Moxie Gardener

Ginkgo flowers fading at midsummer.

Ginkgo trees are living fossils that are not related to any living plant. Fossil records of related species end after the Pliocene era everywhere except a small area of central China.

The ginkgo tree lives for hundreds, sometimes thousands of years. There are specimens growing near monasteries in China that are believed to be 1,500 years old. Other specimens in China are known to be over 3,000 years old.

Four ginkgo biloba trees survived the nuclear bomb at Hiroshima and are alive in that city today.

They are one of the toughest, most resilient trees alive today and are widely planted in urban areas throughout North America. Few pests or diseases bother them and they can grow to over a hundred feet tall.

Their only downside is a foetid smell associated with their seed pods, which can smell like rancid butter or even feces.

The ginkgo tree is dioecious, which means it produces both male and female plants. Because the females produce the smelly seed pods, cuttings from male trees are grafted to seedlings and are planted more often than females. They still flower, but do not produce seeds.

The ginkgo tree turns bright yellow in autumn. They have an unusual quality in that their leaves turn yellow and fall off within a short 10 to 15 day period.

Ginkgo trees grow in full sun to part shade and will grow well in virtually any type of soil, as long as it is adequately drained. Their columnar shape and upright growth habit make them a natural as shade trees planted along city streets in USDA Zones 3 to 8.

They bloom in late June here in Zone 4 and their blooms last only a few days. The picture above was taken at midsummer, just when the flowers were starting to fade.

Honeysuckle is a prolific vine whose flowers contain sweet nectar.

Honeysuckle vines, belonging to the Lonicera species, are easy to grow, heat-tolerant, vigorous and nearly indestructible. They are commonly used to climb up a trellis, fence, or other framework. Less well known is their use as a ground cover for erosion control.

Said to protect your garden from evil, honeysuckle is known as the “love bind” because it symbolizes a lover’s embrace with its clinging growth habit.

They prefer full sun, but will tolerate partial shade. They are drought-resistant once established and only need supplemental fertilizer in early spring and again at midsummer.

Plant honeysuckle in early spring, when all danger of frost has passed. Prepare the planting area by adding peat moss and compost. Dig the soil to a depth of about 6 to 8 inches. Mulch well after planting. Honeysuckle like their leaves in the sun and their roots in the cool shade.

Prune for shape after they finish blooming but only prune lightly until the vines are in their third growing season.

Aphids love honeysuckle and you’ll need to be vigilant in washing them off with a strong spray from your hose.

Notorious for its sweet scent, honeysuckle vines attract both bees and hummingbirds, who feast on the nectar deep within their elongated blossoms.

Honeysuckle will climb up anything with just a little help from you. Get the vines started climbing by loosely tying them to their supporting structure. They will soon grow and fill it in so much that the supporting structure will virtually disappear.

Folklore tells us that if you bring honeysuckle into your house there will soon be a wedding.  And if you sleep with a sprig of it under your pillow, you will dream sweet dreams.

Of your impending nuptials, no doubt.

A clump of Asiatic lilies blooming at midsummer.

Lilies come in several different varieties with blooming times from midsummer through early fall. Plant some of each variety for a continuous supply of blooms throughout the growing season.

Although you can plant lily bulbs in spring, fall is the best time for planting as it gives them time to develop a strong root system before breaking into vegetative growth the following spring. Potted lilies in active growth can be planted in your garden at any time during the growing season.

Lilies are grown from bulbs with fleshy overlapping scales with no protective covering. Plant them soon after purchasing and don’t allow them to dry out.

Plant them in well drained soil in a site where water does not stand after rainfall. Dig down 12 inches and remove rocks. Add peat moss and compost to improve the soil and help with drainage. Add a little bone meal to the bottom of the hole according to the manufacturer’s recommended quantities and scratch it in with your garden claw.

A pleasing way to display lilies in the perennial garden is to plant them in groups of three or five bulbs, spacing the individual bulbs 8 to 12 inches apart. Space the groupings 3 to 5 feet apart. Small bulbs should be planted 2 to 4 inches deep and larger ones 4 to 6 inches deep, as measured from the top of the bulb up to the surface.

Spread an organic mulch like cocoa hulls over the bed. Just before the ground freezes for the winter, add a layer of protective mulch of evergreen boughs, hay, or fallen leaves.

Asiatic lilies start the lily season when they bloom around midsummer. The picture above is of Asiatic lilies blooming right now in Zone 4. Most types have flowers that face upward and have few markings on the petals. Hardy in Zones 4 to 9.

Trumpet lilies begin blooming at midsummer. They are named for their trumpet-shaped flowers and are hardy in Zones 5 to 9.

Tiger lilies bloom from midsummer on. They have freckled, pendulous blooms with petals that curve back on themselves. They multiply prolifically and will form large clumps in a few years. Each stem produces many flowers in warm colors from golden yellow, to orange, to red. Hardy in Zones 3 to 9.

Rubrum lilies bloom in late summer to early fall. They resemble Tiger lilies but come in cool colors from white to deep pink. Their blooms are sweetly fragrant. Hardy in Zones 4 to 9.

Oriental lilies start blooming in late July with some varieties not coming into bloom until late August or September. They are intensely fragrant with flowers that are up to 10 inches across. Hardy in Zones 4 to 9.

Orienpet lilies are a cross between an Oriental and a Trumpet lily. They bloom from mid to late July into mid August and can reach eight feet high. Flowers come in both warm and cool shades, with some varieties extremely fragrant. They prefer dappled sunlight or morning sun with afternoon shade. Hardy in Zones 4 to 9.

Plant a variety of lilies so you have a continuous supply of blooms from midsummer through fall.

The sweet fragrance of datura flowers can envelope your whole yard on a calm evening.

Members of the genus Datura are half-hardy perennials that are usually grown as annuals. Their flowers appear in mid to late summer and continue until frost.

Many varieties are native to the Americas, with a few varieties native to Europe and Asia.

All parts of the plant contain psychotropic chemicals that can be deadly if used improperly. It has a long history of use in witches’ brews and love potions, as well as causing delirium and death.

Remains of datura used in a ritual context have been found in archaeological sites in southern Texas dating to 2000 BC. Petroglyphs in the region dating from 2200 to 950 BC depict shamans holding datura “staffs.”

The varieties of datura native to Eurasia have been used in shamanic practice for centuries and appear in Chinese and Sanskrit herbals.

Some common names of Datura are Thorn Apple, Jimson Weed, Hell’s Bells, Devil’s Weed and Apple-Peru, among others. The word “datura” comes from the Hindi dhatura (thorn apple).

Datura are easy to grow from seed. Many varieties re-seed themselves prolifically and can become invasive if the seed pods are not removed

While they are prolific re-seeders in the garden and in the wild, starting datura seeds indoors usually has mixed results. Start seeds indoors about 8 to 10 weeks before frost free weather in your area.

Provide bottom heat to hasten germination and increase your chances of success. Some claim that soaking the seeds prior to planting helps increase germination rates. Others claim chilling in the refrigerator for six weeks and then scarifying the seed with an emery board increases germination rates. The seeds can take 3 to 6 weeks or more to germinate, so be patient.

Plant transplants in the garden after all danger of frost has past. Datura like dry, sandy, well drained soils in full sun and will not grow in wet, heavy soils. They will grow in partial shade, but the plants will be much smaller and produce fewer flowers.

Space the plants 6 to 8 inches apart and water regularly until they are established. In areas with mild winters, datura will die down to its roots in winter and re-grow in spring.

It has been said that when you sleep in the presence of datura flowers you have intense nightmares caused by the psychotropic properties of their scent.

No wonder they’ve been associated with magic for thousands of years.

Snapdragons are a popular flower for the cutting garden.

Snapdragons were thought to have supernatural powers in ancient times. They were also thought to offer protection from witchcraft and to restore beauty and youthfulness to women.

I wonder if there’s a connection.

Snapdragons are native to the Mediterranean region and are found growing today in Roman ruins in southern France, Malta and Italy.

Antirrhinum majus is their Latin name. It comes from the Greek “anti,” which means “like” and “rhin,” which means nose, obviously referring to the snout-like flowers.

Start snapdragons from seed 6 to 8 weeks before your average last frost. Sprinkle seeds on the surface of a seed starting medium like vermiculite. Do not cover, but lightly press the seeds into the medium.

Water from below by setting pots into a larger container that has a few inches of water in it. When the surface of the seed starting medium looks damp, remove the pots from the water and allow them to drain.

Seeds can take as long as three weeks to germinate. Using bottom heat in the form of a heated seed starting mat greatly increases the germination rate and your chances of success in starting snapdragons from seed.

Snapdragons are one of the most popular bedding plants for sale at garden centers in spring. Plant your own or purchased transplants outdoors in late spring, around the time of your last frost.  Space the plants about eight inches apart. Pinch back to encourage them to branch out, and they will produce more blooms.

Snapdragons love the cool  temperatures of spring, during which they produce many long-lasting flowers. Once daytime highs are consistently above 80 degrees, flower production falls off. Cut the plants back to about six inches high, water well throughout summer, and they will begin blooming again in the cool weather of fall.

Cut off faded blossoms to encourage the plant to produce more flowers. They will continue to produce until killed by a hard frost.

For use in bouquets, cut snapdragons when the flower buds are fully formed and the first blossoms at the base are open. The remaining buds on the stem will open one at a time.

Snapdragons come in all colors except blue and green. They last a long time as a cut flower and have a sweet, subtle scent that is never overpowering.

And they look good in mixed bouquets.

Black eyed Susans are a garden staple that blooms all summer.

Black eyed Susans are an American wildflower that is native to the western prairies. They are one of the first plants to start growing on land that has been cleared.

Rudbeckia hirta is the Latin name for them, although they are often confused with other varieties.

One thing that makes them different from most other wild flowers is that they have no scent. There is also very little history or folklore associated with black eyed Susans, most likely because there is no known medicinal use for them.

Black eyed Susans grow best in full sun, but they do not need super fertile soil to grow well. If the soil is too rich flower production will suffer.

You can start black eyed Susans from seed either indoors or by direct seeding in the garden. Plant seeds outdoors in early spring as soon as the temperatures are reliably above 60 degrees. When seedlings are about three inches high, thin so they stand about 1 1/2 feet apart. They will bloom the first year if started early enough.

They’re also available in spring as bedding plants. Remove any blooms on the transplants. This will encourage the plants to grow strong root systems and will reward you with more blooms later in the summer.

Space them about 1 1/2 feet apart and water until they get established. Once they are actively growing in your garden, black eyed Susans grow quite well without additional watering.

Divide them about every four or five years, or when you notice the flowers are getting smaller. Deadheading, or removing the spent flowers, will increase both the number of blooms and the blooming season.

Black eyed Susans are a low maintenance perennial that withstands drought and neglect easily.