What grows under a Black Walnut Tree

The community plot next door was going to let the plot under the walnut tree go to weeds because everyone had come to the conclusion that it wasn't good for anything else.  Everyone but me.  I was determined to do something other than letting the ragweed grow. 

It was already late in the season when I cleared the weeds and tried my experiment.  I didn't really expect to get anything out of it, but at least I wouldn't be sneezing every time I worked in my plot farther down.  Here is what I found out.

Glads do well right under the black walnut tree.

Bush beans produce poorly, but pole beans do just fine.

Morning Glories start out OK and then die.

Impatiens don't seem to have a problem. And the corn would have produced more if I hadn't started so late.

Parsley can handle it, but beats do poorly if at all.

Impatiens destroyed by Downy Mildew

I’ll admit it, impatiens were never at the top of my list of favorite garden plants. Everybody and anybody plants impatiens. Sure, they are cute and easy to grow, but I've always been drawn to the slow growing/bloom-for-only-a-few-weeks type of perennial.  Bottom line, they didn’t excite me. For the past eight years, I’ve lived in rental houses where I was forced to grow plants only in containers. I vowed that when I finally bought a house, I would not plant impatiens. Being a horticulturist, I knew there were other, more unique and intriguing plants out there that would thrive in the shady areas.

Impatiens walleriana

Nevertheless, after buying our first house this winter, I found myself drawn toward impatiens for my yard. I have come to realize there really is a place for this showy annual among the perennials and shrubs in one’s garden. A bland spot under the hedge in the front of my house needed a punch of color and within week, bam! the “Salsa Mix” Impatiens brightened it up. And then, after we removed a the  Juniper shrub from under the weeping cherry tree, I needed some quick color in there. A bunch of white impatiens did the job beautifully. 

Beautifully, that is, until one week ago...

At first, I thought something was eating the impatiens. In a large spot near the road, the plants were missing their flowers. But since the plants further back on the property still looked good, I thought it was a rabbit (further convinced after I saw a rabbit one morning just sitting innocently on my front lawn – a sight not common in my neighborhood!).  I bought some organic rabbit and deer spray to deter the creature and put down some fertilizer to encourage more blooms. But nothing worked. And then I received an email from a local nursery. It started with “Do you still have impatiens? Well, enjoy them while they last because Downy Mildew is destroying them across Long Island.” Not knowing what that was, I did some research and it turns out that Downy Mildew, Plasmopara obducens, is causing gardening (and growing!) havoc throughout various parts of the US this year. Symptoms include yellowing or stippling of the leaves, leaf margins curling downward, stunted growth, flower drop and white downy-like growth on the underside of leaves. The fungal disease can cause complete defoliation or plant collapse especially in landscape plantings under cool, moist conditions.

I realized my plants were not being eaten, they were being destroyed by this disease.

Downy-like fungal growth on the underside of the leaves

Downy mildew is a water mold. It likes and requires moisture to sporulate and cause new infections. Locations where the leaves stay wet for extended periods of time (either from dense plantings, overhead irrigation or excessive rainfall & humidity) are more susceptible. 

Read more about Downy Mildew here.

Apparently, regional outbreaks were common in 2011 and are spreading into 2012 due to spores over wintering in landscape beds. There is no control of Downy Mildew and it’s recommended that infected plants be removed immediately, placed into plastic bags and discarded. If fungal-laid leaves get into the soil, the spores may continue to live there for 3 years. So if you think you can just plant new impatiens next year, think again. A better bet would be to plant new guinea impatiens, coleus or begonias.

According to mainstreetnursery.com, it’s believed that because seed companies have been hybridizing impatiens to gain desired characteristics, the impatiens’ previous resistance to the disease has been bred away over time.

Yesterday, I sadly removed all my impatiens. Even the ones that looked good from above, had the tell-tale whiteness on the underside of the leaves. In their place, I planted some variegated coleus and white begonias with attractive brown foliage. I know it's late in the season (and frankly, it was slim pickings for me at the nursery!) but I do hope these will grow quickly enough and provide some color until frost. 

Turns out, I will miss my easy going impatiens after all, and hope to have them in my garden again one day. 

Sad state of affairs for these impatiens

What about you? Have you seen this problem in your area?


More about the impact of Downy Mildew on Impatiens walleriana:
http://www.greenhousegrower.com/article/26190/opinion-impatiens-put-to-the-test

The Real Houseplants of New York

Winter is a time for resting indoors, but also, for me to truly enjoy my houseplants. Sure, I appreciate them all year round but it's during the cold gray days of winter, that I am so thankful to have them brightening my days. Here are a few that share my house with me. Thankfully they all get along!

I got this Cyclamen just after Christmas and it's still looking good. I love the heart shaped leaves and the way the flower petals shoot upwards. In nature, Cyclamen go dormant during the warmer months and comes into growth during the cooler, winter months. Another great reason to have one of these in the house - flowers in the winter!

I'm actually taking care of this basket of plants for relatives while they are away and am enjoying having it on my bookcase. I love the mixture of textures and even though each plant has seemed to grow beyond the size of the basket, it still looks appealing. The basket is fillled with a Palm, Syngonium and Schefflera.

Behind the basket on the right are three bamboo shoots. I got these years ago and placed them in a vase filled with marbles and water. They seem to be doing really well. I had to prune one of them because it got too leggy, but the new growth is coming in nicely. Apparently three stalks of lucky bamboo brings the three ingredients for a happy life: happiness, wealth and longevity. Bring it on!

This is a Wandering Jew (Tradescantia zebrina). It started as a simple cutting, which I placed in water until the roots began to grow. Then I potted it up and watched it take off. It's got some new growth on it now, so I think it likes the amount of sun it's getting from this southern window this time of year.

This Philodendron (I think it's a Fiddle Leaf?) has an interesting story. I bought this plant for my husband (then boyfriend) about 12 years ago as a housewarming gift for his new apartment. It was much smaller and more upright then. Despite some neglect and under watering at times while living in his apartment, it continued to survive and grow. Then, six years ago, it came back to me and my care. I decided to split the plant into two separate plants. The other one, not seen here, is of the same size and both continue to look great. This plant never ceases to amaze me. It's one of the easiest plants to care for.  Recently they have begun to grow aerial roots, which are spilling out over the side of the pot. Does anyone have experience with these and/or suggestions on what to do about them? For now, I'm just leaving them alone.

This Areca palm (Butterfly Palm) was once part of a basket of plants that was given to me as a gift. As soon as it outgrew the basket, I placed it in it's own pot and let it enjoy some space. Every now and then one of the fronds dries out, but I just prune it off and the rest continues to grow and sprout new leaves. I love the wispy nature of this plant.

This Codiaeum variegatum (Croton) also started off as a small plant years ago. I liked it's striking mix of colors. In the summer, I put it outside since it really enjoys heat and humidity. Only one year did I have a problem with spider mites, but thankfully it survived and has been pest free since. It's grown rather large and the stems have become big and woody. I'm always fascinated when I go to Florida or another tropical location and see this plant growing in the landscape!

For the first time, I decided to try to over-winter my Geraniums this year. I loved the hot pink color of the flowers and hated to see them die off from the cold. I have to admit, I am pleasantly surprised the plants are doing so well! But I have to be careful with the watering. Too much water or too little water is not appreciated by this plant. But right now, the leaves are nice and green and even sprouting some new growth!

This is another plant that was taken from that same basket of plants I received as a gift. This is actually one of two Syngonium podophyllum (Arrowhead Plant) I have - both from the same plant basket. They just keep growing and growing and need little attention. Occasionally I will prune off some leaves/stems if it's getting out of control or needs to be reshaped. I recently made new plants from these stem cuttings:

This cutting was taken from one of the two Arrowhead Plants (Syngonium podophyllum) I have in my house. I did this cutting just after Christmas 2010, and it's just now starting to sprout new growth and leaves. I love watching the leaves unfold and open. 

These three plants are Chlorophytum comosum 'Variegatum' (Spider Plant with green leaves edged in white), Codiaeum pictum (Croton), and Chlorophytum comosum 'Vittatum' (Spider Plant with white leaves edged in green). The two Spider Plants are the "pups" taken from their mother plants. The Croton was part of a craft my son did for Thanksgiving (it was the turkey's feathers). They are doing ok, but dry out quickly in the clay pots. I need to keep a careful eye on them.

The purple Oxalis on the top is one of my favorites. I love the color, but I especially love how it closes its leaves at night and "goes to sleep" only to open them up again during the daylight hours. Every spring and summer, it bursts with new leaves and lovely purple flowers. But then every winter, when it goes semi-dormant, I am convinced it is going to die on me. It doesn't and after these years, it's still going strong!

The second plant, off to the right, is Asparagus densiflorus 'Sprengeri' or Emerald Fern. This plant also came from a stem cutting and has flourished nicely.  I love the texture of the plant, with it's trailing stems and bright green leaves. My only complaint is that it drops tiny, yellow leaves from time to time. A way of shedding I suppose? Looks like mine is due for a haircut soon anyway.

The third plant is another experiment for me. Like the Geraniums mentioned above, I had this Impatiens outside on my patio all summer. This plant has pale pink, double flowers and was so pretty, I didn't want to lose it. So I wondered if it would be ok as a houseplant during the winter. And far, it seems to be thriving. A few new shoots of growth are making me think it's fairly happy. I guess we'll see this summer if it was worth it!

And there you go! A small tour of the plants in my house.

What's Blooming Now

Walking around the yard yesterday I noticed quite a few things are still blooming. Here on Long Island, the night temperatures are hovering around the upper 40s and the day temperatures are in the low 60s. Definitely feels like fall outside!

The Coleus is starting to lose its bottom leaves, but this variety is holding on to the upper part of the stem very nicely. I love the rich brown in the middle of the green leaf.

Amazingly these Impatiens still look great. The leaves are starting to yellow, but they continue to flower and make me smile.

The red Begonias look completely at home in the fall landscape. The red flowers with the reddish-brown stem and darker leaves look appropriate for this time of year.

I have a natural wooded area along the south side of the house. It is very pretty this time of year with the Goldenrod and wild Aster flowers blooming.

In the flower box on the front porch, I recently planted purple Ornamental Kale and some sweet orange colored Violas. I love the contrasting colors.

The yellow Lantana is still blooming nicely in the hanging container on the front porch. It's doing amazingly well considering its not getting full sun anymore.

I've freshened up the front containers with fall plants such as Mums, Pansy and Ornamental Peppers. This container also shows the lime-green Coleus and the Euphorbia "Diamond Frost"still doing well.

 These Geraniums were the best thing I bought this year. The vibrant pink with the lush green leaves were gorgeous no matter where I moved this container. And they are still looking great in mid-October!

 The New Guinea Impatiens didn't really do much this year. Maybe they didn't get enough sun. However, I'm enjoying their lush foliage for now. Especially when everything else is dropping their leaves.

What's Blooming: July 2012

It's Garden Bloggers Bloom Day! Here's what's growing and blooming in my new garden this month:

Flower box just outside the front door is blooming with Lobelia, Petunia and Bacopa.

This little beauty is just starting to bloom. Looks like a Pee Gee Hydrangea to me. Do you agree?

Finally my Impatiens have filled in. I love the mixture of pinks and oranges. It's called "Samba Mix." Hot and spicy!

I love this combination of purple Russian Sage and the yellow Black-eyed Susan.

Another Hydrangea starting to bloom. This one looks more like the Panicle Hydrangea (Hydrangea paniculata 'Tardiva' maybe?)

At the curbside garden, the Hostas along the sidewalk (to the right) are getting too much sun. The leaves are yellowing and it doesn't look healthy. I'm not a big fan of this type of Hosta and its flower stem is long and wispy. But the Hosta in the back (left foreground), I like.  The leaves are green with yellow margins. The flower stalks are shorter and stay more erect. It just seems like a more lush and compact plant. I might think about swapping out some of the others for next year.

Another favorite combination of mine is the pink Echinacea next to the Black-eyed Susan. There are Sedums to the left and back of the Echinacea just waiting for their turn. You'll see them on next month's blog post!

As always, any thanks to Carol over at May Dreams Gardens for hosting the monthly Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day. 

What's Blooming: July

It's Garden Bloggers Bloom Day! Here's what's growing and blooming in my garden this month.

What a difference a month can make! Everything has really taken off and is blooming and growing well, despite the heat and humidity we've had recently.

The Morning Glory vines have finally taken off. They started out very vigorous indoors and then when I put them outside, they seemed to take a while to climb and look healthy. But now, they are climbing everywhere and some pink and purple buds are starting to appear.

I honestly thought my flower boxes were going to have some more space this year. But my Impatiens and Geranium cuttings have really done well. I love the deep purple Salvia and the bright yellow Zinnia.

The white Angelonia augustifolia (Summer Snapdragon) looks great here next to the pink Verbena. I love that lone pansy still holding on, despite the heat and sun!

The pink Impatiens are my cutting plants I created this spring. I am so happy with how they have bloomed and flourished! The hot pink Geranium is also a cutting and I think it looks nice peeking out above the purple Pentas.

I overwintered this Geranium plant for the first time this past winter. Last month, I honestly didn't know if it was going to bloom at all. But look at it now! It is like a hot pink explosion of color!

Probably planted too many annual Dahlias in this container, but oh well. They still look good and are enjoying all the sun. The yellow chiffon Superbells are getting crowded out though.

Another plant I overwintered inside was my Croton. What started as a small little desk plant has morphed into this huge beauty outside my front door. Just two weeks ago the new growth appeared and now it looks so healthy and happy.

I repotted the Columbine seedlings to a bigger pot. I doubt they will bloom this year, but there is hope for next year. I see some traces of Columbine leaf miner on some of the leaves. Anyone have experience with those? Simple removal of the leaves should help, right?

I love the color of this trailing Geranium. I looks like its peering through the vines.

The Ferns and Hostas I planted last month seem to be doing well, with the exception of the  Cinnamon Fern (Osmunda cinnamomea) on the left. For some reason, it just flopped open and has been like that for the past few weeks. It's being well watered and fertilized. Anyone have any ideas what's wrong with it? I've seen a few new fronds, so I know its ok, but it just doesn't look great. The Ostrich Fern (Matteuccia struthiopteris) on the right, by contrast, is looking very happy and lush.

The Lady-in-Red fern (Athyrium filix-femina var. angustum) is also doing quite well and I like the stark contrast in color and leaf form of the Tradescantia zebrina.

In the backyard, the shade plants are also doing well. Under the maple tree, the Impatiens and Caladium are looking great. The Caladium on the right is not as large as the other two, but I think it's because it gets a little less dappled sun than the others.

This is the Impatiens' mother plant from which I took the cuttings. Blooming profusely.

These cute little pink begonias were in another box mixed with Coleus. But they were getting crowded out by the Coleus, so now they are in their own box and looking much better. I love the delicate pinkness of them.

The other two flower boxes filled with Impatiens and Lobelia have also come into their stride.

Hopefully everything will continue to do well despite the warm summer we are having here on Long Island. Next month I hope to see some Black-Eyed Susans I planted as well as more Morning Glory flowers.

Many thanks to Carol over at May Dreams Gardens for hosting the monthly Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day.