Author Archives: Kris Blevons

Getting To Know Our New Shop Cat, And Saying Goodbye to Gracie…

Gracie…napping in the sun

Gracie has been gone over 4 weeks now. When he found us about 20 years ago, he wouldn’t come near any of us, keeping his distance, eyeing us warily, and occasionally venturing close enough to get a pet. It was an ordeal trapping him in order to get him to the vet! (That’s when we found out the cat we’d been calling “Gracie” was actually a boy..)

Gracie & Ozzie…

We worked and worked though, and eventually, as the years went by and employees came and went, he gradually realized we meant him no harm. And, while he still wouldn’t allow many others to pet him, we finally gained his trust and often he’d roll over on his back and offer his tummy for a good pet.

He and Ozzie became friends, hanging out and napping together. Gracie has disappeared before for long stretches at a time, but this feels different. And, knowing his age, our conclusions are the same…we hope he just curled up and went to sleep.

Such a sweet face…

So, obviously, we’ve been missing Gracie, and so has Ozzie. Funny how things work out though.

A week ago Jay heard a cat meowing under the pine straw pallets. What he discovered was a skinny, very hungry, little gray tabby who was more than happy to be coaxed into the greenhouse and fed. And feed her we did!

Lady Tacca For now she’s quite content just to be with us in the back of the greenhouse, watching us work and receiving the occasional pet or hug. She’s not sure about Ozzie, greeting him with hisses and growls; but we’re certain they”ll work it out, and we’re giving Ozzie plenty of extra attention!

Lady Tacca

She is a very sweet kitty, and we’ve named her Tacca. Yes, we’ve heard it’s a crazy name, but we kind of like it and have nicknamed her Lady Tacca. (Think Lady Gaga if you’re not sure how to pronounce it.) And, it’s the name of a really cool plant that is also called cat whiskers!

Mind you, Jay is calling her Poodle (?) and our friend Ann Blake is insisting on Lily, so who knows what she’ll end up answering to. The poor thing will probably be endlessly confused! If you’re in the area, stop in and introduce yourself to the newest member of our team. I’ll be putting her in charge of feline cuteness.

Brassidium Orchids – These Are Beautiful “Spiders” in a Beautiful Display!

Brassidium orchids and succulents Jamie put together this stunning display the other day at the front of the shop, using a beautiful mix of containers and plants. The picture doesn’t do her designs justice,,,a pony tail palm underplanted with succulents; another succulent planting in cork bark; and a gorgeous arrangement of a standing cork bark planter with brassidium, or spider, orchids.

Brassidium orchid display - succulents Brassidium orchid blooms - closeup This closeup picture of the succulent plantings shows both the diversity of this group of plants and why we enjoy working with them so much. In addition to the drought tolerant ponytail palm, there are echeverias, string of pearls, string of bananas, crassulas, and variegated trailing jade plant, all right at home in her design.

The spider orchids are so exotic looking with their long, long stems holding spidery-looking flowers all along their length. These flowers actually evolved to attract a certain female parasitic wasp that lay their eggs on spiders in their webs. Since the flowers look like spiders, The wasp lays the eggs on the flower and is covered with pollen. Not getting the spider it’s looking for, it moves on to the next “spider”, thus pollinating the plant. Pretty amazing stuff.

As I’ve pointed out in other posts, the key to figuring out how to grow a plant is finding out where it’s native habitat is, and a previous post on bromeliads highlighted this. Brassia orchids are native to wet, tropical forests of Central and South America. They are named for the 19th century British botanical illustrator, William Brass.

Orchid hybridizers have crossed Brassias with Miltonia and Ondontoglossums to create some incredible hybrids, many of which are fragrant and have very large, spidery flowers.

How to grow your Brassidium orchid:

They require very bright light but not direct sun. Please don’t expect them to be happy in a dark, interior room! In the tropical forests they receive diffused light through the trees.

Keep your Brassidium orchid moist during the growing season. This is the period when the pseudobulb develops and flower spikes appear. After this period, when in flower, don’t overwater; the fat pseudobulb at the base is helping hold moisture. Water once a week or when the pot begins to feel light.

Brassidium orchids appreciate humidity, temperatures between 65F and 75F during the day, and good air circulation that can be provided by a fan. Since our homes tend to be dry, if you’d like to keep your brassia happy, add a shallow tray of pebbles in water that the pot can sit on (but not in the water). This will help raise the humidity to the 50%-70% these orchids prefer.

Color With Caladiums, Zinnias, and More…Trough Planting 2014

These three horse troughs are lined up along the sidewalk…

The three horse troughs that are planted each year at Dyron’s restaurant next door finally got their summer makeover the other day. Last year’s troughs were planted with a variety of herbs and annuals, and you can see them if you click on the link above.

This year’s planting utilizes the tropical shrub, thryallis. It’s bright yellow flowers provide continuous color through our summer heat and will show off well in this spot. These planters get very hot afternoon sun, and I’ve found that brighter colors really work best here.

Thryallis, 'Red Flash' caladiums, Acalypha 'Tahitian Gold' While all caladiums appreciate heat and shade, there are some that can also handle sun, including ‘Red Flash’, the one shown here. These deep red leaves will mingle with the other foliage and flowers, including a copper plant, Acalypha ‘Tahitian Gold’. It was chosen for its yellow foliage to echo the yellow blooms of the thryallis. The acalypha and a red fountain grass will grow up tall, providing a nice backdrop to this composition.

Little Leaf Coleus 'Ruby Red', Profusion Zinnias - Trough Planters Since it is a restaurant, after all, and ornamental peppers were plentiful in the nursery, those were placed next, just in front of red Dragonwing begonias. Eventually the peppers might be enveloped by the other plants, but until then they’ll contribute their small white flowers and ornamental purple peppers to the mix,

Next up, some zinnias – the Profusion series perform beautifully in our heat and humidity and add white blooms with yellow centers all season. A tiny leaved coleus, Ruby Gold, will fill in the center. Finally, to trail, some potato vine, a chartreuse-leaved variety in the Sweet Georgia series. These are not quite as rambunctious as the old standby, ‘Margarite’.

Thryallis, Ornamental Peppers, Profusion Zinnias, 'Red Flash' caladium, Coleus Last, a silver trailing plant. Usually I use silver dichondra for this color because it holds up extremely well in our heat and humidity where so many other silver plants fail. This year, though, I’ve decided to try a new plant…a selection of one that I haven’t had good luck with, but this is supposed to be an improved variety, so we’ll see. It’s a licorice vine, Helichrysum ‘Silver Star’. We’ll keep an eye on this one and hope for the best. It scored high marks in the University of Georgia Athens trial gardens, so I have high hopes!

Maintenance, as always, will involve consistent watering, as well as grooming to remove any yellowing leaves and caladium seed pods. I’ll also be clipping back the ‘Dragonwing’ begonias to keep them in bounds, deadheading and clipping the zinnias, and cutting back the acalypha if it grows out of proportion. Correct maintenance is the most important aspect of keeping container gardens beautiful!

Arrangement Inspiration – Spring 2014

Jamie created this Mother’s Day gift using herbs and annuals…

There isn’t much time in the spring for writing and work on the computer in the nursery business, and the pictures in this post and the ones to follow will give you a glimpse why and are a fraction of what we’ve been working on recently.

This year especially, with Easter falling late and the Mother’s Day holiday arriving a little over two weeks later, the demand for help planting spring planters and beds and then gifts to give for Mother’s Day really kept us hopping!

Pinkie created this piece in a customer’s container for a party using bedding plants and asparagus fern…

The past two months have flown by, and Mother’s Day is now past. Now the final push to finish spring planting is on, and the long, slow slide to summer begins.

Two corkwood pieces I fashioned into a planter – Bantel’s Sensation sanseveria, calathea, trailing pepperomia and selaginella…

Here, then, is a sampling of arrangements that we’ve created in the rush of early spring. Some are orchid arrangements in customers’ containers (and some in ours); others are arrangements in corkwood. Still more are short term plantings for parties, using bedding plants and herbs that can be planted in containers and in the garden outside after the festivities. Enjoy.

This arrangement was for the wedding of a gardener. Variegated iris, ligularia, rosemary and nicotiana share space with the double spike orchid…

This basket was a thank you gift – the hydrangeas can be planted in the garden after they’ve bloomed…

A small corkwood planter for shade that will eventually get quite large…new guinea impatiens, torenia, creeping jenny and irish moss to trail, a brake fern and a bit of ajuga…

Redtwig dogwood branches add to the vibrancy of this lively arrangement…

Bedding plants and herbs in bright colors
brightened tables for a party…

The silvery air plant leaves work well with this container.
Calathea leaves add even more interest…

Planted For Shade – Chez Fonfon Planters – Summer 2014

The large square planters outside chef Frank Stitt’s French bistro, Chez Fonfon, are my babies to plant each season, and it was interesting to see how things fared after a particularly harsh winter. Not surprisingly, even with the excellent maintenance their staff provides, it was time to redo for the summer heat.

Chez Fonfon Shade Planters - A New Season A testament to its common name of cast iron plant, the aspidistra looked amazingly good considering the bone-chilling temperatures Birmingham dipped to in January. It only needed a few leaves cut out, and no thinning was required this season…probably due to the cold. A heuchera, that had been added in the winter planting for its beautiful leaves, was removed to be planted in a bed at another of the Stitt’s restaurants, Bottega. I also removed the branches that had been added to give extra interest in the winter planting.

This year, instead of using the Aaron caladium of last summer, I switched it up and put in some caladiums that are all white, named ‘Garden White’. They should get quite large and work well with the kimberly queen fern, a tropical fern with an upright growth habit. Next, a couple of white sunpatiens were placed. These will also add mass to the center of the planter and, with the trailing white torenia, add more color to this shady spot.

I love foliage in planters such as these, so I couldn’t resist using Carex ‘Evergold’ to spill over the edge, along with torenia and a pot of angelvine, muehlenbeckia complexa, a tough-as- nails little vine that will also trail.

Chez Fonfon Shade Planters...Caladiums and More For Summer Torenia is an interesting plant, useful in shade plantings such as this. The white one used here (They are also available in blue, purple, magenta, and a yellow.) will trail over the edge of the planter, but there are also plants in this same genus that grow more upright and are useful in garden beds and planters in light shade as well. This is a good plant to get to know, since regular bedding plant impatiens are susceptible to downy mildew of impatiens.

So…another planting finished. The best part is yet to come, though, as patrons and passersby can watch the transformation of small plants as they gradually grow together and flourish with a little help from the capable staff of this fine Birmingham restaurant.

Branching Out…A Teal Bowl Planting

Laying the branches…

Adding the bird’s nest fern…

Lichen covered branches are so beautiful in their own right, but we ultimately are a plant shop and every project we create begins and ends with plants; so, incorporating these branches into our designs has been a lot of fun.

This one started with a beautiful, large teal colored glazed bowl, really very pretty all on it’s own. I chose a few lichen covered branches and positioned one upright on an angle into the potting soil and laid the other across so I had some planting pockets to work with. The ends needed just a few loose lichens and moss glued to them to cover where they’d been cut.

The trick when using something like this is in not hiding the beauty of the branch and finding plants to compliment both the color of the bowl and the added texture of the lichen as well. Of course, the plants also have to work together as far as water and light needs.

Wandering the greenhouse contemplating the choices, I decided to go the woodsy route, with ferns as the go to for this planting. So, a bird’s nest fern, Asplenium nidus; button fern, Pellaea rotundifolia; a selaginella,; and an austral gem fern, Asplenium dimorphum x difforme, were gathered.

Finished…

The bird’s nest fern was the largest, and I placed it toward the front and tipped forward to show off its form. The button fern was the next to be placed, the austral gem fern was tucked in the back (not shown in these pictures) and, last, a small selaginella was added to the front to spill over the edge.

A smaller, more delicate lichen branch connects the two larger ones and gives it a pretty, woodsy look in contrast with the glazed container – ying and yang in a pot!

Japanese Roof Iris – A Plant With A History!

Iris tectorum ‘Alba’ with Carex ‘Evergold’

The days are becoming warmer, and the white Japanese roof iris are beginning to bloom. A charming iris, it spreads slowly in part sun and the fresh green iris fans are lovely as a counterpoint to other plant forms in the garden.

Iris tectorum ‘Alba’ is the one shown here in my garden…and the one we carry, grown by a local supplier and available now.

Iris tectorum ‘Alba’ with ‘Blue Mouse Ears’ hosta and violas

Though its common name is Japanese roof iris, it’s actually native to China. Botanist
Carl Maximowicz (1827-1891) discovered it growing on roofs in Japan in the early 1860s. In an earlier dynasty, an emperor, during a period of war, decreed that only food (rice and vegetables) would be grown in the ground – no flowers. So, the resourceful Japanese grew these flowers on the edges of their thatched roofs. They were the original roof gardens and must have been quite a sight to come upon!

Pretty fans of Iris tectorum ‘Alba’

In addition to providing beauty in a time of war, the ground roots were the source of the white powder used to whiten geishas’ faces. I must say researching plants is not boring at all; the tidbits learned can be fascinating.

When in bloom, this pretty iris is about a foot tall and the fans droop a bit, so the groundcover effect is quite lovely. The bloom period lasts 2-3 weeks late April into May.

– Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Variegated Solomon’s Seal…Lighting Up the Shade

Morning sun in spring on emerging Variegated Solomon’s Seal…

Variegated Solomon Seal, Polygonatum odoratum ‘Variegatum’, is a favorite in my shade garden…though, if you know me, you know I have a lot of favorites. Tough as it is beautiful, it is a stalwart in many gardens, lending its graceful, arching foliage and fragrant, bell-shaped white blooms to the early spring palette.

Though it tolerates drought once established and will slowly form large colonies of plants, it’s happiest in dappled light and moist soil. The spot mine are in is along a dry riverbed that is definitely quite moist during periods of rain but also can be very dry in the summer.

Companions include ferns, acorus, calla lilies and more…

Other happy companions in this area include: Autumn ferns, dryopteris erythrosora; Southern maidenhair ferns, Adiantum cappilaris; various hostas; a ground cover strawberry begonia, Saxifrage stolonifera; Acorus; blue woodland phlox, Phlox divaricata, that has seeded itself; forget-me-nots, myosotis sempervirens; a calla lily; hydrangeas; Virginia sweetspire; and more that like this shady area.

Along a dry riverbed…just coming
up in the spring…

Variegated Solomon’s Seal shown in lower left – mid summer with hydrangeas blooming…

The height of variegated solomon’s seal is around 2′ tall, spreading indefinitely where it’s happy. The white, bell-shaped flowers will bloom until late spring, and fall brings beautiful, blue-black pendulous berries that hang downward along the stems. The arching foliage is also very lovely in flower arrangements. Really, what more can one ask for in a perennial plant?

The Perennial Plant Association named Polygonatum odoratum ‘Variegatum’ 2013 Perennial Plant of the Year, calling it “a classic beauty for the shady woodland garden or the part-shade to full shade border.”

An Old Table Turned Into a Miniature Wonderland…

Molly…the beginning.

If you’ve kept up with some of the posts of projects we’ve done at Oak Street Garden Shop, you might realize we enjoy creating fun things as well as helping customers with plants and gardening. Our latest project started life as an old table…one that perhaps had seen better days.

Rigging the waterfall…

We’d all discussed creating a larger miniature garden display using hills and had seen many miniature garden displays on various sites online through Pinterest and other places. I showed everyone a really large display that even had a waterfall and “boulder” filled stream. Well, we wanted a waterfall too!

The cottage Jamie embellished…

So, the idea of a waterfall and hills became the starting point. Our display would need a miniature garden house, and Jamie embellished a rather plain one with the addition of “stones” on the front and moss, lichen and succulents on its roof. Now it looked like the charming cottage we envisioned. Lauren, Adding Plants...

The Hillside...

In just a few days our sad little table became the home to a sea shell laden beach, grottos, the aforementioned waterfall, and various places to walk and sit. Little by little it grew in proportions with the addition of tiny houseplants on the right hand side of the display and succulents on the other.

Lauren’s treehouse…

Lauren worked for days on the “treehouse”, starting with a piece of tree root and adding a miniature garden cottage. She slowly added more and more to this hideaway in a tree, including a pulley to haul up a case of wine, a hammock, and a rope swing over the waterfall below. Billy helped secure it so it wouldn’t topple. I may do a whole post on this alone!

Tiny sunbathers…

Pinkie contributed her arts background and brought in some Sculp It! modeling clay that Molly, Lauren and Bert used to fashion tiny figures. Sunbathers on the beach, an entire yoga class under the tree house, (On their yoga mats!) a figure that looks suspiciously like owner, Billy Angell, tending the garden in front of the cottage, and more. Two rather large people – not quite in scale with the rest, but much too fun not to include, are seated at the bistro table front and center.

Adding more plants…

Jamie and I continued to plant and add more items – a frog on a bench, a turtle on a “boulder” a birdhouse, benches, and so much more. All the while more ideas got bounced around – a customer even suggested adding a gnome – what a fun idea! People invariably made the comment that they kept “finding” more as they gazed at this miniature wonderland in progress.

Of course we had the world of the greenhouse at our fingertips to create this – including tiny houseplant ferns, air plants, aluminum plants, Scotch and Irish moss, selaginella and even tiny pitcher plants. Plants that required the same moisture were grouped together. This meant the succulents and plants that like to be drier naturally ended up separate. Hen and chicks, haworthias and sedums were tucked in the sphagnum moss and chicken wire “hillside”.

Tiny tree slice stepping stones make a path to the “beach”. Walk a little further around and it gets rockier and less “beachy”, but there’s a fire pit for a night time party…and cliff caves to explore too. Rough rock steps lead the way back up to the cottage from here.

A work in progress…

The spring planting season is about to begin and people will be wandering the nursery to find plants for their outdoor spaces and planters. I hope they’ll make their way into the greenhouse with their friends and families to see our own “garden in miniature” and that it will bring a smile…

Tending the garden…

As you might be able to tell from these pictures, our project is not quite complete…but what garden ever is?

Lavender ‘Phenomenal’ A New Introduction!

Lavender ‘Phenomenal; Photo Courtesy Peace Tree Farms

Here’s the second plant of the spring season that I’m excited about; the first one, digiplexis, looks like it will be a winner for our area. Introduced in 2012 by Peace Tree Farms in Pennsylvania, Lavender x intermedia ‘Phenomenal’, is touted to be a truly humidity and heat tolerant variety.

Unfortunately, many of us in the south have tried lavender over and over. We’ve planted them in the best of spots with lots of sun, excellent drainage, and even added lime to “sweeten” our acidic soil. But, invariably, the cold tolerant English lavender varieties have either succumbed to the never-ending humidity and heat of southern days (and nights!), or the more heat tolerant Spanish and French varieties have died in the damp, cold, and waterlogged soil in the winter. (Excellent drainage is definitely a must for any lavender, especially in the winter.)

Lavender ‘Phenomenal’ Photo Courtesy Peace Tree Farms

Attaining a size of roughly 24″-30″ tall and wide, Lavender ‘Phenomenal’ is reputed to be resistant to many of the foliar diseases that have plagued southern gardeners and is also extremely fragrant. The look is that of a classic lavender plant, with bright blue blooms held high above mounding, silvery-green foliage.

Maybe this will be the truly perennial lavender for us, and the others can be used for what they’re best for, either through the summer, and maybe winter, like the Spanish lavenders or as a winter interest lavender like the beautiful English and French offerings. Who says we can’t have it all?

I am hoping for the best with Lavender ‘Phenomenal’ and have contracted a local grower to supply us with some this spring. Some will definitely be going in my garden!

Succulents…See Some Things We’ve Created!

succulents in the greenhouse…

air plants…

With the spring planting season approaching, the nursery will be a plant lovers dream, filled with the best of everything we can find. These include fragrant, ornamental, and edible herbs, including the popular oregano ‘Kent’s Beauty’, sun and shade loving perennials for your garden, bright, flowering annuals for pots and planting beds, and shrubs expressly selected for their ornamental qualities and durability in southern gardens.

Another grouping of plants we have all year around are succulents, and they are so beautiful arranged in containers for the summer or as a combination planting in the home all year around. Some shown here also incorporate tillandsias, or air plants because their care and culture is so similar.

living wreath…

The living wreath shown here that Molly planted was a huge hit on our Facebook page, and for good reason. Just look at all the interesting textures and colors used, including echeverias, cryptanthus, air plants and even a tiny phalaenopsis orchid! This post on creating a living wreath give you some tips on how to make your own masterpiece. To see yet another that Jamie made, take a look HERE.

Because succulents, air plants and even bromeliads (another great companion) come in so many different shapes, colors and sizes, it’s fun to come up with endless combinations. Here are more that we’ve created in the past few months.

In this long, narrow planter Lauren used a number of different plants including succulent echevarias, sedums, haworthias, and a pretty pink aloe. Meandering through this combination are pilea ‘Aquamarine.’

this will get large!

This two tier planting is going to get quite large! Flapjack kalanchoes share the space with a trailing succulent-like plant called dorotheanthus which will have charming little red flowers as the weather gets hotter. It’s also quite cold tolerant, though not completely hardy for us here. This container would be best moved in for the winter.

We’ve used cork bark planters to great effect in the past, and here Molly planted one with some really beautiful hen and chicks, sempervivum sp., and a couple of hardy sedums. This planting could be kept outdoors through the winter with the exception of the tiny aloes on each end, which can be repotted and moved inside during the colder months. The entire planting could also be moved into a sunny room for the winter.

one of two…

air plants add height until the flapjack kalanchoe gets larger…

The two pretty white pots shown here work together (There’s actually a third as well.) I used a tall tillandsia to add some height to this planting until the flapjack kalanchoe attained some size. The cryptanthus adds some color at the front and the pilea will contribute delicate trailing leaves to this composition. In the second pot I added an echevaria to the planting, keeping the pinky color scheme going.

Be careful not to overwater if a container doesn’t drain…

Succulents can be planted in anything! This copper planter does not have drainage though, so the plantings need very careful attention to be sure they’re not overwatered – always be mindful of what kind of containers you’re using. Those that drain are always best. I have to confess I just really liked how this looked anyway! And, it’s been growing quite happily in the greenhouse since February.

Succulents can be used as accents. too. Here a container is home to a tall sanseveria and pussy willow stems with sweet allysum tucked between for it’s dainty white blooms.

Finally, if you’re designing a container with succulents (Or anything!) remember the container you’re placing them in is part of the design as well. This little log shaped planter is brown in color but tinged with a touch of pink. I liked how the cryptanthus on the left picked up on that but contrasted with the other plants chosen to offset it in color and weight.

So, with warmer weather right around the corner, grab a pot, stop in , and find some succulents and air plants of your own to plant up – you can’t go wrong – promise!

Digiplexis – A New Plant To Try!

Photo courtesy Thompson & Morgan

This year there are a couple of new plants I’m excited about. This is the first one…and one that we’ll have available for you to try this spring. Digiplexis is a cross between digitalis (foxglove) and Isoplexis canariensis (Canary Island foxglove). The picture is courtesy of breeder Thompson & Morgan, since I haven’t grown it yet. If it looks anything like this, though, I’ll be taking plenty of pictures in my own garden!

The result of this cross has taken the horticultural world by storm – a breathtaking (by all accounts) combination of the orangeish-apricot flowers of isoplexis with the pinks of foxglove. The variety is called ‘Illumination Flame” and won the Greenhouse Growers’ Award of Excellence in 2013. In fact, this cross was thought to be impossible but was accomplished by Charles Valin after 6 years of work.

The flower spikes are similar in shape to foxglove, and the 3′ tall plant is reported to have multiple bloom spikes. This is our first growing season with this plant, and it will be a learning experience for us all. I am hoping that, because of the heat loving isoplexis genes, it will last longer into the summer for us. It would be best to site it in a spot that receives some afternoon shade to ensure it lasts as long as possible. The plant is sterile, so it won’t seed; but reportedly the bees and butterflies are still atracted to it. And, even though the tag claims it is a perennial, I will be labeling it an annual until it proves itself as carrying through an entire summer and winter here.

A word to the wise : Any of you reading this who are regular customers are aware of how quickly we sell through things during the height of spring. If you are interested in trying some of these, please let us know so we can special order them as they become available.

In addition to Illumination ‘Flame’, we’ll also be carrying one called ‘Raspberry’ later in the season. This was an addition to a local grower’s order that was unexpected, so, of course, we’ll have to try it as well!

Photo Courtesy Thompson & Morgan

Miniature Gardens As Centerpieces…

tiny cloche…

In a few short weeks Mountain Brook’s Little Garden Club, a charter member of the Garden Club of America, will host a regional zone meeting and flower show. It will take place April, 2014, and a lot of folks are involved in planning this important event. Members of GCA clubs will be attending from the surrounding states, so there will be a lot of visitors!

Miniature Garden

I’ll be assisting with a number of others in the “passing” of the horticultural exhibits – clearing them for entry into the flower show to be judged. I was very flattered to be asked and happy to help with this event, which has been two years in the planning.

What does all this have to do with miniature gardens, you ask? Well, these tiny gardens have been very popular the past number of years, and the garden club organizers decided it would be a fun thing to have on some of the tables for one of their meetings. And they turned to Oak Street Garden Shop for help.

The containers we chose are metal, and they will be wrapped with aspidistra leaves to make a “Ribbon of Green”, the theme of this year’s meeting.

These pictures show how some turned out. The miniature gardens are designed to continue living as a true garden, so plant material is chosen accordingly, with only minor exceptions.

Because these take a great deal of time to make, I finally gave up on waiting for new miniature garden accessories I’d ordered since my deadline to have them completed was looming…but I still had plenty of fun things to play with. If you’ve ever made one of these gardens in miniature, you’re well aware how detailed and time consuming they are.

For some of the centerpieces I chose succulents, including haworthias and sedums, which work well for tiny plantings. Pilea ‘Aquamarine’ is a low grower with a great color; it just needs clipping regularly to keep it from overrunning its neighbors.

Miniature Garden Tiny pots of ordinary houseplants also work in these gardens. Little parlor palms, ferns, polka dot plants and baby podocarpus make good companions, and selaginella is a pretty groundcover.

It’s nice to have different sizes of pebbles to create paths and larger stones to create “boulders”. Can you see the turtle sitting on one?

There’s still more tweaking to do (Just like a real garden that is never “done”!), and one more not even started yet…but that story is for another post. If you’re in the Birmingham area, stop in and take a look. They’re even more fun in person!

– Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Spring 2014 – New Shrubs to Peruse

Bert and Jay unloading…

blueberry bush blooms after a rainstorm

March brings the beginning of the spring planting season, and new arrivals will be coming in almost daily from now through June. It’s an intensely busy time, and, after this past winter, we understand everyone is more than ready to plant something…anything!

The first spring deliveries bring shipments of select shrubs. Because of space limitations we get them in first; it’s amazing how much room a blueberry bush or a Lady Banks rose in a 5 gallon pot can take up…especially noticeable when our entire operation is on 1/3 of an acre (Including the parking lot). Some shrubs in these first shipments are one time orders only, so don’t hesitate if you see something you like.

Chamaecyparis ‘Golden Mop’

If you’re looking for a focal point in the garden, we have a chamaecyparis in now named ‘Golden Mop’. Shown here is a picture of one in my garden. If you’ve looked at pictures of some of our outdoor Christmas decorations using live greenery, you might be able to spot the bright golden foliage lighting up those holiday arrangements. In March, the perennial groundcover Veronica ‘Georgia Blue’ makes a pretty skirt underneath it. We have some of it in stock now as well.

Rosemary looking a little rough after this past winter…

Do you need some new rosemary plants in your garden after this frigid winter? I do. With this in mind, we have tried to get in as many as we can. These first shipments will include large pots of upright rosemary to replace those so many of us lost. Remember to place your rosemary where it will receive at least 4 hours of good sun and won’t be in soil that stays wet for any great length of time. I’ve had a large one out by my mailbox for a number of years now (Inexplicably, it was the one that survived this winter.) that rarely gets much attention and is enormous.

This tea olive is right at nose level from my deck…

A couple more favorites of mine that we have now until they’re sold out are the wonderfully fragrant tea olives, Osmanthus fragrans. Their small white flowers aren’t noticeable until the elusive scent wafts through the garden in the late summer through fall and again sporadically through the winter. Plant these in a protected area in sun to light shade, ideally near entranceways or seating areas where the scent can be fully appreciated.

On afternoon walks in the fall their scent is unmistakeable in my neighborhood! According to this link by UGA (Click on publications and search for osmanthus fragrans.), they will grow to a size of 10-15 feet at a fairly quick rate. I started with a one gallon pot 9 years ago, and it’s easily at its mature height now. This is the only winter mine exhibited cold damaged leaves and bare stems; with spring, some fertilizer, and new growth they should be fine.

Sarcococca in my garden with Dicentra cucullaria peeking out from underneath…

One last shrub I’d like to mention is one you may not be familiar with; it’s an excellent for shade areas called Sweet Box, Sarcococca confusa. It will gradually spread in woodland areas and has clusters of fragrant white flowers in the spring, followed by round black fruit later in the season. It’s a very nice evergreen shrub and useful as a filler or background plant. If you have a woodland garden, it’s a must!

These are just a few of the new arrivals; others include confederate jasmine, figs (Yum!!), Virginia sweetspire, Red Drift roses, bay laurel and more. If you’re in the area, please stop by and take a look!

The Garden Is Waking Up…Don’t Forget To Look Down!

Lenten Roses blooming below the rocks….

After this winter’s double polar vortex whammy, I’ve been a little unsure what to expect in the garden. Is the confederate jasmine alive? I scratch its bark; it’s green near the bottom of the vine so I’ll need to cut it back to live wood. Will the black elephant ears that are in the water down by the rock outcrop come up this year? No sign yet but I’m still hopeful. They’ve been there for 8 years at least!

Southern maidenhair fern waking up…

And what about the salvias? My Mexican Sage is definitely gone, but I see tiny green leaves on the blue Salvia ‘Indigo Spires’. The forsythia sage looks like it is reappearing too. That is a huge surprise.

Tassel Fern croziers beginning to unfurl…

As I walk, I see the ferns are finally beginning to awaken, and, amid the blooming lenten roses, the southern maidenhair fern is finally up and beginning to unfurl dainty spring green fronds.

Japanese painted fern…

The holly ferns took a big hit; I’ve cut them back completely. Some are showing signs of life, others aren’t. I see it’s going to be a waiting game. Last season’s winter-tattered tassel fern fronds are laying flat on the ground, and I cut them back. The new, coppery-colored croziers will unfurl more each day, reaching for the light. The garden is coming back to life!

Virginia bluebells…

I’ve wondered if the Japanese painted ferns would make it. Perhaps I worry too much, because now I see a single frond, and then more. They blend into the rock behind them, but I know where to search. I’m so happy to see them. There should be more soon if the changeable March weather doesn’t turn fickle on me.

Bloodroot…

Every day I walk through the garden, searching for more – the native wildflowers with names like rue anemone, virginia bluebells, crinkle root, trillium, jacob’s ladder, bloodroot, hepatica, blue woodland phlox. These are the tiny ones, the spring ephemerals that somehow know to begin growing with longer, warmer days.

Soon I’ll begin to look up in the garden as well. The buds of the viburnums are getting larger, and the spiraeas are beginning to bloom. I know more and more will vie for my attention. For now, though, I’ll continue to look down, searching for spring.

Spring is coming to the nursery too! If you’re looking for treasures for your garden or just enjoy stopping by, come in to see our beautiful selection of shrubs, perennials, native plants and more. It’s a feast for the senses!

Below are the latin names for plants mentioned in this post:

Confederate jasmine – Trachelospermum jasminoides; Black Elephant Ears – Colocasia sp. Mexican Sage – Salvia leucantha; Indigo Spires Salvia – Salvia x ‘Indigo Spires’ ; Forsythia Sage – Salvia madrensis; Lenten Rose – Helleborus orientalis; Southern Maidenhair Fern – Adiantum cappilaris; Holly Fern – Cyrtomium falcatum; Tassel Fern – Polystichum polyblepharum; Japanese Painted Fern – Athyrium niponicum; Virginia Bluebells – Mertensia virginica; Blue Woodland Phlox – Phlox divaricata; Jacob’s Ladder – Polemonium reptans; Crinkle Root – Cardamine diphylla; Rue Anemone – Thalictrum thalictroides; Bloodroot – Sanguinaria canadensis.

Another Project…Medinilla magnifica, Air Plants and Bromeliads – In a Tree!

lichen covered limbs

We’ve been creating some magic with the lichen-covered branches and large limbs Jamie has brought in lately (They are a found treasure from an old and dying oak tree in her aunt’s yard.), and here is our latest project – giving new life to a dying tree.

The key components are some really large limbs, swiss cheese philos that were too rootbound to remain in their plastic pots, air plants, bromeliads, and lots of helping hands!

First, a large, lightweight fiberglass pot was put in just the right spot in the greenhouse, and, with much maneuvering, the positioning and wiring together of the 3 large lichen-covered tree limbs was accomplished. Next, we decided it needed some pea gravel to weigh it down, then added potting soil on top so the swiss cheese philodendrons would have lots of room to grow. Now we were set to play.

Jamie planted the philos in the large pot and glued more lichen to the cut ends of the branches while Pinkie fashioned a planting “basket” of plastic coated chicken wire, lined with moss, that the medinilla magnifica would live in. In their native habitat in the Phillipines, medinillas are found high in trees, so nestled high in the crook of these limbs seemed a natural spot for it here.

One of the air plants wired on…

While Pinkie planted the medinilla, Jamie and I played with the positioning and wiring of the larger air plants and small bromeliad. It was coming together!

Finished…

Finally, a bright Neoregelia bromeliad with a moss wrapped pot was nestled in at the botttom for a pop of color at the base. A bit of spanish moss hanging delicately from the top limbs completed our project.

If you are in the area, come by to see our latest creation. We think it will be another fixture of the greenhouse…and one that may change with the seasons or our whims!

By Kris Blevons

Medinilla magnifica – Wow!

Medinilla magnifica - Malaysian Orchid A stop you in your tracks plant, this one is very new to everyone, including us. Medilla magnifica’s origin is in the mountains of the Phillipines…and this is just one of 400 species! It’s an epiphyte in its native land, growing high in trees. What a sight that must be! Evidently the late king Boudewijn of Belgium was enamored of them, as well, growing them in his royal conservatories and using them on Belgian currency.

Here’s the scoop on how to care for your medinilla magnifica if you’d like to try this exotic beauty. This information is directly from the Medinilla magnifica website, since we have limited experience with this plant.

Ideal temperatures and light:

Medinillas prefer temperatures from the mid 60’s to mid 70’s, just like we do, and lots of light! In the winter, from about November to March, they can tolerate direct sun. The rest of the growing season, protect them from direct sun as the leaves can burn. Perhaps moving it outside, where it can enjoy the humidity of summer in a fairly cool spot out of direct sun, would be ideal.

The flowers will last longest when the nights are cool. These flowers are actually a lot of small flowers cupped in bracts and will continue to elongate to as much as 50 cm with a purple anther. Flowering should last as long as 3 months.

Medinilla magnifica & lady slipper orchids

Pretty companions…Medinilla magnifica and
lady slipper orchids…

When it looks like the flowers are spent, cut them off. A new leaf will form where the flowers were. It needs a period of cooling to cause bud formation in these new leaves, so leave it outside through fall as the temperatures drop into the 60’s. When you see buds forming that are at least an inch long, they can be moved into a warmer spot again for the winter.

Fertilizing, Pruning and Repotting:

Medinillas can be pruned, but always leave at least one pair of leaves on a branch or it wil die. And never remove more than 50% of the leaves. Repotting is best done in the spring, as a new growing season begins. When it’s growing new leaves, it can be fertilized with an orchid or houseplant fertilizer every two weeks but don’t fertilize when in bloom.

Watering:

As with many plants, the medinilla magnifica prefers to go quite dry between watering. Their website mentions picking the pot up and watering when the pot feels very light. As is usual when you allow something like this to dry completely, you’ll also want to water it thoroughly when you do water. Then leave it alone again until the pot once again feels light.

The preferred method of watering a medinilla is from the bottom. This is quite easy, really. Simply fill your sink with water, put the pot in it, and let it soak up the water for about 10 minutes (When watering any plant by this method, it’s best never to allow a plant to sit in water over 30 minutes.). When you remove it from the sink, let it drain for a few minutes so there’s no chance it will be sitting in water in a cache pot or saucer.

It’s also recommended to mist your medinilla regularly to raise the humidity around it.

What an interesting plant…something new for you to try or to give as a gift!

Contained – In Cork…Indoors Now, Then Outside For the Summer!

I planted this cork planter the other day for a birthday celebration. This one has a double duty life ahead of it: First, as part of a happy get-together, then, later, outdoors, possibly in a shady nook for the rest of the growing season.

These pieces can be used either horizontally, planting along the top, or vertically, like I’ve designed this one, positioning the plants up the planter. Since it could be unsteady if it didn’t have something to stabilize it at the base, I placed it in a pulp planter that I’d covered with a layer of sheet moss. A plastic saucer underneath will protect the floor during its time indoors, then it can be used without the saucer out in the garden or on a patio, porch or other spot that has some shade.

nephthytis, tooth brake fern, rex begonia and selaginella ‘Frosty’ nestled together…

Because the cork has a tendency to open up as potting soil and plants are inserted, I also wrap it tightly with bark covered wire after it’s all planted and add green sheet moss to keep everything in place. We were surprised when our first plantings gradually opened up, threatening to disgorge all the plants we’d carefully positioned, but the bark wire has been a good remedy.

This planting has a variety of houseplants, including nephthytis, used for its lighter green and white foliage, rex begonias for a bit of color, tooth brake ferns and a bird’s nest fern, a new selaginella with white tips called ‘Frosty’, and a large autumn fern in the top with angel vine spilling over the edge with one last, large rex begonia.

We’re getting in a new shipment of these cork bark pieces at the end of the month, so if you’d like to try your hand at planting one or you’d like us to plant one for you, stop in!

Pretty Plantings…A Dough Bowl, Glazed Pots and More

Pinkie filled this dough bowl with pansies, diascia, sweet allysum, lettuce and more…

Look at all the different flowers Jamie used here…and not any of them cut!

This time of year is a transition period in the nursery and the greenhouse, and, quite honestly, we’re ready for the change of seasons.

What goes into pretty plantings for parties and gifts is changing too. We’re nearing the end of the late winter primroses, forced bulbs, and pansies and looking forward to all the spring flowers to work with next.

Lauren put this pretty planter together…

Before we move on, though, I wanted to bring you some of the things we’ve been doing – from a dough bowl filled with flowers and herbs to glazed pots with pretty blooms, a simple green pot with beautiful foliage, and one made with lichen branches wired together to create a container. There’s always something to create, and what fun it is!

I loved this begonia in this pot…

None of the flowers we use are cut. We work with live plants, so the longevity is much better than a fresh flower arrangement, and, as an added bonus, many of the plants can be used outside, either in containers or in the ground when it’s time to take the whole thing apart. Think lettuce, herbs and forced bulbs planted in the garden!

This container fashioned out of lichen branches has a woodsy feel…

A planting that will continue to grow, either in the house or on a bright porch once the weather warms, is this green glazed bowl, filled with a rhizomatous begonia, an aluminum plant and some selaginella. It would be a pretty addition for Saint Patrick’s Day!

And here are the lichen branches I wired and glued together to make a container. When the primrose is played out, another plant can easily be slipped into its spot with the frosted selaginella and creeping jenny…or an entirely new planting could be created! We have quite a few of these lichen branches that Jamie found and that we’re playing with. If you’d like us to incorporate something like this into one of your planters, let us know.

spring blooms…

Finally, here’s a teal pot, filled completely with pretty blooms. Soon these flowers won’t be available, but by then we’ll be ready to move on to a new season and more creative possibilities. For now, though, it’s enough to have spring in a pretty bowl – and who wouldn’t like that?

Herbs, Veggies, Cool Season Annuals Shine in Late Winter Containers…

Wondering what to do about your winter-weary container plantings? It’s still too early to put in the real heat lovers, but there is hope.

Sweet allysum, lettuce and violas

If your pots look just plain awful, it may be time to, at the very least, empty them out and add fresh potting soil so you’re either ready to freshen them now or get a jump on planting them in another month or so. (You’ll be so happy you did this when you don’t have to do it later!)

Herbs add so much to container plantings. Whether it be some thyme to trail over the edge or a bit of parsley to add some fluff, they will add texture, color, and scent…not to mention it’s nice to snip a bit here and there for cooking! Take a look at this herb post from last year for more information. While not everything in that post has arrived yet, it will soon; so keep your eyes open!

Silver thyme and lettuce brighten this planting…

Other great additions this time of year are lettuce and arugula…just in time for spring salads! Plant some now and you’ll be picking until the heat sets in and they “bolt”, or send up blooms. This will mean they’re finished for the season and need to be replaced with something that will withstand the heat of summer. Another really pretty veggie addition is red-veined sorrel…and it’s very cold hardy as well.

Poppy and cool season annuals, diascia, sweet allysum and pansies

This is also the time of year for what is termed “cool season annuals“. These are the flowers that shine when the nights are brisk and the days aren’t too too hot. Think sweet allysum, lobelia, heliotrope, diascia, and nemesia for starters (Though breeders have now improved the sweet allysum to withstand even our brutal summers.),

We even have the first of the geraniums in stock now; they love this late winter, early spring weather. If your pansies survived this winter, they should begin to really blooom for the next month, as well, and snapdragons will even later.

Red veined sorrel adding some color...also shown Perennial Veronica 'Georgia Blue' and golden acorus.

Red veined sorrel adding some color…also shown Perennial Veronica ‘Georgia Blue’, golden acorus and lemon variegated thyme…

When the heat takes it’s toll on these cool season beauties, it will be time to plant your summer combinations. We’re so lucky to be able to have more than one growing season!

A caution when using these cool season flowers, however. Be a weather watcher and protect these from any freezing temperatures. If you do this, you’ll have the prettiest planters of anyone on your block!

Remember, you can always bring your manageably sized pots in for us to plant! We also carry a good selection of the biodegradable pulp pots that look great on their own or can be dropped into another container. Like to do it yourself? Browse the nursery and collect what you want for your planters, or ask us for help choosing just the right plants.

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