Innholdsfortegnelse for March/April 2021 i Horticulture

Consider having a good mix of early-season annuals and perennials in your garden. While these plants may not provide seed for birds, they may host insects that the birds can feed on. Early-blooming plants, either in flower beds or in pots, can also support hummingbirds as they move north to their nesting grounds. While hummingbirds are highly attracted to the color red, quality and quantity of nectar is the prime consideration of where they feed.…

WILLY WONKA WOULD APPROVE of the perennials shown on these pages—all have flowers with shapes that call to mind treats like lollipops and popsicles, in sweet and fruity shades. Mixing flower shapes helps create a more dynamic garden. Globes and spikes provide punctuation, while unusual forms, like that of the pineapple lily, invite a prolonged look. Aside from their candylike looks, the perennials herein all share a need for good drainage. Topdressing annually with compost improves soil drainage while boosting soil fertility. For plants that prefer lean soil, adding gravel or sharp sand to the planting hole can help instead. Berms, raised beds and containers are other options for growing plants that abhor wet feet. PIGSQUEAK BERGENIA CORDIFOLIA This hardy perennial’s spring flowers remind me of rock candy because of…

HOME AND PRO GARDENERS alike may wonder whether biodegradable containers decompose quickly enough to avoid hindering plant growth. A recent study conducted by University of Georgia researchers determined that, under standard cultivation practices, certain such containers will decompose within a single growing season. The UGA scientists looked at how industry-standard growing practices affected the decomposition of widely available biodegradable, or alternative, growing containers. This study was led by Bethany Harris while she earned her doctoral degree in horticulture under the guidance of professor Bodie Pennisi and soil microbiologist Mussie Habteselassie in the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (CAES) at the UGA Griffi n campus. Pennisi, also a horticulture specialist with UGA Cooperative Extension, said although alternative containers made of animal- and plant-based byproducts have been available for more than…

When birds start their southbound migration in late summer, they are moving through our gardens at an opportune time. Many of the plants are at their peak in terms of seeds and fruit. These abundant food sources help prepare the birds for winter or for the next leg of their migration. The landscape has a much different look in the spring as the birds are returning north. It can be quite barren of resources. But there are actions we gardeners can take to make our properties more supportive of birds from earliest spring onward. Resident and migratory birds, like all creatures, have three basic needs: water, food and shelter, or cover. Focusing on these three basic needs will help us make our yards friendlier for the birds at any time…

A mulch is a layer of some material, organic or inorganic, put down to cover the ground. There are a variety of reasons to mulch a garden. As a biometeorologist, I’m going to look at mulching as it affects critical environmental elements such as soil temperature and moisture. When we mulch, we’re trying to change the underlying soil’s characteristics from what they would otherwise be. This can be to affect the soil itself, or to protect planted seeds or bulbs, germinated seeds or even the roots of established plants. A layer of mulch physically separates the topmost layer of soil from the air above. Often the layer is permeable; water and air still get through. But the movement of water and air is favorably modified. A BLANKET EFFECT Mulches will…

RECENTLY I RECONNECTED with Panayoti Kelaidis, the Senior Curator and Director of Outreach at the Denver Botanic Gardens, and a longtime horticultural hero of mine. As a horticulturist, Panayoti is largely self-taught, or at least he received his education informally, from a series of mentors and from personal observation of the landscape in which he lives. Although I went to school for horticulture, I believe that Panayoti’s approach has the advantage that it encourages original thinking. Certainly, this is exhibited in Panayoti’s career. He grew up in the Denver–Boulder, Colo., area, spending long days in the mountains with his fisherman father. Panayoti had little interest in angling, himself; his passion was the wildflowers that fill the Rocky Mountain landscapes in summertime. With the help of a rock gardener brother-in-law, he…

RECENTLY, FOR THE FIRST TIME, I’ve become concerned about how my personal appearance as a gardener, and that of other gardeners, reflects on our beloved pastime. This stems from an epiphany I experienced last fall. I was in my front yard planting perennials. It had rained the night before. I’d been working for several hours, and I was wet and muddy. In the best of times, my hair is a wild card, but my covid hair reaches another level. On a humid day without a hat, I look like Kurt Cobain if he had lived to be 80. I was on my knees, ready to dig, when I noticed my trowel back where I planted the last perennial, about 30 feet away. It wasn’t until I’d reached it and was…

SCIENTISTS HAVE KNOWN for several decades that living cells of plants and animals emit low-level bursts of light that they call biophotons—a photon being a particle of light and a biophoton being a particle of light emitted by something biological, like a cell. When I think about this, it’s pure visual poetry. Imagine points of light flickering on the surface of an ocean of cytoplasm deep within the tissues of a living plant or animal. It’s dark there, and against this black background soft blue stars come and go. It’s like a child’s fairytale. And like a child, one wonders: “What are those lights? Where do they come from? What do they mean?” These biophotons occur in the cells of all kinds of creatures, whether animal or vegetable. Since our…

A FAMILIAR NAME to many gardeners, Dr. Allan Armitage is a prolific writer and popular speaker whose enthusiasm and expertise continue to inspire and build the horticulture community. The recipient of numerous awards for his teaching, writing and other outreach, the Canada-born plantsman taught for many years at the University of Georgia and developed its extensive Trial Gardens. To find Armitage’s books, download his app and follow his forays into social media, visit http:// www.allanarmitage.net SCOTT BEUERLEIN: You and your wife recently became US citizens. ALLAN ARMITAGE: Yes! You know, going through the process of becoming a citizen, it was long, and you have to do this, that and the other thing, but every person the whole way, whether they were taking your fingerprints or whatever, was so welcoming! One…

A bird bath is a great addition to any yard or garden. Birds are highly attracted to the sight and sound of moving water. Water features that include bubblers, misters, sprayers or even waterfalls will help birds resting in migration find water for drinking and bathing. Placing these near a bench or seat will allow you to sit quietly and watch the birds at the water. If you are quiet and still, they will become accustomed to your presence. Just be sure to keep the water source cleaned and filled.…

Each year since 1995, the Garden Club of America (GCA) has awarded one plant the Montine McDaniel Freeman Horticulture Award, thereby designating it as the GCA Plant of the Year. The criteria for this award, known as the Freeman Medal, is simple. Any winning plant, be it a tree, shrub, perennial or vine, must possess superior ornamental attributes. That’s a given among plant-award programs, but the Freeman Medal requires a key detail: the species must be native to North America. The goal of this award is to encourage the preservation, propagation and use of beautiful plants that have excellent ecological function but tend to be overlooked for gardens. Plants are nominated for the Freeman Medal by members of GCA chapters across the United States. They’re then considered by a Selection…