A Most Unwelcome Guest

It seems to be critter week in my garden which is not all that unusual for this time of year. I have found pests to be less of a problem since I started container gardening but I'm not entirely home free. Shown here is a Japanese Beetle (click for closeup but prepare to be repulsed) and in reference to my previous post, it is most definitely a foe. In past years, they've been greater in number and have devoured my sweet potato vine. This year they are attacking my Graham Thomas Rose.

Because I avoid all chemicals and toxins in the garden, I'm not left with a whole lot of alternatives to eradicate these evil insects. The most powerful thing I use is Safer Insecticidal Soap and frankly, I've found it does nothing to deter them. I'm sure there's stronger stuff out there that will do the trick, I'm just not willing to use it. It's also been suggested to me that I use beetle traps but that is an idea that just grosses me out beyond words. Plus, it's my understanding that they attract more beetles than they actually trap which would seem to only exacerbate my problem rather than mitigate it.

Usually I see evidence of the beetle before I see the insect itself. You'll know if your leaves look like the ones below. They eat away at the foliage between the leaf veins. Ultimately you are left with a leaf that looks like very delicate lace. Apparently, the folks in Kentucky have a wicked problem with Japanese Beetles because the University of Kentucky's College of Agriculture has done extensive research on them. I also found a good site at Ohio State University. Both say that the beetles are attracted to particular odors and get really active in direct sun. And they list plants and trees that are susceptible to damage by them.

In the end, I just let them be and live with the damage--it's not like they are munching on every single thing in my garden. The life cycle is 30-45 days and every year I expect them to show up in mid-June and disappear at the end of July. That's not to say that they don't leave a whole lot of destruction in their wake. But I cut off the damaged foliage (in the case of my sweet potato vines, I cut off a lot) and new, healthy growth reappears in short order.

Bookshelf: Container Gardening Books

Friend or Foe?

Every year I plant Italian parsley and every year one (or more) of these little guys makes an appearance (click on photo for closeup). The first time it happened, my initial response was not of disgust so much as it was curiosity of how this caterpillar discovered my garden because it's not exactly easily accessible. I've stopped wondering about that and have just decided that nature finds a way to do its thing. And I don't think they are so icky if I think about the character of Heimlich from "A Bug's Life", I mean, how cute was he?

But this caterpillar seems to have quite an affinity for my parsley, as do I. So I'm left with the decision to either relocate it or let it chomp away and just clip the stems around him when I need parsley for my pasta sauce. I always choose the latter and the picture at the end of the post is the reason why. This particular caterpillar comes back to visit me later in the summer in the form of the Black Swallowtail butterfly. It's the reason every year that I plant parsley (plenty of it) and Buddleia (also known as Butterfly Bush).

Friend or foe? You can decide for yourself but why not try planting enough parsley to go around?

Bookshelf: Container Gardening Books

Serendipity

Sometimes the most well thought out plans can disappoint while the haphazard yield delightful results. I guess it has everything to do with expectations. So if I were to give any advice to novice gardeners (among whose ranks I count myself), it would be to not think so much.

When I go on my big plant shopping trips, I usually have with me a fairly detailed list. I don't want to end up buying plants for, say 25 pots, when I only have 20 to fill. Of course, once I get to the nursery, I have a tendency to become distracted despite my best efforts at discipline. So it often happens that I buy some plants for which I did not have a specific purpose. I might be drawn to a particular color or bloom and I pick it up thinking I'll figure out what to do with it later. This container was put together with some of those "impulse" plants--they were sort of left over but I thought they might go together well. I didn't really put a whole lot of thought into color coordination although I did keep in mind the 'thriller, filler, spiller' concept. Furthermore, I dug up a creeping jenny from another pot and stuck it in this one.

Here's a list of the plants: 'Princess' Pennisetum (1); Greek Basil (1); St. John's Wort (1); Coleus 'Stained Glassworks Copper' (1) Calibrachoa 'Calli Sunrise' (3); Creeping Jenny (1). It didn't look like much on the day I planted it a few weeks ago, but now, I am actually pleasantly surprised. I love it when that happens.

Bookshelf: Container Gardening Books

A Fistful of Herbs

This will be the first of many "before" and "after" features. As I mentioned in an earlier post, if you use a lot of herbs, it makes so much sense just to grow them yourself. It's a timesaver and most definitely a money saver. If you're mostly into Italian cuisine, just grow yourself a whole bunch of basil, parsley (I'm partial to Italian, also known as flat leaf, parsley) and oregano. Note: remember to plant oregano by itself--it's a greedy herb and likes to take over everything. If you like really savory foods, be sure to plant rosemary and sage. Of if you just want to marinate some chicken or other meat for the grill, just snip some herbs and toss them with some salt , pepper and olive oil in a zip top bag along with your meat of choice for a couple of hours. Simple and tasty beyond words. Plus, you'll smile at your own brilliance when you find yourself strolling right on by those expensive, wilting herbs in the supermarket secure in the knowledge that you have an endless supply in a pot right outside your door.

Remember the picture I posted about a month ago showing how I planned to arrange the herbs in my modified whiskey barrel? Here's that "before" picture and next to it is the "after". Oh happy day.

Bookshelf: Container Gardening Books

Virginia is for Lovers

That's according to the Travel and Tourism Board. Whether it's true or not is a topic for debate but one thing I can tell you is Virginia is definitely for Gardeners. By my count, three out of every five Virginians are sporting a green thumb. The remaining two have the makings for one, even if they don't yet know it. That's where I come in because I think anyone can put together a simple, attractive garden in a container and keep it alive all season long without much effort.

So for my friends and neighbors here in Virginia who are ready to release their inner gardener and have asked me where to go to get started, I have a few places to recommend:

Merrifield Garden Center: I shudder to think of what the final amount would be if I were to tally up all of my receipts over the years. Merrifield has managed to round up some of the smartest gardening folks I've ever come across. And what's even better is that they are always so eager to help experienced and novice gardeners alike. Their enthusiasm never wanes. Although they have a website, nothing can equal a personal visit to one of the three stores. I'm loyal to the one in Fairfax because it is just huge. If they don't have the plant, pot, tool or gardening product you're looking for, my guess is, you just don't need it.

Big box stores: Some of the more accomplished gardeners I know are quick to dismiss the big box stores. There was a time when that snobbery might have been legitimate. But believe me, Home Depot and Lowe's are not stupid. They have seen how the gardening industry has exploded in recent years and they have been particularly responsive to the increasing number of people who have developed an interest in container gardening. Now I will say that I've noticed they don't quite give their plants the same tender, loving care that you might find at a local nursery so midway through the season you are liable to see some pretty sad looking specimens. My advice is always to shop carefully no matter where you plan to spend your money. And if you want lightweight, fantastic looking faux terra cotta planters and aged urns, the selection has improved dramatically in recent years.

Target: Most folks have a store nearby and it is a great place to pick up some gardening supplies and containers--especially if you are new to gardening. I say this because it won't cost you an arm and a leg so you can tiptoe into the gardening waters to see if you like them (you will, I promise). After that, you can graduate to the fancier supplies if you wish. There's also a great selection of planters and containers in the store and on the website.

Depending on where you live, you might have a small local nursery near your neighborhood. It may be a permanent store or a temporary structure. For example, there is a huge tent that sets up in the parking lot near our local Whole Foods store in Springfield. The vendor is called GardenMasters and has no affiliation (that I know of) to Whole Foods. It is really a good sized operation for being temporary and they open up shop in mid-April and close in late June every year. It has a remarkable selection and I do quite a bit of shopping there. Driving around various parts of Northern Virginia, I see similar vendors everywhere though sometimes they may be in a parking lot near a school. Definitely check them out and if it's a temporary location, find out when they are going to close up shop because during the days leading up to that is when they start slashing prices.

Bookshelf: Container Gardening Books

Ways to Spend Your Stimulus Check

I've had some people ask me to talk about where I shop for my plants, containers and gardening supplies. Typically I do a combination of online shopping and bricks and mortar. In this post I'll talk primarily about Internet sources. I've ordered from all of these sites (with the exception of one--I'll get to that later) and so I am speaking from my own experience.

Antique Rose Emporium: This Texas company specializes in old roses and I have mentioned them in previous posts. I have been thrilled so far with the two roses that I bought this season: Graham Thomas and Cecile Brunner. The Emporium has an entire category of roses that are particularly well suited for containers. If you want to try growing roses but don't know where to start, these are the folks to call.

White Flower Farm: Based in Connecticut, this nursery has every plant, flower and bulb you can imagine and then some. I've shopped with them for years and I have never been disappointed. They stand behind their product and will replace your plant or refund your money without any hassles. Also, their catalog is so informative that you'll always want to keep a copy on hand for reference.

Logee's Tropical Plants: One of the editors from Fine Gardening magazine clued me into this website. Here you'll find exotic and unusual plants and flowers. Honestly, some of them do not even seem to be of this world so check them out if you are looking for attention-getters. They have a summer sale going on now through July 31st if you need any additional encouragement.

Smith & Hawken: This is the place for all of the gardening accoutrements. I'm fortunate to have an actual store nearby but their website is a great source for tools (including my favorite Felco pruners), trellises (if you have climbers), planters, watering cans and lots of other supplies.

The Felco Store: The website has the entire collection of Felco products. They even have pruners for southpaws and those with small hands. I love that all inclusive philosophy.

Seibert & Rice (for drooling purposes only): I add this to the list not because I can speak about them with any sort of authority because the pots are way (way) out of my price range. But these are the pots of my gardening dreams. This company imports handmade terra cotta urns and planters from Impruneta, Italy. They are said to be frost proof to -20F and they are utterly gorgeous. I'm not so sure I'd even want to put dirt in them. You'll have to email them for a pricelist and as the saying goes: "If you have to ask...."(well, you know the rest). Never have truer words been said.

Target: On the more economical tip, Target's website and stores have very large and attractive planters, many of which are made out of molded fiberglass and I know from experience that they can be left out all winter long (with plants in them). Also, the store carries a line of Smith & Hawken products. They are not quite the quality that I have found in the actual Smith & Hawken store but the prices are lower and I find that to be a very fair trade-off. Finally, they have Bionic gardening gloves. I bought a pair for my mom last year from a different website and I'm not sure what her final word is on them. So Mama, if you are reading this, send in a comment to let the readers know.

West County Gardener: The coolest (and most functional) gloves around. I don't wear gardening gloves often but when I do, these are the ones. I have the Classic Glove in a wonderful berry color and the Rose Gauntlet. They wash and dry like a dream.

Next post, I'll discuss some local shopping for readers who live in Northern Virginia.

Bookshelf: Container Gardening Books

Filling the Gaps

A mixed planting looks complete when there is a focal point (perhaps even a little drama), a plant or plants spilling over the edges (to make it look like the container has been around a while), and a few things in between to fill in the gaps. My previous posts have addressed the first two elements and in this post, I'll discuss the third: "Fillers".

Almost any plant or flower will do in the role of filler so the objective is to consider the entire planting and aim for proportion and a cohesive look. There is no real formula so I just trust my eyes. You can pretty much tell right off the bat whether something looks weird.

Sometimes I might try to coordinate the colors of the mixed group. For example, I may pick up a foliage plant that has a mix of green, yellow and pink in its leaves (there are certain coleus that have this combination) and that will be my starting point for choosing the remaining elements for the container. Or I might try to vary leaf shapes, for instance, my thriller might be the long, pointy leaves of a Red Cordyline so I may choose fillers and spillers that have more rounded shaped leaves. Or I may consider introducing a different texture such as the fuzzy foliage of a Lamb's Ear plant and combine it with a plant that has smooth, shiny leaves.

Keep in mind that you really want to maximize the space of your container so that might mean choosing several fillers. They don't all have to be different, in fact, it might be best to choose two different plants and just buy multiples of them, that way you won't get too overwhelmed. And once again, my gentle reminder that all plants in the group need to have similar requirements for sunlight and water.

Each season I like to plant things that I've never tried before but there are some fillers that I go back to time and again because they are so reliable:

Coreopsis Moonbeam--delicate yellow flowers on airy foliage. Hardy to zone 4, it returns for me every year and it takes well to dividing and transplanting from one pot to another.

Coleus--I've become a fan despite my friend Barbara's vehement opposition to it. Shown in the photo at the beginning of this post, it comes in so many different varieties with foliage options that can help even the most color-challenged gardener coordinate a great looking container.

Geranium--the great thing about geraniums is you can find them absolutely everywhere, they bloom nonstop and love the sun.

Gaura--light, airy flowers on tall, thin stems. Blooms all season and mine return faithfully every year.

Also consider Butterfly Bush as fillers for large containers, New Guinea Impatiens for continuous bloom in shadier areas, Zinnia and Dahlia for color all season long, Heuchera for dependable perennial foliage, and herbs such as Sage for foliage interest (and for cooking--no pork, turkey or roast should be without it!).

Bookshelf: Container Gardening Books