The Garden of Doom

With the fourth annual Spring Plant Swap behind us, it may be a good time for an evaluation of the swapees that followed me home in past years. First, we must remember the departed that never made it after finding my yard a garden of doom:

• The First Nandina - This was planted after a fall plant swap. It went into dormancy and stayed that way. A second Nandina obtained a year later is alive and well.

• Shasta Daisy - This was also planted after a fall plant swap. It grew well into the spring, began budding, then, well, began pushing up daisies.
• Rudbeckia - seeds were planted after a fall plant swap and grew nothing but dirt in the spring
• Coneflower - again with the seeds. After planting in the fall AND spring, they at least provided some organic matter to the soil.

• Lily - an unknown peach Asian lily was planted after two separate swaps. They hit a home run, thriving and multiplying in their home yard, but struck out in my yard. A third lily was obtained last fall (the donor cannot give them away fast enough) and is now growing this spring!

It's not all doom and gloom. Of course, there are success stories. Money for nothing and your plants for free:

• Mahogany Iris - these did not come with a name, and after an exhaustive search of the internet, are still nameless. Growing well.

• Dwarf Coreopsis - ('Nana') this was picked up last spring with two blossoms. Today, there are dozens - very happy in its location.
• St. John's Wort - ('Brigadoon') picked up last spring. This lights up a shady spot with chartreuse green, but to date hasn't grown much.
• Dwarf Hosta - again, no name is associated with these 3-year old donations.
• Purple Iris - (no name again) a handful of small rhizomes from last fall produced one flower stalk this spring. However, I was expecting a Japanese iris from the gardener's description last year.
• Spiderwort - these took off upon planting last spring. Today they are a blooming, healthy, happy bunch.
• New England Asters - I donate some purple ones every year, but picked up some magenta. You can't kill 'em if you tried.
• Gooseneck Loostrife - [22.6.2008] after two years, this ground cover is covering a lot of ground, requiring spring cleaning.

Garden Calendar:   • Blooming: dutch iris, bearded iris, rose,     spiderwort, coreopsis, salvia

Plant Swap Adoption

One year ago at our annual Plant Swap Brunch, I adopted a perennial geranium looking for a new home. Most gardeners attending our plant swap do not know the names of what they have, but I knew this was some sort of geranium.

I divided it into twins and placed them in a sunny location like their original home. With some TLC throughout the summer, they grew slowly. This spring, each came back and shot up some magenta blooms. Based on these, I identified the plant as Cranesbill Bevan's Variety (Geranium macrorrhizum). Isn't the internet wonderful?

Information seems to indicate that this is a semi evergreen that blooms throughout the summer, and can be considered a ground cover. This was not my experience, with few blooms last year and 100% winter die-back. According to one source, the highly aromatic leaves are used for 'woodland scented perfumes.' I always knew my twins fell into the scented geranium category. What I admire (compared to my other geranium [10.5.2008]) is that clusters of blossoms are held above the 8-inch tall (20 cm) mound of foliage. The plants are also beginning to spread out new little ones, so the ground cover behavior is beginning.

You Are Invited To A Plant Swap Brunch
All gardeners are welcome - maybe some local garden blog readers would like to stop in. Our plant swap brunch is near the Huntington Metro station in Alexandria, 12:00-1:00 PM, Saturday May 1 at the Huntington Community Center on Liberty Drive. Bring something to swap (seeds, seedling, plant) and a brunch item. Contact me if you need further info. At last year's spring plant swap, coreopsis, hosta, lettuce, St. John's Wort, and iris all walked my way. I said goodbye to pepper, & tomato seedlings, asters, dragonflowers, geraniums, and cosmos & castor bean seeds.

For The Record:   • Well drained soil   • Full sun   • No pests or disease Garden Calendar:   • Blooming: Cranesbill geranium, allium, azalea, viburnum   • Germinated: peppers (12 days), castor bean (5 days), tomatoes (9 days)     millet (8 days), cleome (14 days), hollyhock (11 days)

Plant Swap Brunch

Four years ago, in an effort to promote gardening in the community, I began a Garden Club forum on our community association web site discussion board. Its purpose was to exchange ideas and information, and to possibly have tours of members' gardens during the year. Membership was simple - sign up for that group on the discussion board.

Several neighbors signed up, but participation was far below expectations. So, I tried another way to get gardeners together. A one-day neighborhood plant swap was set up in the spring. To entice more participants, it was organized as a plant swap brunch, with neighbors bringing something to share in the food department, too. There was a good turnout, so we organized a Fall Plant Swap Brunch in November, too.

I received my "Lets Boogie" iris and two no-name hostas in previous years. A few other gifts didn't turn out - angel trumpet ballerina seeds, lily, nandina.

Saturday was our third annual Spring Plant Swap Brunch. For about an hour, neighbors meet inside the community center to snack, gossip, thumb through plant catalogs, and sometimes talk about gardening. This year I picked up St. Johns Wort ground cover, lettuce seedlings, nandina (again), scented geraniums, and coreopsis. I donated Red Karma pepper seedlings, obedient plant, New England asters, purple basil, canna, as well as seeds for red cosmos and castor bean plants.

Garden Calendar:   • Blooming: Bridal wreath spirea, azaleas, allium, purple salvia, bearded iris, dutch iris   • Planted onion, amaranthus, pepper seedlings   • Planted lettuce seedlings from plant swap   • Lifted emperor, apeldoorn tulip bulbs