Fall is a Great Time to Plant Trees and Shrubs

Although it seems counter-intuitive in our Northern climate, fall is a great time to plant trees and shrubs. While it's difficult to predict the first frost with any certainty, planting is usually possible through September and often into October.

Why is fall such a good time for planting shrubs and trees? The answer is very simple. While the temperature above ground may be freezing, the below ground temperature remains above freezing for much longer. While the below ground temperature is 40 degrees and above, the root system of trees and shrubs will grow and establish themselves. The tree or shrub does not have the added pressure of having to grow branches and leaves as well and can concentrate all its growing energy into establishing roots. Then, in the spring, the roots are established and the tree can use it's growing energy for branches and leaves. This basically gives the plant a head start in a sense in that it doesn't spend it's first growing season attempting to get established and you get the benefit of having a beautiful tree right off the bat. 

For successful fall planting, follow good basic cultural practices. Dig the hole to the same depth as the root ball of the plant and twice as wide. Provide adequate water until frost date but don't over-water. In the spring, watch your tree or shrub blossom gloriously.

Perennial Profile: Shasta Daisies and Other Daisy-like Flowers

Shasta Daisy

Nothing adds cheer to a garden more than Shasta daisies. With bright yellow centers surrounded by white petals, these plants light up a garden and blend well with most other perennials. In addition to Shastas, there are several "daisy-like" plants that come in a variety of colors and are equally dispensable in the garden. These include Coneflowers (Echinacea), Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia) and Blanketflower (Gaillardia). All are easy to grow, hardy and best of all, beautiful. 

Shasta Daisy-This is the quintessential daisy with the yellow eye and white petals. Shasta daisies range in height from 12-42" so there really is a variety for every garden. Plant in full sun to partial shade. While deadheading is not necessary, doing so will produce a second bloom in late summer and early fall. Shastas can be short lived here in zone 4, however, these plants will reseed (although not excessively so) if not deadheaded. Self-seeded plants can be easily moved or removed if necessary. The most notable variety is 'Becky', which was the 2003 Perennial Plant of the Year. Becky grows to 42 inches tall on very sturdy, erect stems so there is no need for staking this tall daisy. It also has an exceptional bloom season of 3 months.

Purple Coneflower

Coneflower (Echinacea)-Coneflower comes in a variety of colors ranging from white to purple and pink with newer cultivars sporting red, orange and yellow. The most popular is the purple coneflower (which is really more of a dark pink color) and even then there are many varieties to choose from. Coneflower ranges from 18-36 inches, grows well in full sun or light shade and isn't particular about soil as long it's well-drained. Butterflies and bees flock to this plant. Deadheading will prolong bloom although is not necessary. This plant will self-seed, but like the Shastas, is not invasive. Notable varieties include 'Prairie Splendor' which grows 18-24 inches and blooms earlier and longer than most other Coneflowers and 'PowWow Wild Berry' which grows 20-24 inches tall with profuse bright cherry colored blooms. 

Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia)- Once established, this plant is fairly drought tolerant. Plant in full sun to partial shade in average soil. Rudbeckia grows 18-30 inches tall and seed pods provide winter interest as well as food for birds. The best variety in this area is 'Goldsturm'. This compact plant sports masses of large deep yellow flowers with black centers. 

Burgundy Gaillardia

Blanketflower (Gaillardia)- This prairie plant is a wonderful addition to home gardens. Plant in full sun and well-drained soil. While this plant is often short-lived in our clay soil, if left to it's own devices will easily reseed yearly so be careful of cleaning up too well. Again, like the other plants on this page, it's not invasive, but may show up in surprising places! Plants are easily moved or removed as necessary. Blanketflower grows 12-24 inches and comes in a variety of red, yellow and orange flower colors. Recommended varieties include 'Goblin' which grows about 12 inches tall and has red-orange petals with yellow edges and 'Burgundy' which grows up  to 36" inches with dark red flowers. 

The best thing about all these plants is that not only to do they blend well with other perennial plants and shrubs but they look great together as well. In addition, common garden pests such as rabbits and deer generally don't find these plants appetizing. No garden should be without these easy-to-grow and delightfully cheerful flowers!

Perennial Profile: Hostas

Striptease

Nothing beats hostas for shade gardens. Coming in sizes from 6 inches to 4 feet, and every size in between, there is a hosta for every size and shape of shade garden. In addition, hostas come in a huge variety of leaf color, pattern, size and shape. In fact, it is estimated that there is over 3,000 varieties of hosta! How's that for variety?

While the number of varieties is overwhelming, hostas can be generally divided by color. Hostas are green, blue, yellow or varigated (which can be any combination of green, blue, yellow or white). 

Hostas are very easy to grow and will do well in full shade to part shade with some of the newer varieties (such as Sum and Substance) doing well in part sun. These plants are fairly drought tolerant and will thrive with very little attention. Plants can be divided at any time in the season, except on the very hottest days.

When planting hostas, choose a variety of colors, sizes and leaf shape. Strive to not have the same varieties planted next to each other for most interesting planting. Hostas also look great with other woodland shade plants such as ferns, astilbe, goat's beard (aruncus), and bleeding heart. 

Some notable varieties include:

Red October

Loyalist: A variegated hosta with green margins and pure white centers. This is a medium-sized hosta that gets 18 inches high and 24 inches wide. 

Red October: A smaller hosta at 10 inches high and 20 inches wide, the most notable feature of this plant is it's red stems that stretch into the bottom of the leaves. The narrow leaves are blue green with white undersides. 

Great Expectations

Great Expectations: This is a slower growing hosta but worth the wait. A variegated hosta, Great Expectations has blue-green margins on large oval puckered leaves. The center color changes from chartreuse to yellow to white throughout the season. It gets 20 inches high to 40 inches wide. 

Sum and Substance: A very large hosta with 16 inch oval leaves, this plant grows to 3 feet high and up to 6 feet wide. A stunning specimen in the garden, Sum and Substance has much better sun tolerance than many hostas. The foliage is a sunny chartreuse, perfect for brightening shade gardens. 

Striptease: An interesting variegated hosta with dark green margins on pointy, oval leaves and light green centers with white outlining. A medium sized plant that grows 20 inches high to 36 inches wide. 

With so many colors, shapes and sizes to choose from there is a hosta perfect for every garden. Choose several of your favorite varieties to plant together for a lush and stunning shade garden.

Perennial Profile: Silver Foliage Plants

Lamb's Ear

Foliage plants provide color, interest, depth and texture to garden beds. One of the most fun foliage colors to work with is silver. Just as the metal is reflective, so are silver foliage plants in the garden. During the day, these plants create reflective areas of light which highlights surrounding plants. At night, the silver foliage is luminescent making them ideal choices for pathway edgings. Silver foliage blends well with cool colors such as blues, purples and pinks and pastels. It also combines well with black, deep purple or deep burgundy foliage plants for a dramatic contrast. 

Another plus for silver foliage is that many of them are incredibly easy to grow, standing up to hot, dry conditions where other plants may struggle. As a bonus, most are resistant to deer and rabbits. There are many different plants with silver foliage both for shade or sun and in many different growth habits. In addition, many silver foliage plants have some of the most "touchable" foliage of all plants, the most notable being Lamb's Ear (Stachys).

While silver brightens shady spots, silver in the sun is a harmonizing color that pulls together contrasting colors. Below are some of the best silver plants for sun. 

Artemisia

Artemisia 'Silver Mound' (also known as Wormwood): This low-growing plant (6-12 inches) is ideal for the front of borders or lining pathways. The delicate, fern like foliage is soft to touch and adds a great contrast to coarse foliage plants. The plant does well in hot, dry areas in the garden and is especially suited to northern summers. 'Silver Mound' will get quite large after a few seasons and can be divided in the spring and fall. To prevent the plant from getting leggy towards the end of summer, shear the plant back to 2 inches in late June. The plant will quickly regrow into a compact mound. 

Lamb's Ear 'Helen Von Stein' (Stachys): The velvety foliage of this plant is nearly irresistible to touch. Lamb's Ear forms a low mat (12-18 inches tall) of large velvety silver leaves. The plant will put out tall semi-pink flowers scapes but often the plant looks much better when these are trimmed off. Lamb's Ear is easy to grow with little care and can be divided in early spring or fall. 

Russian Sage

Russian Sage:This plant's foliage is slightly more green but gives off a silvery glow especially when in bloom with it's airy lavender-blue flowers. Russian Sage gets quite large (24-36 inches tall and wide) making it ideal as a focal point or in the back of borders. In addition to having delicate silvery foliage on a large plant, Russian Sage is aromatic giving off a wonderfully savory scent in the garden. This plant is very drought tolerant. 

These easy to grow perennials will harmonize your garden and provide interesting luminescent pools of light at night. Try some silver foliage plants in your garden to tie together contrasting colors. 

Perennial Profile: Ajuga

Catlin's Giant

Ajuga, or bugleweed as it's commonly called, is one of those plants that looks pretty unassuming in pots on the nursery bench. However, once established in the garden, this plant easily becomes a must have.

Grown primarily for it's foliage, ajuga comes in a variety of colors from green to black to burgundy and from fine textured leaves to very large leaves. In addition to it's gorgeous foliage, the blue flower spikes in spring are stunning and an added bonus to it's glossy, rich foliage. 

Growing 6-10 inches tall and spreading 12-24 inches, ajuga is an excellent ground cover and perfect for difficult areas where other plants won't grow. It prefers light to partial shade for best foliage color but will tolerate full shade or full sun although leaves may become scorched in direct sunlight. It's not terrible fussy about soil as long as it's not soggy.

Catlin's Giant

Ajuga is a dense and vigorous plant which will smother out all but the most tenacious weeds. The plant can be divided at any time of the season and needs little care. As long as it gets adequate snow cover in the winter (not a problem here!), this plant doesn't need any additional mulching in the fall. As with most vigorous plants, ajuga may spread to places where you'd rather not have it such as your lawn. Fortunately, unwanted plants are easily removed and can be contained with simple edging. However, don't let the vigor frighten you off this plant! It's not an aggressively fast growing plant so isn't likely to get out of control before you know it. It's these attributes that make it the perfect ground cover for those difficult places. 

The dramatic foliage and low growing habit of this plant make it a great companion to hostas, astilbe and coral bells. It grows well in rock gardens and along pathways. Don't overlook this gem of a plant when planning your garden beds. You'll love the dramatic foliage and easy growing habit of this plant and be pleasantly surprised with its bright blue blooms in the spring--a welcome addition to any garden!

Perennial Profile: Coral Bells

Berry Smoothie

Coral Bells, often referred to by their botanical name of Heuchera, is an indispensable plant to have in the garden. Most notable for the vast variety of foliage colors, Coral Bells is also a prolific bloomer that attracts hummingbirds and butterflies while being ignored by rabbits and deer. In addition, Coral Bells will often grow in places other plants will not due to their adaptability in regards to sun exposure. Most prefer part sun, but many will tolerate full sun, while some will tolerate almost full shade. This wide rage of sun/shade tolerance makes Coral Bells the perfect plant for eastern and western exposures that receive direct sun for part of the day and many hours of shade as well. This plant will also do well under trees and shrubs. The brilliant foliage of Coral Bells enhances the beauty of surrounding plants. 

Hercules

Coral Bells are generally a low-growing, mounding plant usually about 12-24 inches wide and 12-36 inches tall depending on the cultivar. Although the flower scapes tower up to 18 inches above the plant, the delicate flowers and airy composition of the stems don't detract or hide other plants behind making this plant perfect for borders and edging. Coral Bells are evergreen perennials regardless of snow cover and will be among the first plants to take shape in the spring. One caution is to refrain from cleaning any leaves that appear dead too early in the spring. This plant does not give up it's leaves easily and cleaning the plant too early in the spring often results in killing it. Tolerate the seemingly dead leaves and watch your Coral Bells flourish. If crispy, dead leaves are still present in late June, early July when the plant is flourishing, that would be the time to remove them, however, don't force removal. 

Ruby Bells

Most Coral Bells have simple flowers of white or light pink which do not detract from the brilliant foliage. However, there are exceptions. Both 'Ruby Bells' and 'Hercules' have rather simple green foliage but brilliant flowers of ruby red and cherry red, respectively. 

The foliage of Coral Bells comes in virtually every color from bronze, purple, chartreuse, black, pinks, corals and yellows. There is a color for every garden! Cultivars to check out are 'Berry Smoothie' (fuchsia veined foliage), 'Kassandra' (caramel colored leaves with burgundy backsides), 'Palace Purple' (burgundy colored foliage) and 'Citronelle' (chartreuse).

Regina

Another exception to the brilliant foliage-white flower rule is 'Regina'. This cultivar sports gorgeous deep burgundy leaves with silver overlay and purple undersides. The flowers are a beautiful medium pink which plays wonderfully off the deep foliage color. 


If you're looking for easy to grow plants that will add color and drama to those hard-to-plant spots in your garden, check out Coral Bells. There is sure to be a variety that piques your interest.

Perennial Profile: Daylilies

Baja Daylily

Daylilies are so named because each bloom lasts for one day. However, a healthy plant will have 50 or more blossoms giving it a bloom time of a month or two. In addition to a long bloom time, the foliage of daylilies is the perfect camouflage for declining spring plants such as tulips and daffodils. Daylilies look best when combined with other blooming perennials.

This easy to grow perennial is not terribly finicky about either sun or soil conditions and once established, is difficult to kill. While daylilies perform best in full sun, they will take some shade, although blooming will be less prolific. Daylilies can survive and thrive in hot, dry spots in your yard once established. These characteristics make daylilies perfect plants for spots in the garden where other plants may struggle. 

Some notable varieties include:

Stella d'Oro: Far and away the most prolific blooming daylily. This gold-yellow lily blooms from late June through September. Often called a re-blooming daylily it's really more of an ever-blooming. This is a compact daylily that gets up to 18 inches tall and wide. Often overused because of its constant blooming, Stella d'Oro makes a bigger impact as a single specimen planted in a mixed garden rather than in a mass planting. Don't overlook this beauty just because it's ubiquitous. 


Happy Returns: This is another compact, ever-blooming daylily which gets about 18 inches tall and wide. Happy Returns is a clear lemon-yellow and a more open flower than the Stella's tulip-shaped bloom.


Purple d'Oro: A medium sized daylily at 20 inches tall and wide, this plant re-blooms with deep lavender pink blooms. A great companion to yellow daylilies.


Baja: At 36 inches tall and wide, Baja is the typical size of most daylilies. However, as a re-blooming lily, this plant will add beauty to the garden from June through September. The flowers are large (5-6 inches wide) with deep red petals and yellow throat.


Daylilies are a must for every garden. Coming in a variety of colors and sizes, there is certain to be a daylily to fit into every garden scheme.

Perennial Profile: Catmint 'Walker's Low'

Catmint is an easy to grow, long flowering perennial for sun or partial shade. The gray-green foliage gives way to blue-violet flower spikes in early summer and last through the fall. This plant is not terribly picky about soil and, in fact, will become leggy and less attractive with too much fertilizer. It's also drought tolerant, but puts on it's best show with adequate moisture. 

Despite this plant's name, it is neither low nor overly attractive to cats. The name, "Walker's Low" is after a garden in England and has nothing to do with the size of the actual plant. That said, Walker's Low is one of the more compact varieties of catmint but will still reach heights of 24-36" with an equal spread. As for it's common name of catmint, it's true that this plant is attractive to cats (we can attest to that as the cats in the greenhouse like to frolic in it), however, it's not nearly the same attraction as to it's close cousin, catnip. It's safe to plant this in your yard without fear of hanging an open invitation sign to all the neighborhood cats. However, this plant will attract an abundance of flying critters in the form of butterflies, moths and bees. Catmint has also been said to deter rodents. 

Catmint is good along borders where it can trail over the edge or as a companion plant to roses. The blue-violet flowers are a beautiful color to combine with yellow or orange flowers for a striking garden show. 

Did You Know? Tulips Are Like Onions

In honor of one of the few flowers soon to bloom here in Minnesota despite our repeated snow covered mornings, I thought I would share a bit of trivia about tulips. 

Contrary to popular belief, tulips are not native to Holland. The flowers originated in South Central Asia in what is now Turkey, Iran and Afghanistan. The name tulip is thought to come from the Turkish word "dulband" which means turban which the tulip flower is thought to resemble. Dulband is translated to "tulipa" in Latin. 

In 1636-37, Holland had "Tulipmania" where the price of a single bulb was more than the cost of a house at the time. Rare bulbs were sold for exorbitant sums (up to $100,000 by today's standards) and to have tulip bulbs at your home was as impressive as having say, a Ferrari today. Eventually, thousands of tulips varieties were brought to market and there was a "Tulip Crash". Yet, tulip cultivation still remains a large part of the Dutch culture. 

Tulips are unique in that the flower stems will keep growing after they are cut. Snip a couple of stems from your garden and put them in a vase of water. The stems will grow up to an inch or more. Cut tulips don't need any special care in a vase except lots and lots of water. They are thirsty plants and need water added every day. 

Lastly, if you're in a pinch, tulip bulbs can be used in place of onions. Which is interesting but mostly irrelevant. Who has more tulip bulbs than onions? I guess if your tulips have gone awry, which they tend to do after several years of multiplying, it might be a good way to cull down the tulip bed. 

Did You Know? Cucumbers ARE Cool

We've all heard the expression "cool as a cucumber". Turns out that the statement is much more than an expression. On a warm day, the inside of a cucumber on the vine can measure as much as 20 degrees cooler than the outside air. This is due largely to its high water content. 

The cucumber's high water content is also one of its main nutritional values as adding cucumbers to a meal is an easy way to increase both water and fiber intake. And they taste good!

Another cooling property of cucumbers is that they contain ascorbic acid (vitamin C) and caffeic acid, which are known to soothe skin irritations and reduce swelling. So cucumbers on swollen eyes? Actually effective! 

For more information about the properties and nutrition of cucumbers, check out WHFoods: Cucumbers. 

Did You Know? Geraniums Aren't Really Geraniums

When is a geranium not a geranium? When it's a pelargonium!

Uh, yeah. Which is what exactly? Pelargonium is the correct botanical name for the tropical plants we commonly grow as annuals and call geraniums. Sometimes they are referred to as garden geraniums or possibly storksbill geranium (although that's a new one to me). Perennial in only the warmest of climates, here in Minnesota we start these popular plants in January from cuttings and seeds to have them ready for sale in May. Being tropical, they need lots of time to grow from a single leaf or seed into the full blooming plant we all know and love. 

Image: Tom Curtis / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

So what, then, is a geranium? An actual geranium is a perennial plant (yes, even here in zones 3 and 4) that really looks not much like a pelargonium at all. It's often referred to as hardy geranium or cranesbill geranium. The beauty of this perennial besides the fact that it is hardy here in Minnesota is that it doesn't like rich soil. So that tough place in your garden where nothing else will grow? Try cranesbill geraniums. This plant also stands up fairly well to drought and blooms profusely. A perfect perennial in my book!

So why do these two disparate plants have the same name in the first place? While both these plants are still in the same botanical family, they were originally in the same botanical genus as geraniums. It was only about 220-some years ago that the plants were split into two separate clans and it just hasn't caught on yet. Old habits die hard! 

At any rate, both of these plants are excellent choices for gardeners. What they do have in common is that they are both easy to grow and flower beautifully. Whether you choose a garden geranium or a hardy geranium, chances are you'll be pleased with it's performance.

Did You Know? Peppers Have More Vitamin C than Oranges

Image: lobster20 / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Bell peppers, sometimes known as sweet peppers, are another fruit we like to use as and call a vegetable. They can be red, orange, yellow and are often eaten green. Part of the Capsicum genus that includes all hot peppers, bell peppers differ from their hot cousins in that they lack capsaicin, the chemical that makes most peppers hot. This is due to a recessive gene that eliminates the capsaicin and makes bell peppers sweet rather than spicy. 

What bell peppers lack in heat, they more than make up for in nutrition. For starters, bell peppers provide more vitamin C per serving than oranges. In addition, bell peppers are an excellent source of vitamin A in the form of the antioxidant, beta-carotene. For a really power packed pepper, choose a red bell which has more vitamins (over twice the amount of vitamin C compared to a green pepper). Red bells are also one of the few foods that contains lycopene, another antioxidant that may reduce the chance of certain cancers. 

When choosing peppers, conventional wisdom says that 4-lobed bell peppers are better for cooking because they are firmer and stand up to cooking better. If looking for a pepper to munch on, choose a 3-lobed one as they tend to be much sweeter. 

Did You Know? How the Daisy Got its Name

Daisies are synonymous with cheer and for good reason. They were originally called "day's eye" because the yellow center resembled the sun. As with most names, over time day's eye became simply daisy. 

There are no shortage of daisies either. There is the Common Daisy, a common European species which is considered the quintessential daisy and then a whole host of other plants that are also called daisy. What gives?

Blue-eyed Daisy

Actually the name daisy can be applied to any flower in the asteraceae family which is more commonly called the aster, daisy or sunflower family. It includes many of the plants we commonly plant in the garden such as marigolds, zinnias and calendula among many others. The name aster means star so often in the garden biz, daisy has come to mean any star shaped flower with a solid eye. Most times the eye is yellow but can be blue as in osteospermum or blue-eyed daises or black as in black-eyed Susan's.

Did You Know? Why Tomatoes are Vegetables

It seems that most people know that a tomato is actually a fruit even though we call it a vegetable. But do you know why we call it a vegetable? Apparently, the US Supreme Court was involved in the decision to classify a tomato as a vegetable rather than the fruit it actually is. In 1893, a case was brought before the court about importing tomatoes from the West Indies. Fruits could be imported tax-free, while vegetables could not. Because tomatoes were eaten with main dishes and not desserts, the court ruled them to be a vegetable. Dictionaries, not botany decided this ruling!
Read more about the case here: Why Tomatoes are Vegetables.

Top 10 New Annuals for 2011

Continuing on last week's theme of top performing annuals to check out for 2011, I now get to talk about the top 10 new annuals for this season. Some of these plants are new to market this year while some have been on the market for awhile but are new to Levi Runions Garden Center. New varieties are always exciting, even when they are old favorites that are making a comeback as some of these annuals certainly are. 

New for 2011

1. Petunia Black Velvet

This is one of the most highly anticipated new arrivals this year. Billed as the "world's only black petunia", this petunia is not merely dark purple but truly black. Black Velvet will be a fun one to add to container combos to add drama. Think of the possibilities! Also new for this year are Phantom, which features yellow stars on a black base color and Pinstripe, which has a creamy white star pattern on black.

2. Gryphon Begonia

This foliage begonia will add plenty of interest and texture to shade gardens. Large dark green leaves with white veining add a tropical look to shade gardens and will add drama and texture when combined with other blooming begonias such as Dragon Wing.

3. Plentifall Mix Pansy

A trailing pansy! This pansy will be another great addition to the shade garden. It can be used as ground cover for shade areas or used in container combos as a spiller. The mix is beautiful with shades of blue, yellow and white. 

New to Levi Runions

4. Lophospermum Wine Red

We had this vigorous annual vine last year in cream. I can't tell you how it fared because it flew out the door before it really even took off! The tubular flowers are adorable and the wine red will be magnificent. The plant can either be grown on a trellis or in a hanging basket similar to Black-eyed Susan vine.

5. Ornamental Grass Twisted Arrows and Twisted Dart (new for 2011)

Because Blue Arrows was so popular last year, we decided to expand our ornamental grass selection with these two interesting plants. Both are combined with curly juncus to give these plants whimsical curly leaves interspersed with the upright blue leaves the plants are known for. Twisted Arrows is the taller of the two with a height of 18 to 36 inches while Twisted Dart is more compact and shorter growing to 16 inches tall. Both are great as focal points in container combos. 

6. Rose Mallow (Lavatera trimestris silver cup)

This is not a new plant by any stretch but I saw this last year on the garden tour and I had to have it! This easy to grow annual looks like a hibiscus and grows very well here in our short summers. Plant details claim this plant grows to 36" but this one was at least 60". Perfect as a focal point in the garden. These gorgeous raspberry pink flowers will not disappoint. 

7. Vinca First Kiss Blueberry

Vinca is a great heat and drought tolerant plant for the sunny areas of the garden. Generally the colors tend to shades of pinks and reds but with First Kiss Blueberry the bloom is a deep blue color. Great variation for a tried and true plant. 

8. Zinnia Zahara Series

For zinnia lovers, this series is exceptional! Mildew and leaf-spot resistant, bigger blooms, continuous blooms, heat loving, drought tolerant plants in gorgeous colors. My favorite is the Starlight Rose which has to be the prettiest flower of any kind. We will also have Zahara Yellow which is a soft lemon yellow and Zahara Double Fire, a double zinnia in bright red orange.

9. Chocolate Cosmos

Smells like chocolate, look like chocolate! What could be better? This tropical perennial can be grown as an annual here. The plant is sterile so there is no reseeding as with the annual cosmos that are most common here.

10. Petunia Sophistica Blue Morn

Yes, last year I had the Merlin Blue Morn on my list of most anticipated. Wasn't impressed. Mostly because it died. So since I am still in search of a blue morn petunia to plant with my favorite red morn petunias I had to include this on the list. We did have a couple of other varieties of Sophistica petunias last year and were impressed with their growth habit and color. If this blue morn is like others in the series, it should not disappoint. 

Top 10 (and 1/2!) Annuals to Check Out for 2011

This is far and away my favorite post of the year! I get to talk about all the plants that I love from last season and look forward to growing again this season. In order to be included in this list, plants must be easy to grow (no fussing with them to make them look good!), they must be vigorous growers, but not so much they are problematic and of course, they must be gorgeous. All plants listed will be available at Levi Runions Garden Center this season. Now on to my top 10 (and 1/2!) favorites I'm looking forward to using again in 2011.

1. Begonia Solenia Velvet Red

I first saw this gorgeous begonia at the lake resort my family vacations at a year before we carried it. It was hanging on the lodge deck and was full and covered with beautiful red blooms. In late August. The blooms are smaller than the Non-stop Begonias but far more plentiful. And to keep this plant looking gorgeous? Just water it. No deadheading, no pruning. Just water. Perfect! Solenia's compact mounding habit makes it ideal for hanging baskets. And the colors! They are gorgeous! Far and away, I preferred the velvet red, however, the salmon coral was stunning. Other colors include cherry red (more pink red than red velvet), dark pink, light pink and yellow. This begonia is drought and heat tolerant and will take more sun than Non-stop Begonia. And did I mention that it never stops blooming? This is a must-have plant for 2011.

2. Lantana Bandana Lemon Zest

This plant was on my list last year as one of my most anticipated plants of 2010.  It did not disappoint! Previously, yellow lantanas were of the gold variety or tended to be more white than yellow. This beauty was a true lemon yellow with just a hint of white. Most pictures I've seen show it about 50% yellow and 50% white in the flower heads. That was not my experience as mine tended to be mostly lemon yellow. Everything you expect in a lantana with a bright, fresh yellow.

3. Sweet Potato Vine Sweet Caroline Light Green/Sweetheart Light Green

I absolutely fell in love with this sweet potato vine last year and that's really saying something because I already love sweet potato vine. How could I love it anymore? I can love it more when its habit is perfect for container gardening and hanging baskets! The light green variety has a similar leaf shape as the ever popular Marguerite sweet potato vine (my favorite) while the sweetheart light green has heart shaped leaves in the same color. The difference with this sweet potato vine is that this plant is vigorous without being too vigorous. Some cultivars don't take over smaller containers the way Marguerite might but neither do they flourish enough to provide the desired effect. Sweet Caroline walks the line between these two extremes and is a great compact sweet potato vine for smaller containers. 

4. Ornamental Pepper Black Pearl and Sangria

While these two plants are both ornamental peppers, they really couldn't be more different. Black Pearl has dramatic black foliage and delicate lavender flowers that give way to roundish black fruit that mature to dark red mini peppers. The peppers are edible but very hot. This plant is gorgeous at every stage and is stunning with silver foliage plants and white and lavender flowers. On the other end of the spectrum is Sangria. This plant has glossy green leaves with small pointy fruit in red, purple and orange. It's a veritable explosion of color throughout the entire summer. It just keeps putting out colorful fruit. These peppers are also edible but very mild. Both are easy to grow and a wonderful alternative to flowers to add color and texture to the garden. 

5. Torenia Summer Wave Blue

I think Torenia has to have the cutest bloom ever so when we got trailing Torenia in I was over the moon. Summer Wave is a vigorous, continuously blooming trailing shade plant. The color of the flowers is magnificent and so is it's growth habit. This plant adds punch to shade gardens and is perfect in containers as a spiller or by itself in hanging baskets. 

6. Coleus Kingswood Torch

With so many coleus varieties out there, it's sometimes easy to get overwhelmed with all the choices. They are all pretty! Kingswood Torch stands out for it's rich and vibrant color. This coleus has a rosy red center that blends to a gorgeous coral. The leaf margins are deep burgundy-purple tipped in yellow-green. Pictures DO NOT do this plant justice. They often look just red which is not a true representation of how beautiful this plant is. It's a larger coleus (up to 36' or more) and is good alone or as the focal point in container combos. As an added bonus, this beauty will grow just fine in sun or shade. 

7. New Guinea Impatien Celebration Sunset Apricot

The flowers on this New Guinea impatien are very large even by New Guinea impatien standards and the color is breathtaking. The color is a combination of rosy pink-red that morphs to a shimmery coral orange at the margins. The dark green foliage sets off these blooms beautifully. 

7 1/2. New Guinea Paradise Painted Series

I have to admit that I've been slow to get on board with these beauties but now I am a full-fledged fan. I've made them my 7th and 1/2 choice because we've had them for a few years. The variegated foliage alone makes this plant a stunner and then it blooms those gorgeous, large New Guinea impatien blooms! The foliage varies from dark green to yellow to burgundy, pink and red depending on the cultivar. White tends to have the least variegation with simple green and yellow leaves while red is more complex with pink and orange shades in the foliage. The other colors fall somewhere in between. Gorgeous from start to finish. I particularly love this plant combined with Baby Tut and trailing Torenia for a tropical mini-garden. 

8. Ornamental Grass Blue Arrows

Looking for an alternative to the traditional spike in container combos? Blue Arrows fits the bill. Very narrow and straight grey-blue leaves grow in a compact clump up to 36" high. It gives a very similar look as the spike with a bit more interest and texture. Drought and heat tolerant, this low maintenance plant is a terrific focal point for container combos. 

9. Petunia Sanguna Atomic Blue and Blue Vein

Not only is the color of this trailing plant absolutely fantastic but its habit is perfect for hanging baskets. In addition to trailing well it has a nice mounding habit before it trails which eliminates the "flat-top" that can happen with some trailing cultivars. Also, it is vigorous but does not get crazy which means it needs less pruning throughout the season and looks less played out at the end of summer. And the blooms! They are constant! Did I say the color was absolutely fantastic? It is. Combine Atomic Blue with Blue Vein (which has the same growth habit) and the result is purely divine. 

10. Cuphea Hyssopifolia Allyson "Mexican Heather"

Not a new plant by any means but I fell in love with its charms last year. If the delicate glossy green foliage doesn't get you, the adorable lavender flowers will. It also has a unique growth habit in that it grows in an almost triangular shape. In containers, this plant stays fairly petite but might get larger when grown in the garden. It's not fussy about soil and is drought tolerant. 


Next week: Top 10 New Plants for 2011

Growing Herbs: Edible Ornamentals

In addition to the plants traditionally grown as herbs, there are also a number of plants many gardeners grow as ornamental plants that are edible as well. Who doesn't like a plant that does double duty? The only caution is to make sure you are not eating any plants that you use any kind of pesticides on or fertilizers not suitable for edible plants. The following is not a comprehensive list of edible ornamental plants but includes some of the most common.

Edible Annuals

Marigold (Tagetes teniufolia, Tegetes signata)- While many cultivars of marigolds can be eaten, most are bitter and better left in the garden. The Gem hybrids (Lemon Gem and Orange Gem) are single flowered marigolds that add a citrus flavor to salads. Use the flowers fresh throughout the season as they don't dry or freeze well. 

Curry Plant (Helichrysum italicum) - This plant is generally grown for its striking silvery-gray foliage. It is not what is traditionally thought of as curry as that is a blend of several spices. However, this plant has a flavor reminiscent of curry and can be added to rice and vegetable dishes to give it a hint of curry-like flavor. It's also great to dry for use in potpourri. 

Nasturtium - Not only is this easy-to-grow annual gorgeous in the garden, but it's gorgeous in food as well. Use the flowers and leaves in salads, sandwiches or in dips. Make sure flowers are washed thoroughly to get rid of hiding insects. Too much nasturtium can cause stomach upset due to the high amount of mustard oil in the plant. However, more than an ounce a day would need to be eaten for problems to occur. The strong peppery-taste means a little goes a long way so the chances of overeating this plant is unlikely. Nasturtium is especially gorgeous when planted with Bright Lights or Rainbow Swiss Chard. Use these two plants together for a colorful and delicious salad. 

Perilla - Even Magilla Perilla, the very popular, gorgeously colored foliage plant is edible! The plant is commonly used in  Asian cuisine. Its leaves have a cinnamon-lemon flavor. Use them whole or chopped for garnish, in tempura or sushi. Use the flower spikes fresh in salads. 

Calendula - This is another easy-to-grow annual that's not too fussy about growing conditions and handles our cool weather. Known as "poor man's saffron", calendula flowers can be added to stews, pasta, rice and potatoes as well as cakes and muffins. Fresh calendula can be bitter but mellows with cooking. Petals can also be added to herbal teas. 

Edible Perennials

Bee Balm (Monarda) - This popular perennial is easy to grow and attracts bees, butterflies and if you're in the right area, hummingbirds. Use the leaves to make a minty, citrus-scented tea or add leaves to salads and summer beverages. Bee Balm, part of the mint family, can be used interchangeably with mint. 

Catmint (Nepeta x faassenii) - Catmint is another popular perennial in this region. It's a drought-tolerant plant with beautiful silver foliage and violet-blue flowers. Use the leaves to brew tea which is thought to reduce anxiety and induce sleep. It's also a good source of magnesium and manganese. Fresh leaves can also be used in soups, sauces, pasta and vegetable dishes. Use the youngest shoots chopped and sprinkled in salads. 

Rose - Both the flowers and the rose hips of this plant are edible although the best rose hips come from rosa rugosa plants. Rose hips are a great source of vitamin C. All roses are edible but the best for eating are those that don't need to be sprayed. If roses are being treated for insects or other diseases, do not eat. Rose petals can be sprinkled in salads or preserved in butter or vinegar. They can also be crystallized in sugar for gorgeous decorative edibles. Use both the flowers and rose hips in herbal teas. Use rose hips dried or fresh as a fruit or in preserves or desserts.

For a lot of gardener's, these plants are already in their gardens. How wonderful to discover that in addition to beautifying the garden, they can also beautify your food. 

Next week: My favorite annuals of 2010

Growing Herbs: Dill

Image: FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Dill is easily one of my very favorite herbs. I have, in fact, been accused of over-dilling food by my children on more than one occasion. Strangely though, I have no affinity for dill pickles. In addition to tasting great, smelling good and adding a pretty, airy texture to the garden, dill is incredibly easy to grow. It's listed as an annual here but is really a biennial. I haven't had dill reseed, but many people claim they've planted it once and never had to plant it again. At any rate, this is a must have herb for the garden. 

Growing and Harvesting Dill

The one downside to dill, particularly here on the plains of the windy Midwest, is that tall, wispy dill needs to be in a spot protected from strong winds. Other than that, dill isn't too fussy. Grow dill in full sun and average, well-drained soil. If you are also growing fennel, keep these two plants apart to prevent cross-pollination. If that happens, the seeds of each plant will lose their own unique flavor. 

Many varieties of dill grow anywhere from 2-5 feet tall so give it a place in the back of the garden. Those that get up to 5 feet tall may require staking. Compact varieties will still be 24-36 inches high. 

Use fresh dill leaves throughout the season. For the most flavorful dried dill, cut leafy stalks before flower heads appear. Dry stalks on drying racks in a cool location. When dry, separate leaves from the stalks and store in an airtight container. Fresh dill can also be frozen in ice cubes for use throughout the winter. 

Dill seed can be collected in the fall as it begins to fall from the seed heads. Remove the entire seed head and dry on a tray in the sun. When dry, seeds can be shaken from the seed heads and stored in an air-tight container. 

Using Dill

Of course we know dill is used in canning pickles but it's also excellent in egg salad and other egg dishes, on potatoes, in dressings, dips and on vegetables. My favorite is butter and dill on green beans. Divine! It's also great on carrots. Add dill to butter and bread mixes or use on fish. The seeds are commonly used for pickling or can be used as a substitute for the leaves. 

Allrecipes.com has an incredible collection of recipes featuring dill from dips to potatoes to fish to vegetables. I want to try them all!

Next week: Plants you may already be growing that are edible!

Growing Herbs: Mint

Image: Michelle Meiklejohn / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

There are many things you can say about mint. It's a great tasting and versatile herb to have in the kitchen. It's a fragrant plant to have in the garden. It makes a great ground cover. And...it's invasive. Tell a gardener that any plant they plan to put in the garden is mint and watch them drop it like a hot potato. Mint and many other plants in this family are notoriously invasive. So much so that there is invasive and then there is mint invasive. With a reputation like that, why in the world would any gardener want it? Well, for all the reasons listed ahead of invasive--great tasting herb and fantastic smelling garden plant. There are easy ways to keep this herb in check and enjoy it's great taste and fantastic fragrance. 

Growing and Harvesting Mint

Mint is perennial here in Minnesota and there are several different cultivars you can grow. The most common are peppermint (mentha piperita) which is hardy to zone 3 or Spearmint (mentha spicata) which is hardy to zone 4. Others include orange mint, applemint, gingermint and many others. My personal favorite is chocolate mint (zone 4 or 3 depending on the source) because it tastes and smells great and also has great ornamental qualities with dark veined foliage. 

Since mint's hardiness actually translates into extreme invasive-ness, what's a gardener to do? There are a couple of options. One, grow mint as a container plant which you then bring inside during the winter months. Fresh mint all year! I've used chocolate mint as a trailing ornamental in container combos (looks great with ruby red geraniums and other dark foliage). It did go wild and was all over the ground but didn't plant itself. This is because mint spreads by rhizomes which are shoots that come off of the roots. If the roots are contained, the plant will behave.

Which bring us to option two. I really don't recommend that you plant it in the garden unless you are prepared for it to take over. I read one comment by a gardener who threw it out in what she called the north 40 where she assumed it would die because of competition from other plants and lack of attention. She now has only mint back there. If you wish to grow mint as a perennial in the garden without the worry of it taking over everything, this can be easily done by planting the mint in a large bottomless container that is then planted in the garden with the edge of the container at least 3 inches above the soil. Control the roots, and you control the plant. 

Mint grows in full sun or partial shade and average soil. They are easily prone to dehydration and prefer moist soil. In addition to being a great herb for kitchen use, mint attracts bees and butterflies to the garden. However, mint tastes better before it flowers so you might want to plant some for yourself to keep pinched back and some for the pollinators that you let go to flower. 

Pinch leaves off throughout the season for fresh use. If your plant is spending the winter months outside, mint can be preserved in a variety of ways. Chopped leaves can be added to water to be frozen in ice cube trays or full stems will keep for several weeks in the freezer in zip top storage bags. Mint does very well dried. It can either be hung to dry or on drying racks. When completely dry, strip stems from leaves and store in an airtight container. 

Using Mint

What can't you use mint in? Use it in refreshing summer beverages such as lemonade, iced tea or mojitos (chocolate mint is a customer favorite in this drink). Add chopped leaves to butter for use on toast and crackers. For an easy and delicious dessert, add chopped fresh mint to softened ice cream. Refreeze for 30 minutes and serve. Divine! The leaves can also be brewed into tea which is known to soothe an upset stomach and promote sleep. I love this idea for mint ice cubes! I'm going to have those on hand all year. Check allrecipes.com for more mint recipes.

Next week:  Dill
 

Photo Friday: Blooming Succulent!

It doesn't take much blooming to excite this Minnesota gardener in January. Especially when we've already had 45 inches of snow fall making for 5, 6, 7, 8 foot snow piles everywhere you go. We've gone from winter wonderland to arctic tundra. Ah, well. So you can see where this little beauty is a pleasant surprise. This is a crassula and I'm fairly certain this is called 'Springtime'. Misnamed apparently, or at least hopefully named because it's normal bloom time is in the winter. I planted it in a terracotta strawberry pot last spring to replace one my cat over-frolicked so this is it's first year and voila! Blooms! And the cat isn't the slightest bit interested in it. Success! After adorning my kitchen window for the winter, I'll put this container back outside for the summer. I hope I get many more blooms next season.

Growing Herbs: Tarragon

Tarragon is one of many herbs that's perennial here in the Midwest (zones 3-7), growing up to 5 feet tall and up to 2 feet wide. Don't let it's large size fool you though! A little goes a long way as the sweet anise or licorice flavor can overwhelm dishes if too much is used. That said, tarragon is a drought resistant perennial with fine-leafed foliage that combines well with other perennials such as iris, daylilies and shrubs. Edible and beautiful!

Growing and Harvesting Tarragon

Because tarragon grows so large and is a full sun plant, it's not suitable for indoor container gardens. It can be grown outdoors in containers easily but would most likely need to be treated as an annual in this part of the country (tarragon is propagated by cuttings, plant some in your garden and take cuttings for your containers). I suggest finding a permanent spot in either your perennial bed or vegetable garden. 

For culinary purposes, make sure you are planting French tarragon (artemisia dracunculus) rather than Russian tarragon (artemisia drancunuloides) as the Russian tarragon is bitter and can become weedy. French Tarragon is propagated by cuttings or root divisions so if you find seed, it's the Russian variety. Pass on by!

Although tarragon will grow well in partial sun, for best flavor plant this herb in full sun. It needs fertile, well-drained soil and will benefit greatly from mulching in the fall for winter protection. 

Use fresh leaves throughout the season for use in the kitchen. At the end of the growing season, strip leaves from stems, chop and mix with water to freeze in ice cube trays. Whole stems can also be stored in airtight containers and frozen or preserved in vinegar. As with most herbs, tarragon's flavor is greatly diminished by drying, however, they are useful in a pinch. Hang stems upside down and strip leaves from stems when they are dry. Store in an airtight container. 

Using Tarragon

Tarragon, in addition to being a strong tasting herb, is one that's greatly enhanced by blending with other herbs. It's is one of the four herbs in the fines herbes blend along with chervil, chives and parsley (although some fines herbes blends may vary, sometimes including marjoram, thyme and other herbs). Tarragon is an excellent addition to herb butters or combined with mint for use in tea. It blends well with eggs, seafood, fruits, poultry, vegetables and is the main ingredient in Bearnaise sauce. Heat intensifies the flavor of tarragon, so in addition to being mindful of how much is used, it should be added at the end of the cooking process so as not to overwhelm the dish. 

My favorite tarragon dish is an easy dipping sauce for shrimp or fish. Combine 1/2  cup of mayonnaise, 2 tbs. of Dijon mustard and 2 tbs. of fresh, chopped tarragon. Unbelievably good and so easy! Other easy recipes include Orange Roughy and Vegetables and Tarragon Green Beans. See allrecipes.com for more recipes featuring tarragon. 

Next week: Mint. Invasive? Yes, but delicious...