Angel Series Hydrangea

   If you think you cannot grow water-loving plants, reconsider your options.  You can build yourself a boggy area in your own backyard.  Construct your bog near a downspout or rain barrel, letting it seep into your mucky mire.  Don't confuse this with a rain garden.  We will talk about that another time.  One caveat, do not locate it near the house foundation.  Slope it away from your home.

   Dig out an area wide and long enough to accommodate the plants you would like to grow.  Dig it about a foot deep.  Line it with a vinyl pond liner but make sure the vinyl does not slope up the sides.  Punch a few small holes in the bottom.  You want the water to be able to soak into the surrounding garden area so that it does not become stagnant or a mosquito breeding area. 

   If you live in colder zones, you will have to dig many of these plants and winter them indoors.  On the other hand, you can treat them as annuals and replace them every year. 

   You can use water-loving plants to stop erosion and runoff.  Elephant ear (both Alocasia and Colocasia) come in traditional huge green, black ('Black Magic'), black and green (Colocasia esculenta 'Illustris,' one of my favorites),

Japanese Iris

   Cannas love bogs and reward you with many flowers on tall strong stalks.  Ligularia, also usually grown in garden soil, will be much happier in a shady bog.  The native Louisiana iris, or the Japanese iris (Iris ensata), and yellow flag iris (Iris pseudacorus) make beautiful clumps or sweeps of flowers in wet areas. 

   Any water overflow slowly percolates out the sides of the bog and into the soil, where it is naturally filtered and cleaned.  Amend the soil with compost in this overflow area and locate hydrangeas like 'Penny Mac', or a new beauty in the Halo(tm) series, Angel Lace(tm), or the native 'Annabelle', where they will benefit from the extra moisture. 

Illustris

   Rushes grow wild in many areas.  A highly ornamental plant, the Great Spiral Rush (Juncus effusus) can be found growing in wet, mucky soil.  Another native, Cephalanthus occidentalis, or Button Bush, thrives at water's edge along lakes and streams.  'Sputnik' is a selection aptly named for its very large flowers.  Its nectar rich blooms, large for a buttonbush, benefit butterflies and bees.

   Try something new but do be aware of your state's noxious weed list.  Our waterways are precious.  Do not plant anything that might get loose in your environment.  Check out plants at the USDA website, http://plants.usda.gov/java/noxiousDriver.  Go for a bog, but be smart with your choices.

Coach Anne  Sept. 26, 2007

Question:

Can you tell me why a moth orchid will produce two stems of buds and just as you would expect them to open, they go brown, wither, and drop off? I must be doing something right but why does it stop short of blooming? I realize watering, humidity, light and room temperature all may be factors contributing to the problem. This plant is not growing in my home but in the home of a relative so I cannot fill you in on the above information. Thank you for any advice I may be able to pass on.

Answer:

Orchid buds abort for the reasons you mentioned. Sometimes moving the plant from outdoors to inside will cause this problem. Also, do not feed it when in bud.  Check to see that the relative is not letting it stand in water. It needs to be elevated above water. Setting it on a dish of pebbles is the easiest way to get humidity without soaking the roots. It is an air plant, but does not like drafts.

If the plant is setting buds and everything else is being done correctly, then the other possibility is that this might just be a problem with this particular plant. Has it ever bloomed?  If not, replace it with a better specimen.

Boulders are not just for Japanese Gardens. If you love stone, use it in your landscape. Imbed the boulders so that they have a look of permanence. Nothing is worse than seeing boulders that have just been plopped down on top of the ground. Place them carefully to enhance the landscape. Use the Japanese garden concept of burying up to 2/3 of the rock’s surface. Place them strategically in the bends, corners, and changes in grade. They look handsome next to a stone wall where outcroppings break up the straight line, adding interest to what could be a monotonous straight section. Be sure to locate the plants behind the stones, letting the rocks face the public. This technique gives a sense of permanence to the garden and looks good in any season.