Putnam Hill Blog

Wow, what a summer. It has been a hot one. Thankfully, the forecast predicts a break in the weather. Next week, school starts for many students marking the end of summer. We now enter the slow acceptance that the garden is starting to prepare for winter. Hard to believe as hot as it is, but that is where we are going. Nonetheless, I always find this time of year a relief. The fast pace of spring and summer ending with the loud cicadas and katydids reaches such a crescendo that I feel I need a nap from it all. The bright colors and blousy flowers, the busy bumblebees, the momma birds busily gathering food, caterpillars chomping, the high-pitched mosquitoes, the weeds that grow overnight to a foot tall, the heat that won’t quit, the gallons of water for the plants and the garden. I just want to say, "Stop! Enough! ...

This spring I reintroduced sale of Euphorbia myrsinites, commonly known as "donkey tail spurge," at Putnam Hill Nursery. I have had it growing in the gardens at Putnam Hill where it spread about in an appealing manner, adding structural interest in the fall and bright chartreuse flowers in early spring. Many visitors commented on how much they liked the plant, so I grew some to sell. It has recently come to my attention that the sap can cause burning and anaphylaxis in people and pets. I personally have not experienced it, but unfortunately now know of several people who have had allergic reactions. Please, when dealing with this plant wear long sleeves and gloves. Avoid getting any sap on your skin. You may or may not have a reaction to it, but no point in finding out the hard way. Please take precautions and let others know that the plant ...

By now your garden should be looking pretty full. The rains have kept the plants flourishing. It has been a good year for growth to say the least. You might be saying, “Gee, my garden looks so nice, lush and perky, I wish it would look this good in August and September.” There is a garden practice that can help you to achieve this, the “June Prune.” Pruning in June can be a difficult thing to muster up. The plants are looking really good, all lush and beautiful, and you are going to what? Cut them? In half? Really? Yes, cut them. Cut them back by one half, and they will branch out and look fantastic in about three weeks. Good candidates are helianthus, heliopsis, asters, chrysanthemums, amsonia, eupatorium, veronicastrum, tradescantia, vernonia, nepeta, and most any plant that gets over three feet tall by the end of the season. I ...

Have you grown Lion’s Ear yet? Anyone who has is now nodding a big yes or saying “Oh, YEAH!” because that is exactly what you say when this plant blooms. Who wouldn’t try a plant that blooms pumpkin orange in the fall in fireworks fashion? Lion’s Ear, Leonotis leonorus, is a tropical perennial from South Africa. Plants reach 3-5’ and flourish in full sun. Grow as an annual or overwinter in a protected space that stays just above freezing. Plant it by your doorway or in a container to complete your fall decorating, or plant in the garden border. Anywhere you place it, it is sure to gain attention. Pick up your Lion’s Ear this weekend for a gorgeous display this fall.

This week’s featured plant is Spotted Bee Balm, Monarda punctata. What a cool plant. Just look at those blooms! Yellow spotted flowers are displayed between pink, green and white bracts like horses in a carousel. It is native to eastern United States and thrives in average to sandy soils. Looking great planted in all types of gardens, it is especially at home mixed with other natives such as echinaceas, pycnanthemums, ruellia, and baptisias. Spotted Bee Balm is full of nectar and will attract butterflies and pollinators by the hordes. The fragrant foliage can be used in teas or as a substitute for oregano. Plant in full sun in soils with good drainage. An added bonus is its salt tolerance making it a candidate for difficult areas near the road or seaside. Plants reach 1-2’ high and wide and are hardy zones 5-10.

Every day I walk to work. I have what I call the highway and the country road. The highway is the gravel drive down to the nursery. It is straight, well defined, and the most direct route. The country road is the grass path through the garden. It winds its way passing shade gardens to open sunny gardens. It carves a wide path slimming down to narrow paths, under open sky or a leafy ceiling. I can choose the billy goat trail down the boulders into the nursery or the easy, cool path with damp, mossy soil that slips easily into the growing areas. Either way, it is always an opportunity to see and interact with the garden. Yesterday, as I was on the highway, I pulled over to take a ponder. The colors and the mood of the garden had changed again. This fascinates me. In very early spring ...

In the garden the Indian Pinks, Spigelia marilandica, are blooming. I love this plant. It’s native, blooms in the shade in summer, has showy red and yellow flowers, attracts hummingbirds, and is long lived. Spigelia starts blooming in early summer, the first flush of blooms lasting through July, takes a short break, and then blooms again in August often showing flowers into September. Plant them in full to part shade in average to moist soils. Optimal conditions are morning or late afternoon sun with moist well-drained, loamy soil. They are a woodland plant, so think along those lines. Plants reach 18” x 18” and grow in zones 4-9. Spigelia can take some time to get established so the sooner they are planted, the sooner you will have big, bodacious plants. Swing by the nursery or mail order Indian Pink for your garden today.

So really, I have been struggling to find something to write about. The change in weather results in a change in the garden and my first reaction has been to hang my head and say, ‘it’s all over.’ I know this is false but still there it is. It’s all over. So what’s over? The bling of summer is over. Where is the eye popping color, the song of the frogs, the flit of mama birds gathering food for their young, the hot days, the seemingly endless growth of everything? So I sigh and start to look around. Then I go in the garden and start to poke around. Well, if I cut this spent perennial down and clear a little of these leaves that piled up over here and, ‘oh my gosh!, where did those weeds come from, have they been there all along?’ And before I know it, ...

One of my favorite things to do this time of year is to walk through the garden and make note of what I like about the garden and what did not turn out quite the way I’d hoped. A joy comes from the parts of the garden that I like and a delicious puzzle presents itself from the areas that did not work as well. I enjoy both of these experiences, but I admit, too often I spend more time with the puzzle. It is just so fun! There is so much satisfaction when plants find the right space and everything clicks together. Here are some of the ways to go about solving the garden puzzle. First question is why isn’t it working? Perhaps the location or space is not right for the plant, or the combination of plants don’t work, the conditions are difficult, it’s messy, it’s boring etc. ...