Plants

Crape Myrtles

, Posted by Brad MacDonald

 

Crape Myrtle for Fall advert-001-EditThere are very few trees that can put on a show quite as spectacular as a Crape Myrtle.  They range in size from miniature shrubs, suited to container gardening, to medium-sized trees.  They have lustrous, dark green leaves and huge flowers that can be seen from quite a distance when they cover the whole canopy in late summer and early fall.

My first experience with Crape Myrtles was in Florida many years ago.  I remember thinking that the trees in most of suburbs looked like they had been plucked out of a Dr. Seuss book!  In that part of the country, these trees are often drastically pruned into wacky shapes.  That’s not my favorite look, but it’s definitely an option.

I’ve gained a wider appreciation for Crape Myrtles after noticing several of them around Nantucket town.  When left to grow in their natural shape, they are quite elegant.  As these trees size up, their bark begins to exfoliate, sloughing off like cinnamon sticks and leaving behind a beautiful mottled pattern.  They are often grown with multiple trunks to best display this attribute.  Their canopy is most often vase-shaped or rounded, sometimes reaching as wide as they are tall.  If careful pruning is done, the branch structure itself can be a lovely feature.

And then there are the flowers.  Botanists refer to their shape as paniculate; meaning there are many individual flowers all connected to a main stem in the middle by individual little stalks, very much like a PeeGee Hydrangea flower.   They come in an array of colors mostly in shades of red, pink, purple, and fuchsia.  There are also white cultivars for those who prefer a quieter statement in the garden.  Flowers are borne on new wood and appear in late summer and early fall, just as many high summer perennials are getting tired.  By the end of September, the flowers fade but are still of interest as their tiny fruit cling to the bare panicles.  Later on, they wake up the garden all over again as their leaves change to hues of red and orange before falling to the ground as winter sets in.

Crape Myrtles perform well on Nantucket with some shelter from harsh winds.  They are considered marginally hardy here, but I’ve seen many in town that are a great many years old and doing well.  During prolonged cold winters, they may experience some die-back in the canopy, but they rebound very quickly once summer arrives.  If you have a sunny spot with reasonably good soil, a Crape Myrtle is a great way to add some spunk to your garden.

Check out our Crape Myrtle Pinterest Board for photos and more information on cultivars we’ve carried in the past.

Japanese Forest Grass

, Posted by Brad MacDonald
Japanese forest grass
Hakonechloa macra ‘Aureola’

So much of high end gardening on Nantucket is focused on flowers and summer color.  Although I appreciate a vibrant border filled with energetic plants, I am also a big fan of creating a restful space in the landscape.  A shady area in the garden can be the perfect place to do just that.  The pallet of plants used in a calming garden design is very important.  Often these gardens rely less on flowers and more on foliage and texture.  Japanese forest grass, Hakonechloa macra is one of those plants that can really tie a shady garden together.

It’s graceful form reminds me of waves cresting on the shore or even water cascading over a boulder in a rushing river.  The texture of the texture of the arching blades contrasts extremely well with Hostas, a shade garden staple.  There are several cultivars of Japanese forest grass available for sale. The plain green, species form is seldom used here, but it is beautiful in its own right and could be used in a garden already has some variegated plants.  On the flip side, the variegated cultivars, like ‘Albovariegata’ and ‘Aureola’ are striking next to large blue or green Hostas, Brunnera or Elephant ear.  There is even a variety called ‘All Gold’ that has almost no green in the leaf at all, appearing yellow.  Just be careful, I would suggest using yellow and variegated plants sparingly.  They bring some light into a dark space, but overdone they can ruin the calm feeling that is often the theme of a shade garden.

Are you sold yet?  I hope so!  Japanese Forest Grass is very easy to grow if given the right conditions.  Plant them in filtered light or dead shade in well-drained soil rich in organic matter.  When they are happy, they will slowly spread by underground rhizomes and above ground stolons.  This growth pattern allows individual plants to knit together to form masses.  The cultivars differ in height and spread; height is also effected by the length of the growing season.  ‘Albovariegata’ may get 2.5-3′ tall in Oregon, for instance whereas it is only 1.5′ tall in our garden.  All that being said, count on ‘Albovariegata’ being the tallest and ‘All Gold’ being the shortest.

Switch Grass

, Posted by Brad MacDonald

Panicum Heavy MetalOrnamental grasses have been part of the plant palette on Nantucket as long as I have been gardening here.  They are deer resistant, low maintenance and easy to grow with little pest or disease problems.  They are also beautiful.  Although there are many native grasses available, most of the species that we sell are of Asian or African origin.  Maiden grass and fountain grass are neck and neck for our top sellers.  Unfortunately, both have the potential to produce viable seeds by the thousands in warmer climates.  There is a fear that these vigorous plants could become invasive, if temperatures continue to rise.  Luckily, there are many grasses that have evolved in North America that are well-adapted to our growing conditions.  Switch grass, aka panic grass, is one of those.

The botanical name for switch grass, Panicum refers to its flowers, which botanists call paniculate, or many-branched.  Panicum virgatum, is the most common species we sell in this genus but there are also other species available in commerce.  As a whole, switch grasses are extremely adaptable.  They thrive in full sun in average soil with even moisture, but they tolerate short periods of drought and light shade.

Although many cultivars have a naturalistic, almost weedy, appearance there are many varieties on the market that have tidier habits as well.  ‘Northwind’  has a very tight, upright form; ‘Heavy Metal’ is also very upright, but somewhat looser.  If a tall, narrow form is called for, try ‘Thundercloud’.  A large cultivar like ‘Cloud Nine’ would replace a tall maiden grass very well in a design.  Where a shorter plant is desired, ‘Rotstrahlbusch’ or ‘Shenandoah’  would swap in nicely.   Try ‘Dewey Blue’, ‘Dallas Blues’ or ‘Prairie Sky’ if bluish foliage is up your alley.  Still others have been selected for red/purple streaks in the foliage.  ‘Ruby Ribbons’ ‘Shenandoah’ and ‘Rotstrahlbusch’ will all show purple on the leaves during the growing season.

For a complete list of the switch grasses we carry check out our Switch Grass Pinterest Board

Tomato Training 101

, Posted by Brad MacDonald

Chocolate Sprinkles tomatoI hate growing tomatoes.  They seem to get every problem that plants can get:  early blight, late light, anthracnose, grey mold, damping off, powdery mildew, nutrient deficiencies, tomato horn worms, aphids, nematodes, spider mites … the list seems endless.  That being said, every year we have a few tomatoes left over at the nursery that find their way into large pots for staff enjoyment.  They are most often neglected and the harvest is minimal if any.  But once again, I’ve gone for it.  We have some ‘Green Zebra’, ‘Sungold’, ‘Cherokee Purple’, ‘Chocolate Sprinkles’ and ‘Lemon Boy’.  I’m determined to have a bumper crop this year!

 

twineI am by no means an expert on tomato culture, but I have done a lot of reading over the years.  I’m still a little stymied when it comes to the perfect nutrition for these plants, but when it comes to training, I think I have it down.  We’re lucky to have a greenhouse at the nursery.  Growing these veggies under a roof seems to be making a big difference already.  Here is my set up:  I tied a thick length of twine to one of the purlins (supporting pipes) that runs down the length of the greenhouse and allowed it to dangle down to the plants in each pot.  Next I tied each plant to the twine, with a loose figure eight knot using some flexible tape.  I planted two tomatoes in each plastic nursery pot, super deep.  Then I filled them up with nursery growing mix and some slow release fertilizer to get them going.

 

trainingIf left to their own devices, these plants would sprawl on the ground, forming a tangled heap with smaller, lesser-quality fruit.  Judicious training and pruning should encourage fewer, but higher-quality, tomatoes that are held close to the support and easy to pick.  Proper pruning also maximizes air flow and sun exposure as well, hopefully reducing fungal infections.

 

 

Leaf axilAs the plants grow, I select two leaders and continue to tie them loosely to the twine support as they grow.  I prune away any other shoots.   I have continued to prune the vines every week.  Most of the growth is at the tip of each leader, but there are also many side shoots that emerge from the leaf axils along the vine.  I pay close attention to those shoots and pinch them off when they are a few inches long.  If I miss a few, and their diameter increases, I use my pruners so that I don’t damage the vine trying to tug them loose.

 

 

 

 

 

Hybrid Rosa rugosa

, Posted by Brad MacDonald

I’d dare to say that Rosa rugosa is the most widely planted species of rose on Nantucket.  The plain species form has a gorgeous deep pink, single flower; however there are many hybrids to consider as well.  A single white form, var. alba, has also been selected.

Check out the following cultivars for a little variety in your Rosa rugosa beds:

Rosa rugosa Collage

Rosa rugosa var. alba:  White single flowers

Rosa rugosa ‘Frau Dagmar Hartopp’ aka ‘Fru Dagmar Hastrup’:  Introduced in 1914.  Medium-sized shrub 3-4′ tall.  Single pale pink flowers

Rosa rugosa ‘Hansa’:  Introduced in 1905.  5′ tall shrub.  Large, ruffled, double magenta-purple flowers.

Rosa rugosa ‘Henry Hudson’:  Introduced in 1976.  Short shrub, growing to 2′.  Flattened, double-white flowers.

Rosa rugosa ‘Jens Munk’:  A Canadian introduction, 1974.  Light pink-double flowers.

Rosa rugosa ‘Pink Grootendorst’:  Introduced in 1923.  Taller, upright shrub growing to 5′ or more.  1″ tight, frilled pink flowers.

Rosa rugosa ‘Purple Pavement’:  Introduced in 1983.  Compact, rounded shrub growing to 3′.  Large, semi-double, deep magenta flowers.

Rosa rugosa ‘Snow Pavement’:  Introduced in 1986.  Compact, rounded shrub, growing to 3′.  Large, semi-double, pale pink flowers that  mature to white.

Rosa rugosa ‘Therese Bugnet’:  Introduced in 1941.  Taller, upright shrub growing to 5′.  Red stems.  Medium pink, fully-double flowers.

Rosa rugosa ‘Hansa’

, Posted by Brad MacDonald

Rosa rugosa is one of Nantucket’s quintessential plants, right up there with blue Hydrangeas.   These Asian roses have been grown on Nantucket since the beginning of the last century, and possibly earlier.  They do very well in our inhospitable maritime environment.  They tolerate salty winds freezing winters and drought, all the while producing loads of flowers and disease-free foliage.  They can be found planted all over the island and have naturalized in many of our dunes.

Rosa rugosa 'Hansa' flowers
Rosa rugosa ‘Hansa’ flowers

The botanical Latin term, “rugosa” means wrinkled.  It refers to the quilted look of the shiny green leaves.  Rosa rugosa has a beautiful pink single, or sometimes white flower.  The white-flowered plants are often labeled as the cultivar, ‘Alba.’  The fragrant, single flowers are very beautiful, but there are many cultivars available with different flowering characteristics.

We currently have a large group of ‘Hansa’ in stock.  This stunning rose was introduced in 1904, making it more than a century old!   ‘Hansa’ sports huge, fully double flowers in a deep pink color.  They flower throughout the summer perfuming the air with a clove-like fragrance.  After the flowers fade, their hips enlarge and turn shades of orange and red, making them even more interesting to look at.

For more information check out our Blog post Rosa rugosa 101

Taking Care of Your Body

, Posted by Brad MacDonald

This Summer has been one of the busiest in recent years here at Surfing Hydrangea.  Contractor sales have been higher than ever and retail business is also strong.  For me, it’s been strange to not be at the nursery, in the thick of things, during the busiest part of the year.

As many of you know, I have been out of commission since the beginning of June.  I started back to work the second week of August after two months off.  What seemed to be just another sore back this spring, shifted into extremely painful sciatica issues in late may.  Apparently I badly herniated one of the disks in my lower back and ended up having back surgery in June.

It really gets one thinking about how our physical bodies are connected to our livelihood in the green industry.  For me, seasons of spring pruning, garden maintenance and fall clean-ups really did a number on my body.  Add a few years of nursery work, wrenching heavy boxwood up out of the chips and moving large containerized plants all over the yard and VOILA! Stuck on the floor, laying on my side with a pillow between my knees for two months when I could have been selling plants!

I’m a shining example of what NOT to do.  I seldom paid any attention to how I lifted things.  I worked hard, and not very smart.  My body has paid the price.  Please, please please, take care of yourself out there!

  • Avoid twisting when lifting heavy objects like buckets of mulch.  When possible, use a wheel barrow instead.
  • Try to bend at the knees and use your legs to lift, instead of bending at the waist and rounding your back.

  • Avoid bending for long periods.  If the shell driveway needs to be weeded, put the whole crew on it for half an hour instead of sending out one person to work on it for four hours.
  • Break up monotonous tasks that involve bending with other work that allows you to straighten your back.  i.e. Alternate cleaning the day lilies with deadheading the tall butterfly bush.
  • Landscaping is hard work, and often a little frantic.  It’s so important to move steadily forward, but avoid running around the job site.  The likelihood of tripping on an errant rake is much higher if you aren’t paying attention to your feet.
  • Strain caused by repetitive motions is cumulative. Try to limit repetitive motions if possible, or break them up.  i.e We know that gardeners have to bend over to cut down ornamental grasses in the fall.  But, do we need to send out a crew to cut down all the grasses in the customer list for an entire week?  Consider breaking it up so that crew members can recover from the strain, while continuing to work on other tasks, like fall pruning or fencing.
Those of us who are out there, year after year, really love our jobs!  Pay attention to how you use your body.  If you are mindful, you can garden as long as you want.  But trust me, if you aren’t mindful, there is a distinct possibility that your body won’t let you.
-Brad MacDonald

Grow Bags

, Posted by Brad MacDonald

The industry standard for large woody plants has always been balled and burlapped, or B&B. In this production style, liner trees are grown in the field until salable size. In order to ship them, they are dug with a mechanized spade. The root ball is wrapped with burlap, twine and/or a wire cage. Most often, digging is done in the spring or fall while the plants are dormant.  There are several drawbacks to this style of growing: Most of the root system of the plant is left in the field, so transplanted trees must rapidly grow a new root system during the first year of planting to support the top growth. The root balls of field-dug plants can be extremely heavy, which can make planting difficult and expensive. Unless trees are root-pruned, it is not advisable to dig trees while in leaf; this limits custom orders to Spring and Fall. Some also believe that the difference between the native soil and the soil in the root ball can inhibit establishment.

A new system for growing larger nursery stock in bags has been gaining popularity.  Liner trees are planted in a felt-like bag with a relatively light soil mix. These are then planted in the field, bag and all. As the root system of the small tree grows it fills the bag and some roots penetrate the bag into the surrounding soil. The bags encourage a well-branched, fibrous root system that is easily harvested with minimal root disturbance. The roots do not circle around the trunk, as roots often do in plastic containers.

Trees grown in these e bags establish extremely quickly, without the transplant shock that is associated with B&B material. This system also allows for a much smaller and lighter root system that is far easier to handle and plant, decreasing costs from harvesting to installation. Keep in mind, the bags MUST be removed just prior to planting. Having stocked trees grown this way, we advise a sturdy staking system at planting. Tree that we have brought in to the nursery grown this way have tendency to blow over in a much lighter wind than conventional B&B trees.

-Brad MacDonald

Spider Plants

, Posted by Brad MacDonald

During the winter when we have to spend more time indoors than out, the avid gardener can start to get lonely for plants. This winter, I’ve found the cure: houseplants! I have to admit, I’ve never been the kindest to houseplants. I’m great with shrubs, annuals and perennials outdoors. But for some reason, I’ve never been able to commit to the proper care of live plants indoors. I’ll pick up a Boston fern at Bartlett’s in the fall and watch it slowly languish over the winter from neglect. Generally, it will be pretty much dead by spring and I can toss it into the compost heap about the time I plant my carrots in the vegetable garden.

This fall, I decided to try something a little different. I’d been living in a basement apartment, and I knew I couldn’t bare to be down there all winter without some kind of greenery. So I committed to keeping my Chlorophytum comosum (Spider Plant) alive. My partner even bought several other plants to keep it company. Of the whole foliage contingent at my place, the spider plant has been the most successful.

I’ve moved it all over the house; from the bright, humid bathroom, to the dim, dry living room. It doesn’t seem to care in the least. I’ve let it completely dry out several times during trips off island, and it keeps going strong. In fact, it seems to love it! No matter how much I neglect it, the thing just keeps on pushing out babies left and right. When I can be bothered, I snip off the little plantlets that pop up and dangle over the side of the pot. I stick them in glass of water, and watch them root over the course of a few weeks. I’ve had so much fun that I’ve even potted a few up and given them away to my friends!

So after turning my nose up at houseplants for years, the spider plant has converted me! I am now a happy indoor gardener. If you’ve killed hundreds of dollars worth of lucky bamboo, diefenbachia and ficus trees like me, fear not! A $12.99 trip to Stop and Shop might make all the difference in your indoor gardening success. Give the Spider Plant a try! Soon enough you too, could have a whole house filled with calming plants to keep you company during the cold days of winter!

Off-Island Nursery Tour

, Posted by Brad MacDonald

One of the highlights of last week for Britt and I was a visit to several of our purveyors off-island. After a long summer of selling plants here at Surfing Hydrangea, it was a real treat to take a business trip. With over thirty years combined experience in the green industry, we still find a trip to see our growers valuable and interesting.

Our first day was spent with a morning of travel and a visit to a grower with a vast series of fields and green houses. Literally thousands of cultivars of annuals perennials, shrubs, grasses and trees were neatly row-ed up in groups at various stages of growth. We were told they have over 40 miles of cover able green houses! I was particularly taken aback by the hydrangeas. We sell a great deal of hydrangeas each year, and at times I feel like I am swimming in mop-heads and floating on a sea of panicles. But I was stunned to see thousands upon thousands of ‘Endless Summer’ hydrangeas in their customary blue pots.

Perspective. The green industry is huge.

Plant GroupOn our second day we visited one of our favorite growers in Franklin, CT. This operation grows the best quality perennials and vines in our region. We walked around fields and fields of flowers in full bloom. I was surprised to see that their largest crop of shade plants were grown outside under a huge stand of oak trees. It reminded me of our little shade section, shaded by a stand of aging pines. Even when growing is more and more mechanized, it’s refreshing to know that low-tech, natural approaches still have a place.

The hectic pace of summer past, and a great visit to our growers behind us, we’re back at Surfing Hydrangea, re-invigorated and ready to power through the fall. Plants are Cool!

-Brad MacDonald