My new perennial border located across from my vegetable garden and chicken coops is thriving here at my Bedford, New York farm.
Last year, I decided to expand my hydrangea bed to include a variety of different perennials. You may have seen a segment on this garden transformation in season 1 of my show, "Martha Knows Best." The area had long been home to beautiful and colorful hydrangeas including a collection of mature mopheads transplanted from my Lily Pond home in East Hampton. Now, it is also filled with lots of other wonderful plantings, such as irises, ligularia, phlox, Aruncus, Euonymus, catnip, and more.
Enjoy these photos.
Back in June of last year, I decided I wanted to expand this border, so we cut out the sod and tilled the earth in preparation for planting.
And then we planted a selection of perennials I knew would do well in this location with sunny mornings and shady afternoons.
This space was already planted with hydrangeas. I love hydrangeas and have been collecting them for quite a long time. Hydrangeas are popular ornamental plants, grown for their large flower heads, which are excellent in cut arrangements and for drying.
Here is a beautiful large white hydrangea flower head. Hydrangea is a genus of at least 70-species of flowering plants native to southern and eastern Asia and the Americas. By far the greatest species diversity is in eastern Asia, notably China, Japan, and Korea.
Hydrangeas are long-lived, and extremely vigorous specimens that offer lavish and varied blooms. The most common garden hydrangea shrub is the bigleaf mophead variety, Hydrangea macrophylla. The name hydrangea originates from two Greek words – “hydro” meaning “water” and “angeion” meaning “vessel” or “container.” Together, the rough translation is “water vessel” which refers to their exceptional thirst for water.
The secret to the hydrangea’s color is in the soil, or more specifically, the soil’s pH level. Adjusting the measure of acidity or alkalinity in the soil can influence the color of the hydrangea blossoms. Acidic soils tend to deepen blue shades, while alkaline environments tend to brighten pinks.
In addition to the mopheads, there are also hydrangeas that bloom in lovely lacecaps.
The lacecap is very similar to the mophead, but instead of growing round clusters of showy blossoms, this hydrangea grows flowers that resemble flat caps with frilly edges.
Everything looks great this season. This plant is called ligularia. Ligularia is a genus of Old World herbaceous perennial plants in the groundsel tribe within the sunflower family. They have yellow or orange composite flower heads with brown or yellow central disc florets, and are native to damp habitats mostly in central and eastern Asia, with a few species from Europe.
I love the foliage of ligularia with its glossy, deep green leaves. The foliage can be quite large and round to heart shape to thin and deeply serrated.
Another plant with large, deep green leaves is Astilboides. It is valued by gardeners more for its unique foliage and architectural interest than for its flowers.
These are the small young leaves of lupines. The foliage resembles palm leaves with seven to 10 leaflet segments each. Lupinus, commonly known as lupin, lupine, or regionally as bluebonnet etc., is a genus of flowering plants in the legume family Fabaceae. The genus includes more than 199 species, with centers of diversity in North and South America. Smaller centers occur in North Africa and the Mediterranean. We grow many lupines from seed in my greenhouse every year.
Phlox is a genus of 67 species of perennial and annual plants in the family Polemoniaceae. They are found mostly in North America in diverse habitats from alpine tundra to open woodland and prairie. Some flower in spring, others bloom in summer and fall. The colors range from dark pink to blue, violet, bright red, or white.
Do you know what these are? These are the seed pods of Baptisia – the flowering herbaceous perennial plant with pea-like flowers, followed by inflated pods. Baptisia is native to the woodlands and grasslands of eastern and southern North America.
Euonymus is a genus of woody flowering plants, mostly native to eastern Asia and portions of Europe. It is a broadleaf evergreen shrub that can also serve as a climber or spreading ground cover. This variegated variety has attractive dark green foliage edged in creamy white.
Remember the showy white flowers of the viburnum? In summer they show off attractive fruits. These masses of bright-red berries often persist through winter.
Here is a closer look at the berries. While the fruits of some varieties are edible, others can be mildly toxic.
Iris is a genus of 260–300 species of flowering plants with showy flowers. It takes its name from the Greek word for a rainbow, which is also the name for the Greek goddess of the rainbow, Iris. Irises come in just about every flower color, both solids, and bi-colors.
Here’s another beautiful iris in bright pink.
Catnip is a member of the mint family. I grow catnip in a few different areas around the farm. It is an aggressive herb, so it spreads very quickly. Cats love the smell of the essential oil in the plants’ stems and leaves. I dry a big batch of catnip every year for my dear kitties.
Aruncus dioicus, known as goat’s beard, buck’s-beard or bride’s feathers, is a flowering herbaceous perennial plant in the family Rosaceae, and is the type species of the genus Aruncus. It has alternate, pinnately compound leaves, on thin, stiff stems, with plumes of feathery white or cream flowers borne in summer.
I also have Cotinus planted here – those beautiful smoke bushes from the family Anacardiaceae, closely related to the sumacs. I shared many photos of my smoke bushes in yesterday’s blog.
And this is jewelweed – a widespread and common plant that occurs in moist, semi-shady areas throughout northern and eastern North America. It often forms dense, pure stands in floodplain forests and around the forested edges of marshes and bogs. It has showy orange flowers and the juice from the stem before flowering can be used topically to treat poison ivy rash.
I am so pleased with how well this garden is doing – I am sure it will look even more beautiful as the years progress. What is blooming in your garden this week? Share your comments with me below.
Smoke bushes, Cotinus, are among my favorite of small trees - they have superlative color, appealing form, and look excellent in the gardens.
I always try to incorporate unique and interesting plantings into all my gardens. I have many smoke bushes around my Bedford, New York farm - in the sunken garden behind my Summer House, around my pool, in the beds outside my Tenant House, where my daughter and grandchildren stay when they visit, and near the front entrance to the property, where family and friends can see their beauty right away.
All the smoke bushes are looking so gorgeous and lush - enjoy these photos.
Cotinus, also known as smoke bush and smoke tree, is a genus of two species of flowering plants in the family Anacardiaceae, closely related to the sumacs. This one is a royal purple smoke bush with its stunning dark red-purple foliage that turns scarlet in autumn and has plume-like seed clusters, which appear after the flowers and give a long-lasting, smoky haze to the branch tips.
If you visited my blog yesterday, you saw these growing young smoke bushes along the allee in my lower hayfield. Smoke bushes look great in the landscape and are a pretty choice for massing or for hedges.
Here is a wider view – this allee will look so stunning when the London Planes and smoke bushes are mature.
I also have Cotinus coggygria ‘Royal Purple’ growing along the outside of my pool fence. These are mixed in with a collection of Physocarpus opulifolius ‘Diabolo.’ Physocarpus, commonly called ninebark, is a genus of flowering plants in the family Rosaceae, native to North America and northeastern Asia.
The leaves of the smoke bush are about one-and-a-half to three inches long and ovate, or oval like, in shape.
Here, these leaves have turned a beautiful purple-red color.
The name “smoke bush” derives from the billowy hairs attached to the flower clusters which remain in place through the summer, turning a smoky pink to purplish-pink as the weeks progress.
These smoke bushes are on one side of my Summer House garden terrace. Some varieties have more purple red shades while others come in lime green to gold.
This one in the back of the Summer House garden is showing off brilliant light colored plumes.
Smoke bushes should be planted in full sun, but they do well in almost any soil type and most any pH level. The ideal circumstance is slightly sandy loam, but they can thrive in rocky soils. The important thing is to plant them where the soil drains well. This smoke bush is planted in the garden outside my Tenant House. This garden is actually called the Stewartia garden, where I also have many Stewartia trees – not surprising, of course, since my name is “Stewart.”
In colder climates, where winter winds can damage the plants, it’s also a good idea to plant smoke bushes where they can be protected. When grouping plants, they should also be well spaced to give them enough room to grow.
When planting, always dig a hole twice the size of the root ball to give the roots plenty of space to expand. And keep the plant from drying out, especially during its first growing season. Remember, it must be properly established before it can begin exhibiting its drought-tolerant abilities.
Here is a grouping of smoke bushes growing outside my main greenhouse – they are so lush. The spectacular foliage emerges lime green and stands out so beautifully above the hostas.
Nearby are the smoky plumes of green and pink varieties.
The only mandatory pruning is to remove dead or damaged wood, but the shrubs will also tolerate hard pruning to shape them or rejuvenate them if needed.
These fine, feathery, flower plumes remain attractive for many weeks from now to fall.
This Cotinus has an upright habit when young and spreading wider with age. The flowers are deep-pink, feathery, and beaded.
Here is a closer look at one of its light, delicate plumes. I hope this inspires you to plant a smoke bush in your garden – it is easy to care for and provides so much natural beauty in return.
Here at my Bedford, New York farm, I have many allées of trees - they look so beautiful and dramatic along the carriage roads, between the horse paddocks, and beside the antique fencing. One of my newer allées is planted along the lower hayfield road toward my woodlands - and it's developing excellently.
In landscaping, an allée, or an avenue, is traditionally a straight path or road with a line of trees or large shrubs running along each side. In most cases, the trees planted are the same species or cultivar, so as to give a uniform appearance along the full length of the allée. To create this particular allée through the field, we started with a selection of London plane trees in the fall of 2019. We also planted about 100 royal purple smoke bushes, Cotinus coggygria. And this year, we added crepe myrtle, Lagerstroemia - deciduous, small to medium sized shrubs known for their colorful and long-lasting summertime flowers.
Here are some photos, enjoy.
At first, this area through the hayfield was just an open and very plain space, where I grew hay for my horses. I thought it was a perfect stretch of landscape for a long allee. Designing any garden takes plenty of planning, time and patience. Here, the area chosen was mowed and measured. The twine indicates the edge of the planting bed.
The large field is bordered on one side by a grove of weeping willow trees, Salix – graceful, refined, and easily recognized by its open crown of ground-sweeping branches. Willows grow especially well near water, and reach 30 to 40 feet tall.
I wanted the allee to extend the entire portion of the road that cuts through the lower hayfield. This would require a large number of stately trees. My outdoor grounds crew removed the sod from the area. All my carriage roads are 12-feet wide. I wanted to be sure the new allee lined the edge of the road, but also had enough room for the trees to grow.
I chose to plant two rows of London plane trees – 46-trees in all. When selecting a location, always consider the tree’s growth pattern, space needs, and appearance. London planes are easy to transplant. They can also develop massive trunks with spreading crowns, so they need lots of space.
The London plane tree, Platanus × acerifolia, is a deciduous tree. It is a cross between two sycamore species: Platanus occidentalis, the American sycamore, and Platanus orientalis, the Oriental plane. This very large tree with maple-like leaves grows to roughly 75 to 100 feet with a spread of 60 to 75 feet. London planes grow in almost any soil – acidic or alkaline, loamy, sandy or clay. They accept wet or dry soil and grow best in full sun, but they also thrive in partial shade.
In between the trees, I chose to plant Cotinus, also known as smoke bush or smoke tree – a genus of two species of flowering plants in the family Anacardiaceae, closely related to the sumacs. They are a great choice for massing or for hedges. There are two potted smoke bushes between each London plane. These specimens were all purchased as small whips – slender, unbranched shoots or plants. I like to nurture them for a year or two in pots before placing them in the ground – this way they are planted as bigger, stronger specimens.
Smoke bushes have stunning dark red-purple foliage that turns scarlet in autumn and has plume-like seed clusters, which appear after the flowers and give a long-lasting, smoky haze to the branch tips.
Hard to see here, but the small smoke bush seedlings are all planted – this photo was taken in October 2019.
One year later in September of 2020, both the Cotinus and the London planes are established and growing beautifully.
But this year, the growth is very noticeable – colors of the specimens look amazing together.
To add more texture to this developing allee, I decided to plant hundreds of crepe myrtle along both sides. Lagerstroemia, commonly known as crape myrtle, is a genus of around 50 species of deciduous and evergreen trees and shrubs native to the Indian subcontinent, southeast Asia, northern Australia, and other parts of Oceania, cultivated in warmer climates around the world. Crepe myrtle has dark green leaves, with a red fringe upon opening. In the fall the leaves turn red, yellow, or orange. The leaf shape is oval and pinnate.
Brian and Phurba planted the crepe myrtle evenly between each of the trees along the allee. The crepe myrtle came to us in plugs. Plugs in horticulture are small-sized seedlings grown in seed trays filled with potting soil.
This is a dibber. A dibber or dibble or dibbler is a pointed wooden stick for making holes in the ground so that seeds, seedlings or small bulbs can be planted. Dibbers come in a variety of designs including the straight dibber, this T-handled dibber, trowel dibber, and L-shaped dibber.
Because the plugs are small, Brian uses a dibber instead of a trowel to make the holes.
The four to six inch deep holes are perfect for the crepe myrtle seedlings.
Brian plants the seedling, backfills with soil, and tamps down lightly for good contact. He places the plant at the same depth it was in its pot. Never bury a plant deeper than its crown, or where the roots and stems meet – buried crowns will suffocate the plants.
These crepe myrtles will grow nicely in this area and fill in the voids perfectly.
Here is one of the growing smoke bushes. Smoke bushes are among my favorite small trees. These can grow to a moderate size – up to 15-feet tall and 10-feet wide. I also love its upright, multi-stemmed habit. I grow many smoke bushes at the farm – I will share more photos of these gorgeous shrubs in my next blog.
The leaves of these smoke bushes are waxy purple and are one and a half to three inches long, and ovate in shape.
And some of them are showing off their stunning plumes right now. The flower plumes are purple-pink, tipped with creamy yellow at their peak.
Under optimal conditions, smoke bushes can add about 13 to 24 inches to its height each year. I am so pleased with how well they are growing here at the farm.
And here is a wide photo of the allee now – it will look more beautiful year after year. I am excited to see it continue to develop and flourish.
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