The Apocalypse tapestry - Angers, France

The Apocalypse tapestry - Angers, France

Hunting for plants has its rewards

Hunting for plants has its rewards. Dale and I just returned from a week long excursion to Northern France that took us from Angers, located in the center of the Loire Valley, north to the shores of Normandy. This begins the first of a series of short entries designed to make you all envious and jealous. Ah ... but that is the point – if I can convince you to leave the crowds and tourist traps of Paris for the magical French countryside - my job is done. Here you will come to know and love France. Skip Paris, are you mad? Yes I’m serious - think about it – do Europeans come to know America by visiting Los Angeles? I think not, so why not apply the same logic in our own travels abroad.

Guided by a beautiful French speaking woman that repeatedly shouted out “Tournez a gauche,” the handy GPS guidance system delivered us to the small village of Juvardeil located just north of the city of Angers. Here we set our base camp at the Chateau de la Buronniere, a quiet B&B with wonderful off-season rates. It is hard to say what was better, the majesty of the chateau or our sparkling innkeeper Willemien Van der Nat Verhage. Hard bread, dark coffee, and strong cheese greeted us each morning, while cold beer, red wine and assorted appetizers welcomed us home at night.

The Chateau de la Buronniere was, for the most part, built in the late sixteen hundreds, in the era of the Palais de Versailles. Parts of the home date back as far as 1450, and today it has no telephones, television and during our visit no other guests. We felt as if we had stepped back in time. What must it have been like to be the Sybille de la Buronniere, the original family of the chateau, living in such a grand house? Willemien told us that it was common then to entertain and to have numerous friends and guests for the summer months. There were no highways, cars, motels, televisions or x-box - but rather family, friends, food and good wine. Simple conversation, garden walks and fancy balls were the entertainment of the day.

For us, it was the perfect place to begin our plant hunting sorties into the rich Loire valley, home to numerous vineyards, pépinières (nurseries) and le Salon du Vegetal one of the most interesting horticultural exhibitions in Europe.

Kerria deserves a Second Look

Kerria japonica, The Japanese Yellow Rose, has been around for a long time. It has been sold for years, most commonly by low end mail order companies. For whatever reason, wholesale growers and garden centers rarely include this plant in their mix, and I wonder why? The more I see of this plant and what it can do in the landscape, the more I feel it deserves a second look. Please join me.

Kerria japonica is a hardy (Zone 5) deciduous shrub that matures at 3 to 5 feet in height. It's a dense mounded plant with numerous slender, zig-zagging branches that emerge at ground level. The beauty of Kerria is found in its flowers, stems and foliage. The bright yellow flowers are noticeable reminiscent of an old fashioned rose with its 5 petals. The flowers clearly make this plant a member of the Rosaceae family. In early spring, before the leaves emerge, the numerous yellow flowers create a colorful show. As an added benefit, Kerria will often rebloom off and on all summer long. The effect is beautiful and rewarding. Kerria is also blessed with attractive ornamental stems. From autumn to spring, its bright kelly green stems create a wonderful, fresh impression. Having visited the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Gardens in early spring a few years back, I distinctly remember big green drifts of Kerria. I was surprised and delighted to see it used throughout their beautifully landscaped grounds. Around every corner we were greeted by a mass of bright green. This unique combination of color and zigzagged lines creates a lasting impression.

You also have to appreciate the clean and simple foliage of Kerria. The leaves appear birch-like at first glance with its narrow triangular shape, but unlike birch, its leaves are brighter, doubly serrated, and display a pronounced puckering between the leaf veins. Always clean and green the foliage is a distinctive asset.

Culture

This is not a fussy plant that is difficult to grow or manage. Quite the contrary, Kerria is happy in most any reasonable well drained soil. It requires little fertility, and seems to flower best if neglected. Unlike other members of the rose family, Kerria has no serious insect of disease problems. The remarkable thing about this is that it thrives when grown in partially shaded to fully shaded locations. Few plants flower this well in shade! Full sun is also an option, but it does present a few problems. The flowers do not hold up as well and it can show some stem die-back if exposed to winter sun. Neither of these problems are severe, but both can distract from the beauty of the plant. It should be noted that this plant dislikes heavy, poorly drained soil. It will languish and grow smaller by the year. As far as ongoing maintenance, I personally feel this plant benefits from an occasional hard pruning. Cutting the plant to the ground produce a fuller plant, brighter stems and improved flowering.

The Cultivars

The most popular cultivar of Kerria is the old fashioned double flowered form, Kerria j. 'Pleniflora'. Its yellow button-like flowers resembles a chrysanthemum, and at peak bloom they polka dot the plant to create a distinct look. Kerria 'Pleniflora is not one of my favorite plants. To me it looks too contrived. I much prefer the simplicity of the single flowered forms. Two of the best single flowered cultivars are 'Honshu' and 'Golden Guinea'. I can detect only slight and inconsequential differences between these two plants. Both were selected for their large single flowers. If I had to choose only one of them I would pick ‘Honshu’ because its flowers are slightly larger and they have a soft and pleasing fragrance. The plant was introduced by Dr. Clifford Parks of Camellia Forest Nursery in Chapel Hill. Many people choose 'Golden Guinea' strictly because of its name. The name properly describes the size and color of the bloom. No the name Guinea does not refer to a bird or some exotic country, it refers to a large gold coin.

For those of you who need even more excitement in your life, several variegated selections are available. The best variegated type is called Kerria japonica 'Picta'. Not a great name, but a very good plant. Its leaves are graced with a creamy white margin that is not at all offensive like some variegated plants. The overall effect is very nice, and a decent specimen garners much attention. It does have its shortcomings. It can be slow growing when young making it difficult to produce especially when compared to the species. It also has a tendency to throw an occasional green shoot, which must be removed. This is a simple task and most gardeners would gladly pay this price to have such an interesting plant. I have seen another variegated clone under the name of 'Kinkan' or 'Auro-vittata'. This is worthless selection best left to the most ardent collector or relegated to the botanic garden. This "beauty" has green and yellow striped stems that tend to revert at the speed of sound and has small single yellow flowers.

While all Kerria selections have yellow flowers; the cultivar ‘Albaflora’ has blooms that are a near white, butter yellow. The color is more subtle, and I my opinion more pleasing to the eye than the typical bright yellow of the species.

Kerria is a beautiful plant with year long interest. Plant it in mass in a shady location and I think you'll be pleasantly surprised how nicely this plant performs. Very few flowering shrubs perform so well in the shade and you'll love the winter effect provided by its bright green stems.

Viburnum nudum: Close to perfection

Brandy Wine over three seasons

Possiumhaw or smooth witherod viburnum (Viburnum nudum) is a little known and underutilized shrub that is native from Maine and Florida and west into Texas. This is a remarkable shrub for several reasons; most notably for its attractive leaves that are so glossy you might think they’d been sprayed with leaf shine. As an added attraction the leaves turn to an eye-catching rich burgundy in autumn.


While attractive from a distance, the creamy-white, spring blooms are a bit uninteresting compared to other, more showy or more fragrant viburnums. To me its musky odor is neither pleasing or offensive - yet in late spring, the overall flower display is a welcome site in any garden. More importanly the flowers should be praised and respected for they give birth to an breathtaking fruit display that is unrivaled in the plant world.


In late summer the immature green, pea-sized berries (technically drupes) begin their metamorphosis - changing to shades of bright pink and then on to hues of bright blues and wild grape. The transformation is unsynchronized and yields large clusters of polychromic berries more showy than Donny Osmond’s dreamcoat.

Brandywine has colorful berries

While there is no such thing as a perfect plant, this one comes close. Still it is not suitable for all gardens. The species will not thrive on chalky or alkaline soils. In the North Eastern, U.S., Viburnum bark beetle can be a problem for this species, but fortunately these buggers can be controlled without chemicals. 


So how can such a beautiful plant escape full-blown stardom? As is the case with many Viburnum species, fruit set mandates that two distinct varieties (clones or ciltivars) are grown in close proximity to cross pollinate. And until the recent introduction of Brandywine™ (Viburnum nudum ‘Bulk’), most growers offered one cultivar called ‘Winterthur’ and it never set fruit. Brandywine was introduced by Proven Winners so that  there would be two selections available and thus allow for fruit set. It turns out, however, that Brandwine will set fruit without the need for another cultivar near by to cross pollinate. I have grown this plant for over four years and it has set fruit with a companion. 

Brandywine Fall color 

Brandywine Viburnum is hardy from zone 5(4) to 9. It prefers full sun to partial shade and moist, but well drained soil. It matures at a height and width of 5-7 feet. Once established it requires very little care yet offers so much more in return. 

The Gift: a passion for plants

While I spend most of my time looking for new plants, today I discovered some plants that were old but personally significant. My father sent me an email with a link to a website called Penny Postcards. On this site you can view old postcards arranged geographically by state and county. My father directed me to the cards for Linn County, Iowa. Here I discovered beautiful postcards of gardens designed by my late grandfather William Wood, the former manager of parks for Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

I’ve never met my grandfather. I am sad to say he died before I was born, but I do feel a closeness to William for like my father and me, he was a plantsman. He was trained in England as a true master gardener before he immigrated to the town made famous by Quaker Oats. I have visited the parks of Cedar Rapids many times and with each visit I was warmly greeted with the smell of cooked oats and the lasting remnants of William’s handy work; the Ellis Park golf course, the ruins of an old Shakespeare garden and trees planted by his caring hands. No, I have never met my grandfather, but still, I have come to know him. He loved plants and gardens, and he had a desire to share his passion with others, and that is the gift he gave to me.

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Addicted to Hydrangea

In the small coastal village of Varengeville-sur-Mer, in Normandy France, I had the pleasure of meeting the worlds foremost Hydrangea experts Robert and Corinne Mallet. Inside their small cottage, stacks of books, piles of herbarium specimens and a mass of photography towered about me and surrounded me. Everything within site, including the Mallets themselves, revolved around the genus Hydrangea. Call them advocates, fanatics or just plant crazy; they’ve devoted their lives to growing, studying and promoting Hydrangeas.

While I have other pursuits in my life, you might also call me a bit of a Hydrangea nut. After all - it was I who had traveled all the way to France to learn from the masters. Yes, Hydrangeas are a unique group of plants that can cast an inexplicable spell on those who grow them. To know the charm, beauty and usefulness of Hydrangeas is bound to create an enthusiast to some degree.

There are some 23 different species of Hydrangea. A few are evergreen, but most are deciduous forms of vines, shrubs or small trees. Where I live in Michigan, I can successfully cultivate about 10 different Hydrangea species. What is amazing is that only half of these species are readily available in the nursery trade and only five species of Hydrangea provide us with the hundreds of unique plants (cultivars) in which to beautify our gardens. While an unmentioned East Coast author (Martha Stewart) would espouse the beauty and bold brash colors of Hydrangea macrophylla (The Bigleaf Hydrangea), I would rather extol the virtues of some less glorious, but more reliable species. These Hydrangeas have proven themselves to be great garden plants for our harsh continental climate.

Climbing Hydrangea, Hydrangea anomala subsp. petiolaris (Eastern Asia, Zone 4 ) is a beautiful vine that climbs by aerial rootlets. It has glossy, heart heart-shaped leaves and white lacy blooms (corymbs) in early summer. It can be grown as a shrub, groundcover, or as a vine depending upon its culture. You have not lived until you have seen this plant in full bloom climbing up a tall oak tree. It is very happy on a north facing building or otherwise shady brick wall. I know of only a few cultivars, but most of them are hard to find in the market. 'Skylands Giant' is a selection with very large blooms. 'Tilifolia' is a selection with very small leaves, and ‘Fire Fly’ is good variegated selection with bold yellow and green leaves. All of these plants are worth hunting for and growing.

The Smooth Hydrangea, Hydrangea arborescens (Eastern U.S, Zone 3), is a wonderful, hardy plant that blooms in midsummer. It has the great advantage of blooming on the current seasons wood. This results in very reliable blooming regardless of frost or winter injury. The species is not a spectacular garden plant with its small mostly fertile flowers, but there are some noteworthy cultivars that are worth growing.

'Annabelle', introduce by Joe McDanials of Champaign, IL, is the most commonly grown cultivar. One is hard pressed to find any other cultivar of Hydrangea arborescens being sold today. There are some nurseries unknowingly selling the cultivars 'Grandiflora' as 'Annabelle'. True 'Annabelle' has very large, perfectly symmetrical blooms, while the blooms of 'Grandiflora' are often quartered and irregular. 'Annabelle' is very showy, but often collapses under the weight of its own blooms.

There is a need for more selections of H. arborescens. I would like to see an improved 'Annabelle' with sturdier stems. I also feel there is room for more lace-cap selections, especially selections made from plants like H. arborescens subsp. discolor which has light downy hair beneath the leaves and H. arborescens subsp. radiata which has snow white coloration on the underside of the leaves. I personally find these plants more graceful and delicate than 'Annabelle'.

There are three new introductions of H. arborescens on the market and both are very exciting. . Dutch horticulturist Wouter Kromhout brings us an exciting new lace-cap called White Dome This strong growing plant has extremely large dome-shaped blooms and large, attractive dark green leaves on a 5-6’ tall plant. This plant is exceptionally fine in the winter for its dried flowerheads look magical with a touch of frost or snow on them. (See image above). It can be mass planted to acheive the same winter interest you get with ornamental grasses like Miscantuhus.

Incrediball is a new and improved form of Annabelle with massive flowers and strong stems that hold up the blooms. This plant is larger in stature than Annabelle, reaching 4-4.5 feet tall.

Invincibelle 'Spirit' is the most exciting hydrangea introduction in years. It is the first pink flowerd form of 'Annabelle'. It was developed by Dr. Tom Ranney of NC State. Now we have the color of a Hydrangea macrophylla but with the dependability of H. arborescens. Very exciting!

Hydrangea arborescens is a very useful and adaptable plant. It grows in light shade or full sun, and once established it can be quite drought tolerant. Be careful not to over fertilize this plant or it will grow weak and leggy. I prefer to cut it back hard each spring to create a fuller bushier plant and to remove any winter damaged stems. In the landscape use it as a focal point for its white flowers can stand out from long distances. It also looks great in mass plantings.

The Panicle Hydrangea, Hydrangea paniculata (Asia, Zone 3) is a wonderful, hardy species that also blooms on new wood. It flowers in late summer to early fall. The cultivar Pee Gee or 'Grandiflora' is an old, commonly grown cultivar that deserves retirement. It has large floppy white panicles. Superior cultivars are now making their way to market. Most of these plants were developed by Robert and Jelena DeBelder of Belgium. 'Little lamb' is a DeBelder introduction with a dwarf compact habit. The flower heads are petit but full. They emerge a pure white and change to a rich pink in autumn. Pieter Zwijnenburg of Holland developed ‘Limelight’ a plant that is making quite the splash in the US. This incredible plant is noteworthy for several reasons. It sports attractive bright green flowers on strong upright stems. It blooms in early July, which is quite early for the species. ‘Limelight’ is at its best in autumn when the green flowers transform to breathtaking shades of green, pink and burgundy all on the same plant. I have seen numerous other selections of Hydrangea paniculata that are yet unnamed or introduced. We are currently evaluating a few selections but want to make certain that they are distinct and worthy before introduction. Also of note, the USDA has been attempting to cross H. paniculata and H. macrophylla in order to create a hardy, reliably blooming plant with interesting colors. Time will tell if this effort is successful.

Hydrangea paniculata is very easy to grow and adaptable to most garden soils so long as is it not planted in standing water. This plant makes a great blooming hedge if you don’t over prune it. Just let it grow and enjoy the color.

Hydrangea quercifolia (South Eastern U.S, Zone 5) know as the Oakleaf Hydrangea is a wonderful plant with distinct oak-like leaves. It has beautiful white panicles in midsummer that often fade to pink as they age. It is also noted for its blood red fall foliage color. The cultivar 'Snow Queen' is perhaps the standard by which all oakleaf cultivars are judged. It has large, upright panicles with large sepals and deep red fall color. 'Snowflake' is a beautiful, double flowered selection with large, pendulous panicles. The sepals age to purple even as new white sepals emerge to create a beautiful contrast. 'Harmony' has curious globular blooms. It is strictly a plant for collectors. Mike Dirr introduced a selection called 'Alice'. She has large panicles, good red fall color and extremely vigorous growth. Here too, we are evaluating other new selections that may warrant introduction.

Oakleaf Hydrangea is very reliable, easy to grow and thrives on neglect. It is extremely drought and heat tolerant. It will thrive in full sun or partial shade. It will flower in heavy shade but it will grow at a much slower rate. Use this plant in large mass plantings in commercial settings or as a specimen in a home landscape. Grow in contrast with plants with fine textures and narrow leaves. Please note that the wood on this plant is quite brittle, so it should not be planted where ice or snow could smash its structure.

As you can see, the genus Hydrangea is wonderfully diverse. But don't just take my word for it - the best way to know these plants is to grow them. But be careful, it’s fun and potentially addicting.

If you wish to learn more about Hydrangea I highly recommend the following books; Hydrangeas, Species & Cultivars a two volume set by Corinne Mallet, Hydrangeas, A Gardeners Guide, by Toni Lawson-Hall and Brian Rothera, and The Hydrangea by Michael Haworth-Booth. I also recommend joining the American Hydrangea Society, or if you're in Europe, the Shamrock Society.