Live with Steve Silk: Tune in Tuesday, May 8, 12:30-1 p.m., to radio host Suzanne Thompson's "CT Outdoors" show on WMRD-1150AM in Middletown (WLIS-1420 AM in Old Saybrook). CHS president and show guest Steve Silk will be chatting about the May 11 CHS plant auction, the May 17 program meeting and other CHS happenings.
A tape of the program will be rebroadcast Saturday, May 12, 1-1:30 p.m. and Sunday, May 13, 7- 7:30 a.m.
Flowers of redvein enkianthus (Photos: Kevin Wilcox)
Editor's note: A CHS audience admired this plant at the February program meeting, when Kevin Wilcox described and showed photos of it. The following description comes from Sharon Harris, co-owner of Acer Gardens in Deep River.
Redvein enkianthus (Enkianthus campanulatus) is an excellent shrub for the landscape, showcasing form, texture, flowers in May and fall color. An upright shrub, it reaches heights of 12 feet to15 feet and becomes more rounded with age. Hardy in USDA Hardiness Zones 5 to 7, its foliage is finely textured and whorled and creates a layered effect. This large bush could be grown as a specimen near a patio or deck and underplanted with groundcovers or perennials. It also works well in shrub borders and could be combined with azalea, rhododendron, clethra and fothergilla.
Enkianthus grows best in full sun but will tolerate light shade. It prefers a moist, well-drained, acidic soil, rich in organic matter. It is resistant to insects, disease and deer.
Bell-shaped flowers (yellow to light orange with red veins) hang in pendulous clusters and bloom in May. The flowers appear as the leaves emerge, so the blooms are easy to see. Several cultivars are available with red, pink or white flowers.
The shrub retains its seed pods and is a good source of food for northern juncos in winter. Fall color is spectacular, with the leaves turning brilliant reds and oranges. It is definitely our favorite shrub for fall color.
Plant enkianthus where it can be enjoyed and admired throughout all seasons. Plant it near a patio and you will see birds surrounding it through winter and early spring. Hanging hummingbird feeders near it in summer will add to the continuous pleasure this shrub gives.
CHS hit the airwaves in advance of the Feb. 4, 2012, symposium to talk about the day's exciting events and other great goings-on in the Connecticut Horticultural Society.
Listen to the podcast of the Jan. 21 "Garden Talk" conversation that featured CHS President Steve Silk and board members Elaine Widmer and Kevin Wilcox. The three joined hosts Len Giddix and Lisa Napolitano on the show, which airs weekly on WTIC-1080AM. The conversation focused on the visual aspect of "the sensuous garden," and included listing some great plants for the winter garden and tips on how to photograph the garden.
by Colleen Fitzpatrick Michelson
The fungus causes brown spots on leaves and distinctive black cankers on stems. After symptoms appear, leaf drop is rapid. While the blight affects all species, American or common boxwood (B. sempervirens) and English Boxwood (B. sempervirens ‘Suffruticosa’) appear to be highly susceptible.
The Courant quoted Bob Heffernan, director of the Connecticut Nursery & Landscape Association, as estimating that the crop of the highly popular landscape plant exceeds $20 million in the state.
Scientists don’t know how the fungus got to Connecticut. It may have arrived with plant shipments from other locations, or fungal spores may have blown in on Hurricane Irene’s winds in August. Unusually high amounts of rain and relatively warm fall temperatures have favored fungal growth, scientists said.
CAES recommends that gardeners do the following: isolate any newly purchased boxwood from other boxwood plants for at least one month and ideally for several months; avoid overhead watering of plants; pull and remove infected plants immediately, putting the entire plant in a plastic bag and then in the garbage (do not compost it); and rake up and similarly dispose of infected leaves.
Boxwood blight has been reported throughout Europe and in New Zealand since it was first identified in the United Kingdom in the mid 1990s. Until October in the United States, only Virginia and North Carolina had reported its presence.
For more information, visit www.ct.gov/caes or call 203-974-8496
Witch hazel (Hamamelis virginiana); Photo: Steve Silk
by Cathy Zbuska
Allan Armitage, who runs the research gardens at the University of Georgia, once wrote that “Shade is to gardening as Oreos are to cookies: too many can give you a stomachache but having none is cruel and unusual punishment.”
I’ve always moaned and groaned about my shade. Being an avid organic gardener, however, I was reluctant to cut down trees just to allow some sun in for a garden. After taking garden classes, touring and photographing gardens and experimenting, my husband and I learned which plants work well in shade.
I try to use perennials, shrubs and trees that have more than one season of interest. Most of the plants I recommend here have foliage whose texture and color can carry the garden along once blooming has finished. Come with me as I describe a few fall plants that work well in the shady garden.
Aster novae-angliae ‘Alma Potschke’. The rose pink flowers of this aster bloom in mid-September through early October. The plant performs well in full sun but will also grow in part shade if it gets two to three hours of sun each day. Soil that is too rich will cause this aster to flop. Consistently moist soil is best, but the plant will tolerate drier soils. To prevent this aster from reaching its full height of 2 to 4 feet, cut it back in early June. I cut the front portion of my stand and leave the back alone. This extends the bloom time and it eliminates the need for staking, as the shorter front portion supports the taller stems in back. Combine this aster with Eupatorium rugosum ‘Chocolate’, which has chocolate leaves, purple stems and white blooms in September and October.
Tricyrtis ‘Tojen’ (toad lily). The name may be horrible, but the lovely orchid-like flowers make up for it. The small, 1-inch-round, light lavender blooms with yellow throats grow along arching stems amid dark green leaves. This variety blooms even in deep shade, and its flowers are a sight to behold in mid-September to early October. Plant it in moist, well-drained, humus-rich soil. Reaching heights of 2 to 3 feet and with a weeping habit, this toad lily makes a pretty sight over a bed of ferns. It is a late arrival in spring.
Hamamelis virginiana (common witch hazel). This native small understory tree or shrub grows 10 to 15 feet tall, and sometimes taller, and 15 feet wide. The leaves emerge reddish bronze and turn dark green. Fall foliage is a clear, bright yellow. The last woody plant of the year to bloom, its yellow spider-like, crinkled flowers appear after the foliage has dropped, starting in mid-October. The blooms have a spicy fragrance. This witch hazel performs best in part shade but it tolerates full sun. Plant it in moist, slightly acidic soil. ...
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