March 24, 2005

Add Year-Round
Color to Your Garden 

  - Viburnum 'Blue Muffin' - Save 50%
   - Garden Q&A - When Do I...?

 with Viburnum
'Blue Muffin'.
 

Viburnum dentatum 'Blue Muffin'

Viburnum - A Tough, Durable Shrub with Multi-Season Interest
Viburnum dentatum's durability and seasonal interest have made this shrub one of our favorite garden staples, especially for tough inhospitable conditions. It is hardy to North Dakota. Once established, Viburnum dentatum is truly a "plant it and forget it" deciduous shrub - great for screening or mass display in areas to which you can't give much attention. This native species is also known as Arrowhead Viburnum because Indians used to make arrows from its straight stems. Viburnum dentatum produces tidal waves of creamy flowers in late spring and blue berries in autumn. In the fall the lustrous foliage turns a rainbow of colors. Arrowwood Viburnum grows rather large, as much as 12-15 feet tall and wide, precluding gardeners with smaller or already full gardens from enjoying these wonderful shrubs. This week we are featuring a compact Arrowwood Viburnum that can find a home in any garden, the 'Blue Muffin'.

'Blue Muffin' - Blooms and Berries on a Scaled-Down Form
 'Blue Muffin' grows about half the size of other Viburnum dentatum varieties, only five to six feet tall and almost as wide, in a dense, rounded form - making it perfect for a variety of landscapes. Its size is appealing, but what is sure to catch your eye is 'Blue Muffin's' delightful color. In the spring, it will be covered with clusters of yellow-stamened white flowers followed by blue berries in autumn. The display of berries is not only impressive, but will attract many species of songbirds. In the fall, 'Blue Muffin's' semi-glossy foliage will turn brilliant shades of red, burgundy and gold.

 

'Blue Muffin's' size makes it perfect for informal screening, a hedge, or the background of the perennial border. It can be used as a specimen where you can watch the birds devour the blue berries, or in clusters around buildings. 'Blue Muffin' is adaptable to almost any condition, from full sun to part shade and almost any soil type from clay to sand to shale, moderately wet to very dry. 'Blue Muffin' can be pruned in late winter or early fall to the desired shape and/or size. Truly an easy to grow and versatile plant that will be a refreshing addition to any landscape!

 Planting and Care

  • Plant anytime from spring to fall.

  • Grows in full sun, to partial shade.

  • Prefers well-drained soils. Tolerates moderately wet conditions.

  • Plant 5 feet apart in almost any soil.

  • Water regularly until established.

  • Fertilize early in spring and late fall with Plant-Tone and Kelp Meal.

  • Hardy in zones 3-8.

  • 'Blue Muffins' will ship in May.

  • 36" bare root shrubs regularly $38.85 - now $19.43! Save 50%!

Our Garden Worthy Certification means that your satisfaction is guaranteed.

Order Now - 'Blue Muffin'

Viburnum dentatum 'Blue Muffin'

Garden Club Frequently Asked Questions
 

The most common question we get, (whether it's in the store, on the telephone, on the radio show or via e-mail) is what I call a "When do I" question. Today I will try to cover many of the most frequently asked "When do I" questions. There is great risk of over simplification; but if I try to cover all of the exceptions, the result is a horticultural text book.

Carroll Gardens is in zone 6 and the last frost date in spring here is May 10th and the first frost date is October 10th in autumn. Your county agricultural extension agent can give you the relevant frost dates for your locale. Farther south, your dates will be earlier in the spring and later in the fall than ours; conversely farther north requires adjusting to a later date in the spring and an earlier date in the fall.

The following is the first set of the "When do I" questions and responses. We will periodically do more.

When do I:

Cut back the Daffodils?
Not less than 6 weeks from the date the bloom dies. Daffodil foliage takes about 10-12 weeks to ripen and turn brown (the period varies greatly with the variety). If you cut back the foliage after 6 weeks, and the daffodils are in the sun, next year you will have about the same amount of blooms as you had this year. If you allow the foliage to ripen for the full term; without being tied in knots, the bulbs will multiply and bloom will be more plentiful next year.

Transplant trees, shrubs, roses and evergreens?
Just as the new foliage starts to pop open in the spring. The rule for almost all woody plants: transplanting is best accomplished before the new leaves are as big as a mouse's ear. Many of these plants can also be moved at other times; but for almost all of these plants, you stand the best chance of success by transplanting in early spring.

Prune evergreens?
Non-flowering evergreens are pruned early in the spring before the new growth begins. Some evergreens require one (or more) additional prunings throughout the season. The second shearing occurs right after the new growth has stopped and turned dark green. Late fall pruning will leave the evergreen looking unnaturally freshly pruned all winter and subject to winter damage. Flowering evergreens such as azaleas, rhododendrons and camellias are pruned right after they have finished blooming.

Prune deciduous flowering shrubs?
Summer flowering shrubs, such as Crape Myrtle and Butterfly Bush, are pruned in the spring. Spring blooming shrubs such as: Mock Orange and Forsythia are pruned right after they finish blooming. There are lots of exceptions to this one. Old-time blue and pink hydrangeas get cut back just as the blooms start to fade in the summer. Without decreasing the flowering, only the old blooms, not the stem, can be removed in the spring. Another exception: there is no time to cut back some shrubs that bloom in the spring and berry in the fall without reducing either the flower production and/or berry production.

Fertilize trees, shrubs and perennials?
Presuming you are using organic fertilizers, feed late in the fall about 6 weeks after the first frost date and early in the spring about 8-10 weeks before the last frost date. Perennials often benefit from a supplemental feeding in mid-late spring---just about the time the irises bloom.

Plant bare-root Roses?
In zones 4 through 7, as early in the spring as the ground is workable. Roses are just about the first planting you do in the spring. In zones 8 and 9, you can plant bare-root roses late in the fall as well as early in the spring.

Cut back my Roses?
With the exception of climbers, modern roses are cut back before the new growth starts in the spring. (about 2 months before the last frost date). Climbers are not pruned in the early spring but have the oldest canes (3-4 year old) removed after the initial spring bloom.

Spray the Roses with horticultural oil and lime sulphur?
As early in the spring as possible before the new leaves start to unfurl, but on a day when there will be no frost the following night. It is not always easy to find such a day. Personally I have seen little damage when spraying a little late after the leaves have already unfurled, but were only developed half-way.

Fertilize the Roses?
Feed monthly starting concurrently with the initial spring pruning until 2 months before the first frost date in the fall.

Divide Bearded Irises?
About 2-3 months after peak Iris bloom, but before the days shorten and the soil cools in the fall. A good indicator that it is time to divide the irises is when the tips of the foliage have started to brown.

Cut-Back Bearded Iris foliage?
Cut back half-way in mid-summer and to the ground sometime between late fall and very early spring.

Spray the Irises to prevent Iris borer?
Spray with Orthene or Cygon 2e (with a "spreader sticker"), when the daffodils are in full bloom and then again 4 weeks later.

Divide my Chrysanthemums?
In the spring sometime between when the new foliage just emerges until it gets 3-4 inches tall.

Divide Daylilies?
In the spring before the new growth is 4 inches tall or in late summer to early fall (1-2 months before the first frost date).

Divide Hostas?
In the spring before the new growth starts to unfurl or in early fall about a month before the first frost.

Cut-Back Liriope?
Cut Liriope to the ground in early spring before the new growth emerges.

Cut-Back ornamental grasses?
Deciduous ornamental grasses, those in which the foliage turns brown in the winter, can be cut-back anytime between late fall and when the new growth starts in the spring.

Transplant Peonies?
In autumn just before the first frost date.

Apply Chesapeake Blue Crab Compost to the vegetable garden?
Concurrent with the initial tilling in the spring is best. However, Chesapeake Blue is so beneficial, you have a broad range of options including fall tilling, late spring tilling at planting or even as a top dressing after planting.

Plant grass seed?
In the shade as early in the spring as the ground is workable. In areas with 4 or more hours of sun, in the late summer and early fall.

Lime the lawn?
5-6 weeks after the first fall feeding, which should also be 5-6 weeks before the second fall feeding.

Apply weed killer to the lawn?
As soon as the weeds green-up and have new growth in the spring. Subsequent applications should be 5 weeks apart. Never apply lawn weed killer in the period from 5 weeks prior to re-seeding until the new grass has been mowed 3 times. Never apply lawn weed killer during hot summer drought.

Fertilize Zoysia Grass?
Only once a year, just before the foliage starts to green-up in the spring.

Fertilize Blue Grass and/or Fescue?
These grasses predominate in zones 5, 6, and 7. Fertilize with a slow-release fertilizer 3 times per year--- in late winter or very early spring, as the soil starts to cool at the end of summer and then again about 6 weeks after the first frost date in fall. In very shady areas, apply lawn fertilizer at half strength.

Apply Crab Grass preventer?
Dimension Crab Grass Preventer is applied just as the yellow flowering Forsythia shrub is going out of bloom in early spring.

 

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