I’m joining C.L. Fornari’s meme,You Can Grow That!, a celebration of gardens and plants and the joy they bring to our lives. Garden bloggers from across the country highlight plants they think other gardeners should know about. This month, I thought I’d … Continue reading
It’s time again for You Can Grow That!, a celebration of gardens and plants and the joy they bring to our lives. Garden bloggers from across the country highlight plants they think other gardeners should know about. Thanks to C.L. Fornari for stating … Continue reading
Once again I’m joining C.L. Fornari’s meme,You Can Grow That!, a celebration of gardens and plants and the joy they bring to our lives. Garden bloggers from across the country highlight plants they think other gardeners should know about. This month, my … Continue reading
I’m joining C.L. Fornari’s meme, You Can Grow That!, a celebration of gardens and plants and the joy they bring to our lives. Garden bloggers from across the country highlight plants they think other gardeners should know about. This month, my post … Continue reading
Once again, I’m joining in on C.L. Fornari’s You Can Grow That! meme. You Can Grow That! is a celebration of gardens and plants and the joy they bring to our lives. Garden bloggers from across the country highlight plants they think other gardeners … Continue reading
It’s the fourth day of the month so that means its time once again for the You Can Grow That! meme started by C.L. Fornari over at Whole Life Gardening. You Can Grow That! is a celebration of gardens and plants and the … Continue reading
Once again, I’m joining in on the You Can Grow That! meme started by C.L. Fornari over at Whole Life Gardening.
You Can Grow That! is a celebration of gardens and plants and the joy they bring to our lives. My contribution this month is Sedum ternatum ‘Larinem Park‘…yes, a sedum that actually grows in the shade!
Sedum ternatum ‘Larinem Park’
I love groundcover sedums but I can’t don’t grow many in my Connecticut garden since I don’t really have many areas with the hot, dry, lean soil they thrive in. I’ve tried a few in the past, Dragon’s blood sedum and Angelina sedum, but they don’t really seem to flourish.
So I was thrilled to learn about a native groundcover sedum for shade, one that prefers the woodland conditions of my garden – Sedum ternatum ‘Larinem Park’.
◊ Native to the eastern US, Sedum ternatum can be found growing in full sun to full shade and in moist to dry soil. Talk about adaptable.
Photo courtesy of AB Native Plants
◊ Only about 6″ tall, Larinem Park spreads to about 18″ wide and is covered with tiny white flowers in the spring. It’s a great nectar source for early pollinators, like bees and butterflies.
◊ The fleshy leaves of this woodland sedum grow in whorls of three around the stems, hence its common name, whorled sedum.
◊ Larinem Park is considered deer and rabbit resistant and is hardy in zones 3 – 9.
◊ Use it as a groundcover around woodland trees and shrubs, as a lawn alternative for shady, dry sites or to edge a path or walkway.
Before you rush off to check out the other You Can Grow That! posts, please take a minute to share what your favorite ground cover for shady sites is.
Once again, I’m joining in on the You Can Grow That! meme started by C.L. Fornari over at Whole Life Gardening.
You Can Grow That! is a celebration of gardens and plants and the joy they bring to our lives.
One of the most graceful spring-flowering shrubs has to be doublefile viburnum, (Viburnum plicatum var. tomentosum).
The combination of horizontal branches and creamy white lacecap flowers, arranged in double file along the length of the branches, make doublefile viburnum an irresistibly elegant addition to many gardens here in southwestern Connecticut.
At this time of the year, when they seem to be dripping with flowers, the shrubs seem to glow, especially on overcast or rainy days.
One of the best attributes of double-file viburnum has to be its unusual flowers. The flowers, held several inches above the branches and leaves, always make me smile when viewed from the side.
The double rows of flowers highlight the horizontal branching pattern of the shrub.
Flowers typically last 3 – 4 weeks in my garden. Clusters of small red berries follow the flowers but are not overly ornamental. The rough, serrated leaves turn a brilliant shade of purple in the fall.
Double-file viburnums are not overly picky about site conditions.
If you can meet a few basic requirements, you’ll be rewarded for many, many years.
◊ They grow in both full sun and full shade but seems to do best with some afternoon shade.
◊ They prefer moist, well-drained, acidic soil with loads of organic matter.
◊ They are not overly drought tolerant. In my garden (zone 6b), they are one of the first shrubs to show the effects of inconsistent rain.
◊ Mature shrubs can reach 8 – 10′ tall with a slightly wider spread.
◊ I consider doublefile viburnum to be deer-resistant. I have 5 of them in garden and they have never been bothered by deer (can you hear me knocking on wood??)
◊ Hardy in zones 5 – 8.
If you don’t have room for a full size double-file in your garden, consider planting one of these cultivars:
Before you rush off to check out the other You Can Grow That! posts, please take a minute to share what your favorite spring-flowering shrub is.
I’m joining in on the You Can Grow That! meme started by C.L. Fornari over at Whole Life Gardening.
You Can Grow That! is a celebration of gardens and plants and the joy they bring to our lives.
Subtle and spring are not typically two words that go together when you’re talking about spring in a New England garden. We’re blessed with an embarrassment of color at this time of the year. Don’t get me wrong, I love seeing the shock of bright yellow forsythia, the clouds of white flowers on the pear trees and the vivid violets of the PJM rhododendrons.
But I also appreciate the subtle beauty of some of the wallflowers of the spring garden. The plants that are attractive but aren’t jumping up and down yelling, ‘Hey, look at me!’. The ones you can’t see coming from miles away but rather that quietly entice you over for a closer look.
In my Connecticut garden, my favorite subtle spring beauty is Sem — Sorbaria sorbifolia ‘Sem’. Here’s a look at Sem with her spring foliage, in shades of pink, red, yellow and green…
Just in case you think Sem might be one of those one-hit-wonders, here’s a look at her summer flowers…
◊ Sem loves dry, sunny spots. Mine is growing in light shade under a redbud tree and it seems to be thriving.
◊ A multi-stemmed shrub that spreads quickly by suckers, Sem grows to about 4′ x 4′. Because it spreads by suckers, give some thought to where you want to plant it. Sem is not a garden bully but she does like to get her own way. The ideal site would be one where you need a reliable plant to fill in and colonize an area. (Note: Sorbaria sorbifolia is not invasive in Connecticut but it can be in some states. If in doubt, please check it’s status in your area before you plant it.)
◊ It’s fern-like foliage adds a light feathery texture to the garden. Plant Sem near large-leaved plants for a wonderful contrast.
◊ Sem does not seem to be bothered by pests of any kind, including deer.
◊ Hardy in zones 3 – 8.
Before you head off to check out the other You Can Grow That! posts, I’d love to hear about the star of your spring garden – subtle or otherwise.
Can you smell it? It’s almost spring. Soon our gardens, whether in Connecticut, Colorado or somewhere in between, will be bursting into life. The problem with many gardens I see as a landscape designer is that they are full of … Continue reading
