The Cicadas Are Coming!

Cicada

Famously known as Brood II, the 17-year cicadas are due to begin emerging by the end of May.  To some, witnessing this natural phenomenon is awesome; to others, menacing and grotesque.

For me, it means calls from clients wondering what to do about their recently planted gardens.

Adrian Higgins, the Washington Post's garden writer, sums it all up nicely.  Not everything in your garden is at risk - in fact, unless your garden was planted in the past two years, you shouldn't worry at all. Established trees  and shrubs will recover.  Perennials and evergreens are not plants in which the cicadas like to lay their eggs.

So no worries, enjoy watching the beastly creatures and be grateful they won't return until 2030.

What are other gardeners reading?

I wonder what other gardeners and landscape designers are reading, not just for inspiration, but to gain historical perspective, or, perhaps to fall asleep?  I have shelves of books about gardens, many that I've read cover-to-cover more than once, others that no longer have a spine (not unlike my old Bible), and some very pretty ones that don't do much more than collect dust.

A few weeks from now, I'm thrilled to attend a book signing party for David Culp, and his new book The Layered Garden:  Design Lessons for Year-Round Beauty from Brandywine Cottage.  Of course, this is on my list of books to read and add to my collection - and one that will likely lose its spine.  I've heard David Culp speak about winter gardens and read articles he's written about plants and plant design.  His excitement for plants, particularly perennials, is contagious.  

Peeking into the book online, he includes a list of some of his favorite garden books . . . what a rare treat! I have quite a few on his list, but now have a few more to add to my library.

Habemus flores!

Spring is almost here . . . holding my breath . . . and enjoying the early (and fragrant!) blooms of Hammamelis x intermedia 'Jelena' (Witch Hazel) and Sarcoccocoa hookeriana var. humilis (Sweetbox) in the garden.  

Rare Finds

One of my favorite plant catalogs arrived in the mail today - Rare Find Nursery.  With gorgeous pictures and very detailed descriptions, it's like walking through a specialty nursery right from my desk.

As one of my winter projects, I have been reworking the front entry to our home, creating two new planting areas (and of course, giving me an excuse to re-plan the rest of the front garden).  Lucky me, I have part-sun, part-shade giving me many options for experimenting with some unusual perennials.  With gray fieldstone as a backdrop, I'm considering some plant colors I wouldn't normally combine such as the orange daylily Hemerocallis 'Barnegat Bittersweet Eyes' and Solidago sphacelata 'Golden Fleece.'  Adding something medium purple (the complementary color to orange) like Liatris pycnostachya and Allium spp. could prove to be quite stunning.

Hemerocallis 'Barnegat Bittersweet Eyes'

Solidago sphacelata 'Golden Fleece'

 

Liatris pycnostachya

Allium spp.

Spring Garden Tours in Washington, DC

Each spring, I take several garden tours, not just for ideas and inspiration for my work as a garden designer, but also to enjoy the labor and love that others put into their own gardens.  Last April, a friend passed along White House Garden Tour tickets (2012 dates are yet to be announced).  

View across the White House Lawn to the Washington Monument

Petals of Magnolia soulangeana spilling onto lawn by walk to the West Wing

A cherry tree hides the view of a bee hive (across from the kitchen garden)

The Kitchen Garden newly planted

Tulips and grape hyacinths

Spills

It seems that this is the year of retaining walls.  And my favorite part of designing walls, especially dry stacked fieldstone walls like this one, is the opportunity to show off plants that want to spill over them.  And not just the tried and true Phlox subulata, but also Deutzia gracilis, Geranium x 'Rozanne' and Campanula garganica 'Dicken's Gold' with its striking contrast of golden foliage and brilliant purple blue flowers.

Egotistical Gardening?

Is it too tacky to plant a cultivar that bears my name? Maybe, maybe not. But this bellflower, Campanula glomerata 'Caroline,'  might be perfectly suited to my perennial border that remains damp after a good rain. Offered by Plant Delights Nursery, this "rarely-seen, mauvy pink-flowered" perennial blooms in May and June and attracts hummingbirds. It grows best in moist soils and is heat tolerant.

I could have an entire "Caroline Garden" if I added Malus domestica 'Sweet Caroline' (apple tree), Clematis x 'Caroline' (flowering clematis vine), and Rhododendron 'Caroline Allbrook' (azalea), Rosa x 'Sweet Caroline' and Wisteria x 'Caroline.'