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By Marilyn on Feb 19, 2014 6:22 PM, concerning plant: Greigii Tulip (Tulipa 'Portland')

'Portland' is one of the newer and taller Greigii tulips. It doesn't have the characteristic mottled foliage of most Greigii tulips.

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By Marilyn on Feb 19, 2014 4:36 PM, concerning plant: Greigii Tulip (Tulipa 'Longfellow')

'Longfellow' is an unusually tall Greigii tulip.

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By Bonehead on Feb 19, 2014 12:14 PM, concerning plant: White Mulberry (Morus alba)

The white fruiting mulberry will produce seedless berries without a male tree close by. The berries are edible in either the green or white stage, and they are non-staining. This tree can also be maintained as a shrub because fruits are produced on new growth.

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By growitall on Feb 17, 2014 6:51 PM, concerning plant: Rainier Harebell (Campanula raineri)

Campanula raineri is native to the Bergamo region in northern Italy and into Switzerland where it inhabits limestone cliffs. The rootstock is woody and it spreads by fine runners. It forms tufts of small, gray, rhomboidal, finely dentate leaves that are stemless or virtually so. Flowering stems are 5 - 7.5 cm tall with narrow, crenate (with rounded teeth)-to-serrate leaves. The flowers are large and mostly solitary and are held upturned; shape varies from campanulate (bell-shaped) with reflexed rounded lobes, to infundibular (funnel-shaped) with pointed lobes; colour ranges from dark to lavender blue, with a dark blue (nearly black) spot at the base of the petals. The plant is deciduous. Grows well in cultivation in limestone substrates and screes.

Ref.: Dwarf Campanulas and Associated Genera, Graham Nicholls, 2006; Alpine Plants of Europe - A Gardener's Guide, Jim Jermyn, 2005.

Considered a very choice alpine, yet not necessarily difficult to grow. Photos of well-grown plants show flowers that appear virtually stemless.

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By growitall on Feb 17, 2014 5:47 PM, concerning plant: Alpine Bellflower (Campanula alpestris)

Campanula alpestris is native to the southwestern European Alps in screes and rock crevices at about 1400 to 2800 m elevation; substrates vary in lithology from mica schists and granites to limestone formations. It forms basal rosettes and mats of linear-to-lanceolate, entire, hairy gray leaves. Flower stems are 3 - 10 cm and bear outsized, 3 - 4.5 cm, cylindrical and campanulate bells that are held horizontally; flowers are usually single (occasionally double) and range from slate blue and lavender to purple. It is stoloniferous; not always easy in cultivation.

Ref.: Dwarf Campanulas and Associated Genera, Graham Nicholls, 2006; Alpine Plants of Europe - A Gardener's Guide, Jim Jermyn, 2005.

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By growitall on Feb 17, 2014 5:14 PM, concerning plant: Castle Crag's Bellflower (Campanula shetleri)

Campanula shetleri is native to California in the Mount Shasta and Trinity Mountains areas, where it is usually found in shaded crevices in north-facing granite cliffs. Leaves are spatulate and serrated and form dense, low rosettes. The woody rhizomes prefer a cool root run. Flowering stems are 5 - 7 cm tall; flowers are small, bowl-shaped and range from white to gray blue to deep blue. It is small enough to be ideally suited to a trough.

Ref.: Dwarf Campanulas and Associated Genera, Graham Nicholls, 2006.

Can be challenging to grow, particularly in areas of winter wet.

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By growitall on Feb 17, 2014 5:04 PM, concerning plant: Bellflower (Campanula saxifraga)

Campanula saxifraga is native to the northern Caucasus region, where it grows in rocky substrates in the sub-alpine to alpine zones. The root is thick and branched. Leaves are up to 7 cm long, occur in a basal rosette, and are glabrous and lanceolate-to-spatulate. Flower stems are erect and from 5 - 10 cm with linear-lanceolate, sessile leaves to 3 cm. Flowers are campanulate, 2-3 cm long, deep purple-blue, pendant to erect, with a white or light blue base. The plant is deciduous.

Ref.: Dwarf Campanulas and Associated Genera, Graham Nicholls, 2006.

This is an easy alpine for the rock garden, or for the front of the border.

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By eclayne on Feb 17, 2014 9:15 AM, concerning plant: Voodoo Lily (Sauromatum venosum)

This is another easy Aroid to grow and it's readily available. It's always fun waiting for the inflorescence to pop up, a bizarre thing. The spadices I've seen are up to 18 inches long with the spathe not much shorter. The larger the tuber the larger the inflorescence...and leaf, which emerges several weeks later. This is supposed to be a stinker, which I suppose is correct given the number of flies it attracts. So far I've been growing them in dappled to full shade, as the literature suggests, but will try a few in a sunnier location this year.

The tuber shrinks considerably while producing the inflorescence and leaf and then a "new" tuber is produced. Fertile, well draining soil helps the process along. I add time release granules and occasionally use a water soluble as well. While I mulched several tubers in ground this winter, as usual I lifted most of them for dry storage in the basement. I find removing the loose "skin" on the bottom of the tuber, the left-over of the old tuber, reduces the risk of rot.

Lots of offsets are produced every year which I remove in the spring. I like to do this in the spring to minimize the number of scars on the parent tuber and hopefully the amount of water loss while it's dormant. Occasionally they'll reach flowering size in a single season.

While some growers report them as zone 6 hardy, I continue to lift most of my tubers in the fall. Many of the tubers I've left out overwinter the last few years have done fine however I wouldn't consider them reliably hardy in my climate.

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By NEILMUIR1 on Feb 17, 2014 5:52 AM, concerning plant: Chives (Allium schoenoprasum)

An essential culinary herb. Used in egg dishes and with potatoes and salads. Used extensively in Europe for its mild onion flavour. It also dries exceptionally well, with little loss of flavour, for culinary use! Very easy to grow, but must be used and cut a lot for thick, luscious, full-flavoured growth.

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By gardengus on Feb 16, 2014 11:25 AM, concerning plant: Summer Squash (Cucurbita pepo 'Alexandria')

I agree that it's a very nice-looking vegetable, but I have found that the light-skinned zucchini don't seem to keep as long as the deep green type. Maybe a thinner skin?

I have not grown this type; only purchased it from farmers market

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By gardengus on Feb 16, 2014 11:20 AM, concerning plant: Pumpkin (Cucurbita pepo 'Americana Tonda')

Rather unusual looking winter squash/pumpkin, with green and orange stripes and deep ribs.
Maturity 90-100 days from transplant
4-6 pounds
Mostly used as decorative, but has a mild flavor and I found it tasty.
The smaller size makes it easier to bake than most pumpkins

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By Marilyn on Feb 16, 2014 2:50 AM, concerning plant: Darwin Hybrid Tulip (Tulipa 'Orange van Eijk')

Another fairly new tulip is 'Orange van Eijk'. A sport of 'Van Eijk" and introduced in 2004.

Even though it was introduced 10 years ago, it doesn't seem widely available to home gardeners through mail order. I'd love to see it available for purchase at the various mail order sites when I'm ordering my bulbs this year. It would look great growing in one of my flowerbeds.

It's a beauty that is a blend of orange, pink and red.

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By Marilyn on Feb 16, 2014 1:13 AM, concerning plant: Tulip (Tulipa 'Mystic van Eijk')

This tulip doesn't seem to be widely available to home gardeners through mail order sources, so the ones that are available obviously get scooped up early and quickly.

'Mystic van Eijk' was introduced in 2009. It's puzzling that, as something fairly new, it isn't sold through a lot of mail order sources. Of course, if and when I see it available, I'll add it right away to my order.

A beautiful pink tulip for the garden and one that I'd love to grow. I finally got a few bulbs of it Fall 2014 and they're about to bloom and a little later than the other Darwin Hybrids

'Mystic van Eijk' is a sport of 'Van Eijk,' so you know it's a good one.

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By Marilyn on Feb 16, 2014 12:11 AM, concerning plant: Tulip (Tulipa 'Lady van Eijk')

'Lady van Eijk' was introduced in 2009, so why doesn't it seem to be widely available?! I don't remember seeing it last year when I was looking at a lot of mail-order websites. I'll have to keep it in mind when ordering tulips. It will be added to my order right away whenever it's available.

Its dark rose-red flower is beautiful. Another great choice for a pinkish tulip to grow. I can't wait to find it and grow it!

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By Marilyn on Feb 15, 2014 11:40 PM, concerning plant: Darwin Hybrid Tulip (Tulipa 'Van Eijk')

Van Eijk is one that I'd love to grow. Looking at pics of it, I see it's one gorgeous pink! It's been described as a watermelon pink. I'm sure I'd be staring at it and drooling over its beauty the whole time it's in bloom.

It was introduced in 1995, so you'd think it would be easy to find through mail order, but I didn't see it when I was ordering tulips last year, and I researched at least half a dozen sources. If I did see it, it must have been already sold out, as I didn't start ordering bulbs until early October.

There are 3 "sports" of Van Eijk: 'Orange van Eijk' in 2004, 'Mystic van Eijk' in 2006, and 'Lady van Eijk' in 2009. I'd like to grow all the sports in my garden too. They'd be just as beautiful and memorable. I plan to keep all 4 of these in mind when I order tulips this year.

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By Marilyn on Feb 15, 2014 7:16 PM, concerning plant: Tulip (Tulipa 'Belicia')

The more I see and read about this gorgeous tulip, the more I want to grow it in my garden. It's stunning! It starts out as creamy yellow with the reddish pink outline and as the flower matures, it becomes white with the reddish pink outline.

I'm surprised that ever since 2006, when it first became available, it hasn't been more widely available for sale. I'm going to have to keep an eye out for this beauty and add it my garden.

What I don't understand is that some sources list it as a Double Early tulip and some sources list it as a Double Late tulip.

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By Marilyn on Feb 14, 2014 8:41 PM, concerning plant: Darwin Hybrid Tulip (Tulipa 'Red Impression')

This is an exciting sport of the famous Pink Impression. Well known and a great choice to add as a Darwin Hybrid. Even though I started ordering tulips late last fall, I was able to find 49 to grow. I'm surprised I hadn't grown this beauty before, as it's been out since 1994. Another popular one to add to the spring garden. Can't wait to see the flowers.

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By Marilyn on Feb 14, 2014 8:15 PM, concerning plant: Darwin Hybrid Tulip (Tulipa 'Pink Impression')

I hadn't grown 'Pink Impression' before, and was thrilled to find a source that wasn't sold out. I added 30 to my order last fall. Not only is it beautiful, it's also very popular, so order early. It will be a standout among the other tulips in my flowerbed. Looking forward to seeing it in bloom this year. I know I'll want to add more after it blooms.

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By Marilyn on Feb 14, 2014 6:47 PM, concerning plant: Tulip (Tulipa 'Oxford's Elite')

I've planted 'Oxford's Elite' (also sold as Oxford Elite) before. I had picked some up at my local Lowe's sometime within the last 10 years. I don't remember the flowers looking as beautiful as the ones I see in pics of it now. I ordered 50 of them this past fall and I'm so excited to see the blooms this spring.

When I went to the database to check to add it to my plant list, I was surprised to see it was checked, previously owned. The flowers, being so bright and colorful, surely would have been memorable, but it was a lot of years ago.

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By Marilyn on Feb 14, 2014 6:09 PM, concerning plant: Tulip (Tulipa greigii 'Zampa Parrot')

Zampa, a Greigii tulip, looks gorgeous! A short, darling little parrot tulip. It has the leaves of a Greigii tulip, so you know that's what it is. I was stunned when I saw pics of the beautiful tulip. I didn't see it offered when I was ordering tulips last fall, but I'll be on the lookout for this gem this year.

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