RE: Gardens & Weather/ Shrubs

Joanie,
	this is where Chris chimes in...he is the woodie person.
	I... we, as they are in JoAn's garden, have Chicago Luster... in
fact there are three along with her tall grasses on the western edge of the
property. One of her favorites. Right now Michael Dodge is nice. Covered
with large clusters of gold berries. Next to is a gold foliage elderberry,
which is next to a Mohawk with scarlet berries. Asters are in between, up
front. Seven Son is in full bloom with beauty berry and blue butterfly bush.
Among other things....
	
Gene E. Bush
Munchkin Nursery & Gardens,LLC
www.munchkinnursery.com
Garden Writer - Photographer -  Lecturer




-----Original Message-----
From: owner-perennials@hort.net [o*@hort.net] On Behalf
Of Jeaa0088@aol.com
Sent: Wednesday, September 09, 2009 10:45 AM
To: perennials@hort.net
Subject: Re: Gardens & Weather

Aha! Another shrub devotee...it happens when one finds perennials somehow  
not satisfying enough, that there's more to the mix than meets the eye, even

 those who love strong color as we apparently do. I've heard others who 
have  described the intensity in the beginning of their perennials
fascination 
say that they too planted willy nilly, there always being room  for another 
new love anywhere there's a tiny void. I suffer from the same  organized 
'constipation' you do, Gene, but did not with perennials...if  anything,
they 
were slap dash in wherever the color seemed appropriate and  that's what 
lead to the 'hmmm, something's lacking here' mode.
 
Viburnums are a true fave of mine as they provide just about everything the 
 birds and I think necessary in a shrub, as you mentioned below. Have you 
tried  V. 'Chicago Lustre'? It's one of a number of fine cultivars developed

by  Midwestern nurseries in conjunction with, I believe, the Chicago Botanic

Garden  to meet the criteria of our climate. It's a superb plant and I 
admit to buying  enough that moths circled my wallet for too long. There's
also 
a newish dwarf  Weigela called 'My Monet' which is variegated, leafing out 
in a  pinkish-cream-green, turning in early summer to cream-green foliage as

the  plants put on a few years in the ground....can't wait...and they fit 
anywhere at  about 16"x16"..recommended for zones 4-6 (that seems overly  
restrictive) and they're tough little shrubs. 
 
Joanie Anderson
35 mi. north of Chicago
zone 5a
 
 
In a message dated 9/9/2009 7:46:15 A.M. Central Daylight Time,  
genebush@netsurfusa.net writes:

Ha!
Great minds thing alike.... for the last few  years I have been going
back and working in my shrubs and sub-shrubs.  Actually removing a few of 
the
conifers that have been caught up in too  much shade now and looking past
their prime. The native azalea walk is one  good example. I have lost a
couple of mature trees and I am going back with  carefully selected shrubs
that will give me foliage color and texture,  blooms, fragrance and berries.
Viburnums are big on the list. Also  hydrangea. However, beneath and in
between there remains the opportunity to  get some new perennials.
Don't think I have every worked  higgledy-piggledy....my mind does
not work that way. If anything, it is the  opposite... a touch too organized
and tends to fall into patterns even when  I am trying for the opposite.

Gene E. Bush
Munchkin  Nursery & Gardens,LLC
www.munchkinnursery.com
Garden Writer -  Photographer -  Lecturer




-----Original  Message-----
From: owner-perennials@hort.net  [o*@hort.net] On 
Behalf
Of Jeaa0088@aol.com
Sent:  Monday, September 07, 2009 9:48 AM
To: perennials@hort.net
Subject: Re:  Gardens & Weather

Hi, Gene:

Darn rain rarely does just what  it's supposed to do...I think Mother  
Nature's laughing again.  

As to color in the garden, do you mean colorful perennials? in  the  
beginning of my love affair with perennials, I higgledy-piggledy  added
plants  and 
the spectrum was fabulous. But after a few  years, something began to feel  
amiss...too few shrubs and other  bones in the landscape...and too many  
flowers....and too little  texture....so as perennials died out here and
there I  
added more  bones and moved some of the flowers around to add  some zing  
here

and there. Then, I began to love the bones just as much  as  the. Isn't it 
interesting how shrubs can be so colorful with nary a   flower in sight? 
Now 
I've ended up with mostly just my favorite  perennial  bloomers plunked 
here 
and there for emphasis and tons of  hardscape and  shrubs...it's very 
satisfying...my latest love is  boulders...anyone want  to trade a front-end
loader 
for plants?  




In a message dated 9/7/2009 8:06:25 A.M. Central Daylight  Time,  
genebush@netsurfusa.net writes:

Well,
I suppose one  should be careful what they  complain about /wish for.
It started  raining just after I sent the last  message. Darn nice rain
yesterday  morning. Cleared up and then began again  last evening. Still at 
 
it
this morning. My garden has now been watered.  Thoroughly. In  fact, rain 
is 
a
strong probability every day this week. May  catch  up on my paper work yet.
I have been working on  clearing out a small  area or two in my garden
where I have a bit too much  of any one  plant....something took over an 
area.
At first it looked good,   now it is just too much. I look at it as exercise
and an opportunity  to  purchase more plants. Perhaps put a bit more punch
into the garden  in color  choices. In my addled old age I am appreciating
stronger  color  more.
Is the desire for stronger colors in the garden  come  with age...or
just me wandering around in my garden?

Gene  E. Bush
Munchkin Nursery &   Gardens,LLC
www.munchkinnursery.com
Garden Writer - Photographer  -   Lecturer




-----Original  Message-----
From:  owner-perennials@hort.net  [o*@hort.net] On 
Behalf
Of  

We had a  'misting' yesterday.  Our prediction today is for a 70%   chance
of thunderstorms, but the sky is blue and the sun is  shining.   I don't 
think it's going to   happen.

Chris

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