WiseAcre Gardens

 Spring is just around the corner, unfortunatley it’s a 400 mile long block. So I’m packing my bags and leaving tomorrow to meet it. I’m headed to Long Island to get my hands dirty, my feet muddy and my soul renewed.  I expect to be gone about a week. But I’ll have to pay a price for running out on old man winter. I’ll miss our 30th Wedding Anniversary on Tuesday.

Yep you got it - April 1

It’s a long story and I’ll try to keep it short. My wife and I lived together for a while and every Sunday her mother would call. And every Sunday she would ask to speak to me and ask when were we going to get married.  When asked once again after a couple months I blurted out “APRIL FIRST!” I didn’t hear a laugh and didn’t push the joke farther. I didn’t realize I started the ball rolling until the next week when once again I was asked to come to the phone. To my surprise plans had already been well under way during the preceeding week. I couldn’t fight the inevitable.

I’m lucky. I’ll never forget our Wedding Anniversary. And this year when I return home the truck will be filled with flowers. They may be a belated gift but my beloved will understand.

 On another note:

Be careful what you wish for. Before I married I always wished to live in a house full of girls. It took a bit of time but I got that wish. We have 3 daughters and I don’t think I’ve ever won a family vote.

I’m hoping spring will follow me home.  I know the rest of you northerners are getting tired of waiting.

Garden Phlox with all it’s varieties and growing habits makes it one of those must have plants in my gardens.  Having a full range of bloom colors doesn’t hurt either. I don’t have a favorite - I want them all. I can only think of two problems with Phlox. One is powdery mildew and quite frankly I’ve quit fighting it. It doesn’t seem to hurt my plants and I’ve become blind to the white coating on the leaves. The other problem I do have my knickers in a bunch over is the deer. They wait until the flowers buds are ready to open before they help themselves to a free meal. 

Phlox paniculata commonly known as Garden Phlox is the backbone in many of my flower beds.  With an average height of 3 - 4 feet I can use it as the backdrop for other perennials. Tucked behind other plants helps to hide that powdery mildew too. 

Newer varieties are becoming shorter all the time. Last year I ran across some at my favorite nursery only a foot tall. The blooms on “Purple Flame” and “White Flame” were very impressive on such small plants. I brought some home to try and I’ll see how well they have wintered over. With early snow and a deep cover of it all winter (still a foot deep now) I don’t have any fears it will not survive.

The photo above is a phlox from my wife’s mother we’ve had nearly 25 years. The “Mutant Bumblebee” is a actually a hawkmoth. My wife caused quite a commotion when she came running into the barn yelling something about a mutant in the garden.

Phlox subulata - creeping phlox is another commonly seen plant in many gardens. This is a low growing plant averaging 4 to 6 inches high. The blooms range in color from white, pink, red, purple and blue and flowers in April - May. Needle like evergreen foliage forms mats that are covered in flowers during bloom time. The plants prefer sun and well drained soil.

My only complaint is they suffer from winter die back in my long cold winters. Spring often finds them looking very ‘ratty’ and at times do not grow back to the last years coverage. The photo above was taken 400 miles south of my home and as you can see they flourish in milder winters. The spread you see was originally 3 small pots planted about 2 feet apart the year before.

Phlox stolonifera - broad leaved creeping phlox.  This is my new love. It has a slow creeping habit and varities bloom in white or shades of lavender-/purple/blue in May. The plant wants sun but prefers some late afternoon shade. The soil should be well drained but never allowed to dry for long periods. Those in the photo only receive a couple hours of early morning sun. During the long hot dry summer days I’ve watered just enough to keep some moisture in the soil. 

I have attempted to grow this on clay based soils that are best decribed as wet. The heavy poorly drained soil was too much for the stolonifera to overcome and they gradually faded away. In another area where the soil was amended with compost and remained dryer they faired better and I have a feeling the acidic soil wasn’t to their taste.