tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-56874549307818596442024-02-06T22:48:03.436-06:00Powell Gardens' BlogWhat's happening in and around Kansas City's botanical gardenKansas City's botanical gardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01699299098359342195noreply@blogger.comBlogger250125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5687454930781859644.post-89447522234168478752013-01-04T15:13:00.000-06:002013-01-04T15:13:03.085-06:00Our League of Ivies<strong>Ivy</strong> is more than just "Any of a genus of climbing or trailing plants having lobed or evergreen leaves." This usually means the ubiquitous English Ivy (<em>Hedera helix</em>) which is grown indoors as an ironclad house plant or outdoors mainly as a groundcover. English Ivy is a native to Europe, North Africa and Western Asia. Besides English Ivy, there are actually two other hardy species of vines known as ivies that are common in Greater Kansas City.<br />
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Here is a picture of Powell Gardens' Visitor Center terrace walls cloaked in English Ivy cultivars. These plants survived from a past seasonal display and look nice as a backdrop to the bed outside Perennial Gifts. They are the cute juvenile form of English Ivy often used as house plants too. Recent mild winters have allowed them to thrive, including a more tender variegated variety. We have had to reduce their size by two-thirds this season.<br />
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This is another image of English Ivy! Here it is engulfing a street tree in Kansas City. It has morphed into the <strong>adult form of English Ivy</strong> with larger leaves and actually blooms.<br />
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Here is a closeup of the adult <strong>English Ivy</strong> showing the clusters (umbels) of fall's spent flowers which will develop into quarter inch black fruits in spring. Well, we hope not! The flowers bloom late in fall and are nectar rich for the last of the season's butterflies and bees. Usually an arctic cold snap freezes them off in our climate. Recently they have been successfully flowering and with MILD winters they are even setting fruit. The fruits ripen in spring and birds pass them far and wide and if this continues, English Ivy may need to be added to the invasive species list for our region.<br />
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Here's another "Ivy" commonly planted in our region: it's the <strong>Boston Ivy</strong> (<em>Parthenocissus tricuspidata</em>). This picture was taken on a wall in Kansas City. Boston Ivy is not native to Boston but comes from Central China to Japan. It is the ivy of Harvard and Wrigley Field! It is a close relative to our beautiful native Virginia Creeper (<em>P. quinquefolia</em>). Go to England -- say Oxford and you will find our native Virginia Creeper! Why do we always want the exotic?<br />
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Boston Ivy produces abundant<strong> blue berries</strong> in the fall just like our native Virginia Creeper (photo from Kansas City). Birds like these just the same as our native Virginia Creeper's fruit. I was never alarmed by this until our Horticulturist Matt Bunch alerted me of all the seedlings he had to remove while he was managing the Discovery Center landscape. Matt also pulls many seedlings from his urban home landscape. <br />
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Here's a picture of <strong>Boston Ivy</strong> growing wild on a native Cottonwood tree. For this reason Powell Gardens made the decision several years ago to remove its few Boston Ivy plants as we have seen they have proven invasive plant potential in our region. Grow Native! Choose Virginia Creeper instead which has far more colorful autumn color and is host to a wealth of great insects including several spectacular sphinx moths.<br />
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This plant with gorgeous fall color is the final and only native "ivy" of our region: <strong>Poison-IVY</strong> (<em>Toxicodendron radicans</em>). This plant may make readers shudder. I used to be quite immune to its toxic oil urushiol that causes contact dermatitis but sometimes I think I can get it just by looking at it (which is not true -- it must come in contact with your skin). I know Poison-Ivy is a native plant with beautiful fall color. We remove this plant from Powell Gardens wherever it could pose a hazard to Visitors. We let it be in the wilds of the site because it really is beautiful in the fall and....<br />
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The best thing about Poison-ivy are these <strong>whitish berries</strong> (photo taken today). The fruit are one of the best things about this plant because they are a favorite winter food for many, many species of birds from our state bird the Eastern Bluebird to Yellow-rumped Warblers and Ruby-crowned Kinglets. I have seen everything from huge Pileated Woodpeckers to Dark-eyed Juncos feeding on them. Yes, all those birds spread poison-ivy far and wide but it is part of our natural ecosystem with a plethora of wild creatures from moths to birds and deer feasting on its bounty. As a bird lover, I keep the vine in my woods but do pull all the bird planted seedlings in my garden beds. I simply use a plastic bag over my hand and dump them in the compost. <br />
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So that's our league of ivy and a good reason to learn botanical names rather than common names. All three plants bare the same common name but are completely unrelated. Poison-Ivy is in the Cashew Family (<em>Anacardiaceae</em>) related to cashews, sumac, smoketrees and mangoes. English Ivy is in the Aralia Family (<em>Araliaceae) </em>related to Sarsaparilla, Ginseng and Devil's Walking Stick. Boston Ivy in the Grape Family (<em>Vitaceae</em>). with Virginia Creeper and the world's grapes as relatives.<br />
Kansas City's botanical gardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01699299098359342195noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5687454930781859644.post-39332782026305941582012-12-13T14:48:00.000-06:002012-12-13T14:48:26.830-06:00Hollywood at Powell GardensDeck the Halls with Boughs of Holly may be a popular song of the holidays but Powell Gardens is sure decked out in dazzling hollies right now. From the entrance at the Gatehouse to the Visitor Center landscape, Dogwood Walk, Island Garden, Rock & Waterfall Garden and Perennial Garden there are berry-filled hollies ablaze with color now. We tend to think of hollies as evergreen but there are both deciduous and evergreen varieties to celebrate the season with.<br />
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Here is the line of seedling <strong>Possumhaws or Deciduous Holly</strong> (<em>Ilex decidua</em>) along the entrance road by the gatehouse (you can see the road and gatehouse in the background). We grew these from wild collected seed and the girl plants are filled with fruit from orange-red to red. The bare trees are male but needed for pollination. Possumhaw hollies have tiny flowers in mid spring rich in nectar and make a fine honey.<br />
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I cannot get enough of the dazzling berries on leafless Possumhaws at this season. They last and last, far longer than color on a blooming tree. The birds are starting to feed on these fruit and will be sustained by this larder well into and sometimes through winter. The berries stay bright red until severe cold (below zero F) can discolor them. Possumhaws are also one of the few small trees that weathered last summer just fine without extra water! A mature possumhaw is 20 feet tall and wider than tall.<br />
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Here is an image of our <strong>American Holly</strong> (<em>Ilex opaca</em>) on the terraces out the north side of the Visitor Center. THIS is the plant people think of as<strong> holly</strong> in America. American Holly is native to the southeastern corner of Missouri along Crowley's Ridge and I have seen the wild trees there. True American Hollies are otherwise confined to older neighborhoods around Kansas City where some spectacular trees occur as tall as 50 feet! This species is no longer found in area nurseries so rarely seen in new landscapes as it also is NOT a tree for instant gratification. It can suffer in disturbed or low pH soils and grows slowly but has iron strong wood.<br />
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This is a full view of the American Holly tree on the north terraces of the Visitor Center. American Hollies grow into a strongly pyramidal evergreen tree. This one was simply loaded with red holly berries though the robins have dented the fruit set now. It is in a raised bed with good drainage. The foliage of American holly is highly deer resistant, but has sharp spines making gardening beneath them without gloves a painful ordeal.<br />
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Around the Visitor Center we also have some evergreen hollies that are shrubs. This is the <strong>'China Girl' Holly</strong> which is a hybrid between the heat-loving Chinese Holly (<em>Ilex cornuta</em>) and a very hardy northern Japanese Holly (<em>Ilex rugosa</em>). We have it on the "hot" south side of the terraces as it is very heat tolerant from its Chinese parent. The China Hollies ('China Boy' is the pollinator) have decidedly yellow-green leaves but they are very heat and drought tolerant.<br />
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Off the shaded, north terraces of the Visitor Center we grow some of the<strong> "Blue" or Meserve Hollies</strong> (<em>Ilex</em> x <em>meservae</em>) which have rich dark foliage with almost a bluish overtone. This is 'Blue Maid' Holly but we also have 'Blue Princess' and 'Blue Stallion' as pollinator. They have gorgeous foliage but they are hybrids between the unhardy English Holly and the hardy, northern Japanese holly (<em>Ilex rugosa</em>). They are much more sensitive to heat and drought in our local gardens but they do have beautiful foliage! Unfortunately, all these shrub hollies are a favorite winter fodder for deer and are stripped leafless unless protected by sprays or netting.<br />
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Along the Dogwood Walk from the Visitor Center to the Island Garden you will see <strong>Winterberry Hollies</strong> (<em>Ilex verticillata</em>) which is a shrub also native to Missouri. It is found in east central Missouri but has a range that stretches from Minnesota to Texas and eastward to the Atlantic coast. Many selections have been made for beautiful berry production and<strong> 'Scarlet O'Hara'</strong> is the one in the center of the picture above with <strong>'Winter Red'</strong> on either side of it. They all have the beautiful red berries but must have a pollinator -- in this case 'Southern Gentleman.' These shrubs do become quite large over time and really count on at least 6 feet but I have seen them even bigger! You can train them into little trees (like our Horticulturist Duane Hoover has done at the entrance to the Kauffman Memorial Garden) but they will never get as big as a possumhaw.<br />
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For a more compact Winterberry Holly, try this one:<strong> 'Red Sprite'</strong> which usually stays lower than 4 feet like our plants shown here in front of the Gatehouse. It needs 'Jim Dandy' as a pollinator. New in 2013 is a new compact Winterberry: Berry Poppins(TM) which stays very compact 3-4 feet. We will have that new cultivar at the spring plant sale.<br />
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<strong>'Winter Gold' Winterberry</strong> has salmon-orange berries that are just starting to discolor. I love the color of this one just after the leaves drop when it is much more salmon-gold. Our plant is on the back side of the Rock & Waterfall. This cultivar was discovered as a sport branch of 'Winter Red' and was propagated from that. More than half of our plant has reverted back to 'Winter Red'! It was a cool plant just a week ago with red and orange berries but the birds have devoured all the red berries and left that part bare. I do not know why birds prefer the red-berried hollies to the yellow and orange-fruited varieties. <br />
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Here's the <strong>Possumhaw Holly</strong> in the Perennial Garden today with a view of the Chapel beyond. The clouds made for a gray sky and the garden is dormant but the holly is dazzling! Why oh why are these trees not more popular? It IS because gardeners tend to shop in the spring and these hollies have tiny flowers with no impulse purchase appeal. They are beautiful in fall when few people are buying plants though that is a better time of year to be planting! This particular tree was donated to us by the late local plantsman Andy Klapis. We went and dug it from his backyard in Raytown. I can still hear his wonderful laugh every time I see this plant.<br />
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Here's a closeup of the Andy Klapis Possumhaw in the previous image. It is just such a vibrant red! I cannot imagine a winter garden without these beautiful hollies. The hot red color is just such a feast for the eye in this season of browns and grays. The birds they attract add to the beauty and drama of the scene, entertaining one for months. Our most beautiful possumhaw is in our trial nursery areas and it has vivid red, LARGE berries that last a long time, unscathed by below zero temperatures.<br />
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The last image is a closeup of the<strong> 'Sparkleberry' Winterberry</strong> in the Perennial Garden. This cultivar is actually a hybrid between native Winterberry and its Japanese counterpart (<em>Ilex serrata</em>). This group of shrubs has been so stunning in the Perennial Garden but the birds have really been feasting on it now so it is not as heavy fruited as it was earlier -- this image from today is on the back side of the mass of shrubs. Mockingbirds, robins, bluebirds, and waxwings are the main species of birds attracted to holly fruits. Annoying European Starlings hate holly berries -- another reason to plant them to attract our native birds! Enjoy these wonderful images and come out and see them for yourself while they last. The gardens sure are a good place to watch winter birds and we have a Feeder Watch area set up in the Visitor Center right now. Most of all, put hollies on your garden wish list to plant next year and you too can deck your garden with these beautiful plants so in spirit with the season.<br />
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Kansas City's botanical gardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01699299098359342195noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5687454930781859644.post-12477451811255993722012-12-06T16:07:00.001-06:002012-12-06T16:07:46.005-06:00Ornamental Attributes of the Winter LandscapeThe winter landscape is upon us. Just two more weeks until the winter solstice and the official beginning of winter but meteorological speaking, winter begins with December. The mild weather so far this season has made foliage and fruit hold well and many of our earliest blooming plants already start to flower!<br />
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I like this image of the entrance to the Island Garden now. The light levels are low but there is a rich amount of foliage, fruit and other interest to the scene. It has also been mild enough to want to sit on the bench and enjoy the scene. The small trees on either side of the bench are Tea Crabapples (<em>Malus hupehensis</em>) loaded with fruit, there are other shrubs with persistent foliage and many perennials and groundcovers with evergreen foliage to help add interest to the scene.<br />
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Bright berries add the most color to the gardens now. What could be more warm and invigorating than the brilliant berries of hollies now? These are some of the <strong>Winterberry Hollies</strong> (<em>Ilex verticillata</em>) along the Dogwood Walk.<br />
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These beautiful fruit at the opposite, cool end of the color scale are also lovely now: it's a <strong>Rusty Blackhaw </strong>(<em>Viburnum rufidulum</em>) on the north side of the Rock & Waterfall Garden.<br />
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I had to show a yellow-berry to contrast again how the warmer colors are much more vivid in this season. This is a<strong> 'Finch's Gold' Possumhaw Holly</strong> (<em>Ilex decidua</em>) between the Rock & Waterfall and Perennial Gardens. Yellow sure glows at this season.<br />
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With the deciduous trees now bare, their bark becomes center stage in the winter landscape. I love the exfoliating and shaggy nature of the <strong>'China Snow' Peking Lilac</strong> (<em>Syringa pekinensis</em>) in the Perennial Garden now. Behind the tree you can see the wonderful winter nature of a maiden grass (<em>Miscanthus</em>).<br />
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The gardens grasses literally shine right now but only when back lit. The sun illuminates the seed heads of many of our grasses:<strong> Indiangrass</strong> (<em>Sorghastrum nutans</em>) in this image along the walkway next to the Chapel.<br />
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The Island Garden's<strong> living wall</strong> has some of the best foliage now. Here's Silver Frost Lavender, Partridge Feather and Winter Savory all decked out for this season.<br />
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This has to be one of our more unique fall foliage -- it's the almost blue fall color of <strong>Sichuan Deutzia</strong> (<em>Deutzia setchuenensis</em>) with contrasting evergreen foliage of Encore(R) Azaleas. This scene is along the south path into the Rock and Waterfall Garden.<br />
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Again, warmer foliage colors now are much more dramatic like this mass of <strong>Wild Strawberries</strong> (<em>Fragaria virginiana</em>) in the Peach Court of the Heartland Harvest Garden. Wild Strawberries are a very underutilized groundcover and a companion plant to the peach trees. Their foliage is "evergreen" but you can clearly see it turns some rich shades for the winter season.<br />
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Evergreen conifers really are structural elements in the garden now but so often they are not utilized to their fullest potential of contrasting textures and shades of green from blue-green to gold-green! Here's the<strong> tapestry hedge in the Perennial Garden</strong> comprised of three evergreens: Glauca Juniper (<em>Juniperus virginiana</em> 'Glauca' - left), Berkman's Gold Oriental Arborvitae (<em>Platycladus orientalis</em> cultivar in bright green but soon will turn gilded in gold with COLD weather, and an 'Emerald Sentinel' Juniper (<em>Juniperus virginiana</em> cultivar) with darker green foliage and blue "berries."<br />
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The Conifer Garden off the north end of the Visitor Center also depicts a wonderful array of evergreens in various hues, textures and forms. Why do people grow standard blah foundation plants and clip them into shapes when they could choose plants like this? Come check it out for ideas!<br />
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The gardens are in their winter garb but no less beautiful. Consider a visit to get ideas for your own winter landscape or just enjoy the subtle beauty of the gardens in this tranquil time of year.<br />
Kansas City's botanical gardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01699299098359342195noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5687454930781859644.post-21384697465006054212012-11-28T14:18:00.001-06:002012-11-28T14:18:30.353-06:00Powell Gardens' PoinsettiasPoinsettias remain the premier and most popular Christmas and Holiday Season plant we produce in our greenhouses. These beautiful plants are a native of Mexico but have been bred and selected by greenhouse growers into colors beyond the traditional red. They are challenging to produce because they must receive NO extra light as they bloom only in the short days of our winter.<br />
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<strong>Donna Covell</strong> is our Horticulturist in charge of the Poinsettia Crop and this is a picture of her with the poinsettias on October 30th, just as the bracts are beginning to color up nicely. Horticulturist Anne Wildeboor orders the poinsettias in January of each year, they arrive in late summer as small rooted cuttings and are planted and cared for by Donna and the Greenhouse crew. Poinsettias are ready for our displays by late November each year.<br />
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<strong>Freedom Red</strong> is our classic and quite spectacular traditional red poinsettia. Powell Gardens grew 29 varieties this year and here's a sample of some all photographed in our production greenhouses:<br />
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<strong>Poinsettia 'Shimmer Surprise'</strong> is Horticulturist Anne Wildeboor's favorite poinsettia as she is in charge of Powell Gardens' seasonal displays and events. It's her favorite "because it has all of it in there." I must say it is a festive and phenomenal plant.<br />
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Anne also likes<strong> 'Winter Rose Dark Red'</strong> which is also one of Powell Gardens' visitors favorites. The bracts are puckered and compact more like its namesake rose blossom.<br />
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There are now even more selections with the "Winter Rose" look to them! This is<strong> Poinsettia 'Winter Rose Early Marble'</strong> with lovely pink and cream variegated bracts.<br />
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<strong>Poinsettia 'Winter Rose White'</strong> is also a stunner -- seen here in mass in Greenhouse #4.<br />
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And how about this variety called<strong> 'Peppermint Twist'</strong>?<br />
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If you like pink poinsettias then our most spectacular in that hue is this one:<strong> 'Premium Pink Lipstick.'</strong><br />
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Some like it HOT so how about <strong>'Polly's Pink'</strong> which is sure vivid and very difficult to photograph and capture its real hue. Our Polly's Pink Poinsettias were ordered by Duane Hoover, Horticulturist at the Kauffman Memorial Garden so you can see these in person at the Christmas display in the Orangerie there.<br />
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If you are more into subdued or pastel colors then<strong> Poinsettia 'Premium Apricot'</strong> fits the bill.<br />
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<strong>Poinsettia 'Mars Marble'</strong> creates a soft variegation of cream and pink and makes a nice transition between pink and white-bracted poinsettias.<br />
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We grow several white-bracted poinsettias and <strong>'Freedom White'</strong> is probably our most spectacular but doesn't turn pure white until very late.<br />
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<strong>Poinsettia 'Premium White'</strong> has finished coloring up now and you can clearly see the flowers which are the yellow "nubbins" at the center of the beautifully pillowed white leaf bracts.<br />
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Donna and her crew have grown some tremendous <strong>"tree" poinsettias</strong> that are currently <u>for sale on-line through our website</u>. They are<strong> 'Peterstar Red' Poinsettias</strong> that do well grown this way. Actually most of the varieties you have just observed in this blog are <u>available for purchase at our gift shop: <strong>Perennial Gifts</strong></u>. They are not the mass produced varieties of the big box stores.<br />
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'Tis the season for decorating for the Holiday Season and I hope this showcase of almost half the varieties we grow inspires your own home's decor. Almost all varieties can be observed at the Visitor Center's conservatory. Come experience their splendor! Poinsettias are surely one of the most beautiful and spectacular seasonal plants we grow at Powell Gardens.<br />
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Kansas City's botanical gardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01699299098359342195noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5687454930781859644.post-89257575846312018832012-11-15T10:10:00.000-06:002012-11-15T10:10:09.482-06:00Berried Trees Enliven the Late Fall LandscapeJack Frost's cousin Mr. Deep Freeze hit the gardens Sunday night -- we had a low of 20F at Powell Gardens (22F in the city at the Kauffman Memorial Garden) that ended the season for many of our fall flowers. Pansies, Violas, ornamental cabbages and kale weathered that well and fruiting plants are just as beautiful as ever so there is still a lot of beauty to see in the gardens.<br />
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<strong>Deciduous Hollies or Possumhaws</strong> (<em>Ilex decidua</em>) are now leafless but the female trees are simply ablaze with red holly berries. What a warming element to the late fall (and winter) landscape -- a wonderful display of these can be seen along the gatehouse landscape when you enter Powell Gardens.<br />
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Flowering Crabapple varieties that produce fruit are simply stunning now too. This is the<strong> 'Donald Wyman' Crabapple</strong> in the Perennial Garden simply loaded with small red crabapples right now. Some would argue that these fruit are messy but the varieties we display at Powell Gardens hang on to their fruit until the birds eat them. There is minimal mess, an easy price to pay for such an ornamental display that lasts for weeks and even months depending on the weather. Donald Wyman Crabapple has fleeting red-budded, white flowers in spring but a much more spectacular display of red crabapples in fall and winter.<br />
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Here's another view of the Donald Wyman Crabapple (right) showing its neighbor the<strong> 'American Masterpiece' Crabapple</strong> (left). There are several varieties of crabapples with more orange fruit like 'Amercan Masterpiece' which unfortunately is no longer available. American Masterpiece has cranberry red flowers in spring and almost pumpkin orange little crabapples in fall and winter.<br />
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Here are the orange crabapples of<strong> 'Indian Magic' Crabapple</strong> which is widely available. It's a smaller tree with purplish-red flowers in spring. Our tree of this is wedged between the much more vigorous Donald Wyman and American Masterpiece Crabapples in the prior image. <br />
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<strong>Tea Crabapples</strong> (<em>Malus hupehensis</em>) are bronzy orange now too, as they age you can see some are turning redder. These trees have a beautiful vase shape but grow quite large over time. Look for these at the west (Visitor Center) entrance to the Island Garden.<br />
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Yes, crabapples come in yellow too! Here are<strong> 'Harvest Gold' crabapples</strong> which are such a warm yellow at this season. Their spring flowers are red-budded opening to white, fragrant flowers. Night lighting is reflected beautifully from these too. The color of the yellow crabapples holds until eaten by birds or a severe freeze (colder than 10F) makes them turn bronze. Look for Harvest Gold Crabapples on the east (Meadow) side of the Island Garden.<br />
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Here's a<strong> 'Sugar Tyme' crabapple</strong> on the edge of the Perennial Garden. It has very nice fruit set too and stays a smaller tree -- what most nurseries are going for now. When selecting a crabapple I always start with learning if it is a disease resistant variety (all described above are very disease resistant here). Secondly I look at its mature size (most grow taller than wide). Thirdly I pick them for their fruit display and I pick them last for their flowers! Ornamental crabapples are phenomenal plants for wildlife friendly gardens. Their fruit is a staple of many fall and winter birds. They are also host to many beneficial insects and unlike most non-native plants, our native insects readily transfer from our disease-prone native crabapples to these more garden ornamental varieties. Crabapples are also NOT invasive like ornamental pear trees in our region.<br />
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The <strong>Washington Hawthorns</strong> (<em>Crateagus phaenopyrum</em>) are also beautiful at Powell Gardens right now as the leafless trees are completely cloaked in red fruit. The dry year helped them out as they can be very disfigured by cedar-quince rust disease -- a reason we no longer recommend them. Look for them by our trial beds near the old visitor center. Hawthorns are a beautiful and important part of our native flora so we do have them in the wilder parts of the garden including 3 native species along the Nature Trail: Frosted Hawthorn (<em>Crataegus pruinosa</em>), Red or Downy Hawthorn (<em>C. mollis</em>) and Cockspur Hawthorn (<em>C. crus-gallii</em>). <br />
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The blazing red shrubs in the above image are<strong> 'Sparkleberry' Hollies</strong> (<em>Ilex serrata</em>) in fruit in the Perennial Garden. Behind them are Shumard Oaks (<em>Quercus shumardii</em>) which are very late in their fall color -- some Shumard Oaks usually have no fall color while others can be a nice red. So there is still much beauty in the late fall garden, most specifically the brilliant fruit of fall-fruiting plants.Kansas City's botanical gardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01699299098359342195noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5687454930781859644.post-57942645587807426622012-11-09T09:34:00.000-06:002012-11-09T09:41:28.087-06:00Flowers that Defy Jack FrostIt's early November and the weather is still mild. We've had some short cold snaps and a few hard freezes but Indian Summer is here today and tomorrow and after another brief cold snap early next week it will return again. YES, there are still many beautiful flowers at Powell Gardens. The fall floral displays are designed with flowers and foliage that defy Jack Frost.<br />
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The planting in front of our entrance sign is a beautiful tapestry of pansies in blue & white, 'Lemon Cream' Calendulas, ornamental "flowering" cabbages, kale and 'Delphi Purple' mums. All these plants have held beautifully through a hard freeze and should last at least through Thanksgiving.<br />
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Here's a closer side view that captures the beautiful flowers and foliage of the entrance planting.<br />
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Hardy flowers also come in HOT colors! I love this planting outside Cafe Thyme with red <strong>'Speedy Sonic Crimson' Snapdragons</strong> encircled by <strong>'Orange King' and 'Lemon Cream' Calendulas</strong>.<br />
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<strong>Strawflowers (<em>Bracteantha</em>) 'Sundaze Flame'</strong> is a very underutilized fall flower and can be cut used as an "everlasting". Here there is a bit of a color echo with its orange edged "petals" and the <strong>'Merville des Quatre Saisons' (The Four Seasons) Lettuce</strong>, an heirloom variety with gorgeous bronze foliage so lovely at this season. Look for these in the ramp terrace beds leading to the Dogwood Walk.<br />
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<strong>Verbena 'Superbena Blue'</strong> has been one phenomenal "annual" this year. It actually survived last winter and has bloomed, and bloomed and bloomed and is STILL in bloom! The last of the season's butterflies have been all over this flower too. It is on the south side of the Visitor Center below the Conservatory.<br />
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The <strong>'Hillside Sheffield Pink' Mums</strong> are still the best of the late season perennial flowers! Look close and see the butterflies and other pollinators. I will carefully look over these flowers today and Saturday for unique species of butterflies that may have blown up here from the South or even the tropics. Fall is the time for stray butterflies and a Tailed-Orange (butterfly) from Texas's Rio Grande Valley showed up in Wichita yesterday! This picture was taken on the Island Garden.<br />
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These are seedling mums (<em>Dendranthema</em>) in the Perennial Garden. Sometimes mother nature does some really neat plantings for us we must save. I love the just right highlight of the white with the yellow flowers we could never have created so well.<br />
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In the conservatory the "pot" mums are simply stunning. This is<strong> 'Brunswick' Mum</strong> with dark 'Sweet Caroline Raven' Sweet Potato and orange 'Sedona' Coleus as companions in the conservatory display.<br />
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I love this composition of <strong>'Shanghai Red' Mums with 'Dipped in Wine' Coleus</strong> also in the Conservatory.<br />
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I like all the fall inspired mum compositions in the conservatory: here's 'Golden Gate' Mum with 'Honeycrisp' Coleus.<br />
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How about 'Pittsburgh Purple' Mum with 'Fishnet Stockings' Coleus' where the mum picks up on the purple veins of the coleus.<br />
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Here's a <strong>Checkered White</strong> butterfly enjoying the last of season's flowers (an Aromatic Aster) at Powell Gardens. The weather is supposed to be blustery but warm on Saturday so join the butterflies and visit the gardens and see our wealth of fall flowers, and foliage. Jack Frost has visited but there are still many flowers and the cool season crops in the Heartland Harvest Garden are near peak. The late fall colors on plants like Japanese Maples are also beautiful right now.<br />
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<br />Kansas City's botanical gardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01699299098359342195noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5687454930781859644.post-82458342119089147002012-11-01T10:48:00.000-05:002012-11-01T10:48:12.202-05:00Colors of the Late Fall GardenNovember is the final month of fall so considered "late fall" in gardening language. It is a very beautiful month in our heartland location with the last of the fall foliage colors, last of the season's hardy flowers, and the most berry colorful month of the whole year. The colors of the tropics are gone with the intense summer sun as now we have the beautiful burnt reds, oranges, yellows and tans so illuminated by the sun's lower position in the sky.<br />
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This image from the Perennial Garden epitomizes the season in the Perennial Garden. The burned yellow of the <strong>Arkansas Bluestar</strong> (<em>Amsonia hubrichtii</em>) in fall color as backdrop, dark orange full bloom of a <strong>seedling chrysanthemum </strong>(<em>Dendranthema </em>hybrids) and the contrasting lavender-purple flower of one of our longest blooming native plants: <strong>Rose Verbena</strong> (<em>Verbena</em> or <em>Glandularia canadense</em>). The seedheads of the Purple Coneflowers add even more to the composition as does the far backdrop of still green Miscanthus grasses and their silvery plumes that blend into the sky.<br />
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The <strong>Mums</strong> in the garden are at peak bloom now. Here <strong>Jennifer Barnes</strong> (Senior Gardener in the Perennial Garden) is picking up fallen twigs but we were admiring our ever-changing "menagerie" of mums. The light yellow mums are 'Ryan Gainey' mums given to us when Mr. Gainey (a well-known Atlanta gardener) brought them to us when he spoke at a prior Garden Symposium. They have hybridized with other mums in the garden to produce the kaleidoscope of colors.<br />
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Our hybrid mums are from a group given to us by Jackie Goetz of Overland Park so we simply call them<strong> Jackie's Mums</strong>. Here is a picture of a planting of them from the Heartland Harvest Garden's vineyard. They have been self-sowing in her garden for over 20 years and now for almost a decade here at Powell Gardens. They are late fall bloomers and range in colors from white to yellow, orange, near red, pink, and lavender! I told Jackie her mums were promiscuous but she corrected me that the bees are just busy cross pollinating them!<br />
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The soft pink mums in this picture are<strong> 'Hillside Sheffield Pink' mums </strong>which are also in this group and also contribute to our wonderful color array of seedling mums at the garden. This mass on the Island Garden creates a stunning composition now with the baldcypress in its rusty fall color.<br />
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This weird season after such a dry summer has made many plants bloom out of sequence. Here <strong>Jennifer Barnes</strong> admires a<strong> 'The President' Clematis</strong> blooming in the Perennial Garden. These flowers withstood 27F without any damage! Is this a subliminal message to get out and VOTE next week?<br />
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Ornamental grasses like this<strong> 'Desert Plains'</strong> <strong>Fountain Grass</strong> (<em>Pennisetum alopecuroides</em>) in the Perennial Garden clearly express the season with their beautiful seedheads.<br />
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Here is stunning <strong>'Sioux Blue'</strong> <strong>Indiangrass </strong>(<em>Sorghastrum nutans</em>) beautifully backlit with 'Raydon's Favorite' Asters (<em>Aster oblongifolius</em>) in the foreground and a dark backdrop of our tapestry hedge. We usually don't cut down our ornamental grasses until late winter or early spring to allow for their beauty to shine all winter.<br />
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Some of the most ornamental fruit now are the crabapples (<em>Malus</em> hybrids). This is the 'Indian Magic' Flowering Crabapple's fruit in the Perennial Garden. It makes such a warm and seasonal display in the garden now and will be a feast for songbirds through winter.<br />
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We were thrilled to discover a surprise <strong>American Bittersweet</strong> (<em>Celastrus scandens</em>) vine climbing in our largest Seven Sons tree in the Perennial Garden. The birds planted this one and we are lucky it was a girl so it can show this colorful fruit (not yet popped open to reveal scarlet berries inside the orange husk). Yes, we embrace many of nature's changes in the garden and we will NOT remove this vine.<br />
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Here, <strong>Jennifer</strong> poses with our younger <strong>Seven Sons tree</strong> (<em>Hepatcodium miconioides</em>) which is in its pink, post bloom stage. The pink color is the fruit, actually the left over flower calyxes attached to the fruit. Seven Sons blooms white in September and is one of our best early fall flowering trees, attracting a wealth of pollinators and butterflies. It will grow 15 to 20 feet tall at maturity and the Greater Kansas City champion is at the Kauffman Memorial Garden.<br />
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Most trees are in fall color or past peak. Trees that are broad-leaved and still green are usually species from Europe or Asia now. The green tree above is a<strong> Sawtooth Oak</strong> (<em>Quercus acutissima</em>) from Asia. The tree on the lake edge in rust is a <strong>Baldcypress</strong> and the trees holding earthy tan foliage are <strong>Swamp White Oaks</strong>. Many of our oaks hang on to their "dead" leaves which are called marcescent foliage. Baldcypress are one of our few deciduous conifers with needle leaves that turn beautiful rust shades in late fall and drop. Every year we get comments from visitors that our pine is dying and we have to let them know it is the BALDcypress, aptly named as it is bald in winter.<br />
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Evergreens do keep their foliage all season and many are simply stunning now including this image from the Perennial Garden's tapestry hedge. The center "green" evergreen is an<strong> 'Emerald Sentinel" Juniper</strong> (<em>Juniperus virginiana</em>) which is just a selection of our native Eastern Redcedar that is columnar in form with foliage that stays truer green in winter. On either side are "blue" needled selections of the native Eastern Redcedar <strong>"Glauca" junipers</strong>. All these are female selections so are studded now with blue "berries" which are actually modified cones.<br />
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From late fall flowers, to colorful leaves, and berries; the gardens are sure beautiful right now. Come out and experience this season while it lasts: the weekend looks to be mild so come enjoy a walk through the gardens in the crisp autumn air.<br />
Kansas City's botanical gardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01699299098359342195noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5687454930781859644.post-9849918648047679442012-10-26T09:44:00.000-05:002012-10-29T16:05:47.973-05:00Epitaph to a Tree?The little green menace has now been found in Greater Kansas City! Emerald Ash Borer (EAB), a tiny beetle from Northeastern Asia, has been confirmed in Platte and Wyandotte Counties. What's the big deal? EAB kills all Ash trees and thus all the wild creatures dependent upon them. There are 4 species of Ash tree native to Missouri and Kansas and nearly 400 species of insects dependent upon them alone.<br />
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<strong>White Ash</strong> (<em>Fraxinus americana</em>) is one of two species of ash trees native in Greater Kansas City statewide in Missouri and in the eastern third of Kansas. It grows in <em>upland</em> woods and is known for being one of the very best local trees for consistent fall color. White Ash turns colors early and stands out in the woods -- usually purplish to begin with it can look like it is on fire with yellower tones inward changing to oranges, reds and purples on the outer leaves. As homeowners tend to choose trees for fall color, it is very popular in landscaping. 'Rosehill' is a cultivar of this native tree by our local Rosehill Nursery, while the cultivar 'Autumn Purple' is another popular selection of this tree with more purple fall color. The White Ash in the above image is a wild tree at Powell Gardens.<br />
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<strong>Green Ash</strong> (<em>Fraxinus pennsylvanica</em>) is the other locally native ash tree and found statewide in both Kansas and Missouri. It thrives in low or bottomland woods but is very adaptable to soils wet to dry. Its tough adaptability has made it a good urban and street tree where it thrives even with concrete all around its roots. Green Ash turns yellow in the fall, never orange or red. The picture above is of a Green Ash planted in Powell Gardens' parking lot arboretum of trees native to Kansas and Missouri.<br />
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This little tree with nice fall color is on the south side of the Visitor Center and is a third species of ash native to our MO-KAN region but found wild only in Southeast Missouri: <strong>Pumpkin Ash</strong> (<em>Fraxinus tomentosa</em>). Pumpkin Ash has fall color usually in shades of orange. It grows in swamps and can actually survive growing in water, developing a swollen, buttressed trunk -- Chuck Connor, MDC Urban Forester told be that swollen base is the "pumpkin" and how it got its name. It is otherwise similar to White Ash but its twigs are covered with gray fuzz (known botanically as tomentum and how it got its botanical name).<br />
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<strong>Blue Ash</strong> (<em>Fraxinus quadrangulata</em>) is the fourth species of native Ash and is found on the east and south edge of the metro eastward across Missouri and Southeastern Kansas. Its twigs are square and its late fall color is clear yellow (still green as this picture from this morning shows). It is called Blue Ash because its sap turns blue when exposed to air and can be used to make a blue dye. It grows almost exclusively in rocky woods and ledges so needs good drainage wherever planted: the local champion tree is in Loose Park and Powell Gardens largest tree is depicted above by the old Visitor Center with more trees in our parking lot arboretum.<br />
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Emerald Ash borer will not harm you, your family or your pets but it KILLS ALL SPECIES of ASH trees native to our region (White, Green, Pumpkin and Blue Ash but NO other species of tree). <strong> Dead ash trees can harm you, your family and your pets.</strong><br />
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Ash trees make up about 4% of all trees in Missouri but a much larger percentage in Kansas where they are the third most abundant tree. Overland Park's tree inventory shows ash make up 23% of its street trees. The tallest orange tree just to the left of the chapel in the above image is a White Ash. At Powell Gardens ash numbers closely match the Missouri's average.<br />
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Over 400 species of insects require ash trees for their survival. Do we depend on ash trees for our survival? I'll start with some statistics of what ash trees do for us in Greater Kansas City where 6.5 million ash trees are estimated to reside, 3 million of them are in our residential areas. The value of our local ash trees is over 4.5 BILLION dollars!!! Their value is based on their ecological services starting with how much stormwater they intercept before it runs into our antiquated and stressed stormwater systems, and by reducing stream flooding. It also includes their pollution control as they not only trap particulates but have sequestered well over half a million tons of carbon dioxide, absorbing another 23,000+ tons every year. Their leafy shade save on summer cooling costs and even their leafless winter presence helps with holding in heat. Obviously they provide us with a lot of fresh oxygen to breathe as byproduct of their photosynthesis. How do we assign a value to their added beauty to our community and the tiny creatures they support?<br />
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This beautiful, large caterpillar is an image of one of the creatures that will suffer without ash trees in our region. It's the<strong> Laurel Sphinx</strong> which may eat laurel where that plant is native in the East but over here where there is no laurel its sole native food plants are ash trees. Its adult moth is a sphinx moth that flies with hummingbird-like grace and I will say I've never seen the nocturnal moth though I find its beautiful caterpillars. This image is by Missouri Master Naturalist Linda Williams.<br />
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This moth is actual size and looks just like bark to avoid predators while at rest. It is an <strong>Ash Sphinx</strong> that flies just like a hummingbird but only at night. Without alive ash trees this moth will become extinct because that is the only plant its caterpillars are designed to eat. This image also by Linda Williams.<br />
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Here's another ash dependent moth, the <strong>Waved Sphinx</strong>. Sure, it's doesn't have bright colorful wings as it needs to blend in with bark all day. My favorite aspect of it is that each individual moth has a different face-like pattern on its back (thorax) outlined in a black circle. Photo by Betsy Betros.<br />
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Here's a different Waved Sphinx with a closeup of its back: sort of a puppy face on this one. Photo by Betsy Betros.<br />
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The <strong>Waved Sphinx's caterpillar</strong> looks an awful like our pesky tomato and tobacco hornworms, and yep they are related. I dare you to try and grab this caterpillar! Unlike docile tomato and tobacco hornworms, Waved Sphinx thrash and BITE! This caterpillar was found on an Green Ash tree in Overland Park and taken indoors and photographed by Brett Budach. Why should we care if there are no ash trees and thus none of these sphinx moths? I may let you ponder that for a future blog, and I've only depicted 3 of the 400 species of insects tied to ash trees and we don't have a picture of the BIG DADDY of sphinx moths: the Great Ash Sphinx. (Don't forget our annual Festival of Butterflies where we hope to share with you these cool creatures in person)<br />
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Wendy Powell recently said to me "the 'Rosehill' White Ash were simply stunning along Ward Parkway this fall" and that she hoped "it wasn't their swan song". Good news is you can treat and save your ash trees and I'll write more about that later. <strong>Start by identifying if you have ash trees on your property</strong>. A lot is at stake for us to save these beautiful trees, the wealth of creatures they support and don't forget that includes us. Here are some links to learn more about EAB and we will have more information on our website soon:<br />
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National Website <a href="http://www.emeraldashborer.info/">www.emeraldashborer.info</a><br />
Missouri EAB Website: <a href="http://www.eab.missouri.edu/">www.eab.missouri.edu</a><br />
Kansas Department of Agriculture Website: <a href="http://www.ksda.gov/plant_protection/content/379">www.ksda.gov/plant_protection/content/379</a><br />
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<br />Kansas City's botanical gardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01699299098359342195noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5687454930781859644.post-20589038182173051472012-10-18T10:36:00.000-05:002012-10-19T13:53:52.697-05:00Fall Color PageantWe are thrilled to report that the fall leaf colors this season have beat expectations! The rains from Isaac and cool nights have combined to revive plants enough to put on a beautiful display in the gardens. I was busy capturing images of the spectacle early in the week and asked horticulture staff to report any beauties I may have missed. Here's a look at some surprises and the stars in the show (the winner of the pageant is at the end):<br />
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<strong>Black Walnuts</strong> (<em>Juglans nigra</em>) are not usually known for their spectacular fall color but this year they put on their best show I have ever seen. Lumbermen love walnut trees for their high quality timber, chefs for their oil rich nuts with a very unique flavor, naturalists for the wealth of nature they sustain; but vegetable gardeners hate them for their natural herbicide<em> juglone</em> that makes cultivating tomatoes near them impossible. One thing missing this year from walnut trees were webworms -- unsightly to us but a feast for Yellow-billed Cuckoos, a bird that feasts on such hairy caterpillars. The cuckoos left the region early, the webworm moths apparently victims of the drought. You may be celebrating their demise but their loss does hurt the natural web of life this common tree brings to our region. One of those unknown consequences of the drought...<br />
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The Swamp White Oaks (<em>Quercus bicolor</em>) cloaked themselves in rich tan -- these oaks are not known for their fall color but more their magnificent stature of broad spreading limbs and tolerance to disturbed soils making them currently the most popular street tree and the tree chosen for the 9-11 Memorial in New York. This is our magnificent specimen on the hairpin curve of the Dogwood Walk.<br />
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Maples are loved for their spectacular red fall colors and here are a pair of our <strong>Autumn Blaze Maples</strong> (<em>Acer</em> x <em>freemanii</em>) blazing better than we've ever seen. This maple is a natural hybrid between the Red Maple (<em>Acer rubrum</em>) known for it brilliant red fall color and the Silver Maple (<em>Acer saccharinum</em>) known for its fast growth, hardiness and adaptability. Since most homeowners select a tree based on its fall color, and want instant gratification, this tree has become quite popular. It is still not a great long-term choice and how it will fare here for future generations is unknown.<br />
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This <strong>Post Oak</strong> (<em>Quercus stellata</em>) has brilliant red fall color too and is a much better choice than a maple for a long term shade tree. It's problem is it is not available from most nurseries as it is slow to start, even though once established it has proved to us it can put on good growth every year and shrug off heat, drought, wind and ice.<br />
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Here is the copse of 3 of Post Oaks in the Parking Lot Arboretum the above closeup image is from. These were planted as small 3 gallon trees from Forrest Keeling Nursery 14 years ago and they are now 15 feet tall. Post Oaks are quintessential Lower Midwest trees -- the magnificent tree in front of P. Allen Smith's new home in Arkansas. They easily live 300 years and are a top tree for wildlife, if you must plant a maple for instant gratification, be sure and plant one of these too for our future.<br />
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The <strong>Blackgum or Tupelo</strong> (<em>Nyssa sylvatica</em>) is an almost screaming scarlet in the Perennial Garden. This tree is known from New England to the Ozarks for its simply fabulous fall color. It is a bit of a trick to grow here as you must have good soil and a bit of irrigation helps it though the worst droughts. It makes a stellar garden tree and is dioecious -- either male or female: this is a male (sans fruit).<br />
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Here's our <strong>female Blackgum</strong> near the Perennial Garden Arbor. She produces lovely blue-black fruit many birds will relish later in the season. <br />
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Fall color is also renown in shrubs and YES, there is pink fall color! This is a seedling <strong>Arrowwood Viburnum</strong> (<em>Viburnum dentatum</em>) in the Rock & Waterfall Garden. Arrowwoods are native to Missouri and often when they are grown in shade, they develop this unique pink fall color. Our 'Redwing' Cranberrybush Viburnums (<em>Viburnum trilobum</em>) in the Rock & Waterfall Garden are also pink now.<br />
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This is not the best picture but I have to show off the one shrub whose fall color is almost white! It is the very little known <strong>Japanese Orixa</strong> (<em>Orixa japonica</em>) whose fall color is always a very pale yellow. This shrub is in the Rue family related to our wild Prickly-Ash but not prickly and has very glossy almost lacquered looking leaves in spring. If you like butterflies it is host to our largest butterfly the Giant Swallowtail. Look for this plant in the Perennial Garden's Woodland Section.</div>
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The <strong>Bottlebrush Buckeyes</strong> (<em>Aesculus parviflora</em>) are also a rich yellow now. This huge shrub has giant candles of white flowers in mid-summer but puts on a great yellow fall color display in the understory shade of the Rock & Waterfall Garden and the Woodland Section of the Perennial Garden where this image was taken.</div>
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<strong>Flowering Dogwoods</strong> (<em>Cornus florida</em>) are still our finest plant for consistent and long lasting fall color. This is the cultivar 'Spring Grove' along the dogwood walk. Dogwoods fall foliage holds and gradually becomes redder until the leaves finally drop, usually in early November.</div>
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The "winner" so-to-speak (there is no official contest but maybe we should make one for visitors to fill out at the front desk) of 2012's fall color display so far is the<strong> Diane Witchhazel</strong> (<em>Hamamelis</em> x <em>intermedia</em>). Our plant is still young and in the shade of the Rock & Waterfall Garden and every year this plant has riotous fall color beginning with a purple edge to a green leaf then aging to above with a simply gorgeous blend from yellow to near purple. Diana Witchhazel is a small tree/large shrub growing to 15 feet or so with spidery reddish flowers that open in late winter to the delight of winter weary gardeners.</div>
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So here's an overview of the colors of Powell Gardens with the east side of the Island Garden in the image. There are still many beautiful flowers of fall along with the berried treasures in the previous blog. The weekend is supposed to be spectacular weather so we hope you come out and see the pageant of fall colors on display now at Powell Gardens.</div>
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Kansas City's botanical gardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01699299098359342195noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5687454930781859644.post-17541934765835679422012-10-11T10:12:00.000-05:002012-10-11T10:12:22.343-05:00Fall Fruit and the "Berried Treasures" of Powell GardensWe had a hard freeze at Powell Gardens down to 29F! Tender flowers have now given way to those hardy flowers and fruit of fall that are oblivious to the tribulations of Jack Frost. Here's a post of some of the gardens' plants with ornamental fruit that add color and seasonal charm to our garden in Indian Summer.<br />
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Viburnums are well-known for their ornamental fall fruit and this<strong> 'Asian Beauty' Linden Viburnum</strong> (<em>Viburnum dilatatum</em>) that is a perennial winner for red fruit -- even after this last horrible summer! Linden Viburnum is native to Japan and can escape east of here, but its seedlings are held in check by our often droughty summers. Look for this Viburnum south of the Visitor Center.<br />
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Hollies are probably the most well-known of fall (and winter) fruiting plants because of their appeal for holiday decor which they deserve! The evergreen hollies' fruit has finally turned red for the season and here is a picture of<strong> 'Greenleaf' hybrid American Holly</strong> (<em>Ilex</em> x <em>attenuata</em>) growing near the Visitor Center. This is a hybrid between the true American Holly (<em>Ilex opaca</em>) and the Dahoon (<em>Ilex cassine</em>) native to the Gulf states. It displays hybrid vigor and can grow several feet in one year , but it is also touchy to a severely cold winter and susceptible to iron chlorosis (note these leaves are a bit yellow) in our soils. It's a beautiful plant in a sheltered site with acidified soil.<br />
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Here's a branch of one of my favorite crabapples: <strong>Zumi Crabapple</strong> (<em>Malus</em> x <em>zumi </em>'Calicarpa' now <em>Malus sieboldii</em>) on the Island Garden. Its tiny red crabapples are stunning against yesterday's incredible blue sky. These tiny apples are edible to us but a favorite of songbirds to eat in late fall and winter. Birds can see color so many small fruits are showy red so they will entice birds to spread their inner seeds far and wide. Zumi Crabapple becomes a large crabapple (20 feet tall plus) with great character as it ages. It is currently out-of-favor to grafted dwarf selections that are just not that appealing to me -- so many of the new ones look like retarded lollipops in my mind. They do make sense in a small landscape where space is a premium.<br />
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Here's one bigger red fruits: a<strong> 'Wonderful' Pomegranate</strong> (<em>Punica granatum</em>) in the Heartland Harvest Garden Vineyard. Pomegranates have been grown by humans as food since time immemorable (there's no bird that can gulp down this big fruit!). Pomegranates are currently very popular for their very nutritious and healthy juice rich in anti-oxidants and other compounds. Kansas City area gardeners should know it also does well here if grown in a container and brought in for just the coldest part of winter. We leave ours out until temperatures are predicted to fall below 20F (they are hardy into the 10'sF). You can just put them into a garage for storage in the coldest months as they are deciduous. In spring put them back outside and they will have brilliant scarlet flowers followed by the beautiful (and delicious) fruit.<br />
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Persimmons are one of the largest true berries we have in the garden. This is a<strong> 'Ruby' Persimmon</strong> (<em>Disopyros virginiana</em>) selected for its larger fruit than wild persimmons. They are over 2" across and finally starting to ripen -- this variety's leaves were killed by our freeze but the fruit are only made better by the cold. Look for this persimmon in the Heartland Harvest Garden just past the Apple Celebration Court on the left (south) side of the path.<br />
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Here's another Crabapple but this time with bronzy orange crabapples which, like all apples, are called pomes and not berries. It's the <strong>Tea Crabapple</strong> (<em>Malus hupehensis</em>) which frames the west/Visitor Center entrance to the Island Garden. These are another favorite crabapple of mine growing into a beautiful vase shape but also growing quite large over time. They are called tea crabapples for 2 reasons that I have read: 1) because you can make an actual tea from their leaves and 2) because ancient trees create beautiful spaces to have a tea ceremony under in their native homeland of China. They can live a long time (100+ years) and future garden visitors may enjoy quite a space created by them as they arch over entrance seating area to the Island Garden. It just reminds me how young Powell Gardens is (25 years old next year) -- my what a garden it will be in 2112!!<br />
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On the opposite end of the color wheel we have a few berries in the cool colors like these <strong>Northern Bayberries</strong> (<em>Myrica pennsylvanica</em>). Botanically speaking these fruit are drupes like a plum and yes they are the waxy fruit used in making bayberry candles (it has another common name "candleberry"). Bayberries are dioecious so are either male or female and obviously this is a female plant with fruit (I always look for berries when buying one in a nursery and make sure you get at least one male for pollination). The aromatic leaves can be used as a substitute for bay leaf in cooking but I just enjoy this plant for its lovely aroma when brushed or given off on a warm day. Bayberries can be found in several locations around the garden including the Perennial Garden arbor where they have grown huge to the Heartland Harvest and Island Gardens. These berries too are loved by songbirds in the winter.<br />
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Here's another viburnum with some of the most beautiful blue fruit: the <strong>Witherod or Possumhaw Viburnum</strong> (<em>Viburnum nudum</em>). There are many selections of this viburnum on the market but beware that 2 varieties are needed for cross pollination and full fruit set. These fruit are so beautiful through the whole season: they start out beautiful sage green and gradually change, one-by-one, to pink; then they gradually mature to blue! After a freeze they are blue and shriveled like in the picture and are actually edible. Another common name for this beautiful shrub is "wild raisin." 'Brandywine' and 'Winterthur' are popular available varieties but this one was just bought as a pollinator with no named variety and is growing on the edge of the Fountain Garden.<br />
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The blue fruit of <strong>Arrowwood Viburnum</strong> (<em>Viburnum dentatum</em>) is also a stunner in late summer into fall with its blue fruit that are now gradually wearing off their waxy "bloom" so changing color from blue to black. This is another plant great for birds but it got its name because shoots of the plant were tough and straight so used for arrows.<br />
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So enjoy Powell Gardens in its beautiful fall splendor of "berried treasures" -- fall color is beginning and should be peaking in a week or two -- we'll keep you posted for that.<br />
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Kansas City's botanical gardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01699299098359342195noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5687454930781859644.post-82716957008086270702012-10-05T11:56:00.001-05:002012-10-08T08:54:55.059-05:00Experience the HarvestThe <strong>Harvest Celebration & Antique Tractor Show</strong> will be the highlight of this weekend at Powell Gardens. A widespread frost or freeze also looms but we are still not under a freeze watch on this side of the state line. The Heartland Harvest Garden staff are busy preparing the harvest for the visitors to experience the bounty of the garden as well as preparing the garden for a potential freeze.<br />
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<strong>Barbara Fetchenhier is de-stemming tomatoes</strong> harvested to beat the freeze. Gardeners have been bringing in a bounty of frost tender tomatoes, peppers and eggplant.<br />
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Here's a closer look at a box of <strong>freshly picked tomatoes, peppers and eggplant</strong>. It makes me hungry just looking at this colorful harvest.<br />
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Here's Barbara with a batch of fresh<strong> ratatouille</strong> made from the harvest.<br />
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Heartland Harvest Garden Horticulturist <strong>Matt Bunch digs peanuts</strong> before a potential freeze. Yes, peanuts are produced underground! Not from the roots but from above ground flowers that burrow underground to produce the fruit. How's that for a plant nut!<br />
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Here's a closeup of the <strong>peanuts</strong>. You can see they are attached back up to the above ground part of the plant and not the roots. The roots have nodules with nitrogen fixing capabilities as do most legumes. Anyone with peanut allergies are not to fear the plant, only the processed peanut can cause the allergic reaction.<br />
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Speaking of nuts, be sure and drop in the <strong>Good Earth Workshop</strong> in the Missouri Barn. Here you will see a display of some of the nuts of the Heartland Harvest Garden.<br />
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Crack yourself some <strong>hazelnuts </strong>to sample from the garden (note safety glasses provided). Our hazelnut shrubs had a great year this past summer.<br />
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<strong>Hardy Almonds</strong> always are a surprise product from the Heartland Harvest Garden. They are actually Peach-Almond hybrids (<em>Prunus</em> x <em>amygdalopersica</em>) and make beautiful trees with gorgeous pink flowers in spring and almonds in fall (cultivars 'Hall's Hardy' and 'Reliable'). True almonds (<em>Prunus dulcis</em>) are not as hardy but we are trialing some very hardy cultivars from the Ukraine. Remember peach pits are poisonous!<br />
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<strong>Pine nuts</strong> are another garden surprise! Pinjons are well-known pine nuts from New Mexico that don't do well in our climate but others like the Lacebark Pine <em>Pinus bungeana</em> produce delicious pine nuts! We only have one cultivar of Lacebark Pine in the Harvest Garden so not many of the nuts have pollinated very well so there are many "blank" (empty) nuts. Come out and try one! We need to plant a couple more lacebark pine seedlings or other varieties to help pollinate for the future.<br />
<img height="300" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8169/8056829098_5ba94475df_b.jpg" width="400" /><br />
The Good Earth Workshop also has a display of our <strong>hardy oranges</strong> (<em>Poncirus</em> now <em>Citrus trifoliata</em>). Barbara has made a wonderful drink from them for you to taste. It reminds me of grapefruit juice. To make the drink Barbara de-fuzzed the fruit and then used the juice and zest of the rinds for a very flavorful refreshment.<br />
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Here's a picture of our <strong>hardy orange tree</strong> and how loaded it was with fruit this year. It is just south of the Visitor Center and is the cultivar 'Flying Dragon' which has unique spiraled branching. We have many hardy oranges planted in the Heartland Harvest Garden and we expect them to start producing oranges soon (they are just 5 years old and grown from seed). <br />
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Even if we happen to get a freeze Sunday morning don't be afraid to visit the garden. I guarantee it will be filled with "berried treasures" like this Victoria Southern Magnolia and we have many flowers and edibles that are freeze resistant on display, not to mention fall color that is beginning. So bundle up with the predicted temperatures in the 50's and enjoy the crisp autumn air; tastes, sights and sounds of the garden and don't forget to walk the Visitor Center allee to see all the unique antique tractors too.Kansas City's botanical gardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01699299098359342195noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5687454930781859644.post-82505200469847693362012-09-27T14:25:00.000-05:002012-10-08T08:56:17.654-05:00Fall Delights in the Heartland Harvest GardenFall has officially arrived and now we go into the half of the year where the nights are longer than the days. The cool weather has been so welcome after the long HOT summer. We could use more rain but it certainly isn't as dry as summer. Many of the Heartland Harvest Garden plants weathered the summer well and are ripe with fruit or have a second wind with repeated bloom.<br />
<img height="290" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8181/8030375537_bc9b04ae26_b.jpg" width="400" /><br />
<strong>Grandpa Ott's Morning Glory</strong> is in radiant bloom in the Author's Garden. This plant inspired Seed Saver's Exchange as it was brought from Germany to Iowa by Seed Saver's Exchange co-founder Diane Ott Whealy's grandfather. Yes, these are plants grown from Seed Saver's.<br />
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<img height="300" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8310/8030390606_9d58363b58_b.jpg" width="400" /><br />
Here is another heirloom plant: <strong>Baseye's Purple Rose</strong> from the Antique Rose Emporium in Texas. This rose has single flowers of darkest red and produces edible hips -- it reflowers nicely through the season. Look for it between the Vineyard and Author's Garden.<br />
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Roses are good at having a second round of flowering now. Here is<strong> 'Falling in Love' hybrid tea rose</strong> in the Vineyard. Roses have been grown with grapes for centuries and considered the canaries in the mineshaft to grapes -- in other words they indicate cultural problems before it shows on the grapes. This is the only place you will find hybrid tea roses at Powell Gardens, and our plants are young, own root plants.<br />
<img height="321" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8314/8030390182_ce86a5a98f_b.jpg" width="400" /> <br />
This rose is in the Apple Celebration Court where shrub roses are utilized as companion plants to apple trees. It's our own seedling of the Rugosa Rose cultivar 'Njnveldt's White' and has the most delicious rose petals and largest, most flavorful hips of any rose we grow. Consider using rose petals for a floral flavor in a salad besides making perfume with them.<br />
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Our <strong>Perennial Mullein</strong> (<em>Verbascum chaixii</em> 'Alba') is also reblooming spires of white in the Apple Celebration Court. They are planted here as a companion to apple trees because they are considered a trap crop for stink bugs that can damage apple fruit.<br />
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<strong>Anise Hyssop</strong> (<em>Agastache foeniculum</em>) is another companion plant to the apples -- it attracts pollinators and beneficial insects! It has a wonderful anise aroma to all its foliage and makes a great tea. My favorite part of it is the licorice tasting florets -- yes it is one of the finest edible flowers. I also like it for blooming almost all summer and all the wonderful butterflies and bees it attracts.<br />
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The<strong> Quinces</strong> (<em>Cydonia oblonga</em>) are also near ripening. I love the beauty of these large, aromatic fruit. Quince are best enjoyed baked as they turn a beautiful pink color when cooked besides becoming soft and palatable! The quince tree between the Vineyard and Author's Garden is currently laden with fruit.<br />
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This weird fruit is of the<strong> Medlar</strong> (<em>Mespilus germanica</em>) and is related to our hawthorns. The fruit is not even close to ripe but is at full size and color. This fruit must blett (rot!) to be palatable! Matt Bunch likes the fruit to drop and weather a bit into December when they soften and have a somewhat apple sauce-like flavor and consistency. Look for Medlar in the Missouri Star Orchard Quilt Garden.<br />
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My favorite<strong> 'Nikita's Gift' Persimmon</strong> (<em>Diospyros virginiana</em> x <em>D. kaki</em>) is recovering from the wild winter a couple seasons back and producing fruit again! This hybrid between the native persimmon and the big Oriental persimmon combines the best of both.<br />
<img height="400" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8175/8030375129_e5a661d9f3_b.jpg" width="275" /><br />
Our<strong> Kieffer Pear (</strong><em>Pyrus communis</em>) is loaded with pears again. It certainly is our top producing pear every season. Look for it between the Author's Garden and Peach Court.<br />
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The Vineyard Arbor is starting to get the ambiance we wanted with grapes covering the structure to add shade and interest. Missouri's state grape: Cynthiana / Norton is sure loaded with grapes this season. Grapes were one plant that really loved our hot, dry summer!<br />
<img height="300" id="yui_3_5_1_3_1348773793874_280" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8040/8030377365_c5b66d1895_b.jpg" width="400" /><br />
Here's a closer view of the grape-laden Cynthiana / Norton vines. They sure make my favorite Missouri wines and I like to eat them fresh as well. Come out to Powell Gardens and experience the beauty and bounty of the Heartland Harvest Garden. It is full of all sorts of unique plants that offer beauty as well as culinary delights.Kansas City's botanical gardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01699299098359342195noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5687454930781859644.post-26180165623680390802012-09-20T15:26:00.002-05:002012-09-20T15:26:54.351-05:00Sweet SeptemberWe have received many comments of "what looks good at Powell Gardens?" since the drought. I can honestly say many things look marvelous. There are flowers and foliage in every color of the rainbow! Here's a sample of some things that captured my attention today. I just got a new computer so am back in business with sharing photos and continuing the Powell Gardens blog.<br />
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'Sizzler Red' Salvia (<em>Salvia splendens</em>) is the RED in the rainbow terrace garden bed outside Cafe Thyme.<br />
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Winterberry Holly (<em>Ilex verticillata</em>) is also showing its vibrant red berries that last into winter. This is the cultivar 'Winter Red' along the walk to the Rock & Waterfall trolley stop.<br />
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'Profusion Orange' Zinnia shows riotous shades of orange. It's flowers fade with age but I actually like the variation in its flower colors. Look for it in the rainbow terrace bed outside Cafe Thyme.<br />
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'Prok' Persimmons (<em>Diospyros virginiana</em>) are ripening in the Heartland Harvest Garden and several varieties are now turning beautiful shades of orange. If anyone were to pick and taste these before they are ripe they would learn a good lesson! Watch for these delicious (when ripe!) fruit at the tasting station on weekends. The select cultivars like 'Prok', 'Ruby' and 'Yates' have much larger fruit than wild persimmons.<br />
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'Lemon Gem' Signet Marigold (<em>Tagetes tenuifolia</em>) are blooming in the Heartland Harvest Garden's Menu Garden. They are edible but best as a companion plant that attracts beneficial and pollinating insects.<br />
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Many species of perennial sunflowers are in bloom throughout the gardens: this is Maximilian's Sunflower (<em>Helianthus maximilianii</em>) in the meadow. If you visit, be sure and give all these different sunflowers a sniff. Most of them smell like cocoa from sweet cocoa to bitter cocoa depending on the species. This one smells like a wonderfully rich cocoa!<br />
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Curly Parsley (<em>Petroselenium crispum</em> 'Triple X') was one of the greenest plants I photographed in the gardens today. Grow it for its beautiful texture, garnish, flavor, or as a host plant for the Black Swallowtail butterfly!<br />
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Of course green plants come in many shades and the Basil Bed in Rosalind Creasy's Author's Garden in the Heartland Harvest Garden is a great place to see a composition or tapestry of these wonderful variations. The mass planting not only looks great but gives off a wonderful aroma and is visited by a plethora of pollinating insects to the basil blooms.<br />
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Pitcher's Sage (<em>Salvia azurea</em>) is about as close to the color of the sky that there is in a flower. This local prairie native was completely unphased by the drought and is being pollinated by a carpenter bee in our meadow (see the Chapel in the background).<br />
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There is no blue like gentian blue and the native Closed Gentian (<em>Gentiana andrewsii</em>) is now in full bloom in the Perennial Garden. This native is actually easy to grow in moist soil in part shade. Its flowers are pollinated only by big, strong bumblebees that open up the fringe-tipped end of the flower, completely go inside the flower for a major nectar treat and then emerge a happy bee!<br />
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The Aromatic Aster <em>(Aster oblongifolius</em>) is beginning to bloom along the Living Wall on the Island Garden. When in full flower it is like a billowing cloud of purple along the east end of the garden.<br />
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The vivacious purple berries of American Beautyberry (<em>Callicarpa americana</em>) are in full fall splendor by the fountain at the Chapel. This shrub is native to the American South and does reach southern Missouri. It has to be seen in person to appreciate!<br />
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I had to show a white flower too, the last of the tropical Victoria (<em>Victoria</em> 'Longwood Hybrid') waterlilies are in bloom in the Island Garden's pools and in a week or two the cool weather will shut down this amazing display.<br />
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So come out and experience the colors of September at Powell Gardens. Our gardeners did a phenomenal job of caring for the plants through the summers unprecedented heat and drought. Kudos to them!! The refreshing September air and softer sun sure make the garden shine now so don't delay and miss the late summer/early fall bounty of the garden.Kansas City's botanical gardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01699299098359342195noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5687454930781859644.post-37197066027496135162012-08-01T11:32:00.002-05:002012-08-01T11:32:44.147-05:00Festival of Butterflies 2012!The Festival of Butterflies 2012 will display many new tropical butterflies in the Conservatory so is sure to be a crowd pleaser. Three species of spectacular Owl Butterflies, 2 new Morpho species added to even more popular and friendly Blue Morphos and a bunch of other colorful species are sure to entertain and challenge the visitor with butterfly identification skills.<br />
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Here a <strong>Giant Owl</strong> (<em>Caligo memnon</em>) drinks from a mango at one our butterfly feeding stations. Many of the new butterflies in the Conservatory don't feed on flower nectar but prefer over-ripe fruit.<br />
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Here is a closeup of the butterfly's head so you can clearly see his straw-like proboscis bending into the fruit.<br />
Owl butterflies have amazing markings upon close inspection!<br />
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Owl butterflies rarely open their wings but when they do it is a photo opportunity! Our Receptionist and photographer Roland Thibault was there to capture this moment too when the Giant Owl opened his wings to show his amazing creamy-tan and smoky blue coloration. Owl butterflies are CREPUSCULAR -- that means they are most active at dawn and dusk.<br />
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Though Owl butterflies look pretty similar with their big "owl" eyes, they are clearly different when they open their wings. This is the <strong>Forest Mort Blue Owl</strong> (<em>Caligo eurilochus</em>) with gorgeous slate-blue to iridescent blue -- you have to see it in person as the camera just can't capture its intriguing colors. Owl butterflies are BIG too, one third larger than the morphos!<br />
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Here's how the Owl butterfly chrysalises or chysalids look when they arrive packed in a cotton-like material to keep them cool and undisturbed. Can you guess what they mimic? Turn this image upside down and that will help -- they mimic hanging bats, complete with silvery fake eyes that glow in the dark shadows of the rain forest where these butterflies originate. From the back they mimic a dead leaf complete with all the leaf veins. Of course, all our tropical butterflies are farm raised in Costa Rica, El Salvador, Columbia or Ecuador. We have USDA permits to have and display these imported creatures.<br />
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Stephanie Acers our Youth Education Coordinator is one of several staff trained and authorized to unpack and mount the chrysalises so they can emerge as butterflies. Yes, we actually glue the chrysalises to dowels that are placed in USDA approved emergence cases.<br />
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Donna Covell, Greenhouse Horticulturist, laughs while watering flowers (marigolds) for the Festival of Butterflies. This greenhouse has a cool cell in the back (the big brown rectangles behind her) that keep it cooler towards the back. Most of our butterfly plants must be watered twice a day in these extreme conditions.<br />
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Most of the flowers we grow to feed our butterflies are outdoors where Mother Nature does a great job of pest control. These are various Pentas which have very nectar rich flowers. We cannot use any pesticides which kill butterflies!<br />
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We have received 60 fresh Atlas cocoons from Malaysia and they have been emerging and this is one of our huge females which measures 12" across. Atlas Moths are considered one of the 3 largest moths on Earth.<br />
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This is a male Atlas Moth and males are much smaller as they do not have an abdomen full of 100's of eggs. You will see these up close during the festival but if you participate in our Moths and Milkshakes evening event you will get an even closer encounter.<br />
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The native butterflies like this male Monarch are not faring so well with this season's drought. We conducted our annual North American Butterfly Association official butterfly count here on Saturday and found the fewest number of Monarchs in 10 years. There still will be plenty of Monarchs on display in the Caterpillar petting zoo and Monarch Watch tent during the Festival. How can you help the wild Monarchs? (see below)<br />
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We will have 2 types of tropical milkweed (<em>Asclepias curassavica</em>), 'Silky Gold' (pictured) and 'Silky Red' (off to the left and back in this image) for sale during the Festival. Tropical Milkweed are great nectar sources for migrating Monarchs and also good food for this season's last generation of caterpillars. As most native milkweeds have gone dormant or are struggling in the heat, these plants are lush and in bloom and will provide the perfect food for migrating Monarchs. Just plant them near where you can readily water them or put them in containers on your porch or patio and enjoy the butterflies they attract. We will also have various colors of butterfly bush for sale which is a great nectar source for Monarchs and almost all other butterflies as well.<br />
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Here's another one of our new butterflies: one of the forms of the Postman Heliconian. The Festival of Butterflies opens Friday, August 3rd at 9 a.m. and we hope to see you here to celebrate butterflies, one of the most beautiful creatures one can find in a garden.Kansas City's botanical gardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01699299098359342195noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5687454930781859644.post-7119498359653376042012-07-06T14:26:00.000-05:002012-08-01T08:29:48.042-05:00What's Up With the Oaks?Isn't this heat wave getting old? That's a pretty poor question for what is at stake for the region as we now are classified as SEVERE drought. EXTREME drought is the next category that Western Kansas and Southeastern Missouri are now experiencing. It's painful to watch the important agricultural crops wither all around. We are able to water most of the horticultural crops at Powell Gardens and our gardens are holding up well thanks to a hard working and committed horticulture staff. Kudos to them!<br />
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I am surprised by how one group of native trees is handling the situation. Oak trees are not withering but putting on NEW growth!<br />
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I first noticed the new growth on the two Bur Oaks (<em>Quercus macrocarpa</em>) on either side of the Horticulture Cabin where my office is. See the bright new growth in the above photo. Bur Oak is pretty much the king of oak trees in Greater Kansas City growing to nearly 100 feet tall and wide but with very strong branches that laughed off the ice load of 2002's catastrophic ice storm. It also produces large, almost golf ball sized acorns.</div>
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Then I noticed that virtually all the oaks in the Parking Lot Arboretum on the other side of the garden were doing the same thing. See the bright yellow-green new foliage adorning this Chinkapin Oak (<em>Quercus muhlenbergii</em>). Chinkapin oak I consider to be the quintessential oak of Kansas City as it once graced the regions bluffs including where downtown now stands. Lewis & Clark described it there and you can see it in the magnificent mural of their described scene at the Anita Gorman Discovery Center.<br />
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Powell Gardens Parking Lot Arboretum contains 96 oak trees comprising 16 of Missouri and Kansas's 21 species of native oaks and virtually all of them are not just enduring the heat and drought but putting on new growth. I noticed that the River Birches (<em>Betula nigra</em>) were shedding leaves to conserve water.<br />
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Does this mean anything? Was it caused by conditions earlier in the season or do they know something we do not? I would love to be an optimist and that they fortell a change in the weather pattern that would bring a monsoon flow and returning rains to the region. Time will tell. I can say that oaks are one tough tree once they are established so no wonder that they were the dominant tree in the region when the settlers first came here.<br />
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My friend Leah Berg said this reminds her of a talk by America's tree expert, Guy Sternberg on a recent talk for Gardener's Connect / Garden Center Association. Guy explained a need to plant more heat resistant trees as our climate warms. He recommended oaks for such and I sincerely concur.Kansas City's botanical gardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01699299098359342195noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5687454930781859644.post-49380697308083720592012-06-28T16:15:00.002-05:002012-06-28T16:15:39.209-05:00The Value of TreesWe are now in the throws of a HEAT WAVE with temperatures flirting with 100F or more with a forecast for it to last at least a week. Heat waves near the summer solstice are especially brutal on us and plants because the days are so long. Trees have enormous value to us in times like this as their shade is the cheapest air conditioner available!<br />
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This image is the woodland walk from the Marjory Powell Allen Chapel to the trolley stop at Powell Gardens. On days like today it is a respite compared to the full sun of the garden's open prairie landscapes. <div align="left">
It is noticeably cooler in summertime when you enter this walk (and noticeably milder in winter too). But what is the real value of a tree during the year? </div>
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Last week Powell Gardens' Director, Eric Tschanz and I attended the American Public Garden Association's (APGA) national conference in Columbus, OH. I visited the Chadwick Arboretum on the Ohio State University Campus and was thrilled to see this sign that gave an actual dollar value of a shade tree! This particular Hackberry (<em>Celtis occidentalis</em>) was given a value of $265.09 per year. It's energy value in terms of cooling summertime and trapping a bit of warmth in the winter was given as over $80 per year of that value. I was disappointed no value was given to it hosting 5 species of butterflies and providing fruit for winter birds -- many things just can't be assigned dollar values!</div>
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Here's an image of a tree that helped inspire Powell Gardens. We call it Marjory's Oak and it stands in front of the Chapel. It's a maturing Shingle Oak (<em>Quercus imbricaria</em>) and it survived the catastrophic ice storm of 2002. The image was taken from INSIDE the chapel today. The late Marjory Powell Allen was a leading human force that helped create Powell Gardens and her spirit is still present here as she inspired many and left a lasting legacy. As most trees live for many human generations they leave a lasting legacy of the past that is impossible to assign a value.</div>
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This young oak also has significance at Powell Gardens as it was planted on Arbor Day 1990 to honor Chuck Brasher, local tree expert and friend of Marjory. We are sad to announce that Chuck passed away Tuesday at age 90 and his knowledge of trees and his charity and altruism will be greatly missed. This Swamp White Oak (<em>Quercus bicolor</em>) graces the old (deliveries and staff) entrance to Powell Gardens and is a constant reminder of Chuck and his love for and expertise with trees. He maintained the list of Champion Trees of Greater Kansas City and I had the pleasure of spending many days with him measuring and scouting for champion trees. Chuck wrote a list of the value of trees along with the champions: </div>
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<em>Think Trees... Your future depends on their survival!</em></div>
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*TREES supply the oxygen we need to breathe.</div>
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*TREES keep our air supply fresh by absorbing carbon dioxide that we exhale and also that which we emmitted by factories and engines.</div>
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*TREES are natural air conditioners. They lower air temperatures by evaporating water in their leaves.</div>
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*TREES cut down on noise pollution by acting as sound barriers.</div>
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*TREES trap and filter out dust and pollen on their hairy leaf surfaces.</div>
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*TREES shelter us from direct sunlight on hot sunny days.</div>
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*TREES roots stabilize the soil and prevent erosion.</div>
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*TREES camouflage unsightly scenes and break the monotony of endless highways, sidwalks and lawns.</div>
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*TREES slow down strong winds.</div>
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*TREES give us privacy.</div>
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And lastly Chuck included: <em>A country without children would be hopeless... a country without trees would be almost as hopeless!</em> </div>
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Trees leave a lasting legacy to the future as well -- a Swamp White Oak can easily live 300 years or older.</div>
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See Champion Trees of Greater Kansas City at <a href="http://www.countryclubtreeservice.com/">http://www.countryclubtreeservice.com/</a>.</div>
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This large shade tree is a White Ash (<em>Fraxinus americana</em>) in front of the Chapel. White Ash are threatened by an imported exotic pest, the Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) which is ravaging ash trees in the eastern Midwest and is spreading our way. I learned at our APGA conference last week that with treatment as EAB arrives and for several years thereafter, your ash trees can be saved and their appreciating value retained. Good News as I thought there was no hope for ash trees and the over 400 species of insects and other creatures besides ourselves who need them for their livlihood. Powell Gardens will be spreading the word of what local communities and landowners should do as part of The Sentinel Plant Network that APGA and the United States Department of Agriculture have set up to monitor and advise about threatening pests and diseases.</div>
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Just remember from tiny acorns mighty oak trees grow. This is one of our seedling sof the extirpated (locally extinct) Arkansas population of Bigleaf Magnolia (<em>Magnolia macrophylla</em>). Powell Gardens was given 5 seedlings of these important trees by Dick Figlar as part of our North American Plant Collection Consortium Magnolia collection where part of Powell Gardens' responsibility is to preserve and protect the native magnolias found west of the Mississippi in Missouri, Arkansas and Oklahoma. These magnolias were once found on Crowley's Ridge just 8 miles south of the Missouri border and their importance is that as the western most population by many, many miles; they probably offer improved drought resistance. Bigleaf magnolia has the largest leaf of any North American tree and takes about 15 years to bloom. Some day this tree will really inspire visitors with its 3 foot leaves and 12 inch fragrant blossoms! How does one assign a value to the beauty of trees? I hope you all are inspired to visit Powell Gardens and its extensive collection of trees and to plant a tree yourself for their appreciating dollar value AND for their value beyond human currency designations. </div>Kansas City's botanical gardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01699299098359342195noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5687454930781859644.post-17324947491721201212012-06-15T12:57:00.000-05:002012-06-15T12:57:28.322-05:00The Garden in MidsummerIt's hard to believe that the summer solstice will be upon us next week! The phenomenal long days of midsummer are a delight to us in northern climates and the weather has been simply spectacular. The gardens are verdant green and productive in both beauty and produce. Here's a view of some of Powell Garden's midsummer delights.<br />
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Shade trees cloaked in foliage are the prime player in the midsummer landscape as they cool us from the sun's most intense rays at this season. This image is from along the Dogwood Walk, just before its hairpin curve to the Island Garden. The huge double oak on the left is a Shingle Oak (<em>Quercus imbricaria</em> and actually the largest one on the site) while the tree on the right is a Swamp White Oak (<em>Quercus bicolor</em>). Swamp White Oaks are the trees that shade the new 9-11 Memorial at the Twin Towers site in New York. Both these trees are native, original trees to Powell Gardens and make fine shade trees for gardeners. Note the giant honeycomb which is the <em>Fairy Wings</em> fairy house.<br />
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I just submitted this image to show our renown Magnolia Collection during the American Public Gardens National meeting in Columbus, Ohio next week. It shows the Southern Magnolias (<em>Magnolia grandiflora</em>) and Sweetbay Magnolias (<em>M. virginiana</em>) that grace the Visitor Center. The Southern Magnolias are blooming now with their huge, fragrant white "classic" magnolia flowers.<br />
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Here's a photo of the 'Poconos' Southern Magnolia -- a very hardy selection found growing successfully in the Poconos region of eastern Pennsylvania. Our plant is on the southeast corner of the Visitor Center and can be seen from terraces as well as from the Dogwood Walk below.<br />
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The Perennial Garden is really starting to billow with the color of daylilies and other perennials set amid ornamental grasses and a framework of shrubs and trees. Her Queen-of-the-Prairie (center left <em>Filipendula rubra</em>) blooms with pink cotton candy-like flowers on 5 foot stems! To its right is a pink-flowering daylily while mid right is the billowing airy new seedheads of 'Wind Dancer' grass (<em>Eragrostis elliotii</em>).<br />
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The Rock and Waterfall Garden is a shady respite during a summertime visit to Powell Gardens. This year there is an unprecedented display of hydrangeas thanks to the mild winter and frost-free spring that otherwise damages the spring buds of the Bigleaf Hydrangeas (<em>Hydrangea macrophylla</em>) cultivars.</div>
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The Island Garden is a wealth of exuberant colorful flowers and unique textures. The waterlilies are already in bloom! Note the fort Skeleton Island in the background.</div>
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Watch for our attention grabbing male Red-winged Blackbird (aka "Fabio") as he bathes in the spring pool and preens afterwards atop the boulders seeming to egg on visitors to photograph him. Now that it is the breeding season he shows off his brilliant red shoulder epaulets.</div>
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The Conifer Garden on the north end of the Visitor Center is a fine example of the use of plants for their colorful and unique FOLIAGE textures.</div>
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The wheat was harvested in the Heartland Harvest Garden so come visit to learn about the process of how it becomes bread! Gardener Bob Glinn cut the wheat with an old fashioned scythe.</div>
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And the peaches continue to ripen so check Refresh snack shop in the barn for any that may be for sale. I bought a delicious bag of 'Early White Giant' from the garden yesterday and I'm sure glad I ate the first one over my kitchen sink.</div>
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So come explore the beauty and bounty of the midsummer gardens of Powell Gardens. Don't forget to explore the Fairy Houses and Forts, and spend the whole day strolling through the scenery from the Perennial Garden to the Heartland Harvest Garden. It will be an enchanting adventure.</div>Kansas City's botanical gardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01699299098359342195noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5687454930781859644.post-59798311445496446342012-05-31T14:11:00.000-05:002012-05-31T14:11:33.693-05:00Summer's Early Start<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">
The warmest spring in history has brought about the earliest flowering and fruiting ever recorded for many plants at Powell Gardens. Meteorological "Summer" begins on June 1st and a visit to the gardens now will reveal some shocking plants at their prime nearly a month ahead of "normal" schedules. The pulsing buzz of the dog day or scissor-grinder cicada can already be heard -- normally a sound of the Dog Days of summer.</div>
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Peaches ripe in May? Yep, that's a first and what a welcome to summer's early start at Powell Gardens! These are <strong>'Harrow Diamond' Peaches</strong> from Canada and have proven a hardy, flavorful and EARLY variety for our region. Try a taste of fresh peaches at the Heartland Harvest Garden's tasting station and check at Refresh-- the snack shop at the Missouri Barn to see if any are for sale to take home too.</div>
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Apples are showing surprising sizes already too. Here are some <strong>'Yellow Transparent' Apples</strong> in the Quilt Gardens. 'Lodi' is our earliest apple in the Heartland Harvest Garden and I can see it will be ripe and ready for fresh baked good in just a couple weeks!</div>
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These are not raspberries but ripening <strong>Blackberries</strong> -- usually a fruit of much later, it won't be long until these are ready for picking (they turn black when ripe). The abundance of berries in the garden is astounding after our mildest winter AND spring on record.<br />
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Ripe <strong>winter wheat</strong> in the Old Missouri Quilt Garden is also a first for this early. Here's your chance to see this beautiful grass up close and be sure to see its contrasting color enhancing the quilt pattern of the garden when viewed from the Silo's observation deck.<br />
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The flouncy puff balls of the <strong>Annabelle hydrangea's</strong> flowers are making their change from lime to cream and white so are at their peak of beauty in the garden. Normally a flower of midsummer they are a sight to savor now on the Island Garden.<br />
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Come sit a spell on the Island Garden and find yourself ensconced in flowers in all shapes and sizes from little cuties on the living wall to the waterlilies in the pools and of course be among the gorgeous hydrangeas.<br />
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The <strong>Hardy Mimosas</strong> (<em>Albizzia julibrissin</em> var. <em>rosea</em> 'E.H. Wilson') are also in bloom with their powder puff flowers of vibrant pink. Hummingbirds and butterflies love these lightly fragrant flowers and they can be seen north of the Visitor Center.<br />
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<strong>Butterfly Bushes</strong> (<em>Buddleia davidii</em>) have reached unprecedented sizes of 8 feet tall and 8 feet wide and are in FULL bloom already. Watch for our flying flowers (butterflies) imbibing nectar from their wonderfully fragrant flowers throughout the gardens.<br />
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I was shocked to see the <strong>Rose-of-Sharons</strong> (<em>Hibiscus syriacus</em>) are already in bloom too. This is the cultivar 'Bluebird' besides the Heartland Harvest Garden's Seed-to-Plate Greenhouse. These flowers ARE edible and make a spectacular garnish to a summer plate or salad.<br />
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So come and savor the new summer season at Powell Gardens. Even the <strong>Fountain Garden</strong> is already a favorite stop by our young visitors as a place to cool off and get wet after an adventure to experience all the Fairy Houses and Forts.<br />
<br />Kansas City's botanical gardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01699299098359342195noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5687454930781859644.post-48062113755905958102012-05-24T13:36:00.004-05:002012-05-24T14:14:39.201-05:00Improving Heirloom TomatoesImproving on tomatoes? Well, sort of! Those who love tomatoes know that the heirloom varieties have the best flavors and an assortment of colors, shapes and textures. Unfortunately most of the varieties are not known for their ease of cultivation when it comes to plant vigor and disease resistance. Tough tomato varieties that are vigorous and disease free usually lack great fruit so why not combine them both? How to do that: GRAFTING.<br />
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Staff from the Greenhouses and Heartland Harvest Garden assembled on this overcast day in the Heartland Harvest Garden's Seed to Plate Greenhouse to graft tomatoes today. A "perfect" day for grafting!<br />
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Heartland Harvest Garden Intern, Marisa Algaier from Missouri State University (left) and Greenhouse Intern, Anne Peterson from University of Central Missouri (right) were our grafters.<br />
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I realized I didn't get a shot of the tool used to make the cuts between the tough 'Colossus' and 'Maxifort' tomatoes as understock (the roots!) and the scions of the fussy heirloom tomatoes you want to grow on those roots. The tool is called a Topgrafter and it makes precision cuts so that success in grafting is improved from 50% to 90%. A dozen varieties of heirloom tomatoes were selected for grafting onto the two types of understock including: 'Cherokee Purple', 'Flame', 'Long Tom', 'Pink Brandywine', 'Prudence Purple', and 'Wapsipinicon Peach.'<br />
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Greenhouse Horticulturist Donna Covell (left) and Heartland Harvest Gardener Claire Zimmerman (right) teamed up to tape together the understock and the scions to create the grafted tomatoes.<br />
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Parafilm "M" is used as the tape to secure the graft union. It stretches and sticks to itself to create a tight bond which is critical so that the two tomatoes grow back together.<br />
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Here's a photo of the actual taping process. Gloves are used as you want to keep everything clean and pathogen free.<br />
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Greenhouse Gardener Kellyn Register then staked the newly grafted tomatoes -- this is necessary just like a brace is for healing a broken bone.<br />
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Nursery tape was used to secure the newly grafted plant to its bracing plant stake.</div>
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Heartland Harvest Garden Horticulturist Matt Bunch placed each newly grafted plant into our homemade "Healing Chamber" where plants will recover and hopefully begin to grow together as a new grafted plant -- hardy roots and tops that will produce heirloom fruit!</div>
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Stop by the Seed to Plate Greenhouse and see our Healing Chamber and watch how our grafted tomatoes grow.</div>
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<br /></div>Kansas City's botanical gardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01699299098359342195noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5687454930781859644.post-14225730093153792632012-05-23T10:06:00.000-05:002012-05-24T09:39:52.269-05:00Oh What a Season (Spring 2012 that is!)Little did we know that the cold morning (24F) of March 6, 2012 would be the last freeze of winter and that day would begin the 2012 Growing Season. Winter's coldest low of +6F at our cold spot (+10F around the Visitor Center terraces) would mean our winter was more like the Red River Valley between Texas and Oklahoma! Redbuds, our harbinger native tree of real spring would bloom 3-4 weeks earlier than normal too. For the last frost to be almost 6 weeks earlier than normal is unprecedented -- the winter low the second mildest, though the overall average winter temperature was the mildest ever. A mere 3" of snow a record low amount too.<br />
<img height="257" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7204/7024414307_ac4e2f4d44_b.jpg" width="400" /><br />
Redbuds in full flower lined the walks to the Visitor Center in March rather than April this year.<br />
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Gardeners were worried we'd have another "Easter Freeze" like in 2007 and we didn't. The spring flowers and the springtime weather have been absolutely beautiful and one to remember. This anomaly is so off the charts we can't use it for any record keeping of bloom time or dates of when to plant or when to hold events -- we will still use overall statistics!<br />
<img height="339" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7184/6993505952_5aa62fbf5d_b.jpg" width="400" /><br />
Catalpas (<em>Catalpa speciosa</em> shown), a flower of June, began to bloom the last week of April!<br />
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So what does all this mean for gardeners? My words are from long-time area gardener Jane Overisch: <strong><em>enjoy every day of it</em>!</strong> Literally it will mean our first crop of spring figs fresh from the garden (the figs didn't die back to the ground this year for the first time ever). Crape Myrtles will bloom extra early and reach tree size and of course many of our fall annuals lived through the winter and bloomed up a storm of beautiful colors: pansies, snapdragons, cabbages, kale and even lettuce survived the winter.<br />
<img height="300" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7223/6893125462_d3866f7490_b.jpg" width="400" /><br />
The SOPP tour ended at the Perennial Garden Arbor to enjoy the unprecedented full bloom of the wisterias.<br />
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On the Nature side of things the early emergence and flowering of plants corresponded with the earliest dates of observing most species of butterflies, moths and other insects. Plants and insects emerge based on the temperature. Oddly enough all our summertime birds that spend the winter in the tropics didn't get the message and migrated back as they always do based on day length. Violent weather to the south held them up and they actually were late. The 1,000's of missing migrant birds meant the insects had a field day as they are normally fuel for the countless migrating birds. When the birds finally got here they were well fed with more insects than ever and hardly visited bird feeders at all. No orioles at my grape jelly and oranges for the first time ever.<br />
<img height="300" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7075/7234573522_4fbb2861ec_b.jpg" width="400" /><br />
I photographed this<strong> Queen</strong> (tropical relative of the Monarch butterfly) nectaring on a Purple Milkweed on the Byron Shutz Nature Trail on Sunday. This is only the FOURTH record of this butterfly in Missouri EVER. We expect to see more tropical vagrant butterflies this long season following a mild winter.<br />
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So will the summer season be full of pests? Nature has checks and balances and I know it will all even out in the end. The lack of rain is now starting to grind on us gardeners and beginning to stress plants as well. The USDA has predicted average rainfall and temperatures for the summer with growing drought to our north and southwest but I haven't seen any recent updates and hope their predictions will still come true. Gardeners are the ultimate optimists!<br />
<img height="300" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7238/7249230986_f8429af8e0_b.jpg" width="400" /><br />
The greenhouses are filled with plants for the coming season: here a peek at the containers put together for the Under A Blue Moon Rare Plant Auction fundraiser coming up next month.<br />
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The apple, pear and peach crops look great -- cherries for some reason are not fruitful (they bloomed beautifully at least). Strawberry season was a month early and already over while the blueberries are ripe NOW! Daylilies are beginning to bloom and we hope they still will be at Booms and Blooms on June 30th. Some gardeners have picked their first ripe tomatoes though we waited to plant ours outside.<br />
<img height="300" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8016/7251018408_e16f953b44_b.jpg" width="400" /><br />
The already ripe Red Currants hang like jewels from their shrubs in the Heartland Harvest Garden.<br />
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The Fairy Houses and Forts display at Powell Gardens is up and delighting children and visitors of all ages to walk through the gardens and have an enchanting adventure. Mother Nature has helped create a stage for us gardeners for a spectacular season. Don't miss out on the unprecedented beauty, bounty and spectacular weather in the gardens of 2012.<br />
<img height="300" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8160/7243707598_d19641f0ab_b.jpg" width="400" /><br />
A view of Star Tetrahedron in the Powell Gardens twilight during the Friday evening opening of the Fairy Houses and Forts an Enchanting Adventure at Powell Gardens.<br />
<br />Kansas City's botanical gardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01699299098359342195noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5687454930781859644.post-59291556817538270422012-04-13T09:20:00.001-05:002012-04-13T09:20:12.488-05:00Colors & Textures of Spring!Though the calendar says mid-April the gardens have a decidedly May look to them with mid-spring flowers in full bloom and rich springy foliage bursting forth all around. This is the season when shade gardens are at their peak and a visit to Powell Gardens' Rock & Waterfall Garden is an annual ritual to see the azaleas and the full cacophony of springtime colors and textures.<br />
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Here's a view from the south bridge in the Rock & Waterfall Garden with the large and luxurious leaves of Ashe Magnolia (<em>Magnolia ashei</em>) in the foreground with flowering azaleas and colorful foliage beyond. It is the epitome of a shade garden this time of year.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXMfnstFKMTO-NFpgjnIwsvuIZ98U6CkrRF0x6WfIApWWvK1N18MEudHziOJm4vnK-64GGSlD4O48JExsE2DbpReOWY0CTz3MU5Iq53cbTVOGcXgewKz-RvvwxW3cLNZkG3fSqoTLI9pw/s1600/2012-04-12+Fringetrees.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" qda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXMfnstFKMTO-NFpgjnIwsvuIZ98U6CkrRF0x6WfIApWWvK1N18MEudHziOJm4vnK-64GGSlD4O48JExsE2DbpReOWY0CTz3MU5Iq53cbTVOGcXgewKz-RvvwxW3cLNZkG3fSqoTLI9pw/s400/2012-04-12+Fringetrees.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<strong>Fringetrees </strong>(<em>Chionanthus virginicus</em>) are almost in peak bloom (pure white in full bloom) and grace the north entrance to the Rock & Waterfall Garden. This Missouri native huge shrub/small tree is related to lilacs and a perennial hit of Visitors when it is in bloom. It was a favorite of Thomas Jefferson and has an alternate name "Grancy Gray Beard." <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJltG1rgGMAihReseClQZVj7FdgxSnLqbgc2-XK55ujQAuanPTx3lGMU4XnVqL36HFw-aBatmcdj8qTS2IZKlFaq_WGvS44Ectmej4YwLDMJzC_KHwux4DbDuDQ_p_EwvLHM9EEncgD7o/s1600/2012-04-12+Fringetree,+Chinese+flwrs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" qda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJltG1rgGMAihReseClQZVj7FdgxSnLqbgc2-XK55ujQAuanPTx3lGMU4XnVqL36HFw-aBatmcdj8qTS2IZKlFaq_WGvS44Ectmej4YwLDMJzC_KHwux4DbDuDQ_p_EwvLHM9EEncgD7o/s400/2012-04-12+Fringetree,+Chinese+flwrs.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Here are the flowers of <strong>Chinese Fringetree</strong> (<em>Chionanthus retusus</em>) on the east or trolley stop side of the Rock & Waterfall Garden. Chinese Fringetrees are currently a popular tree though they have not lived up to their billing for us with random flowering. The overall tree is wonderful through the seasons and makes up for the weak bloom.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT_OMrSkBvo2rPMJ6Py1R6SNGyeQxX2UXkfi1Y_QK3q2z6Qd-_PsEl_OFv7SCcQr-_O5v2QSzyaB3GyckMu2F5mqmF1E-8xvidywQ34tIUXvfmWGCkqe7yEUtNpndrl36daDzRuddQCV0/s1600/2012-04-12+Smoketree,+Grace+lvs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="268" qda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT_OMrSkBvo2rPMJ6Py1R6SNGyeQxX2UXkfi1Y_QK3q2z6Qd-_PsEl_OFv7SCcQr-_O5v2QSzyaB3GyckMu2F5mqmF1E-8xvidywQ34tIUXvfmWGCkqe7yEUtNpndrl36daDzRuddQCV0/s400/2012-04-12+Smoketree,+Grace+lvs.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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This is the gorgeous spring foliage of <strong>'Grace' Smoketree</strong> (<em>Cotinus obovatus</em> x <em>C. coggygria</em>) found just south of the Chinese Fringetrees near the Rock & Waterfall Trolley Stop. This hybrid of the native Smoketree has simply spectacular spring foliage sure to get attention. You can see it is also in bloom, not showy now but the feathery seeds give it a smoky appearance later in the season.]</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjShkmC3exwwxxLVW_Z3UAsz_0YA28e0i0od_NPaizf8CywQlJAKJf8-bBmvPVEG0d65I_hqfbi5jZxMOOs4z3wQ-BQJ0aUhV2EsA1Zxgd_IbzoNsKLEpaOd8R8xE14iK_hNJHs7o3UeKc/s1600/2012-04-12+Redbud+The+Rising+Sun.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" qda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjShkmC3exwwxxLVW_Z3UAsz_0YA28e0i0od_NPaizf8CywQlJAKJf8-bBmvPVEG0d65I_hqfbi5jZxMOOs4z3wQ-BQJ0aUhV2EsA1Zxgd_IbzoNsKLEpaOd8R8xE14iK_hNJHs7o3UeKc/s400/2012-04-12+Redbud+The+Rising+Sun.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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The gorgeous golden new leaves on <strong>The Rising Sun</strong> (TM) <strong>Redbud</strong> (<em>Cercis canadensis</em>) also invite a shockingly, springy look to the garden. This tree is also near Grace Smoketree and the Chinese Fringetrees.</div>
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<strong>Herbert Azalea</strong> provides masses of lavender-purple in several places in the Rock & Waterfall Garden. This is one of the toughest and hardiest evergreen azaleas for our climate.</div>
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If you need an azalea that stays compact try the VIVID and vivacious flowering <strong>Girard Dwarf Lavender Azalea</strong>. We have a nice grouping of this delightful azalea in the Rock & Waterfall Garden.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2V2jXJXbsGdlI-_CziFSswVKE2k_xpsNPDGR1r0OIGpYGgRPFjKgIk6FvIul3lm_etpb4Jl0TictK-i6kytxRRbhZ1Uz8htJlUOeozd_yUi-BXdpLO4F8uIogP-4_RoLWW6xuBQb-QUA/s1600/2012-04-12+Azalea+Pride's+Pink+flwrs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="237" qda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2V2jXJXbsGdlI-_CziFSswVKE2k_xpsNPDGR1r0OIGpYGgRPFjKgIk6FvIul3lm_etpb4Jl0TictK-i6kytxRRbhZ1Uz8htJlUOeozd_yUi-BXdpLO4F8uIogP-4_RoLWW6xuBQb-QUA/s400/2012-04-12+Azalea+Pride's+Pink+flwrs.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<strong>Pride's Pink Azalea</strong> is one of the finest for pure pink in our zone but very difficult to procure. We received this azalea from the former Roslyn Azalea Nursery on Long Island. Our plant can be seen on the walkway to the Upper Deck of the Rock & Waterfall Garden.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaBH3HurklFD03797kf1p-jpoGJ8mP8ENWnazFyrj-A5uGyRrRSum-syhPBKb75Fd2fHDbKBoySq7YUHek1lJZi5MZtTY8agyMQwNLoWgAG6d6E6WF05PjaFr6jgFmde0cNBKKeOj5K-4/s1600/2012-04-12+Azalea+unknown.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" qda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaBH3HurklFD03797kf1p-jpoGJ8mP8ENWnazFyrj-A5uGyRrRSum-syhPBKb75Fd2fHDbKBoySq7YUHek1lJZi5MZtTY8agyMQwNLoWgAG6d6E6WF05PjaFr6jgFmde0cNBKKeOj5K-4/s400/2012-04-12+Azalea+unknown.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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This lovely pale pink azalea is an unknown cultivar! Yes, even botanical gardens receive plants that are mis-labeled and this group of azaleas in Verly's Grove seating area along the upper walk in the Rock & Waterfall Garden was bought as Compact Korean Azaleas which they are not. There are 1,000's of varieties of azaleas and it is sometimes very difficult to tell the various named varieties apart. This may be the cultivar 'Watchet.'</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM0P2oBmEM4dxWQVXDSHScbsd4tPGCQiiL80x3FLKt2CSvF3HOSybNUPqECuCOp5dIjLyn38GYiecBadNzIbSbqSEueVVrf8p4CkcGvmgTHS07RBm1vtBJMHrXHBJ9IuvUK7ObpSMZ3IA/s1600/2012-04-12+Azalea+Golden+Lights+flwrs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="237" qda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM0P2oBmEM4dxWQVXDSHScbsd4tPGCQiiL80x3FLKt2CSvF3HOSybNUPqECuCOp5dIjLyn38GYiecBadNzIbSbqSEueVVrf8p4CkcGvmgTHS07RBm1vtBJMHrXHBJ9IuvUK7ObpSMZ3IA/s400/2012-04-12+Azalea+Golden+Lights+flwrs.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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The deciduous "Lights Series" azaleas bred in Minnesota are another good group of azaleas for our zone and come in many warm colors. This is 'Golden Lights' Azalea near the south bridge of the Rock & Waterfall Garden and it has a wonderful aroma too.<br />
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Most flowers of spring are not so showy but are lovely none-the-less like the green yellow puffs of flowers on this <strong>Trident Maple</strong> (<em>Acer buergeranum</em>) between the Rock & Waterfall and Perennial Garden. These wonderful yellow-greens and chartreuse of spring really make the season and provide a perfect compliment to the many vivid pinks, lavenders and purple flowers of the season.</div>
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<strong>Japanese Roof Iris</strong> (<em>Iris tectorum</em>) is a great iris for the shade garden with a very showy blooms. Look for it around the donor plaque of the Rock & Waterfall Garden.<br />
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Missouri's state flower, the hawthorn is in bloom on the north side of the Rock & Waterfall Garden. This small wild tree blooming between fringetrees is the <strong>Frosted Hawthorn</strong> (<em>Crataegus pruinosa</em>) with pure white flowers and red fruit that appear "frosted" with a waxy coating.<br />
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So walk the paths of the Rock & Waterfall Garden this weekend and make some wonderful floral discoveries of your own and take in the spectacular colors and textures of the season.</div>
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Also be sure and visit our rare <strong>Wollemi Pine</strong> (<em>Wollemia nobilis</em>) on display in the Conservatory. This living fossil was found in 1994 in Australia and the above beautiful specimen tree was donated to Powell Gardens by nationally renowned Iseli Nursery.</div>Kansas City's botanical gardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01699299098359342195noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5687454930781859644.post-69387005153698271922012-04-05T11:02:00.001-05:002012-04-05T11:04:56.047-05:00Easter Floral Treats at Powell GardensSpring has returned to Powell Gardens much to the delight of gardeners who can now play catch up with such a phenomenally early spring (caused by a few weeks that felt like summer!). Enjoy the predicted seasonal temperatures in the 60's while they last! It also makes the flowers last much longer and plants at Powell Gardens are showing a glorious array of flowers and fresh green foliage perfect for an Easter-time stroll.<br />
<img height="300" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7215/6901839278_070aca93c6_b.jpg" width="400" /><br />
The Visitor Center's terrace garden beds are full of fresh, springtime flowers blooming in colors and patterns worthy of the art world's finest masterpieces. Here Pansies and 'Ruby Perfection' cabbage create a gorgeous composition of cool colors on the South Ramp that leads toward the trolley stop.<br />
<img height="300" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7265/6901830298_a80f4bd7bd_b.jpg" width="400" /><br />
Most of our Kales are in full bloom! They were planted last fall and survived the winter and have bolted into gorgeous bloom. The flower buds taste delicious too: like a broccoli with a touch of honey (the flowers own nectar). This is <strong>'Winterboor' Kale</strong> near the entrance to the Heartland Harvest Garden's Menu Garden.<br />
<img height="300" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7040/7047902207_8a210984fa_b.jpg" width="400" /><br />
It's hard to believe how early the lilacs are flowering this year! Here's the lovely cultivar <strong>'Wonderblue' </strong>which is a<strong> classic lilac</strong> (<em>Syringa vulgaris</em>) with a fragrance we all love. This lilac is part of the blue and yellow color scheme to the Menu Garden -- a lilac in an edible garden? You bet, edible flowers though they tasted best when they first opened and are now a bit bitter.<br />
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Peonies are another "May" classic garden flower already in bloom. This is a <strong>Tree Peony</strong> but some of the early herbaceous varieties are also in bloom in the Perennial Garden!<br />
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And YES, even roses in bloom already!!! Here's a Rugosa Rose (<em>Rosa rugosa</em>) in bloom in Heartland Harvest Garden's Apple Celebration Court. The scent of these old fashioned roses brings me back to childhood memories in Iowa.<br />
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Some of our plants' flowers get no respect! Look at these -- yes, the gold and pink in this picture are conifer flowers. This <strong>Tanyosho Pine</strong> (<em>Pinus desiflora</em> 'Umbraculifera') is in bloom in the Conifer Garden north of the Visitor Center. The golden yellow are the male pollen cones and the pink tips to the new growth "candles" are the female cones which will mature into more familiar pine cones.<br />
<img height="300" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7108/7045382817_fa2bb98340_b.jpg" width="400" /><br />
Missouri's state tree started blooming in March this year and the beautiful bracts surrounding the tiny flowers should hold through the weekend. Dogwood blossoms might be the most beloved flower of springtime in Missouri and are putting on a wonderful show at Powell Garden this year. This is the cultivar 'Cherokee Brave' which is a super pink-flowering selection.<br />
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Nope, not Gardenia but the lovely, <strong>'Springtime Double' Dogwood</strong> (<em>Cornus florida</em> 'Springtime Double') in bloom. Look for this gem along the Dogwood Walk just before its hairpin curve around the Swamp White Oaks.<br />
<img height="254" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7262/6896597350_252a5ca535_b.jpg" width="400" /><br />
The <strong>Weeping Dogwood</strong> (<em>Cornus florida</em> 'Pendula') has the oddest, pendant flowers, many of which look like Chinese lanterns. We do not recommend this dogwood because it just doesn't look right after its leaves emerge (it always looks dry or impacted by herbicides!) but does look nice in the winter landscape.<br />
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The Azaleas are starting to set the woodlands ablaze in the Rock & Waterfall Garden (usually the last week of April or first of May). Here a mass of fiery scarlet <strong>'Stewartsonian' Azaleas</strong> light up the garden.<br />
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The <strong>Yodogawa Azalea</strong> (<em>Rhododendron yedoense</em>) is in bloom with its double purple flowers -- this was the favorite of the late Andy Klapis who donated the original masses of azaleas in the Rock & Waterfall Garden. His spirit lives on with me every time I see these beautiful shrubs in bloom. The Korean Azalea is the wild form of this azalea but it has a varietal name because the Yodogawa Azalea was described by Western Science before the wild Korean Azalea. Japanese Gardeners have known and grown this beauty for centuries.<br />
<img height="254" src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5113/6899256244_f19de8be2c_b.jpg" width="400" /><br />
We have just a few American native Azaleas but they have an awesome fragrance and delightful and exquisite forms (though are not so overall colorful as the Asian azaleas): here's a selection of the Piedmont Azalea (<em>Rhododendron canescens</em> 'Varnadoe's Phlox Pink' growing along the path in the Rock & Waterfall Garden.<br />
<img height="400" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7078/6901820606_bcf08fdf94_b.jpg" width="300" /><br />
Like a purple snow, the Oriental wisterias currently adorning the Perennial Garden arbor are beginning to fall. This is the <strong>Texas Purple Wisteria</strong> (<em>Wisteria sinensis</em> 'Texas Purple') which should have some flowers holding through the weekend. I could run this blog with many, many more images of the current floral display at Powell Gardens -- currently in bloom with mid-late spring flowers throughout the grounds. Come walk the gardens and enjoy these springtime treasures and experience our benevolent spring.Kansas City's botanical gardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01699299098359342195noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5687454930781859644.post-20839078282386183122012-03-29T12:43:00.002-05:002012-03-29T15:35:26.541-05:00Reflecting on RedbudsThe native Eastern Redbuds (<em>Cercis canadensis</em>) began blooming at Powell Gardens on March 19, 2012 and have held well through March 28th and into today. They usually begin peak bloom around April 10th at Powell Gardens so this was an early event this year and it has been spectacular! Redbuds reflect our spirit of place better than any other flowering tree as they are native to our site. Redbuds in flower hold well in our edge of the Great Plains location being wind and frost resistant as well as lasting for at least 10 days even in warm weather -- way longer than any crabapple, serviceberry and most other flowering trees.<br />
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Here's a panorama looking towards the Visitor Center from the road between the parking lots. The redbuds and whitebuds (<em>Cercis canadensis</em> 'Alba') are really putting on a show!<br />
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The walk from the parking lot to the Visitor Center is lined with Redbuds and Whitebuds -- someday it should create a tunnel-like experience, shading visitors as they walk from the parking lot to the building.<br />
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Redbuds look beautiful when growing like they would in nature: in masses at the edge of a woods. Their flower color is the perfect compliment for the yellow-greens of new foliage and less showy flowering trees like the tall Black Oak (<em>Quercus velutina</em>) blooming in this scene. Look for this composition between the Rock & Waterfall and Perennial Gardens.<br />
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Redbud's flower color actually is a blue-pink and looks fabulous against a blue sky and the perfect compliment for yellow-greens like the pin oak (<em>Quercus palustris</em>) on the right side of this image. Blue flowering plants also look beautiful beneath redbuds including native wildflowers like Virginia bluebells, Jacob's Ladder, Woodland Phlox, Butterfly Violets, and Crested Iris.<br />
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Flowering Crabapples (<em>Malus </em>cultivars) were also in bloom this week and this picture from the Perennial Garden shows: from left to right, a red-flowering 'American Masterpiece' crabapple, then a white 'Donald Wyman' crabapple and then a Redbud blooming beyond. Redbuds unique color CLASHES with red-flowering crabapples and pink or red-flowering dogwoods. Plant a white-flowering one to transition between these colors. Redbuds also clash with orange and red brick so be mindful of your landscape use of redbuds!<br />
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Redbuds go well with all colors of lilacs like this Mount Baker lilac (<em>Syringa </em>x <em>hyacinthiflora</em>) in white but blue or purple-flowering lilacs make beautiful compositions with redbuds.<br />
<img height="400" src="http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6048/6875796758_accf4b6a02_b.jpg" width="303" /><br />
Sunsation Magnolia is a later blooming "yellow" flowering magnolia. I think it is one of my favorites for its complex colors from lime to pink with various shades of yellow. It works exceedingly well in a planting with redbuds. Look for Sunsation Magnolia beside the Visitor Center trolley stop.<br />
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Here's and 'Oklahoma' Redbud (<em>Cercis reniformis</em> or <em>C. canadensis</em> var.<em> texensis</em>) which blooms a bit later with rosier colored flowers. Oklahoma Redbud was selected from the Arbuckle Mountains of Oklahoma and is exceedingly heat and drought tolerant with much more lustrous leaves than a typical redbud. This species or variety is found wild in Southern Oklahoma through Texas but is hardy here.<br />
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The Chapel's fountain (and the whole Chapel landscape) contains some of our best displays of Redbuds. Most of the Redbuds around the Chapel are Whitebuds (<em>Cercis canadensis</em> 'Alba') which is a cultivar that was originally found in the wild in Missouri. There is a newer cultivar 'Royal White' that is a bit hardier found in Illinois. It is hard to tell the two cultivars apart!<br />
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This photo is not touched up! It's Tennessee Pink Redbud growing on the walk to the Chapel. This redbud has cherry pink flowers and was a real stunner this spring. Appalachian Red is another cultivar with zippy, almost red-pink flowers.<br />
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This pinker Redbud is the older cultivar 'Rubye Atkinson' and is missing the blue overtone typical of redbuds. Look for this tree over near the Chapel Walk.<br />
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This pearly-pink Redbud is the cultivar 'Pauline Lily' and is a lovely, softest pink. Look for this tree near the Chapel trolley stop.<br />
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The redbud flowers are currently waning but some are still in lovely flower. (The picture is from the Chapel trolley stop looking towards the woodland walk to the Chapel.) The Flowering Dogwoods will open fully this weekend as will our Oriental wisterias on the Arbor in the Perennial Garden. Make sure to walk the Dogwood Walk from the Visitor Center to the Island Garden and over to the lakeside arbor in the Perennial Garden as it is rare for our wisterias to be so completely loaded with their purple, pendant and exceedingly fragrant blooms. Come celebrate the beauty of our landscape filled with spring-flowering trees!<br />
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<br />Kansas City's botanical gardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01699299098359342195noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5687454930781859644.post-28333906372201049492012-03-21T10:39:00.000-05:002012-03-21T10:39:15.210-05:00A Peachy Keen LandscapeThe Powell Gardens' landscape will near its peak of spring this weekend, the earliest since 1987 from gardener's recollections--certainly the earliest in the 16 springs I have lived here. The Daffodils/Narcissus have been simply spectacular and the early flowering trees have been a breath of fresh springtime colors dancing across the gardens. The Heartland Harvest Garden's peach trees were simply a great joy to witness and we photo documented the entire collection because each variety has flowers that are either showy or not so much. This information is valuable to edible landscapes that want to balance beauty and productivity!<br />
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Here is the Peach Court in the Heartland Harvest Garden with its collection of almost 30 varieties of Peaches (<em>Prunus persica</em> and Nectarines var. <em>nectarina</em>). A few of the best cultivars are repeated on different rootstocks, smaller "semi-dwarf" rootstock closer in on the spiral and on "standard" rootstock where they will grow larger to full size on the outer ring of this garden.<br />
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This a <strong>Stark 'Saturn' Peach</strong> which has some of the showiest, rosy-pink flowers. 17 of the Peach and Nectarine varieties have similar showy, rosy-pink flowers. Saturn Peach is a flat "doughnut" peach from Northern China that does very well in our climate and the peaches are funny looking but delicious!<br />
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Here's a closeup of a <strong>'Stark CrimsonGold' Nectarine</strong> that fits the category of beautiful, showy-flowering peaches and nectarines.<br />
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This is the classic Missouri<strong> 'Redhaven' Peach</strong> which you can see has much smaller, carmine pink flowers that are much less showy in the landscape. We still recommend this variety for its superior peaches but in an edible landscape it looks even better mixed or paired with the showier flowering varieties.<br />
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Here's a closeup of <strong>'Reliance' Peach</strong> which depicts a variety with less showy, carmine pink flowers. I actually split the less showy varieties into two groups: 11 with less showy carmine pink blooms (which included 'Reliance') and 10 varieties with the least showy carmine pink flowers (which included 'Redhaven' above). Most of the hardiest peaches with both extreme cold and frost tolerance have the less showy type flowers but 'Saturn' is an exception to that rule.<br />
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A very few peaches and peach hybrids have beautiful, showy soft pink flowers. This is our<strong> "Wilbur Kephart Indian" Peach,</strong> which is a family heirloom that was brought from Tennessee where Wilbur's forefathers found it growing wild (Wilbur is an 80-something local farmer, historian and Powell Gardens volunteer). Peaches are actually from China but traveled to Europe on the Silk Road, then via the Spaniards to the New World. The Native Americans quickly adopted the plant and spread it northward into Tennessee where it was already growing by the time settlers arrived. Think of the journeys this plant made! <br />
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The "Hardy" Almonds also have this beautiful soft pink bloom. This is the <strong>'Reliable' Almond</strong> (<em>Prunus </em>x <em>amygdalo-persica</em>) which gets its hardiness from peaches as it is actually a peach-almond cross. It does produce dry fuzzy fruit with edible almonds in the pits. DO NOT EAT THE PITS OF REGULAR PEACHES as they are poisonous. True Almonds (<em>Prunus dulcis</em>) have white flowers and we have several new varieties hybridized in Russia that are doing well. Look for both 'Reliable' and 'Hall's Hardy' Almonds in our Vineyard.<br />
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The mid season Magnolias are currently in full bloom throughout the gardens. Here is <strong>Ann Magnolia </strong>in full bloom in the Courtyard on the north side of the Visitor Center with a sculpture by the late Mary Kay Powell on the bench below the Powell Memorial plaque. Ann is one of the "Little Girl" Magnolias bred at the National Arboretum as hybrid crosses between Star and Lily Magnolias in an effort to get the frost resistance of Star Magnolia and the later bloom of Lily Magnolia. The best ones are named and we have 'Betty,' 'Jane,' 'Pinkie' and 'Randy' in other parts of the garden.<br />
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Here are the darkest flowering magnolias currently in bloom at the garden. This is the <strong>'O'Neill' Lily Magnolia</strong> (<em>Magnolia liliiflora</em>) growing by the Visitor Center trolley stop. WOW is it vivid this year and seems to be deeper colored the warmer it is. Most varieties are just the opposite and are paler in warmer weather.<br />
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Look at this spectacular Magnolia blossom! This is a new cultivar called <strong>'Toro' </strong>and is a hybrid with Missouri native Cucumbertree (<em>Magnolia acuminata</em>). It has HUGE flowers and is very hardy through zone 4. Look for Toro Magnolia blooming on the east edge of the Perennial Garden along the path to the Trigg Building.<br />
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<img height="400" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7048/6856700892_fd1daf3bff_b.jpg" width="300" /><br />
Our native woodland wildlfowers are also making their graceful appearance. Linda Williams took this picture of <strong>White Trout-lily</strong> (<em>Erythronium albidum</em>) during the nature hike on Sunday on the Byron Shutz Nature Trail. Actually the best woodland wildflowers are along the first portion of that trail in the oak-hickory woods and include Spring Beauty, Toad Trillium, and Virginia Bluebells. Our showiest native tree is also going to be in full bloom this weekend: REDBUDS!!! They normally bloom about April 10th here but opened on March 19th out here this year. Come see them and all the other floral surprises of spring now in store for you at Powell Gardens.<br />
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Last weekend's tours of the Magnolia collections hit the peak of spring bloom on the early-mid "precocious" (blooming before the leaves) varieties but the mid-season varieties will be in peak flower for this weekend.Kansas City's botanical gardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01699299098359342195noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5687454930781859644.post-32159989084774121232012-03-13T15:04:00.000-05:002012-03-13T15:04:47.134-05:00March MadnessSaturday was an absolutely perfect spring day with crystal blue skies and temperatures in the mid-60's. Sunday brought an all day, soaking rain which we really needed and Monday brought summer and simply an EXPLOSION of flowers. The calendar says mid-March but Mother Nature says its full blown SPRING!!!<br />
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The <strong>Star Magnolias</strong> (<em>Magnolia stellata</em>) are already in full bloom TODAY. They are always my favorite breath of spring with a sweet fragrance so refined and perfect for the season. The symbolize the fresh scents of earth and its rebirth.</div>
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The <strong>Saucer Magnolias</strong> (<em>Magnolia</em> x <em>soulangiana)</em> are also in bloom -- not unprecedented this early but with a forecast of beautiful weather we can rest assure a frost won't harm the flowers. I love the sight of these flowers against an azure sky.</div>
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The rare <strong>Yulan Magnolia</strong> (<em>Magnolia denudata</em> 'Gere') is also in bloom by the conifer garden north of the Visitor Center. This tree is considered one of the first plants ever cultivated for beauty rather than sustenance! What better plant as a precursor to the Heartland Harvest Garden. This cultivar was selected from a cemetery in Urbana, IL for its later flowering as the typical species blooms so early it always gets frosted -- Gere was the family name on the nearest headstone.</div>
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Many of our rarer cultivars of Magnolias are just starting to swell and we predict their flowering will be at peak for the weekend. Friends Members may sign up for a special tour of our nationally recognized collection of Magnolias on Saturday, March 17th. This is <strong>Magnolia 'March til Frost'</strong> which has gorgeous burgundy goblet-shaped flowers in March but it reblooms through the season until fall's frost. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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A visit to Powell Gardens right now will bring on a wonderful "Daffodil Daze" as drifts of 1,000's of naturalized daffodils grace the gardens. This is the north edge of the Rock & Waterfall Garden with <em>Narcissus </em>'Ice Follies' in the foreground and yellow 'Jetfire' in the background.<br />
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<strong><em>Narcissus </em>'Carlton'</strong> is an absolute classic 'Large Cup' daffodil that naturalizes well in our climate -- these in the Perennial Gardens 'Mixed Perennial Border' have been here and thrived for over 20 years. These just opened so the corona or "cup" is orange but it will quickly fade to darker yellow.<br />
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<strong>Narcissus 'Las Vegas'</strong> is a show girl with huge, two-toned flowers of white and yellow. These are in the Rock & Waterfall Garden. <br />
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<strong>Narcissus 'Orangery'</strong> is a phenomenal amber with orange, flouncy corona or "cup" that is vibrant orange. Its only downfall is its heavy flowers nod so it needs to be cut or lifted for the best view.</div>
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<strong>Hellebores</strong> or Lenten Roses (<em>Helleborus </em>x <em>orientalis</em>) are also in full flower from the Island Garden, Rock & Waterfall and Perennial Garden in their shade-loving sites. The streams through the Rock & Waterfall Garden are flowing once again and the Island Garden pools should be up and running by the weekend as well.</div>
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The hybrid <strong>Winter Honeysuckle</strong> (<em>Lonicera </em>x <em>purpusii</em>) is abuzz with honeybees and wafting a lemony aroma that tickles your nose. It is good to see so many honeybees out today -- our wild bees are doing just fine.</div>
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Here's an actual picture of Fabio (Red-winged Blackbird) on the Island Garden. Thank our volunteer David Earls for taking this beautiful image. Fabio and another male Red-wing have set up territory on the Island Garden and are awaiting the pools to be filled and visitors to arrive for them to show off to. The gardens are certainly alive with a madness of new life from fabulous flowers to migrant birds and their accompanying songs. Come out and enjoy this marvelous bounty NOW and let early spring's beauty melt your cares away.</div>Kansas City's botanical gardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01699299098359342195noreply@blogger.com0