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Hydrangea

Hydrangeas tolerate a bit of shade.

Old fashioned hydrangea, Hydrangea macrophylla, were somewhat predictable. Those that developed color bloomed pink in alkaline soil or blue in acidic soil. White hydrangea only bloomed white. Nowadays, some cultivars bloom better in pink while others bloom better in blue. Pink cultivars in acidic soil or blue cultivars in alkaline soil may be purple.

Floral form has also evolved significantly. Old fashioned hydrangeas bloom with big and rounded trusses of many small flowers. Such trusses are about four to eight inches wide. Some modern cultivars bloom with flatter or conical trusses. Some produce tiny florets in the center with bigger florets around them. All hydrangeas bloom for summer or autumn.

Big hydrangeas can grow about six feet high and wide. Most modern cultivars are more compact. The deciduous foliage is lush. Individual leaves are about six inches long, with serrate edges. Hydrangea perform better after dormant pruning during winter, to remove older canes. Younger canes that grew during the previous season will be more vigorous. Although bulky, hydrangea blooms are delightful as cut flowers. All parts of hydrangea, though, are toxic.

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Sunlight Is Necessary For Photosynthesis

All home garden plants require sunlight.

Almost every plant needs sunlight. Only parasitic plants that lack chlorophyll are the few exceptions. Even they rely on plants that need sunlight to conduct photosynthesis. Some plants require full sun exposure, while others tolerate some degree of shade. Actually, a few plants prefer partial shade. Situating plants accordingly promotes their performance.

Modern home gardens are generally shadier than older home gardens. They are smaller and surrounded by larger homes and fences. Taller fences, taller hedges and evergreen trees obscure adjacent homes. They also produce more shade. Plants that tolerate some degree of shading have consequently become more popular. They require less sunlight.

Most of such plants are understory plants. In their natural habitats, they live in the partial shade of larger plants and trees. They should do the same within home gardens. Ferns, philodendrons, alocasias, colocasias and Natal lily are a few examples. They are some of the few plants that actually prefer partial shade. They can roast with too much sunlight.

Azaleas, rhododendrons, andromedas and hydrangeas are also understory plants. They prefer a bit more sunlight than the other examples, though. They like eastern exposures, where they get plenty of sunlight, but only in the morning. Then, they are in partial shade as the weather gets warmer after noon. However, some can tolerate more sun exposure.

Oleander, bougainvillea, lavender, lily of the Nile and agaves are the opposite. They like full sun exposure as well as warmth. Unshaded southern and western exposures are no problem for them. Shade inhibits their performance, and promotes thin etiolated growth. Most yuccas and cacti require sunlight and warmth, but can be difficult to accommodate.

Northern exposures are the shadiest. Southern exposures are the sunniest and warmest. Both eastern and western exposures are partly shady, but eastern exposures are cooler. They get all their sunlight prior to noon, while western exposures get all theirs after noon. Big eaves extend shade. Deciduous trees shade during summer, but not through winter.

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Six on Saturday: Mixed Bag

These Six on Saturday lack a theme. They are a mixed bag.

1. Watsonia X pillansii ‘Coral and Hardy’ bugle lily is my first ever! Something dug it out last year before bloom, for no apparent reason. You can probably guess where it is from.

2. Canna X generalis ‘Cannova Mango’ canna on the right seems to have produced a red sport on the left. I do not think that another cultivar mixed with it, but I am not certain.

3. Matthiola incana, snapdragon has not been planted here for years because of rust. A few generations of just a few feral plants have grown from seed though. Most are yellow.

4. Osteospermum fruticosum, trailing African daisy might be feral also. Although some were planted nearby, I do not remember that any were planted in its particular location.

5. Phlox paniculata, garden phlox began as feral, since we do not know how the seed got here, but now that it is here, we cultivate it. Almost all of it is white, but one is lavender.

6. Rosa spp., rose is producing some exemplary flowers. I do not know what cultivar this is, but it resembles ‘Seashell’. I suppose its name is unimportant. It is pretty regardless.

Anyone who would like to participate in this meme should peruse this participant guide for Six on Saturday.

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Prune

Prunes are merely freestone European plums.

A prune is not merely a dried plum. Plums and prunes are really two distinct types of fruit. Plums are Japanese cling fruits, with their ripe flesh firmly adhered to their pits. They are rounder, softer, juicier, more colorful and best for fresh eating. Prunes, Prunus domestica, are European freestone fruits. They are slightly oblong, firmer, sweeter and dark purple.

Because of their higher sugar content, prunes are more popular dried than fresh. Plums are likely to mold during the drying process because they contain less sugar. Prunes are also better for canning and juicing than plums. However, for marketing purposes, modern prunes now qualify as plums. Plum juice is apparently more appealing than prune juice.

Regardless of their differences, plums and prunes are of the same genus. They grow on similar trees that require the same dormant pruning through winter. Dwarf trees are about ten feet tall. Semi-dwarf trees, which are the most popular, can get almost fifteen feet tall. Efficient pruning keeps them shorter so that more of their fruit grows within reach.

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Wildlife Also Enjoys Summer Fruit

Plums are very appealing to wildlife.

So much summer fruit is now in season. Most cherries have finished, but apricots, plums and prunes are still ripening. Nectarines and peaches will ripen immediately after them. Almonds will be the earliest nuts to ripen later in August or so. Birds, squirrels and other wildlife are eagerly watching and waiting. If they have not stolen fruit yet, they likely will.

Fruit appeals to wildlife like flowers do. Flowers employ attractive colors and fragrances to appeal to wildlife that pollinates them. Many reward such pollinators, which are mostly insects and hummingbirds, with nectar. Similarly, fruit uses attractive colors and aromas to lure wildlife that disperses its seed. Such fruit is compensation for this important work.

It is therefore only natural for wildlife to damage or abscond with fruit from home gardens. Such wildlife includes squirrels or various birds, or perhaps rats, opossums or raccoons. Protecting ripening fruit from them can be daunting. For some situations, it may not even be possible. Typically, wildlife takes only some fruit. However, sometimes, it ruins all of it.

Protection of fruit requires some familiarity with whomever exploits it. Squirrels and birds are visible as they are active during the day. Opossums, raccoons and rats are nocturnal, so are not visible during the day. Opossums and rats tend to nibble fruit but leave it on its stems. Raccoons tend to take fruit off trees to eat on the ground, leaving bits and pieces.

Bird netting can exclude birds, but is difficult to install, and almost impossible to remove. If effective for the particular birds, flash tape is an easier and more practical option. Fake owls or snakes deter both birds and squirrels. Relocation every few days improves their credibility. Because they are unfamiliar, plush toys may be as effective to deter squirrels.

Tree trunk baffles can protect fruit from opossums and raccoons. However, they are only effective if there is no other access from adjacent trees or fences. Rosemary, lavender or mint around fruit trees can supposedly be a minor deterrent. Not much deters a raccoon, though, once fruit starts to ripen. Electric fencing can be effective, but is not so practical.

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Six on Saturday: Red, White & Blue

Today, the Fourth of July, is 250th Independence Day, so is also the sestercentennial or semiquincentennial of the United States of America.

1. Pelargonium X hortorum, zonal geranium provides an ideal red. Other cultivars here bloom white, bright pink and brighter pink. They have been reliably perennial for years.

2. Lobularia maritima, alyssum is exclusively white for its particular application within the White Garden. In the past, we had pink and purple alyssum within other landscapes.

3. Salvia has a name; but it eludes me. It is a new addition to the Blue Bed, which is next door to the White Garden, and not actually as exclusively blue as its designation implies.

4. Rosa spp., carpet rose is not blooming profusely this year, but is blooming enough for at least this picture. It grows into wickedly thorny thickets that are no fun to work with.

5. Begonia X semperflorens–cultorum, wax begonia lives with the alyssum in the White Garden. It is enjoying improved sun exposure associated with the removal of a few trees.

6. Lobelia erinus, lobelia is perched on the edge of a color bowl, but is not yet cascading over. This color bowl also contains red, white and blue petunias, for Independence Day.

Anyone who would like to participate in this meme should peruse this participant guide for Six on Saturday.

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Canna

Canna begins as a summer bulb.

The many distinctive garden varieties of Canna typically begin as late or summer bulbs. They go into the garden as dormant rhizomes at the end of winter or beginning of spring. Then, they grow fast to bloom for summer. They continue to bloom until late autumn or, in mild climates, early winter. However, Canna foliage is as appealing as its colorful bloom.

The big and lush leaves may be green, bronze, striped or variegated. ‘Australia’ has very deep bronze foliage with fiery red bloom. ‘Tropicana’ has green, yellow, bronze and pink stripes with fiery orange bloom. ‘Stuttgart’ blooms merely with wispy pale orange flowers. However, it does so on high stems with foliage which is irregularly variegated with white.

Floral color can be pink, red, orange or yellow, either bright or pastel. Variegated, spotty or blotchy combinations of color are common and popular. Yellowish white is quite rare. Tall Canna can grow eight feet tall, but bloom with small and wispy flowers. Short Canna may stay less than two feet tall, but with big and bold bloom. All growth should be cut back as winter ends.

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Perennials Should Have Staying Power

Common daylily is a popular perennial.

The definition of perennial is vague. Technically, it refers to anything that persists for any significant time. This should include trees, shrubbery and vines. Horticulturally, though, it refers to persistent species that lack any woody parts. Even this definition is vague, as it includes ferns, palms, yuccas and succulents. Perennials certainly are a diverse group.

Annuals are not perennials, since they finish their respective life cycles within one year. However, most annuals have potential to perform as perennials. They merely do not get opportunities to do so as other annuals become more seasonal. Biennials complete their life cycles within two years, so also do not qualify. Persistent bulbs might qualify, though.

Canna, for example, grows from thick and fleshy rhizomes that qualify as summer bulbs. Once established they are resiliently persistent. They proliferate and can migrate as they do so. Calla and various ginger do the same. All are easy to propagate by division while more or less dormant. They defoliate where winters are colder, but regenerate for spring.

Lily of the Nile is among the most popular and common perennials. It is very resilient and persistent. It does not need much attention or water, and is very easy to propagate. Even without bloom, its evergreen foliage is appealing. African iris, or fortnight lily, is probably the second most common perennial. It requires a bit more grooming than lily of the Nile.

New Zealand flax is a bigger perennial, although some cultivars are relatively compact. It is more foliar than floral, since its thin floral stalks are not as striking as its bold foliage. Daylily is among the more floriferous perennials, with bright yellow, orange or red bloom. Beard tongue is another efflorescent perennial, but with white, pink, red or purple bloom.

These are merely a few examples of the most locally popular and practical of perennials. This list should also include hosta, coral bell, yarrow, Shasta daisy and various salvias. It is impossible to mention all of the perennials that perform well here. Although most are evergreen, some are deciduous. Most need irrigation while some can actually naturalize.