The Garden Club February 7, 2007

Native Woodland Hydrangeas - Summer Blooms Even in Deep Shade
One of our most common requests is from folks looking for summer blooming shrubs to brighten up shady spots, especially deep shade. Quite frankly, there aren't many good choices. Mother Nature created flowers to attract bees to pollinate the flowers and carry on the species. And, bees prefer sunshine. That's why there is so little to choose from. To fulfill this requirement, for years we've recommended a selection of our eastern native (from New York to Florida) Hydrangea arborescens, called 'Annabelle.' This variety has only one major defect; the flowers are so large they tend to flop, especially after a rain. Recently a new selection of Hydrangea arborescens was discovered: 'Ryan Gainey.' This selection has thicker stronger stems, darker green leaves that stand up better to the stress of summer and smaller flowers, but a lot more of them. For moderate to heavy shade, Hydrangea 'Ryan Gainey' will make the most spectacular display of any summer-flowering shrub I have ever grown.

White, snow-ball shaped flowers literally cover 'Ryan Gainey' starting in late May and lasting almost two months. These blooms make excellent cut flowers and can also be dried to enjoy in arrangements year round. 'Ryan Gainey' blooms on current year's growth allowing it to bloom year after year, even after severe pruning or extremely cold winters. As soon as the flowers start to turn brown, remove them and you will be rewarded with an entire second bloom just about as fulsome as the first and lasting until the first hard frost.

'Ryan Gainey' can reach heights up to three and a half feet tall, and about as wide, but can easily be trimmed in the late fall to keep it to the size you prefer. An excellent hydrangea for colder climates (hardy to Zone 4), 'Ryan Gainey' can be cut to within six inches of the ground for the winter and still come back to full height, bearing the masses of white flowers for which Hydrangea arborescens is known.

Planting and Care
Like most hydrangeas, 'Ryan Gainey' prefers morning sun and afternoon shade, but will perform handsomely with virtually no sun - the kind of deep, dense shade where you would expect only mosses and ferns to grow. With adequate moisture this Hydrangea will also flourish in full sun in the north. Even in the south, with afternoon sun and dry soil, 'Ryan Gainey' will perform. However, under these conditions the first bloom period will be shorter than the typical six to eight weeks and rebloom may not occur.

Very easy to grow!
For best results plant in spring to late fall.
Prefers afternoon shade, will tolerate full sun especially with sufficient ground moisture.
Plant 3 to 5 feet apart in moist, well-drained soil.
Amend soil with compost when planting.
Water regularly until established.
Hardy in Zones 4-9.
Fertilize with Plant-Tone in early spring and late fall.

Hydrangea arborescens 'Ryan Gainey'

Garden Club Questions and Answers

Question: I live in Zone 9, Palm Beach County, Florida. Does a butterfly bush have to be cut back every year here? If it doesn't, will flowers still bloom in July? If the bush has to be cut back where I live, can you please recommend another bush that will be colorful, tall, full and easy to cultivate?

Answer: A butterfly bush doesn't absolutely have to be cut back. I know of butterfly bushes that have thrived and bloomed for years without ever being pruned. However, the plant will be neater and bloom a little more with at least a light pruning in late winter. In Zone 9, I suspect your first bloom will be in June. Another light pruning after each bloom period will encourage re-bloom. If you follow this practice, you will have as many a 3 additional cycles of bloom in your location.

Question: We have a mature Red Maple that has gradually declined over the last few years. Two major limbs appear to be dying although the other limbs look healthy. We understand this is a common problem in urban environments (Baltimore City). There may also be a problem with its location because the ground there can remain soggy for days after heavy rains. What fertilizer or other treatment would you recommend to arrest (or slow) its decline?

Answer: I presume you have a Japanese Red Maple. I suspect the problem is a combination of old age and root rot caused by wet soil - unless the area recently became wetter because of a grade change, or some such similar event. Once mature Japanese Red Maples start to decline, it is extremely difficult to reverse the process. I suggest you get an evaluation from a top notch tree expert such as Bartlett Tree Experts.

If you are going to proceed on your own I suggest you proceed as follows:

Can you direct the water away from the area? Make sure there is no more than 2 inches of mulch around the tree and that the mulch doesn't touch the trunk. I suggest spraying with Messenger every 3 weeks starting when the leaves are full size, treating the root rot with Aliette or Agri-Fos in early spring, and root feeding at the drip line by boring into the soil 3 concentric circles of Bio-Tone Starter Plus also in early spring. Make the circles 18 inches apart. Make the holes 1 inch across, 12 inches deep, and 18 inches apart within each circle. After using the Bio-Tone, fill in the holes with composted pine fines, or you could mix the Bio-Tone Starter Plus with the pine fines.

Question: I love my Knockout roses. I have never seen so many blooms on a rose and I had no blackspot at all. This year we are going to be adding an arbor to our yard. I have already bought the arbor and I am just waiting for the ground to thaw so I can set it up. Is there a climbing Knockout rose that we can use to cover the arbor? Our arbor is about 3 feet deep; do we need 1 or 2 roses on each side?

Answer: Whatever climbing rose you choose, you need only 1 on each side. To date there is no climbing Knockout; however, the rose breeder who developed Knockout has developed a climber called 'Brite Eyes,' with all of the disease resistance and flower power that he bred into Knockout. Last year 'Brite Eyes' was the first rose to sell out here at Carroll Gardens and it looks like it is going to do so again this year. So if you want some, I suggest you order quickly to avoid being disappointed.

Question: I listen to your radio show every week and I have learned a lot. I moved here from Pennsylvania. We had a garden show there but it moves a lot slower and I enjoy yours more. I have a technical question. How do you do it? Do you use a computer to get the answers?

I was just browsing through a seed catalog and they are listing plants as "hardy annuals." How can an annual be winter hardy? Also, I noticed that they are selling tomato plants at a really high price. I have never heard of some of the varieties. Are they growing these tomatoes from cuttings and is that what accounts for the high price?

Answer: I am glad you are finding the radio show useful. I really enjoy doing it every Saturday morning. I have done it for almost 20 years and I have never missed a show. I feel as you do that it is very important that the show be fast-paced. There is a computer in the studio, but I don't use it and I don't use books either. Although I have never had a day of formal classroom training in horticulture, I am blessed with an inquisitive mind, a good memory and lots of hands-on experience. In advance of talking to a caller, I have a 1 or 2 word description of the topic of the caller's first question. To keep up the pace, the answers must just come out of my head.

I agree "hardy annual" sounds like a contradiction in terms. A hardy annual is a 1 year plant that can survive some frost. These plants can be sown from seed outdoors before the danger of frost has past. Perhaps the most extreme example is Larkspur whose seeds can be sown and sprouted in the fall. The seedlings will come through the winter undamaged before blooming in late spring and dying in the summer. A more typical example is annual Sweet Peas whose seeds are sown in late winter while the soil is still cold.

I don't believe anyone is growing tomatoes commercially from cuttings. For fall cropping, homeowners occasionally grow tomatoes from summer cuttings taken from suckers in their garden. These plants give a bigger and earlier fall crop than would be gotten from seedlings planted at the same time.

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