'What is a weed? A plant whose virtues have
never been discovered.'
― Ralph Waldo Emerson
Contents
1. A Love Affair with Coleus
Carol Miller
2.Galapagos Islands and Ecuador: Beautiful and Diverse Ecosystems
Louise Turpentine
3. Master Gardener Book Review: RHS Chelsea Flower Show, A Centenary Celebration by Brent Elliot Yvette Richardson Guy
4. Gardening with Herbs - Spearmint
Pat Myrick
5. Mother Earth News Fair
Laura Williams Galtieri
6. Master Gardener Book Review: How Plants Work: The Science Behind the Amazing Things Plants Do Ann Precup
7. Aucuba
Robbie Robinson
8. Keukenhof (Kitchen Garden) Carol Karen Schmelter
A LOVE AFFAIR WITH COLEUS
by Carol Miller MG 2013
Backyard coleus – summer 2015
My interest in coleus began back in the late 1940s/early 1950s when my grandmother, who lived with my family, always planted the same coleus cultivar in our garden every year. She’d bring in cuttings before the cool weather arrived in the fall, root them in water, plant them in pots, and place them on a windowsill for the winter. Come spring, when all danger of frost had disappeared from our New Jersey garden, “Nanny” would plant the coleus outside in the ground. This was a shade-loving variety, which, and to my knowledge, was the only kind available back then. All coleus grew in the shade. There may have been other varieties at that time, but I only remember Nanny having one. It was green, red, and white and had small leaves. It had a sort of mounding/trailing habit, and I thought it just was the most beautiful plant.
When Nanny passed away in 1952, my mother kept up the tradition and brought coleus cuttings indoors for the winter. She faithfully kept this going and gave me some cuttings when my husband and I bought our first house in 1967. I kept that coleus going through the years and brought it with me when we retired to South Carolina in 2005. Sadly, it died out about six or seven years ago. I would give anything to have it back, but the last cuttings just didn’t make it for me.
Since then, I have acquired many, many more coleus, all different varieties, some still shade-loving but now sun cultivars, as well. When I go to my local garden center in the spring, it seems they get more and more coleus varieties each year, and most of them are for the sun.
This one is called “finger paint” – aptly named.
It is ONE plant with many colors!
I do take cuttings in the fall and grow them in my sunroom during the winter, but somehow that never seems to be enough. I always succumb to buying more coleus in the spring and can’t seem to get enough of them. Presently, I have about 20 different varieties – tall, medium, short, mounding, and trailing. When I spy one I don’t have, it automatically jumps into my shopping cart!
Pinching is key to keeping a coleus looking its best. Many will become leggy if not cut back. I go through my garden each day, pinching the growing tips. Pinch the lead two leaves and four will grow, and never let a coleus plant flower!! My mother always told me that that meant the plant was going to seed, and she was right. I’ll even go so far as to pinch off coleus flowers in public places. I feel the need to keep all coleus looking their best………………maybe it’s guilt from letting Nanny’s coleus die out. That said, however, letting a couple coleus stalks flower will allow for the collection of seeds for planting the next year. I’ve recently tried growing coleus from seed, and some have already germinated. (Of course, I didn’t let mine go to seed; I picked the flowers off some plants in a shopping center. J) One caveat: the seeds may not grow to become the same as the original plant. Coleus on the market today are hybrids, and the plant that grows may be different from the one from which you took the seeds. However, this can be exciting in and of itself; you never know what you might get!
Coleus are some of the most beautiful plants in nature. Who needs flowers when coleus leaves come in such a splendid variety of colors?!
I do hope Nanny and now my mother are looking down and forgive me for letting that original plant die out. I hope they’re saying, when looking at my coleus garden, “JOB WELL DONE!” J
Front garden – summer 2015 -- mostly coleus, along
with purple heart, lime green althernanthera, and one
vinca flower peeking out toward the bottom left.
GALAPAGOS ISLANDS AND ECUADOR: Beautiful and Diverse Ecosystems
by Louise Turrentine MG
Visiting the Galapagos Islands was a pipe dream, or so I thought until last year when I received notification of an upcoming SCETV trip to the islands. I jumped at the chance to visit this remote and exotic place as soon as I heard that we’d be traveling with naturalist Patrick McMillan. The trip was more amazing that I ever imagined and I encourage you to explore this amazing landscape for yourself.
Brassia orchids at the Quito Botanical Garden, Ecuador
Heliconius sara at the butterfly
farm in Mindo, Ecuador
First a bit of history:
Situated in the Pacific Ocean about 600 miles off the coast of Ecuador, the 19 largest islands of Galapagos and the surrounding marine reserve have been called a unique "living museum." Located at the confluence of three ocean currents, the Galapagos are a "melting pot" of marine species. Seismic and volcanic activity combined with the extreme isolation of the islands led to the development of unusual animal life that inspired Charles Darwin's theory of evolution by natural selection.
Ecuadorian roses headed for China
Cacao pods at the chocolate artisan factory in Mindo, Ecuador
A few examples of the unusual plant and animal life include marine iguanas, blue footed boobies, flightless cormorants, giant tortoises, huge cacti, endemic trees, and the many different subspecies of mockingbirds and finches. All of which inspired Darwin following his visit in 1835.
The Galapagos archipelago is composed of 127 islands, islets, and rocks. Only 4 of those are inhabited. Human settlements are restricted to the 3% that isn’t part of the National Park.
Warning sign for the poisonous manzanitas. Isabela, Galapagos
Airports on two islands (Baltra and San Cristobal) receive traffic from continental Ecuador with another airport on Isabela mostly limited to inter-island traffic. Around 30,000 live on the islands and approximately 170,000 tourists visit each year.
Farmer’s market in Otavalo, Ecuador
Carnivorous plant at Quito Botanical Garden
The Galapagos Islands were named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2001.
The flora of Galapagos encompasses more than 500 species, 180 of which are endemic to the islands. The giant daisy tree (Scalesia spp.) is one of these.
Please enjoy my photos of the islands and mainland Ecuador.
Seed and pod of cotton tree
on Isabela, Galapagos
Los Tuneles, Isabela, Galapagos
is an area of naturally occurring underwater stone tunnels.
BOOK REVIEW
RHS Chelsea Flower Show, A Centenary Celebration by Brent Elliot Frances Lincoln Limited Publishers, 2013
by Yvette Richardson Guy, MG 2003
When the third week in May arrives in England, it is again time for the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) Chelsea Flower Show, perhaps the most famous garden show on earth. In 2013, May also marked the one hundredth anniversary of the RHS Great Spring Show (its official and pre-Chelsea title) at its current location on the grounds of the Royal Hospital in Chelsea, London. The Royal Horticultural Society, the world’s largest gardening charity, was founded in 1804 to promote gardening and stimulate interest in horticulture. Today the RHS’s purpose is, “The encouragement and improvement of the science, art and practice of horticulture in all its branches.” (rhs.org.uk) It supports the training of professional and amateur gardeners, and inspires interest in gardening though several big annual flower shows with Chelsea being the crown jewel of said shows. The RHS sponsored casual flower exhibitions as early as 1833, but the first Great Spring Show was held in 1862 at the RHS Kensington Garden, London. By 1888, the show had outgrown its original site and the RHS moved it to the heart of London at Temple Gardens near Fleet Street. Once again the Great Spring Show flourished with constantly expanding numbers of exhibits (commercial and amateur) and visitors. In 1912, the Temple Gardens show was cancelled to make way for the Royal International Horticultural Exhibition, a special one-off gardening event set up on the grounds of the Royal Hospital, Chelsea. The new site proved to be much more suitable for a large horticultural exhibition than the Temple Garden location. So the RHS decided to relocate the Great Spring Show to Chelsea and there it has stayed.
The Royal Hospital in Chelsea was created by Charles II in 1682. The word hospital here is used in its old meaning as a guest house or charitable residence of some kind (an orphanage for example). Host and hospitality still retain their Latin root definitions. At Chelsea, the hospital is a retirement and nursing home for approximately 300 elderly former members of the armed forces. The residents, called Chelsea pensioners, have no dependents, share dormitory and dining facilities, and wear distinctive scarlet frock coats bearing their military ribbons. Interestingly in 2009, the facility accepted its first female resident pensioners; both ladies were in their 80’s and were veterans of World War II. More importantly for the RHS, the Royal Hospital in Chelsea sat on an excess of 66 acres of which about 30 are lawn and park along the River Thames. For more than one hundred years that open land has hosted a thriving and growing Chelsea Flower Show.
Aerial view of the Royal Hospital, Chelsea, towards the River Thames
The Royal Horticultural Society obviously always has royal patronage, some more directly involved than others. Elizabeth II, the current queen and RHS patron, has smelled the roses at Chelsea all her life because her mother, also Elizabeth, was quite enthusiastic about gardening pursuits. The Queen’s uncle, her mother’s younger brother, Sir David Bowes-Lyon served on the RHS governing body for many years including holding the office of president. This year, 2016, the Chelsea show will celebrate Elizabeth II’s ninetieth birthday.
Map of the Chelsea Flower Show in 2014
George VI and Queen Elizabeth
in 1937 at Chelsea
Queen Elizabeth II in 2010 at Chelsea
In the RHS Chelsea Flower Show book a good bit of the history is covered, but not as much as I would have liked. Reading this volume repeatedly sent me searching the Internet to fill in background information or simply to explain something more completely. It bothered me more than a bit because if anyone is qualified to teach the history the Chelsea Flower Show, it is the author Brent Elliott. He is the historian of record for the RHS and the writer of many articles and books including the official history of the society. The real answer to my history problem is to be found in a press release from the RHS accompanying the book’s release where the headline says the publication, “…makes an excellent souvenir of Chelsea’s centenary.” To be fair, while I was expecting a history book, Elliott’s purpose was giving me a coffee table keepsake. It is like a nice tasting plate: a teasing bit of this, a tempting bit of that, but nothing very filling.
The book is arranged chronologically which gives the chapters a helpful structure with titles such as Before Chelsea 1827-1913, Between the Wars 1919-1939, and The Trend Towards Populism The 1960’s & 1970’s. There is a generous selection of photographs from the RHS archives. Most of these pictures have to do with recent innovative displays of garden design, floral displays in the pavilions and visiting celebrities. As is suitable for a quality souvenir book, the photography is beautiful and in full color from about 1960 forward. Numerous narrative vignettes are scattered through the pages coming from people who have taken part in the Chelsea Flower Show including garden designers, show judges, photographers, managers, journalists, and commercial plants people (nurserymen/women).
Chelsea Garden Design in 2009
For a commemorative volume, RHS Chelsea Flower Show is a lovely publication. It is not a puff piece but an accurate and well illustrated keepsake. To find a more in depth history book, I will have to look elsewhere. Until then, this book will serve well as my first point of reference concerning the Great Spring Show of the Royal Horticultural Society.
Chelsea Pavilion displays in 2013
GARDENING WITH HERBS: Spearmint
by Pat Myrick MG 2016
Does anyone remember what a “nymph” was from their high school Greek mythology class? No? I do! I do! And with that realization my right arm shoots up into the air just like it did in the olden days when I would know the answer to a question asked by the teacher. Sadly, it was seldom that I was called upon when I actually knew the answer. Instead, it was during those times when I sat woefully distracted, dumbfounded by the apparent superior intellect of my teacher that I would inevitably hear my name being called on for a response; but I digress. Nymphs were an important part of Greek mythology. They were revered as the spirits of specific natural features like mountains, rivers, trees, and plants. The name itself means, “young woman”. Naturally these beings were considered to be female, represented as lovely and eternally youthful.
Minthe was a nymph, Naiad or water nymph. She was associated with a plant said to be named in her honor, the familiar aromatic mint plant. I am so glad that you asked how the nymph Minthe was transformed into mint! So, the story goes that Minthe was a beautiful water nymph who attracted the attention of Hades. He was the ruler of the Greek Underworld and husband of the goddess Persephone (daughter of Zeus)….more about them later! Although Persephone had charms of her own, she could not keep the attention of Hades, who proceeded to have a very public affair with the Naiad Minthe. You-know-what hath no fury like a scorned woman! So as Persephone found out about the relationship she took revenge on Minthe by stepping on her, beating her, and kicking her. Minthe, however, was transformed into a mint plant (by Zeus), and with every tread of Persephone’s foot, the plant released a delightful scent! Ta da!!
We do love our herbs! The great majority of them are easy to grow, drought-tolerant, prefer loamy soils with abundant organic material and are naturally resistant to insect pests and diseases. Mentha spicata or Spearmint, is one of the easiest to grow! Like many of our common herbs, it is native to the Mediterranean region and was cultivated throughout the Roman Empire. The fragrance oils, which account for herb flavors, are produced in the greatest quantity when plants receive plenty of sun. True in most of the Mentha species, however, the plants prefer rich, moist or even damp soil in part shade. Because it, “grows like a weed,” and should be harvested frequently, gardeners often grow it in pots or planters due to its invasive, spreading rhizomes. Creating raised beds is also a great idea as a way to improve soil drainage for the mint. The leaves are exceptionally fragrant and can be used fresh, dried, or frozen, but tend to lose a bit of their aromatic appeal after the plant flowers. It is best to cut Spearmint for drying, just before, or right as the flowers open, about one-half to three-quarters the way down the stalk.
The soil should have a pH of 6 to 7 and contain a moderate amount of organic matter. Adding 2 to 3 inches of fine pine bark, cracked pea gravel, poultry grit or coarse compost worked in about 8 to 12 inches deep to improve drainage in clay soils is recommended. Moisture retention can be improved with an addition of 2 to 3 inches of fine pine bark, compost, or leaf mold to sandy soils. Although annual herbs are primarily grown from seeds, the mint seed does not come true to type, and thus should be grown from cuttings, roots or transplants. Cultivars are many for this plant and they come in lots of enticing, beautiful aromas and flavors! Be sure to try Peppermint (Mentha x piperita) with the flavor of candy canes; (Mentha x gentilis) for ginger flavors, (Mentha rotundifolia) for apple mint, (Mentha suaveolens “Variegata”) as pineapple mint, and the very dwarf (Mentha Corsica) Corsican mint! For those chocolate lovers out there…PLEASE don’t miss out on the (Mentha x piperita “Chocolate’) chocolate mint plant!!
In South Carolina, the mints in general, have difficulty in heavy soils and our ever-present humidity which only the lizards and geckos seem to appreciate! Because it is a member of the mint family (Lamiaceae) it, like Basil, is recommended for digestive complaints. In the culinary world, there is no end to the dishes that feature this aromatic herb.
To be fair, I will turn aside here for those of you who have an appreciation for Roman mythology, as opposed to siding with the Greeks. This is akin to the Trump and Cruz versions of the same story…yes, I did go there! For the Romans, Pluto, son of Saturn, was the Roman god of the underworld. His wife was known as Proderpina. He had kidnapped her and dragged her to the underworld to make her is bride. To his credit, Pluto, at least has a planet and a couple of suns named after him!
So, my eventual question remains as to why Persephone (aka Proderpina) didn’t kick Hades instead?!? She could have had a Bloody Mary or Sangria, or even a good Cabernet named in her honor!! Instead, we Southerners will just have to settle for a Mint Julep!! Let me know if y’all need the recipe!!! Cheers!!!
MOTHER EARTH NEWS FAIR
by Laura Williams Galtieri MG 2015
Shawna Coronado speaking
The second annual Mother Earth News Fair was held Saturday, April 9, and Sunday, April 10, at the Western North Carolina Agricultural Center in Asheville, N.C. Several hundred people attended from around the region to learn how to live a more sustainable lifestyle.
Thirteen stages were set up across the Fair Grounds, with more than 150 workshops covering topics such as organic gardening, modern homesteading, sustainable agriculture, herbal medicine, beekeeping, animal husbandry, and real food.
Over 300 exhibitors were onsite, sharing information on solar power, hemp, tiny houses, greenhouses, biodynamics, forest gardening, and several organic seed companies. The John C. Campbell Folk Schools offered hourly demos such as weaving your own cloth and rugs, angora rabbits, building a brick oven for your homestead, dying your own yarn, building a chicken coop, and basic blacksmithing tools. The Mother Earth News bookstore offered books addressing topics discussed at the Fair as well as author signings, as well as many old standbys from Mother Earth News. MEN and other publishers offered up to 40 percent discounts on their books covering topics such as building soil, edible landscaping, and organic cleaning.
For the gardener, there was a wealth of information available. The organic gardening tract of workshops covered topics such as “Compost Your Way to a Better Soil,” “Aquaponics 101 and Future Trends,” “Vermiculture 101,” “Gardening with Chickens,” and “Producing Hops for Local Craft Breweries.” Speakers were professional and knowledgeable, and more than willing to spend extra time with you after the session if you had more questions. Most were published authors, whose books were available at the bookstore.
Shawna Coronado
One of my favorites was a workshop lead by wellness lifestyle advocate Shawna Coronado on “Growing 35 Organic Plants in Only Two Square Feet.” While the topic was vertical gardening, Shawna gave some great tips on no-till gardening (if you don’t have enough leaves to add to your compost, ask your neighbors for their full leaf bags rather than let them go to the landfill), and bio-intensive gardening (plant very close together and surround with spicy globe basil and marigolds to deter rabbits). She provided low-cost ways to create vertical gardens based on her own experience, and gave five easy steps to build them. As a big fan of supporting pollinators, she told us what plants best attracted bees and butterflies to our vertical garden, and what didn’t (geraniums and petunias!). She summarized nicely with some defined outcomes – for example, verticals make gardening easy for those with back problems, provide organic food for your family, create beauty, and support pollinators. Shawna has a website and blog at http://shawnacoronado.com/front-lawn-vegetable-garden-design/, and a Facebook page, providing an ongoing resource for me!
Bookstore
Workshop full of folks
I loved going through the tiny houses, debating with an exhibitor about on grid/off grid solar, going through racks of cool seeds, and lunching at some of Asheville’s finest food trucks.
I came back to Charleston with a bag full of books, seeds, and brochures that I am still going through. The Fair was a great way to expand my knowledge, get a glimpse of the future, and, well, I can’t say enough about a few days in Asheville!
Exhibitor Green Heron Tools – Quality farm
and garden tools and equipment for women http://www.greenherontools.com(Have spoken to garden clubs in CHS)
BOOK REVIEW
How Plants Work: The Science behind the amazing things plants do by Dr. Linda Chalker-Scott
by Ann Precup MG
As gardeners, do we really know why we do what we do in the garden? Do we truly understand why plants behave the way they do, and what they need to be happy and healthy? How can we wade through the vast resources out there to help us citizen scientists grasp the complicated world of plant systems that, in turn, allow us to better educate and equip the public with solid information?
Each year, the American Horticulture Society selects garden-related books of note for it’s annual AHS Book Award. Among the 5 chosen for 2016 is this little dandy. As stated in the summary on the back cover of the book, the author reveals the science behind what plants do every day, and arms you with information that will change the way you garden. Written by the acclaimed Dr. Linda Chalker-Scott, Ph. D. in Horticulture, How Plants Work helps unravel the seeming gobbledegook of plant systems. She's worth paying attention to.
When I first saw the title on the AHS website, I was immediately captivated by the cover — completely approachable with its cheery blue-skied photograph of a bee alighting on a sunflower. Nothing about the cover says I’m going to be bored silly by what’s inside. Published by Timber Press, this house’s mission is to “share the wonders of the natural world by publishing books from experts in the fields of gardening, horticulture, and natural history.”
Chalker-Scott immediately makes the reader feel at home, introducing us to her personal gardening failures and how the book is organized. Each chapter leads with a real-life situation, naturally weaving humor, analogies, lovely narrative, helpful illustrations and clever sub-heads, and includes insets that tackle product myths, pertinent to each chapter, that have gone around in gardening circles for so long they seem to have become science-based by presumption. We all are guilty of wasting money on something or other suggested through the grapevine, groping at the possibility of a miraculous treatment. The author enjoys the challenge of myth-busting, and she does an extraordinary job.
While there were a few occasions when I found I had to vigorously focus as Chalker-Scott explained some of the more nerdy-science, I finished the book with a much better understanding and appreciation of how I can use the natural plant processes to my advantage in the home garden and as a Master Gardener.
Aucuba, or Japanese Laurel, is a shade loving evergreen plant with glossy dark green leaves. It can grow to a height of ten feet, but don't hold your breath; the growth rate is slow--really slow. Its bold informal shape will rarely, if ever, need pruning. If pruning should become necessary, simply pinching the tip buds on a few stems should do the trick. Using hedge shears on this plant would ruin it for a long time (remember slow growth). There are a dozen or so cultivars featuring various leaf forms and variegations. However, the only cultivar I have seen available in local nurseries is Gold Dust.
Gold Dust has prominent golden flecks on its leaves that make it an outstanding focal point in the shady garden. Male and female flowers are on separate plants therefore making vegetative propagation most practical. All Gold Dust cultivars are females, and "the girls" root easily from semi-ripe cuttings.
I've found my aucubas to be pretty much trouble free. Additionally, they are salt and urban tolerant. Oh,and one more thing, the leaves are toxic if ingested by humans or deer.
KEUKENHOF (Kitchen Garden)
Karen Schmelter MG 2005
I recently visited many places in Holland as well as Belgium but wanted to share these following photos from the famous Keukenhof (meaning kitchen garden), which is located not far from Amsterdam.
Field of daffodils! Just one of the many fields of flowers found all over this 79 acre property.
Many of the employees dress in period costume.
There was a pavilion that explains the history of the tulip
(which dates back to the 17th century).
I saw historic varieties as well as modern tulip varieties
that have a new and modern tulip cultivation.
Many of the photos you see were my personal favorites.
I enjoyed some of the Amaryllis flowers. They were dinner plate size!!
I visited one area that was all orchids….breath taking!!
Here are a couple of photos showing some of their latest garden trends
including combinations of flowers and wind spinners.
I could have stayed the entire day but we were limited with our time because my husband and I were on a river boat excursion.
The show of flowers lasts only 8 weeks, from mid March to mid May, and they estimate at least one million people all over the world visit there. I highly recommend this place to visit!!!
Submissions for the next Taproot Quarterly Newsletter!
The Taproot Quarterly provides an opportunity for Master Gardeners
to write horticultural/gardening articles or share photographs with one
another. Some ideas to consider: gardening passions, a favorite plant,
something new you have learned recently and would like to share, an
interesting gardening question from the MG office, problems with bugs
and diseases, or photographs from your garden or a garden outing.
ALL IDEAS WILL BE CONSIDERED.
Please contact Robyn Bradley at 843-693-8719
or nzkiwi@comcast.netwith your questions or thoughts. The deadline
for submissions to the next Quarterly is July 15th, 2016.
The Taproot is published quarterly by the Tri-County Clemson Extension Service and its Master Gardener program including Charleston, Berkeley and Dorchester Counties.
The Clemson University Cooperative Extension Service offers its programs to people of all ages, regardless of race,color, sex, religion, national origin, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, or marital or family status, and a equal opportunity employer. Clemson University cooperating with U.S. Department of Agriculture, South Carolina Counties, Extension Service, Clemson, S.C.
Issued in Furtherance of Cooperative Extension work in Agriculture and Home Economics, Acts of May 8 and June 30, 1914
