joene's garden » Gardening

Finally, A Blooming Pink Dogwood

joenesgarden — Tue, 14 May 2013 01:32:27 +0000

This falls into the good-things-come-to-those-who-wait category. With visions of a small tree full of delicate pink blossoms each May, the very first tree I purchased and planted after moving to our current home 16 years ago was a pink dogwood (Cornus florida 'Rubra'). I've waited all these years for 'masses of rose-pink flowers' as promised by the plant tag.

I know, I know … this is not exactly 'masses of rose-pink flowers' but it's certainly masses more than the small tree produced in previous years. If I saw one bloom I was lucky. Last year my little tree produced an historic bumper crop … three rose-pink flowers. (I have no photos to prove this since it was just too sad a sight to take photos of.)

But this year it finally decided to put on a decent show.

Now … in all honesty … my little dogwood had a different home before settling into its current location. I moved it after about two or three years. It's only been resting in its current spot for about a dozen years or so. It also enjoyed a bit more sunshine last summer than it had in previous years … we had to remove a very large oak that shaded roof-mounted solar panels, as well as my dogwood.

Who knows exactly why this dogwood finally decided to put out masses of blooms. Was it finally feeling settled? Was it the additional light? Was it last season's weather?

It gave me a hint last autumn that it was ready to be a bit more showy. Here it is trying to grab the autumn-reds show from neighboring winterberry (Ilex verticillata 'Winter Red').

There's the dogwood, in all its burgundy glory, behind the berry-laden winterberry. The dogwood looked better last autumn than it has in all the years we've shared garden space, and it held it's burgundy color for a very long time.

Still, tainted from past disappointments, I did not hope for it to put out multiple blossoms.

But it did …

and I'm enjoying every second of the show.

I've been told by a local horticultural sage that flowering dogwood respond to a bit of abuse. Cutting into the root edges with a shovel, I was told, encourages it to bloom. I cannot say this advice works, or does not. My dogwood did not receive such treatment. All I know is that my dogwood had a bit more light last year than it had for many, many years before, and … maybe … after a dozen years in the same spot it finally feels at home and is ready to shine.

Categories: Focus on Flowers, Gardening.
Tags: Cornus florida 'Rubra', gardening in Connecticut, pink dogwood.

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Papaloquelite–You Can Grow That!

joenesgarden — Sat, 04 May 2013 15:31:44 +0000

Papaloquelite–You Can Grow That!

If you are looking to spice up your summer cooking and are a fan of cilantro, papaloquelite is an annual herb worth trying. Native to Central America, papaloquelite can be started indoors from seed or sown outdoors after danger of frost has passed in northern climates. For lovers of gardening and Mexican foods, papaloquelite is definitely a You Can Grow That! plant.

Papaloquelite (Porophyllum ruderale) will attract attention – in my zone 6 Connecticut garden it grew to 4 feet tall. It has lovely blue-green leaves that emit a cilantro-like aroma when brushed.

Because I like to observe and understand just how new-to-me plants grow, I allowed papaloquelite to grow into late summer until it began to flower. However, like many herbs, papaloquelite's flavor is best when the leaves are young. I can attest that older leaves tend toward the bitter side and are less tender. Fortunately, each plant throws out many side shoots of tender, young leaves which are best used fresh. Like cilantro, papaloquelite loses its flavor when cooked.

If left to grow to full height, papaloquelite is best planted as a background plant. It will easily reach 4 to 5 feet in height if not pruned to maintain a shorter stature and will shade other plants growing between it and the sun. Papaloquelite can also be grown in containers in full sun.

Papaloquelite does not bolt in summer heat, as cilantro does, so those who love cilantro-like flavor can use young papaloquelite leaves as fresh garnish all summer.

On the 4th of each month, C.L. Fornari at Whole Life Gardening urges garden bloggers to champion the virtues of gardening by sharing You Can Grow That! suggestions. Read the rest of the May 2013 posts, as well as previous posts, at the You Can Grow That! website. You are bound to get some ideas for trying something new in your garden.

Categories: Edibles, Herb Highlights, You Can Grow That!.
Tags: gardening in Connecticut, papaloquelite, You Can Grow That!.

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Daffodil blooms like facing the sun

joenesgarden — Wed, 01 May 2013 06:00:00 +0000

Daffodil blooms like facing the sun

Every spring the daffodils I first planted on this property open their first, much awaited, sunny-yellow blossoms facing the sun. This would not be an issue except that my from-the-inside view also faces the sun, and that makes this a gardening oops – GOOPs for short.

Welcome to the first of the month, the day I share one of the many gardening miss-steps I've made or witnessed in my almost 40 years of gardening. This month's GOOPs actually happens every spring in my gardens. Way back, when I planted the very first batches of daffodil bulbs on this property, I had a vision of looking out of my office window each spring to be greeted by bunches of bright yellow daffodils.

I didn't consider the orientation of the sun at the time. Nor did I consider that daffodil flowers tend to face the sun which, in my chosen planting site would mean they would turn their backs on me.

Here's the situation …

And here is my view in real life. The blossoms always open facing away from my office vantage point.

Ignore the rest of the mess in this bed. When I grabbed this photo I had not yet cut back the grasses or cleaned up the winter-blown leaves. Just look at those first opening blossoms. They are all facing east and south.

Since these first bulbs went into the ground 15 years ago, I've planted many more in beds on either side of the front yard, in front and behind the house, and along the driveway. They bloom in progression from April into May. Not all of them open with their blossoms facing the sun. Many open facing all directions.

But the first groups of daffodils I planted so many years ago do the same thing every spring.

Those on the left face east. Those toward the back face south. Those on the right face southwest. Only a few blossoms face north or northeast, the direction of my from-the-inside view.

To be able to enjoy the unique aspects of each blossom I have to walk outside – not a bad thing – or pick the flowers for an indoor bouquet – not a bad thing either.

Any guesses as to which blossoms get picked first?

Yep, those turning their back on me. One way or another these daffodils are going to show me their faces. If not in their outside display, then they'll show off in a vase in plain view from my office.

Head to this American Daffodil Society explanation about daffodils and similar bulbs, and how best to plant them … it's quite informative.

Do you have a GOOPs to share? You can divulge your tale of woe or humor in a comment below, or write a GOOPs post on your own blog. Just leave a teaser comment below so readers will visit your post.

Don't be shy … anyone can join. After all, if you're not making mistakes in the garden you are not gardening hard enough.

Categories: Bulbs, Gardening, GOOPs-Gardening Oops.
Tags: daffodils, gardening in Connecticut, gardening oops - GOOPs.

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