Overwintering…

Special thanks to UM PLAN students who spent the afternoon helping us move thousands of plants from their winter storage in the hoop-house to their summer home in the nursery.  A huge heartfelt thank you to all 5 of them!!

UM FLAT students

Overwintering plants in pots is a challenge!  Roots of plants in pots are far more vulnerable to weather extremes than roots of plants in the ground.  Especially damaging are the freeze-thaw cycles of our Montana springtime.

Our goal for winter storage is to ensure that plants go dormant before they freeze, then to keep them frozen until it is sufficiently warm in the daytime that they can begin growing with minimal freezing at night – i.e. we have to read Mother Nature’s mind to find out when she’s finished with winter temps.  Right!

While many nurseries avoid this situation by either selling off stock in the fall or using greenhouses to alleviate temperature fluctuations, we believe our plants are hardier when not grown in greenhouses and we have virtually no carbon footprint by not heating a greenhouse or running fans and lights.

That said, the challenges of overwintering are numerous between freezing, dessication, rodents and breakage from stacking plants in storage.  It’s a delight to be up and growing again!  Thanks again to our friends from the UM FLAT program!

Digging from the Wild?

Columbine

Digging native plants from the wild?  Unfortunately most of us have tried it at some point.  And most of us have failed.  Lots of native plants just don’t like to be dug up and moved.

But there are bigger issues at stake than just trying to transplant.  Like, what happens to that hole you leave in the soil?  All depends on which weed seed arrives there first.  Disturbing the soil opens it to weed seeds that either fly in, are deposited on the site by animals, or have been sitting on the site dormant, just waiting for the soil to be broken open for them to start sprouting.

And what happens to species (e.g. Echinacea angustifolia) that get dug up by too many people and suddenly find themselves few and far between?  Depletion of populations of native plants is happening all around us as development eradicates plant communities.  Digging plants from the wild doesn’t help the situation.

Arrowleaf Balsamroot

I know, digging just this one little plant won’t have any noticeable effect.   Something akin to removing cool rocks from National Parks or fossils from old deposits…. OK, I’m experiencing guilt for digging up that plant years ago.  But I know better now and won’t do it again!

Really, it DOES make a difference.  Please don’t dig plants from the wild.  See if you can find a nursery that sells the species you are looking for, or gather seeds and propagate them.  Or give me the seeds and I’ll grow them for you!

 

It’s time to prune!

Rubber Rabbitbrush needs pruning!

This week we’re pruning the shrubs in our demonstration gardens as the snow melts off but before leaves emerge (yes, we still have snow!).

Pruning

Wax Currant beginning to bud

Pruning maintains the health and vigor of plants by removing dead, diseased or injured material and allows  control of the shape of the plant while promoting fruit and flower yield by concentrating the plant’s energy.

This Rubber Rabbitbrush (Ericameria nauseosus) needs a heavy annual pruning to keep it bushy and under control.   It seems like the more I chop it back, the more vigorous it gets!  Other species like this Wax Currant (Ribes cereum) and our Blue Rock Clematis (Clematis occidentalis) need more careful pruning.

Leaf buds on Blue Rock Clematis

We use very sharp, clean pruning shears on smaller plants and pruning saws on large trees.   Our pruners have been sharpened and bleached in a 10% bleach solution.  It’s important to maintain sanitation and avoid transporting bacteria or viruses on shears.

We prune using the concept of ‘apical dominance’ which means that the plant has a propensity to have one main leader with all the other branches lower than the ‘main’ branch.  Cuts are made just above buds that are pointed in the direction we want the branch to take.  Our goal is to keep plants appropriately shaped (each species has its own form) and to help keep shrubs in the demonstration beds compact.

When to prune:

• Trees and shrubs – ideally after buds swell and before leaves emerge so sap will seal cuts (fall pruning may open the
  

  emerging leaves of Columbine

  plant to disease since no sap is running to seal cuts) but light pruning may be done any time of year

• Grasses may be pruned either after flowering to prevent reseeding or in the fall if you don’t want them for winter interest in your garden.  If you wait until spring (like we have done), prune back as far as you can without damaging new growth.
• Wildflowers may be deadheaded after flowering to promote second blooms or to minimize reseeding, but leave at least half of the plant mass so the plant can accumulate sugar reserves it needs to make it through the winter.  Some flowers like this Blue Columbine (Aquilegia coerulea) need to have old growth removed to make way for regrowth in the spring.

This Mockorange needs to be thinned!

This Mockorange (Philadelpus lewisii) shrub  needs to be thinned out to promote fewer healthy branches rather than lots of spindly suckers.

And of course, pruning provides cuttings for vegetative propagation which is a subject for another blog another day.

Pruning Blue Elderberry

Our most deer resistant plant is…

Last year we created an experimental garden using the plants we sell that we know are deer resistant to a certain degree.  We wanted to see what the deer would browse, how they would treat different species and which plants were the most deer resistant (notice I’m not saying ‘deer-proof’!)  The garden is outside of our nursery in a fairly high deer traffic area.

Deer Garden

As we assumed the deer, especially the curious fawns, began walking through the garden exploring and checking out the goodies we had put in front of them.   Soon the Bitterroots were nubs, the Blue-eyed Grass bit the dust, and the Penstemons were nowhere to be found.  Sigh…

The Blanket Flower looked like it was going to make it through the summer, but succumbed by the end of September.  The Milkweed took several hits that only served to make it branch out and grow thicker.  The Tri-lobed Sumac was down to half it’s size by fall and the Silver Buffaloberry was looking rather pathetic.

But, there were some very notable winners.  The grasses all were fine.  These included Bluebunch Wheatgrass, Prairie Junegrass, Little Bluestem, Idaho Fescue, Indian Ricegrass and Blue Grama.   Rocky Mountain Beeplant (as always) was gorgeous and virtually untouched by the deer.  The Sage species (Mountain Big Sage, Big Sage, and Fringed Sage) all did fine.  Hairy Golden Aster took a few minor hits but did great.  Yarrow was fine.

Oregon Sunshine (Eriophyllum lanatum)

But the outstanding plant that the deer consistently avoided was Oregon Sunshine (Eriophyllum lanatum.)  It was right in the front of the garden so it was easily accessible to all passing deer and while  it was walked on a few times as deer passed over it, it grew full, produced a mass of blooms and was awarded our Outstanding Deer Resistant Plant of the Year Award.

Oregon Sunshine flower

This species has beautiful grey-green hairy foliage that is attractive even when the plant is not blooming.  While it is a short-lived species acting more like a biennial than a perennial, it blooms continually from July to September.  The flowers are a golden yellow ray flower with yellow centers, sometimes with a bright yellow-orange ring around the center of the flower.

Consider trying this one this year!

2012 Missoula Home and Garden Show

Look for us at the 2012 Missoula Home and Garden Show at the Adams Center on the University of Montana campus

Saturday, March 31 and Sunday, April 1!  See you there!

Free native plant seeds for our Facebook ‘friends’ – be sure to ‘like’ us – thanks!

Native Plant Alternatives to Ornamental species

This topic seems to be popping up all over.  What’s the deal?

We use cultivated ornamental species in landscaping because that’s what the nurseries sell, that’s what the neighbors have, and because they thrive.  So what’s the problem? Why should we use native plants instead?

Russian Sage

First, definitions:

native plant = a species that occurs naturally in a particular regions, ecosystem, and/or habitat without direct or indirect human intervention (i.e. it’s been here for a long time and it evolved to be adapted here)

cultivar = a plant that has been selected for cultivation because of a particular characteristic or group of attributes – e.g. color – typically reproduced through cloning.

ornamental = plant grown for decorative purposes

The problem is that cultivated ornamental plant species frequently are not host plants for native pollinators (pollinators cannot make use of them), can become invasive, can contaminate local gene pools, and cannot maintain the sense of place that is something we all love about the places we live in.  There are great native plant alternatives that are hosts for native pollinators, provide habitat for local fauna, thrive in local climates, use less water, and preserve a sense of place.

Here are some examples:

• Instead of Purple Loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria) use Dotted Blazing Star (Liatris punctata) or Wild Bergamot (Monarda fistulosa)
• Instead of Japanese Barberry (Berberis thunbergii) use Ninebark (Physocarpus malvaceous) or Tri-lobed Sumac (Rhus trilobata)
• Instead of Russian Olive (Elaeagnus angustifolia) use Silver Buffaloberry (Shepherdia argentea) or Silverberry (Elaeagnus commutata)
• Instead of Crested Wheatgrass (Agropyron cristatum) use Western Wheatgrass (Pascopyrum smithii)
• Instead of Chickory (Cichorium intybus) use Blue Flax (Linum lewisii)

       etc….

Sagebrush

Look for native plants with similar color, height and growing requirements to use instead of non-native species whenever possible.  You’ll be doing good things for your environment and for you!  

Invasive Plant Species – in honor of National Invasive Species Week

Common Tansy

They are insidious!  They start out as a few pleasing plants and you think  “oh they aren’t so bad” and you leave them be.  Next thing you know there are a few more, and eventually lots of them.  By the time you’ve decided it was a mistake not to get rid of those plants, it’s a difficult (if not impossible) job to eradicate them.   Invasive plant species are often attractive plants.  Many have been intentionally planted as ornamental species in gardens and landscapes by people who had no idea that they would be problematic.

According to the USDA invasive species are:

1) non-native (or alien) to the ecosystem under consideration and

2) whose introduction causes or is likely to cause economic or environmental harm or harm to human health.

Spotted Knapweed

Plants may be well behaved and non-invasive in one area and considerably misbehaved and very invasive when imported (usually by humans) to another area.  Invasive species threaten native plant populations and cost millions of dollars annually to control.

In our area Spotted Knapweed, Leafy Spurge, Dalmation Toadflax, Cheatgrass, Common Tansy, Oxeye Daisy, Bindweed and Yellow Flag Iris are particularly problematic.  Some, like knapweed, produce alleleopathic chemicals that actually inhibit other species from growing next to them.  Others, like Leafy Spurge, have extensive, fast-growing root systems that make erradication nearly impossible.  It is important to deal with invasive species BEFORE they become established.  If you see small plants, get rid of them!  Avoid disturbing the soil unnecessarily which allows weed seeds to germinate.  And don’t let them go to seed – cut off flowers whenever possible.

Bindweed

Check out the Montana Weed Control Association’s website: www.mtweed.org for more information on weed identification and management.

Seeds vs plants – which is better?

Candle Anemone

It’s that time of year when seed catalogues tantalize
us with colorful pictures and inspire us to create
lists of all the plants we want to add to our garden
this coming summer.   There are companies selling
native plant seeds as well as potted seedlings.
Which is better?

Candle Anemone seeds

There are several factors to consider:

• seed/plant source – finding seed or plants that are genetically close to the native plants around you is important both for ensuring plants are happy in your environment and to prevent weedy species from being introduced to your area
• cost – seeds are definitely the cheaper route
• speed of growth – plants win out here – if you want instant gratification go with plants.  Seeds often take a year or two to get established, and sometimes even longer to bloom.  Also some seeds will refuse to germinate unless climactic conditions are favorable for success and they may sit in the ground ungerminated until that happens.
• amount of care – again plants have this one.  Unless you plant in the fall, seeds often require periods of cold stratification (usually 30-90 days) and constant monitoring and watering for several weeks after planting.   Plants on the other hand need regular (but not constant) watering for several weeks.

So the decision depends on your goals and your budget.  If you can afford it – go with plants.  They fill in quickly, establish easily and take less care.

Check out www.blackfootnativeplants.com for plant suggestions.  The website is undergoing a total overhaul but we expect to have the new site up before March 1.

If you are looking for a source of native plant seed near Missoula, check out Native Ideals Seed Co. in Arlee.

MNPS Garden Awards

Native Garden

Do you have a native plant garden you are proud of and would like to share?
The Montana Native Plant Society has recently launched its new ‘Garden Awards’ program to recognize outstanding native plants gardens in Montana.  Here is a link to more information about the program and an application form.

http://www.mtnativeplants.org/Native_Plant_Landscaping

Are you starting to plan this year’s gardening activity?

Check out the Native Plants Gardening class offered by the Lifelong Learning Center on Thursdays Apr 12-May 17 6:00p.m. – 8:00p.m. for information on designing and planting a native plant garden.

Find us at the Market!

You know summer is on the way when the Clark Fork River Market and the Farmer’s Market get going for the season.  Saturday April 30th marks the kickoff for this years extravaganza of plants and produce, and we’ll be there to help get things going. This is a great time of year for planting, and the staff at Blackfoot Native Plants Nursery have been putting together a good range of plants for you to choose from to get started.We’ll be bringing everything from asters to penstemons, so be sure to check in with us for good selection.  If you have any questions about which plant might be best suited to your site, Kathy and Kara will be there to offer advice and answer questions.  The market opens at 8:00 am, and is located in the parking lot under the Higgins Street bridge, next to Caras Park.  Our stand will be on the east side of the market near the Pattee Street entrance.  We are happy to accommadate special orders too, if you let us know before 5:00 pm on Friday.  To contact the nursery please call 406-244-5800.  See you on Saturday!