company or product or patented names mentioned are registered trademarks, copyrights, or patents owned by those respective companies or persons.

Just how much heat and sun can a plant handle? Most gardeners define "full sun" as six hours or more of sunshine. My garden easily receives twelve hours of full sun in the summer. The temperature exceeded 100°F recently. Our heat index has been well over 100° on several days. We've had no significant rain in weeks while the 90°+ temperatures have pounded the garden and the gardeners.

My garden is filled with plants that can handle tough heat, but even camels eventually need a drink in the desert. It was time.

I had to water the garden last evening to prevent a meltdown! We do have a deep well. Still, I don't like to water the garden and I really don't like to water a garden in the evening—but, I wanted the water to soak into the soil instead of evaporate in the morning sun.

My husband said "you can almost hear the sigh of relief from the garden."

This morning, I rushed out at 6:30 am, hopeful for a recovery. It was hot. Too hot. I was glad that I hadn't waited until morning to water the garden because I couldn't handle the heat!

My camera lens had to clear up as it was fogged by the transition from air conditioned comfort into the inferno.

The garden put on a perky face for me. All was well—at least on the surface. The soil is still very dry, but my thorough watering revived the garden for a few days.


So, which plants performed best in this unplanned trial of dry, hot torture?

Salvia guaranitica 'Black & Blue' with wide, bright green leaves was definitely looking sad. A little water did the trick and all the plants were back to normal all day today. Salvia 'May Night', 'Caradonna', 'Marcus' and 'Sensation Rose' were fine. Salvia greggii, in all colors, looked totally undaunted by the heat.

The new varieties—salvia chamaedryoides and salvia pachyphylla—were especially pleased with the dry conditions and hot temperatures, so I carefully avoided giving those two any water at all! Sounds cruel, but I won't mess with happy plants!


Most agastache varieties were real troopers, but 'Golden Jubilee' with wide, light green leaves really had to be watered. The big surprise was that the companion to drumstick allium, agastache 'Cotton Candy' (pictured above) needed no water. 'Cotton Candy' was added in September 2009 and has been blooming since April. If it continues to perform well, it is going to move into first place as my favorite agastache.

The buddleia leaves have drooped during the heat of the day, but each morning (so far), they have looked fine. No extra water has been given, but that may change as we expect another 100° day on Sunday.

The coneflowers, ageratum, joe pye weed, ironweed and daylilies needed water. I lost a few volunteer tall garden phlox planted beside the stone walk inside the cottage garden. Other patches of phlox, planted among other perennials, are fine. Sedum were fine. A few lamb's ear plants were suffering, but the older ones are doing great.

Gaillardia, lavender, ornamental grasses, flax, Russian sage, santolina, verbena and all of the coreopsis varieties were fine before the watering. I'm not sure they appreciated my efforts to drag several hundred feet of garden hose around the garden. The drip irrigation has never been extended to the drought-loving plants.

Another plant that has received no supplemental watering must have a tap root long enough to reach down to the water table. Perennial heliotrope 'Azure Skies' (that blooms six months) is simply amazing! It has been an edger in the cottage garden, and I started adding it along the edge of the outer gardens. Although all of the heliotrope in the south garden was planted since April, it is blooming like crazy, loving the heat and untouched by deer.

When I finished the watering chore (2 1/2 hours), I took on another chore last evening and worked until the moon was up.

As difficult as it was to endure the heat myself, I decided it was much better than working in the sun. I deadheaded as many spent flowers as possible, as well as cutting a few nice blooms to bring inside to enjoy. In times of little rain, I try to make an extra effort to deadhead to hopefully reduce stress on the plant.

It is these trials by nature that test both the garden and the gardener.

Words and photos by Freda Cameron, Defining Your Home, Garden and Travel. Deer and rabbit resistance varies based upon the animal population and availability of food. All company or product or patented names mentioned are registered trademarks, copyrights, or patents owned by those respective companies or persons.

The daffodil blooms are spent and looking ragged among the new growth of other plants. Much like deadheading daylilies, I simply pinch off the wilted little blooms and leave all of the foliage. The foliage should be left alone until yellowed. As long as the foliage is green, more energy is going into the bulb to provide another beautiful spring display the following year.

My daffodils are interspersed with perennials and seed-sown annuals in the deer resistant garden. I'm careful to keep the daffodils away from the edges of the garden so that the new growth of the companions will cover the yellowing daffodil foliage.

Sometimes, I have accidentally planted on top of daffodil bulbs. Keeping track of bulbs is one of my biggest gardening challenges! I'll need to divide my daffodils this fall, so I've come up with a new idea.

I have a big box of dark green plastic utensils that were leftover from a function many years ago. I'm going to recycle those dull knives to mark the daffodil clumps. The cutting edge of the knife is easy to insert into the soil. The handle is just the "write size" to use for labeling with a laundry proof marker.

I hope these plant markers are strong enough to stay in the ground, hold up for years and be reused. After all, I'm going to have to mark the location of alliums, Dutch irises and Spanish bluebells, too!

According to the recycling information that I've read--Plastic utensils cannot go into the recycling bin. I've had the utensils in this story for about 8 years (leftover from an outdoor function) and didn't know what to do with them. I decided to REUSE these until they break. Please don't buy plastic utensils if you can avoid it. Thank you.

Words and photos by Freda Cameron, Defining Your Home, Garden and Travel.

A year ago, I was so proud of my success in growing winter daphne. She started blooming in December and kept on going through February. She was gorgeous. She was fragrant. Her elegant limbs were overloaded with beautiful, pink blooms. She was only three years old.

There is a gardener's myth that says that if your winter daphne is blooming beautifully, do not tell other gardeners. Whatever you do, don't invite another gardener over to see your daphne. She will succumb to what is known as "Daphne Death."

On a beautiful day this summer, I noticed that my Daphne was her beautiful evergreen self, gently nestled beside her shady companion, sweet bay magnolia. Perfection! She was so happy. I started thinking about planting another daphne to keep her company this winter. Daphne is such an easy keeper. She doesn't want extra water or food. Daphne is evergreen and deer resistant, important attributes for my fragrance garden.

That same summer day, I got an email from an expert on gardening. It was The Grumpy Gardener (Southern Living Magazine) asking if he could come visit my deer resistant flower garden.

A few days later, I was on the phone with Grumpy as I walked around the garden telling him what would be in bloom for his upcoming visit. Then, I saw HER. I told Grumpy what was happening.

I tried to stifle my dismay, disappointment and outright pain. I didn't want to cry on the phone. Daphne was literally shriveling up before my eyes.

By the time Grumpy arrived in mid-July, poor little daphne was brown. She was dead. The myth is true.

If you decide to grow a beautiful, sweet daphne odora, please don't tell another gardener. Skip past her when you have visitors. Don't blog about her and don't post pictures of her. She wants to be ignored!

Words and photo by Freda Cameron

Time is a luxury. Although I throughly enjoy working in the garden, I like to spend more hours - just being in the garden.

When I began my extreme makeover garden project this fall, I realized that not only was I keeping the best bloomers, but the easiest plants to maintain. I ruthlessly culled out poor performers, aggressive or high maintenance plants and threw those on the compost heap.

My garden conditions:

Zone 7b
full sun all day
outside the fence, deer resistance is critical
drought tolerant, once plants are established

Salvias

Salvias provide a long bloom season and there are varieties available for many growing zones. This is important - choose salvias that are appropriate for your zone. Salvias that grow in New Mexico may not grow in your zone.

To help the perennial salvias overwinter, I do not cut them back in the fall. Some varieties of salvia require slightly more attention than others, but I still consider all of those in my garden to be low-maintenance. There are also annual salvias that can be grown for color all summer and then pulled out if they don't overwinter.

Photographing salvias is difficult, but otherwise, they are great plants!

It is November and almost every salvia in my garden is still in bloom. Only the salvia nemorosa 'Caradonna' and uliginosa (bog sage) are not in bloom. The nemorosa blooms in spring and may be deadheaded for lesser repeat blooms (they reseed, but that's okay). I'm not a big fan of nemorosa because there are so many other salvias that bloom longer, however I like 'Caradonna' for the spring blooms and nice foliage.

The bog sage blooms non-stop all summer and takes a break only when the temperatures drop. It can be aggressive, but the stolons are easy to pull when it wanders too far.



For year-round, the salvia greggii varieties are my absolute favorites and I have them in violet, dark purple, deep red, cherry red, magenta, white and grape. They are semi-evergreen to evergreen in my garden. These salvias will put on a big spring bloom display, bloom off-and-on all summer and then put on the best display in autumn when so many other flowers have stopped blooming. In very late winter, all I do is a little shaping of the shrub-like plants to prevent stem breakage.

If you asked a hummingbird to select their favorite, it would be salvia guaranitica 'Black & Blue' so I have at least fifteen of these! This is a tender perennial for my zone, but I've had good luck with overwintering. This salvia can take a bit more summer moisture, richer soil and partial shade than other salvias. Still, it cannot be in a wet winter location in the garden. Black & Blue blooms from summer until fall freezes.

I've added salvia 'Mystic Spires Blue' as well as it's larger parent 'Indigo Spires' to the garden this summer. I have high hopes that these non-stop bloomers will overwinter here as they are truly beautiful and the color works with all other colors.

There are literally hundreds of salvias from which to choose, but I don't consider myself a collector, just a gardener who loves to grow great plants. These low-maintenance, deer resistant, rabbit resistant, drought tolerant plants work hard for me, so I'll keep them!

For more information on salvias, I can think of no better resources than Robin's Salvias (United Kingdom) for an incredible gallery and Rich Dufresne, a salvia expert right here in North Carolina who has introduced so many salvias to gardeners. Both gentlemen participate regularly on the GardenWeb Salvia Forum.




Words and photos by Freda Cameron; Home garden; 2009

This has been a busy week in the garden. I have divided and transplanted daylilies and Japanese irises. I have pulled annuals that were spent, or had to be removed to make room for fall seed sowing. I have moved plants from holding areas into their new homes in the garden. I've been amending soil as I go since these tasks remove soil. I mixed new garden soil with organic compost to boost the existing perennials and refresh the soil for sowing seeds.

I moved a crepe myrtle that had been in a holding area to the fence line outside the cottage garden. Yes, I dug that big hole and moved that tree all by myself! I don't plant many things in rows, but we need some shade relief and front porch privacy, so there are now three crepe myrtles planted outside the front fence. I added Japanese irises and finished adding nepeta that was in holding for the area after a Lady Banks was removed.

In an effort to rid the garden of anything that has been bothering me - I dug out that overgrown Lady Banksia Rose at our front gate. The deer could reach it and it was just out of scale for that gate. I was constantly trimming it. There is another Lady Banksia over the gable gate that I'm going to have to trim by reaching outside the window of an upstairs room!

Since I've been writing about the changes that I'm making to the garden, Gail at Clay and Limestone asked if I had any photos taken from above.

This morning, I went upstairs and took photos. I also took photos on the ground so you can follow along two sections of the garden - the front, deer resistant garden and the cottage garden that is inside the fence. These gardens are in front of the house. Between the gardens and the road is our large meadow that must remain in grass (and kept mowed below 9").

Keep in mind that this is mid-October, so there isn't a lot in bloom. Zinnias, marigolds, salvias, a few mums and swamp sunflower are providing the only color right now. Also, I have removed so much to make the changes that there is a lot of empty soil, awaiting seeds, bulbs or future pots of plants.

The first set of photos was taken as I stood at the top edge of the front deer resistant garden, looking back to the cottage garden.



The next set of photos was taken from the upstairs windows.


Gail asked about the diagonal planting space that I mentioned when describing my seed-sowing plans.

Why diagonal? I discovered, through trying to get good photos of the deer resistant garden, that if I stood at the top left edge of the garden and looked diagonally down to the front gate, I had a better view. (As an example, see the photo at the top of my left sidebar.)

The garden is long, so strolling the path, it isn't easy to get a good view. By planting diagonally, I hope to alter the view as I walk the path at the bottom of the garden.

That said, the meadow is south of the garden. Therefore, the blooms face south. Taking photos from the top of the garden means that most of the blooms are looking at me! Not so, from the path at the bottom. This is why we start our daily garden walk around the top of the meadow and loop back around on the paths.

There are more gardens than shown here, and all are deer resistant. Those include the dry stream garden (being renovated), the parking island bed (it has been a catch-all and will be renovated in spring), the butterfly garden (hot colors, but includes some large plants that need to be moved), the waterfall garden, and the fragrance garden. Much to be done...




Words and photos by Freda Cameron; Home Gardens; October 9, 2009

How do I keep the fall-blooming sedum in my garden from splaying open?

That was my question on a gardening forum. The answer was, of course, to pinch back the tips anytime in late May through July 4. That wasn't all the advice that I received from Carrie, another North Carolina gardener. Carrie suggested that I take the tips and just stick them in the soil to make new plants.

I posed the question about sedum maintenance as I had not grown the large-leaved sedum long enough to have experience - because the deer eat them! You wouldn't think a sedum would be on the deer menu, but they sure ate the 'Autumn Joy' that I tried a few years ago.

In September 2008, I planted three fall-blooming sedum in the protected and fenced cottage garden. I purchased 'Bekka', 'Green Expectations' and 'Purple Emperor' (top photo) from a local nursery where I could see the bloom colors to make sure they coordinated with my magenta, purple and blue color scheme.

I've used this "pinch and plant" method with delosperma cooperii (ice plant) quite successfully. It works especially well when the soil is wet from rain.

To be able to expand my sedum population with just routine maintenance pinching is great. Sedum can be quite expensive, so this is also an economical way to expand the garden.


Using my smallest hand pruners, I carefully cut off the full tips of the sedum. Most of the tips were 4-5 inches in length. I trimmed off the lower leaves to create enough stalk to plant the tip. After a few weeks of keeping the soil slightly moist, all of the tips are now firmly rooted as new plants.

I had almost too many tips to find space! When I started pruning off the tips, I hadn't stopped to think about how many new plants I would have. Making a quick decision, I planted the tips along the stepping stone and gravel paths in the cottage garden. I tried to mix them in with other edging plants, rather than creating a row of edging. I think the plants will be easy enough to move when I need to do some rearranging.

The "mother" plants look great as the tips are growing back quite nicely. I will have pretty, mounded plants for my fall blooms without any splaying.

With so many free plants, I may even try to grow a few sedum outside the fence again - in deer territory!




Story and photos by Freda Cameron; Location: Home Garden; June 2009

By guest writer, Annie Greer Baggett
sunshine lavender farm, Hurdle Mills, North Carolina

Lavender is a very drought tolerant plant, once established, and spring is a perfect time to plant this lovely and oh, so fragrant herb. Especially this very rainy, cool spring! There are hundreds of varieties of lavender that grow throughout the world. There are a proven dozen (and still trying) that grow well in our Piedmont North Carolina region.

In my experience growing lavender, I have faced many challenges like most gardeners in this area. Clay soil, humid conditions, drought, long periods of rain, clouds, wind, hail… the list goes on! This is farming! I have also answered some commonly asked questions from gardeners throughout the US. The questions go something like this… “I have attempted to grow lavender many times and it either dies soon after planting or it lives for a while, then dies out. What does lavender need that I am not providing?”

Everyone should have at least one lavender plant in the garden! My aim is to help you grow the healthiest lavender possible by preparing the soil properly, spacing them well, and trimming them so that they will have abundant blooms for many years.

In North Carolina, our native clay soil and humid conditions are a challenge for lavender. Select a garden location with full sun (at least six hours and optimally on a southern or southwestern slope) and take the following steps to help you successfully grow this delightful herb.

Plants
There are many lavender varieties that grow well in our area. Typically the ones offered in your local garden centers and nurseries will thrive if planted and cared for properly. Just look at the tag to make sure the lavender you have chosen is hardy in your Zone. The Lavandula x intermedia varieties are good choices – Grosso and Provence. So are Dutch, Hidcote (Lavandula angustifolia) and some Spanish (Stoechas) lavenders. If in doubt, ask your favorite nursery which varieties grow well for them. (sunshine lavender farm is in Zone 7a.)

Soil
Requires well-drained soils. Raised beds and containers work well too.
Sandy, sandy/loam or gravelly.
Low fertility. To much fertilizer will cause the foliage to grow beautifully, however, the lavender may never bloom.
Soil pH: 6.5 – 7.5

If lavender is grown in a container, the temperature will be 15 degrees colder than if it is planted in the ground. With this in mind, winter protection is needed. It will be best outdoors by burying the pot, covering the pot with burlap, straw or some other protective covering. Locate the potted lavender on the southwestern side of a structure to capture maximum sun and warmth during the coldest months. Tucked close to a building will allow it to stay warm. A corner is a good spot so that it is protected from winter winds.

Lavender does not enjoy being an indoor plant since it can rarely get enough sun to satisfy it. If you do not have a spot as described and need to bring it in during the winter, just be sure to locate it in a sunny, warm window. You may take it outdoors on those gifts of days when it is sunny with balmy temperatures. By the time spring arrives, it should green up and do just fine.

Soil Preparation
Remember the saying. “Dig a $10 hole for a $5 plant?” This holds true more than ever for lavender!

Create an 18-24" high mound above the soil line with well cultivated soil working the soil to the full growth diameter of the lavender variety chosen. (For example, if growing Provence, cultivate the soil 4’ around, amending with stone for sharp drainage. The mound is created in the center where the new seedling will be placed.) The root system of lavender is fairly shallow, reaching 8-10” in depth and to be on the safe side, about the same diameter as the drip line of the mature plant.

Using a trowel, dig a hole just deep enough for the plant in the top of the mound. The mound will settle to 6-8” over time.

Place about 4 cups of 1" round stone (err on the side of more), ½ cup total of equal parts of bone meal, lime and well composted manure in the bottom of hole and mix well. The stone will allow the soil to drain well, the lime will improve the pH, bone meal and compost for a healthy start.

Planting
Water your lavender well in its nursery pot and let it sit for an hour or overnight is even better, before planting.
Trim the top of the plant to ensure a nice bushy, productive plant.

Remove most of the planting material from the root, loosening the root system, so that the plant will be placed in the ground mostly bare root. Lavender likes getting down into the native soil.

Toss a bit of unamended soil in the very bottom of the hole. Place the plant in the hole preventing the roots from touching the lime/bone meal/compost blend and pull the soil up around the base of the plant.

Depending upon the lavender variety selected, space plants 36"-48” from one another for good air circulation since they will grow quickly and fill in the space. It is fine for the blooms to touch. Just prevent the foliage from touching since the lavender will kill one another out over time when crowded. Leave 8-12” between plants.

Lavender sleeps its first year, creeps the second and blooms at its peak in its third year producing about 1000 stems.

Care
Herbs thrive on neglect once established. Care for young lavender as you would any new perennial, watering deeply every 7-10 days. Lavender prefers infrequent, deep watering versus frequent shallow drinks. When well rooted, lavender is tolerant of heat and dry spells. Water if there is a drought. (Over watering leads to root rot which will cause lavender to die. If the lavender has been planted properly with the drainage system in place, then root rot is much less of an issue.)

Prevent weeds by mulching with a light colored mulch like coarse sand, gravel or shells. Do not use hardwood mulch since wood shavings hold moisture in the soil and lavender prefers to be high and dry. The sun will reflect light, keeping the plants dry and help deter disease, and enhance bloom and oil production.

In our region, around Halloween, or three weeks before hard frost, prune 1/3 of lavender plant each fall, 2-3 weeks before hard frost. Rule of thumb is to leave 1” of foliage all the way around.

If you forget Halloween -- then remember Valentine’s Day and prune then – or when other woody shrubs in your region are pruned before they break dormancy. (Please go to our Gallery at www.sunshinelavenderfarm.com for a How To Prune Lavender photo step-by-step.)

Be sure to trim away any wayward branches that have a tendency to grow along the ground. Annual pruning will help the plant grow full and rounded and deter sprawling which can cause the main stems to split and break. When this happens, moisture gets down into the plant causing it stress, disease and it will eventually go to the great compost heap in the sky.

Toss a handful of bone meal/lime/compost blend (same mixture used at planting) around base of plant in the fall just before rain or water afterwards.

The lavender varieties that grow well in our area will bloom from about Memorial Day to July 4. So, look forward to summer and when your lavender blooms, sit back, breathe in its fresh delightful scent and enjoy!

Here is a list of some of the proven varieties that we grow and enjoy on our farm:

Fred Boutin, Grosso, Hidcote, Provence, and Spanish. Some white lavender, like White Provence also grows fine here. Hidcote Giant is a Lavandula x intermedia variety and is showing signs of longevity as well. We are now offering Goodwin Creek since some of our mountain customers enjoy this variety.

Petite lavenders, like Hidcote and Spanish for small gardens or containers, and larger specimens as a backdrop for big gardens throughout the seasons like Fred Boutin, Goodwin Creek, Grosso, and largest of all, Provence.

Sequence of bloom time is Spanish, Hidcote (around Memorial Day), Provence (early June), and Fred Boutin, Goodwin Creek, and Grosso begin in mid June in central NC.

Fred Boutin: One of the oldest lavenders on our farm, this plant is hardy and lovely. There are three bushes next to our screened porch that have that nice gray/blue foliage color in winter. The foliage grows so full and thick that I have to prune them back more often so that they do not crowd one another too much. The blooms are the most unusual periwinkle blue! A nice performer and one of my favorites. Begins bloom in mid June. Grows 24" - 30" around and tall.

Goodwin Creek is a pretty lavender with a dense habit and pretty grey-green foliage with scalloped leaves. The rich violet-blue flowers are incredible! Many from the mountains have raved about this lavender. A unique lavender and a nice addition to any garden. Try it against a sunny wall. Grows 24 - 30" around and tall.

Grosso: The lavender with the highest oil content of all of the lavenders. It has lovely, medium purple blooms beginning in mid June. Hardy and gorgeous. Grows 24"-30" around and tall. Sometimes larger. This lavender dries well and stays on the stem. Nice for wreaths and floral arrangements for lasting color and fragrance.

Hidcote: Blooms around Memorial Day, typically in Zone 7a where the farm is located. A small, compact lavender that grows about 18" – 24” around and tall. 8"-12" stems are a brilliant royal purple. Dries nicely too. Brides love this lavender!

Provence: Truly a specimen in your garden. This lavender is the largest of all! Grows about 36" around or more. It is an amazingly fresh and fragrant lavender when it begins to bloom in early June. Pale lavender flowers on very long stems. The stem length can be almost a yard long! Provence is nice for cooking and crafting since the florets naturally fall from the stem once spent or dried. Please do not get frustrated with this lavender for this reason ... just grab those florets and find a lavender recipe!

Spanish: The first to bloom in the garden here. I love it for that reason! It is a fun landscape lavender and does not have true florets ... really mini flowers topped with "feathers" or "bunny ears" petals . Very fun with a beautiful red/purple color. Spicy scented, long lasting, and very hardy planted in a southwestern facing garden. If sited otherwise, mulch young plants over the winter. Grows 24” around. 18” – 14” tall in bloom.

Provence White, Lavandula x intermedia
Size: 24" - 30" @ with 20" - 24" stems

Hardiness: Perennial in Zones 5-11
Flower: Snow white flowers begin bloom in mid June
Characteristics: Full Sun, Evergreen, Water Conserving, Deer Resistant
Uses: Fragrant Ornamental, Culinary
White flowers are lovely in fresh arrangements. Great for cooking. Uses stems as skewers when grilling. Requires excellent drainage, good air circulation and full sun.

Hidcote Giant, Lavandula x intermedia
Size: 24" - 30" @ with 20" - 24" stems

Hardiness: Perennial in Zones 5-11
Flower: Dark Purple with Fat Flowers begin bloom in mid June
Characteristics: Full Sun, Evergreen, Water Conserving, Deer Resistant
Uses: Dried Flower, Fragrant Ornamental
Medium purple flowers on long stems make Hidcote Giant very different from Hidcote Lavender. Tolerant of heat and humidity. Requires excellent drainage, good air circulation and full sun.

For lavender lovers who may enjoy visiting sunshine lavender farm, the farm is open the second weekend in June, by invitation only, for our Lavender Harvest Celebration, then again in December for a Lavender Holiday Celebration. Visit www.sunshinelavenderfarm.com and sign up for our enews for ongoing event information, like the Celebrations on the farm, lavender care tips throughout the year, recipes, and much more.

How many gardeners spent the first day of SPRING outside, working in the garden?

It was a sunny day here. The temperature was in the mid-50s and that was great gardening weather. My husband (aka The Musician) even joined in the fun. This is the first time that he's been home (retired) during the spring season. It was great to see his enthusiasm for getting the garden into shape. The man hates weeds more than me!

The Musician went on his three-mile run while I dug wild onions out of the garden. When he finished his run, he went to work shoveling the gravel to pull out the weeds. We have had several rains recently, making the ground and gravel perfect for weed eradication. Using a flat blade shovel, he scraped off the top of the gravel to loosen the weeds. They came right up. He raked the gravel back into place. It has been almost four years since the gravel path was made, so it's time to buy a bit of gravel to freshen it up again.

While we were working side-by-side in the garden, The Musician kept mentioning his enjoyment of the beautiful day for gardening. He's never had time to really enjoy gardening until now. In the past, it has been a weekend chore for him. He now sees the joy in gardening as well as the health benefits of the activity.

We went on to remove three lavender plants that didn't survive days and days of rain. When I say "we" this took on a new meaning - I pointed to the plants and he graciously dug out the very heavy shrub-size plants and dragged the 50 pound (they seem that heavy) off to the lavender graveyard that is used to block a deer path at the edge of the woods. He usually lifts weights before he runs. We both agreed that the heavy lifting in the garden is a great switch from indoor weights.

By lunchtime, we had cleaned up the cottage garden and the front pathway. I realized that I wouldn't have gotten so much done without my husband. I realized that gardening with him is more fun than gardening alone. He realized the fun of gardening when there is no rush to fit it into his spare time.

Gardening has always been enjoyable and The Musician has always been very supportive of my gardening activities and the results. I am so happy that he is so happy - to spring into action, too!

Story and photos by Freda Cameron

Sunshine, blue skies and warm temperatures are a welcome respite from winter. What a perfect time to get out in the garden and do a few chores!

I spent this morning cutting back buddleia. With only eleven shrubs trimmed today, I have another nine to trim tomorrow.

I had to use bypass pruners to cut through the thick wood trunks of the buddleia. The vitex (chaste tree) was also trimmed today. I took the opportunity to shape the vitex into a standard so that the plants underneath will get enough sunshine to flourish.

Since I trimmed my lavender back in October, I don't have to trim it again. However, this is the perfect time for zone 7 gardeners to trim lavender if you missed the fall trim. I use Black & Decker™ cordless "Hedgehog" trimmers and shape the lavender into a mounded, rounded meatball. This allows blooms on all sides and the top of the plant. Cut off about 1/3 of the lavender to keep it from growing a thick trunk that will keep the lavender from blooming well.

If bunnies are running rampant in your garden, you can spread your lavender clippings around. The repellant will last until the clippings no longer have that distinct lavender fragrance.

Also on my "to be trimmed" list - ornamental grasses. Again, I rely upon my trusted cordless trimmers for this chore. I use twine to tie the top of the grasses together into a bundle, then whack off the grass. The bundles make it easy to clean up after the trim. If there is any green already emerging, I cut down to the green base. If there is no green, I usually leave at least 8" on the base of tall grasses such as miscanthus.

I hope this nice weather holds for the entire week! It's good to be spending the day outdoors again.

Story and photo by Freda Cameron

Am I the only gardener who forgets where fall-planted bulbs are located in the garden?

For the last three years, I didn't mark my fall-planted bulbs. I will even confess to having accidentally dug up daffodils and hyacinths because I forgot where they were planted. Since I promptly lost track of the bulbs AGAIN, I can't even tell you whether or not my negligence resulted in any permanent damage.

An interesting thing happened this fall when I was rearranging one particular section of the cottage garden.

I had planted a group of Dutch irises there in the fall of 2005. In the spring of 2008, I noted that the irises needed dividing. Then, I forgot the exact location.

After pulling out a small tree and three shrubs and all the perennials in this one area, it seems that I divided those irises after all! In all the replanting, the bulbs were raked around in the new soil amendments and now are nicely spaced in three clumps around the garden bed. The sprouts are already showing even though the irises won't bloom until April.

Knowing that was just pure luck, I diligently marked all of my new iris and allium bulbs when I planted this last October. The labels aren't attractive, so I know that those will be pulled next spring when the flowers bloom. Once again, I will lose track of my bulbs unless I have a better, but less distracting method for marking.

I thought about painting little rocks to use as bulb markers, but that's a lot of work.

Of course, it is my husband that has a great idea for marking bulbs! He suggested that we buy a bag of golf tees in mixed colors. Then, use a different color for each type of bulb. He's not even a golfer, so we don't have any around the house.

I think this is an ingenious idea. Did you know that you can buy 1,000 golf tees in mixed colors for under $25?

Are there any "green" golf tees out there?

Story by Freda Cameron

Micro-climate gardening gets me through the winter. Yesterday was a great December day. The sun was shining and the outside morning temperature was 39°F. Sounds cold? Our porch temperature was 80°F!

After toasting in the sun through coffee and breakfast on our front porch, my husband headed out for a run and I headed out in the garden. Our neighbors must think we're totally crazy! Of course, the garden is cooler than the porch, but I worked without a jacket and was toasty warm in our sunny gardens. I wish I could share the warmth and sunshine with my fellow gardeners who are suffering from seasonal affective disorder (S.A.D.).

I decided to start the weeding with the cottage garden so that it would be all nice and neat for the holidays. After several inches of rain this week, I dug out the wild onions with no problems. I easily scooped out other encroaching weeds with my trowel.

The waterfall garden needed a bit of tending. The calla lily had finally folded, so I trimmed up the foliage. The creeping jenny was creeping too far into the water, so I wore rubber gloves to pull it out. I moved those ground-covering clumps to the backside of the waterfall hill that needs some erosion control. Not a big loss if the jenny doesn't make it. All you have to do is pinch of a sprig of jenny and place it in water or soil to root.

The rabbits (or deer) had totally munched down the heuchera in the fragrance garden. I know this isn't a good time to transplant, but I dug up a 'Palace Purple', a 'Key Lime' and a 'Peach Flambe' and tucked those inside the cottage garden underneath a buddleia. The soil was still very workable, had drained well and wasn't too wet. Since it rarely freezes in that location, I have high hopes for the heuchera to recover.

The perennials that continue to show pretty foliage are my "winter wonders."

In the cottage garden, the evergreen dianthus (Bath's Pink) edges the gravel path opposite the Knock Out® Roses, that still have leaves. The fragrant foliage of the Spanish lavender was trimmed in October and is now a pretty, grey-green.

At the end of the row of dianthus is a cascading rosemary, still blooming with tiny, blue flowers. The little scabiosa 'Butterfly Blue' is still blooming, too. Even several verbena bonariensis are still blooming in front of the porch! The sedum 'Angelina' is bright and colorful underneath the Japanese maple that has lost all leaves at this point. The creeping thyme is green, lush and very fragrant.

Throughout the outer gardens, there are clumps of perfectly green foliage at the base of my agastache 'Salmon and Pink' as well as the 'Coronado'. I noticed that a cutting of salvia gregii had rooted out in the garden, showing tiny green leaves. The cutting started as a broken branch. I trimmed it up, dipped it in rooting compound and just stuck it in the butterfly garden a few months ago.

By the front walkway, the stachys hummelo, monarda, and nepeta are all still healthy clumps of green. The ice plant is looking a bit tired, but I believe it is from the rain. Ice plant is another groundcover that you can pinch in the summer and just plant it in moist soil.

Up on my front porch, the container plants are still blooming. The purple petunias and rosy mums are providing the color.

Not bad for a December day in North Carolina!

Photo and story by Freda Cameron. Photo used was taken a week earlier during a heavy frost.

As if eating our prized perennials isn't enough, we have to protect our trees from deer antler rubbing this time of year.

In the fall, the "velvet" fuzz that began with spring growth, starts shedding on the antlers of a buck deer. They rub their antlers on trees and the males will engage each other in sparring during the breeding season. I don't think the buck deer are fighting each other on our property. I've seen a group of four running together. I've also seen two with larger antlers than the buck in my photo. I've seen a buck with one antler, too. In other words, I think we have at least eight buck deer roaming our property.

After breeding season ends, the buck deer drop their antlers. The antlers start growing again in the spring. You might be able to walk in the woods in early winter and find the dropped antlers, if they have not already been eaten by small animals who want the calcium.

The number of points on the antlers has nothing to do with the age of the buck. A young deer, with a good food supply (not from my garden) in the winter, can grow a six or eight point rack. To determine the age of a buck, you'd have to check his teeth. I don't think I'll get that close.

Last fall, we had to prune up the lower limbs on the magnolia. The deer had broken off branches from rubbing, so we did our best to repair the damage. They began rubbing against the exposed trunk a few weeks ago. We encircled the magnolia with a wire fence after we saw the damage. Yesterday, we discovered that the buck deer had also been rubbing antlers on the trunk of the deodar cedar.

The damage was rather bad this year because we didn't fence off the trees in time. We should have protected the tree trunks by the last day of October. If you see any deer on your property, it's a good idea to be proactive and protect the trees before this kind of damage is done to your trees or shrubs.



Story and photos by Freda Cameron

Gardeners go back into the garden!

Touring around the gardening blog world, there are plenty of examples of the hard work underway as we go out In the Garden to prepare for the cold months to come.

I’ve always known that gardeners are hard-working individuals who are passionate about their gardens. As I check the Notes from a Cottage Garden I am reminded that many of these gardeners have been posting their “to do” lists and chores for the garden. Whether the garden is large or a Balcony Garden we can appreciate all of these Garden Endeavors.

Our UK friend at Veg Plotting says "Plot Views - Clearing Needed." The headline sounds like a "Help Wanted" sign and there are so many times I wish I could hire someone to help out with a few arduous tasks. Empathy to the rescue...the comments can be summarized to be very supportive…that’s okay, think of it as wildlife habitat. Now that’s the kind of attitude that I like! Natural areas provide food and cover for wildlife. So, I think I'm going to leave that brush pile of shovel-pruned plants alone for now.

Perennial Garden Lover is quite industrious, providing us with her Fall Checklist tasks. Racquel's list reminds me of my previous life (working for money) where I was a marketing process consultant in product management at a software company. I would take a list like that and put it in a timeline with checkpoints and milestones. Fortunately, we can just skip all of that record-keeping when we’re working for ourselves for free.

At Our Little Acre Kylee reminded me of another task that I don’t do. I delegate the task of birdhouse cleaning to my dear husband because opening up a box at the edge of the woods is just a bit too creepy for me. Call me a whimp, I don’t mind. In cleaning out the birdhouse, Kylee found a Monarch chrysalis, reminding us that wildlife does indeed take advantage of our gardens for shelter intended for other critters. Which reminded me that I want to add a Toadshed to my garden to house my little gardening buddies.

We learn the Secrets of a Seed Scatterer as Jean tells us all about seed scattering and which ones can be sown here in the Southeast. Jean makes this particular task sound like the art of gardening. Well seed …um, said. I’m new to seed scattering and I follow Jean’s guidance in this area.

If you Walk Down the Garden Path with Cindy while she undertakes her fall chores, she takes time to smell the flowers with the other Busy Bees. Cindy has the cutest helper who warmed my heart with memories of sharing the leaf raking chores with my son when he was a little fellow. Kids grow up too fast, don’t they? Cherish the moments.

Allan Armitage gives us some insight into Why We Garden. I believe we can all relate to one of the reasons that Allan brings to light. Dirt Therapy is good for us. Digging rewards us with the Colors of the Garden such as beautiful Lilacs and Roses.

As we pick up the Hoe and Shovel to tackle Clay and Limestone, let us all remember that our hard work now will provide us with a Fairegarden next spring.

I've not found a hat large enough to cover my big ears. After the freeze kills back the foliage on my colocasia, I whack the plants back to a few inches above the ground. When I say "whack" that's exactly what I mean. These are thick, tough stems, so arm yourself appropriately when you go out in the garden to bring down these plants. I dump a mountain of mulch on top for thick insulation against the winter cold.

The colocasia esculenta 'Fontanesii' is rated for zones 7b-10 and grows between 6-8 feet high on black stems. The September blooms are a nice yellow with a papaya-like fragrance.

I have two of these big plants in the fragrance garden to help provide privacy around our dining patio in summer. They grow rapidly, especially with moist soil. That said, mine survived last year's drought with minimal drip irrigation. These huge plants are both deer and rabbit resistant because all parts are poisonous.

Since I live on the cold edge of the hardiness zone, I have to protect my elephant ears during the winter months. Some gardeners around here (and colder zones) dig up the roots to overwinter inside in a garage or basement. My colocasia wintered over just fine last year with the mulch overcoat. The plants increased in size, but not enough to have to divide them. These were planted in spring 2007, so I may be ready to divide them next year.

Since the black stems have a deep red undertone, this colocasia looks good with companions that sport purple, lavender or deep pink blooms. I use buddleia 'Pink Delight' and monarda 'Blue Stockings' planted on the sunnyside of the colocasia. Underneath, I planted heuchera in purple. During May, before the colocasia are fully out of the ground and unfurled, there are mass plantings of Hyacinthoides hispanica (Spanish bluebells) that brighten up the garden.

If you are planning to include big leaves in your garden next year, think about providing enough space for these colocasia. Colocasia esculenta 'Fontanesii' should be planted in the spring after the last frost. Moist soil will give you better results. I've found the big ears will burn in the bright sun, so a bit of protection from the harsh afternoon sun and strong winds is highly recommended. In the next few days, I'll once again have to protect those big ears from the cold!

By Freda Cameron

In my flower gardens, I use organic products that will not harm beneficials such as butterflies and honeybees. For years, I've used the Espoma® organic products such as Plant-tone®. In addition to being organic, my garden has flourished using the Plant-tone® when I plant and again in the spring. I use it for perennials, annuals, shrubs and trees. The Plant-tone®, Holly-tone®, and Garden-tone® products have recently been enchanced with beneficial microbes. For my upcoming fall bulb planting, I will use Bulb-tone®.

Espoma® has announced new natural pesticides in their Earth-tone® product line:

Earth-tone® Bug & Slug Control
Earth-tone® Horticultural Oil
Earth-tone® Slug & Snail Control

My interest is in the horticultural oil so I asked Espoma to send more information about the suitablility of the oil for organic gardening. Here is the response:

The horticultural oil is approved for organic gardening. It works to effectively control egg stage pests as a dormant spray, and adult stage insects in season. It will also control powdery mildew. You can use the horticultural oil on vegetables, fruits, ornamental and shade trees, flowering foliage and bedding plants. Since it is derived from canola oil rather than petroleum it is a true renewable resource.

The 32 oz. ready-to-spray container offers the ability to spray a wide variety of plants and trees with a flip of a switch. Simply connect the hose, engage the flow switch and use the easy thumb lever to begin spraying. When finished simply turn off and remove the hose. No mixing or mess!

There are many other natural products from Espoma® that are safe for organic gardening. By going organic, we can keep our flower and vegetable gardens safe for ourselves and our pets.

I grow a large, white calla lily directly in water in my flower garden. The mother plant is actually planted in the rocks of the waterfall. When I first planted the lily, I used rocks to anchor it in place. Within a week or so, it rooted firmly into the rocks and has stood upright ever since. I have divided the lily numerous times since it was planted a few years ago and I have smaller offspring planted in the stream. New leaves sprout up from the cut roots. I'm not gentle with the dividing. The calla lily is a tough plant and I use a sharp knife to cut off sections.

Here in my zone 7 garden, the calla lily grows in a southeast location so that it receives morning through early afternoon sun. This lily needs sun to bloom. The leaves stay nice and green without scorching.

There have been times in winter when I've seen the calla lily literally encased in ice. The first winter, I cut the plant back in the fall and it was a bit unsightly. Since then, I've not cut it back and it looks fairly nice all winter. The calla lily blooms beautifully each spring. The large, pure white blossoms are so beautiful with the waterfall as a background.

Autumn is the time to divide clumps of iris ensata (Japanese iris) that have become too large. The best way to know if your irises need dividing is by the bare spot in the middle with blades splaying outward in a circle. This usually needs to be done every 3-5 years. My irises were planted in fall 2006, but they were crowded in gallon pots. My iris are planted in the rain garden where the soil stays moist. I've not had to use supplemental irrigation this summer due to frequent rains. During the drought last year, I sparingly used the drip irrigation (we are on a well).

I will dig out the clumps and separate into individuals. Before dividing, I will have the planting spot ready to keep the roots from drying out. Japanese iris like moist, acid soil, full sun. It is best to plant at least 24" apart to plan ahead for rapid expansion. Plant with the junction of the fans and roots about 1-2" below soil level. I will probably separate the individuals into about 3 fans each.

In my research, I've read that you shouldn't replant Japanese iris in the same spot. I did further research and found suggestions of digging out the soil, using new soil and/or flushing the soil to wash away the root secretions from the previous plants. Given the layout of my garden, I will have to replant some of the individuals in the same place.

When the foliage dies back (yellow) in the fall, I cut it and clear it away to keep thrip eggs from overwintering. Other problems are deer nipping blooms when the irises bloom in late May through mid-June. The damage hasn't been severe enough for me to stop growing Japanese iris.

How do you winter elephant ears (colocasia) in zone 7?

I wait until frost to cut back my colocasia. Last year, I put a mountain of mulch on top of mine and they came back just fine this spring. Some gardeners lift the tubers and store them in a garage or basement over the winter and replant in spring.

Do rabbits eat buddleia leaves?

I haven't had a problem with rabbits (or deer) eating any parts of buddleia. I've not had any problem with diseases on buddleia either.

Can I plant Knock Out® Roses in the fall?

All of my roses were planted in September. I'm in zone 7.

Is tall verbena deer resistant?

So far, the deer have never even tried the verbena bonariensis. I have a mass planting of tall verbena and it reseeds, too. It is a favorite plant. The color works in all other combinations. It is narrow, so it fits in everywhere in a sunny location. It attracts bees and butterflies, and I've even seen hummingbirds go to it for nectar.

Are Dutch iris deer resistant?

I've never had one bloom missing on my Dutch irises. I am confident enough to plant more. I have 100 more bulbs on order to plant in late October. That said, you never know what deer will try if hungry enough.

Do deer eat Spanish bluebells?

I've never had deer eat the Spanish bluebells in my garden. Spanish bluebells are planted in fall and multiply rapidly. The blooms last a long time. After bloom, the foliage is fairly easy to conceal with other perennials.

Do deer eat Lady Banksia rose?

Yes. For some reason, they didn't bother mine this year. I think this is because they found other food. In previous years, they ate every leaf and bloom that they could reach, but did not eat the canes.

What is the best time to see flowers in France?

I've been to the French Riviera in May and Provence in mid-June and saw plenty of flowers. I've also been to Paris in late June where we took a day trip to Versailles and saw flowers in bloom. Hopefully, I'll make it to Giverny one day!

Do deer or rabbits eat agastache?

Never had either critter try the agastache that I grow. No insect problems either. Agastache is one of my favorite plants. It has a long bloom season, too.

How do you divide agastache?

In spring, I take a sharp shovel and cut apart the roots into smaller plants. I suppose you could divide it in fall, but I don't cut mine back until spring.

What month to plant coneflowers?

I have planted coneflowers in April, May, early June, September and October. They need water to get established. No need to fertilize coneflowers (in my experience). Echinacea 'Ruby Star' is my favorite. I recently planted 'Prairie Splendor' because I got a great deal on them at a local store.

Can I cut back coneflowers after blooming?

I deadhead after the 1st bloom to get a 2nd bloom. After the 2nd bloom, I leave the cones as birdseed for the Goldfinch. If I shake the cones and no seeds fall out, then I cut it back.

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The last few years have been difficult for growing lavender. Last year, we had a long drought, but I didn't lose any lavender. All of my Spanish Lavender put on a spectacular display this past April.

However, this summer has been very wet and I've actually lost a few of my lavender plants. The drought tolerant plants such as lavender, nepeta, stachys and echinops are finally starting to look better again, much to my relief.

I rely upon my email subscription to Sunshine Lavender Farm for reminders about when to prune or plant lavender. This week, I received my fall reminder that NOW is the time to plant new lavender and to trim existing lavender before the first hard frost. For us in zone 7, that means to carry out the task before Halloween. Rather than try to reiterate the instructions, I'm including the links to the instructions on the Sunshine Lavender Farm website:

Instructions for planting
Instructions for pruning

If you've not grown lavender before, the best advice that I can give you is to plant it high and dry, with well-draining soil. It will need water to get established, but it is best to water at the base of the plant to keep water off of the foliage. The Spanish Lavender that I grow blooms in spring, but Hidcote, Munstead and Provence bloom in the summer.

When I prune my lavender, I put the clippings around plants that are of interest to rabbits. The fragrance of lavender deters the little critters for awhile. Lavender is deer resistant, so it is a wonderful plant to use in a full sun garden.

There's another benefit to growing lavender. Here on our property, we have a natural stream in the woods as well as a manmade water feature. We do not have a problem with mosquitoes, houseflies or gnats. Until proven otherwise, we believe that growing lavender helps to repel these insects. We encourage birds, dragonflies, toads and frogs in our garden. These creatures also help with the insect control. We enjoy outdoor living without having to use insect repellants. We sit outside, eat outside, play and garden without any problem.

Given this belief, as well as the beauty and fragrance of lavender, I am going to replace the lavender that I lost to rain this summer. I may even add a few extra plants!