From Blizzard to Blooming Redbuds in Eight Weeks

It’s the second week in April and we had three 90 plus degree days this week in Baltimore. This is crazy weather.

To quote Susan Reimer, columnist for the Baltimore Sun, “Did I sleep through spring?”

In one week, all of my roses leafed out, the much awaited, and might I say, well-deserved after the blizzards we had, cherries (Prunus sp.) bloomed, the redbuds (Cersis canadensis) quickly came and went, the pansies (Viola sp.) fried, the ferns unfurled and the oak (Quercus sp.) pollen coated everything insight with a yellowish-green film.

Mother Nature sure has been busy this week.

I’m not lying when I say my Purple Smoke false indigo (Baptisia ‘Purple Smoke’) grew four inches yesterday while I was at work.

This is truly crazy weather for April. It’s back to normal today with 60’s forecasted for much of the next 4 days, but boy did this weather wreak havoc on a much needed spring respite.

This hasty spring behavior has brought the bees, wasps and hornets out in drones. It’s as if they woke up and said, “OMG…our flowers are blooming! Get out there now or they’ll be gone!”

I don’t think I’ve ever seen this much pollination going on at one time.

In a related matter… the intern to my office mate, as sweet an innocent as she may be, tried to commit pollinator murder on Tuesday.

Our office is in a loft in an old warehouse, so heating and cooling are not easy. We love spring and fall, but dread working in the cold months of winter and the heat of the summer. Needless to say, we had all the windows open this week. There are no screens, so bugs, and sometimes pigeons come and go. They don’t really bother us. Oh, I suppose the pigeons bother us when we forget to close a window and they use the floor as their toilet, but in general, we’re not easily bothered.

The intern was bothered.

She came to me in a tizzy about needing bug spray. I said, “Bug spray, why?”

She said, “There’s a wasp in the office.”

My first reaction was to try and calm myself. Was she really going to poison me with bug spray to kill one innocently misguided wasp?

Really? Bug spray? I don’t even own bug spray.

I tried not to overreact. I grabbed the paper lantern light cover in which the wasp had mistakenly been trapped, gently walked it over to the window, and shook it outside to free the wasp.

It was that easy. No toxic chemicals were sprayed and no pollinators were harmed. She thought I was insane.

I‘d now like to reminisce a bit and look back to a really fun rant from last year about our society’s desire to be bug free. Read An Ounce of Prevention is Worth…Killing All the Bugs? I remember seeing the Bayer Advanced Tree and Shrub Protect and Feed commercial for the first time and literally screaming out loud. They are selling a systemic insecticide (and they are not the only ones) that kills any and all insects that feed on your plants for 12 months, whether they harm the plants or not. This product even kills the good bugs, since pesticides don’t differentiate between good and bad. That’s kind of like guns that don’t shoot the good guys, right?

I digress…

As you can see, everything and everyone here in Baltimore has been thrown off schedule a bit by the recent heat wave. Heat wave…that’s right, I said heat wave.

How quickly we forget that a mere 8 weeks ago I was cursing the mountains of snow that would not melt in my front yard. Isn’t it funny? I think it’s funny. I’m not so sure the plants or the pollinators agree. Imagine being a breeder who works with cherries. Ha! They would have had days to get their pollen instead of a week or two.

Speeds things up a bit doesn’t it?

Speaking of speeding things up, here’s a video of the trial gardens and how everything has instantly come to life this week. How exciting!

Be sure to note Heuchera ‘Stainless Steel’, one our new introductions for 2011 from Charles and Martha Oliver of The Primrose Path. This plant amazes me more and more every time I see it. I am waiting patiently for the cut flower quality blooms to appear so I can share images with you, but heck, if this plant never bloomed, I would still introduce it because it has been so drought tolerant and it is full of vim and vigor this spring.

Next week, I’ll be visiting foam flower breeder, Sinclair A. Adam and all of his babies for a behind the scenes video shoot, which will be published in next week’s edition of The Weeding Gnome.

Until then, enjoy this weather and Happy Weeding!

Angela Treadwell Palmer
President, Plants Nouveau

— Angela’s Garden Notes —

Introducing Heuchera ‘Stainless Steel’ – Stunning leaf patterns and bold, sturdy blooms for tough, shady spots

I have grown Stainless Steel for two seasons now in my garden. I am realizing more and more each season why Charles and Martha chose to introduce this selection. This has to be one of the most vigorous selections I’ve ever grown in either my Chicago or my Baltimore garden. I planted 3 inch plugs in May of 2008 and we had two of the hottest, driest summers I have experienced in Baltimore in 2008 and 2009. Much of the area experienced a very wet summer in 2009, but we missed most of the rain in Baltimore until September, when the deluge began. It seems as though it rained from then till the blizzards of 2010, but I’m sure I’m exaggerating.

Stainless Steel was evergreen in the garden both winters and the new foliage that emerges each April is nothing less than stunning. When planted in more sun, the leaves get a mauve glow, but planted in part or full shade, they truly are, well, stainless steel – perhaps platinum would have also been a good name. The undersides of the leaves are celery green and the veins are a bright, pinkish-maroon. The overlay of pure silver is breathtaking, especially in morning sun.

In my opinion, this is one tough, beefy plant that tackles drought, too much water, too much snow and too much sunlight with an amazing attitude. It’s like it says, “Bring it on…I can handle it all!”

The only thing that could make this plant even better are it’s florist quality, creamy pink blooms. They certainly throw this plant to the top of my list for plants you NEED to grow.

Size: 8-12” tall by 20-24” wide
USDA hardiness Zones: 5(4) – 8
Sun/shade: Full to partial shade.
Soil: Average garden soil, well drained.
Moisture: moist, but well drained to get established, once established, it is very drought tolerant.
Disease and Pests: None known
Landscape use: Mass plantings, front or middle of the border, urban gardens, containers.
Market appeal / Uniqueness: Thick, celery green leaves have an overlay of silver with brightly colored eggplant purple undersides, giving this new selection a multi-dimensional look. This plant is heat and humidity tough and it can withstand the coldest winters. Strong purple stems hold 18″ cut flower quality bloom stalks with 8″ of sturdy, creamy white bells.
Propagation methods: Tissue culture, divisions.
Bloom time: Early May for 4 to 6 weeks.

Stainless Steel must be one of the most vigorous coral bells I’ve had in my garden in a long time. The color evolves from true silver in full shade to pinkish-silver in part shade and a bright, mauve-pewter in more sun. The ruffled leaves are very upright and the clump is full and tight.