Using Gravel to Improve Your Lawn

For being a nursery that specializes in clematis, hydrangeas, fuchsias, and perennials, we sure talk a lot about gravel.  We use it in our pathways, use it to amend our planting beds, and use it as mulch.  But what we get asked about most is how we use it on our lawn.  When we last treated the lawn at the nursery I did a five month pictorial to show people how this works.

It is best to do this treatment during the rainy seasons.  So usually  October through  April  are your best times for gravel application  If you will be doing compost and overseeding,  October, March and April and sometimes May, are the best times.  If the existing lawn is very sparse or has existing bare spots compost and overseeding is reccomended.

First mow your lawn short and aerate if you want.

January 11

Here is the lawn on January 11, one week after the gravel had been applied. About 3/4 of an inch of quarter ten gravel was spread over the top of the existing lawn.  The type of gravel is important.  1/4 10 is crushed basalt that has been washed. Having gravel that is crushed, not round, allows it to travel better through the soil and help improve drainage.  You want the washed variety because you do not want to be adding sand to clay soil.  We added extra gravel to fill in a low area that is on the far left of the picture.

February 1

After a few weeks, on February 1 you can see the lawn starting to grow through the gravel. In the last ten years there has been roughly four inches total of gravel applied to this lawn.

March 4

Due to a warm February, some of the grass has started to grow by March 4, but there are still gravel patches. We apply the gravel for two main reasons. First, it helps with winter drainage so that the lawn does not get mushy and mossy with all of our rain. Second, by breaking up the soil underneath the lawn it lets the grasse’s roots travel deeper whcih in turn allows you to water less in the summer.

March 25

This is a high traffic lawn and certain areas needed extra care. We top dressed them with some organic compost and re-seeded the bare spots.

April 29

By April 29 it was staring to look like a normal lawn again. At no time was this lawn blocked off, and since it is in the middle of one of the main garden paths, it was being walked on daily by a number of people

May 15

On May 15 it is hard to tell if the gravel has even been applied. This lawn takes a beating all summer, thousands of people walk across it, and is watered deeply maybe once every two weeks and still manages to stay green.

Andy

Clematis ‘Asao’ and Clematis ‘Kakio’ (PINK CHAMPAGNE)

Over the decades, I have enjoyed watching the ups and downs of clematis cultivars on the international best-seller list and, on a more modest scale, at our nursery, Joy Creek Nursery.  With so many new cultivars being released annually to distract the public, I am always amazed that the tried and true names like ‘Nelly Moser’, ‘Henryi’ and ‘Jackmanii’ continue to hold a fair share of the market even though in human years they are well past retirement.

Clematis 'Kakio'

It was with great surprise last year that a plant that had been on the market for at least 20 years in the United States suddenly became a nursery best-seller.  Out of the blue, one day, we began to receive orders from customers who had read an article in Garden Gate magazine about Clematis PINK CHAMPAGNE, originally named ‘Kakio’.  The orders came in briskly and surpassed the orders of all other clematis in our catalogue last spring.  What was most surprising was that Clematis ‘Asao’, the sister of PINK CHAMPAGNE and usually a better seller, did not sell well at all.

Both plants are the results of a cross done by the Japanese hybridizer Kazushige Ozawa between (what we think was) Clematis ‘Ernest Markham’ and Clematis ‘Crimson King’.  There were three seedlings that were released from this cross but only the two sisters remain.  ‘Asao’ and ‘Kakio’ are very similar in appearance with bright rose red flowers in April.  As the flowers of both cultivars age, they become lighter at the bases and centers of their sepals.  ‘Asao’ is usually the first of all our large-flowered clematis to bloom at the nursery in the spring followed soon after by ‘Kakio’.  (By the way, the names refer to actual small towns in Kawasaki near the hybridizer’s home.  Raymond Evison, the well-known English hybridizer and nurseryman, visited Japan in 1984 and received ‘Kakio’ from Mr. Ozawa.  He renamed it PINK CHAMPAGNE for marketing purposes.)   It is interesting that even though the two plants are close in appearance, Mr. Ozawa chose to release both instead of choosing one over the other.  Why is that?

Clematis 'Asao'

I think it is because he had come to love both of them and thought they were different enough in character to warrant release.  ‘Asao’ is the more star-shaped of the two.  She is also the flashiest in appearance with flowers that show extra sepals.  Sometimes this results in flowers that are semi-double or even completely double.  ‘Kakio’ has what appears to me to be an underlayment of lavender on its more rounded sepals.  This underlayment gives the flowers a smoky appearance.  I have never seen ‘Kakio’ double.  Neither sister produces much fall bloom although they sometimes manage a lovely stray flower or two.  It is the stunning spring bloom that is so memorable.  It is long and unforgettable enough to make a gardener anxious for spring to see the familiar flowers again.

Over the years Mr. Ozawa gave up growing and selling both plants.  He said that the temperature index in the Tokyo area had gone up so much since the plants were released that they no longer retained their crisp colors when they bloomed.  He told me that both were more suited to areas with cooler spring temperatures.  I remember a visit he made to our nursery when ‘Asao’ was in bloom.  He was delighted to see the flowers looking the way he remembered.

I have no idea what clematis will become the most sought after this coming year.  But if you want one or two reliable and remarkably beautiful spring flowering clematis, either or both of these “new” classics will do.

Maurice Horn

Class Preview: Low Water Gardening with Maurice Horn

We continue our class series this weekend with Maurice’s talk on low water gardening.  Maurice is co-owner of Joy Creek Nursery and has years of experience with low and no water gardens.  He has worked on large scale projects with Reed College and the Oregon Department of Transportation as well as smaller projects here at the nursery and at clients homes.   The class is Sunday, April 8th, at 1pm.  No registration or fee required.

Near the end of a rainy day I sat down with Maurice and asked him a few questions.  The conversation went a little long because this is a topic that Maurice is both passionate and knowledgeable.  This is a slightly condensed portrayal of what we talked about.  You are just going to have to come out to the class to find out more.

Clematis 'Durandii'

What is your inspiration for this class?

I want to help people lower their water usage. The commercial and residential projects I have worked on have taught me quite a few ways to do this.

Do you have a goal for the students?

I want to increase their familiarity with soil amendments and appropriate plants so they can be successful with this at their home.  There are also a series of tips and lessons that I have learned through experience.

Such as?

For hell strips, a planting strip between street and sidewalk, there is a certain logic that you have to follow.  You have height restrictions because you cannot block any views and this is also a heavily used area where trash cans have to go.  Within this framework there is a plant pallet and design that work.

Bulbs are also great no water plants that can give you bloom throughout the season.  This is not just tulips and daffodils, but a wide array of underused varieties that thrive in this situation.

You have a hell strip at your house, what plants have you enjoyed most in it?

In my own garden I am allowed to experiment more.  Clematis ‘Durandii’ has been a wonderful surprise.  It is the only clematis that I have grown that has bloomed well without supplemental water.  I also have a wide variety of bulbs that are nearly always blooming.  They really add to the garden.

I would like to thank Maurice for sharing his time.  We hope you can make it out to the class to learn more.

Class Preview: “Fundamentals” with Leslie Gover

Our weekly classes get into full swing starting with Leslie Gover’s talk on gardening fundamentals.  It is a broad topic but Leslie will breathe some life into the important and often overlooked parts of gardening.  Soil, water, nutrition, and planting will all be discussed in an effort to get you a heather and more happier garden.  The class is on Sunday April 1st at 1 pm, no registration required.

Putting the fun in fundamentals

“Fundamentals” is a broad ranging term, what particular aspects of gardening are you going to look at during the class?

Gardening has changed.  This is what we will discuss, what used to be cookbook is much different and our amount of plant material and where it originated from is as equally different.  This is not your grandmothers garden plan.

When you talk about nutrition what are you referring to?

I teach a seed sowing class for kindergarteners and we talk about the nutrition aspect.  French fries and pizza has come up a few times.  But we will talk more about what the causes the fertilizer to be used.  A bit more indepth than my kindergartners.

What are factors that lead to it being the right time to plant?

I think that we have all been in that situation where the plant we bought is put in the ground and it slowly loses vigor and turns to mush.  (Surely this is not my fault……!!!!!!)  But what do we do.  Can we trouble shoot this ahead of time.  We will look at this senerio and others.

How do plants talk to you, and what are they saying?

Part of the “talking” is the response of the plant to the soil and enviornment.  So lets listen to what the plants are saying and doing to get the right fit for both the plant and gardener to be sucessful.

It won’t be very warm and it probably will be raining for the class so remember to dress warm and dry.  There will be a canopy but rain has a habit of going sideways sometimes.  Leslie promises to be concise and keep it interesting.  We hope to see a few brave people on Sunday.

Full Circle: Cistus and Halimium Survival Stories

Recently, I was asked to design a border for a narrow bed fronting the largest solar power array in the State of Oregon.    The array is situated in the interior of the Baldock Rest Stop just north of Aurora on I-5 going north.  The site is four hundred feet long and four feet wide and is surrounded by fencing on all sides.  In addition, the site has no ready access to water.   All of the plants selected must be drought tolerant.  As I began to envision this unusual site, one of the first shrubs that came to mind was Cistus.

Baldock Planting Area

We have long been familiar with a number of species and cultivars of Cistus at Joy Creek Nursery.  In 2005, however, we were very pleased to learn that Oregon State University was trialing a large collection of Cistus and the allied genus Halimium at the North Willamette Research and Extension Center near Aurora, Oregon.  This gave us the opportunity to observe new and unfamiliar plants all in one place.  Both of these genera are native to the Mediterranean areas of Europe and North Africa and have long been used in gardens in parts of California with an allied climate.  They have been much less common in Northwest gardens.

In 2006, the Research Center offered to share cuttings with our nursery.  Of course, we were thrilled.  This began our own trials of Cistus and Halimium in what we call our no-water border.  Our trials involved not only cold hardiness, but also drought tolerance.

Cistus 'Ann Palmer'

The winter of 2009 was one of the cruelest in recent memory.  At the nursery, cold temperatures plummeted to just above 10°F in mid-December and snow fell most of the last two weeks of that month.  The effect of sudden cold after a mild autumn was bad enough, but the accumulation of snow also did great damage, breaking off branches and even snapping entire plants off at their crowns.  It became obvious to us that the weight of wet snow is a problem for many of the evergreen Cistus.

In the spring we counted the true survivors of our trials.  These were shrubs that showed no signs of winter damage.  We were surprised.  Only ten of the 30 varieties we had planted were unharmed.  An additional seven were only slightly damaged and the balance were killed or never fully recovered.  We replanted and trialed again only to have another severely cold, exceptionally long, dark and wet winter.  This time, most of the plants survived although many were hurt when temperatures dipped to 9°F.  The following is a list of the nine that best withstood those two winters.

Halimium pauanum

Cistus ‘Anne Palmer’
Cistus x argenteus ‘Paper Moon’
Cistus x argenteus ‘Stripey’
Cistus ‘Elma’
Cistus ‘Jessamy Beauty’
Cistus x ledon
Cistus x platysepala
Halimium lasianthum ‘Sanderling’
Halimium x pauanum

As my vision of the bed at the Baldock site began to develop, I was certain that I wanted to use Citus and Halimiums because their silver and grey foliage would suggest the reflective power of the solar array behind them.  Further, I also wanted to include shrubs with yellow flowers to suggest the sun.  Because Halimium x pauanum has yellow flowers, it became one of my theme plants.

During one of my visits to the site, I realized that it was situated only a mile or so from the Willamette Research Station where we had received many of our plants.  And so the design also pays homage to the trials that took place just down the road.

The garden was sponsored by Portland General Electric, Oregon Department of Transportation and the Master Gardeners of Oregon™.  It will be planted on March 24th, 2012 with assistance from volunteer Master Gardeners.

Maurice Horn

Coast Silk-tassel’s Late Winter Tresses

The Silk-tassel is a familiar enough shrub often encountered in the Coastal Ranges of California and southwestern Oregon.    We have grown the species for many years in the gardens at Joy Creek Nursery.  Although it is a worthy evergreen native shrub that makes a fine background plant in the summer I have often thought that its incredible winter bloom gets lost in the dense foliage.

Six years ago, I bought Garrya elliptica ‘James Roof’ to go into the native plant border at my home.  I was pleased that it grew quickly and created a thick screen between me and the driveway next-door even if its habit was ungainly.  Branches curved in a drooping fashion back down to the ground.  Others twisted themselves around neighboring branches as if they were seeking a way out of the evergreen tangle.  Because much of the growth was lateral and downward, I began to contemplate what I could do to encourage upward growth.   I wanted to see the tassels drape the shrub like tinsel on a Christmas tree.

Once the shrub had gotten five feet tall, I began to prune it with an eye toward opening it up.  My goal was to take out unattractive twisted branches and branches that descended.  Because there were so few truly upward growing branches, I did this task cautiously at first.  As the shrub matured, I became bolder.  Finally early this winter, even though the tassels had already started to form, I began removing all unwanted branches.   When I was done, I had an open, airy Silk-tassel that looked nothing like the dense shrub I was familiar with.

By the beginning of February, the tassels began to extend until they reached their full length of 12 to 13 inches which is the characteristic of ‘James Roof’.  These tassels often come in terminal sets of five accompanied by two sets of three additional tassels at the leaf axils immediately behind the terminal.  The tightly-scaled tassels are grey green at this point but toward the middle of February the scales loosen to reveal tiny flowers so full of pollen that a slight brush of the hand releases a small cloud.  ‘James Roof’ is a male clone and does not develop fruit.

To my delight, my pruning worked.  The tassels blew in the breeze and did exactly what I hoped for as you can see in the accompanying pictures.  By opening up the shrub, and giving it a sense of transparency, I have come to really appreciate the glory of this native.  I have become a true believer.

Maurice Horn

 

Interview with Mike Smith about his Pruning Class

We are having our first class of the year Sunday March 4th.  Mike Smith, co-owner of Joy Creek and pruning guru, will be talking and demonstrating the finer points of pruning.  It is at 1pm and make sure to dress for the weather.

Why do we have this class at this time of year?

In most gardens, as the winter draws to an end, there are a significant number of plants that require pruning.  Whether the source of the need is the repair of winter damage, plant health or aesthetics pruning just before a plant breaks dormancy gives the plant a fresh start at the beginning of the season.  This time of year also lets the pruner see more clearly where and what to prune.

What aspects of pruning do you plan on covering during the class?

In the class I will begin by spending a short time covering pruning basics and the equipment needed.  The majority of the class will then be spent on demonstrating my approach to pruning various shrubs and small trees.  I will also review the progress made on several plants that have been pruned during previous years pruning classes.  The class will end with a quesiton and answer period.

Is there a specific area of the gardens that you plan to address?

The plan is to thin and shape a grouping of shrubs and small trees that over time have grown together so that each plant has lost its individuality.  The goal is to bring back visual balance back to the planting.

What is your favorite type of plant to prune?

My favorite plant to prune depends entirely upon my frame of mind at the time.  If I am frustrated and want to release some aggression then an English laurel hedge is a good target.  If I am feeling creative and thoughtful then pruning a Japanese laceleaf maple is always fun and interesting.

WHEN TO RENOVATE THE GARDEN

There comes a time in the life of every garden when the gardener begins to wonder if a renovation is due. It usually sneaks up on you because you planted those trees and shrubs when they were “babies”. The expectation was that it would take forever for them to mature. All of a sudden, they’re blocking the windows and threatening to take over the drive-way! It’s time.

Winter is very good for taking stock of how the landscape has matured. All of the “bones” of the garden (the tree trunks and canopies, the shapes of the major shrubs and shadows of the conifers) stand out. Because the days are cloudy and the sun is low, you also get a good sense of how much the interior of the house is being affected by mature plants. If you sit in your living room, look out and get a closed in feeling, it’s time to take action.

Here are a few questions to ask yourself: 1) Are the trees doing what I want them to do? I.e.: shade, flowers, fruit, anchoring beds, shelter for birds? 2) Are the conifers filling the spaces the way I envisioned when they were planted? I.e.: are they growing straight, interfering with other plants, blocking views or paths? 3) Are the shrubs looking good and blooming well? 4) Are the perennials filling the bed? Are they blooming well? Are the crowns dense and healthy? 5) Are the vines doing their jobs? I.e.: Hiding fences, providing shade, fragrance, flower and fruit? 6) Are the paths clearly visible, easy to walk on and unobstructed by plants? 7) Are the ornamental walls, pergolas, trellises etc. in good repair, clearly visible and functioning as planned? 8) Is the water feature easy to maintain, safe and attractive?

You had a plan when all these elements of the garden went in. Being a living, functioning organism, the garden does things you don’t plan. Sometimes it’s better, sometimes a detriment. If you spend a lot of time working and living in your garden, you are in tune with it. Pay attention to the feeling you get when you look at your garden. This will help you answer the above questions and lead to a decision about major changes.

I never thought I would get to the place where I would have to move or take out major plants. This year, I have taken out two very large shrubs, moved established shrubs from one place to another and begun severe pruning of one of my large clematis vines. What has surprised me is that these changes have led to other major decisions for change. I discovered in an effort to move one of my very favorite small confers, that it had been growing sideways for many years and had a horizontal trunk. It was very unhappy. Trying to transplant it would do no good. Sadly, I have to give it up to the compost pile and wood pile. Gladly, the plants around it will be happier and look better.

My water feature has been a source of satisfaction and great consternation almost since we installed it. The fiberglass reservoir was tipping more and more to one side every year. I was convinced that roots from one of the large firs or cedars were pushing it out of shape. This fall, we finally took the whole thing apart. This entailed moving a lot of rocks! We discovered no roots at all! It was a puzzle. It took a few days of prodding my memory of the initial installation to remember that we really hadn’t set the reservoir properly to begin with. Because of excessive heat and troublesome tree roots, we had dug a shallow hole and decide to prop up the sides. Gravity had done the rest. We’ll do it right when we reinstall.

Making major changes can often be difficult. The decision to remove a large plant that you’ve become accustomed to is often put off until you hate the plant. This is not always a bad thing! Another way to make these changes easier is to assess your property carefully. You will almost always discover a choice plant languishing for want of a better location. (You know, the wonderful specimen bought on impulse.) When the over grown plant is removed and the new put in, the feeling is one of satisfaction and accomplishment rather than loss.

I had a Viburnum that I loved planted to fill a large bare space at the front of the house. It did exactly what I wanted it to…..and more. When I found myself contemplating a very harsh pruning, I knew it was time to remove it. I put it off. Then, I discovered that a lovely variegated Pieris on my property was being overrun by the plants around it. It was ideal for the Viburnum spot. Since it is a slow grower, I also planted a climbing Hydrangea behind the Pieris and against the brick wall of the house. These two plants will fill the space and also light up the north exposure with the white of the leaves and flowers. The claustrophobic feeling of the Viburnum is gone.

This is what to look forward to when you get to the renovation stage. Hard choices are made but a refreshed garden leads to a refreshed gardener. The cycle of learning, discovery and satisfaction continues.

Nadine Black

NEW PLANT INTRODUCTIONS FROM JOY CREEK NURSERY – Helenium and Geranium

Among the plants that Joy Creek Nursery is introducing in 2012 are two perennials that we found as seedlings in our gardens – one a helenium, one a geranium. We have enjoyed them both immensely.

Helenium ‘Tijuana Brass’ PP22346 has a long history. We found it at least 15 years ago and fostered it until we could determine its merits. Plantsman David Culp visited our garden not many years later and was taken with this particular helenium. David noted the large size of the flowers and the fact that the foliage on our seedling looked fresh and green while the stems of the other named cultivars of heleniums looked naked. (Many cultivars suffer from this “bare-legged” appearance.) We monitored the plant for several more years and finally offered it to Sunny Border Nursery in Connecticut for trialing. They trialed it and then sent it to Peter zur Linden, a helenium authority in Germany, for trial. His judgment was that it was superior in all ways with a vigor and size he had not seen before. Sunny Border Nursery helped us with the patenting process.

In the garden at Joy Creek Nursery, ‘Tijuana Brass’ is tall and upright in habit. It produces golden yellow ray-flowers that are larger than those of most named cultivars and maintains the foliage on its lower stems throughout the blooming period. The central cone of the flowers is golden brown. The flowers are favored by plant pollinators and, when in bloom from mid-August to the end of September, they are abuzz with a variety of native bees as well as honey bees. Standing from 4 to 5 feet, this helenium makes a glorious backdrop to the summer border.

Geranium ‘Pure Joy’ has a much shorter history. Found six years ago in our clematis display beds, this geranium caught our attention from the moment it bloomed because of the pristine appearance of its flowers. We grow other white-flowered forms of geraniums but none of their flowers are as pure as those of this seedling. The whiteness of the filaments and the near-white of the cream colored anthers all combine to enhance the effect. Even the creamy buds are attractive. The leaves betray the parentage of this seedling, looking like those of G. sanguineum. In habit, this perennial is low and mounding. We have also been impressed with the length of its bloom time. With a little dead-heading, it will flower throughout the summer.

We hope that all of our new plants enrich your garden experience

JOY CREEK PLANT INTRODUCTIONS 2012 – Penstemons

Joy Creek Nursery has long relied on “garden penstemons” to brighten up our mixed borders. These versatile perennials come in so many vibrant colors and bloom over such a long period of time that it is hard to imagine our gardens without them. Their tubular flowers are large and showy, just the right size to house sleeping bumblebees overnight. Most cultivars have flowers with relatively wide lips surrounding their flower tubes. The lips consist of three lobes in the lower lip and two in the upper. Over the years we have selected and introduced seedlings that have unusual colors or markings.

Usually, the throats of penstemon flowers are streaked with dark guide lines that are possibly used to guide pollinators in search of the nectar at the base of the flowers. However, occasionally, during our evaluations, we have come upon odd-ball seedlings that have almost pure white throats that contrast sharply with the color of the surrounding lips. Some of our first penstemon introductions, a series which we called the Kissed Series, featured just such a combo of white throats and colorful lips. The series included ‘Cerise Kissed’, ‘Violet Kissed’, ‘Coral Kissed’, and ‘Wine Kissed’ which we released over a short period of time in the late 1990’s.

Recently our attention has been drawn back to the Kissed Series because of an extraordinary set of new seedlings that we grew. Among these seedlings were several plants with very white throats surrounded by lips in colors we hadn’t seen before.

The first of those seedlings to catch our eyes had flowers with vibrant rose-colored lips. The large flowers measured more than 1 ½ inches across. What was also pleasing was the composition of these flowers on the stem. Forty or more flowers and buds were arranged in a loose triangle with the flowers facing outward. Eventually, we decided to add this to the Kissed Series and named it ‘Rose Kissed’. It stands between 27 and 30 inches tall with a 15 inch spread.

One of its sisters was also very exciting. The arrangement of her flowers was similar to those of ‘Rose Kissed,’ however this seedling had brilliant scarlet lips. At first we worried that this plant was too similar to the classic cultivar named ‘Scarlet Queen’, but after growing our plant out in the garden, we discovered that it had larger, wider flowers. Also, the flowers of this new selection had a “quirk,” something that gave them “attitude.” Its flowers had very broad lower lobes and much smaller upper lobes. These upper lobes sometimes had a twist or tip to them that gave them a jaunty “devil-may-care” appearance. It is curious details like this that make for interesting plants. The color of the lips was so bright we named it ‘Red Hot Kissed’. It reaches about 24 inches in height and 15 inches in width.

Care for both of these plants is the same. Both like full sun. Although they require regular water, they do not like wet sites and require good drainage. They also resent cold winter winds. We recommend a sheltered site. In milder climates, these form attractive, evergreen shrubs. Cut back spent bloom spikes to encourage new growth and repeat bloom. Penstemons will bloom until first frost in the Pacific Northwest. Their September and October blooms complement the changing colors of the autumn garden while their lingering November flowers serve as bright spots in the early winter gloom.