I have promoted several plant sales through this blog over the years. Several were for Clara at Harvest Thyme and they have all been good sales with fine plant material to. The sale Saturday May 18 has more to offer than any I have championed. Not only will you have the wonderful selections of perennials from Clara’s garden, there will also be an All Star lineup of vendors selling a hole range of plants and plant related paraphanalia. It will be a whose who of horticulture excellence.

Do you like your plants to eat flesh or your herbs to be carnivores? Well than Chris Radcliffe is the guy for you. A major carnivorous plant nut and collector, Chris will be bringing your favorite meat eater to the sale.

Sundew Drosera aliciae

Pitcher Plant Sarracenia

Is native and non-native Rare and  Unusual Shade Perennials your thing. Gene Bush, co-owner of Munchkin Nursery not only sells these types of plants but happens to be one of the nations foremost authorities on the subject. A road trip to his Indiana nursery should be on everyones spring to do list. Now he is coming to you.

Indian Pink Spigelia marilandica

Gaultheria procumbens with frost.

You have to love a gardener who gets the most out of their favorite plants. Sandy Manteuffel, not only grows a huge collection of Scented Geraniums, she also immortalizes them on her beautifully made clay pottery. What an incredible gift Idea, buy the geranium and the pottery that matches.

Scented Geraniums

Scented Geranium Pottery

Connisuers of fine Conifers and Japanesse maples will be thrilled with the offerings from Byron Baxter. One of the regions most discriminating eyes for quality Coniferous Creations, Byron not only sells cool plants but he sells cool plants that work in our area.

A few of Byron's Selections

One of Byron's Japanese Maples

Of course after reading my last blog post, you know how I love heirlooms tomatoes. Amy Powell will be bringing her selection of heirlooms tomatoes, peppers and herbs. Ask her about her Grannies Maters.

Heirloom Tomatoes Some not to pretty, but boy do they taste good.

Kevin Collard of Pine View Nursery is making the trip from the depths of KY. The sale poster says it all. Grower and Purveyor of Fine, Rare and Unusual plants. I have seen some of his inventory. It is fine and rare and well grown.

Epimedium, Kevin will have some.

Finally, there will be a two free lectures by Jim Hansel. Jim is by all accounts one of the most well versed and valued plantsmen, gardeners and teachers the Cincinnati rejoin has to offer. If you are not fully satisfied with his lectures, you get a full refund.

Alliums in Clara's Garden

This really is the plant sale not to miss. Not only because of all the horticulture dignitaries I have mentioned above and Clara’s beautiful gardens, you will also be surrounded by a bunch of darn good gardeners with the knowledge to help you with any of your needs, free for the asking.

Carbon

Friday May 10th and Saturday May 11th one of the finest selection of Heirloom tomato plants will be on sale at the annual Garden Mart at Trinity Episcopal Church in Covington Ky.

Amy Powell, co-owner of Atwood Village Family Farm, will be offering 70 varieties of heirloom tomatoes. Most are tried and true heirlooms selected for superior flavor and performance. Amy has grown hundreds of varieties over the years and has few peers in our area with her knowledge and experience. In addition to many of her favorites there will be several varieties offered for the first time.

The Heirloom Tomato

You can read about many of the selections in Amy Goldman’s fabulous book, The Heirloom Tomato.

Canestrino

The Garden Mart will also have vendors selling perennials, annuals, herbs and many other great gift and garden products.

Blooming winter Aconite.

Winter aconite (Eranthis hyemalis), is one of the first flowers to break the winter blues. It’s golden glow is a welcome sight during the dreary days of winter.

First year seedlings.

Since winter aconite is one of the  first plants to flower, it is one of the first plants to ripen a seed crop. The timing of the first blooms vary according to the weather. Some years I have seen aconite blooming in late january. Late February is a more common time of bloom in the Cincinnati area. The seed ripening also varies. In 2012 I was harvesting seed on April 2. This year I should started harvesting seed on April 29.

Second year

I have a simple method for propagating this species. Collect the seed, throw them where you want more plants and let them grow. In three to four years you will have blooming size plants.I am sure you could speed the process by sowing seeds in a containers and providing optimum  fertility and growing conditions. Unless it is a special variety of winter aconite, I will stick to my tried and true method.

Third year

They will grow and flower in many locations. Any flower bed, sun or shade, woodland or even a lawn. Shaded lawns with a thinner density of grass work best. It helps if you can hold off on the first mowing until the plants start to go dormant after flowering. Mowing will not hurt the plants in their first few years of life since they are very low to the ground.

Fourth year going to seed.

When collecting seed, I simply pinch of the main leaf with the seed capsule and through them in a bag or bucket. Pods that are not fully open will continue to ripen after harvest.

Once the seed ripens on the plant, they do not hang around long. Rain and wind easily knock them out.

Napa Cabbage straight from the cellar.

To many of my readers this may look as appetizing as a six month old crock of Kimchi unearthed in the Korean hillsides.In this age of lacto-fermentation some of you may truly understand what I am talking about. This picture is not from a fermentation vessel or any other well controlled environment. This ball of slime is straight from the fungal and bacterial playground I call my root cellar. The root cellar is actually our garage which is built into the side of the hill. The humidity levels stay incredibly high and the temperature never drops below freezing.

Napa peeled of rotten layers.

This is a Napa cabbage which I picked in November 2012. Who would have thought such a tender leafy vegetable would last this long. I should not be too surprised. When I store them in the refrigerator, they never seem to go bad. Just peel a few layers off and good as new.

Storage #4 before

The other cabbage in the root cellar is the more traditional european cabbage. This variety was specifically bred for storage. It was also picked in november 2012 and still has many months left in the tank. They are solid as rocks, with not even a hint of space between the layers. In our two person family, one goes a long way.

Storage #4 peeled

Even though this is the time to start planting early season cabbage, with six still in storage I do have my reservations about adding to the cabbage load. However, the storage cabbage has lost a bit of its appeal and something fresher may be in order.

Storage #4 sliced.

I raised both cabbages from seed. The Storage #4 was started in late may and planted in the garden in July. The napa cabbage, Rubicon, was started in late july and planted in early September. Both were purchase from Johnny’s Seeds.

Napa from storage starting to bolt or flower.

Plate-O-Hellebores

Just in time for a weekend that might actually feel like spring, there are two excellent Hellebore sales in our area. The timing could not be better. Usually by sale time, the plants are well past their peak. The cold, late winter and spring has delayed the bloom and extended the season. They are beautiful!

Helleborus x hybridus "Branywine"

The first sale is this Saturday from 10am -12pm, April 6th, at YewDell Gardens in Crestwood Ky. Yew Dell is located just 14 miles north east of Louisville Ky. A bit of a drive from Cincinnati, but well worth the effort. I could wax on endlessly about how diverse and wonderful the gardens are, but I feel it would be best to use the description from their website.

Helleborus x hybridus "Pine Knott Seedling"

“Yew Dell is a nationally-recognized center of gardening and sustainable horticulture that offers extensive display gardens, a diverse slate of educational programs, family-oriented community events, ongoing research into new and better garden plants, and a wide range of private event facilities. All of this activity is offered in a unique setting that artfully combines elements of Kentucky’s rural heritage with modern, cutting-edge architecture.”

Helleborus x hybridus unknown stock plant

Yew Dell’s collection of Hellebores is quite extensive with at least 90 to 100 varieties planted. They will be offering  at least four varieties from the Winter Jewels series developed by the hottest Hellebore breeder in the USA, Marietta O’Bryne.Red Sapphire, Amber Gem Sparkling Diamond and Onyx Odyssey.

I was told that the sale opens at 10am and they sell out by 10:30am. Don’t be late!

The second sale, Sunday, April, 7th, will take place at Clara Berger’s on State Road in Anderson Twp. She is located across from El Coyote.

Clara has had her finger to the pulse of the Hellebore world for 20 years. Her passion for Hellebores started with seeds from the legendary U.K. collector, Will Mclewin. Will scoured the Balkans as some of its native populations were being bombed into oblivion during the Balkan war.

Although the species and regional varieties from Mr. Mclewin lack the glitz and glitter of the new hybrids, they offer a sublime beauty that is wonderfully displayed in Clara’s Garden.

Helleborus ?

As the Hellebore renaissance has advanced, Clara has continued to keep up with all the new introductions.

This years selections include Rose Quartz,Double Ellen series, Hellorus x Ballardiae and the incredible Helleborus niger “Jacob“.

Helleborus x hybridus "Goldfinch"

She will also have a small amount of other plants for sale. The cool spring has limited the amount of non-hellebore offerings.

Between the weather and a few great plant sales, inspiration for the garden should be plentiful.

Helleborus x ericsmithii

I am sure that some of my close horticulture friends tire of me singing the praise of Helleborus x ericsmithii. Frankly, I do not care. If they would only buy this phenomenal floristic spring blooming beauty, they too would be converted to “Ericsmithii enthusiasm.”

Where do I start the praise? First, they are floriferous beyond belief. The number of blooms per plant is truly remarkable.

Helleborus x ericsmithii

The floriferous nature of the plant resides in the fact that it is sterile. The flowers are not fertile and do not set seeds. This allows the plant to spend much more time on being beautiful.

H.x ericsmithii " Winter Bliss"

The second desirable trait is flower orientation. They hold their flowers above the foliage, facing up and out. Many of Helleborus x hybridus hang their heads down, requiring you kneel  to truly enjoy their flowers.

The foliage is also outstanding, always clean and healthy. Unlike the H.x hybridus, there is often very little annual removal of the previous years foliage. Only the occasional dead or torn leaf needs attention.

H. x ericsmithii showing nice clean winter foliage.

Helleborus x ericsmithii has a slightly complicated parentage. Helleborus niger was crossed with Helleborus x sternii. Helleborus x sternii is a cross between Helleborus argutifolius and Helleborus lividus.

The variation in Ericsmithii cultivars is minor. White, cream and pink colored blossoms often fading to pink with varying levels of leaf color, leaf venation and stem color account for most of this variation.

H. x ericsmithii "WInter Moonbeam" foliage

Until recently H.x Ericsmithii has been hard to find locally. Ivory Prince was often our only option. Last spring I started seeing more variety in the finer garden stores in our area. Pipkins Market and Greenfield Plant Farm would a good place to start you search in Cincinnati. Just a few weeks ago Lowe’s Home Improvement had a big rack of the variety “Winter Bliss”. Mail order is still going to offer the best variety. Pine Knot Farms and Fraser’s Thimble Farms have an excellent selection.

So go out and make the effort to find these plants. Stunning sterile flower power at its best.

March 23 2012

Could we just have a normal spring? Comparing March 2012 to March 2013 could hardly be more different.

March 20 2013

This year it seems that winter will never end. Cold and wet with below normal temperature. Last year we seemed to skip spring and went straight into summer.

Summer Snowflakes March 19 2012

By this time in the month of March last year we already had 2 days in the 50°s, 7 days in the 60°s, 5 days in the 70°s and we were in the middle of a 4 day stretch in the 80°s.

March 2013 Snow instead of Summer Snowflakes

This year in March we have had 4 days in the 50°s, 2 day in the 60°s. No 70°s or 80°s.

March 2013 we have dad 14 days in the 40°s or lower.

Magnolia denudata March 19 2012

March 2012 only 3 days in the 40°s and 1 day in the 30°s.

Magnolia denudata March 20 2013

Needless to say, its cold and it sucks this march. Winter seems endless. The landscapes are still brown and nearly lifeless. Most of the plants that are active and blooming are welcome introductions from other countries. The native flora is hardly stirring. The soil is too wet and cold for most vegetable gardening. Many gardening task are on hold till the weather and soil warms.

Hellebore March 20 2013

Last year, march was too darn hot. We had no easing into the warmth. Everything was blooming at once and the landscape was green. We actually missed a season of gardening chores. The woodlands were verdant and blooming.

Trillium grandiflorum March 22 2012

Will we ever have a normal year? A year where the temperatures gradually increase as spring and summer approach. Maybe and inch of rain per week during the summer months.

Snowdrops and Tommy Crocus

Next year lets just have the average between the two years.

Papaver somniferum

The opium poppy (Papaver somniferum) has brought immeasurable relief from pain to countless people throughout the ages.  It has also undoubtedly caused untold suffering by people addicted to its alkaloids.  My harmless interest lies in the beauty of the flowers.

Elegant underside

Withdraw from blooming opium poppies in the garden is a much easier process than withdraw from other forms of opiates. It’s a natural process. They sprout, bloom and then fade away. No headaches, chills, sweats, cramping, hallucinations and all those other horrible symptoms caused by opiate withdrawal. You don’t have to snort, inject or smoke them. Just sow the seed and enjoy. By the time they have finished their lifecycle, you are left with a pleasant feeling and are ready to move on. Often surrounding perennials fill in the gaps left behind by the dying plants. The gaps can also be filled with tender perennials or any other plant you have waiting in the wings.

From above

The opium poppy is considered a hardy annual. Loosely this means the plant can tolerate a certain amount of cold temperatures. The seed of hardy annuals survives winter in the soil, often germinating in late winter or early spring. In this seedling stage the plants are quite tolerant of freezing temperatures.

Seed heads

Propagation is quite easy. Once the seed heads have matured and the plant is nearly dead, break the heads off and spread the seeds. You will not see any plants until early the following spring. This is the method I used when I was given a ripe seed head by one of my neighbors. One spring I saw these unusual plants in our flowerbeds and couldn’t identify them. It wasn’t until I saw the old seed head that I remembered sowing the seed the previous year. You can also save the seed and sow them in the garden in early spring. Snow seeding is another method of propagation. Sow the seed on top of one of the last snowfalls. As the snow melts, the seed nestles into the ground.

Lavender

If there is a certain strain of opium poppy you want to preserve, it is important to isolate those plants from other varieties. They cross freely. In fact I have lost one of my favorites to cross-pollination. Lauren’s Grape is a beautiful deep purple. A few washed out lavender poppies, which still bloom in the garden, are the only evidence of the once beautiful purple poppy.

Prom Puff

There are several sub-types of Opium poppies. Paeoniflorum is one of the sub-types that I grow. The variety Prom Puff is a big puffy pink. Interesting variety, but I still prefer the singles.

There are many varieties now available in seed catalogs. Add this to the ease of cultivation and everyone should be growing these garden beauties.

Hamamelis mollis "Wisley Supreme

“Hello Floyd, this is Barney Fife. I’m coming over and I’m ready for action! That’s right I want the works. Shave, haircut, Witch Hazel, O.D. Cologne, toilet water. If it smells, I want it.”

Hamamelis x intermedia "Strawberries and Cream"

Hamamelis x intermedia "Strawberries and Cream"

If you want some action in your garden in the dreary depths of winter, Witch Hazels are the shrub for you. We are not talking about their wonderful astringent after- shave qualities, which good old Barney Fife was so familiar with.  We are talking flowers and fragrance.

Hamamelis x intermedia "Fire Charm"

As winter starts to lighten its grip, Witch Hazels (Hamamelis) are among the first shrubs to start blooming. February is often prime bloom time. However, there is variation due to weather patterns. This year my H. vernalis started blooming in late December and has since finished blooming. In other years I have seen the same species bloom into early March.

Hamamelis x intermedia "Allgold"

Although a few warm and sunny days in winter start the bloom process, the inevitable cold that will follow rarely damages the bloom. Recently, the flowers seemed undamaged after a few nights in the upper teens.

Hamamelis mollis "Rochester"

The genus Hamamelis consist of five species. In the winter landscape, three species concern us most. H. vernalis, H. japonica, and H. mollis. Most of the selections available to gardeners today are hybrids between japonica and mollis. These hybrids are referred to as Hamamelis x intermedia followed by the cultivar name.

Hamamelis vernalis "Girards Purple"

Varying shades of yellow, orange and red are the dominant color range. While many of the yellow cultivars can be effective from a distant vantage point, this is not ideal for the more subtle earth tones. Since gardeners are often not out in the landscape in the winter, placing the plants in areas that receive winter foot traffic benefits the gardener the most. Near the driveway or parking areas or along the walk to the entrance of your house ensures maximum exposure to they’re beauty.

Hamamelis intermedia "Limelight"

Beautiful bloom isn’t the only reason to grow Witch Hazel. Often the first indication of bloom is the fragrance. The sweet fragrance of some cultivars travels long distances in the garden. Not all cultivars are fragrant. Research before purchasing or time in the field using the olfactory sense will help you get the right plant.

Hamamelis x intermedia "Birgit"

Witch Hazels can reach fifteen to twenty feet in height. Most are either broadly vase-shaped or low, mounding and wide spreading. Full sun to partial shade is preferred. Although shade is tolerated, bloom will be greatly reduced.

Wisley Supreme and Hamamelis mollis "James Wells"

Witch Hazels do suffer a few less than desirable traits.  Some cultivars hold on to the previous years leaves and seed capsules until nearly the time new foliage emerges. This trait obscures blossoms and creates an untidy appearance. The picture directly above shows a good example of this trait. Wisley Supreme is the yellow cultivar on the left. Few leaves. Beautiful display. The plant on the right, James Wells, seems to have kept all its foliage from last year.

Hamamelis "Aurora"

For an article written in more flowery prose and from the standpoint of one of the nations experts, Tim Brotzman, on the genus Hamamelis, check out this link. No one is better suited to write about the genus.

Hamamelis x intermedia "Orange Beauty"

Admittedly, Witch Hazel varieties are not the easiest plants to locate. Ask your gardening friends if they are growing them. Check out the local arboretums.

Hamamelis vernalis

Dawes Arboretum, east of Columbus Ohio, has one of the finest collections of the genus.

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Just like any plant that brings color, form or fragrance into the winter and early spring garden, Witch Hazels are well worth the effort.

Hakurei and Scarlet Queen Red Stems

For centuries the turnip has provided sustenance for peasants and livestock, often thwarting starvation in the lean winter months. What does the lowly turnip get in exchange? It hardly garners second-rate status. Times are a changing. Newer varieties are raising are the bar. Two Varieties, Hakurei and Scarlet Queen Red Stems, stand at the top of my list.

Hakurei is a small white turnip with short tops. The pure white flesh has a delicate sweetness and smooth texture. Hakurei, a quick maturing variety, is excellent for spring and fall sowings. The skin is nearly non-existent and doesn’t require peeling like some of the older varieties. As they age or get frosted, some of the smoothness transitions into a crispy texture. The short hairless greens are fine when picked young, but toughen quickly.

Hakurei

The majority of my Hakurei crop is eaten raw, often not making it out of the garden. If you are a radish lover and haven’t tried raw turnips, you should. A raw Hakurei is like a radish but with much more substance and refinement.

Scarlet Queen Red Stems is bright red turnip with tall leafy stems. The crisp white flesh, often splashed with red, has a subtle sweetness and a bit of spice from the skin. It may be necessary to peel the larger sized turnips.

Scarlet Queen Red Stems cross section.

The tall tender hairless foliage with thick succulent red stems is why Scarlet Queen stands out from the other varieties. The mild flavor and excellent cooked texture makes this one of our favorite greens. Good for either spring or fall sowings, the greens hold much better when maturing into the cool weather of autumn.

Scarlet Queen Red Stems

Both varieties are best eaten when two to three inches across. Successive sowings every few weeks will ensure a steady supply of tender roots.

So don’t look down on the turnip. This multi-use crop could keep you from starving in the leaner months and taste good at the same time.