New St. John's Wort

Well, it's really not new but it's acting like it is. Two years ago during a very heavy snowfall, the large (I do mean large) photinias were knocked over. They shaded a good part of my rear yard fence garden, providing an environment for hostas, heuchera, astilbe, and ferns. St. John's Wort spread along the ground under them. I took the photinias out after they did not bouce back after the smow, and now most of the shade plants that depended on them are suffering through direct morning sun until about 1:00 in the afernoon.

St. John's Wort seems to be liking the additinal sunlight. I find that the plant has begun spreading its wings into the turf grassy area, and the new growth has really started to glow yellow like never before. A little sun makes it shine!

I also discoverred the older growth remains the evergreen color and is where the flowers are coming from. Flowers are still 'few and far between', and tend to pop up at verious times throughout the spring. It would make a more serious garden statement if they all appreaed at the same time.

I am going to replace the photinias with Swamp Magnolia - a Virginia native. I will need to wait a few years for it to grow to a size that can shade all the plants that were previously happy. I hope the hostas can survive that long - they are the ones most suffering. Maybe a move for them to more hospitable locations is in the cards this fall.

St. John's Wort Treats Garden Gloom

As many know, St. Johns Wort (Hypericum calycinum) is used as an herbal remedy for mild depression. Around my garden, it treats the gloomy, sad area also know as the space beneath the photinia shrub - the dry, shady, clay, snail-infested territory. Snails are slow-paced fellows and have no need for anti-depressants.

I picked up my one St. John's Wort 'Brigadoon' at our neighborhood plant swap three years ago. Its chartreuse leaves were a cheery pick-me-up for the dark depressing spot where the photinas prevented any happiness from growing. It put out a few new shoots in year I while continuing to allow soil to wash into my lawn (excuse me - since I am a master gardener, the term is turf.) In year II, a few more shoots and one flower was all it could muster. I began to think the internet lied about an easy-growing perennial. Now year III sees it filling in nicely and maturing to the ground cover and erosion control it was born to be.

Besides its slow growth (good because I already have ample invasive plants to control), it is only about 6-inches high (15 cm). Yellow flowers are not very abundant. The leaves darken with age, but remain light enough to brighten up a shade.

Now the interesting facts. The name comes for is bloom time around June 24 when the birthday of St. John the Baptist is celebrated. It is believed to be native to Europe and Asia, and maybe western US, and has been classified as an invasive noxious weed in some countries, especially where cattle and livestock are raised. Ingestion by livestock can cause photosensitization, central nervous system distress, depression, spontaneous abortion, and can lead to death. How can you tell if a cow is depressed? All cows seem depressed to me. Maybe I am confusing depression with laid-back.

It was used by early Greeks for ailments including nervous disorders. Studies have proven it as effective as Prozac in the treatment of mild to moderate depression, but are inconclusive for severe depression. The major downer for taking St. John's Wort is its dangerous side effects from interactions with other medications and herbs.

For The Record:   • Heavy clay soil with gypsum & organic amendments with small amount of fertilizer   • Full light shade   • No serious pests or disease   • Slow growing Garden Calendar:   • Blooming: echinacea, daisy, lily, daylily, nicotiana, cleome, hydrangea, loostrife, hosta, astilbe, lavender   • Harvested: radish, beans

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

April 2010 Bloom Day

Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day
What's blooming in the garden on the 15th of each month

This day, I got the urge to be more creative with the photos. Lighting from behind the azalea, lighting casting shadows to bring out highlights, chartreuse all alone among the red, and depth of field changing.

It is a toss-up on which photo to submit for this month's photo contest Green World theme. Please help me decide.

Doublefile Viburnum buds		St. John's Wort 'Brigadoon'
Azalea 'Snow'		Dogwood

Garden Calendar:   • Blooming: dogwood, azalea, poet & chiffon daffodils, grape hyacinth   • Seedlings: tomatoes, pepper, cleome, millet sprouted