Pollinator Plant Preferences - Say that three times fast!

Here is an excellent guide to pollinators and their preferred plants. Most of our flowers and much of our food are dependent on pollinators. Honeybees especially need help since they are vanishing. It is interesting to see what colors and shapes different pollinators prefer.
 

http://pollinator.org/PDFs/Guides/EBFContinentalrx13FINAL.pdf

Fall Gardening Tips And To Dos

Fall is a great time to plant perennials, trees, and shrubs.  The air is cooler but the soil is still warm which invites root growth.  Do remember to water the plants though.  Even though temps may have fallen, roots still need help getting established.

Plant and divide spring and summer blooming perennials now.  Over the winter, newly planted or transplanted perennials will put their energy in to below ground growth, resulting in an improved root structure over those planted next spring.

Mulch before the ground freezes.  This helps avoid shallow-rooted plants heaving out of the ground during frost and thaw cycles.  This is especially important for newly planted perennials with shallow roots such as Heucheras. The mulch should go up to the plant but not touch stems or trunks. 

Organic mulch will break down over winter, improving your soil structure and fertility.  Shredded leaves can be used as a free mulch.  Passive soil amending rocks!

You can cut back perennials in the fall or do it in spring instead.  The latter cuts down on work and leaves some structure in the garden over winter. 

Do cut back any unhealthy plants and remove diseased leaves that have fallen.  This discourages soil-borne diseases.

Pruning summer and fall blooming trees and shrubs now is fine, or wait until leaves fall to see the structure better.  Do not prune spring flowering woodies or you will cut off your buds for next year.

Roses are best pruned in spring, not fall.  You can protect them with thick mulch or soil, and in this case pile it over the root ball.  Don't fertilize after September.

Perennials That Carry Your Garden From Summer To Fall

Most, if not all of us gardeners, have experienced a lull in our garden's glory during the summer.  Many plants are done blooming by then and others are not quite ready to start.  Sometimes too we find that everything seems to be blooming the same color.  Yellow is big in July.  Here are three suggestions to help keep color and interest in your garden during that transitional period from summer to fall.

* Perennial Black-eyed Susan (Rudbekia fulgida or its cultivars):
This is an upright plant with bright yellow daisy-like flowers and a brown cone (despite the name).  It will bloom in full to part sun. It does spread quite a bit however, so be sure you have the space.  That being said, it is a good candidate for tough spots such as along alleys or high traffic areas.  And it is very easy to transplant. 

* Wood Aster (Aster divaricata):
For full to part shade, consider this underappreciated gem.  It is a native with small, white daisy-like flowers blushed with pink, and gorgeous mahogany stems. It starts upright but its nature is to cascade.  Let it ramble among other perennials or plant it under shrubs.  

* Heuchera villosa 'Citronelle' : Heucheras also go by the name Coral Bells.  This harkens back to the days when the flowers bloomed in coral but the leaves were green.  Many, many hybrids have been bred now for their colored leaves (although they often have ivory blooms). Not all the early hybrids showed vigor, especially some in chartreuse.  'Citronelle' is a chartreuse heuchera bred from the native villosa species which tolerates our heat and humidity well.  It stays bold even in full shade. What has really impressed me in using this in gardens is how the color hangs on very late in to the season. 

If you have favorites that hang on or at least make the transition more colorful, please share them here.

Featured Perennials continues...Blackberry Lily

Belamcanda chinensis is also known as Blackberry Lily.  Like many common names, this is a misnomer.  It is not a lily and it is in the iris family.  The fanned, sword-shaped foliage is a giveaway.  The flowers are unique though.  Some say they look like lilies but they are more open and very small, and appear on branched spikes.  Perhaps it is the orange spotted coloring reminding some of tiger lilies.  To me they look tropical.

Blackberry lily is a full sun to light shade plant.  It grows 2-3 feet tall, with flower stalks held above the foliage.  The flowers appear in late summer and the plant keeps blooming for weeks. The flowers twist on top of the seed pods when spent.  The pods open to expose shiny black seeds that look like blackberries.  They dry on the plant nicely adding fall and winter interest.  I like to cut them for indoor arrangements.

A Marigold By Any Other Name....

...won't smell as good!  At least not to me.

I'm going to mix it up this time and feature an annual.  It is Tagetes tenuifolia, also known as Signet Marigold.  And it is a favorite of mine.  I don't often see it in stores but you can find seeds easily.

While I am not a fan of the smell of marigolds, this one has a lemony scent I adore.  The foliage is fine and ferny.  Flowers are smaller than typical marigolds but equally vibrant in oranges and yellows.

They also can deter pests from veggie gardens, and they attract bees and butterflies.  I am told they are edible but have yet to try them.  I just love their wonderful scent!

Featured Perennial - Bowman's Root

Our second featured perennial is Gillenia trifoliata a/k/a Bowman's Root.  This native plant has lovely mahogany stems and clean, pretty foliage.  But when it blooms it is even more lovely.  White flowers float above the slender stems like butterflies.  The blooms can last for months starting in spring.  And the show continues into fall when the leaves take on yellow and orange colors.

This is a tough, clump-forming, zone 5 plant that takes shade to part sun and grows to around 3 feet. It prefers acidic soil but will take some lime.  Best to keep it consistently watered but may exhibit some drought tolerance once established.  It makes a beautiful woodland garden plant.

An alternate botanic name is Porteranthus trifoliatus. The common name supposedly comes from settlors' description of Native Americans who use this plant as a medicinal.  It is also known as Indian Physic.

Hot In The City

Now that we finally have some heat in Chicagoland, don't forget to water. Containers especially need it often since they dry out fast. Water and let it drain through the pot.  Then water another time or two.

Also, keep newly planted trees and shrubs well watered until established. A good schedule is every day for the first week, every other day for the second week, etc., for at least three weeks.  Let the hose run at a trickle for 30 to 40 minutes.

A long soak every few days is better for all in ground plants and lawns than every day for a few minutes. It encourages the roots to go down for water and nutrients and not stay at the surface.  And water plants at the base - not on the leaves.  Some plants can get powdery mildew and other problems from wet foliage.