Garden Notes

Roses for Cutting

August 10, 2010March 15, 2016, Posted by Brad MacDonald

Technically, Modern roses are those roses bred after 1867. There are 14 categories for Modern roses, but Hybrid Teas, Grandifloras, and Floribundas are the best for cutting. They produce long stems with showy flowers that hold up well in a vase. David Austin’s English roses are a great choice as well.

Unfortunately, it is true that Modern roses suitable for cutting require more work. Your reward for all that spraying, fertilizing and pruning is spectacular form, color and fragrance, that cannot be matched by Landscape Roses (or possibly, your florist!)

Take your time to meander through our rose section to see a wide variety of roses that will make your home and garden all the more beautiful.

Landscape Roses

August 10, 2010March 15, 2016, Posted by Brad MacDonald

Rosa 'Pink Knockout' — Rosa ‘The Pink Knock Out’

Although roses have a reputation of being difficult to grow, there are many roses that will perform even under less than ideal conditions with minimal care.

“Landscape Rose” is a general term for shrubs that bloom over a long period, are disease resistant, have attractive foliage, will perform in a range of soil types, and don’t require loads of specialized pruning to look great for the entire growing season. Roses like this can be used as focal points in a mixed border, or as mass plantings. They are also a good choice as the central player in large containers. Some of the most common are:

‘The Fairy’ – a light pink double-flowered shrub, introduced in 1932
‘Bonica’ – a medium-pink, double-flowered shrub, introduced in 1985
‘Knock Out’ Series – The original is cherry red, and now this popular series offers ‘Double Knock Out’, ‘Sunny Knock Out’, ‘White Out’, ‘Pink Knock Out’, ‘Pink Double Knock Out’, ‘Blushing Knock Out’ and ‘Rainbow Knock Out’
‘Home Run’ – a medium red single-flowered shrub introduced in 2006

We regularly carry these roses and our inventory is constantly changing. Please inquire as to what we have in stock. If you need a particular variety, stop by and make a request, we are always happy to order any rose that is available for our customers.

Late Summer Color

July 30, 2010March 15, 2016, Posted by Brad MacDonald

When August is looming and the vibrant blooms of early summer are past, Nantucket’s gardens begin to feel the heat! The best way to guarantee splendid shows of colorful flowers late in summer, is to mix it up with annuals and perennials that bloom for a long period, or that start blooming later in the season.

Gardeners are always on the look out for perennials that flower freely. Some of the best are Geranium ‘Rozanne’, Gaura lindheimeri, Calamintha nepetoides, and Persicaria amlexicaulis. They bloom for months from the height of summer right into the fall.

Find places in the border for late summer bloomers like Rudbeckia ‘Goldsturm’, Perovskia atriplicifolia, Echinacea, Hibiscus mosc., Sedum spec. ‘Autumn Joy’, and Agastache ‘Blue Fortune’. All of these plants are hardy and will have fresh blooms in late summer.

Fill in gaps between perennials with annuals. Or design spaces for these show stoppers into your gardens. Some of our favorite annuals for mixed plantings are Verbena bonariensis and Dahlias. T

he tall, narrow stems and purple flowers of Verbena bonariensis are a great filler for areas where hollyhocks have fizzled or foxgloves have finished flowering. And the vast aray of tall and decorative dahlias can be used to add color to nearly any area of the sunny garden.

Vitex agnus-castus

July 30, 2010March 15, 2016, Posted by Brad MacDonald

When we start getting questions about Lilacs in August, it’s sure that Vitex are blooming on the island. There are few flowering shrubs more beautiful than Vitex agnus-castus. Although this is one of the last shrubs to leaf out in the spring, it more than makes up for it in August. That’s when the entire canopy is covered in purple flowers, that are not dissimilar to French Lilacs.

Vitex loves to bake in the full sun, with its roots in well drained soil. Although it must not be allowed to dry out immediately after planting, Vitex is considered drought tolerant. Its fragrant foliage is seldom bothered by deer or insects. It’s just a great shrub for the late summer garden!

Maintenance is limited to annual pruning in spring. Remove any dead or damaged branches. Tip flowered branches back to 2 sets of buds, to encourage strong growth during the upcoming season. Remove any wispy twigs smaller than a pencil, cutting right back to their point of origin. Finally take a step back, and make any last cuts to form a rounded shape.

We carry Vitex in a variety of sizes. We likely have a plant in stock that will fit your needs.

Hibiscus syriacus

July 21, 2010March 15, 2016, Posted by Brad MacDonald

Hibiscus syriacus, or Rose of Sharon is one of the stars of the late summer shrub border. It’s hard to miss a large planting covered in tropical-looking flowers in August.

Rose of Sharon prefers rich, moist, well drained soil. But they will perform well in average garden soil as long as they get enough water in times of drought and at least 6 hours of strong sun during the day.

There is a variety of cultivars available with single, semi-double and fully double flowers. And their color ranges from pure white to deep fuchia with a range of bi-colors in between.

They are most often grown as a bushy shrub, but if allowed to grow naturally they can be used as small multi-stemmed trees. Standard Rose of Sharon trees are available, too. Grown this way, they make a perfect focal point in the landscape.

Because they lend so well to pruning and shaping, they can be used in a variety of landscape applications. They make a beautiful hedge for summer. They work very well in a mixed shrub border. Or mix them into a hedgerow at the property edge for screening. Or just plant one by itself to make a bold statement late in Summer.

Consider the cultivars below for you next planting.

Sedum spec. ‘Autumn Joy’

July 21, 2010March 15, 2016, Posted by Brad MacDonald

Gardeners are always looking for the perfect three season plant. Showy Stonecrop – Sedum spectabile ‘Autumn Joy’ fits the bill! It emerges from the ground in spring, looking a lot like small Brussels sprouts. As the stems lengthen, the leaves become broader and have a distinctive, succulent look. In mid summer, the flower buds begin to form, and cover the plant with open sprays of chartreuse. By September, the flowers tighten up into umbels and open to reveal tiny pink petals. As fall sets in, the color deepens to cranberry and then garnet. Even the seed heads are ornamental and look great covered with frost in front of the buff color of ornamental grasses.

Sedums don’t require much care during the growing season. If you find they get too tall and splay open in your garden, pinch then once or twice in early summer before flowers begin to form. This will force the plant to branch out and remain dense and compact.

Plant them with other late summer perennials like Perovskia, Rudbeckia, Echinacea, and Phlox. Frame the planting with Calamagrostis ‘Karl Foerster’ and you can’t lose!

Stone

July 19, 2010March 15, 2016, Posted by Brad MacDonald

Nothing gives the landscape a feeling of age and permanence like stone. At Surfing Hydrangea Nursery we offer a variety of stone for all purposes. Whether you are building a retaining wall, patio or apron, we likely offer a product that will suit you. Take a moment to look at our stone display during a visit to the nursery, or contact us and we would be happy to get you exactly what you need.

Daylilies

July 19, 2010March 15, 2016, Posted by Brad MacDonald

Hemerocallis, or Daylilies have been a garden staple for years. Their stunning trumpet-shaped flowers open and senesce within 24 hours, hence their name. The American Hemerocallis Society has over 48000 registered cultivars, and of the nearly 13000 of those are available commercially. That makes for a huge variety in color, height, bloom season, and flower form.

Daylilies will tolerate almost any soil type, and will perform in part shade to full sun. However, they prefer rich well drained soil. Full sun will guarantee the most blooms, and consistent water will help keep their foliage deep green throughout the growing season.

Maintenance is simple, yet can be time consuming, if you must take care of extensive plantings. Remove spent blossoms as they appear. Once all the buds have bloomed, cut the entire scape (flower stalk) down to ground level. As July turns to August, the foliage can begin to tatter and brown or many varieties. Remove brown, dry leaves as they appear, or cut the entire plant down to six inches and fresh foliage will soon replace it. An extra boost of fertilizer at this time will also help.

Daylilies mix very well in the border with nearly all summer flowering plants. For a long show of color, interplant Hemerocallis ‘Hyperion’ with daffodils, then follow up with the tender perennial Verbena bonariensis. Contrast large groups of daylilies with plants that have a different leaf form or flower color. Echinacea looks great next to daylilies, as does Phlox paniculata and Persicaria amplexicaulis ‘Firetail’. It’s really tough to go wrong!

The American Hemerocallis Society has a superb online database. Use it to chose plants that will bloom Early, Mid and Late season, and you can enjoy flowers all summer in a wide variety of colors and forms. http://www.daylilies.org/DaylilyDB/

Boxwood

July 8, 2010March 15, 2016, Posted by Brad MacDonald

Beautiful, long lived, and versatile, boxwood is a wonderful addition to any island garden. We stock many varieties in a wide array of sizes for every situation. Pictured below are many of the varieties and cultivars in the yard today!

Miscanthus

June 24, 2010October 21, 2016, Posted by Brad MacDonald

Ornamental grasses have been a part of gardening on Nantucket for years. They come in many shapes and sizes, the largest of which are Miscanthus. Miscanthus has many common names, but most often it is referred to as Maiden Grass or Eulalia. Although they are native to Asia, many of the cultivars are extremely hardy and long lived plants here on the island.

The upright, or arching blades of these warm-season grasses appear in late spring and quickly stretch skyward. In fact, varieties such as floridulus will reach upwards of 10 feet in one growing season! ‘Gracillimus’ is a common variety used as a vertical element in the back of mixed borders or as screening in the summer. It’s fine foliage will reach 6 feet by August, and its inflorescences (flowers) will tower above that in the Autumn.

As well as giants, there are also dwarf varieties. ‘Adagio’ is a fantastic plant that forms a wide clump 5 feet tall and wide. ‘Little Kitten’ tops out at 15 inches, and is a great choice as the upright element in a container garden.

There are even different colors in the foliage. ‘Strictus’ develops a pronounced yellow spotting on the blades as they mature. ‘Morning Light’ has a distinct silver tint to it, with a fine variegation. One of the Miscanthus with the most pronounced striping is aptly called ‘Variegatus’. It has a broad blade with wide white bands that run up and down the blades.

At Surfing Hydrangea Nursery we stock many varieties of Miscanthus, including many not mentioned in this article. We would be happy to show you our grass section! Pictured below are several common varieties of this versatile grass.