Pruning: It Was a Bloodbath

As the summer heat comes on, containers with succulents take their turn in the sun.

(AP) - Somewhere in Central Wisconsin

As the corn grows high and dogs get fat in central Wisconsin, gardeners everywhere are battling weeds and rampant foliage growth on hedges and vines.

Last week's high temperatures followed by rain these last few days have plants that have been stuck in neutral pushing it into high gear.  Not only are The Plants making up for lost time, but so are The Weeds.

"It was a bloodbath!" The Gardener replied when asked about pruning on the shrub and alley border.

One gardener was quoted, " I don't usually use a hedge trimmers on my dappled willow, but it was so out of control.  I needed to do something quickly to get it in check.  The neighboring wine grapes had scampered across it and up my 'Beauty of Moscow' lilac and my fruit trees.  The hedger made short work of returning the border hedge to some semblance of order."

Some of the plants in The Border were given a bit of latitude this spring due to the protracted winter following last year's heat and drought.  Cloudy overcast days in the beginning of the growing year also made for fast growth of foliage trying to grab any available sunlight for photosynthesis to supply exhausted root systems with the sugars they so desperately need.

"I have a few invasive species and others that can be Garden Thugs," The Gardener said. "The only thing that allows this large a plant collection to co-habitate successfully in such a small space is vigilant pruning."

The Gardener went on to mutter something in low, guttural tones about climate change, and then muttered something like a zealous religious mantra.

"Pruning is The Way.  Pruning brings The Light.  Pruning bring shape and form.  Pruning is The Way..."  The Gardener was heard to say as her eyes grew wide and fixed.

At this time, order has been returned to The Garden and The Border.

Clipping from the dappled willow, lighter in color lying across the ground and the newly pruned privet hedge.

I didn't expect much from this elephant ear colocsia.  It was a half-eaten by raccoon bulb, from my mother, which I wintered over.  Bought Thai Giant this spring and although pre-started, it has not grown.

Peppermint portulaca in a hot dry spot, just hasn't performed as advertised.  Additionally, I did not realize portulaca bloom in the morning and close up during the heat of the day!

Petunia on alley border, a hot, dry spot

Petunias in hanging baskets have fulfilled their promise with this last week's heat.

Planted in the moister, more hospitable long border, the earwigs are keeping the flowering and plant size to a bare minimum.  I am loathe to spray, though with all the bees, dragonflies, and hummers, living there.

Western spiderwort (that pink one), in a plant prison need to be cut back to the ground.  I have this potted in a 5-gallon plastic container eith the bottom removed.  This garden thug is pretty, and will rebloom, if cut back.

The Plant Collector Raises Her Head

Deinanthee caerulea (Blue Wonder False Hydrangea)

As much as I try to tamp it down, there is a plant collector/hoarder lurking at my heart and soul. Unlike the gardeners who are the marketers' darlings and have to have the latest and greatest, I want the unusual, the plant that could grow here but hasn't been trialed.

Take perennial begonia. I first saw this plant growing perennially in Indianapolis at the Museum of Art. The grounds are a wonderful non-botanical garden landscaping similar to Oshkosh's Paine. Neither the art nor the gardens make a huge statement in either the art or horticulture world, but taken together each are an enchantingly pleasant waste of time.

Asking questions I found begonia grandis is hardy to zone 6 possibly with cover. I obtained a clump (legally) and attempted to grow it in Chicago's NW suburbs, zone 5b/6a. It was a fail. Now looking for something to apease my inner plant collector I come across this:

(Photo courtesy of Plant Delights Nursery)

It has a hardiness marked to zone 5. It was collected in 1997, so I would think the zone information might have some correlation to reality, or not. Anyone growing begonia grandis in zone 5?

Or how about the remarkable deinanthee pictured above? This is also listed down to zone 4. Even more remarkable is the beautiful flower and the tempting bloom time which may correlate with that upcoming garden walk. Wouldn't that be sensational?

This last year, I made an effort to take in as many garden walks and botanical gardens as possible. Nowhere did I see either of these plants growing. Many gardeners I converse with regularly comment that it is difficult to find particular bedding annuals reliably from year to year and find themselves trying to save particular coleus, petunias, and calibrochoa from year to year.

So what is it with marketers chasing the same few nationally-marketed perennials and annuals, those "Proven Winners." I'm sure neither of these are on P. Allen Smith's garden plant radar.

On the annuals side I have been attempting to source some sensational petunias. I envision this massively bedded out edging of petunias underplanting my hedges and alley side of the tree and shrub borders. So many times, lately I am underwhelmed with petunias. Last year I grew some which were suppose to be this:

and instead were this:

How dissapointing is that? Grow petunia from seed and have them turn out to be something completely at odds with what you think you were sold?

Has this happened to you?

I'd also like to copy something I saw a couple years back at Olbrich Botanical Garden.

I'd like to use a couple different nicotianas like alata and langsdorfii and maybe an ageratum and some lambs ears on the curve under my apple tree.

So I am plant hunting by internet. Looking for the things no one is growing, but are the "why-nots?"

Ten years ago I started growing nepetas and calaminthas here in central Wisconsin. No one grew them here. Now everyone does. Still relatively underused are chelone and helianthus and a great variety of shrubs.

I grow Japanese crytomeria, zauchneria, and bush clematis. Zauchneria, or California fuschia, hummingbird plant is always listed to zone 7. I'm definitely outside the box on that one (the zauchneria). These have all been growing in my garden for 3-4 years now.

So what unusual plants do you have your eye on and wonder why they aren't being grown in your area? Is your inner plant hunter on the prowl?