I’m so excited about this year’s gardening classes!   We will be in some of the very best gardens in Greensboro.  It will be a blast exploring them and learning from the successes and failures of the most knowledgeable gardeners around.

Here is the final edition of the 2018 Gardening Course Schedule: 2018 Course Schedule
Registration information is below and also at the bottom of the schedule. 

This is a printable document.  Classes start March 11th!   Please register soon as I anticipate that these will fill quickly. (I may add more one date to each course if there is the demand.)

It’s time to create beautiful gardens together.

Here is what to do now:

1. Choose your class dates and mark your calendars.
2. Email me with your preferred class dates for each of the 9 gardening courses (You can just say “Sundays” or “Thursdays”, but note that Course #8 is a Sunday & TUESDAY class.)
3. Send your check for $295, made payable to “Ellen Ashley”.
4. Mail to: 3901 Battleground Ave, Apt 95, Greensboro, NC 27410

That’s it!  Your seat is reserved when your payment is received.  I’ll be in touch soon regarding course materials and a reminder of where to meet.  I can’t wait to see you in March!

Best wishes to all of you!

Ellen Ashley
Garden Consultant, Educator, Speaker, Blogger
[email protected]
336-541-5699

Ellen Ashley teaches an annual program of “hands-on” gardening classes, outdoors in beautiful gardens around Greensboro, NC.  Contact her at [email protected].

Welcome to Garden Happy!
2018 Gardening Course Schedule

Each class is 2-hours plus Q&A, at 2-4pm unless noted, most often on Thursdays & Sundays for each course. (Dates may be added if warranted by demand.) Approximately 15 students per class. Research-based course materials will be provided for each course.  Classes will be offered as a complete program for $295 per student.

Course #1 – Greensboro Arboretum, 401 Ashland Drive, Greensboro, NC Sunday, March 11 & Thursday, March 15

http://greensborobeautiful.org/gardens/greensboro_arboretum.php

Pruning guidelines & demonstration: (90 minutes) Bad pruning is the #1 mistake of homeowners and landscapers alike. Good pruning can transform your landscape into a thing of beauty. Improper pruning, including pruning at the wrong time, can destroy bloom buds, disfigure plants, invite disease, and do permanent damage to an otherwise healthy plant. Whether you do it yourself or hire it out, it is important to know what to do!

Instruction will include an overview of essential tools, and pruning demonstrations of roses, nandina, conifers, azaleas, camellias, spirea, weigelia, clematis, grasses, fruits and more. (If you don’t know what plants you have, you may recognize them when you see them in my landscape.)

Deterring furry pests in the garden:  (30 min) Deer, rabbits, moles & voles – if you plant it they will come! Gardening can be an exercise in futility if you do not have the “varmints” under control.  (30 minutes)
I will have organic Deer & Rabbit repellent available for sale at this class.

Course #2 – In the private home of Leslie Scher, 3206 Cabarrus Drive

Greensboro, NC 27407 (Sedgefield). Sunday, March 25 & Thursday, March 29

http://greensborobeautiful.org/gardens/bicentennial_garden.php

Soil Science and Why Organics Matter:  Organic gardening is a process, not a product, and it all starts with the soil. You will learn the importance of soil, why pH matters, how to take a soil test, how to create new planting beds and rejuvenate existing ones, organic soil amendments, nutrient balance, and the role of microorganisms.

You will receive Soil Test Kits from the NCSU Extension Service and instruction in how to use them.

There will be an outside “show and tell” of the most cost-effective organic soil amendments, where to buy them and how to use them.

Course #3 – Paul J. Ciener Botanical Garden, Kernersville, 215 South Main Street, Kernersville, NC.   http://www.cienerbotanicalgarden.org/

Sunday, April 15 & Thursday, April 19

Organic Vegetable Gardening: What to grow and When to plant.

There are beautiful ways to grow fruits, vegetables and herbs in your home landscape. You will learn about:

• The easiest, low maintenance fruits that are beautiful in your home landscape and small enough to fit anywhere. (Special blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, figs, Japanese persimmons and more.)
• Edibles that make a beautiful addition to your flower border.
• Spring veggies, herbs and flowers including asparagus (a beautiful, edible perennial), potatoes, onions, lettuce, arugula, beets, peas, spinach, parsley, cilantro, dill, edible flowers and more.
• Planting schedules for spring, summer, fall.
• When and how to sow seeds vs planting seedlings.
• Where to buy seed, transplants, plant supports and fertilizers.
• How to read a seed catalog and a seed packet.
• Various types of organic fertilizers and the real meaning of those N-P-K numbers on the bag.
• Essential tools that make gardening easier.
• How to plan for your summer garden, including veggies and flowers from seed.

Course #4 – Ellen Ashley’s home, 8140 Witty Road, Summerfield, NC

(This is a construction site so please where boots that don’t mind the mud!)
Thursday, April 26 & Sunday, April 29

How improve the success of new plantings:  The costly demise of most garden plantings are a direct result of improper planting. We will address an array of misconceptions about planting techniques. You may be very surprised!  This class will demonstrate:

• Proper planting techniques for planting shrubs and trees for successful growth, even those sometimes fussy azalea and rhododendron.
• How to prepare a new planting bed.
• How to interpret your soil test reports.

This will be a “hands-on” outdoor class held at the site of my brand new home, still under construction. It will be the perfect demonstration of how to deal with hard packed red clay, the problem that most intimidates would-be gardeners in the Triad.

Easy-to-grow Fruits for your urban garden.  How cool would it be to walk outside to snack on delicious ripe berries, kiwis, and figs right outside your back door? We will cover it all in this class.

Course #5 – The private garden of Cindy Jones and Craig Wagoner, owners of Edgefield Plant and Stone. http://www.edgefieldplantstone.com/

Home address: 8423 Mears Fork Road, Summerfield, NC 27358

Sunday, May 6 & Thursday, May 10

Learn about the best varieties of shrubs and trees that take you far beyond the 20 common plants you find in the average landscape. 

This Interactive outdoor walk  will focus on how different trees & shrubs can be used to create a low-maintenance landscape with beauty and color. You will see how plants look at maturity (vs. in a nursery pot) so you understand their size and features. We will discuss individual plants and various cultivars available.

Choosing “the best” plant depends on its requirements for light, water, and soil (including pH), and whether it will grow to be the right size, shape and color to fit your landscape design.  Shade lovers will wilt and burn in the sun and require lots more water. Sun lovers get leggy and lose their color in shade, attract bugs and disease.

You will learn:

• How to read a nursery plant tag.
• Plants that deer don’t like.
• Plants for screening and “evergreening” your property.
• Shrubs for sun and shade.
• Shrubs that flower in different seasons
• Choosing plants for year-round interest (bark, structure, leaf color, texture…)
• Plants as “structure” in the landscape

Course #6 – The private garden of Dr. Graham Ray, 1100 Rustic Road, Greensboro, NC 27410.  Thursday May 17 & Sunday, May 20

Shade gardening is not for sissies! It means trying to grow things in a challenging environment. There are usually trees providing the shade so the ground is often root bound and dry as a bone. Then of course there is the lack of sun, an essential ingredient for photosynthesis!  You will spend 2 hours in the amazing garden of Dr. Graham Ray, possibly the most gorgeous shade garden in the Triad!  We will show you plants that thrive in this environment and discuss how to grow them successfully.  You will receive plant lists for future reference.

Course #7 – Paul J. Ciener Botanical Garden, 215 South Main Street, Kernersville,NC. http://www.cienerbotanicalgarden.org/

Sunday, June 3 and Thursday, June 7

The Best Flowers for Summer Color

Annuals, perennials, biennials, bulbs and corms– what’s the difference?

The most reliable summer bloomers and when to plant them.
Spend your money wisely on deer proof, heat/cold tolerant, disease resistant, long blooming, and long-lived perennials. You may also want to know which ones are magnets for butterflies and hummingbirds. Many of these look bold and tropical, but are amazingly cold tolerant in the Triad.

BONUS COURSE – Organic Lawn Care, taught by Tommy Cowett, “GrowinGreen” of Kernersville.

Paul J. Ciener Botanical Garden, 215 South Main Street, Kernersville,NC. Sunday, August 19 at 2pm-3:30. (One class only. The room will hold 35 people.)

Tommy Cowett will discuss the mind-blowing science of soil organics and why it matters for a beautiful lawn. (The garden’s lawns are organically maintained by “GrowinGreen”.)  Spouses & significant others welcome provided that you reserve your space ahead.  Tommy is an exciting speaker. Hold on to your seats!

Course #8 – The private Garden of Rachel Rees, 6700 Bugle Run, Oak Ridge, NC 27310. Sunday, August 26 & TUESDAY, August 28

You will witness this amazing garden that Rachel originally started from tiny plant liners, passalong plants from fellow gardeners, and throw-aways from Walmort & Home Depot – living proof that gardening does not have to be an expensive habit.

Garden maintenance, Seed Saving & Bug Identification

Garden Maintenance – This class will cover pruning and deadheading of spring and summer blooming shrubs and perennials, weed and disease control, bug identification and discussion of what to do about the bad guys & how to attract more good ones!   We will also discuss “preemptive pruning” of perennials to control size and help them hold up their heavy summer blooms.

Experienced gardeners rarely walk into the garden without gloves and pruners in hand. There are entire books written on caring for perennial gardens because plants are just different. You will learn how to rejuvenate your plants to keep your garden blooming beautifully through fall.

Seed Saving – Late summer is time to collect seeds from spring bloomers to sow now or save for next year.  Your garden is producing much more seed than you will find in 100 ordinary seed packets! I will show you how to collect seeds, dry them, and plant them for more blooms next year.

Course #9 – Gateway Gardens, 2924 E. Gate City Blvd, Greensboro, NC http://greensborobeautiful.org/gardens/gateway_gardens.php

Thursday, October 11 & Sunday, October 14

Garden Design Principles.   Fall is the perfect time to look around your garden with a critical eye. The ‘bones’ of your garden can be seen when the leaves have fallen and the perennials disappear for the winter. This is an interactive garden walk-about to examine WHY a garden scene is pleasing to the eye.  Looking at specific components of the scene will uncover ideas that you can use in your own landscape design.

Learn how to add excitement to your Fall & Winter Gardens.  The Piedmont Triad is blessed with wonderful autumn leaf color. Make sure your garden has even more with fabulous Japanese maples, fall blooming camellias, asters, 6 foot tall ginger, helianthus, grasses, sedum and more. You will learn about keeping your winter garden beautiful with evergreens, berries, colorful bark, bulbs, stone and interesting textures.

Little tasks to do in fall: Harvesting the last of your herbs before frost, planting garlic & spinach, what seeds to sow in fall for spring flowers, and what to do with leaves.  Learn about frost protection to make the last of your fall vegetables hold weeks longer through the cold. All about the what, when and how much of “mulching”.

To Register:

1. Choose your class dates and mark your calendars.
2. Email me with your preferred class dates for each of the 9 gardening courses (You can just say “Sundays” or “Thursdays”, but note that Course #8 is a Sunday & TUESDAY class.)
3. Send your check for $295, made payable to “Ellen Ashley”.
4. Mail to: 3901 Battleground Ave, Apt 95, Greensboro, NC 27410

That’s it!  I can’t wait to see you in March!

Ellen Ashley
Gardening Enthusiast, Educator, Speaker, Blogger
Garden Happy!  
www.LearnToGarden.net
[email protected]
336-541-5699 cell 

Hello my Fellow Gardening Enthusiasts,

Have you missed me just a little bit?  I have missed you!
MY GARDENING CLASSES ARE BACK ON FOR  2018!  The first draft of the 2018 Course Schedule is here:  2018 Course Schedule   It is a program of nine 2-hour Courses. The fee is $295 per student.  Classes will not be offered separately.  (Sorry, I won’t have time for the extra bookkeeping.)

I sold my home and gardens last July so each gardening class will be held in a different local garden this year.  How EXCITING is that?!  Now in my classes, you will be exploring beautiful gardens around Greensboro while learning how to bring their beauty into your own garden.

Life has changed quite a bit for me in 2017:

• We sold our home and 10 acre property in July. I survived 2 major house moves since then.
• I’m currently in an apartment while my new home on 4 acres with swimming pool in Summerfield are finished. (Target date August 1, 2018! Yeaaa!!)
• I am a single woman again, and HAPPY.
• My husband Jim is still part of the family, Mom thinks of him as her 4^th son (or my 4th brother.)
• 2 weeks of October were spent seeing gardens in Tokyo, Kyoto, Nara and surrounding areas in Japan. It was fabulous and I have lots to share with you!
• The City of Greensboro would like me to teach some of my classes in our public gardens. If legal stuff gets in the way, I will find more private gardens so that classes go on regardless.

My conversations with Johnny Galbreath, City of Greensboro Parks & Recreation brought back why these classes are so important to me. This format of gardening education is simply not available elsewhere! Not everyone has time to commit to a college program or the volunteer hours of the Master Gardener Volunteer Program – after all we want to have time in our own gardens!  The best gardening classes I ever took were held outside at least part of the class time. This also means classes stay small, about 15 students. I am committed to continuing this tradition with my classes.

Many past students have shared what a difference it has made in their lives and I am very grateful to hear it. This is why I teach! My scheduled dates and locations my change before classes start in March, but the course material will stay the same.  

THANK YOU in advance for spreading the word on your Facebook page and with friends & neighbors.

I wish you a fabulous 2018 and hope to see you in the New Year!

Christmas with Mom 12/2017

Warm wishes,

Ellen Ashley
336-541-5699

But what to plant? What will be of substantial size, mostly evergreen, super drought tolerant, deer resistant, tough enough to stand up to strong wind and still beautiful to look at?

If the first plant you thought of was Leyland cypress, I would have to say there are far better choices!  We all love fast-growing plants and Leylands can grow 5’ per year. But after 10 years when they are 50” tall and still growing, blocking out all the sun in your yard (and your neighbor’s), and shading themselves so much that they have become thin and ugly brown at the base where you actually needed the screen, you may be wondering how much you will have to pay to have someone cut them down & haul them away.

Behind my tiny pear tree is a big fluffy ‘Yoshino’ Cryptomeria flanked by my neighbor’s narrow Leyland Cypress.

My first choice for a really big evergreen is either a ‘Yoshino’ or ‘Radicans’ Cryptomeria.  These are strong, fast growing trees that would remind you of a Metasequoia or redwood. They are majestic with weeping fingers of tiny seed pods (cones) that are gorgeous for decorating your house at Christmas.  I will be planting them in my wide open spaces (NOT near to my neighbor’s house) where they can provide a windbreak and noise barrier.

Draping seed pods of ‘Yoshino’ Cryptomeria.

Chindo Viburnum is another favorite large evergreen, growing to about 30’.  The smooth green glossy leaves are reminiscent of magnolias, but the tree is much faster growing and the leaves are even more lovely close up. Its Christmas tree shape makes it a gorgeous landscape specimen that will thrive even in part shade.

For neighborhood privacy, rarely does one need a screening plant that grows over 10-12 feet.  In fact, my neighbors may speak more kindly of me if I plant beautiful midsize evergreens that have seasonal fragrance or blooms.  Many deciduous shrubs will also provide adequate screening because their branches grow so thickly.  Along the property line where I have neighbors close by, will be groupings of some of my favorite plants.

Osmanthus ‘Fortunes’, sometimes called a false-holly, has tiny, almost invisible flowers in late summer that exude an incredibly sweet fragrance that waifs through the air in a warm breeze. These can eventually grow 18-20’ high.

‘Fortunes’ Osmanthus has tiny super-fragrant flowers in late summer.

Viburnum Macracephalum, the Chinese Snowball Viburnum, blooms with giant white snowballs in early spring well before your hydrangeas have fully leafed out. It grows to be a giant almost-evergreen shrub about 15’ high x 10’ wide over time, and will rebloom in fall if it receives enough moisture.

Junipers are tough, drought tolerant plants for areas with full sun.  Hollywood or ‘Tortulosa’ with it’s dense twisted form , and Bluepoint with its tight blueish color are great choices at 12-14’ high.  (Mid-size arborvitae such as ‘Emerald Green’ or Arizona cypress ‘Blue Ice’ will provide this effect as well, but they still grow taller to about 30’.)

Hollies are all good and many produce loads of winter berries.  Needlepoint hollies have a nice upright upright form. Dwarf Burfords grow 8-10’ high & wide, while regular Burfords get much bigger. Be sure to check the plant tags for the size that fits your space.

“Dwarf Burford” Hollies still get to be big plants with brilliant red berries all winter.

Cleyera is another glossy leaf evergreen that will thrive in sun to part shade. Somewhat like a 10’ version of the Chindo Viburnum, it too looks great year round.

If you want some yellow foliage to brighten up your border, Chamaecyparis Cripsii, the brilliant golden Hinoki cypress at 15’ high x 8’ wide, is a good choice.

For more colorful foliage, good choices are Weigela and Physocarpus.  Both are deciduous but densely branched, and leaf out early with gorgeous spring blooms. Weigela ‘Wine & Roses’ has deep burgundy foliage with rose pink blooms and grows to 7’ x 7’.  Physocarpus opulifolius, commonly called ‘Ninebark’, has deep copper foliage that contrasts beautifully with its tiny clusters of pale pink flowers. ‘Diablo’ is a large variety, growing to 8’, and has lovely peeling bark in winter.

Ligustrum ‘recurvifolium’, or wavy leaf Ligustrum, grows into a big leafy evergreen ball, 8-10’ high and 5-10’ wide. It has clusters of fragrant blooms in spring and doesn’t seem to care if you plant it in sun or bright shade as long as it has adequate moisture.

Camellias, although slow to get established, can grow to be 8-10’.  Mature specimens are fabulous in the landscape!

The ultimate Southern plant, Camellias are the star of the winter garden. Be patient as they mature.

Tips for planning an attractive screen:

— Don’t plant all one variety of anything. Besides being boring, you are likely to invite disease that destroys the uniformity of your hedge.

— Add interest by planting odd number groupings of plants that have various shapes, colors and textures.

— Planting an entirely evergreen landscape is a trade-off that limits the seasonal excitement of colorful blooms.

— Don’t do “polka-dot” plantings. For example: alternating one holly, then one ligustrum, then a holly, then a ligustrum, etc just looks like you could not make up your mind. Use a sweep of several of the same evergreen as a backdrop for a unique flowering or structural specimen.

— If deer browse your neighborhood, select shrubs they are less fond of, knowing of course that if they are hungry enough they will eat most anything. (They ate every bit of green off of my Hinoki cypress one winter!)

— Measure the space you have for planting and check plant tags for size at maturity. Baby plants are deceiving when you see them only in a 3 gallon pot! You will create a lot of work for yourself by planting a shrub that grows bigger than the space you have for it.

Winter is a great time to re-evaluate the ‘bones’ of your garden, and our mild Greensboro winter is the perfect time for planting or moving trees and shrubs.

Happy greening!

Ellen

Ellen Ashley
Garden Consultant, Educator, Speaker, Writer
[email protected]

Camellia sasanqua ‘Setsugekka’

It was no surprise to NC Triad gardeners that 2016 set world records (again) for the warmest year ever.  It was a HOT one and our NC Piedmont summer seemed to last forever! Our first frost in Summerfield did not come until mid-November, a month later than average, but by November I was grateful for the mild temperatures.

If there was ever something to renew your spirit after a fierce political season, it is the beauty of nature. I harvested the last ripe figs on November 8^th.  My “Bloomathon” azaleas were still gorgeous. Camellias had begun to bloom even as my summer annuals were still holding their own. Here are some late season beauties of which I never tire.

My figs still ripening in November?! This never happens!

This pepper is appropriately named ‘Black Pearl”, but the late season peppers turn a glorious red and hold through the first frost. They reseed themselves in my garden each year.

Grow Asclepias ‘Hairy Balls’ from seed in very early spring. Like other milkweeds it will attract & feed monarchs. This 7′ tall plant covered with green seed pods causes a lot of excitement in fall.

Dahlia ‘Sun Explosion’ – Wait until April to plant Dahlia tubers. Many will survive our winters if heavily mulched, but it is safer to dig & store them at the end of the season.

African Marigolds can grow 30″ high with 4″ flowers that make you think of carnations. Nurseries rarely carry seedlings, so sow your own directly in good garden soil around April 1st.

Castor Bean ‘Carmencita’ survived the first freezing weather in November.

A combination of Dahlias, Marigolds, Helenium ‘Mardi Gras’, and the giant round seed pods of Asclepias ‘Hairy Balls” (I didn’t name it.)

This Dahlia called ‘Boom Boom White’ grew 7′ tall with 4″ blooms throughout the season. It was a standout with castor bean pods and black pearl peppers.

The pink double “Bloomathon” (Oh, WOW!) reblooming Azalea.

Hydrangea macrophylla ‘Dear Delores’ is my most reliable and heavy rebloomer.

All photos were taken on November 8th, 2016.

Having passed a milestone birthday this year, I am starting to feel that I am much a reflection of my late season garden.  There is still beauty but less of the enormous energy of youth.  I will not be offering gardening classes this year as Jim and I are embarking on a major downsizing endeavor.  It will include building a new home in Summerfield, one story, with solar energy, giant windows, a salt water swimming/lounging pool (theraputic in every way!) and a diverse 4-season garden of predominantly shrubs, trees and a meadow enhanced with even more native species.

While I profess to needing a simpler lifestyle, Jim will swear that I just ran out of space to garden on our current acreage!  Regardless, the next couple of years will indeed be an adventure, and I invite you to follow our journey.  I will still be accepting speaking engagements offering private garden consultations.

Best wishes to all of you for a New Year that keeps you safe and happy. May you be blessed with a space in nature that feeds your mind, body and soul, and the time to pursue your passion.

Ellen

Just as a prism of glass miters light and casts a colored braid, a garden
sings sweet incantations the human heart strains to hear.  Hiding in every
flower, in every leaf, in every twig and bough, are reflections of the God
who once walked with us in Eden.  –   Tonia Triebwasser, The Color of Grace

The lemon yellow daisies are the “Gethsemane” mum introduced by Gethsemane Gardens in Browns Summit, NC. It is always the last to bloom.  Tri-color ornamental peppers look like tiny Christmas lights.

For many springs seasons, as soon as the last azalea and rhododendron blooms had faded, my garden turned a quiet monochromatic green.  Yes, green is still a color and May did offer offer rose buds, but there was little excitement for 5-6 weeks until mid June when my hydrangeas, zinnias and sunflowers started to color the landscape.

When I set about adding some sass to my May/June landscape, I decided to plant more flower bulbs. There are so many kinds of late spring and summer blooming bulbs, and THEY ARE SO EASY!  No giant potted plants to drag around, just little bags of flower bulbs that you tuck into your garden beds in fall through early spring … and VIOLA!!  A procession of fabulous blooms, most of which make long-lasting cut flowers.  Another bonus is that over time bulbs multiply to give you more showy blooms, and bulbs to share with friends.

Lilies and gladiolas look great with rudbeckia, goldenrod & tanacetum.

Below are some of my favorites.  With the exception of caladiums, these prefer a sunny location and do not need to be brought in over winter.

Christmas Amaryllis

Amaryllis – The old fashioned red Christmas varieties over-winter reliably in my Summerfield, NC garden (give them extra mulch).  Plant them your potted bulbs into the garden in April and they will bloom again the following spring, usually in May.

Asiatic lilies & Oriental lilies look very much the same, but different colors bloom at different times extending the variety of color in your garden. They will bloom even in part shade!

Asiatic Lily ‘Best Seller’

Asiatic Lily ‘Lolipop’

Tree Lily

Caladiums  love hot weather and won’t come up until the soil is above 60 degrees.  Treat these as annuals or store the bulbs inside over winter.  Most of these would prefer some shade. They are amazingly drought tolerant once the foliage is up.

Calla Lilies –
These elegant cup shaped beauties often have gorgeous tropical looking speckled leaves.

Canna Australia

Canna Lilies & Ginger Lilies (technically corms/tubers) are often available as bare-root plants in winter catalogs.  These are usually bold dramatic plants that need a big space in your garden. The foliage is often as spectacular as the bloom.

Yellow Crocosmia with Red Dahlia

Crocosmia has long graceful stems with blooms that come in hot colors of yellow, orange and red. Florists call this “Montbretia”.

Dahlia

Dahlia ‘Sun Explosion’

Dahlias – Look for the new varieties bred for the cut flower industry.  These are not “dinner plate” dahlias that fall over in a breeze, but plants with 4″ to 5” blooms on that stand upright with minimal support.  Mulch these heavily over winter and they will usually come back the next spring.

Elephant Ears – Bulbs marked Zone 7 should survive our winters. They love water.

Eucomus (pineapple Lily) – ‘Sparkling Burgundy’ is particularly showy.

Gladiolas – Come in every color and there are tall and dwarf varieties to suit your space. Planting them 6 inches deep to keep them from falling over.

Gloriosa Lilies – These are unique delicate climbing lilies that grow about 5’ tall. Grow them aainst a fence, light pole, or taller plants to support them.

Liatris

Liatris – Bees and butterflies love these fuzzy purple spikes.

Lycoris (surprise lilies, naked ladies) – Funny names for Grandmother’s favorites. You can often get pass-along bulbs from friends.

Oxalis (shamrock) – Makes a beautiful ground cover with green or burgundy leaves and pink flowers.

Tiger Lily

Tiger Lilies – Multiply quickly for a beautiful patch of color. You may find friends who have them to share.

General rules of thumb for planting summer bulbs:

• If you order bulbs online, they are often shipped at the proper planting time for your area. Nevertheless, read the instructions before planting.  Brent & Becky’s Bulbs, Gloucester, VA is a good source, and they are very generous to our public gardens.
• Bulbs like loose soil enriched with lots of compost. (“Bulb food” is not enough to keep them healthy long term.)
• Plant bulbs at least 3 times as deep as the bulb is thick.
• Plant bulbs with the pointy end up and the roots down. If you can’t tell which is which, plant the bulb sideways and it will figure it out by itself. Gently cover the bulb with soil & water it in.  Do not press it in with your foot as this only compacts the soil.
• Plant in bulbs in groups or clusters for greatest impact.
• Bulbs need good drainage during their dormant season so they do not rot.

I am offering 3 more ‘Hands-on” gardening classes this summer that you will love!  Anyone may attend.  Click on my Summer Course Schedule below for dates.  You may REGISTER from the Course Schedule Page  or Contact me directly at [email protected] or my cell 336-541-5699.

2016 Course Schedule

Warm regards,
Ellen

If you love asparagus, planting your own is a pretty darn good investment!  I harvest crisp, delicious asparagus spears for 2 months in spring, and  then let the bed turn into a mass of beautiful ferns over summer to rejuvenate the plant for next spring’s harvest.

Beautiful Asparagus with morning dew

Here it is in June after a morning of heavy dew on the mass of 6’ tall ferns.  I like using the etherial summer foliage in flower arrangements.

Asparagus is super easy to grow as long as you give it the right home.  It needs a permanent bed where it can live for 20 years.  It would love a raised bed in full sun, good drainage, and soil with a pH of about 6.5 that has been heavily amended with organic matter/compost.  Soil prep is the key!  Once your bed is planted you will not till or put a shovel in it ever again, or you will damage the asparagus roots.  You can add an organic nitrogen source such as feathermeal, bloodmeal or Espoma Planttone or Gardentone fertilizers.

Buying asparagus bare-root plants is the most economical way to go, and February is the perfect time to order them before the mail order sources run out.  They should arrive in time for mid-March planting. Prepare their new home soon so you can plant them as soon as they arrive.  (If you see bags of asparagus roots hanging in a bag in the store, do not buy them. They are dead. )

Asparagus roots spread over time and 10 plants (about $20) is enough to fill a 12’ x 4’ bed, planting roots about 18” apart.  Check any of your seed catalogs for suppliers, or buy local asparagus roots from Plantworld in Fuquay Varina, NC through www.Etsy.com.   You will get the best production from any of the “Jersey” varieties, and the fattest, heaviest spears from “purple passion” (my favorite, they turn green when cooked.)

Spread out the roots when planting and cover them about 6” deep.  Mulch them after planting with soft stuff (shredded leaves, straw or pine needles) and annually thereafter to maintain that loose rich soil.

Kevin Lee Jacob’s blog at “A Garden for the House” has a nice pictoral of planting his first asparagus bed: http://www.agardenforthehouse.com/2015/04/how-to-plant-asparagus-in-a-raised-bed/  I love his blog, but remember that he is in New York’s Hudson Valley so ignore his planting dates.

Now for the best part – EATING ASPARAGUS !   You can never go wrong pan roasting or oven roasting fresh asparagus with a bit of olive oil, salt and garlic (optional).  Please feel free to reply below and share your favorite asparagus recipes.  I promise you a bag of fresh asparagus this spring!

I just updated my LOCAL GARDEN EVENTS page so you don’t miss a thing this spring!   http://www.learntogarden.net/ellen-blog/garden-events/

GARDENING CLASSES START MARCH 2nd.  The Course Schedule is here: http://www.learntogarden.net/gardening-course-schedule/
Please call if you want to join me in the garden!

Happy Gardening!
Ellen
336-644-6072 H
336-541-5699 cell

Crape myrtles bloom on new wood.  That much is true. The fallacy is that they must be topped, cut back or otherwise severely man-handled so that they produce more blooms.  This cannot be further from the truth.  In fact the fastest way to ruin the naturally elegant shape of a crape myrtle is to top it.

My “Tonto” red crape myrtle has never been topped, and it is so heavy with blooms every summer that the branches hang 3 feet lower than when they were bare.  The trunk peels every year to reveal bark so smooth and sleek it feels like it has been sanded in a professional wood worker’s shop.  The mottled color of the bark is as beautiful in winter as its blooms were in summer.

My Tonto Crape myrtle has never been topped and it blooms heavily every year.

The gorgeous mottled bark of this ancient “Natchez’ Crape myrtle has never been mangled from bad pruning practices.

Making cuts on branches that are any bigger in diameter than your pinkie finger, can cause scarring of branches that look like big fists. When you see trees that have had 2” to 3” diameter branches lopped off, you will see the new growth from these big cuts produce a broom of skinny, weak branches.  The overall look is like a bunch of oversized lollipops stuck into the ground.  Many of these little whips die, and you are left with a big fist of a scar, a mix of weak and dead whips coming out of it, and no more blooms than if you had left it alone!

You can see the permanent scars of every pruning cut made on these trunks. Someone paid a landscaper to climb 20’ up to turn this into an Ugly Myrtle.

Many gardeners have asked what to do about the zillions of messy whips that continually sprout from the base of their crape myrtle. I know immediately that they have been over pruning their trees.  Healthy trees that have not been abused do not have this problem.  The whips sprout at the top and bottom of the tree because it is trying to survive the damage you have caused.

Unfortunately there are several websites that will insist that you will get twice as many blooms from this kind of pruning and it is simply not true.  (Consider who those websites benefit.)

Crape myrtles have a beautiful shape naturally. This one has never been topped. The seed pods on top only add to their winter beauty.

How to solve the pruning problem:

(1)   Buy the right plant. Depending on the variety, the Crape Myrtles you choose in the nursery may grow to be 5’ or 35’. Be sure to read the plant tag or do a Google search of the full botanical name to get an estimate of the mature height of the plant you are buying.  You can also find a gallery of photos and descriptions of many Crape Myrtle varieties at http://www.usna.usda.gov/PhotoGallery/CrapemyrtleGallery/ 

Crepe myrtles are well adapted to the cold of our Zone 7 climate, and most outgrow the height shown on their plant tags.  My beautiful “Tonto” Crape Myrtle reported to grow to 10’ tall is now at least 15’ after 10 years in the ground, however it is not the 30’ specimen I would have had I planted a “Natchez” Crape myrtle.For true dwarf varieties, try ‘Pokomoke’ or the “Dazzle” series of Crape myrtle shrubs.  Also check out fabulous new introductions such as “Pink Velour” with deep wine color new growth, and the “Black diamond” series with even darker foliage that highlights their various bloom colors, and of course my long-time favorite red ‘Dynamite’.

(2)   If you inherited a crape myrtle that is too big for the area it occupies, you can choose to cut it back heavily every year and keep your “ugly Myrtle”, or you can take it out and plant one that will be the right size without pruning.

(3)   If you have planted the right plant for your space, they only pruning you should have to do is to:

• Cut out sucker shoots or whips that sprout from the base of the plant.
• Remove branches that cross over each other or rub together. (February & March are good months to do this.)
• You do NOT need to remove the seed pods from past years blooms. They will disappear as the new spring growth pops out.

The only real help your crape myrtle needs to be beautiful is proper planting in full sun, regular watering for the first year until it is established, and a 2-3” depth of mulch applied annually around the root zone. They are incredibly drought tolerant once established.

Crape myrtles can easily live 100 years.  Save your time and money and give your trees a chance to be naturally elegant and majestic for generations to come.

Ellen Ashley
Educator, Speaker, Blogger & Gardening Enthusiast
Ellen Ashley teaches an annual program of “hands-on” gardening classes on her 10-acre property in Summerfield, NC.
Classes begin March 2, 2016.  See 2016 Course Schedule for details.
Contact her at [email protected].

I am not in the business of growing or selling much plant material, but I LOVE going to the show.  If you are a gardening enthusiast like me, it is the most wonderful place to be in January!  The coliseum is filled with booth after booth of every kind of ornamental plant imaginable!  I go to learn what new plants are on the market and see them in person versus in a photo-enhanced plant catalog.  There are ground covers, succulents, tropicals, flowering shrubs, Japanese maples, and many, many unique plants you may not see anywhere else.

This January 14 & 15, the Green & Growin’ Trade Show floor at the Coliseum Special Events Center.  Yes!  Show me plants!

Although you will probably NOT be able to buy plants at the show, retailers will be placing orders with the growers and you can find out what retail nursery is likely to carry the plant you have fallen in love with. This is important to me because as a hopelessly addicted gardener, I am always adding new plants to my wish list.

Our Greensboro News & Record has an excellent article in today’s paper (Sunday, Jan 10th) about the NCNLA and the “Green & Growin’ 16” event.  Read it online: http://www.greensboro.com/life/from-our-gardens-horticulture-industry-made-up-of-thousands-of/article_730cdf6e-5752-5a10-bb50-e300bc43657b.html

To learn more, visit www.greenandgrowin.com.

I hope to see you January 14^th!

Ellen

Ellen Ashley
Educator, Speaker, Blogger & Gardening Enthusiast,
Ellen Ashley teaches an annual program of “hands-on” gardening classes on her 10-acre property in Summerfield. Classes begin March 2.  Contact her at [email protected].

Of course I have tried-and-true favorite seeds, many of which I save every year from open pollinated plants, but I always have to try a few new things each year.  Here is what is arriving in my mail now:

Benary’s Giant Zinnia seeds, and a new Celosia called “Forest Fire” from The Gardener’s Workshop http://www.thegardenersworkshop.com/.  Benary’s are the biggest Zinnias of all, like giant Dahlias but more prolific and heat loving. I buy the packets of individual hot colors vs. the mixed color packets which seem to be mostly pink.  Celosia is a no-fail plant easy to grow by just tossing the seed on your garden soil in April. Pick whatever variety turns you on.

Pollenless Sunflower

Multi-stemmed, pollenless sunflowers;  Multistemmed because you can get 3 bouquets of flowers from one plant, and pollenless because the others make my sinuses run like the Natahala River!  Johnny’s Seeds has many varieties to choose from: www.johnnyseeds.com/

“Gurney’s Gumbo”  hybrid okra is an early variety “50 days to harvest” (after the seeds sprout in May) and the pods stay tender much longer on the plant, so you don’t have to run out and pick okra every day or resort to using them for Christmans ornaments.

Also from Johnny’s, Helios Pepper seed for my peach & habanero jelly.  This a hybrid variety of Habanero is larger, much earlier to ripen and higher yielding than the original.  The packet of 25 seeds should last me 10 years. (How many hot peppers can you really eat?)

Johnny’s “Five Star Grape” tomato, and it is open pollinated ( otherwise it would say “hybrid”.)  So I can save my own seeds year after year & never have to buy this seed again.  Nice, huh?

Ok, so why not buy ONLY “open pollinated” flower & vegetable seeds?  It is definitely nice not paying for seeds every year, and many open pollinated varieties can’t be beat.  “Fortex” is a truly delicious French filet bean, a green pole bean that never gets stringy.  (Check http://www.superseeds.com/) I save the seeds and grow it every year.  Butternut squash seed saving is fool proof. Ditto for my “Mega Marconi” mega-big red bell pepper, and way-cool “Black Pearl” ornamental pepper.

Black Pearl ornamental pepper

The advantage of hybrids is that they are usually improvements over the original open pollinated varieties. They often have more disease resistance, crack resistance, earlier production and higher yeilds, so they are more satifying to grow.

Some people prefer open pollinated or “heirloom” vegetables like Brandywine, German Johnson, and Cherokee Purple tomatoes because that they believe to have better flavor.  I was one of these.

Then two years ago my friend Lisa Sherman, an avid tomato grower, invited several of us to a tomato taste-off at her home.  I proudly came in with my best “heirloom” tomatoes, only to lose in every taste test to hybrids like “Better Boy” and “Big Beef”!   By the way, the tomato that consistently wins the taste-off against 50 other varieties at the NC A&T farm is the Sun Gold HYBRID cherry tomato!

Sun Gold hybrid cherry tomato

Seed from a hybrid will NOT produce the same offspring, but compare an heirloom tomato like “Mr. Stripy” which may give you only 5 tomatoes on a single plant and you will be kissing your hybrid tomatoes!

Now for the 2016 plant that caused my greatest excitement!  How may of you love Muscadine grapes (I do!) but find that their thick skin & seeds make them too much trouble to eat?  The new “RazzMatazz” grape with muscadine heritage seems to have it all – the hardiness (Zone 7), disease resistance (no spraying), thin skins, no seeds, and self pollinating so you only need to plant ONE.  It is also the first “continuous fruiting” grape, i.e., it sets fruit all summer long.  It sounds too good to be true.  The one downside that is clear is that one little plant costs $50! (But I could not resist!)

As for last year’s new trials, neither the Yacon root nor the Mexican sour Gerkin become a favorite. However,  Johnny’s Granadero “plum tomato” (like a Roma) was hands down the most prolific I have ever grown. Ever. I will definitely grow it again.

Purple Passion Asparagus

By the way, I found more of my very favorite “Purple Passion” Asparagus at www.etsy.com.  The grower is Plantworld in Fuquay Varina, NC, and their bareroot plants were way better than average.  Get your order in now for March planting! (They did not pay me to say this.)

Don’t forget – Gardening Classes start again MARCH 2, 2016!
Here is the Schedule:  http://www.learntogarden.net/gardening-course-schedule/

CALL SOON to get your first choice of class dates!
336-644-6072 H, 336-541-5699 cell.

 Can’t wait to see you in the garden!

Ellen

My friend suggested replacing lawn with some tough ground covers, but it was a big an area (50’ x 35’ on the longest sides) and ground covers alone could be as boring as grass.  But never the less, his suggestion started the wheels turning.  What did I love most in other gardens I had seen?

I loved how my neighbor Linda Krebs had bermed the soil about 18” high on either side of her front walk so that her plants were almost at eye level and arm’s reach.  Her entrance was so inviting!  You could feel the warm embrace of the garden as you approached her door.

I had also marveled at the rock gardens I had seen at the Denver Botanical Gardens.  They used big boulders of course, but most of the plants were planted in between vertical flagstones. It is known as a crevice garden.  Plant roots grow deeply between the stones so they become more heat, cold and drought tolerant.  Even though Denver’s last frost date is mid-May, I witnessed the crevice garden in full bloom in March!   Needless to say, I shamelessly stole these ideas for my own design.

I measured and sketched, ordered boulders and flagstone, had compost and real clay topsoil delivered for building up the berms.  I also selected plants that were too crowded or shaded in my existing gardens and moved them to this new sunnier space.   Moving rock and clay were tasks that I could not do alone.  This required heavy equipment and a skilled crew.  What follow are step-by-step pictures of how my new project came together.  (Forgive me for not taking “before” pictures, but truly there was little to see but a pitiful lawn.)

Step 1 was to make sure I had an ample amount of compost.  Here is about 12 yards of really incredible organic matter that grows happy plants.

Monday, March 16^th was the “GO” date.  We finally had enough dry weather, bodies and materials available.  Our ambitious goal was to have the berms, the stone bench, stone path, crevice garden, and boulders in place in one day.

On March 16, 2015, work began on my new garden. My pattern of dead grass shows where I planned for 20″ high berms to be built up on either side of the grass path.

March 16th.  Perhaps my best decision was to hire landscape architect, Steve Windham of New Garden Nursery and his crew of talented guys to do the heavy lifting. This tractor was the perfect tool to achieve our goal of getting the soil and boulders put into place in ONE day.

March 16th. The guys extended the stone path from my shady “Zen garden” to where the grass path would flow into the new garden. Meanwhile our tractor driver was spreading compost.

On the right are trees that I had dug from garden spots that were too crowded or shady. These had been held in the compost pile for months awaiting placement in their permanent location.

March 16th. Perhaps the scariest part of the day was watching 11 yards of screened top soil (clay) being dumped to build up berms on either side of the path. The tractor moved it all into place, but my formerly green grass path was history.

While the tractor was shaping the berms, we began setting stones for the crevice garden. Placing flagstones vertically to build a rock garden was a new concept for all of us. How far apart? At what angle? do we need edging stones too?…I had only seen the finished product at the Denver Botanical Garden, but none of us had done this before. As we set the stones, we filled between them with a mix of compost, clay, sand and Permatil to make sure to create rich soil that would drain well.

March 16th – Job done! At the end of the day, the berms and 4 palates of heavy stones were all in place. A few of my trees were planted too. Now the challenge was to see how fast I could get enough vegetation growing to cover the mud!

March 23rd.  A week after the berms stones were in place, the grass path was seeded & strawed, and the first shrubs were planted. I was still shopping for the perfect low ground cover to go into the hottest spot in the “V” of the gravel driveway (i.e. that spot of black compost in the foreground.)

April 11th –  Tree weeks later, April is like an awakening! New and old plants were all leafing out. The ground cover I chose for the hottest part of the garden was our native blue-eyed grass planted from 1″ plugs. I knew it had to grow fast to survive before temperatures climbed well into the 80’s (and it did!)

April 18. Grass! Loads of compost and water on this path made the seed pop up quickly. (No one understood my artistic hand pointing “one way” so we did eventually add a “Keep Left” driveway sign underneath.)

April 21st. Barely 5 weeks after starting this garden, it is already a huge improvement over previous years.

June 24th.  3 months later, annuals and perennials started filling in the open spaces while my trees and shrubs were getting established. I planted dianthus, carex, sedums, coreopsis, coleus, hostas and artemesia.  Ahhh, it was starting to feel like an inviting garden walk!

June 24th. Bulbs and corms added foliage texture and color too: bearded iris, roof iris, crocosmia, rain lilies and dahlias.  The crevice garden’s baby plants were growing beautifully in spite of the high summer heat, and only occasional hand watering.

Dahlia ‘Karma Irene’ from Brent & Becky’s bulbs, planted bare-root in April, bloomed all summer, even into October.  It was definitely the drama queen of the summer garden.

September 11th. The garden is starting to achieve the lush look I wanted. This Coreopsis Big Bang ‘ Full Moon’ spread 3 feet, and the miniature red roses donated by Mom, both bloomed the entire summer.

September 11th. The crevice garden performed as promised. The plant roots went deep between the stones and rarely needed watering. The gravel mulch is relatively permanent, and low maintenance.  The stones also protected the only lavender I have ever been able to keep alive through our humid summer.

September 11th. A garden is never finished. Here I am already planning what to change to make it even better next year. I really only needed one Coreopsis Big bang “Full Moon” instead of the three I planted. While my new shrubs continue to fill out, I will be looking for more well-behaved, low-maintenance ground covers so I do not need as much mulch.

September 11th.  Six months after starting this garden, I have to say that I am very happy with the result! Many thanks to Steve Windham & his crew from New Garden Nursery, and my friend Sager West, who laid drip hoses, mulched and planted with me.  Thanks too to all the gardeners who continue to inspire me with brilliant ideas and new discoveries.

Gardening classes make a great Christmas gift!  I hope you will join me in the garden.

Warmest regards,
Ellen

Ellen Ashley
Gardening Enthusiast, Educator, Speaker, Blogger
Ellen Ashley teaches an annual program of “hands-on” gardening classes on her 10-acre property in Summerfield. Contact her at [email protected].