Plant of the Week: Mountain Laurel
Kalmia latifolia is the Connecticut state flower, and although they are beautiful, and although their blooms smell like grape Kool-ade, I fear I took them for granted in my years gardening up there.
Down here in Virginia, not so! They seem to be a bit more difficult, and certainly not as common. But this is a great native evergreen shrub that blooms at a perfect time to extend the woodland shrub flower season after azaleas and some rhododendrons are on the wain.
I only have one in my garden, inherited, and it is a gnarly old fellow. Don’t you love the flowers, though? So festive when open, and so promising, just before.
Guest:
In case you can’t make it out, Growing Joy consists of 70% self-care and 100% plant puns. I like the math.
Maria Failla of Bloom and Grow Radio
Maria has written a book about growing joy, and aptly called it Growing Joy. It’s a different kind of gardening book because it really is about self-care. See the mathematical formula to the right for content clarity.
Growing Joy connects personal health to plant care in ways that make you wonder how the booming gardening industry hasn’t surpassed interest in Nascar and Stranger Things combined. Why isn’t EVERYONE into this? Well if you are, this book will validate all the good juju you are feeling when you care for plants. And there are plenty of tips for caring for yourself even better, with a crash course on plant care basics at the end of the book.
Bloom and Grow Radio is Maria’s weekly podcast that has concentrated on indoor plants (one of her guests was Raffaele Di Lallo of Ohio Tropics) in general, but like Maria, it’s moving into the great outdoors, with zinnias, dahlias and even vegetables in play. It was a delight to make another plant friend— I really enjoyed our conversation and I know you will too!
Bloom and Grow Garden Society (Maria’s gardening community)
What could be healthier? No screens, a self-help book, and plenty of plants to read to.
Coffee Time!
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Garden Questions, Answered
(or at least opined upon)
What are some good natives to grow in wet soil?
How do you prune a Japanese Maple?
Can you simplify soil amendment?
What are some good natives to grow in wet soil?
Hibiscus moscheutos; photo from New Moon Nursery
Here’s a good list, and I grow them all. When I talked about them on the pod, I failed to mention that the Hibiscus I was referring to is the native H. moscheutos
River birch, Betula nigra– species
Dwarf River Birch - B. nigra ‘Little King
Sweet Bay Magnolia– M. virginiana
Button Bush– Cephanthus occidentalis.
Hibiscus - H. moscheutos
Great Blue Lobelia - L. siphilitica
Lobelia siphilitica. An interesting name. See Episode 26 for an explanation. Photo from Wikipedia.
How do you prune a Japanese Maple?
For the health of the plant, you would remove dead or damaged branches and that’s that. For aesthetics, it’s up to you, but I have my opinions on the topic.
This is how I would prune one.
And this is not.
Can you simplify soil amendment?
Can I ever! The good news is how simple it is. The bad news, which more me is also good news, is that with this method you avoid understanding and reacting to the (zzzzz) chemicals and PH balances and the like.
Here is is: just keep leaving the leaves and piling on great natural mulch and or compost. It may take a few years, but your soil will surely improve.
And no science-y soil tests to take. And possibly fail.
Next Week: Tasha Greer and her book.
Could it be true?