University of Vermont Extension
Department of Plant and Soil Science
Winter News
Article
TOP TIPS FOR 2007
Dr.
Leonard Perry, Extension Professor
University of Vermont
Recall
some of the new plants and gardening ideas from 2007 as you make your 2008
landscape and gardening plants. Some of
these from our Green Mountain Gardener articles included new annuals,
perennials, shrubs, trees, and choosing plants “ecologically”.
Early
last year we described several of the newest introductions from seeds, winners
in the All-America Selections program.
These included three flowers—Fresh Look Gold Celosia or plumed
cockscomb, Opera Supreme Pink Morn Petunia, and Pacifica Burgundy Halo vinca or
annual periwinkle. All of these have
grown well for me in Vermont. There also was an award winning new
vegetable, Holy Molé pepper. Violas, and
their many hybrids, were the annual flower of the year of the National Garden
Bureau.
There
were several perennial flowers highlighted in our articles this past year. Walker’s
Low catmint was the Perennial Plant of the Year. This perennial has dark blue clusters of
flowers on arching stems in summer, and isn’t low—that name just comes from
where it was found in Ireland.
Other catmints were described later in
the year, the bottom line being that most (22) rated highly and similarly in
northern trials (Chicago). The four best in these trials were ‘Joanna
Reed’, ‘Select Blue’, ‘Six Hills Giant’, and ‘Walker’s Low.’
Meadow
rues were featured as a group of easy-care perennials, growing in
various
habitats from sun to shade depending on the species. There are ones
providing blooms in late spring, mid-summer, or late summer. Although
most are around six feet tall, they
range from six inches to ten feet tall.
‘Lavender Mist’ is a good cultivar, and one of the most common.
Representative
species were given of various colors of the lilac, perhaps our most common New England shrub and known mostly for its lilac
color. There are actually seven official
lilac colors, from purples to reds and pink, to white. There are generally two groups of lilacs to
choose from in order to extend the bloom season—the common lilacs in late
spring, and the later ones such as the Preston hybrids.
Not
all shrubs are good in our landscapes, though. Alternative
choices should be considered for the burning bush and bush honeysuckle, and all
their variations. These have become
invasive in many areas from birds spreading their seeds into natural areas, resulting in their
crowding out desirable native plants.
The same applies to the common ornamental tree the Norway maple.
A
group of stately, long-lived trees you should consider if enough room in
landscapes are the oaks. The white oaks,
such as the true white oak and English oak, produce acorns each year. They often have a deep taproot, making them
hard to transplant once established. The
reds oaks, such as the pin oak and Northern red oak, have fibrous roots near
the surface so are easier to transplant.
Their acorns are produced every two years. Even if you don’t have room to plant these,
learn and preserve them if they already exist on your property.
More
on all these and the other topics from 2007 such as vegetable and fruit
gardening, and specific crop pests and culture, can be found online (perrysperennials.info/articleS.htm).
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