Malvaviscus arboreus or Turk’s cap is great under trees to add some colour.

WITH this winter being one of the wettest in the past couple of decades, a question that could be asked is what impact has it had on the plants in the garden?

Well, the rain has been a hassle to the flower and veggie bed and a number of softer foliaged shrubs but on the brighter side of the garden dozens of shrubs are blooming great.

I believe that when planning home gardens, it is always good to look around for those winter-flowering shrubs, ground covers and climbers for future garden colour features to brighten the drabbest time of the year for most gardens.

drive around any town in the region will reveal a floral feast of blooming plants.

Even our western garden enthusiasts can select attractive winter-flowering shrubs to brighten their gardens – like in the medians gardens of Rockhampton where Gazanias scandens has been so successfully used to brighten the streetscape.

Gazanias scandens is available in several colours, and may be planted as a colour mix or as a single colour for greater impact.

In Mackay the evolvulus pilosus, or blue eyes, has been used for a colourful street display. Evolvulus pilosus is a popular species for roadside and other landscaping because of its toughness.

It produces prolific quantities of blue flowers, and there is also a white-flowering form. It does need to be cut well back from time to time so as to keep it looking fresh, compact and healthy.

Another colourful plant that can be used as a ground cover or as a creeper on a fence or trellis is the Clerodendrum splendens or bleeding heart.

Clerodendrum splendens can highlight a garden during this time of the year, where the sprays of red flowers form a flowing splash of colour.

It is not just the ground covering plants that are looking great but even many shrubs are making a floral impact. Shrubs like the Streptosolen jamesonii or orange browallia are also looking impressive.

This evergreen small shrub can grow to 1m high with masses of orange yellow flowers in clusters all over the bush during winter and spring. It likes both sunny and semi-shaded positions.

A shrub that is often overlooked for the garden but can become covered in flowers is the malvaviscus arboreus or Turk’s cap.

Malvaviscus arboreus is a weeping red flowering shrub that is great under trees where you want some colour but will also take hot afternoon sun.

This shrub looks much like a hibiscus whose flowers are ready to open. In fact, the flowers never open much, hence its other common name of sleepy hibiscus.

The Turk’s cap is drought resistant and adaptable to clay, sand, sun, or shade and may take some frost.

Mount Morgan’s floral gift to the world is also looking at its best.

Acacia podalyriifolia, or Mt Morgan silver wattle, is a delightful, fast growing small tree 3-4m x 2-3m with rounded silvery/grey foliage and gold ball-type flowers massed over the plant in winter.

This shrub requires a sunny well-drained position for the best growth.

With showy red pom-pom flowers the Calliandra haematocephlala or red pom pom is not only attractive to look at, it is also very hardy.

The flowers of the Calliandra appear most of the year, though heaviest during July and August. It is a large spreading shrub, growing up to 3m and can be kept trimmed into a small hedge without a lot of effort.

One of my favourite Bottlebrushes is also blooming great at the moment.

The callistemon sp. injune is a semi-weeping shrub with silvery-grey foliage and profusions of pink flowers that fade to white. This bottlebrush will grow to about 3m high and will tolerate quite dry conditions.

It responds to annual fertilising after flowering. Although the plant can be pruned, this can have the effect of destroying the weeping habit.

So this weekend take a drive around your town and you will notice an array of showy flowering plants that might be perfect for your garden.

 

To read more lifestyle stories

Some of the lushest landscapes in a parched Lake County have been assembled piece by piece and will be gone without a trace by the end of the weekend.

But three theme gardens/outdoor living areas open for strolling at the Lake County Fair represent a new direction for the Chicago Flower Garden Show. For the fair, it’s an effort to expand the attractions by blending horticulture with agriculture.

“Inspire, educate and motivate people about gardening, greening and landscaping,” explained Tony Abruscato, owner of Flower Show Productions, which every spring presents its signature indoor show at Navy Pier.

“It’s an opportunity to take an 84-year-old event and keep it relevant and current,” Abruscato said of staging a garden show within the fair, which runs through Sunday at the fairgrounds at Peterson and Midlothian roads in Grayslake.

Visitors enter a wood chip path flanked by fresh sod and pass beneath a pergola to experience this version, spread out next to the goat barn on the west end of the fairgrounds. It is about one-tenth the size of that at Navy Pier, which features 30 garden areas and 150 vendors but likely will be expanded in coming years.

This inaugural showing at the Lake County Fair also offers advice, demonstrations and products. This is the first time the show has been held outdoors and also the first time it has been held during summer.

“It’s really nice and unexpected at the county fair,” Janet Burt of Lake Forest said while toting her kids, Sophia, 9, and Hudson, 6. “I’m always looking for good ideas.”

The plantings are typical Midwestern varieties of flowers, grasses, trees and other vegetation arranged by area designers and builders for maximum effect in and around patios, water features and other allures. Creature comforts, such as a custom-built, Neopolitan-style outdoor pizza oven situated near a raised garden in the “A Family Night Out” themed area are plentiful.

“The idea is you can grow your own herbs on your garden table and take what you like and put that on your pizza,” Abruscato said.

At the “East Meets West” garden, the design is simple and geometric. Basalt columns and large stones flank a pea gravel patio with comfortable seating.

The “Ultimate Staycation” garden is dominated by a cedar gazebo bordered by spruce trees. It features a built-in barbecue and rain collection system.

“It’s a good way to show people what we can do,” said Phil Schleifer of Advantage 1, a landscape and exteriors firm based in Garden Prairie.

Chuck Scordato, proprietor of EZ Clean Coops, shares the space with his custom-made chicken coops and enclosures.

“Over the past few years, it’s been getting quite popular,” he said of a practice that has been debated in several communities. His coop-and-pen combos range from about $1,000 to $1,500 but as with any custom product can be thousands more depending on the request.

And among the landscapers and designers, three master gardeners from the University of Illinois Extension are available to answer questions and give advice. Lately, there have been lots of drought questions, said Mary Ryan, one of the trio of master gardeners on duty Wednesday morning.

“We pretty much tell them to forget their lawns,” she said.

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City Hall Reporter fspielman@suntimes.com

July 26, 2012 5:14PM

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Concert goers fill the south lawn at Lollapalooza Friday, August 5, 2011, at Grant Park in Chicago. | John J. Kim~Sun-Times

Updated: July 27, 2012 2:30AM

The estimated 300,000 music lovers expected to descend on Grant Park next weekend for Lollapalooza will notice more fencing and increased security to prevent gate-crashing, fence- jumping and a repeat of last year’s landscape-trampling debacle.

Bob O’Neill, president of the Grant Park Conservancy, said bushes and flower gardens will be “fenced off,” forcing patrons of America’s largest music festival onto Columbus and Balbo, where the asphalt surfaces can “take a lot of impact.”

Concert-goers will also be on grass. But, they won’t be allowed to cut through bushes or walk through flower gardens, he said.

“If people can find a shorter route by cutting through bushes or gardens, they do it. But, this year, it’ll be much more difficult,” O’Neill said.

“There’ll be much more fencing off of all the areas with sensitive landscaping. Flowers and bushes and things that can get trampled will be protected. Some of the gardens are quite large and those will be completely fenced off. It’ll be very obvious to concert go-ers that landscaping is more protected this year.”

Last year, heavy rains and record crowds combined to cause massive damage that cut off access to large sections of Grant Park for months. The damage required two months to repair. An estimated $1 million in new and tougher turf was installed at the expense of Texas-based C3 Presents, Lollapalooza’s organizer.

This year, an independent third-party will monitor landscaping in Grant Park before and after the concert so there is, what O’Neill called “objectivity and expertise” in assessing the damage and avoiding a situation where, “It’s their word against ours.”

O’Neill said he plans to do a walk-through of Grant Park on Monday and take “before” photographs.

To avoid gate-crashing and fence-jumping that exacerbated damage to the park, O’Neill said concert-goers will notice higher fences at vulnerable locations and a dramatic increase in private security guards.

“There’ll be a much taller fence around the entire festival, particularly where the breaches were,” he said.

“Last year, some people snuck in on the Lake Shore Drive side. They find areas where there are fewer people and fewer witnesses. That’ll be more secure. They’ll have more security, particularly on the east side.”

With an assist from the record drought, O’Neill said he’s confident that last year’s damage can and will be avoided.

“The soil isn’t saturated like it was last year. If it rains, the soil dries out more quickly. The chance of having a lot of rain between now and next weekend are very slim and a lot isn’t predicted,” O’Neill said.

“And there are a lot more precautions being set, much more diligence in auditing the before and after.”

Last year, Lollapalooza drew a record 270,000 music lovers to Grant Park, making it the nation’s largest music festival. This year’s festival — beginning next Friday and running through next Sunday — is expected to draw more than 300,000.

Last spring, the city extended Lollapalooza’s run at Grant Park until 2021 but yanked he giant music festival’s tax-free pass — meaning organizers will have to pay millions more to local governments.

The deal removed the exemption Lollapalooza had been receiving from paying the city and county amusement taxes as well as state liquor taxes.

C3 Presents, Lollapalooza’s organizer, will now pay a minimum of $4.05 million in local taxes this year, up from $2.7 million under the old deal. Officials said that amount will increase to $5.4 million by 2021.

In addition, the Chicago Park District’s shares of ticket sales will grow from 10.25 percent to 11 percent this year, and to 15 percent in 2021. There is a guaranteed minimum payment of $1.5 million, up from $1.1 million in the old deal.

• 

Japanese and Oriental Beetle Trap

The trap is a time, money and energy saver that safely and effectively eradicates large numbers of Japanese and Oriental beetles, sparing yards and gardens from a potential beetle nightmare Schneidmiller says.

Spokane, WA (PRWEB) July 26, 2012

Gardeners are reporting this may be the worst Japanese and Oriental beetle season in years due to the mild winter and warm spring. These destructive beetles invade gardens and lawns, eating leaves, roots and blooms on everything from trees to prized roses and turfgrass while costing homeowners millions in property damage.

Many gardeners have trouble gaining control over the sheer numbers of Japanese Beetles and Oriental beetles and resort to picking them off by hand or using harsh chemicals that can harm people, pets and the environment. But there’s a better and safer solution.

The RESCUE!® Japanese Oriental Beetle Trap combines research into pheromones, beetle behavior and an ingenious cone design that uses a controlled non-toxic delivery system to attract and capture both males and females.

“Our trap is scientifically formulated and engineered to have a controlled consistent release rate that attracts adult beetles,” says Rod Schneidmiller, founder and president of Sterling International, Inc., pioneers in green pest control for over thirty years and makers of RESCUE!® traps. His company produces an environmentally friendly and easy solution to trap both Japanese and Oriental beetles.

Catching beetles before they mate is particularly important with these pests since the life cycle of a beetle takes about a year to complete. The beetles that destroy property this summer were eggs nearly a year earlier. As the adult beetles feed on leaves in summer, the female heads down to burrow into the ground or turf many times to lay eggs. By mid-August, she’ll lay about 60 eggs. Those eggs hatch in less than two weeks to begin a life underground as larva. Traps allow gardeners to catch her before she burrows underground.

“It’s important to catch the beetles before they start laying eggs that grow into grubs,” Schneidmiller explains.

Easily identified by their metallic green color and coppery, iridescent wings, Japanese beetles tend to cluster en masse while feeding on over 300 species of plants and “skeletonizing” their leaves.

Oriental beetles may be the less flashy cousins that are harder to spot because of their nighttime flight habits but are equally destructive, preferring the roots of turfgrass and ornamental crops and fruit, where they do most of their damage.

Schneidmiller points out that, as with all RESCUE! traps, placement is critical to get the best results The consumer should hang traps away from where the insects are causing a disturbance. So rather than placing it next to a rose bush, he recommends that home gardeners position the trap next to a non-flowering tree or shrub and at least 30 feet from ornamental plants, to lure beetles away from where they like to feast.

Hang the trap from a post or stake like the RESCUE!® Rod, four feet above the ground away from the desired foliage. And be sure to move it to a protected location during heavy rain or wind.

A common misconception is that traps lure Japanese beetles from miles around. However, most attractants lure the pests from 100 to 150 feet.

Once attracted to the pheromone scent, Japanese and Oriental beetles fly into the trap’s large yellow panels and are stunned on impact; then fall into the attached bag where they can’t escape and eventually die. The trap’s unique durable double-layer nylon bag allows users to catch up to four times as many beetles than what’s currently available and the new zippered bottom makes it easy to empty and reuse again and again.

“The trap is a time, money and energy saver that safely and effectively eradicates large numbers of Japanese and Oriental beetles, sparing yards and gardens from a potential beetle nightmare,” Schneidmiller says.

For more information, visit http://www.rescue.com.

Established in 1982, Sterling International, Inc. offers the RESCUE!® Japanese Oriental Beetle trap and other RESCUE!® traps and attractants for stink bugs, wasps, hornets, flies, and yellow jackets at home improvement centers, hardware stores and lawn garden retailers throughout the U.S.

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Some of the lushest landscapes in a parched Lake County have been assembled piece by piece and will be gone without a trace by the end of the weekend.

But three theme gardens/outdoor living areas open for strolling at the Lake County Fair represent a new direction for the Chicago Flower Garden Show. For the fair, it’s an effort to expand the attractions by blending horticulture with agriculture.

“Inspire, educate and motivate people about gardening, greening and landscaping,” explained Tony Abruscato, owner of Flower Show Productions, which every spring presents its signature indoor show at Navy Pier.

“It’s an opportunity to take an 84-year-old event and keep it relevant and current,” Abruscato said of staging a garden show within the fair, which runs through Sunday at the fairgrounds at Peterson and Midlothian roads in Grayslake.

Visitors enter a wood chip path flanked by fresh sod and pass beneath a pergola to experience this version, spread out next to the goat barn on the west end of the fairgrounds. It is about one-tenth the size of that at Navy Pier, which features 30 garden areas and 150 vendors but likely will be expanded in coming years.

This inaugural showing at the Lake County Fair also offers advice, demonstrations and products. This is the first time the show has been held outdoors and also the first time it has been held during summer.

“It’s really nice and unexpected at the county fair,” Janet Burt of Lake Forest said while toting her kids, Sophia, 9, and Hudson, 6. “I’m always looking for good ideas.”

The plantings are typical Midwestern varieties of flowers, grasses, trees and other vegetation arranged by area designers and builders for maximum effect in and around patios, water features and other allures. Creature comforts, such as a custom-built, Neopolitan-style outdoor pizza oven situated near a raised garden in the “A Family Night Out” themed area are plentiful.

“The idea is you can grow your own herbs on your garden table and take what you like and put that on your pizza,” Abruscato said.

At the “East Meets West” garden, the design is simple and geometric. Basalt columns and large stones flank a pea gravel patio with comfortable seating.

The “Ultimate Staycation” garden is dominated by a cedar gazebo bordered by spruce trees. It features a built-in barbecue and rain collection system.

“It’s a good way to show people what we can do,” said Phil Schleifer of Advantage 1, a landscape and exteriors firm based in Garden Prairie.

Chuck Scordato, proprietor of EZ Clean Coops, shares the space with his custom-made chicken coops and enclosures.

“Over the past few years, it’s been getting quite popular,” he said of a practice that has been debated in several communities. His coop-and-pen combos range from about $1,000 to $1,500 but as with any custom product can be thousands more depending on the request.

And among the landscapers and designers, three master gardeners from the University of Illinois Extension are available to answer questions and give advice. Lately, there have been lots of drought questions, said Mary Ryan, one of the trio of master gardeners on duty Wednesday morning.

“We pretty much tell them to forget their lawns,” she said.

THE new $7.5 million Lalor Gardens Primary School has an unexpected facility – a “swimming pool”.

The “pool” of stagnant water is the result of the project running out of funds for landscaping.

Lalor Park and Lalor Park West primary schools were merged two years ago to become Lalor Gardens Primary, with about 400 students moving to the new site last week.

The school was Lalor Gardens in “name only”, according to school council president Connie Mihalas.

She said the school building was “brilliant” but the grounds were a “disaster”.

She said the building ran $500,000 over its federally funded $7.5 million budget, and landscaping was cut.

She said the state government refused to cover the full list of outstanding works worth up to $200,000, but had given $83,000 as a one-off contribution.

“The state government didn’t build it, the federal government did, but the state government will make several million from the sale of the Lalor Park site in Linoak Avenue,” she said.

The building, in the shape of a spider with legs fanning out from a central administration area, was perfect, Ms Mihalas said.

“Students can go from one end of the school to the other without having to step outside,” she said.

“The parents had the foresight to merge the schools to get a first-class facility. We saved as much as we could by recycling seating and table legs, but we don’t have the money for landscaping.”

She said students faced injury from building debris and could play on only two small outside surfaces.

Chelsea van Rijn from Trevallan Lifestyle Centre with Camellia Japonicas.

IT’S not my fault, it’s my grandfather’s!

Every year I wait patiently for July, not just because it’s my birthday month but because one of my favourite flowers starts to come into bloom – Camellia Japonicas.

This love affair started with my grandfather and all my mother did was cultivate it and make it worse.

If you come into Trevallan Lifestyle Centre at this time of year you can see my love affair may have gone a little overboard.

Do yourself and your garden a favour and treat yourself to a Camellia Japonica.

These glorious plants are sometimes called the rose of winter, but should be called the jewel of winter because they put on a fabulous flower display in the cooler months of the year when the rest of the garden often looks dull and bare.

Japonica flowers are what make this plant so perfect. I get such joy in seeing the buds open to these so flawless and diverse flowers. I have found more than 10 different descriptions of Japonica flowers.

The most common are single, double, peony and formal double. The shades of the flowers are just as diverse and can vary from red to pink to white and sometimes have multi-coloured stripes or specks.

The flowers are not small either, with many flowers being at least 15cm in diameter. What is even better is these plants flower in abundance and last for ages.

A childhood memory is of water bowls all over our house filled with japonica flowers.

Camellia Japonicas have the darkest green glossy foliage.

The leaves are quite broad, thick and smooth, making the plant look lush and dense.

Japonicas will grow superbly in full shade or part shade. In climates where deciduous trees are popular, japonicas are usually planted underneath so they are protected from the hot summer sun but shine while they are in flower and the tree is naked.

Japonicas don’t mind if they are planted in the ground or in a pot. They don’t like wet feet though, so make sure your soil is well drained and slightly acidic, around pH6.

They are quite hardy once established. I find they do best if they are mulched well and are given a good fertilise about every three months with a slow-release complete organic fertiliser.

Why doesn’t everyone have one of these glorious plants? Over the years they have been given a bad reputation because they are slow growing and some varieties can take years to flower.

Many people also suffered with bud drop, which is loss or decay of buds. Beautiful plants do not grow overnight and it is nice to have a plant that does not need constant trimming.

Some Japonicas can take years to flower, mainly the formal doubles, the others flower very easily.

We also now know that bud drop can be caused by over watering, high temperatures, or pot-bound roots. Some things we can fix others we cannot.

A Camellia Japonica in a pot on a veranda is the perfect way to give your dull winter life some TLC and bring some happiness back into your garden.

To read more lifestyle stories

Calgary, Alberta, Canada, July 25, 2012 –(PR.com)– Ron Jones, president of Ananda Landscapes, has announced that the Calgary landscaping company has completed a video interview with Corinne Hannah, Head Horticulturist for the Calgary Zoo about her experience working with Ananda on two landscape architecture projects that were completed at the Calgary Zoo.

“We’re really excited with the way the video interview of Corinne turned out,” commented Ron Jones, President, Ananda Landscapes. “Corinne did an excellent job of discussing the projects that were completed, and we are grateful for all the wonderful things she had to say about Ananda!”

Ananda Landscapes completed two custom landscaping projects for the Zoo’s Dorothy Gardens surrounding the new armillary sundial art piece and their garden gazebo. The armillary sundial was recently built and placed at the Calgary Zoo as a 100th anniversary project for the Calgary Horticultural Society, and the Zoo’s gazebo is one of Calgary’s top locations for garden weddings.

“We would not hesitate to hire Ananda Landscapes for a third project at the Zoo,” comments Corinne Hannah, Head Horticulturist, Calgary Zoo, in the video interview. “They were great at communicating with our staff, they were reliable, and they were safe in their business practices; something that is very important to us here at the Zoo.”

To view the video interview with Corinne Hannah, go to http://youtu.be/5-_BR_ItZY4 or visit Ananda’s Facebook, Twitter, or Google+ channels.

About Ananda Landscapes
Since 1978 Ananda Landscapes has been providing individuals and families, primarily within the Calgary and surrounding area, professional landscaping services and products including an array of heat sources, night lighting and water features. At Ananda Landscapes we know that landscape design is more than simply plants and patios; it’s about creating lifestyle opportunities. It is our passion to help you envision, design and build the biggest and most exciting room on your property: your yard—and without restrictions. Wherever it is that you live, Ananda creates outdoor living spaces for every person and answers to every type of lifestyle.

Ananda Landscapes | 403.851.0161 | Calgary, Alberta | www.anandalandscapes.com