Yesterday, artist Nelson Hancock installed an exhibit of charmingly evil cucurbits (that’s pumpkins of all shapes and sizes) on the slate patio just outside the Haggerty Education Center that is both whimsical and fascinatingly scary. The pumpkins will be on display through Halloween, so try to get over to the Arboretum to see them.
Jennifer Basile was there yesterday and provided several pictures of this fun display — click on the picture at right to see these in our picture gallery.
The Morristown Daily Record was there too and has posted a gallery of the artist at work. Don’t miss out on this fun exhibit.
While walking around the Arboretum this afternoon I saw that Fall has begun painting the trees while asters, sedum and mums show off their colors. I hope you get a chance to enjoy this season soon. In the meantime, click on the picture at the right to go to our picture gallery for lots more.
Don’t forget the Autumn at the ARTboretum event starting tomorrow, Oct. 23rd through Halloween. Lots more photo opportunities!
This season’s ArTboretum offering is an exhibit of pumpkins carved by artist Nelson Hancock. Nelson found his inspiration in the work of Italian painter, Guiseppe Arcimboldo (1526 – 1593).
Born in Milan, Guiseppe Arcimboldo would rise to the ranks of “Royal Portraitist” in the Court of Emperor Maximillian II. After his death, Arcimboldo’s work was largely forgotten by the art world. It was not until the 1930’s, when the NYC’s Museum of Modern Art mounted an exhibit on Surrealism and Dadaism and included his paintings, that Arcimboldo found his role as mentor of surrealists. How this essentially Mannerist painter came to mentor 20th century surrealists is a fascinating story.
Study his painting “Spring”- can you count the more than 80 flowering plants that compose it? “Summer” features a locavore’s delight.
The Virtual Gardener suggests you visit these all of these sites, in order to understand the world in which Arcimboldo created his fanciful, metaphorical, somewhat sarcastic and always and technically brilliant works.
Cannas are tuberous plants with colorful tropical looking foliage and brilliant, lily-like flowers. The leaves may be green, yellow, purple or multi-colored with stripes, marginal markings or blotches. The flowers come in colors of white to ivory to shades of yellow, orange, pale to deep pink, apricot, coral, salmon and a variety of reds.
Their common name is Indian-Shot. This refers to the plant’s black, very hard seed, which resembles the shot or pellets in shotgun cartridges. Cannas come from tropical and subtropical areas of the Americas and Asia. They are easy to grow, both in the ground or in containers. They can be grown from seed or by saving the tubers from year to year. The leaves may be used in flower arrangements. The flowers only last a day to two, so, do not make good cut flowers.
There are three main types of cannas: lower growing and dwarf varieties include the French or Crozy cannas which grow 3-4 feet tall, with large flower trusses; the Pfitzer Dwarf cannas from Germany, which grow 2 feet to 3 feet tall; and the Seven Dwarfs series which only reach about 18 inches. The Italian, or orchid-flowered cannas, are tall 4-5 feet, and the flower segments are more open and spreading than the French cannas. The third group includes all the other cannas, most of which are the tall, 5-6 feet, old-fashioned varieties with smaller flowers and large leaves.
Because of their tropical look and lush foliage, cannas look great when planted against a plain background and in groups of a single color. They make striking poolside plantings and look great around or in containers on terraces, patios or decks. They are great mixed with hot colors in a perennial border. They go well with tall grasses. Cannas bloom continuously and look good all summer, even through the dog days of August.
Cannas were used extensively in the Victorian era as they lend themselves well to bedding out schemes and formal gardens. For a taste of this type of planting go to Skylands in Ringwood in August or September and look at their annual garden. It is very Victorian. More recently bedding out schemes had lost favor as had bold colors and tropical foliage. The style of 30 to 10 years ago was cool colors, pastels and perennial borders. The pendulum has swung back the other way now, and bold colors, foliage and the tropical look are back in. These combinations are being used in a more informal manor and usually thickly planted for a lush look.
Although cannas may be grown from seed, usually the seed will be mixed colors and sizes, so what you get may not be what you want. Seeds may be started in early spring. Nick the seeds with a file or knife or soak in warm water overnight to hasten germination. Plants need to receive good light and may be planted outside in late May.
If you buy rootstock, you will be assured of getting what you want both in size and color. Rootstock may be started indoors in early April for a late May planting. Start in flats or pots with bottom heat and keep them warm until they sprout. Afterwards supply them with good light for strong growth. Or plant them outside in the spring. Cannas are hardy to Zone 7, so they can take some cold. Here at the Arboretum, we often plant them outdoors in early May. They usually take a few weeks to really come up but the root system is establishing itself during that time. Plant them 4-6 inches deep, 10-24 inches apart (depending on cultivar).
Cannas love rich lose soil with all the fertilizer you can give them and as much heat and sun as possible. Keep them well watered at all times. Pick off faded flowers to prevent seed production and when the stalk has finished blooming, cut it down completely to the ground.
If you live in Zone 7 (shore) or plant you canna right by the foundation of the house, it will be hardy outdoors. If you have a lot of rootstock available, you might try leaving some in the ground over winter and mulching heavily. Some cultivars are reported to be more hardy than others. Otherwise, you must dig them up in fall, after a frost has hit. Lift them out of the ground with a fork and shake off the soil. Leave them outdoors for a day to two if possible to dry off. Store the rootstock in brown paper bags, open cardboard boxes or burlap in a cool, but not freezing place. An unheated attached garage or cool basement works well. At the Arboretum, we store ours in a cool hoop house still in their containers and watered occasionally. Others are stored out of a pot in a cool cellar. Check the roots occasionally to make sure they are not drying out too much. Spray a little water on them from time to time if needed. The next spring bring out the rootstock, and divide as needed. Leave at least three eyes to a division and more if you like. Container grown ones should only be a small division, especially if you plan to plant something else in the container.
Cannas do well as a single item in a container or may be combined with other tender annuals. Be sure to pick items of approximately the same size as cannas grow quickly and can easily overwhelm other plants in the containers. Perhaps you will choose to use tall, fast growing coleus as a foil in the containers.
Cannas have few pests or disease problems. Occasionally European Corn Borer may attack the stalks in last summer or early spring. The larva is pink, 0.75 to 1 inch long; the egg-laying moth is yellow-brown and nocturnal, thus hard to spot. If you find this borer, kill it, and try to get the larva out of the stalks. But Japanese Beetles will often be attracted to Cannas in July. The adults the congregate on the leaves, mating and feeding. Every evening go outside and had pick them off. Remove badly damaged foliage. Most sprays do not work well on Japanese beetles.
When planting in containers, use Pro-Mix, mixed with compost, Osmocote and one of the water absorbing products on the market. Cannas are very thirsty and quickly dry out. By using this substance, you will be able to water every other day. The Osmocote provides time-released fertilization all season long.
The most important things to remember when planning & planting a garden to attract and sustain butterflies:
Include nectar flowers for butterflies and larval food for caterpillars
Include pebbles or stones for butterflies to stand upon and bask in the sun
Dig mud puddles or include shallow dishes filled with mud for puddling
NEVER USE PESTICIDES
Place a bench in the garden for you to enjoy the butterflies
All butterflies go through four distinct life stages: egg, larva, pupa and adult. Everyone is familiar the adult stage, when the insect is the most attractive, but this phase only last two to three weeks. During that brief period, they must find a suitable mate, reproduce, seek out food and shelter, and avoid being eaten – a tall order for most creatures. To meet these high energy demands, adults rely on high energy nectar for fuel.
Good nectar plants include:
Anise Hyssop*
Agastache foeniculum
Black-eyed Susan*
Rudbeckia hirta & R. fulgida
Blanket Flower*
Gaillardia spp.
Blazing Star*
Liatris spp.
Blue Mist Shrub
Caryopteris x clandonensis
Boneset*
Eupatorium perfoliatum
Butterfly Bush
Buddleia davidii
Butterflyweed*
Asclepias tuberosa
Button Bush*
Cephalanthus occidentalis
Coreopsis*
Coreopsis spp.
Culver’s Root*
Veroniacastrum virginicum
Garden Phlox*
Phlox paniculata
Garden Sage
Salvia spp.
Goldenrod*
Solidago spp
Iron Weed*
Vernonia novaboracensis
Joe-pye Weed*
Eupatorium maculatum
Milkweed*
Asclepias spp.
Mountain Mint*
Pycnanthemum muticum
New England Aster*
Aster novae-angliae
Purple Coneflower*
Echinacea purpurea
Sneezeweed*
Helenium autumnale
Sunflower*
Helianthus spp.
Sweet Pepperbush*
Clethra alnifolia
Turtlehead*
Chelone lyonii or C. glabra
Weeping Lantana Lantana montevidensis
White Meadowsweet*
Spiraea alba
Wild Bergamont*
Monarda spp.
*These plants are native to the United States
As rapid development continues, butterfly populations are on the decline because their food sources and habitats are being destroyed. Help butterflies survive by avoiding manicured grass lawns, pesticides and foreign species of plants in your yard and garden. If you have room, leave part of your garden become a meadow. Initially you will want to plant in plugs of native wildflowers and native grasses. Mowing is needed only once a year in late November. You may have to remove an occasional unwanted plant. By using native plants, you are providing food sources for the beautiful creatures
It is also important to include larval-host plants. Remember these plants are supposed to be eaten by the caterpillars, so if they show insect damage, don’t reach for the pesticides.
Below is a partial list of good food sources for caterpillars:
The Virtual Gardener is pleased to announce a new Member Benefit! Members can now peruse our circulating library's collection online.
Did you know that Benjamin Franklin was the first American to start a circulating library in 1731? Members of his "Library Company" paid a fee which was used to purchase books and maintain the library and each of these contributors had borrowing privileges. (learn about Franklin's idea at www.ushistory.org, search "The Library Company." ) This is much like our library – each of you pays membership fees, a part of which maintains the library and each of you has borrowing rights. So, exercise your rights and borrow a book!
Here's how — Go to www.arboretumfriends.org and select "Resources" from the bar across the top of the home page. Under "Resources" select "Library" and follow the link to the online card catalog. Here is the link to the On-Line Card Catalog.
We are going to be adding more sections to this list, but for now you can see the listing of books under the Garden Design and Juvenile sections.
Many of these titles are available for purchase at Amazon.com. So, to learn more about the book you are interested in, you may want to type the name of the book into Amazon.com's book section to see it online and perhaps read some it there.
To borrow a book, simply send the name of the book(s) you would like to borrow to lparness@morrisparks.net. Your book reservation must be sent to me by Wednesday at 9:00 am and you may borrow up to 3 books at a time.
Reserved books will be available for pick up at the Front Desk of the Haggerty Education Center on that coming Saturday or Sunday from 9:30 am – 4:00 pm.
You will be asked to complete a form when you pick up your book.
Books are due back two weeks after your borrow them. Overdue books are charged $1.00 per week. In the event that the book is "out" and therefore not available, you will be notified by email.
To return books:
Leave them with the receptionist at the Front Desk of the Haggerty Education Center on Saturday or Sunday from 9:30 am – 4:00 pm. You will be asked to sign a form.
There may be some kinks in this process that we have to work out along the way, but we hope it will encourage you to use the library and we thank you for your membership!
Pruning conifers or needled evergreens incorrectly can be disastrous to the appearance and health of your trees. To understand how evergreens should be pruned, you must know how and where they produce new growth. Needled evergreens fall into two basic groups which are determined by their branching pattern; whorl-branched and non-whorled or random branching.
Whorl-branched conifers branch only once a year when new growth occurs in the spring. This results in a whorled growth of branches at the growing tip. In this group, new growth comes from buds at the tips of the branches, buds along the new growth, and from buds at the base of the new growth. Evergreens that fall into this group should not be cut back beyond where there is green growth (or beyond the last whorl) because there are no latent or dormant buds in the bare old wood. If pruned back beyond this point, there will almost certainly be no regrowth on the branch and it will remain a bare stick.
Random branching conifers produce new growth from buds at the tips of the branches and also from buds that are randomly located along the stems. These evergreens have dormant buds and foliage further back on the stem than the whorled branched species. The result is that this group can be cut back harder and still break into new growth. Still, to be safe, you should not cut back beyond where there is green growth.
Non-whorled or random branching conifers include: Chamaecyparus (False cypress); Cupressus (Cypress); Cupressocyparis leylandii (Leyland Cypress); Tsuga (Hemlock); Juniperus (Juniper);Thuja (Arborvitae).
How to Prune Whorl-branched Conifers
These evergreens have a naturally beautiful shape and normally, they require little pruning. Care should be taken when a species or cultivar is chosen to select one that will not outgrow the space you plant it in. Growth can be controlled by pruning if you start when the plant is young. If you wait until the tree has outgrown its space, it will be too late to shorten the growth and have the plant look natural.
The new growing tips on whorl-branched evergreens are called candles. You can control the growth of your tree by pruning the candles. If you want to slow the growth a little but still want it to get bigger, remove about 1/2 to 1/3 of the candle when it has elongated to 2″-4″ usually in mid to late spring or early summer. If you want the tree to remain the same size, remove the entire candle when it gets to be about an inch long.
Other selective pruning should be done in early spring so that the cut ends will heal quicker. Dormant buds behind the cuts will begin to grow and will hide the cut ends.
If pruning is done too late, these buds will remain dormant and no new growth will occur to hide the cut ends. Never cut back into bare stems. Always cut back to a side branch or a dormant bud so you will get regrowth.
How to Prune Random Branching Conifers
These evergreens can tolerate more pruning than the whorl-branched group because they have more dormant buds along the stem. Pruning cuts can be made almost anywhere along the stem except into bare wood. Pruning to maintain shape is best done in early spring so the new growth covers the cut ends. Selective hand pruning rather than shearing creates a more natural shape. Prune to remove wayward branches in early spring. Cut back to a side branch. To prune to maintain size shear the new growth in summer once the tree or shrub has stopped growing. For prostrate or open growing plants, it is often better to selectively prune individual branches rather than shearing the whole plant.
Keep in mind that for both of these types of conifers, dead, diseased, or damaged branches should be removed as soon as they are noticed regardless of the time of the year. When removing diseased portions, be sure to disinfect shears with a 10% bleach solution between cuts.
To avoid winter damage, do not prune evergreens in late summer or early fall. The tender new growth that forms will not have time to harden off before cold weather sets in and will freeze and turn brown.
Over the past year, the Virtual Gardener has found that nothing can bring a pleasant dinner conversation with relatives to a halting stop like the utterance of the phrase “climate change.”
I will not say another word on the subject but offer these websites for you to explore.
“For heaven’s sake,” I would like to have told my brother-in-law, “even the Chelsea Flower Show acknowledged climate change” at: http://historicroses.org/index.php?id=78.
To learn more about climate and your garden, I recommend “The Climate Conscious Gardener.” which we have a copy of in our library. This step-by-step guide to offsetting climate change through gardens and landscaping explains what happens when the atmospheric balance of carbon and nitrogen goes awry, and how plants, soil, and synthetic gardening aids (such as fertilizer and pesticides) affect climate. Chapters include: A Gardener’s Guide to Climate Change, Reducing Your Garden’s Climate Footprint, A Guide to Landscape Materials and Product, Offsetting Carbon Emissions in Your Garden Landscaping for Home Energy EfÔ¨Åciency, The Climate Footprint of Homegrown Food, Turning Your Landscape into a Carbon Sink, Carbon Sequestration in Soil, Carbon Sequestration in Plants.
This Virtual Gardener entry is about John Bartram. This year’s New Year’s Party will allow you to meet John Bartram in person, no small feat as he was born in 1699 and died in 1777. Please read the program description for information about this fabulous presentation!
In preparation for this program, and in order to understand the importance of his work to the world of horticulture, please start at www.bartramtrail.org for a concise biography of the man. Note the many references to Peter Collinson. At the New Year’s Party, you will see some of Mr. Collinson’s books and letters to Mr. Bartram from our Rare Book Collection. Although John Bartram lacked a formal education, he corresponded with many of the great scientific minds of his age: including Mr. Collinson; Phillip Miller, author of the “Gardener’s Dictionary” (also to be on display); Sir Hans Sloane (founder of the British Museum); various Earls; Dukes; and Linnaeus himself, who called John Bartram the “best natural botanist of his time.”
This year’s New Year’s Party includes a program that should not be missed, about a man who has been largely overlooked but who played a role without which the green history of the world would not be the same. I hope to see all of you at the New Year’s Party!
