The latest dirt from...
Dirty Hands Garden Center!
July/August 2003
"We belong to the ground
It is our power
And we must stay close to it
Or maybe we will get lost."
...Narritjin Maymuru Yirrkala
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Summer Solstice has come and gone, and as hard as it is to believe, the days are actually
getting shorter. Mother Nature has been a bit unpredictable, but it has resulted in a
relatively mild transition from spring to summer, with some pleasant precipitation.
There are still plenty of wonderful plants available for your gardens to extend the colorful
displays of bloom and texture, well into fall.
Because we see them everywhere, we tend to overlook the obvious, at times. Lagerstroemia
indica, more commonly known as
Crape Myrtle, is a favorite in many areas, including ours. It is well-received in many
states, and is one of the "official" trees/shrubs
of Texas. This multiple-trunked, small deciduous flowering tree has blooms that range
in colors from white to pinks, reds, and
purples. It has graced gardens from earliest times and seeds may have been brought to
Europe from the Orient by Marco Polo. It
boasts one of the longest flowering periods, from 60 to 120 days. There are varieties
that grow 30 inches in height, while others
make it to 40 feet! Many types have especially interesting bark that exfoliates, with
age. They may be maintained as distinctively
multi-trunked trees or left alone, to become full and "shrubby". They bloom on new
growth, so should be pruned a bit, in early spring.
Preferring mostly sun and good drainage, they are listed as being hardy to zone 7.
In extremely cold winters, they may die back to the ground.
However, they usually bounce right back. These are among our favorites:
- 'Victor' is a dark red, upright dwarf with good mildew resistance, and yellow fall color. It blooms for about 85 days, and
is the best small red crape myrtle.
- 'Acoma' is a white, spreading, hybrid, reaching 5 to 10 feet in height. It has high mildew resistance, good exfoliating bark,
and has a bloom time of about 90 days. It is a splendid small tree, with distinctive recurrent flowers.
- 'Pink Velour' is a bright pink, with a broad habit, reaching between 10 to 20 feet. It has good mildew resistance, and with
an expected bloom time of 120 days, it is a must-have. Additionally, it has distinctive red foliage, and is patented.
- 'Raspberry Sundae' is another patented variety, with unusual, two-toned flowers of pinkish red, trimmed with white. It is
almost columnar in habit, but has a shorter bloom time of about 60 days.
- 'Dynamite'
is a cherry red upright, hailing 20 feet or more in height. It is a
vigorous grower, patented, with abundant flowers.
Hemerocallis, or "Daylilies", are true heralds of summer. They can be seen along
roadsides and in planters, as well as the beds
of private homes. They prefer sun to partial shade, and are tolerant of various
soil conditions. It is important to keep them
"deadheaded", and cut back after blooming, to encourage reblooming. Our picks include:
- 'Chief's Orange Sparkler', as the name implies, it is a brilliant orange bloom, but also has red banding on its triple petals.
It hits about 28" and is a mid-late bloomer.
- 'Midnight Magic', though classified as a red, is so deep as to appear almost purple. It also hits about 28", has extended bloom
time, and is a tetraploid (a plant that is especially strong and has a high bud count).
- 'Cheek to Cheek' has marvelous, double, clear lemon yellow blooms that reach about 20 inches, mid-season.
It is hard to stop, once we get started, but we must. A visit to Dirty Hands will convince
you of our passion for plants.
We can help you with these, as well as all your gardening needs.
Dust off your sunglasses, grab your umbrella, keep the
sunscreen handy, and come see us!
Folks, please remember to ALWAYS bring plant and bug samples in a plastic bag.
It is very important that everyone be aware of the possibility of contaminating businesses, homeowner properties, and the Earth in general (think of it as a horticultural condom).
THANK YOU!
As always, all information given in the newsletter and on the website in general apply primarily to the zone 7/partial zone 6 regions of Virginia.
There are many new and fabulous things in store for you, at Dirty Hands Garden Center.
We always appreciate your suggestions and opinions. Please feel free to contact us directly
at Dirty Hands Email.
Or, better yet, come see us in person!
Woo-Hoo!
Peace out.
Rock forward.
Newsletter Archive:
As always, if you have questions, please feel free to contact us directly, either through the contact form, or by calling 804-598-8945, or visiting us at 2603 Anderson Hwy., Powhatan, VA. 23139
(This information pertains to the greater Richmond, Va. area and may vary slightly with each locality).
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