joene's garden » GOOPs-Gardening Oops

Daffodil blooms like facing the sun

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

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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Dear Boxwood, we need to talk. You’re a Gardening Oops

joenesgarden — Mon, 01 Apr 2013 14:47:38 +0000

Dear Boxwood, we need to talk. You’re a Gardening Oops

Dear Boxwood, we need to talk. I planted you so many years ago expecting you would grow into decent sized shrubs along the front borders of my house. I hoped you would become the anchor shrubs the beds need; that your glossy dark-green leaves would be welcome contrast against white winter snows and, in the spring and summer, act as the backdrop to blooming- flowers. But you are just not getting it done and, for this, I accept full blame. It's my Gardening Oops – my GOOPs – my mistake. Now we both must pay.

It's the first day of the month, the day I share a gardening oops, using the acronym GOOPs. Though it is April 1 – April Fools' Day – this is no prank.

When we moved into our house over 15 years ago there were few funds for landscaping. We did all the work ourselves, adding shrubs and plants here and there as time and dollars allowed. During this period I transformed from an avid gardener, with an overall design idea in her head, to a garden and landscape designer who understands the value of having, and following an actual planned design. The front beds, where boxwood now live, would have been very different if I had my my current skills … and my current knowledge of the quirks of our landscape … back when we first started landscaping our property.

The avid gardener me chose boxwood (Buxus microphylla 'Green Mountain') as the main anchor shrubs for many reasons: their deer-resistance, their evergreen foliage, their purported easy care, and their manageable size. Over time, I added them in different spots in the deeper beds at either ends of our house and along the narrow borders along the front porch. These photos from 2004 give a good view of the areas I'm working with and, if you look really closely, of some of the first small boxwood plantings.

The idea was to eventually have three boxwood anchor the left end of the bed nearest the driveway, three evenly spaced at the ends and in the middle of the borders on each side of the front steps,

and three to anchor the bed at the opposite end of the house. In these photos, two boxwood still remain in pots at either side of the steps. These replaced the small azaleas – aka deer candy – flanking the steps.

Due to multiple other projects and life in general, it was not until 2011, that I managed to finally get all the boxwood shrubs in place as originally planned. The in-training designer me still liked the idea of boxwood anchor shrubs for these spots but the avid gardener me began to uncover some issues with this plan.

The boxwood first planted in the borders along the porch underwent some setbacks so they have not reached their expected height. Heavy snows resulted in some damage and need for minor reshaping and boxwood leaf miner control required serious pruning and late winter/early spring horticultural oil applications. The three boxwood shrubs planted in the garage bed now require sturdy winter protection from the solar panel snow avalanche that crashes down from above during heavy snows. Still, because deer in my region don't eat boxwood, I was willing to put up with these annoyances.

This winter's snowfalls changed my mind, at least for the boxwood planted along the front porch. The combination of heavy snows, and our need to roof-rake snow off the porch roof to prevent ice jams along the gutters, creates massive piles of hard-packed snow exactly on top of the boxwood along the porch. They can handle the weight of this action from small snowfalls but not from the type of snow we received this year – 36» from the blizzard in February and another very heavy 17» snow.

All six of these boxwood had broken stems at their crown leaving large gaps at the center of each shrub. As they have grown – albeit slowly - the likelihood of such damage has increased.

All six need another serious pruning to reshape them, and all are again showing signs of boxwood leaf miner.

So that's it, Dear Boxwood. I'm sorry. We tried to make a go of it but now the designer me has decided to remove the six of you along the front porch. Don't worry, the avid gardener me, with the help of the designer me, will find you new homes in more distant areas of the yard. This is for the better. Some of you will spruce up the shed, others will find homes in less noticeable areas where your glossy dark green will be a nice accent during winter, but any leaf miner damage will not greet me each time I rest on the front steps or walk along the front path.

I'm not yet sure what I will use to replace you, though my two selves are considering Ilex crenata 'Helleri' which forms a 12» to 18» mound of shiny dark-green leaves that hold all winter combined with Leucothoe axillaris, a low mounding evergreen that turns deep red in autumn and winter. Both, though deer resistant, will need protection from browsing deer – local deer don't understand the term deer-resistant - but both shrubs should better handle avalanching snow that you, Dear Boxwood, cannot.

I'm sorry it took so long for me to come to this decision after investing so much time and effort into your care. Don't despair, Dear Boxwood, we will both be much happier once we make this split.

Keeping with GOOPs tradition, it's now your turn to share a tale of gardening woe or a gardening mishap. Leave your GOOPs tale in a comment below or write your own GOOPs blog post and leave a teaser comment below. If I don't respond quickly it's because I'm planning my boxwood split.

Garden thoughtfully,

Joene

Categories: Design Features, GOOPs-Gardening Oops.
Tags: boxwood, gardening in Connecticut, gardening oops - GOOPs, snow damage.

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Snow + solar panels + deer fencing = A Gardening Oops

joenesgarden — Fri, 01 Mar 2013 10:30:00 +0000

Snow + solar panels + deer fencing = A Gardening Oops

Welcome to the first day of March 2013 – Gardening Oops (GOOPs) day here in Joene's Garden. On the first of each month I share a gardening faux pas hoping you can learn from my experience, and give you the chance to share a faux pas – or GOOPs - of your own. My March 1, 2013 tale is the result of three, seemingly unrelated, objects. When combined the three became a gardening oops.

Study this photo to see if you can predict what happened.

This GOOPs tale begins with two rhododendron planted, about fifteen years ago, as small shrubs on either end of our front porch. With time they grew to over six feet tall and about 5 feet in diameter because each autumn I install chicken wire fencing around each shrub to prevent winter browsing by resident white-tale deer. Each spring I remove the fencing at about the time deer move deeper into the woods to fawn. Using this method, I've had no deer browsing on either shrub … until now.

A couple of years ago we had roof-top solar panels installed over the garage and along the roof-peak of the central section of the house. The panels were installed well after I planted the foundation shrubs.

During the first winter, when we had small snowfalls, we learned that snow slid - with considerable force - off the garage roof panels and landed on the boxwood shrubs planted below. Fortunately the shrubs incurred no damage from the sliding snow that first year. To prevent shrub damage from heavier snowfalls my husband built a-frame forms that I now place over the boxwood shrubs before the first predicted snow. Our observations also told us that most snowfalls would slide off the solar panels with enough force to miss the rhododendron and its protective winter fencing.

All was fine until the blizzard of 2013 hit our south-central Connecticut region. In less than 24-hours we received a period of powdery snow followed by a period of sleet and rain followed by another extended period of snow. Snowfall amounts totaled three feet, snowdrifts reached 5-6 feet.

We had one day to clean up as much snow as possible before leaving for a pre-planned vacation. We left home suspecting that snow falling off the solar panels might flatten the fencing meant to protect the rhododendron. We returned to find this,

and the previously fully-leaved rhododendron looking like this.

Here's the deer-browsed rhododendron (left) compared to it's sister shrub (right) still protected at the other end of the front porch – under the section of the house without solar panels.

GOOPs!

During my younger, less seasoned, gardening life I would have been devastated at the sight of this rhododendron. My more seasoned self has learned to go with the punches. Rather than mourning this turn of events I see this as an opportunity to plant something more deer resistant and less likely to grow out into the solar panel avalanche zone.

What can we all learn from this GOOPs?

Roof-mounted solar panels present unique hazards to plants directly in the line of avalanching snow.
Deer will take advantage of any opportunity to munch on greenery during the winter. This is a lesson northern gardeners in deer territory learn again every year.
Instead of crying over munched leaves look at the bright side … the chance to try new plants that better suit the conditions.

I have a few rhododendron replacement ideas but would love to hear any you may have for my zone 6 garden. I'd also love to learn of any snow-related or deer-related GOOPs you've experienced in your gardens. Share your suggestions and/or your GOOPs in a comment below or share your GOOPs on your blog, leaving a teaser comment below.

Garden thoughtfully,

Joene

Categories: Creatures, Gardening, GOOPs-Gardening Oops, Seasons, Techniques.
Tags: deer damage, gardening in Connecticut, gardening oops - GOOPs.

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