“Will it bloom this year?” Selecting and Planting new Perennials.    (from June 2010 newsletter)

 Virtually all perennial plant purchases at Van Bakel’s comes with the question “will it bloom this year?”   Yes – your new plant may send out a few blooms during its first few months in the ground but in no instances will it hit the ground running.  Between acclimatizing to outdoor conditions and trying to keep current growth well nourished right after roots are disturbed, newly planted perennials & shrubs are working hard at just staying alive.  To ask them to also be at peak blooming condition the first year is, well…just plain asking too much!   

It may not feel intuitive but now is the time to purchase spring bloomers like Lilac or bleeding heart so roots are well established and blooming strength is gathered before winter dormancy and spring blooming time.  Ornamental grasses need a full season to get established so now would be a good time to plant for fall & winter interest – in 2011.  Same with Phlox – planted now you may get one or two struggling blooms this year but next year it will be ready to fly having had this whole growing season to establish roots.   (Always remember though that summer planting MUST be followed up with daily watering for at least one week.)
Perennials require patience! Many gardeners started with annuals and are so used to seeing a garden in full colour almost instantly, that it’s often disconcerting when the switch to perennials forces patience.   Annuals are genetically geared to rush into bloom for maximum seed set each season, but not perennials.  April isn’t the time to purchase a Bleeding Heart for blooming 3 weeks later; August isn’t the time to purchase an ornamental grass for winter interest unless you’re thinking winter 2011;   July isn’t the time to purchase a new Phlox and expect a full bush of bloom the following month. 

Perennials and shrubs insist on first concentrating on root growth because they know they have a long life to prepare for.  Shrubs in particular often won’t start looking like the plant on your wish list for up to three years, spending the first season getting roots down and the second season putting out healthy new stem growth before being ready to bloom well the following year.  Herbaceous perennials bounce into action a bit quicker for good performance in the second year but even here the plant will still look like a youngster with its best years still ahead of it.   
Selecting a good plant.    When shopping for plants we all intuitively react to the obvious – a plant with lots of lush growth and at the height of its beauty in full bloom.  We hunt for the biggest one with the most amount of bloom, but this is actually the worst way to select plants.  A plant with lots of greenhouse growth and in full bloom will suffer the maximum amount of transplant stress through sheer exhaustion of trying to cope with natural outdoor conditions before establishing a full root system.  It has so much work to do just keeping the full head of existing greens green and flowers flowering, it isn’t unusual for

 a new perennial to completely collapse just a few days after planting.  (That doesn’t mean roots are dead though and most of the time the plant will just start all over again and send out new growth - definitely weakened by the ordeal, but alive.).   Best planting practice is to cut away any flowers and some of the oldest leaves on the plant at planting time.  That way all the plant’s energy can be channelled to first establishing a good root system for a quicker transition to adult performance.  Even removing any flowers that come during the first season in the ground is good practice .  Very few gardeners I know have that much patience though – me included!     

Evidence of a strong root system, not quantity of leaves and bloom, is the way to select a plant for purchase.  Look for sturdy fat stems and some recent leaf growth which are two of the main signs of a healthy active root system – quality of growth rather than quantity of growth in other words.  Pass over the ones that are already in bloom or at least resolve to cut them off at planting time and enjoy them in a vase instead.  You’ll have a much better chance of seeing the plant regroup and bloom perhaps later in the same season if you do this, and most certainly the plant will be at the peak of blooming health for next year.   

So, yes.  The answer to the very common question of “will my new perennial bloom this year” is, yes - your new plant may bloom the same year you’ve purchased it, but gardening with perennials is about patience  -  the more you have the healthier your plants will ultimately be. 

Miscanthus sinensis (from August 2009 newsletter)
What would the Autumn garden be without at least a couple of statuesque ornamental grasses waving in the wind with their glistening plumes catching the intense light of the September sun.  When this picture enters our head, it’s usually the image of a tall Miscanthus we’re seeing.   

There are many gorgeous ornamental grasses, large and small, but in our more challenging climate the only large and richly plumed one we can reliably grow in average conditions is Miscanthus sinensis.  Thankfully, there are so many different Miscanthus cultivars to choose from it’s hard to get bored!  From the petite and dainty ‘Little Kitten’ at only 18” tall, to the bold 8’ form of ‘Cosmopolitan’ or ‘Variegatus’, M. sinensis cultivars are plants with presence and attitude.  Where a strong sculptural shape is called for in a planting design there’s nothing quite like a Miscanthus to fit the bill.  

Their upright fountaining form holds its shape through the entire season and in Fall their lovely large plumes dramatically wave in the wind.  Some of the more elegant upright fountaining forms with very narrow leaves like Morninglight at 4’ tall or Gracillimus at 6’ tall add an air of majesty to a setting, while the bolder forms with wider variegated leaves like ‘Cabaret’ at 6’ tall or Cosmopolitan at a whopping 9’ tall make a solid robust statement with a rounder strappy outline once mature.  And then there’s the quirky horizontal stripping of Zebrinus that can also reach the heights of 8’ or more with a similar spread once mature.  If you like the Zebra effect but don’t have that kind of space available, a newer dwarf cultivar ‘Little Zebra’ will work.  Morninglight is a favourite with very fine leaves that capture the light really well, on a plant that isn’t so large that it becomes overwhelming in a standard sized garden.     

Even through winter Miscanthus is a contributor to a lively garden view.  When planning for winter interest they have a lot to offer.  The light tan of the dead foliage holds their shape and continues to stand tall and look stunning together with evergreens or other smaller ornamental grass forms.  By spring they’re a bit tattered but by then it’s time to cut them down to about 4” from the base before the new growth begins.  (A handy maintenance tip is to first tie them in the middle with twine before cutting to avoid the tedious task of raking up all the individual leaves).  New growth is slow to emerge from the ground in spring making it a perfect partner for spring blooming perennials – Bleeding Heart in particular since it leaves a very large hole once foliage burns out in August. 

There are many new cultivars coming out each year but all of them whether dwarf or giant have distinctive flower plumes in Fall - very full, usually purplish or silver toned turning to tan in winter, drooping comb-like to one side like a tropical birds’ feathers, and held well above the foliage.   

The larger Miscanthus are sometimes called, and tagged, "Hardy Pampas Grass", but they aren't really related to the Pampas grass (Cortadera) family.  It's as close as we'll come to that richly plumed giant in our climate though.

Heuchera ‘Mahogany’ (from July 2009 newsletter)
Once upon a time a great new Heuchera introduction was cause for excitement.  Although they remain indispensible plants for a richly textured perennial planting, by now any new Heuchera is little more than a slight variation or improvement on an existing cultivar.  We now have everything from deep glossy purple, smoky wine, silver leaved veined purple, bright yellow,  lime coloured, rusty orangey, etc.   I’ve been happy to see some attention being paid to a richer flower colour in some of the newer hybrids.   

There is a relative new one though that’s captured our attention as a keeper – Heuchera Mahogany.  Somewhat of an indescribable colour that’s somehow purple one moment and then in a different light has deep bronzy tones to it.  The really eye-catching thing about it though is the way it captures light.  As the slanting afternoon and early evening sun is captured by the leaves it’s as though the plant is lit from underneath and simply glows. Leaves are smooth edged with a relatively flat surface which perhaps accounts for it’s seemingly translucent nature, but all I know is that among the many dozen Heuchera we have available, ‘Mahogany’ is always the one that catches my eye.  Drop in at the greenhouse late on a very sunny day and take a glance over the sea of perennials on the stands – I’ll bet your eye will pick ‘Mahogany’ out of the crowd with its rich glow.  Position it in the garden where it will be backlit by the afternoon sun to make the most of this stand-out new Heuchera.   

As with most Heucheras it is happiest in a spot with adequate moisture and in sun to partial shade.  It will tolerate, but certainly doesn’t like, drought.  Although it may not flower as well, ‘Mahogany’ looks best in the partial shade where its leaves get slightly larger.

Hemerocallis (a.k.a. Daylily) (from June 2009 newsletter)
It always surprises me to learn how many gardeners aren’t aware of the huge selection of colours and sizes available in the sturdy Daylily family.   Hybridizers have come a long way from the common roadside orange Hemerocallis fluva, and cultivars are nowhere near as root invasive.  Virtually all colours of the rainbow are represented from dainty ruffled white through to a deep purplish black, and sizes from a cute little mini at only 6” high to a full height of up to 48”.   Ruffled, doubled, star shaped, ribbony spider shaped, glitter dusted, … you name it.  Daylilies are the delight of collectors and the mainstay of the mid summer garden.

 The plant’s botanical name is Hemerocallis and it is actually not in the Lily family at all.  Its common name of Daylily came from the fact that its flowers are a similar shape to the true bulb Lilies.  Hemerocallis is actually a closer relation to Hosta than they are to Lilies.  Bulb Lilies, Lilium, are a very different plant and are much more difficult to grow well.  The whole Lilium family is plagued and weakened by squirrels and Lily Beetle and needs good rich soil, while Hemerocallis will happily perform just about anywhere in your garden, sun to partial shade, good or poor soil, pest free, year after year, with little care – perhaps the #1 easiest perennial to grow.     

Daylilies have captured the heart and soul of many gardening enthusiasts and out-of-control collectors have popped up everywhere! Once you have a few you’ll want to find room for more.  At some point you’ll need to stop adding to your collection though since the number of registered cultivars is enormous.  Are you sitting down?  The number of hybrids registered with the Daylily Society is over 20,000.  (No, I don’t have the comma in the wrong spot!). (click here for a sampling of the few we carry.)   

 The main down-side to Hemerocallis is their foliage though, which declines rapidly after blooming, leaving a large ugly spot of mushed browned foliage in the garden from mid August onward.  Here’s a valuable maintenance tip though – immediately after blooming, around early August, take a good large knife and cut the whole plant down to about 5” from the ground – foliage and all, then give it a little bit of extra watering TLC for the following week.  A handful of compost as a top dressing would also be good.  A fresh crop of leaves will grow to replace the 2 – 3 month old foliage you cut away, and the plant will look good for the rest of the season instead of browning out.

Echinacea  (from May 15th newsletter)  
Echinacea, our tough-as-nails Purple Coneflower, has come a long way from the muddy purple, droopy petalled, tall and lanky native wildflower of just a handful of years ago.  There are now many different colours and heights to choose from, all with the same long lasting flowers and drought tolerance.  ‘White Swan’ and ‘Magnus’ were among the first new cultivars that brought us a white choice and a more vibrant purple with petals that don’t droop, and by now there’s lots of others to try.  Here’s a few of the Echinaceas we’ll have for you this year –

 'Hope'  Fragrant, soft pink, long blooming.  (Throughout 2009, a portion of each sale will be donated to Breast Cancer research in a continent wide program).

 ‘Coconut Lime'  Double white with loads of blooms for 2-3 months!

 'Lilliput' dwarf mounding habit with lots of deep rose purple flowers with two rows of ray petals held flat. 

'Green Eyes'  deep magenta flowers with a green disc center when young. Long-lasting fragrant blooms.

 'Tiki Torch' Darkest orange with massive 4 ½" flowers. Strong upright 36" stems.

Chrysanthemums    (from September '09 newsletter) Buying a fresh new Chrysanthemum has become one of the ways gardeners celebrate Fall in the garden.  While it’s fun to shop and purchase something new for the garden at this slower time of year, Chrysanthemums are very easy to establish as a permanent part of your perennial garden planting.  I plant them close to spring blooming Bleeding Heart to fill the space left in August by their faded foliage.  There’s no need to suffer the burned out foliage of Bleeding Heart – by August they have already gone into dormancy and are finished their work of the season.  Just cut the old foliage ... (click here for full article on "About Perennials" page.)

down to the base and open up the space to the Chrysanthemum that’s filling out and getting ready to bloom.  Chrysanthemums are an extremely useful small garden design perennial that helps planting spots do double duty.   

Chrysanthemums require healthy soil to bloom well, so trowel in a bit of compost when planting.  The key to have them  come back reliably each spring couldn’t be simpler - just leave the plant standing over winter - stems, faded blooms and all.  The other important thing to do to avoid the lax leggy look that second year Chrysanthemums can sometimes have is to tip pinch them regularly during the first half of the growing season.  At least once each month snip off the top ¼ of each stem to stimulate branching and delay bloom. Tip pinching regularly results in a full rounded plant that’s full of blooms once their September bloom time comes.  

They are slow to emerge in spring, but once up a few inches by late May, start this pinching routine.  Do the last trimming in early August to give them a chance to set flower buds for blooming in September.  Without this tip pinching during the growing season, Chrysanthemums don’t look half as good as they could, are tall and floppy, and bloom too early.  We want these for the September/October garden, not August when their strong colours can clash with other late summer bloomers!     

The following year they are already large enough for dividing, which you should do since they look best if you keep them to just a few main strong stems pinched as above through the season.  You can establish a second spot with the divisions or, of course, share with friends!  Stop pinching one patch a bit earlier for earlier bloom.  Pinch a third patch up into the middle of August for later bloom.  A very versatile plant indeed – have fun!