Why I Oughta...

Both the Amber Queen and Spine Tingler Epimedium are in bloom this week.  Yellow, Jester-hat-shaped flowers on tall, needle-like stems, these are strongest blooms that we've had since this slow-growing cluster of groundcover went in the garden.  The Spine Tingler variety is just one-year-old (planted in 2023 ), so it is nice to see the blooms on those.  Below are both - first the Amber Queen, then below the Spine Tingler.  

Tucked into the little cluster of epimedium (Amber Queen and Spine Tingler) were a pair of Shredded Umbrella plants that I picked up at Northwind Perennial Farm last Summer .  I was influenced by a YouTube video and brought them home without much thought.  The scientific name of these Shredded Umbrella plants is Synelesis aconitifolia  and they're prized for their upright foliage that resembles - as you might have guessed - a 'shredded umbrella' in the garden.  You can see the pair of these interplanted in the photo below:  These didn't last long in their first season in the garden - going dormant well before anything else - so I'm somewhat surprised that they came back for their first Spring.   I figured that I didn't give them enough water and the summer heat took them before they could establish themselves.  Perhaps that's their foliage cycle?  Dying back by late Summer?  I'll be watching this year to see how they do - with hopes they...

Late last Fall, I found some time to head over to the mulch pit to pick up a couple of loads (in 5 gallon buckets) of municipal biosolids and brought them home.  I dumped the biosolids out and scattered them across a number of the perennial beds in the front/back/side yards .  A top dressing of sorts.   And a dormant application of organic material with the goal of improving the soil conditions.  I also thought that by applying them in early Winter/late Fall...there would be ample time for them to 'age in place' during the dormant period.  With the return to the garden in the past few weeks to begin to prune back/remove old stems and lightly begin to clean up, I've noticed some areas where the naked soil is 'showing'.  What can fix that?  Mulch!  Oh...I guess that's true.  But, I also thought...biosolids could do the trick.  And...off I went to pick up a load.  Here, below, are a few spots where I spread the material out. ...

Yesterday, I posted an update about the trio of Spine Tingler Epimedium that are planted near the large Catalpa tree in our backyard .  Those three are planted amongst some of the other Epimedium (Amber Queen) that we have had planted for a number of years. At one time, I had five (5) Amber Queen Barrenwort/Epimedium - Here's a look in May 2021, when I planted two new ones to bring the total to five .   By the time I planted the Spine Tinglers last May (2023), there were just four Amber Queens left.   And that's what we're looking at today:  Four Amber Queen Epimedium and Three Spine Tingler Epimedium.   Below is a wider view of this colony showing all eight plants: I've amended some parts of the front and back beds with biosolids last Fall.  Looking at this section, I'm thinking that these could use a slow-release feeding via some biosolid topdressing and/or mulch. I didn't manage to post about these, but I also added a pair of Shredded Umbrella ...

This past May (2023), I planted three Spine Tingler Epimedium that I brought home from the Morton Arboretum Arbor Day Plant Sale and stuck them in amongst the other epimedium that have survived - Amber Queen.  These are planted under a large Catalpa tree in the backyard, along the north side bed.   Below is a photo showing the current state of these three (along with one Amber Queen on the far right of the image): My experience with epimedium is that they are VERY slow to get established.  They aren't in a state of growing, but also not so much a state of dying.  More like...just a state of 'being.   I've looked back at the photos of when these went in and I'm not sure they've actually grown.  But, I'm also not sure they've shrunk at all.  I'd love NOTHING MORE than to see these spiny-filled barrenwort/epimedium to naturalize this whole area to make a large colony of groundcover.  

Every gardener wants things in their garden that are unique.  Plants that their neighbors don't have.  Plants that you can't find at the big box store.  Epimedium is a plant that fits those three things.  I posted last week about the Orange Queen Epimedium that we brought home from the Morton Arboretum Plant Sale .  And talked about how I bought another variety.  This post is about that *other* variety:  Spine Tingler Barrenwort.   At the sale, this spine-y foliage certainly caught my eye.  I knew these were going to find a home in my garden out back: Back in 2021, I came across Sandy Claws Epimedium at The Growing Place and talked about how I liked it .    This Spine Tingler variety sure looks A LOT like Sandy Claws, doesn't it? I planted the three plants right behind my existing Epimedium - Amber Queen - on the north side in the understory bed.   In the photo below, you can see the three new Spine Tinglers in back ...

Last week, we popped into the annual Morton Arboretum Arbor Day Plant Sale and picked up a few new (to us) perennials and some vegetables and herbs that I'll be posting over the coming days/weeks as I get each of them in the ground.  My plan is to plant as much as possible while the temps are low and before our mulch arrives.   The first plant in was bought as a solo container.  I know, I know.  That's a big gardening mistake that I actively try to avoid, but from time-to-time I buy a single - mostly with the kids.  This is one of those cases - as the KotBTs picked this one out and planted it in 'his garden' in the backyard.  I have a small colony of existing Epimedium - Amber Queen - that I planted on the north side bed under some trees.  Those, too, were brought home from the Morton Sale back in 2020 .  It is a slow-to-establish plant for me - and that's part of the reputation.  And, it spreads by rhizomes (which...I think I'm seeing ...

Yesterday, I posted a [plant dreaming] post about a 'stunning' Hosta:  Brother Stefan - that I came across at the local nursery.  Today, I'm sharing another plant that found on that same shopping trip that has some congruency to the Brother Stefan hosta.  First...like hostas, I *have* a few different cultivars of this plant.  And second, it is a show-boat when it comes to foliage.  I'm talking about Epimedium wushanense 'Sandy Claws'.  Here, below, are a couple of photos from the plants at The Growing Place.  First, the foliage.  And second, the sign.  I have five (currently) Epimedium Amber Queen(s) planted already - hence thinking about this particular sport as a new (potential) addition.  I put in three last Fall and two this Spring and - so far - they're pretty slow to grow.  They're about the same size as they were when I put them in.  And, based on what I've read, that's pretty normal.  They are 'slow to establish'...

 Last year, I bought three Amber Queen Barrenwort plants from the Morton Arboretum Fall Plant Sale.  I ended up planting them around one of the Catalpa trees in the north bed.  They tolerate shade, so that seemed like a good spot.  At this Spring's plant sale at the Morton Arboretum, I tried to buy even MORE of the same stuff that I bought last year.  On these Amber Queen Barrenworts, I was successful.  I bought TWO more - and planted them in the same area.  The drift is now five.  Fall plantings are the three on the left.  The new ones are the two on the right.  They'll get mulched in soon. I mulched these in last Fall using arborist wood chips from the Downers Grove 'mulch pit'.  Interesting to note the decomposition that has taken place over the past six or so months.  

 This is the first season of this trio of Amber Queen Epimedium (Barrenwort) in our yard.  I planted it late this season - in September - and mulched it in ahead of winter with wood chips.  The grouping is just to the west of our largest Catalpa tree and with the wood chip mulch, I feel like I've protected these as best as I can before their long winter's nap that is coming. Here, below, is what they're looking like in early November: I'm quite hopeful that they'll do ok this Winter as they've shown NO SIGNS of stress after being planted.  They haven't shown much in terms of growth, but I'm thinking that they're satisfied in terms of water as they prepare to head to dormancy.  Fingers crossed that come Spring, we'll have three come back and put on their first yellow-flower-show in the Spring.

This post is about the 10th variety or cultivar of plants/trees that we bought at the Morton Arobretum Fall Plant Sale .  At the very bottom of this post, you can see a list of all ten of them - including one tree, two varieties of grasses and a some shade-tolerant plants.  That list now includes another shade-tolerant plant called Amber Queen Barrenwort.   This is an Epimedium - the first we have in our garden - that is described at Walter's Garden like this : A dazzling unique Epimedium that will catch your eye-it certainly caught ours! Epimediums are uncommon in the market and in high demand. The airy, delicate-looking flowers have bright yellow spurs with orange-red centers, looking light orange from a distance. Flowers are produced along the length of the flower stems, which are up to 24" long. Bright green leaves have a blush red color close to the crown. ...Epimedium are one of the few plants capable of surviving in dry shade. Although slow to establish, matu...