Ledge and Gardens

Inviting Moss

There is quite a bit of moss at Ledge & Gardens. It covers the stone walls, permeates the lawn and sits at the base of the trunks of trees. I have always loved moss. As a child I would find a bed of moss and lie down on it never really minding the wet elbows and knees which inevitably resulted from such a moist, spongy bed. I have used it to line the fairy garden bench which started life with the name 'herb bench'. It is in a bit of shade so moss suits it better. The moss has also taken over the stone patio by the fish pond. This emerald green carpet glows in the low slant of the sun at this time of year. As golds turn to brown, green moss is a welcome addition to the landscape. It flourishes now with more moisture and lower light levels.  Moss has gotten quite a bit more attention lately.  Moss & Stone Gardens is a wonderful website with great ideas on how to use moss in unique and interesting new ways. I recently cleaned out some of the urns for the season and since they are fiberglass and can withstand a freeze better than ceramic or clay, I decided to plant them with moss. The smallest one is cast iron. I love the soft look of the moss and probably should add some decorative elements. Any thoughts on that?

Spectacular Sumac!

High 59.2 F
Low 52.0 F

Rhus typhina 'Bailtiger' or 'Tiger Eyes'

What is better than a 'Tiger Eye' Sumac?  A grouping of three or more perhaps!  This plant was introduced to the market in 2004 by Bailey Nurseries. Rhus typhina is a native shrub and this particular cultivar was spotted in a group at the nursery and subsequently propagated for its' unusual acid yellow summer color. It also has spectacular fall color and great year round texture.  In the winter, the skeleton is a bit coarse but architecturally interesting. The branches are covered with a fuzzy indumentum giving the appearance of deer antlers.  The buds emerge in the spring and are bright red with hints of pink, orange and yellow. All of the colors in the fall display are previewed in the buds. The stems of this sumac are maroon and you can see from this picture that it pairs well with Allium sphaerocephalon, drumstick allium.   I could easily lose myself in this well of color. This plant is very adaptable to most soil types thriving even in clay soil. It has quite a wide range of zone hardiness growing from Zone 4 through Zone 8.  I did notice some runners on this plant this spring but I just chopped them off and have not seen any more develop.  Tiger Eyes has been growing in my garden for two years and is about five feet tall.   Full sun is recommended. On a rainy October day it cheers up an otherwise dismal garden.  Do any of you have one of these sumacs?

Native plants!

High 56 F
Low  52 F

Euonymus americanus-American Strawberry bush or 'Hearts-a-burstin'

Much has been written concerning the winged Euonymus, Euonymus alatus.  This shrub has become a hallmark of fall with its' bright red foliage and its' presence along highways and in suburban areas.  Once used extensively by highway crews this plant is now on many states' invasive species lists.  It does seem to reseed freely under favorable conditions although my personal experience is that while I have three of these shrubs which were seedlings given to me by a friend whose plant had reseeded, I have never seen a seedling from this plant in the surrounding area.  Winged Euonymus was brought to this country in the 1860's as an ornamental shrub.  It is native to China, Japan and Korea.  It is hard to beat its' bright red foliage of autumn.  Less well know is the native Euonymus, Euonymus americanus.  This unprepossessing shrubs' common name is American strawberry bush or ' hearts-a- burstin'.  This is an understory shrub which grows four to six feet tall in well drained acid soils in shade to partial shade.  It is hardy from Zones 5-9 giving it quite a range.  To see one in full fruit is definitely something to talk about. The fruit is enclosed within a capsule which pulls back as it dries giving a flowering effect.  This shrub is fruiting now and I can't help but marvel at its' interesting shape and the wonder of its' fruit.  It is fairly nondescript most of the year but then many ornamental shrubs are until the flowering or fruiting takes place. The flower is small, white and insignificant. Would anyone look at the unblooming hydrangea and desire it for their garden?  This is a great little native shrub which settles into the border or the woodland edge with dignity until it covers itself with its' flamboyant fruit.  I have never seen this for sale at any nursery but perhaps I should.  What do you think of this native shrub?

   

An addendum to this post...This native may be Euonymus atropurpureus rather than E. americanus.  Stay tuned for further updates!