2012 Plant Sale

Brunnera Kings Ransom

On a hot summer day, there are few activities more satisfying than a meander among the plantings of my shade garden. The cooler colors and play of shadows in the textured foliage of these plants is a like a soft breeze flowing through the yard. Some of my favorite plants that contribute to this effect are:

Athyrium ‘Ghost:’ A cross between Japanese Painted Fern and Lady Fern, ‘Ghost’ has a gorgeous blend of silvery, pale green ferny foliage. At 18-30”, it has height to give structure to the garden. In addition to the luminous glow it will lend to the planting bed, it has the advantage of being more tolerant of dry soil than its fern relatives.

Brunnera ‘King’s Ransom:’ I can’t wait to add this new plant to my garden. I have long been a fan of Brunnera Hadspen Cream and Brunnera Jack Frost. ‘King’s Ransom’ with its unique textured foliage promises the beautiful cream-edged leaves of the former, covered with net-like white pattern of the latter. Add in the spring flowers of a lovely sky blue and you have a winner.

Primula vulgaris

Epimediums: What else to say other than they are as close to a perfect plant as it is possible to be. Lovely little groundcovers, tolerant of drought, resistant to insect, disease, predators. Spreading in a steady but non-aggressive fashion. Delicate spring flowers in a range of color choices. I will buy more, and more, and more. Read the rest of the post »

We are so lucky to have Brian Coleman sell his wonderful, creative troughs at the plant sale this year. And, once again, Brian is generously donating a planted trough to our raffle (reason enough to buy those raffle tickets, but the other prizes are equally terrific!).

Brian makes hypertufa planters in a bunch of organic and formal shapes that are much more lightweight than concrete and also winter proof. Some photos of his troughs, emptied and planted are included here to entice you to try at least one yourself this year.

Last year, I wrote how I had planted up several of Brian's troughs, one with herbs for the sunny patio, one with mini hosta and epimedium for a shady corner of another seating spot. The herbs thrived all year, given the excellent drainage and heat retention of the hypertufa and all my perennials, including a couple of mini trees (a japanese maple and an aesculus pavia, both from last year's sale) all are welcoming the spring, with the hellebore and brunnera.

We have more than 200 different alpines and succulents suitable for trough planting at this year's Plant Sale.

==Ilona Ontscherenki

A One-Two Punch in the Fight against Deer

Hellebore Amber Gem

If you haven’t discovered Amsonia yet, this is the year to do it! We’re featuring two different native species and one or the other -- or both -- will become your favorite perennial by the end of the summer, not in small part because deer just stay away from both. Amsonia hubrichtii confidently bushes out to a 3 foot by 3 foot rounded clump of threadlike foliage that moves in waves with the breeze. In the spring, it sports pale blue flowers all over it’s tips, resulting in the common name ‘Blue Star’. Who doesn’t like blue in the garden? It draws you closer and it makes every other color pop. A tidy filler for the rest of the season, it puts on another show at the end of fall, when it turns a glorious orangey yellow for several weeks. Amsonia tabernaemontana (sounds like Mormon Tabernacle choir) is the popular little brother, getting to be only half the height with just as much impact. Darker green leaves and darker blue flowers, it also blooms a bit longer and turns a nice yellow in the fall. ‘Blue Ice’ has just been named Perennial Plant of the Year by the Garden Club of New Jersey. Read the rest of the post »

C. Forest Pansy

As a longtime home gardener, I am constantly educating myself on the environmental impact of our choices in plant material. Yes, I love my hostas and long-blooming annuals and all the flowers and foliage that make my garden look beautiful in the summer. But I become more and more concerned with the ‘chain of life’ of which we are all a part. The insects that provide food for our birds without which they could not exist. The pollinators, the beneficial insects, the butterflies, which rely on native plants for sustenance and procreation. The small mammals which use native plants as well for nutrition and nesting. Without our native plants, all can disappear. And are disappearing, at an unfortunately rapid rate.

Fortunately, we as homeowners can do something about this. There are many native plants which are admirably suited to our local conditions, provide sustenance to our fauna and are beautiful too. The severe storms visited on us late last year have created new planting opportunities in my own yard, and I’m sure in others too. Following are some of the natives I am planning on using as replacements for those recently departed trees and shrubs (some not so great a loss, I must say!). Read the rest of the post »

Mark your calendars for Saturday, April 14 at 10:00am at the Arboretum’s Haggerty Education Center for a sneak peak at some of the great plant selections found at the Friends 2012 Plant Sale. Sue Acheson and Ilona Ontscherenki, plant sale co-chairs, have selected their personal favorites, the hottest new plants as well as some plants that should reside in every garden no matter how grand or small.

This is a chance to get the scoop on some of this year’s most sought after plants. You will get to see pictures of many of our best choices and get some cultural information as well.

There will be a select number of plants available for pre-order that day. These plants will be available for pick-up during the plant sale. Pre-ordering ensures that you won’t be disappointed at the sale if your favorite sells out before you get to it. This was so successful last year that we decided to make it a permanent part of the sale. Pre-orders must be paid for at the time of ordering and we will accept cash, checks or credit cards.

The presentation is free but you must register in advance by calling 973-326-7603.

Lilac

Gardens are for pleasure. Designed to please you, the gardener. To delight with color. To entice with fragrance. To soothe the mind and refresh the spirit. A place to sit, to linger and to indulge the senses. A private space as well as a public place. It beckons you in, enfolds you and releases you refreshed, back to everyday living. Your garden is a sanctuary and a playground. It is not just an extension of the house but an extension of you.

One of your gardens' greatest pleasures is fragrance. A scent can carry you back to childhood, remind you of a first love, invigorate you, make you hungry, energize you or give you comfort. Think of lilacs in May. You can recall their heady perfume, even now, in the middle of winter, when their branches are bare. Imagine a hot Summer's day when the air is suffused with the fragrance of lavender. Its fragrance is warm, heavy and transports you to fields in Provence. It is a scent so loved that we make it into soaps, sashays, and lotions so that we can indulge year round. Brush the leaves of basil and soon your mouth is watering in anticipation of a Summer salad or pasta with pesto. Crush mint leaves and you'll be longing for an iced tea or a julep at the Kentucky Derby.

To this day gardenias bring me back to the corsage my father gave me one Easter, that my date gave me for the Junior Prom and the bouquet I carried at my wedding. I cannot pass one without gently sticking my nose in, I cannot resist buying them, even though I know my green thumb does not extend to the indoors. They always bring a smile to my face. Such is the power of fragrance. Read the rest of the post »

Preparations for ordering have started, and our first efforts can be seen on this year's list. Hundreds of plants were ordered for last year's plantsale -- annuals, biennials, perennials, trees, shrubs, herbs and vines and this year's should be even better! Check them out any time by going to our online plant list. We update it regularly, so you'll want to check it often. Be prepared for the best Friends of the Frelinghuysen Arboretum Plantsale!