Evercolor® series of Japanese sedges

Carex 'Everillo'

Japanese sedges (Carex oshimensis)  are fine-textured variegated sedges that typically grow in a low, grass-like mounded clump to 10-16” tall and wide. This tough colorful sedge was originally found growing in dry woodlands and rocky slopes throughout Honshu Island, Japan. Brownish floral spikes are mostly inconspicuous.

Japanese sedge are evergreen across the southern U.S. They’re long-lasting and easy to grow! Evercolor® series of variegated Japanese sedges are the result of breeding from Pat Fitzgerald, at Fitzgerald Nurseries in Kilkenny, Ireland. This collection of seven cultivars (to date)have been introduced so far. They are hardy in zones 6-8, but are being evaluated in USDA zone 5. Plants are evergreen through most of their growing range.

Sedges are grass-like plants, and prefer moist, organic rich soil and partial shade. Once established sedges tolerate dry shade, accompanied by intermittent watering during dry periods. Foliage colors are richer in partial shade than in full sun. Plants spread are propagate by rhizome division in early spring.

Evercolor® series make exceptional ground covers, as well as bedding and specimen plants. They are planted in mixed containers and window boxes, as billowy plant mounds spilling over the edge into a path or billow up (mound) in a container or window box. Spacing varies with cultivar. Utilize sedges for edging along pathways, streams or ponds, and in rock gardens.

'Evercolor' sedge

Evercolor® sedges grow 12 inches high and 12-18 inches in spread in shade or part shade in moist to average soil with good drainage. Water well after planting and regularly until established after one year. Trim back all last year’s growth in late winter. No serious insect or disease problems trouble sedges and are deer resistant

‘Evergold’ - (original variegated form) - narrow leaves with broad, creamy, yellowish-white center stripe and bordered by thin dark green margins.

‘Everillo’ - a cascading mounding fountain of lime green leaves deepen to yellow-gold later in the summer.

‘Everest’ - more vigorous sport of ‘Evergold’ with green center and crisp snow-white edging.

‘Everlime’ – a mound of leaf blades with deep green centers flanked by lime green margins.

‘Eversheen’ has distinctive lime yellow striped foliage, all in a neat flowing mound.

‘Everoro’ – leaf blades emerge lime-green and turn golden yellow late in the season.

‘Everlite’ – rich green leaf blade edges and broad white center stripe.

Angel Trumpets

Mottled leaf / White Flowered Variety

Angel trumpet (Brugmansia) is tropical plant native from Venezuela to Peru (USDA hardiness zones 7-b to 10). Plants have shown to be surprising hardy outdoors in zone 6-b in protected sites. 

This beautiful shrub, often trained as a tree, may reach heights of 6-10 feet before cold weather arrives in the fall. It is a member of the Solanaceae family which includes tomato, potato, petunia, nicotiana and other great garden plants. 

Angel trumpets are highly prized for their enormous fragrant trumpet-shaped flowers, some 10 inches or more in length. The exotic flowers emit a strong lemony scent over the evening hours. Blooms are pollinated by moths. Flower colors range from white, orange, yellow, and pink. Some varieties exhibit variegated foliage.

If you live in a northerly area, purchase angel trumpet in early spring and grow the new plant indoors to get it well-established. Move it outdoors after the threat of frost has passed. Plant angel trumpet in a large 12-16 inch (or wider) container in well-drained potting soil (media). If you live in a mild temperate climate, plant directly into a garden bed in a well-drained soil and keep well mulched. You may want to place the heavy container on a dolly to move it around to different locations of the garden.

This fast growing plant demands lots of water, but it fails when over-watered. Keep soil moist and let soil dry out between waterings. Fertilize monthly with a water-soluble fertilizer such as Miracle-Gro®, Peters®, and Schultz®. In the summer, when plant growth is more rapid and most blooms form, feed every two weeks according to package directions. Cut back on fertilizing in fall and do not feed over winter.

In northerly areas, bring angel trumpet(s) inside as outdoor temperatures drop below 40°F. If you garden where winters are mild, protect by setting poles around it and wrap with milky white plastic. You may opt to cut back entire plant to the ground and mulch heavily to protect the crown during winter.

Occasionally snip off old spent flowers, and spur new growth. A container plant can be cut to the ground for winter. Beware: sap from this plant is highly poisonous when ingested by humans, pets, or livestock.

For a large selection of angel trumpet hybrids, shop on-line at Plant Delights Nursery in Raleigh, NC.

Pink variety

Ligularias Like "Wet Feet"

Ligularia 'The Rocket'

Ligularias (ligs) are outstanding summer flowering perennials  Two species and numerous varieties are grown for their bold foliage and showy flowers. Ligs have one special need: consistent soil moisture through the spring and summer months. Don’t attempt to grow either one of these awesome plants unless their water needs will be satisfied. These plants prefer wet, boggy feet (roots).

Their roots must be kept constantly moist so that leaves don’t wilt or "faint". Even after a summer shower, ligs may still go through a brief spell fainting in the mid-afternoon due to summer heat and water loss from transpiration.  By early evening the leaves recover fully hydrated.

Bigleaf ligs (L. dentata) and narrow-spiked ligularias (L. stenocephala), aka "golden ray", grow well in temperate climes (USDA hardiness zones 6 and 7). Tropical species are listed under the genus Farfugium  (zones 7b -10). Favorite cultivars include: 'The Rocket', 'Bottle Rocket', 'Britt-Marie Crawford', 'Desdemona'.

Ligularias (ligs) thrive in part day sun or light shade all day. Site them nearby water features like within the splash-zone of a waterfall. They grow exceptionally well along woodland creeks.
When properly sited, the foliage remains blemish-free season-long. Disease and pest problems are rare if growing conditions are ideal. Deer and rabbits rarely trouble them
.
Planting in containers: plant a single crown into a 3 to 5 gallon size container filled with humus-rich potting soil. To restrict most water loss, line the bottom of the container with plastic shopping bags. This reduces irrigation needs that saves on your monthly water bill.

Katsura Tree

'Pendula' Katsura tree

Hooray! In American gardens Katsura tree (Cercidiphyllum  japonicum) is finally becoming more planted as a fine landscape tree. There are a number of great varieties to choose. This medium to large growing tree (height depending on cultivar) commands four-seasons appeal. Rated as a medium-sized 40-60 foot pyramidal, this long-lived majestic specimen may top off at 75 feet in height before its first 100 years. 

Its beautiful heart-shaped soft green summer foliage transforms to purple and gold shades in autumn. After the leaves fall they reveal its lovely symmetrical branching and scaly/shaggy bark. Often, the fall air holds a cinnamon scent reminiscent of cotton candy or a sugar-cookie.

Katsura tree is indigenous to Japan and China where it can grow an incredible 100 feet tall (USDA hardiness zones 4-8). The species is dioecious, e.g. separate male and female trees. The tiny flowers are mostly inconspicuous and small pods with numerous winged seeds are dispersed by female trees in late fall. Katsura tree is also not invasive.

Select Cultivars: some 20 varieties are listed, but I mention only 4 here:

'Pendulum' – lovely weeping form 15 to 25 feet tall and 20 to 25 feet wide. Other weeping forms also lumped as 'Pendula'.

‘Morioka Weeping’ - another weeping form, 20 feet tall and 15 feet wide, with more upright growing branches when young and  large leaves.  

‘Red Fox’ (‘Rotfuchs’) – 30-foot pyramidal tree; new spring reddish purple foliage, turns dark bronze-green in summer and orange-bronze fall color.

‘Claim Jumper’ - a relatively new gold-leaved variety that grows 25-30 feet (8-10 m) and 20 feet wide. Leaves emerge with a pink blush and unfurl to soft golden-yellow. Gold leaf color fades away by late summer.

Katsura tree is easily grown in a moist well-drained soil and in full sun to part-shade. Growth rate is equal to a sugar or red maples. Newly planted 1-2 year old trees are particularly prone to leaf scorch. During its first year or two after planting, katsura is susceptible to long dry spells and will need irrigation in periods of no significant rainfall.

Katsura are rarely troubled by serious pests or disease problems. Katsura tree and cultivars are sold at full-service garden centers, but smart gardeners are likely to quickly buy up the inventory. Rare or new cultivars, like some that are listed here, are sold by on-line specialty nurseries.

Four Easy To Grow Ferns

Northern  maidenhair fern

Ferns add a delicate touch to your shade garden. Their foliage is very fine textured. Group three or more ferns 2-3 feet apart. Select the specific fern for the garden site, e.g whether it is likely dry or moist soils. Some grow surprisingly well in full sun, but most prefer partial to full shade. Select ferns according to their light and soil moisture requirements.

Here are four species which are easy to grow:

• Christmas fern (Polystichum acrostichoides)
• Autumn fern (Dryopteris erythrosora)

  

  Autumn fern

• Lady fern (Athryium felix-femina)
• Northern maidenhair fern (Adiantum pedatum) - (pictured)

All four ferns prefer a well-drained, highly composted soil and supplemental moisture during long summer dry spells. Keep soil near pH 7.0 (neutral) by occasional liming every few years if soil pH drops.

All four are not finicky, demonstrate good drought tolerance and grow in soil with little to no additional soil prep. Ideally, you should grow ferns in a richly composted garden soil along with adequate moisture over long dry spells. Bi-monthly feeding with a water soluble fertilizer such as Miracle-Gro™, Jack’s™, or Nature’s Source™ from April thru August will get all off to a good start in the first year.

Growing Blueberries In Your Garden

Both highbush and rabbiteye blueberries (Vaccinium spp.) are hardy in most regions of the U.S. Hot humid summers are problematic for highbush varieties and extremely cold winters can be injurious for rabbiteye blueberries.

Blueberry bushes grow 8-15-feet tall, requiring annual pruning. The soil pH should be in the range of 4.2 to 5.5. Their dark green summer leaves turn scarlet red in the fall. Pale pink flowers appear in the spring followed by the berries which start out as pale-green and ripen to dark bluish-purple.

Blueberries are very shallow rooted and must be irrigated regularly over the growing season. Space blueberry bushes 5 to 7 feet apart with rows 8 feet apart. As a base mulch use fabric matt and cover it with an additional 3 to 4 inches of sawdust, wood chips or pine needles. 

Feed each bush annually with a slow release organic-based sulfur-coated fertilizer. A newly blueberry plant starts out with one ounce of ammonium sulfate to a maximum of 8 ounces of ammonium sulfate for a mature bush per year. Bushes reach full production in 5-6 years and should yield annually for 20-30 years.

For northern gardens (USDA hardiness zones 3-7), highbush blueberries ('Duke', 'Bluecrop', 'Bluejay', 'Jersey', 'Blueray' are favorite cultivars) are harvested.
In Southern gardens, rabbiteye blueberries (zones 7-9) yield best. Varieties include: ('Tifblue', 'Premier', 'Climax', 'Powderblue', 'Brightwell',  'Montgomery'). Consult the local Extension office for recommended blueberry varieties for your area.

Acclimated to southern climates (zones 6b-9), rabbiteye blueberries bloom in early spring and may be injured by late spring frosts. Varieties with a high chilling requirement may yield poorly in deep Southern areas.  Both kinds of blueberries require cross-pollination; a few varieties are  self-fruitful.

Birds love ripe blueberries as much as people do. Cover your bushes with netting to protect against birds during harvest time. Blueberries should be pruned annually.