Fantastic Fall Flowers

Hello all,


In the past I've shown great looking seed heads, fall colors and more. But I've omitted the beautiful fall flowers that we have. One thing I promise, is that there are no pictures of mums following this paragraph. Everyone knows what a mum looks like. But I'm more in favor of looking at the plants blooming now that are underused, or they are not thought of as fall flowers. Without further ado, here they are.
Calamintha nepeta ssp nepeta
Why isn't this the hottest perennial on the planet? It blooms from late June to frost, going from a clean white to a light lavender. Furthermore, it attracts honeybees and plant geeks alike. Plant a Calamintha in your yard and soon enough you'll have someone ask you what great prize you have! And in times where the bee populations are at risk, why not help them out?

Aster oblongifolius 'October Skies'
Okay, I realize this isn't groundbreaking. But how many Asters do you know that will creep over a curb and look stunning. Plus, these look great all year. They have very nice green foliage which is also aromatic. The fragrance is definitely for the flower children of the world as it has a distinct patchouli smell.

Anemone 'September Charm' This is the beginning of the underused. Now, if you have used Anemone 'Robustissima' and were afraid to use it anymore because of how aggressive it is, try this. This is an entirely calm and collected plant. It's dainty flowers floating above the foliage are fairytale-like. It really adds a nice bloom at a time where little is offered.

Anemone 'Pamina' Adding to the great Anemones, this one has double blooms and is a little shorter plant. The overall habit of this plant is much more compact and tidy than others. Not quite the fairytale plant like above, but quite nice in it's own right. I can't speak for everyone, but I would sure rather have this come back every year than have my mums possibly come back.

Rosa Double Knock Out(TM) What about roses for your late season color? The Knock Outs and virtually all the other roses in the trials here are in full bloom. It looks great!!! Maybe they don't come in the autumnal colors of the fall mum, but they are working on it. Flower Carpet(R) Amber would be a step in that direction.

Geranium 'Intrinsic Pink' Would you buy a Geranium that only bloomed in the fall? That is the characteristic of this plant. When I first saw the plant, it was in October, and I remember being very excited about the bloom at that time of year. A year later, I learned that's the only time it blooms. I'm not sure this is bad. I like the plant a lot and people have commented on how nice the late flower is. What do you think? It's currently in trial status only.

Geranium 'Pink Penny' Another trial status perennial. This one has been tauted as the "pink Jolly Bee'. While the flower does have that look, it is not quite as vigorous as 'Jolly Bee' is. But I have grown to really like this plant. It is very floriferous at this time of year, but doesn't start flowering until much later than 'Jolly Bee' and 'Rozanne'. Still worthy of my garden, but not worthy of cult status the way 'Jolly Bee' has become.

Geranium 'Jolly Bee' If you have ever come to Midwest Groundcovers for a tour, you then know that 'Jolly Bee' is my favorite plant. I try being careful about what is and isn't my favorite plants, because I have so many. But this is truly one step ahead of all the other plants I love. To me this is the best introduction of a plant to the nursery industry in my 10 years on the job. If you have not used this plant, try it. I must say that I did not like or understand perennials before I worked for Midwest Groundcovers. My background was completely with woody plants. The day I saw 'Jolly Bee' it all changed.

Hydrangea paniculata 'Limelight' This is quite the plant. Another real long bloom time for a plant. I try not to copy what others have done when I work on the landscape here. I like to be unique and offer our guests something different than what they'd see on the Internet or at another nursery. But sometimes, things look so good, that it's worthy of mimicking. There is no better hedge in America than the 'Limelight' Hydrangea hedge at Dale Deppe's home, owner of Spring Meadow Nursery. Once I saw it, I knew we had to have that here! I can't wait for a couple years from now, when this hedge stops people in their tracks like it did the day I first saw it.

One heck of a container! Around our buildings and in our Retail Shoppe area, we have containers planted with mostly our product line. While you'll find a couple annuals here and there, the perennials and shrubs have really become a hit. This one in particular stood out to me. The Physocarpus 'Summer Wine' is quite attractive all by itself. But the Geranium at its' base adds another great color to the container. Of course, you need to pick a great Geranium to make it bloom for a long time, so of course they picked 'Jolly Bee'!!!

So I leave you with this question. What is your favorite fall flower, fall foliage, or fall grass? Email me at kmcgowen@midwestgroundcovers.com and let me know. I'll let everyone know what the favorites are in the next post. Until next time, thanks for reading, and have a great day!

Big Projects Complete

Hello all,
We've had an exciting couple of weeks at the nursery in St Charles. Many projects have been completed in the landscape offering all sorts of new plants to look at next year! Below you'll see pictures of some of the new plantings. I also wanted to apologize on behalf of our grounds crew for teasing the rain last week. I did not anticipate the amount of rain that we received from our friend Ike. I have learned my lesson, and will go back to washing my truck when I want it to rain. The sprinklers worked too well!

The first garden to show you is the new Heuchera garden. The old one was running out of space, and I got a little tired of bumping my head on the limbs of the crabapple they were under. The first installment included 14 varieties, with space to add more. These are items that will either be new in 2009 for us, or they are in the trial stage. It ranges from 'Saturn' and 'Neptune' to 'Southern Comfort'

This garden is definitely in its' infancy. This garden is our American Beauties Native Plants(TM) garden. Here, only plants in the ABNP program are installed. This garden is located directly in front of our wholesale office, and used to be inhabited by Polygonum reynoutria. Although, I'm nervous about how this garden is going to look, I am comforted by the thought that it couldn't look worse than Polygonum!

Before: For years the garden known as Trial North was an afterthought. Little work was done in this area, so tours rarely were taken to this area. The Karl Foerster was there for years, as well as a large glob of mixed Sedums. They are all gone now, as well as many roses, and were replaced with what you see below!

After: Sedum has been replaced by a hedge of Corylus americana, our native Hazelnut! I know it's a little different from groundcover sedum, but it should look great in a couple of years! On the other side, where the Calamagrostis was removed, we've planted a hedge of Hydrangea paniculata 'Limelight'. This is in full bloom right now, and should be quite a car stopper in years to come.

Heucheras were not the only varieties planted on perennial island the past two weeks! All in all, we installed 84 varieties of perennials and the shrubs are yet to come. This fall we will install our new shrub garden at the west end of the perennial island. Lots of new and exciting shrubs will be planted there. I hope you come see next spring!


Another area that was redone was on the patio around the building. This was an area untouched since Brenda McMahon left us years ago. Now it is fully planted with Midwest Solutions and a couple interesting shrubs. Among the combinations is a swathe of Solidago Little Lemon and Sporobolus Tara.



Well, hopefully after a weekend of rain, we can enjoy a couple days of nice sunlight before fall hits us hard. I can see plants changing everywhere and it seems a bit early, but with the weather that we've had, we should expect it. I appreciate your time reading, and until next time, I hope you have a great day!

Teasing the Rain

Hello All,

It's hard to believe that after all the rain we had this spring that we'd be sitting here wondering if the rain would come back. We pride ourselves on the garden designed by Piet Oudolf being sustainable, but as I look out at it, I see a lot of plants suffering from drought. It's dry out there! I've never once seen Agastache foliage so stressed. So we are teasing the rain. In the past, in order to get it to rain, all you had to do is wash your car. I tried that and it didn't work. Now, with rain supposedly in our near future, we have decided to water some of our gardens. The thinking being that if we didn't water the garden and waited for the rain, there is no chance we'll see the rain. If we water well, the rain is surely to come. You can't tell me that you haven't used that logic before, can you? Anyways, on to the pictures. A lot is happening here this week in the landscape. The crews are working full force to get some great looking projects done so that when you come for your next visit, lots of new stuff will win over your senses. We're also removing some garden thugs such as Vernonia glauca. While this is a terribly nice looking plant, they have reseeded to the point where some pulling was neccesary. A few have been spared, but most are gone.

This is just to prove that we did water the gardens today. I should have taken a picture when it started to rain over the sprinklers. It has since stopped, so the next picture you might see is me doing a rain dance. But that would be a difficult picture for me to take, and it's not likely that I'll be dancing in front of a camera any time soon, so you'll just have to imagine that.

Aster 'Blue Autumn'

When I first saw this plant I thought it wasn't that much different that any of the asters I had seen before. I wasn't that interested to say the least. But now that it has been in the landscape for some time, I've changed my mind. This may just be the answer to the naked legs of A. 'Purple Dome'. 'Blue Autumn' has very little browning on the bottom and is very full of bloom. Nice plant!

-

Two of my favorite grasses in flower next to each other. This is Panicum amarum 'Dewey Blue' with Sorghastrum nutans 'Sioux Blue'. 'Sioux Blue' has become terribly difficult to find liners for. Most people have lost their plants. While terrific once established, it is difficult to propagate. This is why we've had difficulty supplying you. In the future we will have a variety similar to this called 'Indian Steel.' Look for this in the coming years!

Before we took the garden thug out. Please note, that I do not call the plant invasive because it is not. This is a plant native to the United States, though not Illinois. But this is a reseeder just like the native species and it has to be treated like one. If used properly and maintained like we just did, it is not invasive. Aggressive, sure. But invasive, not quite.

After Vernonia glauca was removed. Notice one remains. The birds like it too much to take all of it out.

Solidago 'Fireworks'

This is a plant that I love to wax poetic about. Cari Dale from Drescher once told me that it reminded her of Sideshow Bob from 'The Simpsons' cartoon. I've never heard a more accurate description. That's not why I love it though. It just holds up so well and does not become a reseeding mess like other Solidago's do. It's quite behaved actually. Truly an underused plant.

One more before picture that you'll have to come back next week to see the after. In this picture, Sedum kamtchaticum and 'Bailey's Gold' are being removed. A couple minutes later the rugosa roses and Karl Foerster will be removed. In it's place will be Corylus americana and Hydrangea 'Limelight'. It'll look a lot different once the crews are done.

Thanks again for joining me this week and reading what I have to say. I'm interested in how many people actually read this column though. If you do, could you email me at kmcgowen@midwestgroundcovers.com and let me know what you think. It would be greatly appreciated. I've tried this in the past and nobody responded. Are there no readers? I really hope there is. This is a lot of fun to tell you what's going on! Until next time, have a great day!

What's happening now?

Hello all,
I struggled with a topic this week, going from "New Plants", to "Grasses", to "Native Perennials", to "What's Happening Now?" So as it turns out, I'm sticking with my last idea of "What's Happening Now?" And by doing so, I get to tell you about some underused plants and also a little of the new. Regardless of how you'd categorize them, they are all good!

Rhus copallina 'Prairie Flame'
Perhaps one of the most underused shrubs in our product line, based on merit. Growing 4'-6' with spectacular fall foliage, this is the ultimate substitute for Burning Bush! Non-invasive and nice flowering to boot. Just keep in mind that it is late to leaf out, so it's not dead in mid-April, but just about to wake. It's time for a change! McCain and Obama would rather you plant a Prairie Flame than a Burning Bush!

Hydrangea paniculata 'Pinky Winky'
This Hydrangea has proven durable in the landscape here at St Charles. I planted it two years ago and moved it in the fall last year. It survived transplanting and is very floriferous. What is exciting about this is that the flowers are pink at the base and white at the tip. Truly a unique cultivar of Hydrangea. Watch for this on the market!

Eupatorium 'Little Joe'
I was never quite the fan of Joe Pye Weed until I saw 'Little Joe'. Of course now, I love Joe Pye Weed to no end, but that's how I started. Opinions change right? Anyways, this is the best when looking for a plant that can be in anyone's garden. Standing only 4' rather than 6-8' like many others, it attracts butterflies, bees, and people. Listed as a great nectar source for our honey bees.

Rudbeckia subtomentosa 'Henry Eilers'
I know this has shown up multiple times on the blog, but I like it! And because I was on this tall perennial kick, I thought, wouldn't it make a great combination with the Eupatorium above. The strong arms of 'Little Joe' helping his friend Henry stand up straight. Even without 'Little Joe', 'Henry Eilers' merits landscape space. Late season bloom to diversify the late summer landscape.


Salix purpurea 'Nana'
Here is something for the person looking for fine texture. You cannot beat the fine texture of Arctic Willow. Blue foliage with dark stems wave in the wind. If properly maintained, they can be excellent landscape plants. These prefer to be cut back hard each spring and let them grow. Treat it like you would a Buddleia. If not pruned they can get a little woody and less attractive.



This edition is a little shorter than usual. I'm working feverishly to help get the 2009 catalog ready. It's going to be fantastic and hopefully something to look forward to. Until next time, thanks for reading and have a great day!

Back from PPA

Hello again! Sorry it's been a little while. I've been off on vacation to Yellowstone National Park and a great business trip to the Perennial Plant Association in Philadelphia. While Yellowstone was awesome in every sense of the word, I will not be showing you any pictures; this week at least. Who wants to see a picture of a moose in a field of Lupines?

Philadelphia was great as well. The architecture was fantastic. They had fountains that would make Buckingham Fountain in Chicago blush. We went to the top of the museum and took our pictures with the statue of Rocky and ate at some great restaurants. We walked to see the Liberty Bell and then strolled through China Town. That was an experience to say the least! But all that wasn't what I was there for. And no, I wasn't there for the Philly Cheese Steak, but I admit to having one and it was great! We were there to talk plants.

If you have not been to PPA before, it's very much a gathering of plant geeks! This was my first time, and I've never felt so comfortable. It's quite exciting when people you don't know are walking up and introducing themselves. Especially when they are well known plants people. I don't want to be a name dropper, so I'll keep that part to myself. But if you have never gone, and really like plants, it is a must. Next year is in St Louis, so it's a little closer for me. If you like natives, you must attend the next symposium. Down below, I have chosen a group of pictures to show you. It's real hard to choose 10 pictures from over 700, but I lost a memory card so that eliminated 250 or so. So then I was able to narrow it done to 23. 10 just isn't enough! Also a special thanks to Diana Reavis for two of the people pictures. The following will be given out as awards:

Best Daylily: Everyone who knows me, must know that this is a tough award to give:

While I am unsure of what the name is, we saw this at Stephanie Cohen's house. It was 6 inches across. If anyone does know the name, please let me know!!!! I've never really wanted a daylily like I want this one before.




Best Seed Pods:

This is the woodland Paeonia japonica. This was found at the incredible home of Peter and Eve Thyrum. I am not the most fond of garden art, but they have done it very well. Plus the miniature Hosta collection that they have is to die for. A very prominent plants person said aloud, "I've never seen miniature Hosta displayed so well!" It was true. Speaking of garden art....


Best Garden Art:

This was tough. This was at another private home where the house is dubbed "Wyneden." They had an incredible forest of bamboo, which I'll show you later. But this little bird, I found interesting.




Most incredible tree:

One of the main reasons I couldn't wait to go, was the hopes that I'd see a Franklinia alatamaha blooming. At Longwood Gardens, my wish came true. Who needs Disney World? If you don't know of Franklinia, you should Google it! This was a difficult award to give as well, mainly because we went to Scott Arboretum which had some amazing, huge trees. I highly recommend a visit there.


Best use of corn:

This was located at Chanticleer Gardens. This was perhaps the finest stop in my estimation. From large trees, to innovative plantings of corn, to a bog garden, to an amazing Lotus pond. This place has it all. More pictures to follow!




Most Maintenance required:

While a lot of the places we saw most likely required a lot of maintenance, Conestoga House was clearly one of the most interesting. A significant portion of the plants here are tropical. They bring them in every winter. There were 20 foot tall plants that they bring in and out, and actually plant them in the soil. Amazing! They claim to be the hidden jewel of Philly. I agree.


Best Container:

I went through all the pictures of containers and had to pick this one. Granted, I didn't take pictures of all the containers at the Symposium, and there were some great ones there. But this one is in the middle of the garden at Chanticleer and I have fallen for succulents! This was one of many containers at their facility placed perfectly into the garden.


Scariest Plant:

The bamboo was attacking me and my camera. The roots were trying to trip me. Once enveloped by the bamboo, you really need to watch your step. While it was very cool, I do get a little nervous when I see it run that much. There is a lot of interest in clumping bamboos. And while I love them, I don't want our backyards in the Midwest to have a plant with this much invasive potential.






Scariest Plant Part 2:


Have you ever seen these at Longwood? They are among the coolest plants I've ever seen. But holy cow, are those thorns vicious! The pads are annual and the plants are sometimes 4 pads up to 5' wide each. Ooohhh...Aahhhh....



Best Architecture:

This was at Swarthmore College/Scott Arboretum. I truly felt that if I looked around long enough, Ben Franklin would walk around a corner. This place was magical in both its architecture, and it's trees. While sitting under a mammoth Kentucky Coffee Tree, I pondered the notion that maybe Ben did sit under this tree at one time. And if he didn't, I bet some other famous individual did.






Hosta of the Year 2009:

Hosta 'Earth Angel'







Best Lily Pads:

I know, what kind of an award is that? It looked pretty cool to me. This was at the Conestoga House.






Best Orchid:

Longwood Gardens has over 4000 orchids in three greenhouses. If you have not been into their conservatory, start making plans for a vacation. It was quite cool.





What PPA really looked like:

This was at Creek Hill nursery. On many of the tours, crowds do look like this. On one tour(the one that went to Chanticleer) there was a photo bus tour. This bus arrived an hour before everyone else. While it was hard getting on a bus at 5:45 am, it was worth it. If you are going to St Louis, it should be considered!



Best Small Garden:

If you look long and hard, you can sometimes find some nifty little gardens. I cannot take credit for finding this one. I'm way to big picture to see a couple toadstools in the middle of an incredible garden. So thank you Chris Darbo for stopping me in my tracks.




Best use of Sporobolus:

This is in Chanticleer. Can you tell I loved it there? This Sporobolus meadow was interplanted with Echinacea. The fragrance was just beginning. Of course, I could have posted about 20 pictures just of this meadow because I found it fascinating, but I'll spare you. But what a great way to use natives!



Best use of Allium 'Summer Beauty'

As a hedge!!! Why didn't I think of that. This one was taken at...... Chanticleer.






Best use for old buildings:

You'll never guess where this is from! Chanticleer has an old ruin that is quite phenomenal! The building has incredible reflection pools and interesting plants inside and out. Doors to the outside world made for interesting photographs.




Best Unnamed Plant:

This is a Polygonatum that was planted at Yoder. It came from Japan supposedly as a plant that was in specials because it didn't look like the rest of the plants. Their junk is our prize!!! It could take a while before this plant makes it to commerce, but I'll be waiting!!!! Just not ready to pay over $100 for a 3" pot.



Most Curious Plant:


These Pitcher plants were photographed at Mt Cuba in Delaware. The gardens here were fairytale like. When we first arrived, a person who likes to travel around the world said to me, "This is the most beautiful place in the world!" I didn't really believe that. I just came from Yellowstone for crying out loud. But as I walked around, there was a magical feeling about the place. I could imagine what it would look like in spring with all the woodland ephemerals blooming. Mount Cuba, along with Longwood and Chanticleer will be revisited. And all of the above, should be vacation destinations to plant geeks.

The Chicago Crew:

On the last night of the festivities, we were able to share a beer or two at North Creek Nursery. The five of us from left to right are: Christa Orum-Keller, Kevin McGowen, Chad Osborne, Drew Koschmann, and Chris Darbo. It was a great night, and made for a fun ride home. It was here that I wished we had more time. Elvis made an appearance!


Thanks for your patience in waiting for my next post. I appreciate it. I promise not to let it go that long again. Until next time, have a great day, and thanks for reading!