Hellebores

Hellebores: this is a group of about 20 or 25 species of garden plants from central Europe and western Asia.

This seems a good day to write a few words about Hellebores since my Christmas Rose was on the verge of blooming right before we got the sub-zero Canadian blast two weeks ago. Now that the snow cover has gone somewhat it appears that the buds may survive, providing they are not frozen again this week. Helleborus niger, an alpine native of Switzerland, Austria, Italy and Germany, usually blooms in the very early spring – January or February -- in its native habitat but mine is usually in bloom by Thanksgiving although this year it may not make it at all. Or it may be on its “native” schedule of later in the winter. Regardless, the pure white flower that blooms in mid-winter snow has attracted gardeners for a long time.

I have four other Hellebores: another white that closely resembles the niger parent but that blooms in late spring; a white one spotted with “red” (although the pictures on the web look purple to me) that has yet to bloom even after four years but I'm hoping that this year it will put forth buds and flowers; and a Helleborus foetida, or Stinky Hellebore, whose unusual clumping and spiraling foliage rather than the somewhat inconsequential small light green flowers is the main attraction.

The fourth is the Lenten Rose, or Helleborus

orientalis, with large green flowers that blooms

near Easter time. The leaves are rough and serrate-edged which discourages deer. This species, native to Greece and Turkey, has given rise to many of the named varieties now available in nurseries.

Hellebores have begun attracting considerable gardening attention the last several years and many new attractively marked and double varieties in a range of colors have entered the market. They are showy, blooming at unusual times of the year, are easily propagated from seed, grow well in shady parts of the garden, readily adapt to a variety of soil types and are moderately drought tolerant although they appreciate an occasional big drink. A big plus for Missoula is that deer tend to ignore the coarse foliage and occasional unpleasantly scented plants.

For more information on Hellebores check out the website for Sunshine Farms near Renton, Washington: http://www.sunfarm.com/ Or, a site devoted completely to Hellebores http://www.hellebores.org/

What better thing to do on a blustery cold January-like day in October? But add something to my blog. I've been working on a short blog on weeds since mid-August and today seems like as good a time as any to finish it. In August we could actually see the weeds; today most of them are under a new layer of snow.

When is a weed not a weed? When it is growing in your garden because it has pretty flowers, perhaps? A friend’s mother, new to the area and blissfully unaware of the destructive nature of the beast, happily transplanted some Knapweed plants to her new flowerbed. Quickly apprised of the real status of the plant she removed it from her garden, but it is nevertheless easy to see how the mistake was made. The flowers are beautiful and a large plant in full bloom is spectacular but beauty does come with a price.

Some of Montana’s noxious weeds have been introduced into this country, and state, as ornamentals or possibly for medicinal purposes, such as Tansy and supposedly Mullein. Teas made from the leaves were used to treat a varity of chest, bronchial, intestinal and other afflictions. IN the case of tansy the results were sometimes fatal and it is generally not recommended for use today. Wild Mullein has always been one of my favorite plants and is a winter food source for many birds. It is related to the showier garden mulleins. I like it for its statuesque, sculptural quality, and imagine it to be rather like a smaller skinny saguaro cactus cold hardy enough for Montana. As a child I remember being told it was very invasive and a noxious weed. Today it is not even on the Montana Noxious Weed list. Looking at the wider perspective, and considering Knapweed and Leafy Spurge, it is really a rather benign visitor.

Even if Common Tansy is in Category 1 on Montana’s Noxious Weed list I’m sure the Tansy bed along the north edge of the Kim Williams Trail near the university practice field, and south bank of the Clark Fork River, help stabilize the bank so I would like to think it is of some practical use. I like the medicinal smell of the plants, but that is also one of the reasons many people dislike it. It can be very invasive in certain locations and is difficult to remove if it establishes a foothold. But it does make a good, durable cut flower and dries reasonably well.

Sulfur Cinquefoil, related to our native cinquefoils and the flowering shrub Potentilla, is also a category 1 weed in Montana. While individual flowers are pretty the plant as a whole is not apt to entice one to plant it in the garden. Fortunately it is easy to pull and responds quickly to weed killers.

Yellow Toadflax, Dalmation Toadflax (not pictured but with flowers very similar to the yellow species), and Bindweed are also in the category one designation. Again the flowers are pretty and in the case of Toadflax, may have arrived in this country as ornamentals. However, the deep roots and spreading rhizomes allow all three plants to form huge colonies that can quickly take over a part of the garden that has been ignored, or take over large areas of pasture or wildlife habitat. Bindweed takes its name from the difficulties it causes farmers when they plow a field and the miles of ambling vines bind up the plows.

Some of our native plants however, like this small fall blooming aster, are often weeded out of our gardens but given the right location are an attractive part of the landscape. Marge lives on top of a windswept hill west of Missoula which is kept mowed low to prevent the proliferation of noxious weeds, but the location seems to be perfect for the aster which put on an exceptional show this year.

For more information on Montana’s noxious weeds, how they are categorized and for control methods ask the county extension office for a copy of their small spiral-bound brochure Montana’s Noxious Weeds. Or online, check at www.weedawareness.org/weed_list.html , or at www.agr.mt.gov/weedpest/noxiousweeds.asp

Daylilies. There are hundreds of varieties of daylilies available in catalogues, from private hobby growers and breeders, neighbors whose gardens have been filled as well as local nurseries, and ach one seems to be more beautiful than the last. One of the best mid- to late summer flowers for gardens they are often overlooked as a desirable garden plant because of their past reputations. The older varieties are often messy or invasive, dying back early and growing rapidly into neighboring plants, and the bloom season is thought to be too short to make them worth while, and flower colors were limited, usually some shade of orange or yellow.

That is true of many of the older varieties, but many of the newer varieties show improvement in all these areas including pleasing fragrances. Some new varieties are very slow to multiply, taking several years to establish a clump large enough to provide a good display. An advantage of daylilies in the garden is that they are both fairly drought tolerant and moderately deer resistant, depending on how hungry the deer are. Just ask Marvie whose backyard daylily display was devastated by the neighborhood deer herd last summer and again this year, just as they were starting to bloom. A good deep watering every other week, even in hot weather, is usually enough to keep daylilies going, and they don’t seem to demand much in the way of nutrition or soil, adapting to sand and clay with equal ease.

Modern hybrid daylilies range from very very dark purple to nearly white. White being a relative term for plant breeders. I’d go with pale yellow to old ivory. The trick to nearly white daylilies is to plant the “white” one near truly yellow flowers and the contrast will make the “white” look whiter. There are even double flowers, like this bright yellow from Grace's bed.

The best display of daylilies in Missoula is at the Reserve St. Post Office behind Costco. And right now they are in full bloom so drive by if you have a few extra minutes. But even when the display is not spectacular individual plants and flowers can be beautiful, even spectacular.

The “next weekend” is obviously long past but late spring has been interesting in my garden. The interesting but not very showy Arisaema, or Jack-in-the-pulpit, bloomed on schedule, but one of my daylilies (Happy Returns, described in catalogs as “the bloomingest daylily ever”) and a small hosta are far ahead of schedule. I can’t tell you a name for the hosta because the tag is gone, but it is an interesting spot of color at the end of the walk. Normally these two would not start blooming until summer has officially started. I have seen a few other daylilies around town this week that are probably Happy Returns as well. Maybe it is the “bloomingest” because it starts early and ends late, and keeps on going in between. The Fritillaria was not unexpected but the bulbs have finally gained enough momentum that this year there is a nice display.

Three weeks ago winds early in the week blew over the iris in my back bed that had blooms, which made the display not too eventful. The rest were OK and were soon in full bloom although because of the heat none of them lasted long. In the meantime, north at Arlee, Mary’s iris stood up to the wind and with this, the third season in her Garden of Dawn (my name for it, since it stands at the east end of her property) were the dominant color focus and a spectacular display although perhaps a bit past their peak.

However, Beth’s lower bed in the upper Grant Creek area was in full bloom and at the peak of color. Because this garden is higher it tends to be behind gardens in Missoula by a week or so. I didn’t see any tulips when I was there this week, but the first year I worked in her garden she had tulips until almost the Fourth of July!

Leaving their place I happened to spy a small colony of Montana’s native orchid, Cypripedium montanum. Some of the flowers had already faded – it is a bit late for them, even in Grant Creek – but several were still good enough to photograph. The two pictures show the variation within the species – a nicer, darker more chocolate color and the lateral sepals are held more horizontally.

Finding them didn’t come as a big surprise since I had seen them there before, but I did understand suddenly how my dad could be driving along a narrow mountain road and suddenly see a cat track (bobcat or mountain lion) at the bottom of the mountain. There is something that pulls us to look for what we are most tuned into, and whether we consciously see something or not the unconscious part of our brain suddenly wakes us up when we see it, and “poof” there it is. Almost magic. Growing up my dad had cat hounds and hunting them was a winter pastime. He turned 90 on Tuesday June, 23rd, so here is a picture of his first party.

Happy 90th Birthday, Dad!

It seems that spring has fled by us, leaving the daffodils and tulips behind and the next crop of flowers not quite here yet. Here are a few pictures of that early crop, a few because they were so magnificent it was hard to pick out just one or two or three. For reference the statue of St. Joseph is just over two feet tall.

More or less, in order of appearance, these are: Tulipa vuylstekeara Tangerine Dream, one of the most brilliant mid- to late season small tulips I've found and a spot of bright color that truly attracts attention; a large grouping of Rembrandt tulips, grape hyacinths and white pansies greet you as you go through the entrance to Beth's front yard; the entrance to my home guarded by St. Joseph and what I think are Tulip Mrs. John T. Scheepers; and the last photo is a cluster of Tarda tulips that has done exceptionally well at the front corner of the bed.

I could post another dozen pictures of tulips and daffodils but it is almost summer so the next post, which I will try to do this weekend, will bring you those.

Bragging Rights and Bee Butts

Karla and Deann came back from Spokane last Sunday with all the plants intact and looking great. Included were two blue ribbons for my white Cattleya, C. Bob Betts, and Phragmepedium Ecua-Bess. Sometimes it is just worth the wait.

Good news on the spring front however. Not only are more and more small green shoots and bright flowers appearing nearly every day, the bees are out as well. Monday while working in the middle Rattlesnake in Carolyn’s garden the bees were veritably attacking her crocus. The black and gold-striped center of the crocus on the left is actually the back end of a bee. I believe the crocus is a variety called Pickwick, distinct because of the striped petals. In my own garden the dwarf iris have come out in full bloom. It is too much to ask what varieties these are, the tags and bag are long since lost. But since I took the photo Tuesday I have managed to get half my beds cleaned up. I'll work on the others over the weekend.

The best gardening news this week is the Spokane Orchid Society Show this weekend, March 27-29. Karla, one of our members stopped to pick up my plants for the show on her way to pick up plants from Ray and his wife. She has taken plants to the show the last four years and set up the display. After spending the weekend with her sister she brings them all back home, along with ribbons and awards. Here is the box and a closer shot of Cattleya Bob Betts.

Two of the plants I had planned to send were slow to open so they stayed home. The Encyclia bractescens has 35 buds but only 11 are open, and the Phal. Ida Fukumura x Doritis pulchima cross has 11 buds but only three were open. By the time the Bozeman show starts April 17-19th these may be done blooming but hopefully others will be ready. The Helena show is mid-May.

Despite the weather I had planned on starting garden cleanups today, but the weather dawned gloomy and dreary, much like the prediction for tomorrow, Tuesday and Thursday. Be prepared; I’ll soon be there.

When it happens, it happens all at once. Today it

is official and spring is here, and my first flowers beat it by a whole day.

I returned home from pruning about 5:00 yesterday afternoon and the Winter Aconite were everywhere. Not only the plant I’d been watching and waiting to open all week, but half a dozen others as well. Eranthis hyemalis is one of the earliest rock garden plants to bloom. I have been trying to establish a colony for several years now, but despite repeated plantings only a single plant has ever come up. Apparently the bulbs I planted last fall, which I soaked overnight before planting, did much better than previous batches which I had not soaked. When they come in the mail they resemble large, very dried up raisins. I asked the supplier about any special directions and she suggested that it might help to soak them before planting but they didn’t normally suggest it. It seems to have done the trick because they are in most of the places I remember planting them.

The other surprise was that one of my tiny yellow species crocus was blooming. Barely two inches tall these have become one of my favorites since I planted several "unknown" bulbs almost ten years ago. Since then I have seen them gradually establish a small colony that has spread out into the lawn, and shown up in surprising places as the seed has spread.

They are here! They are here! The first spring flowers are up and blooming. I found the buds of the Winter Aconite last Saturday afternoon after those two warm days. They weren’t quite open, but it was color. I was certain they would be fully open by Sunday but it wasn’t to be since the weather cooled off. When they do open they will resemble our native Buttercup with a whorl of leaflets below the bloom.

Monday I was at my friend Debbie’s and found her early Iris and a clump of crocus. So even though spring does not officially start until Friday, the 20th, the flowers, at least some of them, are here now. More will come soon. I can see signs, the first leaves, of the tulips and daffodils showing more and more.

It looks like January again this morning, and sounded that way all last night. But the indoor blooms seem unaffected. I wasn’t able to make these pictures post on Friday so I’ll try again today.




The genus Restrepia is one of my favorites. This is a hybrid; Restrepia cuprea x R. dodsonii. These are tiny plants, only a couple of inches tall, but form large-ish clumps that bloom throughout the year. The hardest part of growing them is maintaining relatively high humidity and keeping them somewhat cool-ish. Mine are in a terrarium of sorts.








I puchased Paphiopedilum Snow Bird 'Opalescence' AM/AOS from Bert Logsdon when he came to Missoula several years ago to present a program for the Five Valleys Orchid Society. The AM indicates the plant recieved an Award of Merit from the American Orchid Society. I can't take the crdit for that; it belongs to Mr. Logsdon.

This beautiful white and purple miniature Dendrobium is Den. Maiden Charlotte, a cross between Den. aberrans and Den. rhodosticta. The plant is barely four inches tall making it perfect for growing under lights. It also gives a great display but takes up almost no space. I have three of these miniatures and all do well under lights. Den. Mini Snowflakes is very similar but pure white. And the third is miniature of the species Den. atroviolaceum. An odd little flower, although actually quite large for the plant, that is green covered with purple spots. I'll post a picture after the buds open.

This last flower is one of several Oncidium Carnival

Costumes I have. It has turned out to be very productive for me, bloomig regularly between October and March.

One of them bloomed last summer. I thought they

probably had a higher light requirement but discoverd

this winter that they are doing well under my grow lights.

A hybrid, Carnival Costume is an interesting combination of high and low light, and intermediate to warm growing species with a tendency toward doing well in environments with lower humidity. This makes them perfect for home growing
in places like Montana.

See you next week.

Winter and spring on the other side of the divide – the Continental Divide – is different than on this side of Montana. For one thing, the temperature extremes are greater, and more sudden and much more distinct. Missoula stays closer to the line, creating fewer undulations whether it is temperature or storms. Eastern Montana sticks to regular sunshine interspersed with the odd day or two of overcast weather as a storm comes south or beats a retreats north; thunder storms barrel through in August with all the drama of a classic thriller leaving the sunsets only the flat land can experience; the temperature can go from 64 (Monday, March 2nds high) to the previous Thursdays low of -2 below zero in only a few hours, although this week it took a few days. And it made short work of the snow, which lingered only in the deep gullies and the north sides of the eastern foothills along highway 200.

In my mother’s flower beds I found the first tulips and daffodils poking through the mulch

but no signs yet of her crocus. Her roses and other perennials are still as dormant as most of mine here in Missoula.

At home in Missoula I missed the few warm days here but the evidence of their presence was evident – the snow and iceberg surrounding my parking area were almost gone, and the Hellebore that started blooming at Thanksgiving is again blooming above the snow. The Hens and Chicks are giving their best winter color. How might they look under a reddish-brown Juniper? While not evidence of spring they continue to show the progress of the seasons.

On the highway between Missoula, Lincoln and

Great Falls, over and back, there was other

evidence of the passing of the seasons – the brightening reds and yellows of the willows and dogwoods along the Blackfoot River and in the beaver ponds above Lincoln created years ago when the Mike Horse Mine tailing dam broke and before the beavers moved in. Incidentally the first water birds I had ever seen there, mallards if I remember correctly, showed up only three years ago, and two years ago I noticed one of the largest beaver lodges I’ve ever seen. It is easily bigger than my own living room, so there must be something to say about building your own home.

Things have gone wild inside as well with

several orchids blooming again, or for the

first time. The white flower is Phalaenopsis

Sogo Yukidian 'Odom's Snowfall.' The plant is almost

too big for my house but is so beautiful it is going

to stay. Fortunately, the many small plants leave

room for a few bigger ones.