Plant of the Month-March 08

For March's Plant of the Month, I have chosen the Narcissus, aka Daffodil, and if you are from around here, aka the 'Buttercup'. This plant is a real wonder, though so much of a wonder I think I sometimes I take it for granted. It comes back each and every year, blooms readily in rain, sleet, or sunshine, and asks very little in return of the gardener. It also multiplies and naturalizes so readily I have to divide mine each year.

And every single year just when I think I have placed all of the daffys exactly where I want them, I still HAVE to do it again the next year! Surely I must be doing something wrong? But no, it is okay. I mean who am I to complain about all of the dividing and free plants? Love the free plants.

The second picture was sent to me by anonymous. She and her young son walk to this front yard each day and they so enjoy these daffodils! Happy Birthday to the sidekick!

There are tons of daffodils here. Can you imagine the gardener taking the time to plant one every foot or so for such a long distance?

I grow about a dozen varieties. Some bloom early (Tete e tete-the third picture and one of my favorites!), some bloom a little later (not sure of the varieties as I do an awful job of keeping up with them), and some bloom late (Salome). I like them all. As a bonus, deer and rodents don't like them so all the better.

I had an awful hard time deciding between the daffys and the hellebores. The daffys won out as Plant of the Month for two reasons. The first being that I had chosen hellebores for last month's Plant of the Month; the second being that there are so many daffys and they truly do show us in a big way that spring is here. The first picture shows some of my daffys with the hellebores. I just love the combination of the yellows and whites, then throw in the pinkish rose of the hellebore and you got a picture!

Daffodils are very easy to grow. I plant mine about 4-6 inches deep along with some bulb booster at planting. They can tolerate very wet soil, as well as dry soil. They do well in our clay soils here. Be sure to leave ALL of the foliage until it has completely yellowed. I do have one area I have hundreds of daffys (Ice Follies mostly) in a lawn area which has naturalized. I don't particularly like this planting method though because I can't mow the grass until late May in that area. I feel it is worth it though. The majority of my daffys are growing in cultivated gardens. This is to allow the foliage to remain unhindered by lawn mowing. You should not braid the foliage, as this could interfere with photosynthesis and the storing of food for next year's flowers.

Sometimes daffys fail to bloom. I find this to be due to one of two reasons. Either the bulb was shocked the year prior and did not have enough time store energy for the flower, or the bulb is not planted deep enough. To solve the first problem-wait another year! To solve the second, dig and replant.

Finally, I have not posted the Jimster in quite a long time and in honor of our last Golden Hugg puppy leaving, here he is with Baby! This picture is the Jimster's final goodbye to Baby. Baby was truly the Jimster's puppy and he will miss her. We know she is going to a good home and wish all the pups and Golden Huggs lots of good fortune. We did enjoy the experience of having puppies-for a short while.

in the garden....working hard!

Pieris-Not Piers of Celebrity Apprentice!

Pieris japonica, aka pieris or 'Lily of the Valley' and sometimes known as 'Andromeda' shrub is a great shrub in my garden. Granted, I have only been growing this one for one year, but I really like it. Note the tulips emerging behind and to the right of the pieris-I am looking forward to these blooming this year.


Pieris is related to azaleas and rhododendrons-not to be confused with the Piers of Celebrity Apprentice; he is quite the character and fun to watch! Like rhododendrons and azaleas, pieris likes moist acid soil, dappled shade and protection from the hot sun and drying winds. I planted this one under a mature Pitch Pine. It has done well over the past year and recently put out its flower tassels, though the flowers have not yet opened. The flower buds are those little white ball shapes attached to the tassel. When they open, they will look like lily of the valley flowers and will be fragrant.

Pieris will bloom for about two months, during which time it will start putting out new growth. New growth is really the reason to plant this shrub. A mature shrub looks more like a kaleidoscope of a mass of different shrubs because new growth is so colorful.

My friend Dianne has the most beautiful pieris in her front yard. I was enamoured when I saw it last spring. Her shrub is about 8 feet tall and wide, and is located in a prominent spot in front of her home near her driveway. It was stunning. The foliage is a shiny evergreen and the new growth displayed colors of reds, maroons, pinks, and all shades of greens all at once.

Dirr's Manual of Woody Landscape Plants says pieris is hardy from Zone 4b (with protection) to Zone 7. Perfect for our climate here in Tennessee. It can tolerate some sun, but make sure it is not the hot afternoon sun. This shrub grows slowly and will grow to 4-6' in 5-8 years. (Dirr 1975)

Pieris are very easy to find in stores at this time of year. If you want a hardier shrub to replace azaleas and rhododendrons, you might want to pick one up the next time you are out shopping.

in the garden....