The Year of the Zinnia

Apparently 2011 is the year of the Rabbit, Google+ and the Zinnia!

Each year, the professional horticulture industry comes together to showcase one flower (and one vegetable!) of the year, based on popularity, ease, adaptability, versatility and diversity. This year, it's the Zinnia, which perfectly fits all of the defined categories and more. So, what's to love?

• Great in borders, beds, containers, cutting gardens, you name it. 
• Known as the "cut and come again" flower. Some varieties are prolific enough to be a ground cover.  
• Heights vary from 8 inches up to 4 feet, giving you options that are short, tall and everything in between.
• Easy to sow from seed.
• Sun loving, fast growing and super low maintenance, just the way I like 'em!
• Like color? Available in yellow, orange, cherry, pink, purple, scarlet, white, as well as fashionable chartreuse (my personal fave).
• Practically pest free.

There really isn't anything not to love about Zinnias. Ironically, this is the first year that I haven't used Zinnias in my gardens. Regrets!

Random fact: When the Spanish first saw the Zinnia species in Mexico, they thought the flower was so unattractive they named it mal de ojos or "sickness of the eye!" 

For more horticulture history, recommendations and how to grow from seed, check out the Year of the Zinnia page on the National Gardening Association site. (P.S. For all of you vegetable gardeners, 2011 is also the Year of the Tomato, chosen by the NGA.)

Zinnia Giant Double Mix-Pink

 Zinnia Giant Double Mix-Pink, close up so you can see "the eye!"

Zinnia Profusion 5 Color Mix, I've used these in containers and beds before, they spread like crazy and keep until hard fall frost (and then some!)

Zinnia Queen Lime, I totally have a thing for green flowers right now.

All content and photos provided by the National Garden Bureau via the National Gardening Association. 

Welcome Home, Coneflower

Thought you might like to know what I did with all of that coneflower I had. Far be it from me to keep you in suspense and all. (If you haven't been following along, I had a little bit of a coneflower residency issue.)

In our backyard, we have this old clothes line. We never use it and had considered ripping it out. But, I like the charm it brings to our yard, especially considering our house was built in the 40s. My grand plan last year was to plant lots of Russian sage around it, and let it grow all bushy and wild. I bought the sage last year and ended up just throwing it in a vacant spot because it was getting late in the season, and the clothesline bed never happened. Sadly, their current locale is not very hospitable (see pics below).

But, the coneflower needed a home (couldn't let those beauties go to waste!), at least for the time being. And, since the sage was already in the ground, the coneflower won the newly renovated clothesline bed. I figure I can still move everything around later.

A lot of my flowers eventually take up residence in another flower's previous home. Nothing seems to stay in one spot for long. Sometimes I feel like this whole gardening thing is the plant version of TLC's Moving Up. What about your gardens? Are your flowers nomads or do they take up long-term residence in your beds?

My new coneflower bed, close up and a better shot with the clothesline. They seem much happier in the ground. Something I like to do in my gardens is create repetition by using multiple colors of one type of flower. I have also done this with day lilies. In fact, I love the combination so much, I plan on dividing and continuing the pattern all the way around the deck.

P.S. Russian sage should look like this!

Mine looks like this, barely a few inches tall. I think the spot is too shady and too moist.

Drops of Jupiter

In Ireland, there is this prevalent pinky-red flower that can be seen just about anywhere...growing in fields, out of rocky Burren cliffs, even outside of castle walls. I almost forgot about this flower, until I saw it growing in the MSU Kent County Extension Grand Ideas Garden.

The common name is Jupiter's Beard, but it is often called Red Valerian, or in Ireland, Slán Iomaire. Here's what you need to know:

• Originally from the Mediterranean
• Adaptable to dry or moist soil, some shade or bright sun
• Rosy red long summer bloomer (June through September)
• Drought resistant and can be used in xeric landscapes 
• Self seeding
• Fragrant

Want to know more?

One of my life goals (besides becoming a Master Gardener) is to go back to Ireland to photograph the quaint homes and gardens across the country. All photos below are from my first trip in 2009.

Jack of All Trades, Master of... Something...To Be Determined...

I'm behind, like WAY behind. In case you didn't know, MBA school, gardening and blogging don't mix. The good news is (other than Mother Nature being behind as well--my coneflower still hasn't bloomed), there is a light at the end of the tunnel, as I'll officially be done with grad school in December. The even better news is, I've taken the summer off to devote to my gardens AND my blog. And the EVEN WAY better news is, I hope to start the MSU Master Gardening Program in January. The application is in, I'm just waiting for my acceptance.

In the meantime, keep reading, I hope to post as much as possible. Also, look forward to some positive changes in terms of look, feel, content...maybe even a name change, who knows? (Got any ideas?)

Here are some highlights from the 2011 Master Gardener Tour (Wanna see last year's recap?). You can expect to see my house on the roster in a few years.

Enjoy!

Japanese lilac, I think!

Backyard envy...

Loved the ripples and ridges of this hosta.

I can't remember if these little twisted clematis balls are pre or post flowers, but interesting, eh?

Winding wisteria.

Last iris of the season?

Amazingly, perfectly manicured beds, although I wondered, why no mulch?

Interesting use of old/dead tree branch for a clematis to climb.

There's something very whimsical about poppies.

 Ginko!

Potting shed (and organization) envy...

Oranges! One of my master gardening classes will be about fruit trees.

Black petunias were uber trendy this year, love them paired with that coleus.

Also love the multi-hostas look, paired with astilbe. Sharp shady combo!

 Urban oasis...

Viola Voilà! Or, YOU'RE a Pansy!‏

It's funny how often the word "pansy" is misused as an insult, meaning weak, sissy, unmanly... Because, in actuality, pansies are pretty dang scrappy. While they may be petite and delicate looking, pansies pack a pretty good punch, giving containers and beds color and vitality early in the season.

They are a great spring and fall selection because of their hardiness, adaptability and tolerance to cold, especially if you live in a hardiness zone where frost (or *gasp* snow) is still prevalent in March, April and May. (Don't know your zone?) If you really want to see some determined flowers, check out these Icicle Pansies.

Pansies love full sun, but don't like the heat--go figure--and be sure to give them plenty of water. Try pairing with other spring bulbs for real impact. They are annual flowers, but some (not all) are pretty talented at reseeding themselves. Pansies are also known to be fairly disease and pest resistant, just another reason why they're tough cookies. (Speaking of cookies, did I mention that they are edible as well?)

Pansy, viola and violet tend to be used interchangeably, but pansies were actually derived from violas. (Just think of them as distant cousins.) The name pansy actually comes from the French word, pensée, meaning "thought" and because the flower resembles a pensive-looking face. Want to learn more?

Just for funsies, I came across this old citrus company crate label from: La Verne Cooperative Citrus Association. Mutual Orange Distributors. La Verne, Calif. Circa 1930s. Found on the Riverside Public Library, Citrus Label Collection.

Hardy Advice for Those Ready to Dig In

After a couple of weeks now of talking flowers, I was finally able to spend the last few days making real progress in my own gardens. Within my front yard, I had one particular patch that was starting to become a problem because of crowding and overgrowth among some mums, day lilies and the surrounding evergreen shrubs. (Sidebar: That experience alone really illustrated the importance of dividing your perennials every couple of years or so to prevent this from occurring. The best part about dividing is I now have great perennials to add to other locations in my garden or new beds, as I have a lot of projects in mind.)

It was admittedly a little hard to get started. Many of my perennials grew in so fast and so thick this year, I missed out on opportunities to divide, transplant, clean out old growth, pull weeds and other invaders, and the like. So, I'm now turning my attention to those areas that I do have more control over. As you get going in your own gardens this spring and summer, here is a little bit of advice based on my own experiences.

First and foremost, try not to get overwhelmed. My yard is a fairly good size with lots of space and beds that surround the house. I'm always adding new beds, and I never know where to begin. This year, I'm really trying to focus on one area at a time, and think through what I like about it, what I don't like about it, what doesn't look or feel right. It's not always as apparent as you think it would be. Sometimes I just start by pulling weeds and just see where that takes me. I'm definitely trying be a little more intentional with my gardens this year. I have a lot of "grandiose" ideas and I am trying to exercise more self control when I'm roaming the greenhouses.

Secondly, when you are adding new perennials, or dividing and moving things around, there will be some "casualties of war." Transplants will go through a little bit of "shock" in their new location, but just keep them watered thoroughly until they have had time to adjust. I have also experienced the disappointment of planting a perennial and not having it grow back the following year, or worse, having it grow in diseased. It's easy to get discouraged, but just keep trying new things. If you have flowers that are in good shape, but just don't seem to work in your garden, rather than kicking them to the curb, swap them with a friend or neighbor.

Gardening isn't rocket science, but it kind of is, in a way. There are a lot of factors that contribute to a plant's success such as the condition of the plant itself when it is purchased, your soil type, sun/shade and water requirements, pests, and I could go on. If you really want a maintenance-free garden, you'll definitely want to stick to some of the hardy favorites such as hosta, shasta daisy, black eyed Susan, coneflower (pictured) and day lilies.

Lastly, experiment and allow your tastes to change. Just like fashion trends, my style preferences for color, texture and silhouette change every season. Whereas last year, I wouldn't have even dreamed of adding begonias to my annual collection, this year, I can't wait to fill containers with their bright hues. Annuals are a great way to experiment with shape and color. If you find something you really adore, you might be able to find a perennial to mimic the look and feel. There are many flowers that I am excited to experiment with and welcome to my garden this year including hydrangea, Russian sage, begonia, clematis, hardy geranium, fountain grass and dahlia. And, I'm kind of wondering, what took me so long?