Plant Gardens 101

Ferns evoke a sense of rich mystery in the landscape, like that of a lush woodland. Their fragile appearance belies their toughness. Rather than being difficult to grow, ferns are solution plants for many of the difficult landscape problems that gardeners face. They thrive in shady, moist areas and love acid soil. Plant them around the base of trees, in dark and moist areas around the foundation of your home, behind walls or utility buildings, at the edge of wooded areas. They may grow where ever they find a foothold between cobblestones and bricks. They are great for those transitional zones between lawn and wooded areas.

Ferns prefer acid soil; ideally, the pH should test between 5.5 and 6.5. Take a soil sample to your local Cooperative Extension Office for analysis. Adjust the pH according to their expert recommendations.

If you are planting a container-grown fern, thoroughly water it before planting. Gently slip it from the pot, retaining as much of the soil as possible. Spread the roots out into the hole. Plant at the same depth as it grew in the nursery container. Water deeply with a fine spray. Too strong a stream of water can damage the foliage. (more…)

Hostas are easy to grow, shade tolerant, herbaceous perennials. Grown mainly for their beautiful foliage, hostas exist in a wide range of shapes, colors, sizes, and textures. They were once classified in the family Liliaceae but are now included in the family Agavaceae. Hostas are also called plantain lilies or Funkia, but these names are outdated. The scientific name for hosta is also its common name.

Hostas, native toJapan,Korea, andChina, were imported toNorth America in the mid-1800s. From the handful of species that were imported, hybridizing and tissue culture propagation have increased options for today’s gardeners as there are many species and thousands of cultivars available.

If we’re at all familiar with gardens, the name hosta evokes an image of a low-growing green plant with large broad leaves. To be more specific, a hosta is a non-bulbous lily that is a shade tolerant, hardy perennial plant grown principally for its foliage. But hostas produce pendulous 1″ to 2″ long white or violet flowers on an erect panicle up to 31″ tall.

Hostas are hardy in USDA zones 3 through 8, meaning they grow in most areas except deserts and the tropics or subtropics. They need about 700 hours below 40 degrees F to meet their dormancy requirements. (more…)

The daylily, Hemerocallis, is actually not a lily even though it is called one. Hemerocallis is the combination of the Greek words for “day” and “beauty,” which stems from the observation that each flower lasts only one day. Fortunately for us, there are many flower buds on each daylily flower stalk, and many stalks in each plant so we are blessed with a clump that blooms for several weeks.

Daylilies have the reputation for being tough, adaptable, vigorous plants that can withstand droughts and require less care than other perennials. Daylilies are one of the most popular perennials and for good reason. They are: (more…)