PLANTS THAT MAKE A STATEMENT

Yucca filamentosa 'Bright Edge'

Anchored in the back edge of our Perennial Border you will find this tough as nails plant.  It is low maintenance, sturdy, and provides year-round interest.  It does best in sunny spots with good drainage and also grows well in containers.  Mature plants will produce a tall spike with creamy-white bell shaped flowers.  Cutting off the faded spike after flowering is about the only task this plant requires.  

For more growing information and additional pictures, click here for a
FACT SHEET.

BIDENS

New to our Wildflower Garden this year is Bidens aristosa commonly called bur-marigold or tickseed sunflower.  It blooms from late summer until frost.  It is a native plant which attracts butterflies.  Bidens are used in the NCDOT Wildflower Program.  You may see them blooming now along the highways.

Read more about this wildflower and all the NCDOT flowers used

by clicking HERE.

Biden aristosa in the Wildflower Garden.

 

VEGETABLE GARDEN MAKEOVER

Several Master Gardener Volunteers were busy this week replacing the worn raised garden beds.  It was a lot of hard work.  They will soon be filling the beds with new soil and compost.  The new beds will rest for the winter and be ready for an early spring planting.

Click below for some great vegetable gardening links:

VEGETABLES - NC State Resources

Photos by S. Purcell

MOVEMENT IN THE GARDEN

Our showstopping Pink Muhly Grass (Muhlenbergia capillaris)

 in the Wildflower Garden.

Video by D. Grimes

FALL PLANTS OF INTEREST

There is a variety of plants in bloom or showing berries this week at the Arboretum.  You may have heard "Fall is For Planting".  Believe it!  Perhaps you want to include some of these plants in your garden for Fall interest.  Helianthus angustifolius (Swamp Sunflower) is shown in the first pot on the top left below.  It is one easy to grow, fall flowering plant that makes a statement and does not mind the deluge of rain we have had.  It is very attractive to butterflies, birds, and our native bees.  Click here for more about this SUNFLOWER.

Photos by A. Laliotes

#1 Helianthus augustifolius              Swamp Sunflower (Butterfly Garden)
#2 Pyracantha sp.                              Firethorn     (CPP Row #4)
#3 x Fatshedera lizei                         Fatshedera  (CPP Row #2)
#4 Ilex verticilatta 'Sparkleberry'    Winterberry  (Butterfly Garden)
#5  Eucomis comosa                          Pineapple Lily  (Ag Ctr Border-Right Side)

#6  Muhlenbergia capillaris              Pink Muhly Grass  (Wildflowers)
#7  Cryptomeria japonica                  Japanese Cedar  (CPP Row #1)
#8  Metasequoia glyptostroboides   Dawn Redwood  (Cpp Row #2)
#9  Ilex x attenuata 'East Palatka'    Holly  (Cpp Row #3)
#10 Myrica cerifera                            Wax Myrtle   (Cpp#2)

TIME FOR A CHANGE

The Vertical Gardens made from old pallets have undergone several replantings.  Some changes are due to over-vigorous plants taking more space than anticipated.  Some are due to seasonal changes where annuals were planted and needed to be replaced with winter hardy plants.  Some are due to under performing plants picked to do well, but just failed.  It is an experiment.  Like all our gardens at the Arboretum:  trials and errors are a part of gardening.

Pic #1

Pic #2

Pic #3

(Pic #1) We removed everything from the smaller pallet to check that the watering system still worked.  After releveling it, the water flowed as planned.  (Pic #2) Next we lined the front with burlap to keep the soil in until the plants have a chance to root in.  Holes were sliced in the burlap to make room for the plant roots.  The burlap eventually decomposes.  (Pic #3) Some of the old plants were put back in and a few new ones added.  One lesson we learned is that every spot does not need to be filled.