Wow Did we have fun this week! We were asked to participate with Minima (Eugenie Perret and Elizabeth Oliver)on their exhibit for Design /Philadelphia, titled, A Clean Break. http://www.acleanbreak.org/ The installation showcases modern pre-fab architecture, with an emphasis on low environmental impact, and sustainability. I can't really explain it well! I don't have all that architectural vocabulary so you'll have to go and check it out yourself! It's on Broad Street, across from the Kimmel Center. I enjoy the process of working with people from other disciplines; designers, and architects think in such broad strokes, unlike most of us gardeners, who tend to have our noses a little too close to the ground!
So this week I got my mind expanded to say the least! Our job was to choose the planters and plants that would help finish the look on the site, picking different style planters based on the materials and ambience of each house and surrounding space. This IS actually what we do when we garden. We get to know our customers taste and lifestyle, and interpret that through the choosing of plants and the garden layout itself, or in the case of ' A Clean Break', turning a parking lot into something artful and...cozy? It was a great combination of talent, and it looks great! John Jstremski Landscapes and Leroy Landscape Services installed bigger trees and shrubs, and Colibraros Nursery of Horsham, donated all the plants. I also had the pleasure of working with the crew from Greensgrow . They have their own installation there which is really beautifully done. Gardeners don't get to socialize as much as we would like, since we're usually in someone elses backyard, so being able to hang out a little with Mary and her team of gardeners was great. Greensgrow continues to be the innovative gardening force in Philadelphia. I hope we can keep up with them!
So go check it out and see what you think. It's only on for 2 weeks, and then it all goes away. It's open 11 to 7. And it's free!!
Mary Costello
Saturday, October 18, 2008
Thursday, September 25, 2008
my current plant list
. There are certain perennials that come into their own this time of year because they have amazing foliage that are perfect for container gardening. I plant them to last all winter long, and then, in the spring, I plant them out in the yard. I thought I'd take a few minutes and talk about them.
All of the heuceras (coral bells) for example, with the exception of the straight species, have a wide range of colors. With names like, tira misu, plum pudding, gingerale, and rasberry regal (Anyone wanna eat?) the names describe the color range of this great plant, from deep maroon to bright, bright yellow; plum pudding is purple with silver stripes. The heuceras stand up to extreme cold and look good even with snow on them.
Blue fescue(festuca) grass is always a good winter perennial, I often throw it out in the spring, because its a little rough looking and doesn't quite make it through, but it's totally worth it for that metallic blue that only a fescue can do. They are short, so put it in the front of your pot where you can see it.
Euphorbia purpurea is a fleshy perennial (related to Poinsettia) that has purple foliage , and Euphorbia kalipso has gold/ chartreuse foliage with kind of a tropical look to it, that shows up against other dark foliage. If your plants overwinter, and they often do, the blooms on them on quite unique, cactus like, airy bouquets of light yellows and pinks.
Japanese painted fern, give you an airy loose texture, that will spill over the side of your pot a little, there are really many ferns that will look good in a pot, christmas fern is another good one , but it is flatter, so take that into consideration when you place it.
Carex is a group of grasses, (sedges) and there are lots of varieties with gold in the leaf, from 2' to 1''. The one I just planted is Carex 'aurea' it is literally 1'' tall, with bright yellow stiff blades, like a little scrub brush!
Ajuga 'black scallop' is a pitch black ajuga, and of course, any of the lavenders look good all winter, and flush out in the spring. I haven't mentioned grasses which are of course wonderful and every variety works. ( I have a great winter picture of snow sitting on tall grasses; they can be stunning all winter long)
Last but not least are the Sedums, there are so many varieties, Tall and short, groundcovers, etc. Sedum 'autumn joy' is the most popular one, but I find that it doesn't bloom long enough for me; I prefer sedum matrona for a tall variety, It has a heavier leaf and bloom, and the seed heads look good a lot longer. Sedum 'vera jamison' is a good short one with a blue cast to the foliage, and then there are countless ones that are groundcovers that would look great in a small pot on a patio table. ('dragons blood', or 'john creech' to name two)
The list could obviously go on and on, but you get the idea, look for plants that, when planted together, contrast with each other, and have a good hardy constitution. Don't be afraid to cram them in so that it looks like a bouquet, I usually take them out in the spring and replace with spring color, but sometimes if everything looks good, I just pull what looks bad and replace with little snippets of pansies, and that looks great too.
All of the heuceras (coral bells) for example, with the exception of the straight species, have a wide range of colors. With names like, tira misu, plum pudding, gingerale, and rasberry regal (Anyone wanna eat?) the names describe the color range of this great plant, from deep maroon to bright, bright yellow; plum pudding is purple with silver stripes. The heuceras stand up to extreme cold and look good even with snow on them.
Blue fescue(festuca) grass is always a good winter perennial, I often throw it out in the spring, because its a little rough looking and doesn't quite make it through, but it's totally worth it for that metallic blue that only a fescue can do. They are short, so put it in the front of your pot where you can see it.
Euphorbia purpurea is a fleshy perennial (related to Poinsettia) that has purple foliage , and Euphorbia kalipso has gold/ chartreuse foliage with kind of a tropical look to it, that shows up against other dark foliage. If your plants overwinter, and they often do, the blooms on them on quite unique, cactus like, airy bouquets of light yellows and pinks.
Japanese painted fern, give you an airy loose texture, that will spill over the side of your pot a little, there are really many ferns that will look good in a pot, christmas fern is another good one , but it is flatter, so take that into consideration when you place it.
Carex is a group of grasses, (sedges) and there are lots of varieties with gold in the leaf, from 2' to 1''. The one I just planted is Carex 'aurea' it is literally 1'' tall, with bright yellow stiff blades, like a little scrub brush!
Ajuga 'black scallop' is a pitch black ajuga, and of course, any of the lavenders look good all winter, and flush out in the spring. I haven't mentioned grasses which are of course wonderful and every variety works. ( I have a great winter picture of snow sitting on tall grasses; they can be stunning all winter long)
Last but not least are the Sedums, there are so many varieties, Tall and short, groundcovers, etc. Sedum 'autumn joy' is the most popular one, but I find that it doesn't bloom long enough for me; I prefer sedum matrona for a tall variety, It has a heavier leaf and bloom, and the seed heads look good a lot longer. Sedum 'vera jamison' is a good short one with a blue cast to the foliage, and then there are countless ones that are groundcovers that would look great in a small pot on a patio table. ('dragons blood', or 'john creech' to name two)
The list could obviously go on and on, but you get the idea, look for plants that, when planted together, contrast with each other, and have a good hardy constitution. Don't be afraid to cram them in so that it looks like a bouquet, I usually take them out in the spring and replace with spring color, but sometimes if everything looks good, I just pull what looks bad and replace with little snippets of pansies, and that looks great too.
Monday, September 15, 2008
Kite flying weather!
What a gorgeous day! These cool breezy days regenerate me! Just when you think that august has beaten you, September comes along and lifts you right back up! The orange impatiens in my garden have been limping along for a month, but as soon as we got that rain and some cool temps.. they just jumped right up and said ''hey, look at me!" The oranges and reds this time of year just seem to show up more.
So it's almost the end of annual season, and as it cools off, some annuals look better and some look worse. I take no prisoners this time of year. If the annuals look bad I rip them out, I'd rather have a plain well groomed garden this time of year, so I get out the rake, and I re-edge, and cut out anything thats brown (within reason) . If it's a container, unless it's absolutely drop dead gorgeous, out it goes. There are lots of perennials this time of year that, combined with evergreens, make for beautiful arrangements that last through the winter; and if you count the months, you get just as many months out of you winter pots as you do out of your summer ones. ( you can even do it in your glazed pots, I would just use them until christmas though, and then store them.) Don't forget though; containers still need to be watered in the fall and winter, so you have to water them by hand when they're not frozen.
So why is my title today about Kites? I watched a man with his son the other day trying to fly a kite in the abandoned lot next to City Planter. The lot is so small, how was he going to get a running start? They weren't successful, but they had alot of fun....maybe they'll come back today!!!!
So it's almost the end of annual season, and as it cools off, some annuals look better and some look worse. I take no prisoners this time of year. If the annuals look bad I rip them out, I'd rather have a plain well groomed garden this time of year, so I get out the rake, and I re-edge, and cut out anything thats brown (within reason) . If it's a container, unless it's absolutely drop dead gorgeous, out it goes. There are lots of perennials this time of year that, combined with evergreens, make for beautiful arrangements that last through the winter; and if you count the months, you get just as many months out of you winter pots as you do out of your summer ones. ( you can even do it in your glazed pots, I would just use them until christmas though, and then store them.) Don't forget though; containers still need to be watered in the fall and winter, so you have to water them by hand when they're not frozen.
So why is my title today about Kites? I watched a man with his son the other day trying to fly a kite in the abandoned lot next to City Planter. The lot is so small, how was he going to get a running start? They weren't successful, but they had alot of fun....maybe they'll come back today!!!!
Friday, September 12, 2008
oh brave new world!
Well well, who would have thought it . Here I am writing a blog about gardening! I guess you can teach an old dog new tricks! Well ..welcome all who decide to read what I write, I will try my best to be informative for all those who are in dire need of gardening info. (not that there is a dearth of it out there in gardening cyber space!) I will say that at 50, and having been gardening for 30 plus years, I still find absolute joy in what I do. I work with a great bunch of people, have great clients, and 100% job satisfaction. (unless my back is out!) We have always specialized in ornamental horticulture, and for those of you not in the field, it's all about beauty. We've been professional gardeners in the Chestnut Hill area of Philadelphia for about 20 years, so we're well versed in the care of annuals, perennials, shrubs and trees, and creating....ahem...beautiful containers!! We're excited about where this new shop of ours is going to take us, and I have to say that so far it's been great. Peter and I are learning alot about running a retail store, and we hope we can pass some of our knowledge on to you!! Thanks Mary
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Monday, September 8, 2008
Welcome to Mary's Blog Spot
City Planter wants to share all of Mary Costello's 20 plus years of gardening experience with you!
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