Foam is bubbling out of my Chinese elm. Any ideas?

Q. Foam is bubbling out of my Chinese elm. Any ideas?

A. The foam is called "slime flux." It occurs sometimes when a tree is wounded and sap is exuded. Bacteria growing in the sap causes it to ferment and foam. Insects might be attracted to it to feed. Before long you have a stinky mess. If left untreated, the slime mold can weaken the tree to the point of death.

To treat it, remove any bark that may be covering the wound, then wipe away as much of the slime mold as possible. Brush the area with rubbing alcohol or a dilution of plain household bleach and water - 1 part bleach to 9 parts water. You will probably have to repeat the treatment several times to keep the slime flux in check.

Tree wounds may result from pathogens such as those that cause cankers. More often, mechanical damage from string trimmers, lawn mowers, garden tools and poor pruning cause wounds.

Prevention is the best medicine. Try to keep your plants in good health, and avoid mechanical damage.

Winter gardening tips?

Q. Do you have any winter gardening tips?

A. Yes. Think spring. When you do, you'll be ready for it. Here are some specifics, which should come as no surprise:

• Put your summer garden to bed;
• Reflect on the past year's gardening experience, taking note of your successes and failures to learn from them;
• Dream about something new you'd like to do in the garden, research and plan for it, or forget about it if it won't work;
• Peruse seed catalogs when they arrive in the mail, make a wish-list before you fill out the order forms, then face the fact you don't have room in your garden for all that, and shorten the list;
• Clean and sharpen your tools so you won't be kicking yourself come spring because you didn't do it before;
• Winterize your gas-powered tools, so you won't be kicking yourself come spring when you're taking them to the shop for carburetor repairs;
• Continue adding to your compost pile;
• Read blog articles at GoGardenNow.blogspot.com.

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Savannah Botanical Garden, Savannah, GA

Savannah Botanical Garden sign

Escape the frenzy of mid-town Savannah, GA in the Savannah Botanical Garden. Begun in the late 1980s as a cooperative volunteer effort by local garden clubs, Savannah Botanical Garden provides a peaceful place for reflection. It's easy to miss, however.

Savannah Botanical Garden is located on Eisenhower Drive, a busy four-lane east-to-west thoroughfare. In a hurry like the others, I barely noticed it for over 20 years.

Visitors to the garden are first invited to enter the historic Reinhard house, a 19th century farmhouse. It's one of only two surviving antebellum farmhouses remaining in the  Savannah area. The charming Reinhard house, built of heart pine with gingerbread trim, has been moved twice; first to make way for a cemetery, last to make way for Truman Parkway. Today, the Reinhard house serves as an office, gift shop, and venue for events such as weddings.

Historic Reinhard House, Savannah Botanical Garden

The garden features nature trails, a two-acre pond, formal herb parterre, perennial garden, fern collection, vegetable garden, native plant collection and the Ann Douglas White Memorial Rose Garden. Seasonal attractions include the exuberant floral beauty of azaleas in spring, and wonderful camellias in bloom throughout fall and winter. Members of participating garden clubs are responsible for the various garden areas.

Any day is a good day to visit Savannah Botanical Gardens. Whether rain or shine, every season displays something of beauty. Admission is free, though donations are happily accepted.

Hydrangea serrata 'Fuji Waterfall'

Pond, Savannah Botanical Garden

Basin, Savannah Botanical Garden

Garden walk, Savannah Botanical Garden

Children's garden, Savannah Botanical Garden

Children's garden, Savannah Botanical Garden

Have you visited the Savannah Botanical Garden? What is your favorite display? What is your favorite time of year to visit? Let us know in the Comment section.

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Small-scale Composting for a Raised Bed Patio Garden

Q. I want to make compost for my raised bed patio garden. I live alone, so I don't produce many kitchen scraps. I live in a townhouse with almost no yard. How can I get enough stuff to compost?

A. It seems to me you only need to compost on a small scale. A compost heap or bin will probably be impractical, taking too long to fill, taking up too much space, and possibly offending neighbors. I suggest you chop your fruit and vegetable scraps, pulverize egg shells, then store them in a lidded plastic container - the 45 oz. size like buttery spreads come in - until it's filled. Then bury the contents directly in one end of your patio garden. Cover immediately with a few inches of soil. The next time you have a full container, bury the contents beside the first batch. Eventually you will have a row of compost in the making. As you collect more material, begin your second row, and so forth. Within a few months, you should be able to plant vegetables or annuals directly in your first row of finished compost, then later into the second row, etc. As time goes on, you should have a very fertile patio garden.

Must-Have Plants: Japanese Ardisia, aka Marlberry

Ardisia japonica aka Japanese Ardisia, Marlberry

Must-have plants are among the best plants for appropriate garden situations. When you need great garden plants for ground cover, naturalizing, wildflower gardens, perennial borders, butterfly gardens, hummingbird gardens, herb gardens, heritage gardens, cutting gardens, woodland gardens, shade gardens, bulb gardens, container gardens, bog gardens, water gardens, rain gardens or xeriscaping, look for the best among our must-have plants.

Ardisia is an excellent ground cover for full sun or partial shade, massed plantings, Asian plant collections, medicinal plant collections and naturalizing.

Name(s): Ardisia japonica, Marlberry, Japanese Ardisia.

Flower Color: White.

Bloom Time: Late spring to early summer.

Foliage: Evergreen, leathery.

Height/Spread: 6 inches to 12 inches x 12 inches to 18 inches.

Climate Zones: 6, 7, 8, 9, 10.

Sun Exposure: Full sun to partial shade.

Soil Condition: Well-drained, loamy, pH 5.1 to 6.5.

Features: White to pale pink flowers followed by long-lasting red berries, drought tolerant, deer resistant.

Uses: Massed planting, Asian plant collections, medicinal plant collections, naturalizing, ground cover, shade gardens.

Comments: Ardisia japonica, also known as Japanese Aridisia and Marlberry, produces leathery, evergreen foliage. Variegated forms are available. White flowers appear late spring to early summer, followed by long-lasting red berries. Maximum height ranges from 6 inches to 12 inches, and it spreads rapidly via underground rhizomes.

Ardisia thrives in full sun to partial shade in USDA climate zones 6 to 10. Loamy, well-drained soil with pH ranging from 5.1 to 6.5 is recommended.

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I'm in zone 8a. Should I wait till spring to plant Asiatic Jasmine?

Asiatic jasmine in 2-1/2 inch and 3-1/2 inch pots

Q. I'm in zone 8a. Should I wait till spring to plant Asiatic Jasmine?

A. Good question. Here in zone 8b, I prefer to plant in fall because roots continue to develop in winter even when above-ground parts are often dormant.

Asiatic jasmine is plenty cold-hardy in your climate zone. You needn't wait until spring to plant. The temps don't drop enough long enough to be a problem. Furthermore, once planted and irrigated deeply, newly planted plants don't require as much irrigation during our cool seasons.

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Can I compost egg shells?

Compost Still-Life with Egg Shells

Can I compost egg shells? I'm including a picture.

Yes, you can compost egg shells, but you should be breaking them up first. Egg shells are mostly calcium carbonate, like the powdered lime you buy at your local garden center for adding to your garden soil. Since calcium carbonate is a mineral, it doesn't decompose like vegetable matter. Egg shells need to be broken down into itty-bitty pieces for full incorporation into your compost. From here on out, let the shells dry after you've cracked the eggs, then pulverize them before dumping into the compost bin.

Don't worry that the shells already in the compost bin haven't been pulverized. They'll be broken down eventually as you turn your compost pile or begin working the finished compost into your soil.

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Mercer Arboretum and Botanic Garden, Houston, TX

Gate, Mercer Arboretum and Botanic Gardens

After having visited Mercer Arboretum and Botanic Garden in Houston - or is it in Humble or Spring, Texas - once in mid-July, I've tried to imagine the hardships Thelma and Charles Mercer endured turning 14.5 acres of trees and brush into their garden paradise. Houston is miserably hot and humid that time of year. Who were these people who braved drought, floods, insects and Houston's climate to create such a place?

Like many of us, Thelma Mercer hardly knew one plant from another when they began, but her love of beautiful places and personal vision motivated her to learn. She became an accomplished, amateur horticulturist. Her husband, Charles, a retired communications engineer with the military, shared her vision and, of course, loved to please her.

After retiring, they decided to move to the Rio Grande Valley. Not wanting their former home and gardens to be bulldozed by real estate developers, they sold the property below market value to Harris County provided that the government establish it as a botanical garden and education facility.

Mercer Arboretum and Botanic Garden is divided by Aldine Westfield Road. The East Side includes botanic gardens and the visitor center while the West Side features walking trails through the arboretum. Cypress Creek forms the northern boundary.

Hopefully the following photographic images will entice you to visit Mercer Arboretum and Botanic Garden.

 

Blue Butterfly Clerodendrum (Rotheca myricoides)

Red Bird-of-Paradise (Caesalpinia pulcherrima)

Koi pond

Nile Lily (Agapanthus africanus)

Rock Garden

Prehistoric Garden

Botanical imprints in pavement

Renaissance Garden

Color Garden

Aloe cooperi

Mercer Arboretum and Botanic Garden is a few minutes from the George Bush Intercontinental Airport.

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FAQ: What is this? It's a dahlia.

A new homeowner in Maine asks questions about plants he finds growing in his landscape. "What is this?"

That's a dahlia. Dahlias are tuberous-rooted plants that are grown from seed, cuttings or tubers.  Most gardeners start with tubers because they are easily obtained and predictable. I don't know which one judging from the picture, but it could be 'Babylon Red'.

Dahlias require exposure to full sun for at least 6 hours per day, and well-drained sandy loam with pH between 6.0 and 7.5.  Their cold-hardiness varies. In USDA climate zones 6 or 7 they can be left in the ground over winter, but you live in zone 5.

After the first hard frost, cut off the plant stalks close to the ground.  After a couple of weeks, the tuberous clumps can be dug and stored over winter.  Store them in a very cool and dark place.  Care must be taken to prevent them from freezing and drying.  Baskets make excellent storage containers because they allow ventilation along the sides.  Without adequate ventilation the tubers will rot.  Sprinkle with water every week or so to replace lost moisture.

Try inter-planting your bulbs with summer blooming perennials.

Daffodils in the landscape. Photo by Irina Iriser from Pexels

Q. I would like to plant a large area with bulbs for spring bloom. The problem is the bulb foliage looks terrible after they finish blooming. I know I'm not supposed to mow the leaves until they dry up on their own, or else I won't have any blooms the following spring. Do you have any suggestions?

A. Try inter-planting your bulbs with summer blooming perennials. Dormant perennials will produce foliage to hide the spent bulb leaves. The perennial flowers will hide them even more. Not only will your mixed bulb and perennial garden provide a longer bloom season, the bulb leaves won't need mowing. They'll just dry up and become mulch. You didn't mention whether you want to plant in sun or shade. Suitable perennials might include Astilbe, Hostas, Bearded Iris, Daylilies (Hemerocallis), Yarrow (Achillea spp.), Coneflower (Echinacea), Black-Eyed Susan (Rudbeckia) and tall ferns.

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The Howard Peters Rawlings Conservatory and Botanic Gardens, Baltimore, MD

Howard Peters Rawlings Conservatory and Botanic Gardens, Baltimore, MD

The Howard Peters Rawlings Conservatory and Botanic Gardens, located at the western edge of Baltimore's historic Druid Hill Park, is the second oldest surviving glass conservatory in America. Originally known as the Baltimore or Druid Hill Conservatory, it opened to the public in 1888. America's oldest glass conservatory is San Francisco's Conservatory of Flowers, opened in 1879.

Before exploring the conservatory, it would be helpful to know a little about its historical context. Let's begin with the land and the Susquehannocks. The Historical Society of Baltimore has published an excellent article - The Susquehannocks' Prosperity and Early European Contact by Adam Youssi - that you should read.

According to Youssi, a very large area that included Druid Hill Park was once claimed by the Susquehannocks and surely contested by others. The Susquehannocks had reputedly mastered the art of trade. A Susquehannock party claiming to have authority ceded the land (maybe belonging to other people), to one William Claiborne. Many arguments ensued. Typical of dominant governments, England settled the matter in 1638 by putting its foot down and forfeiting the land to its own George Calvert (1605-1675), Second Lord Baltimore.

"Lord Baltimore assigned the land to George Buchanan, one of several original commissioners responsible for the establishment of Baltimore City. The Buchanan-Rogers family then cultivated the area as a country estate and plantation."

Eventually, England lost the property in what was to be known as the American War for Independence, confirmed by the War of 1812 and celebrated on Maryland DMV license plates remembering when Maryland aspired to be a freer state.

The land for Druid Hill Park was purchased around 1860 when the nation's city dwellers were passionate about developing large, landscaped urban parks for their enjoyment. Before that, garden cemeteries such as Mount Hope Cemetery, Bangor, ME were popular urban resorts.

America's interest in picturesque gardens was informed by European Romantic ideals as expressed in Edmund Burke's Philosophical Enquiry into the Origin of Our Ideas of the Sublime and the Beautiful, William Gilpin's Observations on the River Wye..., Paris' Bois de Vincennes and Bois de Boulogne, and London's Hyde Park. New York's Central Park is a notable American example of those influences.

Rowhouses on Auchentoroly Terrace

In 1888, the newly completed Baltimore Conservatory was within sight of some of the city's finest homes in what is now the Parkview/Woodbrook neighborhood. Mansions built by John Morris Orem, a Baltimore dry goods magnate, were constructed (c.1860-1876) facing Auchentoroly Terrace. Magnificent rowhouses with diverse, intricate architectural features faced the park. Most of them still survive, but age and abuse have taken their toll. Along with Baltimore City, the Baltimore Conservatory suffered financial setbacks during years of decline.

Around the turn of the 21st century, the conservatory was scheduled for renovation. Money became available. The Baltimore Conservatory was renamed in honor of Delegate Howard Peters Rawlings (1937-2003). Rawlings was the first African-American to chair the powerful Appropriations Committee of the Maryland House of Delegates. Read more about "Pete" Rawlings at Wikipedia.

The Howard Peters Rawlings Conservatory consists of five "houses": the original Palm House, the Orchid Room, Tropical House, Mediterranean House and Desert House.

The original Palm House is the most imposing structure. Though relatively small in comparison to some conservatories, it has contained a fine collection including the Bismarck palm (Bismarkia nobilis), European fan palm (Chamaerops humilis), cat palm (Chamaedorea cataractarum), Christmas palm (Adonidia merrillii), dwarf coconut palm (Cocos nucifera var. ), metallic palm (Chamaedorea metallica), lady palm (Rhapis excelsa), Fiji fan palm (Pritchardia pacifica), Chinese fan palm (Livistona chinensis), bottle palm (Hyophorbe lagenicaulis), and foxtail palm (Wodyetia bifurcata).

The modest Orchid Room exhibits a changing exhibit of flowering epiphytes. Orchid enthusiasts will find plenty in bloom.

Visitors to the Tropical House will be acquainted with a diverse collection of species both familiar and unfamiliar. (Follow links for pictures.) The ginger family (Zingiberaceae) is very well represented with Red Tower ginger (Costus comosus),Costus curvibracteatus 'Green Mountain', Variegated Spiral ginger (Costus amazonicus variegata), Torch ginger (Etlingera elatior 'Thompsonae') and Butterfly ginger (Hedychium coronarium). Two species, Creeping fig (Ficus pumila) and Spikemoss (Selaginella kraussiana) are at their best as ground covers. Other favorite tropicals include:

Blushing Bromeliad (Neoregelia carolinae 'Tricolor')

Firecracker shrub (Hamelia patens)

Philodendron 'Prince of Orange'

Plumeria

Red Passionflower (Passiflora coccinea)

Bird-of-Paradise (Strelitzia reginae)

Chenille Plant (Acalypha hispida)

Bananas! (Musa spp.)

While the Tropical House is literally dripping with humidity, the sound of fountains in the Mediterranean House provides sensible refreshment in its semi-arid environment. The good collection of suitable trees, shrubs and herbs include:

Shoestring Acacia (Acacia stenophylla)

Olive (Olea europaea)

Variegated Oleander (Nerium oleander 'Variegata')

Germander (Teucrium chamaedrys)

Deserts are among the harshest places on earth, yet they are habitable sometimes by creatures with the most bizarre appearances. You'll discover lots of them in the Desert House, such as:

Tortoise plant (Dioscoria macrostachya)

Hedgehog Agave (Agave stricta)

African Ocotillo (Alluaudia procera)

Euphorbia baioensis

Brain Cactus (Mammilaria elongata 'Cristata')

Feather Cactus (Mamillaria plumosa)

Panda plant (Kalanchoe tomentosa)

Galapagos Prickly Pear (Opuntia galapageia)

Bunny Ears Cactus (Opuntia macrodasys)

Old Man Cactus (Oreocereus spp.)

Madagascar Palm (Pachypodium lameri)

 

The botanical garden adjoining the Baltimore Conservatory is quite small, but good displays of some new plants will interest any gardener.

Surrounding the conservatory, Druid Hill Park offers other cultural and recreational opportunities including the developing East Coast Greenway. which passes by the conservatory's front door. Avid bicyclists and serious pedestrians take note!

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