Thymus-Thyme or Creeping Thyme

Propagating thyme by division should be done in the spring versus the fall because frost can cause the plants to rise out of the ground freeze so propagating is done by digging the whole plant up and dividing the crown and also they become woody so replacement should be done every 3-4 years. Depending upon the variety, the heights can range from 1-10" and the summer blooms can range from purple to white to red to pink and thyme also keeps the deer at bay. Best planted in a sunny location, but will even take deep shade and is one of the groundcovers that does not mind foot traffic but enjoys a good humus soil

Origanum vulgare hirtum-Greek Oregano

Propagating Greek Oregano can be propagated anytime of the year, because its growth habit is by rhizomes so plants can be dug at any juncture making sure you take a section that has a good root system. I planted Greek because that’s what was available when I went looking and each spring, before it flowers, I harvest enough to distribute to my neighbors for drying. Oregano has a high antioxidant value and is known to counter the listeria pathogen. It does best in full sun in a well drained soil. It flowers in May/June with white blooms. I’ve had my patch for at least 7 years and because I cut it back every year, about 8-12", the plant does not become woody like many herbs.

Lavandula angustifolia or Lavender

Lavender is a herb can be propagated by layering or by taking a heeled cutting in the spring because the plants become very woody as they get older so at times it is not seen as a perennial but they are evergreen. To propagate by layering take a long branch, turn the soil over and then pin the branch to the disturbed soil, using a piece from a wire hanger bending it in half and make certain that you water. Seed propagation is generally considered a no win situation because they take too long to propagate. As many people know the bloom of Lavender comes a variety of lavender shades and they do not like wet feet in winter, but thrive in full sun and a well drained soil that is not acidic and normally do not bloom the first year. They should be pruned in the spring and not in the fall and they also attract honey bees and hummingbirds because the flower heads can be as tall as 3 feet. The best time to harvest is after the flowers have full color, blooming from June to August, hang upside down in a dry dark spot and store in a dark spot to keep the color from fading, however the fragrance will last for years.

Tulbaghia Violacea-Society Garlic

Society garlic is easily propagated by rhizome division, corms, since it grows in clumps. In Zone 7 it is considered a weak perennial so plant in protected areas. I thought I’d throw something new at the perennial gardeners because it is not a true garlic nor allium but more closely resembles narcissus. It has a beautiful bluish/purplish flower in mid summer and is an evergreen. The flowers give off a garlic odor in the evening, however although some say it can be eaten, others say it will bring on stomach problems, however in some parts of the globe they plant Society Garlic to ward off snakes and moles. Plant in full sun to light shade, slightly drought resistant, and in a light sandy soil and transplant/divide in the fall.

Forxglove or Digitalis

Foxglove or Digitalis Purpurea, is the most common sold, cannot be propagated by division because they are considered a biennial, similar to Columbine, that will bloom the second or third year then generally die, however they will self seed so at times they are considered a herbaceous perennial. It is advised not to plant them in an area where children will be playing because if eaten the plant will kill, they are extremely poisonous. The plant blooms can reach up to 5 feet, they don’t need to be staked, and range in color from white to purple and their flowers attract hummingbirds and honey bees and bloom from April until June. The seeds can be sown in the late spring in a well drained, acidic soil, rich in humus, in partial shade.

Landscape Design Tips

Landscape design involves different aspects, the environment the residence sits in, the affect the homeowner desires, assets available, and the design of the residence itself. When I did design/build, I was fortunate because money wasn’t an object for many customers, I was recommended by Interior Designers and by word of mouth, those involved with financing upstarts. Landscaping can be hard and demanding work, but when a person does it for themself it is usually done with a smile anticipating the end result. When I bought my home I worked every weekend outside building retaining walls, my home sits down a slope, then clearing my backyard which was overgrown with seedlings and poison ivy, and finally planting my garden beds mostly with woody plants, some purchased, others salvaged, I worked part-time at a garden center and brought home plants that were to be discarded and pruned them severely. I’ve lost many perennials and azaleas due to lack of water, but I’ve also transplanted 10 year old azaleas in July. A person cannot be everything to everyone, especially when they have to make an income. Scheduling tasks can be hard on some, because they forget or run out of time. Sprinkler systems are costly. I have a two story home so when I started landscaping it I looked for the affect from the road but primarily from the inside of my home and why I always debunked the “foundation planting” aspect, but some houses need it to bring them into scale. Sure a person can see a planting when they pull into the driveway, but how often is that done versus looking out the window? Curb appeal is one thing, but the most important factor is a persons’ peace of mind of walking out the door. I remember when I replaced the windows on my home, everyone asked if I was moving because I guess the general consensus amongst the uninformed is if a person spends money on their home they must be doing it for resale, not for enjoyment.

Dianthus Barbatus-Sweet William

Sweet William is easily propagated by division in the spring, but it also is a good example of a self seeding biennial or short lived perennial, however seeds are not breed true so if you want to duplicate the color division is the only way. Colors can vary from white, oink, red, purple and anything in between. Sweet William thrives in a loamy, sandy type soil, that is slightly alkaline in sun to partial shade and its nectar attracts butterflies and honey bees and does well in rock gardens or plant borders or in country styled garden beds. The height of Sweet William is 8"-12" and spreads in a dense mat form and blooms in June to July.

Delphinium-Larkspur

Delphiniums can be propagated by division, however unlike many perennials that are propagated by division the whole parent plant must be dug up and then divided which could shock the plant so it should be done early in the morning on a grey day in the spring. The most common practice of propagation because there are both annual and perennial varieties is done by sowing seed, which can be difficult or taking a heeled basal cutting in the spring, which requires a cutting 4-6" long in early spring with the bottom cut being made as close to the crown as possible, but some say taking a stem cutting from the mature part, in the spring, of the plant and placing it in sand and perlite mixture sitting in a saucer of water will also generate roots. I prefer division, but the problem is with delphiniums is they need a fertile rich humus soil, heavily composted and must be fertilized every month with a liquid and since the parent plant must be replaced every three years, the plants become woody and blooming decreases, so some people feel delphiniums aren’t worth the trouble since the taller varieties, Pacific Hybrids, the most popular, need staking because some could reach as high as 6' and why many people opt for the dwarf variety because they only grow as tall as 18". Delphiniums take full sun, out of the wind, in well drained soil and there color ranges almost the full spectrum with the blue being the most common and can be used for cut flowers. The best way to get repeat blooms, they bloom from June to July, is to cut back the stem after blooming down to the crown, but then you will not get plants to divide.

Dianthus-"Pinks"/"Cottage Pinks"

Dianthus or Pinks can be propagated by division, every 2-3 years, by digging up the whole plant, sometimes we must work, and separate the clump by gently pulling the roots apart, preferably late in the day and then pot or replant in the garden bed, watering throughly. If you like to live dangerously they can also be propagated by softwood stem cuttings in spring or early summer and plant in a mix of sand and perlite sitting in a saucer of water. Pinks thrive in fertile(compost), fast draining and slightly alkaline soil in partial sun, 4-5 hours. Over-watering turns the foliage yellow. Unlike most of the plants in garden beds Pinks should not be mulched, they require good air circulation around the stems and do not like foliar moisture and are susceptible to stem rot. Their colors range from white, to pink, to red, to cream and mixes in between and are a perennial and depending on the zone they are either semi-evergreen or evergreen and will attract butterflies and can be used as cut flowers. There blooms can last to fall, if the plants are deadheaded after blooming. They are also fragrant. The majority of varieties sold today reach a height in range from 10"-20". They are a good addition to a rock garden or used as an edging plant.

Primula-Primrose

Primroses can be propagated by division and should be done after they finish blooming which is mid to late spring. Primroses brighten up any shady corner of your garden bed because their flower spikes range in color from yellow, red, pink and blue and blooms last a couple of weeks, and prefer slightly acidic soil but well drained which needs deep composting. Primrose plants are clusters of green and are small in comparison to daylilies but can be propagated just as easily, just dig up the seedlings growing next to the parent, but they cannot tolerate dry conditions. I use what they call a “sharpshooter,” to transplant, used in the irrigation industry to dig trenches, even though it has a short handle because its small face navigates around perennials perfectly. Mature height depending on variety can range from 6" to 30" of which the 6" is the most common sold and prefers colder climates because it induces flower growth.

Ajuga-Bugleweed

Propagating Ajuga is one of the easiest plants to reproduce because they spread by stolons which root into the surrounding areas when fertile soil is available and form clumps. They can be propagated almost anytime of the year as long as the transplants are watered thoroughly. When I transplant I always put transplants into one gallon containers that way I know they will be watered then transplant back to the garden bed for the next growing season. They thrive best in fertile moist soils and can be planted in light shade to sun and can stand moderate dry conditions, but because they can be perceived as invasive it’s why many people use them in rock gardens or interspersed between the flagstone walkways, but not alongside grass, they got the nickname Bugleweed for a reason. They are semi-evergreen with shiny foliage ranging from bronze to green and although their flower heads can be inconspicuous in smaller planting’s in the garden bed, their color range is from blue, dominate, to white, pink, or lavender, blooming from late spring to early summer.

Potentilla Fruticosa “Katherine Dykes or K. Dykes”-Shrubby Cinquefoil

Potentilla “K. Dykes” can be propagated by layering and is my favorite flowering deciduous shrub, because of its growth habit, whose bare branches in winter aren’t typical of most deciduous and bright yellow blooms all summer, however after purchasing some on E-Bay they finally gave the fight up because the North Carolina summer heat was just too much for them to survive. There are white, pink and orange varieties as well. What I liked about K. Dykes was its cascading branches and grew no taller than three feed but spread as much as five. I used them extensively when I did design/build in Colorado. What I am trying to say is don’t fight Mother Nature and purchase plant material that isn’t recommended for your zone, because Mother Nature will most always win out, she is not biased. I visited my sister while on a business trip and noticed the big boxes and garden centers were selling crapemyrtles which I thought was strange because when I lived in VA, north of the Blue Ridge Parkway there weren’t crapemyrtles, but when I moved south of the Parkway you couldn’t get away from them. I gave into my sister’s wishes and purchased a beautiful multi-stemmed pink crapemyrtle for their garden bed, but it didn’t survive the winter. Why garden centers introduce plants that aren’t hardy for their zone is about greed or they are totally ignorant of hardiness zones. When I write about perennials or woody plants don’t assume that the plants I write about are hardy in your area, I am in Zone 7. Check into it first. Type in the plant name then after type in the words “plant zone” and up will pop the zones they are considered hardy in. Or go to Michigan Bulb and select your zone. I use to purchase cow manure from Wal Mart, but then they changed manufacturers and noticed there was a lot of sand mixed in, the new bag said “composted cow manure,”I have tons of silt from a stream behind my home, so I went to HD & Lowe’s and found that Lowe’s had the right mix at the cheapest price. Shop around. Update: The Periwinkle shown in the picture to the left are planted in two gallon containers( 5) and have been for two years and to show novices just how invasive it can become I went out and trimmed back the plants and got enough cuttings to pot up an additional five healthy one gallon containers.

Gypsophilla or Baby’s Breathe

Propagating Baby’s Breathe must be done in the spring. Most anyone that has received an arrangement knows Baby’s Breath, because it is used by florists as a filler amongst roses or other cut flower arrangements or used as dried flowers. Some use the plant to drape over walls which adds texture to the landscape and they can endure harsh summer conditions because they will prosper in full sun and poorer soil conditions, and brighten up any rock garden or border areas because their leaves are basically insignificant when in bloom. They can attain a height of 24" and shearing them back after flowering can be detrimental to the plants health. Propagation can be done by dividing the root system. In some areas Gypsophilla Panicullata the most common plant sold, can be considered invasive because its seeds are mainly microscopic, so check that out first before planting. The color ranges of Gypsophilla are white to red to pink, with white considered the hardiest of cultivars.