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Lungwort (Pulmonaria)

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Lungwort (Pulmonaria)

By Jenn Stumer – Appalachian Creations, Inc.

The scientific name Pulmonaria comes from the Latin pulmo meaning lung.  During the Middle Ages, when plants were used as medicine based on their shape, Lungwort Pulmonaria was thought to resemble a diseased lung and so were used to treat pulmonary infections.  To this day, it is still used as a remedy for asthma, whooping cough and bronchitis.

Native to Europe and western Asia, lungwort became more visible in the United States in the early to mid-’90s with many new varieties introduced.

Lungwort is an herbaceous, hardy perennial that has an average height of 12” with an average spread of 24”.  I ran across them a few years ago looking for unique plants for a shady perennial garden.  I decided to try them for the customer but also planted one in my own shady garden area.  They have outperformed coral bells and astilbe for my customer AND they are deer resistant.  The deer glossed right over them and decimated the hostas instead.  I am truly a fan.

What does it look like?

The leaves of Lungwort are lance-shaped, silver-spotted with a light to rich green color and are usually covered in small, bristly hairs.  The plant itself has a mounded shape that slowly spreads into an attractive groundcover.  Lungwort are one of the first perennials to bloom in the spring and depending on the variety, the trumpet-like flowers emerge pink.  Many will change colors as they mature or are pollinated turning white, blue, dark pink or blue and pink combined.  The flowers are tiny and dainty but sprout from the foliage profusely.  Oh, and bees love them!

Lungwort is considered a woodland plant and will do well in moist, shady gardens.  They Lungwort works great paired with bleeding heart as they both bloom at the same time.  The striking leaves of lungwort also complement hosta, astilbe and coral bells during the rest of the season.  Considered a semi-evergreen perennial, the foliage of lungwort will be visible throughout the winter.

Lungwort is difficult to find as not all garden centers will carry them even though there are hundreds of varieties.  Whenever I see some for sale, I usually grab as many as I can, knowing I will be able to use them somewhere during the planting season.

Lungwort – Strawberry Splash

Lungwort Foliage

 

The Knock Out Rose

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knock out rose

The Knock Out Rose

by Jenn Stumer – Appalachian Creations, Inc.

For hundreds of years roses have been known to hold symbolic meanings. The Greeks identified the rose with Aphrodite, the Goddess of Love.  This was the beginning of humanity’s love affair with these seductive flowers. All over the world roses are used for symbols of love, friendship and compassion. Along with these symbolic meanings, there is also the myth that roses are extremely sensitive, and difficult to grow.  There was truth to that myth…until now.  In comes the Knock Out Rose.

When the Knock Out Roses were introduced, they busted that myth for three reasons.  They are extremely disease resistant, require very little maintenance, and are quite easy to grow.  Plus, an added bonus – It has turned out to be one of the longest blooming roses on the market, blooming from May until well into the late fall months.

The Knock Out Rose was developed by Wisconsin rose breeder William Radler.  He began breeding roses about 20 years ago and focused on developing repeat blooming, cold hardy shrub roses that didn’t get disease (especially black spot and powdery mildew).  Radler crossed seedlings of Carefree Beauty and Razzle Dazzle, both hardy roses with good disease resistance.

The result is the most widely sold rose in North America today.  Radler’s first introduction, ‘Radrazz’ produces clusters of single 2-3-inch diameter cherry red blooms.  In 2000, ‘Radrazz’ won the prestigious All-American Rose award.

From then on, the Knock Out quickly became the fastest selling new rose in history, with 250,000 sold the first year alone.  Today the Knock Out Rose is the most widely sold rose in North America.  Since ‘Radrazz’, Radler has introduced several sister lines, including ‘Radcon’ (pink), ‘Radtko’ (double red or pink), ‘Sunny’ (yellow), ‘Rainbow’ (coral with yellow center), ‘Blushing’ (light pink) and ‘White Out’.  Research and development continues each year to find new members of The Knock Out Family of Roses.  Soon, we can look forward to seeing ‘Coral’ and ‘Peachy’.

Hassle-Free Roses

The Knock Out Roses are easy to grow and do not require special care. They are the most disease resistant rose on the market. The flowers are stunning and profuse with a generous bloom cycle of about 5-6 weeks that will continue until the first hard frost.  All of the varieties are self-cleaning so there is no need to deadhead.

Like most roses, Knock Out is best in full sun or light shade in a fertile, well drained soil. Water and fertilize as the season progresses to ensure plants continue to grow and set new flower buds.

If unpruned, The Knock Out Roses can easily grow to be more than 3-4′ wide by 3-4′ tall.  Periodically trimming them will keep them maintained at a smaller size.  Once a year they should be cut back to about 12-18″ above the ground (late fall or very early spring) for maximum performance.

Knock Out Roses can be planted individually or included in the landscape among shrubs, annuals and perennials. They can be particularly striking used in large groups to create a colorful hedge.

If you are a lover of roses and would like a “hassle-free” rose or two to compliment your landscape, try the Knock Out Rose.  They are a true performer in the right conditions.

The New Landscape

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The New Landscape – By
–

If you have ever started from scratch with a landscape you know how tempting it is to fill in the beds with lots of plants.  So many plants look interesting when touring the garden centers that it’s tempting to fit them into the landscape.  Just as with so many other things, landscaping with plants ends up becoming a trial and error process.  What works for one area might not work for another.  A plant doing great for a neighbor down the road might die where you put it.  Who knows why plants flourish for some and die in one week for others?  Why does one plant out of a group of 3 or 5 not perform as well as the others?  Sometimes there just isn’t an explanation.  Sometimes plants just die.

Don’t give in to the temptation to plant as much as will fit.  If you want your landscape to last for 15-20 years, you will have small plants to start and spaces left in between.  Here are a couple of things to keep in mind:

¨ Shrubs and trees will grow – some quicker than others

¨ Perennials will spread

¨ Grasses will multiply

¨ Trees and shrubs planted too close will grow into each other (or into your house)

Pay attention to plant maturity sizes either by reading the plant tags or doing your own research.  Try to envision how the plants will look when they have reached their mature size.  Keep spaces open for them to grow into instead of planting them closer together for instant, maximum impact.  As the landscape matures, most of the plants will spread and grow into the space left open for them.  (Or into the plants next to and around them if they are too close together.)  An overloaded landscape will only last a few years before more maintenance is required.  The plants will need to be sheared or trimmed to maintain a smaller size or you will find yourself removing some of them to make room.  Plant bulbs or annuals in the meantime to help fill the void until the installed plants begin reaching their potential.

Nobody wants an overgrown landscape just a few years after planting.  Your landscape should last for a minimum of 15 years before you need to think about removing and replacing plants.  A carefully maintained landscape will last longer.

Pruning shrubs and trees becomes a little more important as they grow larger with maturity.  You will get more longevity out of your landscape with some regular trimming.  We recommend pruning a minimum of once annually after the first 2 years.

Some evergreens are perhaps the hardest to keep manageable.  If let go without trimming, the foliage can become too great to cut back aggressively without exposing bare branches and causing unsightly or irreparable damage.

Deciduous plants can be a bit easier to maintain regularly by size.  Most of the time with a deciduous plant, you can maintain an overgrowth in size by cutting it down significantly during its dormant season (late October through February.)  Otherwise, once annually pruning will be sufficient.

Finally, a note about “No Maintenance.”  There simply is no such thing.  Landscapes can be designed for low maintenance but the no maintenance is impossible.  All plants want some kind of attention at some time or another.  Whether it’s just fertilizer or a healthy pruning or a hefty cutting back in the fall.  Bed edges will only last for a season or two before the grass begins to encroach into the bed or there is no definition left between the bed and the grass.  Yes, you can make a landscape lower maintenance but you cannot make it no maintenance.

Partnering for the Monarch Butterfly

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Partnering for the Monarch Butterfly– – by – monarch butterfly

Did you know that the monarch butterfly is in crisis?  Even to the point of being considered for the endangered species list?  This is bad news in more ways than one.  The monarch butterfly is North America’s most loved insect and they contribute to the health of our planet by pollinating many types of wildflowers.  This article will discuss how . is partnering for the Monarch Butterfly.

Recently, a concerned group of individuals from the Butterfly Garden Committee of Hope Lutheran Church in Cherryville, PA approached me with a plan to create a butterfly haven.  The location chosen is an area in the Uptown Park in the borough of Northampton, the site of our most recent community landscape project.  The group, headed up by Reverend Jerry Mraz, received the go-ahead from the Northampton Borough Council.  will be donating the labor to prepare the proposed sections of the park and the Butterfly Garden Committee will be procuring the milkweed and butterfly plants. The group even went so far as to apply for grants and received approval for $500!

According to the Center for Food Safety, monarch numbers have been declining steadily for the last 20 years.  Although monarchs feed on the nectar of many flowers, they lay their eggs only on certain types of milkweed plants. Monarchs need milkweed to survive because it hosts much of their life cycle.  The eggs hatch into caterpillars and feed on the milkweed through the five stages of their growth.

Unfortunately, milkweeds are often eradicated as noxious weeds. Especially in the last two decades where we saw the introduction of Round-Up Ready (RR) corn and soybeans. Round-Up Ready crops are genetically engineered to survive direct broadcast application of glyphosate.  Glyphosate, (otherwise known as Round-Up) is one of the very few herbicides that is effective on milkweed.  Once absorbed it kills milkweed to the root and prevents regeneration.

There are two other unrelated reasons for the decline of the monarch.  One is the deforestation and development of their winter habitats in Mexico and California.  The other is climate change.  Especially during the last decade, changes in climate have brought on more out-of-season storms, severe temperature drops and excessive rain. The combination of both wet and cold is deadly and has resulted in the deaths of hundreds of millions of butterflies.

What can be done?  Obviously, here in the Lehigh Valley, we have very little power over the deforestation/development on the other side of the continent.  And we have absolutely no power over climate change.  Only one resolution remains – we must plant milkweed.  And we must create habitats that attract monarchs.  The Uptown Park Monarch project is just one small step in the direction of partnering for the monarch.

Be Kind to Your Trees

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Be Kind to Your Trees – By–

 It may not be easy to hear, but sometimes your best intentions can actually be harmful to your trees.  Most of the time, you probably won’t even know if a tree is in trouble or not.  Short-term damage is obvious, but long-term damage usually isn’t.  And if you don’t know what to look for or how to choose placement, you won’t be able to stop it before it’s too late.  So let’s learn how to be kind to your trees.  Here are some common ways that trees can be harmed – on purpose:

Staking  – This practice seems to come naturally to even the beginning tree planter.  Staking can be beneficial when done properly.  But it can also be destructive when overdone or not done properly.  It’s important to know that most tree species do not need staking and if they do, most of the time only minimal support is needed for a short time.  This is the key – if you must stake, be sure to check on the tension periodically to avoid bark damage and remove the staking material when the tree is established (usually within one year).  Keep in mind that staking can also cause abnormal trunk growth and girdling and could cause a tree to become top heavy.

Mulching – I am a big fan of mulch rings for trees.  It not only looks nice, but it protects the roots and helps hold moisture.  It also keeps mowers and trimmers at a safe distance from damaging the bark.  But be mindful of the amount of mulch you place at the base of the tree trunk.  Applying too much (more than 4”) can hinder root and bark function.  One technique is to create a “moat” around the base of the trunk leaving a trench a few inches deep.

Girdling – This is the process of intentionally (or unintentionally) removing or damaging the bark encircling the tree.  Lumber companies will intentionally girdle a tree so that it dies and is then cut down for lumber.  Examples of unintentional girdling are dog chains looped around the base of a tree, wires for clotheslines, unchecked staking material, and rope (especially nylon).  Dog chains rub and saw through the bark from constant movement around the tree.  The other materials do not expand along with the tree as it grows and eventually they girdle it.  This pressure from the girdling cuts off food and water movement that seriously weakens and could potentially kill the tree.   In some instances, the trunk swells, grows over the material and heals back so that it looks like it has survived.  However, the damage is done and the trunk is forever weakened at that point.

Power lines – Usually there is a zoning issue when it comes to planting anything under a power line.  Don’t take any chances.  Eventually the tree will no longer be a sapling and your local power company will have no sympathy when they send their crews to saw off the top of your tree to keep it away from their wires.

Know the tree’s needs – If you are going to plant a tree, be sure to know its space and growth requirements.  Some trees can suffer from too much shade or too-wet conditions and vice-versa.  It’s also good to know how tall and wide a tree is meant to grow at its full potential.  Always avoid planting trees that will outgrow the space provided.  Poor tree placement can become a real issue 5 or 10 years down the road.  There exists the possibility of damage to building foundations, water and utility lines, and walkways or patios not to mention over-crowding your other ornamental trees or shrubs.  Maintenance and/or removal can become costly and time-consuming.  Consult your landscaper or garden center if you are not sure of a certain tree’s requirements.  It’s very tempting to put those beautiful evergreen trees at the corner of your house not knowing that in 10 years, you won’t even be able to see your house.

Be kind – and plant trees where they belong so they can grow to their full potential and perform as they were meant to.

Summer Landscape Tips

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Summer Landscape Tips
By Jenn Stumer, Appalachian Creations, Inc.

           The hum-drum days of summer have finally arrived.  After a dry spring and an extra wet June and July, August is showing us drought-like conditions.  Not only are the lawns drying up but the plants are showing signs of stress as well.  Here are a few summer landscape tips for planning and maintaining your landscape for times such as these.
Plant Drought-Tolerant Perennials in Sunny Areas
To make life easier, make sure that sunny areas are planted with plants that are meant to take a lot of sun. A low-maintenance, water-wise, yet still attractive landscape plan for a sunny area calls for the use of drought-tolerant plants. Some examples are:
Yarrow                                Coneflower                           Salvia
Lavender                            Russian Sage                       Veronica
Artemisia                            Nepeta                                  Black-Eye Susan
It’s nice to liven up a hot sunny location with warm bold colors, such as golden yellows, bright reds and orange with purple accents to vividly stand out in the summertime heat.
Dead-head Annuals & Perennials
Summertime blooms of annuals are greatly enhanced if dead-headed regularly, so they cannot set seed. Perennials should have faded blooms removed to maintain plant strength & some varieties will even re-bloom again later in summer.  If foliage is in need of shearing, don’t cut back plants by more than 1⁄2 to avoid excessive stress & poor root growth.
Be Prepared to Water
Summer’s most important job, especially now, is watering.  If rains do not provide at least 1” of water every 5-7 days, then a deep soaking of your plants may be necessary.  Trees & Shrubs/every 10-14 days; Perennials in established beds/every 10-14 days; perennials in new plantings/every 7-10 days; and annuals in beds every 5-7 days…depending on soil type & weather conditions.  And finally just a few handy things to remember for additional protection
  • Spray plants with water during daytime to avoid spider mites development. Drought and heat encourage spider mites infestations.
  • Mulch around plants to prevent weed growth. It also helps in retaining soil nutrients and moisture.
  • Remove weeds because they compete with water and nutrients.
Apply these summer landscape tips to your landscape and your plants will thank you!

The Tiger Lily – The Common Orange Daylily

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  Tiger Lily

  Tiger Lily Hemerocallis fulva

          by Jenn Stumer

Appalachian Creations, Inc.

The Tiger Lily… Famous for appearing along roadsides from coast to coast, this common wildflower is known by a host of different names in different parts of the world. Some may know it as Tawny Daylily or Roadside Lily, Ditch Lily or Railroad Lily.

This common orange daylily was introduced into the United States in the late 19th century as an ornamental perennial. This is the one found in every grandmother’s garden and the one seen blooming right now along roadsides from coast to coast. It is the number one daylily to naturalize. Once established, it multiplies and spreads to form dense patches that overwhelm all weeds. It requires no care and is tolerant of any soil (although it really LOVES moist and wet soils which is why it grows so well in roadside ditches. It loves shade but will also flourish in sun as well.

Once quite popular with homeowners and landscapers for the large, showy flowers, hardiness and the ability to spread, nowadays, the Tiger Lily has fallen a bit to the wayside in landscape designs simply because it can be an aggressive spreader. Some even consider it invasive. Taking their place is the new hybrid Daylilies that vary in height, color and length of blooming period.

Where does the Tiger Lily get its Name?

The Tiger Lily gets its “Lily” name from the similarity of the flower to other lilies. True lilies carry the genus name “Lilium.” Some major differences are: Daylilies grow from tuberous roots and Lilies grow from bulbs. Daylily flowers last only one day and Lily flowers can last up to a week. The foliage differs as well with Daylilies having long, flat blades that grow in clumps. The Lily has one, single unbranched stem from the bulb. There is actually a true Lily bearing the name “Tiger Lily” that has large orange flowers covered in spots.

The Tiger Lily can grow up to four feet tall and produce numerous 4-5” flowers on their stems. The tiger lily flower only lasts one day and is actually edible. Dried or fresh flowers are used in Asian cooking and are known as “golden needles.” The shoots and roots are also edible and when baked, lily roots are said to taste like potatoes! Oh and did I mention they attract butterflies and hummingbirds???

Tiger Lily (3)

Snow, Snow and More Snow

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Crabapple-berries-winter-snowSnow, Snow and More Snow – by Jenn Stumer, Appalachian Creations, Inc.

As snow seems to be the topic of much conversation lately, I decided to make it the topic of this blog.  What happens when snow falls on our landscapes and then doesn’t melt for weeks?  All this snow piling up actually has a few benefits for us.  It can be protective, conserving, cleansing and beautiful.

A protective layer of snow insulates the ground during extreme and extended cold weather and during damaging freeze and thaw intervals.  Temperatures beneath the snow can be more than twenty degrees warmer than the air.  This regulates soil temperature and keeps the ground from freezing to a greater depth.  This in turn protects the water table and prevents widespread permafrost (ground that remains frozen for 2 or more years.)

Snow helps to conserve soil moisture during the winter.  Harsh winter winds and cold temperatures can actually dry out the ground.  Having soil moisture and snow to melt provides water for the lawn and landscape.

When snow melts, it provides a slow supply of water to feed and fill undergound water reservoirs.  Lakes, rivers and streams find their water supplies greater.  All of which is beneficial if drought conditions happen to occur.  Entire ecosystems are maintained when their water supplies are greater.

Having a good amount of snow and soil moisture also contributes to the water table.  If the permafrost layer was greater for extended periods of time we could experience a lower water table not to mention the damaging effects a soil heave would have on the root systems of trees and shrubs.

The ground isn’t the only thing protected by snow.  Think of your perennials, bulbs and groundcovers.  The regulated temperature underneath the layer of snow creates an insulation effect that protects these guys from the freeze/thaw cycle.  Without snow in winter, freeze/thaw intervals can cause the soil to heave.  This can break apart roots and bulbs exposing them to the drying effects of the air.

Snow reduces the insect pest population.  Many damaging insects are unable to survive snow and cold.  This is good news for gardeners and the environment.  When nature handles insect pests, no pesticides are necessary.

How often have you stepped outside after it snows to find that the air seems cleaner and fresher?  Falling snow (and raindrops too for that matter) acts as a purifier in the atmosphere.  Every snowflake captures floating dust particles as it begins to form.  Then as it falls, it collects other contaminants effectively “cleaning” the air.

Snow can bring enchanted beauty to winter.  Evergreens appear more brilliant, a backdrop of color against fluffy white, fresh snow dripping from their branches.  Tree bark and branching form become much more interesting.  Trellises, fences, benches and arbors all stand out in the landscape.  For me snow is nostalgic bringing home memories from when I was young.  Building snowmen, ice skating, sledding and hot chocolate!
snow, snow and more snow
So step outside (or watch from your window) and appreciate the snow for the positive element it is meant to be.  Nature is transformed and stillness is serene.  Glorious in nature, unique in design, every snowflake is an example of a creative genius leaving us with a sparkling new world, fresh clean air and magical landscapes.

Landscape Articles to be published…

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Jenn Stumer landscape articlesAppalachian Creations, Inc., a landscape contracting company based in Northampton PA, is pleased to announce that owner Jenn Stumer will once again be a contributing writer this spring and summer for the Lehigh Valley Trader and submitting landscape articles to be published.  Jenn Stumer and Appalachian Creations, Inc. have been providing landscaping services in the Lehigh Valley area since 2001. They specialize in landscape design, landscape installation & maintenance, as well as all aspects of property maintenance.  Jenn began writing informative, educational articles for her landscape business newsletter since the business began in 2001. Her articles have been published in the Lehigh Valley Trader, on Angie’s List and various local newspapers.  Jenn also writes and publishes her articles on the Appalachian Creations, Inc. website blog in addition to the bi-annual company newsletter. The articles cover a variety of topics from plant care and maintenance to landscape design to issues related to current climate conditions. Watch for her informative articles starting with the March 19 issue of the Lehigh Valley Trader.

Dog Days of Summer

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dog days of summerThe Dog Days of Summer – by Jenn Stumer, Appalachian Creations, Inc.

June 21st marked the Summer Solstice, the longest day of the year.  The time in the annual orbit that our part of the earth is tilted closest to the sun.  Temperatures are finally reaching what we call normal after what seemed like a much-lengthened Spring.  Long winter, long spring.  Will this be a pattern for our seasons this year?  Are we in for extended “Dog Days of Summer?”

Where did the Dog Days of Summer come from anyway?  The phrase actually dates back to ancient times.  Different groups of people in different parts of the world drew images in the sky by “connecting the dots” of stars.  The Chinese saw different images than the Native Americans, who saw different images than the Europeans.  These star pictures are now called constellations and are now mapped out in the sky.

Some of the images the constellations make are in the form of animals.  For instance Ursa=Bear, Taurus=Bull and Canis=Dog.  The brightest of the stars in the Canis Major constellation is Sirius, which also happens to be the brightest star in the night sky.

During late July, Sirius, the “dog star,” rises and sets with the sun.  The ancients believed that when it did this, it added its heat to the heat of the sun, creating a stretch of hot and sultry weather.  They named this period of time, from 20 days before to 20 days after, “dog days” after the dog star Sirius.  Today, because of the gradual drifting of the constellations over time, the dog days occur during the period between July 3 and August 11.  Thanks to modern science we all know that the dog star did not actually add heat to anything like the ancients thought.  The hot days of summer are a direct result of the earth tilting closer to the sun.

Knowing that the phrase “Dog Days of Summer” has its roots in ancient times doesn’t change the fact that they are upon us!  How many times this past harsh winter did we long for just such a change of temperature?  The summer season holds all kinds of treasures from family vacations to lazy days lounging pool side to summer projects.  Kids enjoy the gift of no school…and the dogs…well they enjoy “dog days of Summer” too!

Rest assured, we are on the downward swing towards shorter days, cooler temperatures and changing seasons.  Even if we have an extended summer, before you know it…we will be asking ourselves, “Where did the Summer go?”