A snake in the grass...poison ivy

I've had a few run-ins with poison ivy. In the third grade, I got it in my eye (it was very cute!) and 2 weeks before my wedding it covered my left hand! One would think I'd be better at identifying it, however I'm not. So, this post is as much for me as for anyone.

This is what poison looks like.

Avoid it at all costs! You've been warned!!!

Killer Combinations

This one left me speechless.


Hot pink wave petunias (a sun annual) in a cobalt blue planter.

"Camellia Bedelia"

My dad owns a local custom home building company, Tall House. Recently, he was working on a project and a camellia was in the way. Luckily, I was the recipient! I also was fortunate the plant still had the original tag on it and a lone bloom.

Its a Frank Brownlee Variegated Camellia Japonica: a late blooming japonica with a double deep red bloom.

Camellias are classic Southern (zone 7) waxy leafed evergreen shrubs that often bloom when little else is. In case you aren't sure of the differences in Camellias, here's the skinny. (There are hundreds of types so the exceptions are many!)

Camellia Japonica

• Bloom time: Winter - Spring
• Color: Red, pink, white, variegated
• Light: Prefers shade (especially in the morning) and needs protection from wind

Camellia Sasanqua (I have a "Setsugekka" sasanqua that has white blooms and has done well.)

• Bloom time: Fall
• Color: Red, white, pinks
• Light: Sun to part shade (more sun tolerant than Japonicas)
• Uses: Often used as an espalier on a wall or trellis, or in pots (as can be seen at North Hills shopping center)

Camellia Photos

This Camellia caught my eye at Sara P. Duke Gardens in Durham last Spring. Its an All American Variegated Japonica. I think of it as the peppermint camellia.


Camellia sansaquas grown on trellis' at my mother's house in Raleigh.


Here are some great Camellia resources, I've found:

• Camelia Japonica Cultivars (NSCU Cooperative Extension Service)
• Camelia Sasanqua Cultivars (NSCU Cooperative Extension Service)
• Mcdonald Garden Center Camelia Book

Weekend Gardener on WPTF

Weekend Gardener is one of my favorite radio shows. The problem is that often I am either in the yard or at the garden center when its broadcast Saturdays from 8:00AM to 10:00AM. The good news is that they now make both hours of the show available on their Website via podcast. Don't worry if you don't have an IPOD: its not required. Anyone can play the recording directly from their computer. So far, I don't see an archive, so be sure to download them weekly.

Weekend Gardener podcasts

In case you don't know Latin...

I never studied Latin and occasionally plant names completely stump me. Other times, I think I have them down completely and realize when I'm describing them to a friend or sales person that I've never actually heard them pronounced before.

Here are some of the funnier ones I've blundered this season:

• Spirea - I was asking a friend's dad for advice on pruning these earlier this year. I had inherited the shrubs and identified them in a book. I pronounced them "SPIR-ea". He corrected me (ever so kindly) that its "Spi-REA".
• Artemesia - I pronounced it with a strong "s-i-a" at the end instead of the "sya" sound.
• Euryops (bush yellow daisy) - I didn't even try pronouncing this one, but I really wanted one so I described it to the sales person instead.

Tonight in Fine Gardening, I found a Latin plant name pronunciation resource that might save some future embarrassment.

Herbs gone wild

My husband is the cook. I used to think I could cook before I met him, but now I'm resolved to other talents. He uses lots of fresh herbs.

I started growing culinary herbs, but my excitement for herbs has grown to include many other types. Herbs are easy to grow because they like the heat, poor soil and little water. Perfect for a busy gardner in drought conditions!

I tend to favor perennial herbs since they come back every year. In our current herb garden, I intentionally layered and placed the herbs balancing perennials and annuals so that it wouldn't look bare or lopsided in the winter.

Here's what I have planted so far (I'm running out of room, so this is probably it for awhile):

Perennials

• Germander
• Oregano (aka "Pot Marjoram")
• St. Johns Wort - This herb has a great pink, green and white color and is about 18" tall and whispy. It also has tiny yellow blooms in mid summer.
• Tansy
• Pineapple Mint - A gift from my friend Susan. This mint doesn't seem to be as invasive as others and the variagated foliage is great.
• Lemon Balm - I love it, but its coming up everwhere!
• Bay - A slow grower, but its evergreen shiny leaves are a nice constrast in the garden.
• Rosemary - A kitchen classic, however mine looks pretty pitiful right now.
• Sage
• Thyme
• Pineapple Sage - This herb has delicate red blooms in the Fall: I can't wait!
• Chives
• Licorice
• Lavender

Annuals

• Basil
• Cilantro (aka "Coriander") - I know it won't last, but I couldn't resist
• Parsley - Actually a biennial that will die after it blooms during its second year.
• Dill

I've got some specific herb recipes that I'll post later, but here are a few I found on the Herb Society of Wake County Web site.

Empty Lakes and Empty Rain Barrels

Just today I reached the bottom of my 3 rain barrels. Hopefully, we'll get some rain soon. I decided others might benefit from the following resources as they try to maintain a lush garden during this drought:

• USGS Rain Fall Amounts (I use the Falls Lake data as a benchmark for rainfall in my neighborhood. Its great for when you aren't at home when it rains or can't remember how long its been.)
• North Carolina Drought Watch
• Neuseworks - A local man who makes composters, rain barrels and chicken coops on the side. We have 3 barrels and a composter and LOVE them!
• Rainwater Pillow - I read about this on a flight recently. Can't vouch for them, but its an interesting concept.
• Self Watering Containers - I've seen these around in a couple of places. Its a pretty clever idea, but I'm too picky about how my pots look to try them. Desperation may change that.

Let me know how you're getting by with the drought.

Stage One Water Restrictions

(from City of Raleigh Water Restrictions Web site)

Mailbox Plantings for Drought

When we bought our house in 2005, our mailbox was covered in several overgrown shrubs. A friend's daughter actually asked me if a racoon lived in our mailbox bed! Three years, one new mailbox and numerous outgoing loads of white landscaping rocks later... I embarked this week on replanting the mailbox.

Last fall, I purchased 5 Gladiator Alliums from Terra Ceia Farms (a NC business out of Pantego). They are in the garlic/onion family and should produce 3 - 4' tall softball sized pink blooms. They are coming up and the foliage looks great! I'm optimistic for good blooms in May. I'm considering moving them since I hear they can multiply and right now they aren't placed to bloom in mass (anyone with advice on when and how to move them, please let me know!)

I consulted my plant books to find other hardy and drought tolerant plants to accompany this dry setting. Here's what I decided on:

• Autumn Joy Sedum (1) - I love the idea of fall color and these are one of the most drought tolerant plants around. The dark green foliage also compliments the grays and blues nicely.
  
• Autumn Fire Sedum (2) - Similar to the autumn joy and boasted to be more brillant in color... we'll see.
  
• Artemesia (Silver Mound) (3) - Great silvery foliage and requires little water.
  
• Spanish Lavender (1) - A neighbor put this in last year and has completely neglected it and it looks fabulous. It's an herb, so I figure its got to be tough! I also love the purple blooms.
  
• Purple Queen (2) - Great purple foliage and triangular shape to compliment the greens well.
  
• Pink Dianthus (Firewitch) (3) - Great shorter plant for the front of the bed. I'm hoping the color will compliment the allium nicely.
  

I'm new to "sun" gardening (with the exception of a 8X6 herb garden, this is all the sun we have). We'll see how it goes.

My Favorite Things.....Plants

Here is a list of my favorite and tested plants. I've indicated the ones that are in my garden currently with an asterisk.
Sun Perennials

• Viburnum Doublefile - My all time favorite plant. I had one in my old yard. I LOVE the delicate cream flowers and the contrast with the green foliage.
• Yellow Yarrow* - a gift from a country gardener. The flat blooms are great additions to cut arragements.
• Echinacea ("Ruby Star Cone Flower")* - The pink and brown blooms can't be beat and make nice cut arrangements.
• Rudbeckia ("Black Eyed Susan")* - I have a huge bed of these and the yellow finches feast there during to July! Its a real joy to watch.
• Bee Balm*
• Lamb's Ear* - I love the silver and velvety leaves. Don't over water these plants!
• Peony (Sara Bernhart)* - Great pink blooms in Spring. Finicky about being moved and likes to be planted high. Don't let the ants scare you: they're normal.

Shade Perennials

• Digitalis, "Strawberry Floxglove"* - A self reseeding biennial with nice height and form. As a bonus the foliage stays green year round.
• Hellebore, "Lenten Rose"* - A great evergreen that has delicate blooms starting in February.
• Hosta*- A classic in the shade garden. I love the smaller and variegated varieties.
• Bleeding Heart*
• Deer Fern* - An evergreen fern that I love!
• Astibe - Colorful tall plumes of flowers, however the blooms never last quite as long as I like.

Annuals

• Impatients (for shade)
• Portulaca ("Moss Rose") - A tough little succulent-like plant that has a nice bloom and is great for pots.
• Caladium* - A plant grown for its foliage of pink, green, and white. A staple in my garden. I save the tubers year to year. (Look for a post on that this fall). Pairs great with impatients and asparagus fern.
• Lantana - Tough sprawling yellow bloomer.
• Polka Dot Plant

Shrubs

• Panicle Hydryangea (Limelight)* - I'm trying three of these for the first time this year. More to follow....
• Hydryangea Macrophylla* - Can't beat these in the South. Perform well in sun and shade. Blooms are great additions to cut arrangements and can be dried.
• Camellia Japonica - A late winter bloomer in a variety of colors (pink, white...). Prefers shade.
• Camellia Sasanqua* - A fall bloomer in a plethora of colors. Does well in the shade.
• Variegated Forsythia* - I didn't realize there was variegated variety until recently. I love these plants especially when allowed to grow in the natural form.
• Akebia ("Chocolate Vine")- A great fast growing vine for shade.
• Confederate Jasmine* - Common in Charleston and areas south of here. This plant can thrive in Eastern NC, but its needs attention during its first winter. Small star shaped blooms smell heavenly!
• Gardenia* - A lush evergreen shrub with sweet smelling cream blooms in the summer.
• Acuba - A great variegated shade shrub with red berries. Great for holiday foliage. Can get quite large, so be careful where you put it. Needs both a male and female for berrying.

Trees

• Cherokee Daybreak Dogwood
• Weeping Red Bud
• Crape Myrtle*

A Trip to Granny's

My grandmother lives about 25 miles South East of Raleigh in Fuquay-Varina. She lives in an adorable board and batton house straight out of a magazine. Her yard is amazing, a true testament of her love for old things and working in the yard. She enjoys a good day of hard work in the yard as much as anyone I know... and it shows.

My husband and I have been down several times recently to visit and help her in the yard. She's repaid us for our time and troubles in PLANTS!!!

After untangling a mess of Southern Smilax from her dogwoods and forsythia, we've brought a clump of bulbs home to plant over our porch. No signs of growth yet....still waiting. After some of the online posts I've read about Smilax, we might be regretting our decision. I'll keep you posted.

On our trip today, she gave us some "Tansy", an herb. I asked her about it, not realizing it was an herb, but rather because the folliage was so shiny, green and fern like. Only tonight, after looking it up, did I realize that its the familiar button bloom that I loved in her garden last year. It reminds me of a yarrow. I also read online about the role that Tansy has played as the bitter herb in Passover Feasts of the past. Since my husband's family's Jewish and Passover's just around the corner, its a must have for our herb garden.

I tried to transplant some of her white Quince earlier this year, but to no avail. Maybe next time.