Great books

My personal favorite books on true grasses as well as sedges, rushes and cattails. The gorgeous photography illustrates them in beautifully designed gardens and in nature. So many ideas, so little time...

Dancing with grasses

Many grasses are approaching their peak this month and will carry on into the fall and winter seasons. Their sound and motion adds yet another dimension to the garden. I will post a video of grasses as they drift and sway in the wind naturalizing on a country roadside in Wisconsin.

If you are plagued with clay soil as I am, look into these two claybusters: Andropogon gerardi and Panicum virgatum. 

If you crave information and beautiful photos of some of the finest grasses, check out these two books: Grass expert, Rick Darke’s ‘The Encyclopedia of Grasses for Livable Landscapes,’ and author, Nancy Ondra’s ‘Grasses.’

I will post more information tomorrow when the GreenHouse page on Grasses will publish.

—Susan

Saying adios to my Asian lilies for this year!

Thought I would post some information about dividing Asiatic lilies so you can enjoy even more of them.

I love how they multiply every year and come up between the hostas and fall anemones. Almost like I planned it!

The best time to divide them is between late Sept. through early Oct.

1. Carefully dig the clump up with a garden fork so you don’t chop the bulbs in half with a regular spade.

2. Separate the larger bulbs and pull the smaller bulbs away from the stem. Sometimes it helps to spray the bulbs with water so you can see them more easily.

3. Before planting, remove the stem from this year’s growth.

4. Replant larger bulbs 4-6 inches deep and smaller bulbs about 1-2 inches deep. The bulbs tend to dig themselves in deeper over time. The Asian lilies are really great at naturalizing over time. The more the merrier!

Ode to Rain Garden Joe

Huge lavender panicles of flowers perch precariously atop a eight foot ladder of leaves after the heavy downpour last night. Slightly bowing under the weight of its massive rain drenched flower heads, this perennial on a dry day now reaches an easy 9 feet tall! Just after the first rain yesterday afternoon, the bees, joined by other intoxicated insects, were buzzing around the flower heads dizzy from the smell of nectar in the air. Even though the fragrant buds are barely open, the insects are like people waiting for the bakery doors to open on an early Sunday morning as the warm scrumptious aroma of fresh baked pastries wafts into the gathering early morning crowd. Joe's flowers really lure in the butterflies as well. Curiously, butterflies don't seem to appear until most of the flowers are open. A visit I anxiously look forward to each year.