Newsletter - June 2010

Hi,

Over the years I have found that when, I have the "blahs", a visit to a nursery is just the thing to reverse my mood. I think all "plant people" probably respond this way. It always amazed me how many people would visit the nursery on rainy days. Now I understand that a visit with nature is a great cure for all kinds of slumps. So Saturday, I visited a nursery in Berkeley that I will highly recommend. It is "the Berkeley Horticulture Nursery" on McGee St. (Take the Gilman exist, and travel up the hill, turn left on Hopkins and right on McGee).

This nursery is beautifully sectioned by plant groupings - most are these days, but I really liked the sign displays explaining how tall and wide each plant will grow, the zone for the plant, whether it needs sun or shade, and how to irrigate to keep it happy. These signs are located at the beginning of each row, so you don't need to pick up every individual container and read the label. It's really a nice feature. They have a two foot deep, rectangular, elevated pond to display pond and bog plants. It's so dry here in the summer that I forget that Canna and Society Garlic will grow in water. There is a "glass house" for displaying orchids and tender tropical foliage plants, and outside, a very nice selection of both dwarf conifers and bamboos. My favorite reason for going to any nursery though is to see what is available in plant varieties and if there is anything new for me to recommend to clients.

First, I was really surprised with the number of Salvia, Penstemon, Euphorbia, Helleborus, Hosta and true Geranium varieties they offered. Here, I'm lucky to find maybe five of each, but there, I saw so many more. I also learned that salvias with either blue or purple flowers prefer afternoon shade, while the red, orange and yellow ones like full sun. I was also reminded of Phygelius species or Cape Fuchsia. These are great to use on slopes, and bloom all summer with either cream of coral tubular flowers.

Two perennial plants that caught my eye did so because of their striking foliage. Haloragis erecta 'Wellington Bronze' has reddish-chocolate colored serrated 1" sized foliage. Its evergreen, takes in full sun and grows 18" tall and 36" wide. This will make a striking border plant to front taller green, silver, or golden-hued shrubs. The other is Sysyrinchium striatum 'Aunt May' which has grass-type foliage. The leaves are green and cream strips and it is in bloom right now with white flower spikes is whorls above the foliage. It grows about 18" high with an equal spread and also takes full sun. The only draw back was it needed wind protection, but it should do fine with an eastern exposure. Under the drought tolerant plants for dry shade, I found Tiarella wherryi of Foamflower. Dry shade is one of the most difficult challenges for any gardener. So I was delighted to see the velvety, palmate leaves and foamy pink and white flowers. For full sun there was its counterpart in the Dorycinium hirsutum, or Hairy Canary Clover. This one has evergreen, silver leaves and pink flowers. Both are so pretty.

For shade plants that take regular irrigation, I fell in love with the Hydrangea macrophylla 'Sheila'. It looks like any Hydrangea except that instead of blue, lavender, or pink flowers, these florets were creamy white, edged with red. I like it especially next to the Pulmonaria 'Gaelic Sunset' with its large, golden-spotted leaves. At its base I like the Labrador Violets with not only purple flowers, but the foliage is purple tinged also. Can you tell I had fun?

Under the totally strange category stood a very tall plant titled Fallopia japonica 'Variegata'. It looked as though the variegation was supposed to be green foliage with white blotches, but some of the very red stems had produced completely white leaves. Striking in appearance, but I don't think I'd like it as a permanent part of the garden. I did manage to spend some money though - big surprise. I came home with Chrysocephalum 'Silver and Gold'. It takes full sun, grows 6" tall and 3' wide, and has small yellow flowers against silvery leaves - very cheerful to place by the entry gate. Then I fell in love with a pink dogwood named 'Heart Throb'. I don't recommend dogwood very often as our soils are too heavy for them. However, I just happened to have a large empty container on my very protected terrace, so I brought it home. I also picked up some seeds of rainbow beets and rainbow carrots for August planting. I know the grandkids will be as amused as I with the results. I hope you're getting through the rainy, cloudy, foggy weather without the "blahs", but if not, go visit a nursery.