Some of the things I missed this summer...

Summer is usually the busiest time of my year - after spring, or perhaps after fall cleanups and winter preparations. Since it is a busy time and try as I might to keep up with the blog inevitably because it is a busy time I missed a number of things -- things that didn’t quite fit in elsewhere, or that I didn’t have time to write about and try to fit them in.

First is the Bronze Friendly Thistle, or Carlina acaulis. I found the plant at Valley Farms in Helena a couple of years ago. I wasn’t sure what kind of conditions it needs, only that “it performs well in hot sunny sites even in poor soil,” but it seems to be happy and productive where it is. I’m sure that living on top of a gravel pit qualifies for the poor soil part. The flowers are unusual and have attracted attention by visiting gardeners.

Arisaema triphyllum, or Three-leafed Jack-in-the-pulpit: to be accurate I didn’t actually forget the Jack-in-the-pulpit since it is in one of the early chapters, but it is a summer bloomer, doesn’t quite fit in elsewhere and I like them so here it is again.

Cold hardy gingers are an odd plant that have a found a spot in my garden. Unrelated to our ginger used for cooking it nevertheless smells strongly alike and can be used for some of the same things – teas, candy, medicinal remedies and so on. I have two species. I ordered Asarum europeam from one of my favorite nurseries, waited patiently for several months but the plants failed to arrive because of availability. I happened to be visiting another nursery and found “native” cold-hardy ginger so of course I bought a pot and planted it. About a week later I got a message from the first nursery that the plant was there! Feeling guilty I obligated myself to buy at least one plant. It turned out that the first was a North American native, either Asarum caudatum or A. canadense, I’m not sure which. Unlike its European cousin the heart-shaped leaves are deciduous and “ours” has a softer, velvety leaf whereas the European ginger has a shiny leaf, easily distinguishing the two in the picture. (I thought I had successfully separated them but I missed a bit.) Our native ginger is more drought tolerant and deer resistant than the European species and seems to establish more quickly and spread more rapidly, but the European variety is green and pretty all winter unless covered by snow.

This little Malva, or perhaps it is a Verbascum, has volunteered as an ephemeral plant – meaning that it shows up now and then and not necessarily where it was planted originally -- at a garden in the middle Rattlesnake. The flowers are pretty individually and as I encourage them to proliferate into a small colony they will be showier. As a bonus, the deer don’t eat them. There is a yellow dianthus that periodically and unpredictably appears in this garden as well.

Campanula persicafolia, or Peach-leafed Campanula, more commonly known simply as Bellflowers rarely do what they are supposed to in our area since too rapid growth in the spring tends to produce weak stems resulting in plants that fall over if there is a hint of extra water weight from sprinklers, rain or dew or simply because they feel like it. This one however was perfectly splendid at Beth’s last summer. They do tend to seed everywhere so are in constant need of control. Deer seem willing but unfortunately they also eat the flowers depriving you of a nice flower for cutting.

Monkshood, or Aconitum, is one of the more poisonous plants in the garden, and may have produced the poison used by the Borgia family. This fatal flaw however also makes it highly unpalatable to deer. Originally only dark blue varieties existed but a Stainless Steel, pink and variegated Monkshoods have appeared in recent years.

Euonymous turkistanica was another find

browsing through Earth and Wood two years ago. Related to the more common and better known Burning Bush (Euonymous alata) it has a much more interesting flower that resembles an earring or Asian lantern of some kind. Results so far indicate that it is hardy in Missoula, not very picky about where it grows, although it does need full sun, and is strongly deer resistant.

My mailbox since New Year’s Day has been filled with many new “seed” catalogues. My mother and grandmother waited all year for the seed catalogues to arrive, shortening the winter with their promise of spring planting time to come. But the seed catalogues of my grandmother’s day now also carry a raft of plants – from asparagus plants to nut and fruit trees. And the local nurseries of that time, which sent out those precious catalogues, are now often multinational corporations like Burpees and Guerneys. But they still make winter seem shorter and not unfalsely promise that spring is on its way.

While I strongly believe that “local is best” in all things plants it is still hard not to be struck and enticed by a particular picture, or a new plant or a new variety of an old plant, and a “need to really have it” in my garden. My garden is full but the new “black” Hellebore from Heronswood Nursery in Pennsylvania http://www.heronswood.com/ is an absolute must have, as are the Astilboides tabularis and North Hills strain of Candelabra Primroses from White Flower Farm in Connecticut http://www.whiteflowerfarm.com/ Well, maybe not in my garden but certainly in one of my client’s. Shady Oaks has one of the nicest selections of hostas around but fortunately they are only a wholesale nursery. Unfortunately I have to wait until their new selections show up locally or in another catalogue.

My favorite catalogue won’t arrive for a few weeks yet but when it does I always drool far more than is seemly. Fortunately most of the plants they sell are for areas farther south, zone 6 or warmer, so it is easy to resist most of their offerings. Plant Delights Nursery http://www.plantdelights.com/ operates in conjunction with Juniper Level Botanic Gardens in Raleigh, NC. Perhaps I should consider moving to North Carolina.

Johnny’s Selected Seeds http://www.johnnyseeds.com/ and Totally Tomatoes http://www.totallytomato.com/ are equally tempting, but fortunately I have outgrown the need to grow tomatoes. More accurately I have almost outgrown the need to grow tomatoes. Last year I had three plants that were unusually overabundant and with gifts from other gardeners I have a freezer half full of tomato sauce.

Websites are not the same as catalogues and never quite seem as precious, but here are several that are favorites and which sometimes accompany a “real” catalogues.
Edmunds roses are some of the best I’ve ever bought, and they have several new varieties every year. http://www.edmundsroses.com/ Schreiner’s Iris Lovers Catalogue is one of the older and best for the northwest. http://www.schreinersgardens.com/ John Scheepers has two catalogues – one for garden seeds, the other for bulbs and a few perennials: http://www.kitchengardenseeds.com/ and http://www.johnscheepers.com/ respectively.

Seeds of Change works to preserve biodiversity, by maintaining old strains of modern vegetables and flowers, and promote organic and sustainable agriculture. They produce organic seeds and a part of their mission is to teach gardening. http://www.seedsofchange.com/
Select Seeds, heirloom treasures for modern gardens the catalogue is subtitled, has a similar assortment of seeds but tends more to flowers than edibles. http://www.selectseeds.com/

High Country Garden is in New Mexico and specializes in drought tolerant plants for xeric landscapes. http://www.gighcountrygardens.com/ I was more impressed before I discovered that their part of New Mexico receives almost twice as much moisture as the Missoula valley does, which may explain why some of their plants have not done well for me. But they are nevertheless worth checking out. The bright red-orange Zuaschneria and purple ice plant are samples of what they sell.

Keep in mind that many of these seed companies are in other parts of the country, not Montana, and that their plant and seed offerings reflect their local growing conditions far more than they may ours. Day length, water, water quality, soil, soil type and conditions all affect how plants and seeds grow and how well they produce, whether it is flowers or food for our tables. Buying locally from local growers and nurseries increases the chance of a bountiful crop.

Garden City Seeds formerly from Corvallis, Montana was absorbed by Irish Eyes Seeds in Ellensburg, Washington which has also absorbed a number of other smaller seed companies. Their products -- seeds, seed potatoes and onion starts mostly – are usually available locally at Marchie’s Nursery, Caras Nursery, ACE Hardware and elsewhere.
http://www.irisheyesgardenseeds.com/

See you again soon, or at planting time in the garden.