Uconnladybug's Blog

This past March 9 – 11, I joined a bus tour coordinated by the CT Horticultural Society and lead by Nancy Dubrule that was headed down to the Philadelphia Flower Show. This is the longest running and largest horticultural event in the nation, now in its 195^th year! Held in the PA Convention Center and put on by the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, there are just awe-inspiring landscapes and floral displays by designers from near and far.

This year’s theme was United by Flowers. There were so many beautiful and creative landscapes, arrangements, floral designs, and even floral craft items, it was hard to pick favorites. A very unique one was a map of the United States with different colored flowers depicting the gradations of the new U. S. hardiness zone map. A bright red sports car just invites one to hit the road.

Best in Show Landscape trophy went to Apiary Studio for their large landscape display ‘Right of Way’. As you can see, this design depicts highway roadsides as a unifier of Americans. Many of us enjoy the views, hopefully from the passenger seat, when traveling down both highways and backroads. Of course, some of the views are better than others. Apiary Studios envisions the roadsides as a green throughway uniting remnant land across the country plus especially with a little help can serve as habitats for many beneficial creatures.

On the way down to Philadelphia, our bus tour stopped at the New York Botanical Garden to take in their Orchid Show, which will continue through April 21^st. Held in the Enid A Haupt Conservatory, this year’s theme was Florals in Fashion and is described as ‘a fashion inspired celebration of all things orchid”. Not only were there more orchids in bloom than I had ever seen at one place, but three female designers added magical and whimsical mannequin displays amid the glorious and colorful parade of blooming orchids.

This was my favorite by Olivia Chang of Dauphinette. Creatively attired mannequins are surrounded by lush foliage, falling water and a riot of orchids.

Kristen Alpaugh of FLWR PSTL created this design with a red billowing ribbon and her trademark iridescent painted botanicals. Named Regina, she is supposed to embody different versions of ourselves. The painted leaves were quite eye-catching.   

The third designer, Hillary Taylor, used her creativity to adorn a number of mannequins in orchids and other complementary plants. This one, Horti Couture, wears a lovely dress of phalaenopsis orchids and purple variegated spider worts. It looks fluid and flowing. These floral fashion creations were clever and appealing but just seeing so many species of orchids in full bloom would make a visit this time of year worthwhile.

 Before the bus brought us back to Connecticut, we had a few hours at Longwood Gardens, the sprawling, exceptionally manicured estate of Pierre S. du Pont. Originally it was the Peirce family arboretum and planted with both native and exotic trees. Purchased by du Pont in 1906, he developed outdoor gardens, water features and an elegant conservatory over the years. The garden was opened to the public in 1921 and in the 1930s, a foundation was started to support the gardens and performing arts offerings at Longwood.

Longwood Gardens expanded over the years and is now one of the premier horticultural destinations in the U.S. Open year-round, there are both indoor and outdoor landscapes and exhibits, and a focus on conservation, plant collections, plant research, education as well as numerous performing arts venues.

The day we were there it was extremely windy and bitter outside but inside the conservatory it was bright and warm, and the smell of spring was in the air, along with the fragrance of freesias. The plantings inside the conservatory were amazing. Each aisle a different color. Down one were peach amaryllis and orange freesias.

Down another were pink lilies and the shortest rose-colored hydrangeas I have ever seen. Every turn was a delight from the green walled bathrooms to the blue poppy to the pipe organ. It would be great to go back during the growing season when the gardens outside will be as spectacular as the ones inside. On that note of wistful thinking, I saw this entry using dried florals at the Philadelphia Flower Show.

Happy Spring!

Dawn P.

Daffodils,
That come before the swallow dares, and take
The winds of March with beauty.”
— William Shakespeare

In late March there are signs that spring is here. Snow is usually gone, and although no leaves have appeared on our deciduous trees and shrubs, there may be flowers that will provide early bees with their first meal of the year. Red maples bloom early and provide food for many pollinators like flies, bees and beetles that are just emerging in the spring. While some native plants flowering coincides with native bee activity, there are also non- native plants that can be of great value to early pollinators.

Skunk cabbages are our first native bloomers. They can arise in wetlands when snow still covers the ground. Honeybees, native bees, some moths and flies visit these putrid flowers as early as late February and then into March.

One of the first harbingers of spring is the appearance of native Colletes inaequalis ground-nesting bees which can be seen visiting the first flowers of spring. Look for them on native and non- native ornamental willow flowers in late March, and soon after that on native bloodroot.

Non-native Japanese andromeda shrubs, Pieris japonica, can bloom as early as late February and can be an important food source for bees that appear before native willows bloom. There are many varieties, some tall and others more compact and they may have white, red or bicolored, drooping, urnlike flowers. They do best in sunny locations with afternoon shade.

Native bloodroot can form small colonies on sunny woodland edges, and their bright white flowers are often the highlight of the still monochromatic landscape. Flowers open on sunny days and close by night.

Common bluets, commonly called Quaker ladies Houstonia caerulea, are small, blue native wildflowers with four petals and a distinctive yellow center. Many bee species, butterflies and syrphid and other flies visit these low- growing plants for nectar and pollen. They can appear as early as late March, depending upon the temperatures. Flowering can last into early July.

Native red or purple trillium Trillium erectum appears a little after bloodroot, and supports certain moths, bees and flies. Look for it in dry woodland areas with highly acidic soils where there is some sun, especially where there are mountain laurels. It often is found where there are ramps and bloodroot.

Trailing arbutus and round- lobed hepatica are native wildflowers of open woodlands. They are uncommon, or perhaps seem so because they are found in very small areas with specific soil and other site conditions. Pollinators are flies and specialist native bees.

Native twinleaf Jeffersonia diphylla produces its bloodroot-like white flowers as early as March and as late as June. A single flower arises on a leafless stalk above the peculiar joined leaves that resemble wings. These flowers attract bees, especially specialized foragers.

Currants, especially the extremely fragrant clove currant, plus josta berry, a cross between currant and gooseberry, are favorites of bumblebees and other native bees. The clove currant fragrance must be what the island of Zanzibar smalls like as travellers approach it by boat.

Dwarf ginseng Panax trifolius L. is a native woodland wildflower that is only 4-8 inches tall. The airy cluster of small flowers appear in early to late spring and since plants grow in the duff of woodlands, the flower heads, although very small, can help find these little plants.

Among the non-native flowering shrubs that support native pollinators is the Rhododendron mucronulatum ‘Cornell Pink’. This plant blooms in early April before the leaves appear. Many native bees including Osmia spp., Colletes inaequalis and Bombus spp. and wasps visit the flowers. Cornus mas, or Cornelian cherry, is a non-native shrub or small tree whose flowers line the branches before the leaves appear.

Ornamental plants like violas and pansies also attract spring pollinators, and dandelions have a great pollen source for spring and summer bees alike.

Native Amelanchier, also called shadbush and serviceberry blooms in April and attracts many bees and other pollinators. Its delicate racems of white flowers can be profuse and stand out as leaves are not fully expanded. Many specialized bees are supported by this small tree or multithemed shrub.

 Star magnolias, Magnolia stellata, bloom in April before leaves are out. These trees support many pollinator species and butterflies like spring azures and tiger swallowtails that are out in early spring.

There are many other plants for pollinators in early spring- daffodils, crocus, currants to name a few.  As I hike around at this time of year, I take note of which flowers the most pollinators are attracted to, and I may decide to add some of these to my own gardens. I also stop to enjoy all the new colors and textures coming into the landscape. I appreciate Algernon Charles Swinburne’s comment-

“Blossom by blossom the spring begins.”

Pamm Cooper

Winter is a great time for gardeners to plan for their next growing season.  Many think that planning can only be done inside. Not so. Now is an ideal time to prune deciduous landscape trees. The absence of leaves gives a clear view of the canopy above and allows for a clear assessment of a tree’s structure and any problems that may be present. In addition, there are no pests present in winter, and disease spread will be slowed by the cold weather. But before heading outside with those loppers and pruning saws, there are a few important things to know and consider. 

It’s important to understand the tree’s anatomy. A typical deciduous landscape tree will consist of three main parts: the leader, the scaffolding branches and the lateral branches. The leader is the dominant vertical branch of the tree. This is easily spotted as the straight, most upward growth from the trunk. The leader is the tree’s most important branch, crucial for the tree’ structure, photosynthesis, and even distribution of nutrients. Scaffolding branches emerge from the trunk and the leader to make up the canopy of the tree. Secondary branches that grow from the scaffold branches are called lateral branches. Once you understand the basic structure of the tree, it’s much easier to successfully prune it. 

 First, assess the tree. What species of tree is it? That will reveal its natural structure, something your pruning should ideally strive to support.  Note though, that proximity to buildings or human activity nearby is likely to influence your pruning strategy (keeping scaffolding branches clear of buildings, for example, or making sure people can walk under the lowest branch.)   

Locate the leader of the tree and look for problem branches. Dead, diseased, damaged, or crossing branches should be pruned first. When pruning dead or diseased branches, make cuts into healthy wood, well below the affected area. It’s also a good idea to disinfect tools between cuts to help prevent the spread of disease. (A 10% solution of bleach to water works well.) 

After the tree’s diseased, damaged, or crossing branches are pruned, look for lateral branches that are trying to compete vertically with the leader. They can draw energy away from the leader and sap the tree’s vigor. Usually, there is no need to remove all of a competing branch. Pruning using the vertical portion back to the scaffold branch should be sufficient. This will slow the competitor branch’s rate of growth, allowing the leader to dominate. 

When pruning a scaffold branch, it is important to cut the outside of the branch collar. That is the swollen area at the base of the branch, where it joins the trunk.  Make the cut outside the branch collar at a 45-to-60-degree angle to the trunk and leave it alone to heal naturally. There is no need to coat or cover cuts. Doing so could prevent the wound from healing and might seal in pathogens adversely affecting the health of the tree.

According to Pete Smith, forester and arborist from the Arbor Day Foundation, there are five main factors to consider when pruning trees:  

1. After pruning, two-thirds of the height of the tree should still have branches and leaves to keep growing in a healthy manner. 
2. Do not remove more than one third of the total branches in one year. 
3. Branches attached to the trunk should not be more than one half of the diameter of the      main trunk. 
4. Every pruning cut should be no more than one inch in diameter 
5. There should be a total of five cuts in a year. 

 Of course, when pruning a long-neglected tree, it may take a few seasons to be able to apply all five rules, but ultimately, your trees will be healthier and more beautiful if you follow these guidelines.  

For questions about pruning or if you have any other gardening questions, contact the UConn Home & Garden Education at (877) 486-6271 or www.homegarden.cahnr,uconn.edu or your local Cooperative Extension Center.          

By Marie Woodward, UConn Home & Garden Education Center