{"id":1767,"date":"2017-01-23T20:59:00","date_gmt":"2017-01-24T01:59:00","guid":{"rendered":""},"modified":"2020-08-13T17:25:47","modified_gmt":"2020-08-13T21:25:47","slug":"my-garden-projects-for-2017","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gardern.co.za\/2017\/01\/my-garden-projects-for-2017\/","title":{"rendered":"My Garden Projects for 2017"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n<\/p>\n
\n\n
\n
<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n
Each January I share a list of the garden projects I plan to undertake in the coming year. Here are about ten things I am looking at either collecting, growing to perfection and covering in detail on this blog.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n
\nPeople sometime ask me – \n“How do you keep coming up with ideas?” And the answer is, I don’t think that I will ever run out of new gardening projects or ideas, for my back-up list is so long, that it might take 300 years to accomplish all that I wish I could do. I blame this relentless drive on – my mother. I remember her tearing pages out of gardening magazines , knitting patterns and and recipes Better Homes and Gardens, and then organizing them into 3 ring binders.<\/p>\n
My dad who was an artist, was no better. He kept hundreds of images in manilla envelopes – all torn from various art magazines ( and ok, if you really knew him – some pretty ladies from Cosmopolitan) and he organized these all by subjects or topics – written in sharpie on the outside of the envelope. I still find stacks of “Dogs and Horses”. ‘Womens Hair’, ‘snow scenes’ and ‘floral patterns’. This was indeed ‘early Pinterest’. (and BTW – Why the hell didn’t I invent that site?).<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
It was inevitable then, that I too would become an influence hound, but thankfully, I have bookmarks, digital folders on my desktop and yeah – private Pinterest boards. There, I keep my private inspirational images – what dahlia varieties I am planning to focus on, and secret sources for more hard-to-find plants which I can’t afford to share publicly just yet (often because a really great dahlia can quickl y become sold out in just a week or two). Look, I have to protect my own garden projects too! For that reason, I am not sharing exactly what dahlia varieties I am ordering this year or what plants I am ordering until I actually place my order (funny, right? But hey – we all do it, right?). You can depend on me to share my secret sources and best varieties eventually, you can count on that.<\/p>\n
\n<\/div>\n
<\/p>\n
\n\n
\n
<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n
Flower shows, such as this Dahlia Show held at the Tower Hill Botanic Garden last year is something I really take time to review. For example, just the shades of pink and salmon among various varieties of dahlias affects which ones appeal to me, and I can only capture that information in my own digital photos, as the catalog images are often too poor or highly adjusted.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n
<\/p>\n
\n\n
\n
<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n
I will be raising fewer dahlias this year, but focusing on only the exhibition varieties that I want to grow for dahlia society shows – fewer varieties, but more plants of each. I also plan on a different and separate dahlia garden for cutting flowers only.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n
<\/p>\n
\n\n
\n
<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n
There are some givens, for example, I will be planting an enormous sweet pea collection – perhaps ALL of the varieties. I haven’t listed that as something new I will be trying.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n
\nMostly though, I use my own notes combined with the photos I take during the year which I save in iPhoto (and eventually store somewhere in the cloud and on a hard drives). These are images of gardens that I visited or places I vacationed at, photos of the tags on plants or a special planting scheme that I found interesting. I have many photos from flower shows where I only show the tag with the name on it, so that I will remember what Dahlia variety or Lily variety to try and find on-line. Much of this, I am shamelessly selfish with, after all, I don’t want to share with you that I just discovered this amazing lily variety before I can snag a dozen bulbs! Sorry.<\/p>\n
\n\n
\n
<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n
Alpine troughs will factor in as well, but again, I assume that most of you will expect this.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n
We often overlook ornamental peppers, but when combined with more obscure heirloom varieties, a collection of peppers makes more sense – both horticulturally interesting, not to mention the culinary and cultural aspects.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n
1. Collection of Potted Unusual Chili Peppers<\/b> – This past summer Joe and I had the pleasure to tour Amy Goldman’s extraordinary farm and garden . I saw many things which I personally felt might be something I might like to try, but nothing surprised me more than her collection of peppers in pots. If you are not familiar with Amy Goldman Fowler’s books, I highly recommend them, if only for the information along, they are priceless, but their design and quality take them over the top.<\/p>\n
\n\n
\n
<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n
‘Chiltern’ an heirloom bird pepper. On looks alone it’s stunning (and I am not a big hot-chili dude).<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n
Ornamental peppers are not new to me, if anything, they are a bit nostalgic. I remember my parents raising some ornamental varieties, but mostly I remember and Peter and Nancy Pockevicius who lived just past the woods, behind our house. Peter was quite a passionate and highly accomplished gardener who raised amazingly large beets, and had a huge vegetable garden which we marveled at because it never had a weed in it. He also always kept a few pepper plants in pots through the winter.<\/p>\n
\n\n
\n
<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n
Pepper ‘Super Tramp’ in Amy Goldman’s garden shows how lovely even a culinary pepper can be as a potted specimen.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n
2. Celtuce<\/b> – raised to perfection of course. \nNothing new, Celtuce is something many of us have seen in old seed catalogs but I believe that it deserves rediscovery. Celtuce, or Celery-Lettuce is something I always dismissed as a novelty – something worthy of inclusion only in the Guerney’s Catalog but never something one would actually grow. But after seeing it in many late 19th century seed catalogs, I began to wonder what the story behind celtuce was?<\/p>\n
\n\n
\n
<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n
My dish of braised Celtuce that we enjoyed last week. These crispy slices of jade came from all things, an heirloom lettuce variety similar to a head of Romaine, allowed to grow tall. More common in China, I predict that it will be popular in the West as well.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n
\nAll changed for me last week, when I ordered a dish of ‘Stem Lettuce’ at a new (and very authentic) Chinese restaurant near us, a restaurant where everyone seated is Chinese, mostly students, but a few families, (Red Pepper). I discovered that the crispy, jade-like razor-thin pieces of Celtuce stem is delicious and worth the space in the garden. Besides, it fits into my interests of 19th century plants and crops which deserve rediscover.<\/p>\n
\n<\/div>\n
<\/p>\n
\n<\/div>\n
<\/p>\n
\n\n
\n
<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n
In the 1850’s, mignonette, both in pots as a winter-blooming greenhouse plant, as well as in the early summer garden was about as fancy and accomplished a gardener could get. When was the last time you appreciated the scent? I thought so.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n
3. Mastering the Culture of Mignonette <\/b>(in the garden, and in pots) \nNot new on my list, but you know what? I don’t give up easily. I haven’t had much luck raising Mignonette. Maybe I haven’t paid enough attention to its cultural techniques (frankly, it’s been hard finding any good cultural information beyond when to sow it as a bedded plant, or for potted plants in a greenhouse or conservatory (July), but I am persistent and identifying 2017 as the year when I master this crop which so captivated the Victorians both in pots, and in their gardens.<\/p>\n
\n\n
\n
<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n
I dream of growing a gourd tunnel, maybe this year I will attempt something similar to this one that we saw this summer at Amy Goldman’s farm.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n
\n4. A Gourd Tunnel<\/b> – only if I am adventurous and overly ambitious, but this one at Amy Goldman’s was so incredible that I can’t help but think about creating one over our long path. I have this idea to raise Indian gourds which my co-worker Sameer introduced me to, various bitter gourds and maybe even some South East Asian gourds, similar to those that another friend – Chau Ho brought to us this summer which his father grew. Again, the foodie in me is curious. Without Curtis here this summer, we may not be able to follow through on this one, as he was going to construct the frame, but I am keeping it on my list.<\/p>\n
\n\n
\n
<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n
Campanula pyramidalis (from the Great Dixter website) shows how tall these plants can be when raised as conservatory plants. Rarely seed as a container plant today, they are exactly the sort of thing that interests me.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n
‘Kniphofia ‘First Sunrise’ growing at the Coastal Maine Botanic Garden in Maine last year. If only I could find this variety on-line, but I am having no luck – help!<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n
1. A Significant Planting of Hardy Kniphofia <\/b> \nLast June, while touring the Coastal Maine Botanic Garden (lust, lust, lust!) a planting of kniphofia stopped me in my tracks. Yes, kniphofia – in the state of Maine! I know, it was coastal Maine where it is a bit more mild, but none-the-less, I can’t get this planting out of my mind.<\/p>\n
The head gardener there explained to me that this strain, called ‘First Sunrise’ is most hardy, and although the garden is firmly located in a slightly more mild coastal USDA Zone 6, that they still heavily mulch the planting with salt-marsh hay (I’ve already started this planting, but I plan on a significant learning curve). The idea that South African plants from the Cape could be hardy in a winter-wet New England snow garden isn’t all that novel, as some gardeners are having luck with a few species of gladiolus, moraea, neuron and agapanthus – usually in those odd warmer zones we all have either near large rocks, under the eaves of a house or garage, or on a ledge open to winter sun. I am always one to push the zones, and after seeing this planting of hardy knip’s, I diving in.<\/p>\n
There are a few hardier kniphofia in the market already, mostly thanks to collectors (such as Ellen Hornig) who collected seed from species which have exhibited cold hardiness – we have a couple which bloom every-other year or so, but these newer selections show promise, although, I am still mulching well. Always check the hardiness zones, but I look for those which seem to be testing well in USDA Zone 6.<\/p>\n
Annuals such as this Viscaria oculata make wonderful and interesting containers – one section per container. A practice we’ve lost lately- that of unusual seed raised annuals not found at garden centers, but inspired by pots found in displays from where people really know about plants like Sissinghurst or by curators at more informed botanic gardens. (image from Pinterest, but I know you can find pre-started plants at Annie’s Annuals)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n
\nViscaria oculata<\/b> – as a pot plant on the terrace \nClaimed to be a classic annual potted terrace plant for displays, Viscaria oculata selections are again, rarely seen, and never found at main stream nurseries or garden centers (except at Annie’s Annuals who clearly have their act in order).<\/p>\n
I am also thinking about raising Okra varieties, Prune Plums, Dwarf Cherries and possibly another all white garden in front of the greenhouse. Not to mention a new alpine garden, a culinary herb garden in a new formal parterre behind the house with boxwood and brick, and…..and…..<\/p>\n
\n\n
\n
<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n
Amaranthus salicifolius, above (1845 Charles Huber) (syn. A. tricolor var. slicifolius?) with thin leaves. Introduced it seems in the late 1800’s by Mssrs. Vetch and Sons, now perhaps lost in cultivation, but appears to be listed in the RHS plant finder and mentioned in many old gardening texts pre 1920. The common name of ‘Fountain Plant’ was sometimes used.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n
\nI am looking for Amaranthus salicifolius (perhaps synonymous with A. tricolor?) It’s listed in many books pre-1900 as a fine-leaved amaranth commonly grown as a conservatory plant. I welcome any information on this, or any fine-leaved amaranth suitable for containers. I have a Suttons Seed catalog from 1924 which lists it with a photo, but I cannot find anything later than this.<\/p>\n