LIVE OAKS GARDEN CLUB August 2014 In The Garden Summer Series Traveling with Jan Lemasters to Akureyri, Iceland My first glimpse of Iceland was miles of lava fields cover with moss or a bit of grass. Not a tree or shrub was in sight. Austere and wet (it rains daily in the summer) came to mind. But as I travel around the island, I began to see enormous field of grass with sheep and horses grazing. Still no trees or shrubs but waterfalls galore. The land of 10,000 waterfalls" would certainly be an appropriate name for Iceland. There were waterfalls of every height and width. On the north central coast of the island is a resort city, Akureyri, which is lush and green with trees and flowers. Our guide said it was his favorite city to visit. The three pictures that follow are the botanical gardens in Akureyri. The colorful blooming flowers are succulents. I've never seen such lovely colors on succulents. We had a nice stop at a one of five flower farms in Iceland. (See the last two pictures.) The owner, a third generation flower farmer, gave an interesting tour. He was growing Gerber daisies, roses and lilies for florists throughout Iceland. He used assorted insects to fight plant diseases and pests. Because the sun shines 22 hours in the day during the summer and only 2 hours during the winter, he developed means of controlling light as well as temperature. It was very labor intensive work. When he showed us his roses, I mentioned to him that I have problems with deer eating mine. He looked at me rather puzzled. "Deer?" he said. "I've never heard of them."
Susan Farrar on the annual tour of gardens and homes in Highlands, North Carolina
Sandra Johanek at the Green Bay, Wisconsin Botanical Garden Butterfly Garden Fairy Garden
Fairy Garden Cottage The Botanical Garden has over 250 varieties of Hostas
In the Garden with Our Members June Sortwell s lovely pond and gardens
June Sortwell s Shade Garden
Sandy Harwood s Garden in Buffalo, New York
Plants in Carole Lyons Garden Papyrus and other bog plants Black-eyed Susan Echinacea Dune Sunflower
Mimosa pudica or sensitive plant This is a ground cover and Carole has it prancing across her drive. Cucumber Plant Tiny baby cucumber in lower left corner Eggplant
One of our newest members, Debi Hayes Dwarf Powderpuff plant purchased at Bok Tower Dwarf Powder-puff Calliandra Haematocephala
Rose Applegate s Lily Plant Airport Trees: Please be sure to check on your tree(s) this summer. Please keep your adopted tree weeded. Live Oaks Garden Club meeting will be September 22, 2014. Put it on your Calendars now.
Notes from the Editor: Summer has just flown by. The dog days of summer are here. I hope that you have enjoyed the summer news letter. I had a lot of fun putting it together and enjoying all the beautiful pictures that you have shared. Please continue to share your pictures. I will share them in the regular Live Oaks Newsletter. Your Live Oaks Board members are looking forward to seeing you at our September meeting. The following is an article on the summer survivors It s official: Summer has arrived and the heat is on. The hot, humid months of June, July and August require tough plants that can tolerate our tropical conditions. When buying plants, make sure they are recommended for summer planting, and then choose between annuals for an immediate impact or perennials for the long haul. Annuals are available at most garden centers. With the right varieties and maintenance, they will provide color from planting until the first frost. Annuals to consider include angelonia, balsam (impatiens balsamina), black-eyed susan (rudbeckia spp.), blue daze (evolvulus glomeratus), celosia, coleus, dahlberg daisy (dyssodia tenuiloba), euphorbia diamond frost, globe amaranth (gomphrena globosa), impatiens, cup flower (nierembergia hippomancia), melampodium, Mexican sunflower (tithonia), New Guinea impatiens, ornamental peppers, mealycup sage (salvia farinacea), milkweed (asclepias spp.), pentas, periwinkle/vinca (catharanthus roseus), moss rose (portulaca spp), spider flower (cleome hassierana), torenia/wishbone flower, wax begonia and zinnia spp. Angelonia is referred to as the summer snap dragon and is on my must-have list for the summer garden. I planted an assortment of Angelonia Serenita plants in the ground and containers several months ago and they have exceeded my expectations. The Serenita series is available in purple, pink, white and raspberry. The pink was awarded the All American Selection flower award for 2014 and has beautiful pink flowers with a darker eye. These plants are so easy to grow, tolerating both our heat and occasional dry spells. Add some organic matter, slow release fertilizer and water when needed and they can be compared to the Energizer bunny that just keeps on performing. Another plus is that these plants require no deadheading. Just avoid planting in wet soils and shade.
Another no-care plant is Diamond Frost, a dainty plant reaching 12 to 18 inches tall covered with small white flowers similar to baby s breath. They are in the Euphorbiaceae family, so are related to poinsettias. They are somewhat drought tolerant and will sometimes make it through the winter if tucked away in a protected area. As long as the soil is not too wet, they will bloom all year. Try pairing with a leftover poinsettia in a pretty container and you will be rewarded with a nice holiday combo in December. Proven Winners has a verbena series called Superbena that is outperforming others that I have grown. It is available in an assortment of colors, including purple, royale, burgundy, large lilac blue and violet ice. Another low-maintenance annual that is drought tolerant, Superbena has low fertilizer needs and requires no deadheading. Try it as a ground cover, border plant, or spiller for containers. Plants top out at 6 to 12 inches tall. In addition to annuals, there are lots of perennials that provide color from spring through fall. Some of the top performers include beach sunflower (helianthus debilis), butterfly bush (buddleia spp.), bulbine hallmark, bush daisy (euryops pectinatus), blanket flower (gaillardia pulchella), Mexican heather, firebush (hamelia patens), firespike (odontonema cuspidate), hibiscus spp., hydrangea spp., plumbago, salvia spp., shrimp plant and jacobinia (justicia spp.), lantana spp., verbena spp., yellow alder (turnera ulmifolia) and yellow elder (tecoma stans). There are always lots of salvias on the market and most of them thrive during our summers. A couple of newer ones that I am growing are Saucy Red, Saucy Wine and Brazilian Purple. The Saucy series could potentially survive our winters, so may add to our perennial palette. Plants mature at a manageable 2 to 3 feet tall with a matching width. Add organic matter to sandy soils and fertilizer to keep them blooming through the heat. One of the benefits of this new release is that it is sterile and has self-cleaning flowers, so no deadheading or weeding required; my kind of plant! The Brazilian Purple salvia is also attractive, with bright purple flower spikes maxing out at 24 to 30 inches with a similar spread. If you want something a little different, look for Dancing Flame salvia with bright scarlet flowers and variegated foliage. It screams for attention with the lemon lime and dark green foliage topped with scarlet flower spikes. Don t forget plants with colorful foliage to add pizzazz to landscapes. Examples include ornamental sweet potato (ipomoea batatas), Persian shield (strobilanthes dyerianus), caladiums and coleus. Coleus are available in an assortment of color combinations and are great paired with other plants to complement their colors.
Before buying, match the plants to the specific growing conditions: sun, shade, moist, or dry. Globe amaranth, rudbeckia and vinca thrive in full sun, while torenia, hydrangea and cleome prefer morning sun with shade in the heat of the day. Impatiens, coleus, hydrangeas and Blue Daze will require supplemental irrigation when it s dry, whereas bulbine, Diamond Frost, lantana, pentas, verbena and vinca are less needy. For more information on flowering plants, go to edis.ifas.ufl.edu/mg319 for annuals and edis.ifas.ufl.edu/mg035 for perennials. Terry Brite DelValle is a horticulture extension agent with the Duval County Extension Service and the University of Florida/IFAS. Angelonia Saucy Wine Salvia Pentas Blue Daze