The Month is November, the Year is 2021 and Winter Approaches
It has been a few months since the last newsletter and while the world may be going to heck in a handbasket, our gardens are still here asking for little but providing lots. I have a rather small garden, (I refer to it as compact), but it is amazing the number of plants I can stuff into it. In fact, according to many books, I don’t provide sufficient room for each plant. Hogwash, I say, they will figure it out.
Author’s garden, Nov 2021
The last newsletter appeared a couple of months ago as fall was approaching. Today, I look out the window and see fallen leaves, tired shrubs and very tired annuals. I see hellebores and hostas trying to go dormant and even the grasses aren’t quite as stately as they were a month ago.
At the same time, I am relishing in perennial ageratums (Conoclinum), lots of hardy mums, like ‘Ryan’s Daisy’, asters, naked ladies (Lycoris) and beauty berries (Callicarpa) at this time of year.
A few fall favorites:
Here are a few of my fall flowering favorites. Pick them up anytime. Check locally, but to find them, you may have to order online in the spring. I have mentioned some of my favorites, but there are many excellent choices. Six perennials and two bulbs
Anemone, any of them, my favorite is ‘Honorine Jobert’
Montauk daisy (Nipponanthemum), also known as Nippon daisy
Toadlily (Tricytis), all good, but my favorite is ‘Empress’ with larger and more flowers
Asters, any of them but the small flowered ‘Ezo Murazaki’ has been a great find
Hardy mums (Dendranthema), I can’t get enough of ‘Ryan’s Pink’
Isodon effusus, long tubed trumpet spurflower. A plant with shade tolerance that actually flowers in the fall. A most unusual combination
Rain lily (Zephryanthes), any will do, the easiest is probably the white Z. candida
Naked ladies (Lycoris), the red (L. radiata) for the South, the mauve (L.squamigera) for the North
On my App, Armitage’s Great Garden Plants, there is an entire section on Fall Flowering Plants
2021 Gift Guide
As well as sharing a few plants, I send heart-felt Christmas greetings for you. Yes, it is that time of year and this is my last Newsletter for 2021. I have a ton of Christmas wishes for everyone, the most fervent being – please get vaccinated.
For all of you who have already received that gift, come visit. And for those who prefer to stay at home around a warm fire and warm friends and family, here are some simple gift ideas I have gathered from friends.
One of my favorite stops for high quality seeds is Botanical Interests, (https://www.botanicalinterests.com). Not only is their seed list diverse, they also have some beautiful gift ideas (their notecards are beautiful) and their microgreen gifts are unique. (https://www.botanicalinterests.com/category/Gift-Sets)
A gift certificate from your local garden center/plant outlet. They will love you and remember you when they do their plant shopping in the spring.
A membership to the American Horticultural Society, America’s most prestigious gardening organization. It includes their wonderful American Gardening magazine and is chock full of ideas. https://ahsgardening.org/ways-to-support/membership/
Ditto to a membership to the Herb Society of America, which includes a subscription to The Herbalist. https://www.herbsociety.org
A Hori Hori knife – from Corona Tools. Scary name, scary tool, but people love it in the garden. Shop directly from Coronoa
Japanese Hand Hoe — a suggestion from my friend Kelly Garcia of Terra Flower Farm in Tennessee. She states, “I swear by this hand hoe! For the daily chores of keeping the weeds out of the flower beds to heavier tasks of cleaning out a bed to switch to a new crop! My hands and wrists wouldn’t be the same with this tool! “ Shop Here.
Tales of Big Jon and Other Creatures
It would be rather silly not to recommend gifts from my pen, and in this month of November, I truly am excited about a new book for you. It has nothing to do with plants or gardens, but one I know you will enjoy, as will anybody you gift it to. As someone told me, “Most gardeners are parents, but not all parents are gardeners.”
“As the father of three grown sons and grandfather to two grandsons, I ended up reading the book twice because I was so entertained by the trials and tribulations of raising a family. Life is truly the most unscripted thing any of us will ever experience and Allan and Susan's journey together moved my emotions as I thought about my own family. Well done, Allan!
Steve Argo, father of three, grandfather of two.
“Raising children is frustrating, fun, worrisome and rewarding. Always a great storyteller, Armitage shares laugh-out-loud tales of raising his three kids. Veteran parents will recognize aspects of many of these stories, and newer parents will know they aren’t alone.” ~Robin Siktberg, mother of Eric and Lauren
“Allan has a wonderful knack for storytelling. This book is so relatable to everyone. The family confessions of this ordinary family will keep you laughing, reminiscing, and entertained from beginning to end. A great weekend read! Enjoy! “ ~Kitty Lay, mother of Rusty and Chip
A warning for any gifts. The Postal Service is already overwhelmed, please put your requests in early if you are hoping to arrive for Christmas.
Speaking of books
It seems that few people want to write a reference book anymore (takes a huge amount of time) and even fewer publishers want to publish them. Their excuse is “that nobody reads anymore.” Hogwash yet again.
I wrote the 4th edition of Herbaceous Perennial Plants secure in the knowledge that many people want up to date information and actually still enjoy reading. In fact, it seems that some people agree with me. Herbaceous Perennial Plants, 4th volume, walked away with 1 Gold and 2 Silver Medals from the Garden Communicators International 2021 Media Awards. I am a little biased but I agree that they selected the best reference book for perennials available. And while the book can be accurately described as a tome, I believe you will find very readable.
As for now, as days get shorter, temperatures get lower, wind speeds get higher and nights become longer, I wish everyone a wonderful fall and Christmas season.
Hope you will follow me and stay in touch.
See you in the garden!
Make sure you follow, like, subscribe, and all the other things to keep up with me on Social Media.
I seem to be everywhere these days.
The Month is September, the Year is 2021 and Fall is On Its Way
It has been a few months since the last newsletter and while the world may be going to heck in a handbasket, our gardens are still here asking for little but providing lots. I have a rather small garden, (I refer to it as compact), but it is amazing the number of plants I can stuff into it. In fact, according to many books, I don’t provide sufficient room for each plant. Hogwash, I say, they will figure it out.
The author’s garden in early September replete with hydrangeas, carex, rudbeckias and a downy woodpecker
It has been a few months since the last newsletter and while the world may be going to heck in a handbasket, our gardens are still here asking for little but providing lots. I have a rather small garden, (I refer to it as compact), but it is amazing the number of plants I can stuff into it. In fact, according to many books, I don’t provide sufficient room for each plant. Hogwash, I say, they will figure it out.
Since I am told I do many things incorrectly, I have decided to provide:
Armitage’s Common Sense Gardening – for people who enjoy the dirt
Don’t listen to anyone who renders opinions without being asked. This is your garden, make as many mistakes as you would like.
Ask for help from other gardeners. Gardeners by nature love to share successes and failures. We make lousy politicians but great priests. If you ask for help, you and your garden buddy will stare, scratch heads and then come up with workable solutions. The other major bonus of asking a garden friend for help us that he/she will undoubtedly share some of their plants with you.
Ask for professional help, but only if you have major issues with drainage, or limb/tree work and especially when your back hurts. My guy puts down compost every year and Susan has him trim things that I don’t think need trimming. He helps save both my body and my marriage.
Small gardens are so much easier than large ones. Having done both, I recommend downsizing a garden as much as I do your house when all the kids have left. A small garden provides far more time to sip wine while admiring it, rather than guzzling Jim Beam to forget about it.
Stuff as many plants together in your garden as you can afford. Start with groundcovers like Ajuga or creeping Charlie, add some cone flowers, heucheras, lobelias etc among the groundcovers and then add a small shrub like Deutzia or even some lily bulbs in the same space. The plants will adapt, the weeds have no soil to invade and if plants get too crowded later on, move, propagate or give them away. See note #1.
That is enough for now, the next five are no more complicated than the first five, but I must move to other things.
Speaking of other things, fall is coming. We will be seeing a million pot mums and two million pansies in the shops very soon. Fortunately, there are many plants, particularly perennials, that shine in the fall. Unfortunately, because they look like green things only, we tend not to buy them in the spring.
Hardy mums (not pot mums), asters, perennial lobelias, anenomes, grasses, sunflowers, heleniums and many more keep the garden exciting, offering something new as summer turns to fall. It is not too late to plant them if you can find them online (perennialfarmmarketplace.com). It is also quite likely that some of those perennials you planted last year or in the spring did not make it, and there are holes to fill. (see #5 above). Planted here and there in the garden, they provide other spots of color to complement the color symphonies of your maples and elms.
By the way, a listing of fall perennials is easy to find on my App (menu-fall flowering plants).
I Don’t Want to Mention Covid, I Really Don’t but….
How can it be, that we are still masking because of Covid-19? How can it be that we are still doing zoom meetings, wondering if schools will be closed next week and still feeling like we have forgotten something when we forget our mask to go to WalMart? We should be no more thinking about Covid any more than we think about the common flu.
Yet, we are.
There is little doubt that even given the scientific miracle of developing vaccines in record time, many people refuse to be vaccinated. Where is Darwin when we need him? That we are still masking, even when fully vaccinated, is a testament to their selfishness and stupidity. I am going back to my garden.
Is Fall Actually for Planting?
I have been told for years that Fall is for planting. Cool weather and additional rainfall provide excellent reasons for planting, however, let’s not get carried away. In truth, spring is far better, but garden chores are usually so numerous in the spring, it is good to use the fall for planting. If planting in the fall, wait until fall weather actually gets here. That is, don’t start planting pansies in the South on September 10, it is far too early. Planting flowering pot mums in early September means they will be finished by October. Now, this is up to you, but you be donating money rather than spending it. The same is true for gardens in Vermont and Ontario. The only difference is your fall weather comes early, as does Jack Frost.
However, just when I want to relax, I am told that fall is for clean-up. Geez, what do I need to clean? But as I walk around my garden in the fall, it occurs to me that those four-foot-tall weeds may have escaped my attention. Perhaps those disease-ridden leaves on some of my early perennials need to be removed. Susan has pointed out to me that it may be time to rediscover the windows of my house that have been covered with holly, and to release the strangle hold of certain vines that threaten to eat the neighborhood. Of course, the dead annuals are not really enhancing anything in late fall, and clearing them out, along with any fungi, or disease organisms they carry, makes for a cleaner garden in the spring.
I don’t worry about tree leaves that fall in the garden, they make look unsightly but provide future compost. Unfortunately, Susan is less compost-conscious than I, and soon she will be handing me the rake to clean the detritus.
It is catalog time, on paper or online.
I keep receiving news of the newest and best perennials, shrubs and ferns but it is the bulb catalogs that catch my eye in the fall. This is without doubt the best time to plant most bulbs, so if room permits (see #5 above), go for it. Here are my choices, depending on climate, you may want to try a few.
Lilies: I plant at least three of a single cultivar. I love the Orientals, but Asiatics are equally good.
Narcissus: Can’t have too many daffs, but get creative, try some unusual ones.
Muscari: Grape hyacinths are among the easiest of the smaller bulbs to enjoy. Purples, whites
Ipheion: Don’t know blue-star flower, try them. They are among my favorites, and successful.
Zephryanthes: Another small bulb flowering in summer. I can’t get enough of them.
By the way, my App has information on a ton of bulbs and where they can be purchased. Go to menu-plants-bulbs.
Perennials
Not to be overwhelmed by bulbs, buying perennials now is also catalog-easy. There are way too many, but here are a few I have recently found. As with bulbs, they may or may not work for you.
The App has a copious listing of perennials (menu-plants-perennials) as do a couple of good books I happened to have written (on website, allanarmitage.net).
Speaking of books
It seems that few people want to write a reference book anymore (takes a huge amount of time) and even fewer publishers want to publish them. Their excuse is “that nobody reads anymore.” Hogwash yet again.
I wrote the 4th edition of Herbaceous Perennial Plants secure in the knowledge that many people want up to date information and actually still enjoy reading. In fact, it seems that some people agree with me. Herbaceous Perennial Plants, 4th volume, walked away with 1 Gold and 2 Silver Medals from the Garden Communicators International 2021 Media Awards. I am a little biased but I agree that they selected the best reference book for perennials available. And while the book can be accurately described as a tome, I believe you will find very readable.
In closing this month, let’s just keep having fun.
You can join me on my fun times by following me on Facebooks and the like. You can join me on my walkabouts on Facebook Live (stay turn for planned walkabouts in September and October), share my time on lectures or listen when I appear on radio shows like Ron Wilson out of Cincinnati, Niki Jabbour out of Halifax, and many others.
Here is my last chat with Ron Wilson: In the Garden with Ron Wilson and Dr. Armitage
and with Niki Jabbour from my August 1st Interview.
And don’t forget I write regularly for Greenhouse Grower.
Lastly, please stay tuned for my latest literary adventure,
which has nothing to do with plants. A cross between Erma Bombeck and Dr. Suess, it is called “Tales of Big Jon and Other Creatures”. A book about the stories all our kids provide as they grow up, and sure to make you smile. An announcement as to its fall arrival will be sent out to all followers.
Make sure you follow, like, subscribe, and all the other things to keep up with me on Social Media.
I seem to be everywhere these days.
The Month is June, The Year is 2021 and Summer is here
The Month is June, The Year is 2021 and Summer is here
“Deep summer is where laziness finds respectability.” Sam Keen
Sam Keen is a wonderful American author and philosopher whose quote about the lazy days of summer made me go through my photo archives. I recall this anonymous reader at the Botanical Garden at the University of Georgia. She demonstrates a perfect combination of summer, laziness and respectability.
“Deep summer is where laziness finds respectability.” Sam Keen
Sam Keen is a wonderful American author and philosopher whose quote about the lazy days of summer made me go through my photo archives. I recall this anonymous reader at the Botanical Garden at the University of Georgia. She demonstrates a perfect combination of summer, laziness and respectability.
How wonderful it is to be out of jail.
I am still on my best behavior around crowds and among strangers, but to greet my friends unmasked and to enjoy our book club without sitting six feet apart is wonderful. I quote my good friend Patricia Collins from Pine Mountain, GA who states “… getting together now is a bit like getting out of jail.” Everyone I hang out with has been double-vaxed, and we couldn’t be happier.
I have long given up trying to understand those who refuse to be vaccinated. I can only control my own actions, and do my best to avoid the freeloaders in life. While we are surely not totally free of the Covid monster, we have made it this far. I know with certainty that my garden made the jail time bearable for me and continues to do so.
We have been fortunate in the United States to have access to vaccines, but others are still waiting. Most of my family and friends in Canada have received the first shot, but await the second. Patience is not an easy master, but at least getting in the garden gives all of us something more to look forward to.
June not only brings respectability, the month is awash in celebration.
Just celebrating summer is reason enough to smile, but who knew that that this month is National Rose Month, National Pollinator Month and National Fresh Fruit and Vegetables Month. And of course, one of my favorites I love to chat about is Perennial Gardening Month.
Just for fun, here is an idea or two that crossed my mixed-up
mind about these various plant fetes.
National Rose Month: I have been accused of not giving sufficient love to roses. I have been quoted, “Dr. Armitage hates rose gardens!” I suspect I said that, but the second part of my statement seems to be left out. What I actually said was, “I hate rose gardens, but I love roses in the garden.” Let me show you want I mean.
I have some favorites in my garden. One of my favorites is the very old-fashioned ‘Cecile Brunner’ who climbs my trees and house in a single leap. She is beautiful, she is fragrant but she is a thug. I very much enjoy the mini climbers that paint my fence. I have loved the far less thuggish ‘Winner’s Circle’ and my new ‘Highwire Flyer’ is prettying my ugly fence. As for major excitement, get out of my way when I start talking about the new Brindebella series of bush roses. Clean foliage, fragrant flowers, I wish I had stock in the company. This should be the next great rose for North American gardens. ‘Purple Prince’ and ‘Dawn’ both Brindabellas, can be cut to bring in or take to your book club.
I have included these in my section on roses in my Garden App, Armitage’s Great Garden Plants. But you need not listen to me, here is a link about rose month: Rose Month and check out more though the App.
National Pollinator Month: We don’t need a “month” to realize how important pollinators are, but a little kick in the behind does not hurt either. What would our gardeners be without pollinators and hosts for the good guys, like fennel for swallowtails, milkweed for monarchs and almost any flower for bees and butterflies. We don’t need to be a botanist, ecologist or entomologist, just include flowering plants and they shall come.
Some favorites in my garden are butterfly bush, like ‘Pugster Pink’, and calamintha which attracts everything. I love Salvia ‘Rose Marvel’ and my trumpet vine ‘Hot Lips’ (hummingbirds love it, but it is a major thug.)
For those who love to be on the cutting edge of the pollinator movement, the National Wildlife Federation sponsors the Million Pollinator Challenge.
I have included all these plants under pollinators on my App. For more info on Pollinator Month, National Day Calendar, Pollinator Month.
Veggies: Me and a vegetable garden simply don’t have room to coexist in separate spaces. I think of veggies like I think of roses, I love veggies in my garden. I don’t have the room or the desire to take care of a vegetable plot. However, that does not mean I won’t tuck a few tomatoes in here and there, a little fennel and lots of lettuce, even in containers. Truly, other than a pig running around, what else do I need for my BLT?
Veggies can be the conduit to introduce your kids and grandkids to gardening. My grandson Ben does not really eat many veggies (what teenage boy does), but he likes potatoes and loved strawberries. I helped him plant some of both and a few months later, we dug our potatoes. Hallelujah, I may have found a gardening buddy. Look out carrots! Success and excitement go hand in hand, help them with both.
However, one of my favorite organizations, The National Gardening Bureau (NGB) highlights various plants for gardeners, including flowers and houseplants. For veggies, this is the Year of The Green Bean (https://ngb.org/year-of-plants-2021/).. Who knew?
Yes, it is Perennial Gardening Month, how silly to designate a specific time to something every gardener does. I love my trees, my shrubs – hey, wait a minute, aren’t those perennial? – as well as my herbaceous plants. So many to tell you about, but really you simply need to visit.
That way, you can smell the nepeta, touch the lobelia, savor the heucheras and wait on the phlox and asters. The wonderful thing about perennials is that they are always changing, one week they are emerging and a few weeks later, they are spectacular and then a few weeks later they are dead – oh, wait, we don’t want to celebrate that. However, I wish I could find some of those plants that looked so good last year, the gremlins must have got them.
Or maybe the squirrels and chipmunks got them. Those little buggers fatten up on the crocus in the fall, but now Chip and Dale are uprooting things just for fun. It’s like Alvin can’t help himself. My solution – cayenne pepper! I am not sure it works, but it looks good, and what else am I going to do with cayenne pepper?
Ben and his spuds
After going on about all these other plants, I must say I am glad there is no Gardening Month to celebrate Annuals. That would be just as silly as Perennial Gardening Month - I mean who doesn’t want color all season long. I can hardly stand myself with the pleasure I derive from my containers of color, and my impatiens filling the ground with pastel hues. It is June, get them in the garden, fill your containers and plumb up those window boxes.
The Window Boxes, a truce?
A quick follow up about window boxes: From last newsletter, you may recall that Susan was very impatient with my window boxes, so much so that she stuck some Dollar Store silk pansies in them. Remember those photos?
It was just a wee bit embarrassing to explain to my friends that yes, I am a horticulturist, and yes, those are fake. It was even more embarrassing when they liked them. Well I have redone the window boxes this spring and this time, I jammed every square inch with colorful flowers and foliage. We have reached a truce!
I have had a wonderful time walking around the garden on Facebook Live, I do hope a few of you have joined me. My session with Rachel Winkle at her cut flower farm was a lot of fun – cut flowers have just taken off! I think it might be one of the most talked about topics this year. We had a ball talking about what to grow, when to cut, stem length and preserving.
My next Facebook Live will be on June 9th, 7:00 pm at the lovely garden of Ann Frierson. This is truly a spectuacular garden. Hope you can join me.
Make sure you keep up with me on Facebook. This past week has been full of fun, each evening we have been having Primrose Parties in the front yard. Gardeners and non gardeners alike have been joining me at dusk to watch the Primroses surprises us! Check out the video to see the magic!
And visitors:
Scott Beuerlein, the Curator of Horticulture at the Cincinnati zooScott
I have had a few guests recently as Covid has loosened its grip. Scott Beuerlein, the Curator of Horticulture at the Cincinnati Zoo and his wife Michele visited for a few days. Great fun. Recently Wayne Amos, who spent most of his horticultural career beautifying the grounds of the White House visited with his friend and former student extraordinaire, Toni Senory. Wayne was making the capital beautiful from the Carters to the last Bush administration. I am so happy to be unmasked!
Wayne Amos, who spent most of his horticultural career beautifying the grounds of the White House
We have been reasonably busy trying to stay in shape. I am still playing tennis but Susan has started playing pickleball! This is great news; we run around with wooden rackets and whiffle balls and try to beat up on each other and congratulate each other when we do. I recommend this game to all, easy to start, easy to play and much easier on the body than tennis or squash.
A pre-sale!
So much going on, but I will end with very exciting news. One of my most popular books, Armitage’s Garden Perennials (2011) was put out of print many years ago. By popular demand, it was picked up by Echo Point Books and with minor updates is available once again. With literally hundreds of photos, witty remarks and text to learn by, this book will now be in the hands of the next generation of gardeners. I am thrilled. It is also the best complement to the big tome, Herbaceous Perennial Plants, 4th ed. The two are like love and children, you can’t have one without the other.
Go to the website and order now, the book will be available by June 15th.
With the first 25 pre orders, you will receive 2 packets of seeds from Botanical Interest chosen by me! Be sure to get your orders in quickly! Limited quantities available.
Absolutely – join me with “Tales from the Garden” (stories about plants and their names) and “Back to School with Dr A”, where I provide five-minute thoughts about the science of gardening and horticulture. No tests involved.
Books:
Can you believe it - I have been selling quite a few books. As any author knows, a new book is like a new plant, lots of interest when first introduced but it has to have “legs” to remain standing. Fortunately, my books seem to have pretty strong legs. Specialty Cut Flowers was originally written in 1993, and revised in 2003 with my colleague Judy Laushman. It has always been the standard for cut flower growers and did well, but certainly not one of the best sellers in recent years. However, it was lately recommended by the cut flower guru Nicole Pitt of Flower Hill Farm in Boonville, New York (www.flowerhillfarmny.com). She has a horde of followers and her followers have eaten it up.
The original introduction of Herbaceous Perennial Plants appeared in 1989, and has always been well received by industry and garden people. I introduced the 4th edition a few months ago and it too is selling very well. Naked Ladies, Legends and even The Hat book are still selling.
Mind you, it is not easy to have a new book every year, but I am trying. In fact, I hope by the next newsletter I will have a new color book on perennials for you to look at. And after that, a real surprise …
Online Courses
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