Iris and roses are some of the most sumptuous spring flowers.  And they’re starting to bloom now!

A long view of deer netting over a hosta in Sally's bed.

A closeup of a 'Sagae' hosta covered by netting.

POSTED BY FRED — Sally, a Sugar Creek colleague and one of our gardeners participating in the June 4 SCG garden tour, lives in deer country and felt rather obliged not to be showing off hostas gnawed to the ground by her friendly neighborhood Bambis. It wasn’t practical to wrap her property in deer fencing but much easier to wrap her hostas (and other plants that deer like) instead.

Here are a couple of photos — one a long view and another a closeup — showing what the netting looks like.

I was surprised at how non-distracting it was. From a distance, it’s hardly noticeable. Up close, sure, but a hosta in full leaf is certainly better than the alternative.

Sally says a 7 x 100 foot roll of deer netting runs about $16 at Lowe’s. Which gives me an idea: I’m lucky not to deal with deer but occasionally unlucky with rabbits. Similar netting might be worth a look to discourage these bandits.

Move along, nothing going on here (for now).

The day after Easter...

Nothing like insane colors to make you realize it’s spring.

This little mullein made me grin - so brave.

Every once in a while, I have to get away from my books, drawing tools, and computer.  Yesterday, I got antsy and went out to the prairie.  Konza Prairie is the largest remaining parcel of unbroken tallgrass prairie in the world, covering over 5,000 acres.  It overturns the “Kansas is flat” idea – these are some serious hills.  Not much was blooming yet, but the little mullein on a rock inspired me with its tenacity.

Believe it or not, Kansas has hills.

There's something surreal about the burnt prairie that I just can't accept.

The purple blooms of money plant mixed amid tulips, emerging Amsonia hubrichtii and Little Rascal holly (lower right).

POSTED BY FRED — Folks who know the money (or silver dollar) plant — Lunaria annua — tend to think of it in its seed-bearing form, made up of the attractive thin, grayish-white pods. But this is the time of year when money plant really delivers.

Lunaria’s downside is that it’s a biennial, meaning it takes two years to grow from seed to fruition before dying. I got some seeds from a friend in the summer of 2008, populated them in an open area in one of my beds and waited. In April of 2009, the clumps of foliage produced attractive purple blooms, went to seed and created more clumps in 2010 (but no blooms because of the two-year cycle). It’s bloom time again this year, and as you can see by the photo, money plant provides extra cha-ching when planted amid tulips.

The key to getting Lunaria to bloom every year is to get first-year plants going in the year others are in bloom. I’ve got a lot of new growth coming up amid this year’s blooms, and who knows if it’s money plant or just stuff coming up. Because it produces lots of seed, money plant can pay very high dividends, and you’ll find them pop up in places you don’t want (like your yard), but they’re easily pulled or hoed up.

I’ve been meaning to post these for two weeks – hellebores from home.  Enjoy!  And come in to the nursery and see the beauties we’ve got.  You’ll be amazed.

POSTED BY FRED — The big trucks will be snarling two-way traffic on Woodlawn Avenue this week, which is bad news for motorists but good news for those looking to spruce up their landscape with the latest shrubs.

Among some of the new varieties surely to catch the eye of shoppers are Little Lime hydrangea and Little Devil ninebark.

But if you’re looking for a large, deciduous shrub that 1. is long blooming; 2. easy to grow (in sun or shade); 3. has attractive flowers; and 4. large textured leaves that turn brilliant colors in the fall; and 5. offers four-season interest, take a look at the oakleaf hydrangea (Hydrangea quercifolia).

The long (we’re talking up to a foot) conical-shaped flowers start out white in June and evolve (photos above) over the summer to pink, magenta and bronze. The peeling, cinnamon-color bark is attractive, too, especially in winter.

Our youngish oakleafs might seem gangly, but placed where they can fill a 6×6 spot, they will deliver years of near maintenance-free enjoyment. And if a full-size oakleaf doesn’t quite fit, dwarf varieties ‘Pee Wee’ and the gold-leafed ‘Little Honey’ may fill the bill.

A 2-cubic foot bag of cotton burr at Sugar Creek Gardens is $7.99.

POSTED BY FRED – Among the complaints you hear from some gardeners is their inability to grow certain plants or to get them looking their best. A recurring frustration in helping a customer is to recommend a plant only to hear, “Oh, I tried that one and it wouldn’t grow.”

Here’s one big reason for that: Many gardeners spend a lot of dollars on plants but give their soil only a dime’s glance, which is akin to building a house without a foundation.

Our Midwestern soil is known for its clay, which actually can be a good thing when it’s amended with organic matter. Clay allows for water and nutrients to hang around longer and the amendments feed the soil, which feeds the plants.

Which brings us to cotton burr compost, for years a staple at Sugar Creek and a product I use to top-dress perennials and shrubs in early spring and also in new plantings.

I knew this was a quality product, so out of curiosity, I checked out Back to Nature, which produces cotton burr, to find out more.

Many gardeners aren’t aware that decaying wood mulch can divert nitrogen meant for plants, and Back to Nature says cotton burrs have a carbon-to-nitrogen ratio of 22:1, eliminating nitrogen tie-up.

The company says that in addition to nitrogen, phosphate and potassium, the product has numerous micronutrients as well. The cotton burrs provide food for beneficial soil organisms, which help make nutrients available to plants, aerate the soil and help to combat harmful organisms and diseases, the website says. Not to mention loosening clay soil, retaining moisture and neutralizing soil pH.

Good soil is a beautiful thing. Just ask any experienced gardener.

What a great excuse to put off some of your gardening!