KTRS 550 Inside Out Show Plant of the Week August 29th Viburnum Blue Muffin

Viburnum BLUE MUFFIN (‘Christom’) is a round and compact form of Arrowwood viburnum /Viburnum dentatum.
Although this cultivar is considered “petite” compared to her counterpart, (The straight species, native to Eastern North America that inclues part of Missouri, reaches 6-10’ tall and wide) V. d. BLUE MUFFIN matures at 5’ tall with a similar spread.

Blooming on the same cycle as the wild form, she flowers from mid-to –late spring. She has the same attractive flat-topped clusters of clean white flowers as the species, which is very attractive to butterflies!

After weeks of bloom, her flowers eventually give way to masses of small blueberry size fruit late summer. These berries add an attractive visual accent to the dark green foliage as it begins to turn multiple shades of copper orange before turning to a deep burgundy-purple.

This easy care viburnum looks her best in average, medium, well-drained soil in full sun to part shade. . Although she performs best in moist cultivated soil, she also tolerates average clay soil very well. Once established, she is drought tolerant but looks best when watered during extended dry periods. She is perfect for specimen use, borders, and foundation planting or massed in groups.

Care Factor Rating: 2 She must be watered regularly till established and does not require pruning when given adequate space! She will tolerate a once a year non-selective pruning to1/3 after flowering if shaping is desired but note this will prevent berry production! Otherwise remove only the occasional damaged or dead branch.

This is a cane shrub that spreads by increasing from the crown / base by producing new shoots from the base annually. This makes her a perfect choice for hedge or screening. If her individual personality is to remain defined, consider limiting the basal area / spread of this shrub in early spring before the leaves develop.

Remove the excess shoots with a pruning saw. Cutting around the base with a sharp shovel may also be necessary. Remove any excess root and woody material and replace-refill any hole area created with fresh soil to protect roots. This activity will slow the gradual expansion of the primary clump. Maintaining base area spread for each individual shrub to 2-3 feet wide as this will permit the shrub to appear balanced by keeping the height and width somewhat equal. Do not start this process until the shrub is well established and has shown adequate growth.

Native Americans reportedly used the straight stems of this shrub for arrow shafts, hence the common name “arrow wood”.

KTRS 550 Inside Out Show Plant of the Week Rudbeckia triloba

Rudbeckia triloba, better known as Brown Eyed Susan is a late summer showstopper that is actually a Missouri native annual. She has such an easy going nature that she sometimes behaves like a biennial or even a short-lived perennial, but regardless of how she does it she has becomes a mainstay in a meadow garden and roadside areas. She has many attributes that makes her “cultivated green space worthy” if she receives minimal to average care.

She grows and blooms best when she is planted in average or moist well-drained soils in full sun. Normally she reaches only 2-3 “in height, she makes up for her petite size with flower ability. Although the flowers are small the are so many, she stands out in the middle of the border. She tolerates our fluctuating wet dry conditions and dry clay, as long as her feet don’t stay wet!

She also can tolerate light shade near the base of trees. In natural conditions, she is a frequently resident of our woodland edges. If the shade thickens, and she needs more light -she moves. If she is kept in too shady of conditions she might not be as strong or produce as many flowers. .

Her casual grace and a bushy habit are just natural. She also can appreciate an annual grooming of light sheering mid-spring like most late summer-fall blooming perennials. .
Remove her spent flowers to encourage more blooms but leave last least a few flowers to allow for some self-seeding. Volunteers are generally welcomed, but any excess is easily removed with cultivation in late spring.

She is distinguishable from her sister Black-eyed Susan by having even more but smaller flowers.

She is healthy as well as hardy with no significant insect or disease issues. Occasionally she catches a light case of powdery mildew. It does not affect her performance and a report of this being an issue is minimal. Watch for slugs and snails on young plants. She makes an attractive, long-lived cut flower too!

KTRS 550 Inside Out Show August 15 2009 Sedum Autumn Joy

Sedum AUTUMN JOY

(Hylotelephium 'Herbstfreude')

Old fashioned Sedum ‘Autumn Joy’ is now called (Hylotelephium 'Herbstfreude' AUTUMN JOY.

It is just a name change, you will still recognize her. It is a drastic change to accept so many of us are reluctant, but it is still her and she is still here to share her endless “Joy” even as our season draws to a close.

How she keeps her promise of durability and blends it with a delicate girlish grace is for me a wonder of nature and alwasy inspiring. To know her is to love her- in every season. She is easy to love!

She is well equipped for the change of seasons. I have learned from her and am preparing as well. She is not afraid of the cold gray season of winter in Missouri or the hard rough ground.

"It is what it is" she has told me many times. "Life is the time to find yourself and use your gifts".

She deals with difficulty such as drought in her own private way. When nourishment was abundant, she florished. Now as she thirsts, she is able to draw on that supply to quench her needs. This is how she will “Live Forever” in our hearts and our gardens!

In spring this sedum just shares in the pleasure of being with family and friends but as the casual days of summer arrives, ‘Autumn Joy’ alerts her onlookers of her pending abundance. With structural looking spirals that rotate outward in all directions, (which is attractive as well) she carefully creates a lovely base / foundation for upcoming display of visual delight.

As summer speeds up, 'Autumn Joy' fullfills her destiny. Becoming living artwork herself, she passes into life's next cycle with the flowers fully formed yet hidden from view. Bundled in tiny green cradles, the sleeping buds wait till Mother Nature’s voice beckons them to wake. Then like they were each kissed individually on their foreheads, they open on a silent cue. They stretch and yawn and press together till there is a solid mound of girly pink! Warmed by the sun, these rounded domes now become the source of enjoyment for viewers and garden residents, especially butterflies!

“Live Forever” is the common name this group of sedums. They share this designation with another group of very tough plants known as Hens and Chicks ( Sempervivum.) These large groups of succulents are distant relatives yet share this deserving common name that speaks of eternity.

Frequently bestowed the title of ‘Old World Treasures" Live Forevers are known to be survivors. They are a durable group of plants that have demonstrated endurance in the garden and so are linked with everlasting hope.

The legacy of these plants is likely due more to easy propagation than actual age of the parent plant. They are associated with mythology and good luck throughout history as well as thought to have some medicinal value.

Their true value is in their ability to be grown by people who fail to water plants regularly and where moisture levels drop significantly at times. They are well suited for those who have had little exposure to gardening but are just beginning to have an interest and desire to experience some success, this was especially true for my dear baby sister Joanne.

She is now is focused on meeting her maker but she loved these easy plants and was so eager to show me she had learned their names and they were still alive. We shared tears not long ago when we promised to be forever in each other's hearts. Today I planted a new little garden by my front door filled with live forevers, just for her!

Thank you to the many who have shared words of support, prayers and good intentions as my sister looks toward the light, seeking rest and lasting peace. I pray that she feels the loving presence of all of you who hold her in your hearts.

I have had the priveledge of having her as a sister and friend as well as a professional associate She has shared my affection for my industry and friends. As she completes her life journey, she spoke of her faith and how much she is ready to walk with her maker.

She wishes to be thought of when you see a cardinal bird. I invite you to send me your favorite cardinal bird images. I will post them as a way to hold her in our hearts so she will "Live Forever" . In my "Autumn" she has brought an abundance of "Joy"

KTRS 550 Inside Out Show featured Plant Solidago Fireworks August 8 2009

Solidago ‘Fireworks’


Add Solidago ‘Fireworks’ (Goldenrod) to the Sun Rain Garden

Feature this upright goldenrod’s outstanding display of lacy bright yellow flowers in the late summer / fall landscape as a perfect solution for wet/dry spots!

Wrongly accused as instigator of hay fever, this innocent bystander is actually a great cut flower appreciated by homeowners “with water issues”. It is also great for attracting natural helpers to your garden, including butterflies!

Solidago rugosa ‘Fireworks’ is a landscape selection, chosen for its profuse flowers, study upright habit and doorstep gardening because of its non-aggressive good manners when used in cultivated spaces.
With a predictable steady growth rate, most specimens will reach 3-4’ tall and wide in 3 to 4 years if in average Missouri growing conditions.

Perfect for sunny rain gardens, this outstanding perennial can both be a design anchor as well as an erosion specialist regardless of fluctuating moisture levels throughout the season.

To keep a tidy landscape and extend the flower interest-go ahead and remove the finished flowers as they begin to fade. This will extend the bloom period, encourage more flowers to finish developing and stretch the color interest into the fall mum and aster season. .

For indoor use cut just as flowers open or till the fresh feeling of color just begins to slip. At that point, cut everything and use all you want as an indoor cut flower arrangement addition. Goldenrod can last for weeks in indoor flower arrangements.

If you are an primarily an “outsider”, and don’t bring flowers inside, enjoy them for as long as you like “ah natural” and just trim stems close to the base foliage near ground level before seed sets. Be aware that there needs to be some control in cultivated spaces if a managed look is desired! Restoration projects are cared for differently than cultivated green spaces!

Leaf rust is occasionally reported with the species but S.r. 'Fireworks' is said to be resistant to both rust and mildew. If it is affected, it is not likely to interfere with flowering or affect growth.

Care Factor Rating: 3 (It must be watered regularly till established but is very drought tolerant.) Plan to manage twice annually in late spring and as it completes it flower cycle. Divide or limit the area in use in the late spring once the primary plant reaches its desirable level by cutting around the base with a sharp shovel edge Remove excess material as needed. The slowly expanding clump grows 3-4 feet tall.
Many plants appear most balanced if the height and width are somewhat equal. When including this goldenrod in a design, consider leaving a 3’ minimum footprint. Plan to manage this plant twice annually.

'Fireworks' has proven it to be hardy to Missouri for several seasons and is on display in the perennial border at the Missouri Botanical Garden’s Kemper Center for Home Gardening. . It is not favored by deer. It was introduced in 1993 from the North Carolina Botanical Garden. Selected and named by Ken Moore of North Carolina Botanical Garden in 1970, it was introduced by Niche Gardens. It originated from a selected form of a coastal population of the species. It was also the top-rated cultivar in the 5-year goldenrod trials at the Chicago Botanic Garden (completed in 2001) that included 22 species and cultivars.

Because of its height, ‘Fireworks’ is often best placed at the back of the border. Plant with ironweed (Vernonia), Sedum 'Autumn Joy’, Asclepia incarnata and beauty berry (Callicarpa Americana)

KTRS 550 Inside Out Show August 1 2009 Seven son flower

Heptacodium miconioides

Seven Son flower Heptacodium miconioides is prized for his flower power, good neighbor manners and attractive personality! (Top 10 list for Butterfly Landscaping)

This big boy makes his family proud by producing a reliable powerhouse of flowers! His handsome broad shoulders create a support system for his natural fountain-shape. Usually available as a multi-stemmed shrub, my preference is for the strong stout single-trunk form with a distinct “V” shape silhouette. This seems to help display and support the heavy bundles of fragrant jasmine-like flowers.
What is most remarkable is his ability to repeat his effort annually from late summer till fall. This is a perfect choice for a sunny location viewable from ground level as well as second story windows!

I love the way it seems like he hears only the Monarch’s request for flowers, but not mine. I wait for weeks as he teases me by brandishing his fistfuls of white washed buds. Then suddenly he hears an unspoken plea and loosens his tight grip. The answer is a micro-explosion of flowers!
The swollen buds holding their promise finally expand, creating a starry shower of flowers clusters.
The show continues as he maintains his hold on the lingering flower stalks. This causes them to flush a warm rose or dusky pink creating a second display. The color varies depending on the cooling temperatures. Extending the display, violet red fruits form to carry the interest!

The winter finale is when his worn shirt sleeves of cream / tan bark roll up from all the hard work and a muscular caramel colored inner bark is exposed!

Heptacodium hails from China but is native-friendly for Missouri. He has no serious insect or disease problems and with his year-round interest in the landscape, he is an excellent choice for lawn specimen, accenting a courtyard or placed in a foundation grouping.

Care Factor Rating: 2 (He must be watered regularly till established but is very drought tolerant. He requires only one selective minimal pruning occasion a year (mid-spring following leaf out). This will expose his beautiful marbled trunk bark!