Texture curves color up close. Cathy T
Poppy.
Leave a commentThe flower and the bee look alike, don’t you see? Cathy T
A Lamb’s Ear Perennial with a Different Look and Feel – Say Hello to ‘Hummelo’
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Butterfly visits in Early July
Stachys monieri ‘Hummelo’ is a perennial I spotted for the first time a couple seasons ago. Because of its tall blooms, I decided to include it in a whiskey barrel container garden, and thought it worked well when going for a naturalistic theme because it has a soft color to its blooms and the stalks are tall, rising upwards like you would see in a meadow.
‘Hummelo’ in a Container Garden
If you like the cottage garden look, or a perennial with the power to attract bees and butterflies for a long period of time, you need to say, “Hello” to ‘Hummelo’ – A lamb’s ear perennial with a different look and feel.
The color of the blooms, violet to a soft purple, and the shape of the two-lipped flowers, similar to the perennial, Catmint (Nepeta), have a welcoming appeal.
Because of this, I decided to plant two in front of my border by a Knockout Rose this year, and the plant’s habit and characteristics have impressed me since.
Despite our bouts of harsh weather this season in Connecticut, such as hail storms, strong winds, and heavy rainfalls, this plant has not bent, cracked, or toppled.
And the flowers, rising 18-24″ tall on strong, 4-angled stems above the low-growing clump of soft green wrinkled leaves, have been blooming continuously since early June.
It has a long season of bloom, expected to last to the end of August or early September, and it is a butterfly and bee magnet.
Lamb’s Ear Perennial
However, what makes this lamb’s ear perennial different is the look and feel to the leaves, which are not like the typical species known to gardeners, Stachys byzantina, where the leaves are fuzzy and woolly, soft to the touch.
Foliage on Lamb’s Ear
‘Hummelo’ has wrinkled and wavy leaves. The texture gives it some interest but I find the color of the leaves a little dull – just your basic plain, soft-green, so what you place near and around it should be considered. You may want to find other perennials with a darker green foliage color, and pair up the beautiful violet blooms of ‘Hummelo’ with other monochromatic colors in the pink and purple tones, along with some contrasting coarse colors and textures.
Lamb’s Ear Blooms
Some companion candidates for Stachys monieri ‘Hummelo’ are:
Baptisia australis (False Indigo) has tall darker purple blooms on tall flower spikes, as compared to Hummelo’s bloom color, and its foliage is a bit darker green. It will end its bloom period around the time ‘Hummelo’ begins, but the dark seed pods will add interest later in the season. Place it behind ‘Hummelo’ to add impact and height. It can reach shrub size, and is great at the back of a border in full sun to part sun locations. And it also has a “naturalized” look, similar to ‘Hummelo’ – plus it was the 2010 Perennial Plant of the Year.
For a dramatic effect next to ‘Hummelo’, try a tropical Colocasia esculenta ‘Maui Magic’ (Elephant Ear). Its large, coarse and wide foliage with dark purple tones on the leaves and stems will be a great way to add contrast against the soft greens of ‘Hummelo.’ This gets large, so position it where it won’t eat (hide) the ‘Hummelo’ perennial, but pop near it. The purple stems on this elephant ear will look great with the violet blooms of ‘Hummelo’ – and the soft green foliage of ‘Hummelo’ will pop against the dark tone of the elephant ear.
Supports Pollinators
Incorporating some soft silvers in a more sunny location, such as Artemisia (Wormwood) is a good color to add. I prefer Artemisia schmidtiana ‘Silver Mound’ with its soft airy foliage and dome shape, with lower stature than ‘Hummelo.’ This plant likes full sun and well-drained soils.
Another darker purple bloom color that would look great as a contrast to the softer violet blooms is Centaurea montana ‘Black Sprite’ (cornflower) with almost black-purple flowers blooming in July to August and reaching about 14″ tall. The spidery like bloom structures is intriguing and would also pick up the darker purple colors of the Elephant Ear noted above. It can take full to part sun locations.
Pronounced STAKE-IS (Click HERE to hear), Stachys monieri ‘Hummelo’ is a relatively unknown plant, great as an edger in garden borders, filler in container gardens, and provides a uniformed, sturdy look, and it is a “workhorse” because it has long-lasting blooms and strong upright stems. And, it can survive under walnut trees. This plant is a member of the mint family, so be aware it can spread, and often looks good massed or as a ground cover planting. However, if used in a container garden, it is not a trouble marker, but a star – where you won’t have the spreading concern.
If you decide to use Stachys monieri ‘Hummelo’ as a ground cover, you may want to consider including some Ajuga reptans ‘Burgundy Glow’ for the foliage on this low perennial, also great as a ground cover, has soft pink and violet tones to it. Put it in-front, and be aware it is mostly known as a shade to part-shade plant, but can take sun with moisture.
Lamb’s Ear, Stachys monieri ‘Hummelo’
Stachys monieri ‘Hummelo’ is a Zone 4-8 perennial, prefers Full Sun, and is a great addition to your gardens and container gardens. Some references spell it monnieri with two n’s on the species name. It is also known as Betony. Click HERE to read a “Comparative Study of Cultivated Stachys,” by the Chicago Botanic Garden, where you can learn lots more technical details about this plant and its relatives.
Cathy Testa
Container Crazy Cathy T
http://www.cathytesta.com
(860) 977-9473
containercathy@gmail.com
Micro Moth.
Leave a commentHe’s cute!
Cultivating a Future Farmer at Local Farmers Markets
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My Guest Booth at the EW Farmers Market
It happened to be a coincidence that I had my niece along with me on two recent trips to farmers markets. She seems to enjoy the scene, taking photos, and taste-testing the treats as much as the rest of us.
Could we be cultivating a “future farmer” by way of taking kids along on our market journeys? I certainly hope so.
We not only introduce them to information on how to grow plants, or make handcrafted products, we share good, healthy, non-GMO types of food at the same time, and may even enjoy dancing, as we did yesterday, to the Backtrax Band performing at the East Windsor Farmers Market.
Going to markets is fresh, fun, and festive. From the fresh squeezed lemonades to the hand-made soaps, you get to enjoy locally made items and socialize with friends and family.
So the first market we hit up was the Wethersfield Farmers Market last Thursday. After babysitting a few hours, my sister asked if I wanted to go to the market with her – and of course, the answer was yes! My niece was excited I was tagging along and jumped to get her favorite hat as we left the house.
The second market we attended was the new East Windsor Farmers Market, on their opening day, June 30, Sunday. I was an invited as a guest vendor and volunteered to answer plant related questions. Many people visited to ask various questions, and my niece listened intently to the answers. I bet she could answer some herself – because she gardens along side her mom at home often, and has learned some horticultural related topics in school.
Wethersfield, CT Farmers Market
This market is held on Thursdays, 3 pm to 6 pm, which is a nice time slot for those unable to make a weekend market and convenient for getting fresh produce on the way home from work. This market started on May 16th and runs through October 31st. You can find it on a nice lawn area called, “Solomon Welles House” lawn at 220 Hartford Avenue, Wethersfield, CT. My sister told me it was a fairly small market, yet it was big on offerings. There were fresh veggies at several vendors booths, tasty teas, knits, soaps, baked goods, and jewelry.
My favorite find was these big mason jars by Mamalicious with hand blown glass straws and a mushroom tea sample included to try later. I could just picture an icy cold lemonade in them, and with a lid, there is a ‘no spill’ factor. So I got two along with other items, such as purple radishes, from Bright Yellow Farm.
My niece was enjoying taking photos on her camera; I guess she likes seeing her Aunt do the same. We both were clicking away and stocking up for the upcoming weekend with fresh goodies. She was the lucky recipient of beautiful gloves made with Alpaca yarn, to be stored until winter arrives, by Round Hill Alpacas, from Coventry, CT. The ladies at Round Hill said they would be at South Windsor’s market on Saturday, June 29th, but I didn’t get to that one (yet). Market vendors are making their rounds to several locations, which is great for us, if we can’t travel to one place, you are bound to find them at another or right in your home town.
Radishes
The parking for this market is along the streets, and Old Wethersfield is nearby where you can visit Comstock Ferry & Co. Click HERE for more about the seeds at Comstock.
Wethersfield Farmers Mkt.
Taking photos
East Windsor, CT Farmers Market
Then, only two days later, I spent the day at the East Windsor Farmers Market from 10 am to 1 pm on their opening day, June 30th. My mission was to not only support the markets grand opening day (since I live in East Windsor), but to help answer general plant questions as a guest vendor.
June is a time when we encounter plant problems, whether from bugs or due to the heat and heavy humidity we are experiencing this week. There may be mold or fungus growing on your mulch, or the June bugs and Japanese beetles are most likely munching on some foliage of your favorite plants right now.
But the questions were not coming in on those specific subjects; instead I heard questions like:
- How do I take care of my Mother-in-Law plant? It stinks so bad and its smelling up my house!
- Why did the trees blooms so strongly this year, and are we getting more maple seeds (samaras) than usual? My mulch is covered with them.
- Why are my tomato plants doing so badly? They are barely growing.
- What would cause leaf curl on my tomato plants? My son noticed it and said something is wrong with my plants.
I think the most interesting was the “Mother-in-Law (Sanseveria trifoliate) plant with an awful, stinky smell.” Hmm, I had to look that one up on my iPhone, and it turns out this plant does not like to be over-watered and will stink if done so from root rot. She admitted she had over-watered her plant. So I suggested she move it outside into shade under a patio umbrella, let the soil dry out, and don’t water it so much. We also discussed how you can keep many houseplants outdoors during the summer, just be sure to transition them to shade first so you don’t burn the leaves as it is exposed to strong sunlight. Just like people, it needs protection first.
On the questions regarding prolific tree blooms this season, and the maple samaras (technically a simple dry fruit) falling everywhere, my guess is the “mild” cool temperatures we experienced early in the season gave most of our flowering trees lots of additional time to plump up their buds, laying silently in the branches until the temps were warm enough to expand open. It delayed the blossoms as well. As soon as that warmth hit – BANG! They exploded, and the flowers have been just spectacular this season. The dogwood trees, I’ve noticed, are so full around our neighborhoods right now. So perhaps the early cool temps is the reason why we have a lot of samaras this year too, or at least that is my guess. Prior season’s weather and winter temperature affect the timing and patterns of growth too.
Cornus kousa
On the question regarding tomato plants not doing well…, the soil is remaining wet somewhat because, in addition to the heat and humidity, we are getting bouts of rainstorms, heavy rain, and the heat came, so it is possible the growth is being challenged by both of these factors. She also could be lacking some nutrients in the soil, if the bottom leaves are turning light green to pale yellow, or if the fruit is small, this is a potential sign of lack of nitrogen. During mid summer, veggies will grow faster and start to mature, so they need nitrogen in the soil. A quick boost of fertilizer may help, which she actually suspected, and said would try to apply some and see how it goes.
On the leaf curl on a tomato plant (this one was in a container garden pot), this can be a sign of an insect setting in, or perhaps too much watering (from our rainfalls). I referred to my book called, “What’s Wrong with My Plant? (And How Do I Fix It?)” by David Deardorff and Kathryn Wadsworth. It offers a “visual guide to easy diagnosis and organic remedies,” however, I don’t always find plant problems ‘easy’ to diagnose, when it comes to the wide variety of problems. Lots of things can damage a plant, but the book helps you to narrow down the signs on the plant. If a leaf is distorted, bubbled, curled, or twisted, the books leads you to pages to further define the problem and finding the possible causes. Sometimes for puckered or twisted leaves, the underside or inner of the leaf could have an insect feeding. Or it could be caused by a virus. And it can also be caused by “cool, wet rains,” which we have experienced earlier in the season. But to really diagnose plant problems well, you have to see the actual plant to inspect the signs and symptoms, and look at the owner’s habits too. I also brought along a reference book by Ortho, which I don’t use for the remedy recommendations, but to identify the plants’ problems. It has excellent photos and descriptions, and I got mine via a used book search several years ago. I find it handy. Another method to determine a plant’s problem is to bring a sample to your local county extension center. We have one located in Tolland, CT. Master Gardeners will examine the plant and give you a report- and its FREE.
BACKTRAX BAND
And another benefit of the East Windsor Farmers Market was enjoying the BACKTRAX BAND, special to me because my brother, Jimmy, is a member of the band along with TJ, Big Tom, Sammy, and on this day, a guest drummer, Smitty. They will be playing for the market again in the future. Having the background music playing while shopping the vendors and visiting with friends and family really makes it special and enjoyable. Almost all markets have some type of music, it is great – you get a free intro to the band’s music and enjoy listening while you are chatting with friends, family, and new faces in town. Bring a lawn chair, sit a while, and grab a bite to eat while you spend the day at the market. The band members enjoy it – so you should too!
Whole Harmony
Before people began to arrive to the East Windsor Farmers Market, I visited each vendor myself. Very impressed with the teas by Stacey Wood of Whole Harmony, and the fresh sprouts, lettuce, and other healthy products by Tara Tranguch of Serafina Says Farm, and of course sampled many others products. Serafina’s sprouts are going to be amazing on my salad today! Stacey of Whole Harmony told me she is growing their herbs right here locally in the new East Windsor Community Garden located by the dog park and skateboard park on Reservoir Avenue. So they are grown right here – that’s FRESH. Love that connection. It is so important to support these growers, so make sure you visit this market and others during prime time – now!
East Windsor Farmers Mkt.
And don’t miss the freshly grown Shiitake Mushrooms by Donna Yurgel of New England Green Mushrooms. She sells at other markets as well, such as the popular Ellington, CT farmers market. I buy a box of these every time and find new ways to add them to my recipes. She is now offering some of her favorite recipes for people new to using Shiitakes. They are easy to cook.
Members of the band
Wethersfield Market is Closed for the 4th of July weekend, but East Windsors remains open.
By the way, the Wethersfield market is closed during the 4th holiday weekend, but this is not the case the East Windsor market. The East Windsor market has relocated from their Opening Day location on Rt 140, 149 North Road, in-front of Joe’s Fine Wine and Spirits and the Golden Gavel Auction, to the Trolley Museum at 58 North Road (also Rt 140). The Trolley Museum has picnic tables, facilities, and antique trolleys of historical value inside and out of their buildings. Take the kids along, enjoy a ride on the trolley, and get in some farmers markets action. Click HERE to read more about the new location. There’s plenty of parking available, and it is right off 91 North and South, take Exit 45 (Bridge Street) to Rt 140.
East Windsor Market Master:
For questions, you may contact Janice Warren, the Market Master, at ewfarmmarket@gmail.com or at 860-292-1796. It will be held up through October 6th, 2013. Every Sunday, 10 am to 1 pm, and will grow just like the plants do. They currently do not have a website, but can be found on Facebook and Patch.
East Windsor’s Farmers Market Vendors:
- Broad Brook Brewing Company (New in town). Check out their “Pink Dragon Wit,” a Belgium White Ale for Summer.
- New England Green Mushrooms, Shiitake Mushrooms, Donna Yurgel
- Sarafina Says Farms, Tara Tranguch, Farmer and Health Coach, Sprouts, Salads, etc.
- Whole Harmony, Whole Being Heal Tea Company, Stacey Wood, Certified Herbal Practitioner
- Shadow Valley Farms, Local Farm Fresh Milk and other dairy products
- Sunshine & Flowers by Goldie, Dish Gardens
- Naturally Clean, soap products, by Teresa Carey
- Cathy T’s Landscape Designs, Cathy Testa, Container Gardens, Garden and Landscape Designs, Classes
- BACKTRAX Band, Jimmy Fauteux and Members, Playing all kinds of events
- Yummy CT, Distributor of CT Products
If interested in becoming a vendor, contact Janice Warren, Market Master, at ewfarmmarket@gmail.com or at 860-292-1796.
Here’s some more markets I saw listed in a garden magazine recently:
- Farmington, Hill-Stead Museum, hillstead.org
- Glastonbury, Hubbard Green, glastonburyfarmersmarket.com
- Hartford, 156 Capitol Avenue, 2 Saturdays a month
- Manchester, Manchester Community College, Wednesdays, 1-5 pm
- South Windsor, 100 Market Square, Saturdays, 10 am – 1 pm
- West Hartford, LaSalle Road public parking lot, Tuesdays & Saturdays
- Coventry, Nathan Hale Homestead, coventryfarmersmarket.com
- Ellington, Arbor Park, ellingtonfarmersmarket.com
…and you can find them in Fairfield Country, Middlesex Country, New Haven, New London, and maybe just drive around and spot the tents – Stop in if you see them. Help those helping you get the CT products we enjoy fresh.
Cathy Testa
Container Crazy Cathy T
860-977-9473
containercathy@gmail.com
New England Green Mushrooms
Bee on bramble flower.
Leave a commentBuzzzz away my friend, and move that pollen! Cathy T
Kayaking, Plants, & Nature at Crystal Lake in Ellington, CT
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Clear Waters at Crystal Lake
I’ve traveled past Crystal Lake, located in the towns of Ellington and Stafford, CT, many times on my way to Stafford Springs and Ashford, and I have admired the lake from the hills off of Sandy Beach Road at a housing development where I’ve done some landscape designs as well. But my recent passion for this lake has grown since I’ve glided over its smooth waters on tranquil mornings during of my off-time on my new kayak.
Crystal Lake is perfect for beginners, such as myself, because it is not too big, nor too small (FYI, a website indicates the lake area is 183 acres). I’ve tour the lake within an hour or so. However, paddling back to return to the public access boat launch is not always easy because I usually don’t want to leave.
I describe kayaking like, “getting a massage.” The calm mornings, the sounds of wildlife, and the feeling of being relaxed as nature surrounds you, is part of the kayaking experience for me. It has become an addictive hobby, and it turns out to be a great way to see plant life up close and personal. Occasionally, a fish may splash in the water, or birds will fly overhead to land on plant life nearby. You may even have a pack of geese following your kayak, which happened to me one morning.
Most of the waters in Crystal Lake are crystal and clear, but there are some areas of the lake tucked in near a dam, and in cove nooks where water spots are low, filled with plant life. Plant growth and mucky swamp like waters exists in these side areas, and it is not a suitable swimming area, but a kayak can find its way carefully to adventure close by, should you not mind a bit of muck smell and bugs. The lure of lily pad blooms drew me into the area. I wanted to get some up-close shots of blooms.
View from my kayak in the center of the lake
The pond like area was a quieter section of the lake because it is surrounded by trees and part of inner nooks, and the birds were chirping and perching on plant life everywhere. As I carefully paddled nearby, it did cross my mind to be careful to not collect any plant parts or plant drippings on my paddles and to use caution, not only for myself (because this is a place you do not want to tip over your kayak), but because there was a lot of foliage and silt moving around me, and I wondered if this could be disturbing the plant live too much. It occurred to me maybe I was breaking a rule.
Bugs spotted
On my way through some of the water plants, I discovered some rather bizarre looking insects. They didn’t seem to notice me at all as I took a few close up shots. They sat perfectly still on top of a lily pad. As I took the photo, I was thinking when I return home, researching these plants and the lake online was my priority to educate myself more. I left a message with the Crystal Lake Association to obtain more information, because certainly as a plant person, I didn’t want to contribute to the spread of an invasive species.
Sun captured in the bloom
There were two types of blooms happening, one was a white water-lily and the other, yellow pond lilies. In researching websites, I believe they are Nymphaea odorata (American white water-lily) and Nuphar variegata (Common yellow pond lily). Without my kayak, getting close up shots would be near impossible.
Bloom happening on a common yellow pond lily
When I left that day, I read the poster by the public boat launch warning boaters to not bring invasive species plant parts along with them on their boats or equipment. My mission is to find out more about how the area is protected. Because the lake is so beautiful everywhere else, this has to be a priority, and my guilt has not yet subsided for venturing into the lily pad area to take photos.
Sign warns everyone use caution
When you go to the lake, you can find the public access road off Rt 30. Finding the street sign can be a challenge one way as a big tree is hiding part of the sign for West Shore Road. The road dips a bit and leads you to the public boat launch. A small parking area is available across the street for a few vehicles. In the mornings, it has been available but during busy peak season time, it may be impossible to find a spot. There is also a beach, called Sandy Beach (see below for information).
Road to public boat launch at Crystal Lake
BOATING AND PLANT INFORMATION:
Crystal Lake Association can be found on Facebook here.
Information on how to handle your boats to prevent spread of invasive species can be found here.
Safe boating practices for the lake can be found here.
An Aquatic Plant Survey map for Crystal Lake can be found here.
PARKING AND FACILITIES (OUTHOUSES):
There are two outhouses in the parking area across from the public boat launch.
SANDY BEACH information from the “Town of Ellington Website” below:
Sandy Beach is located on Crystal Lake on Route 140 in the northern end of town. Our beach offers swimming and sunbathing opportunities on hot summer days. The normal operating schedule for the beach is weekdays from 12 noon to 6:30 pm and on the weekends from 11:00 am to 6:30 pm. Ellington residents may purchase seasonal passesfrom the Recreation Department at a cost of $40.00 per family (Ellington Resident), $25.00 per single (Ellington Resident), $10.00 per senior citizen (Ellington Resident) or enter the beach on a daily basis.
Daily Fees: Ellington adult residents are $ 2.00, children 6 years and older are $ 1.00. Out of town guests are charged $ 5.00 per adult and $ 3.00 per child 6 years and older. All children 5 years and younger are free.
Downtown Stafford Springs, CT
EATING PLACES NEARBY:
If you decide you would like to venture on some more after boating in the morning, Stafford Springs center has done a bit of revamping, and you can find some nice artsy shops and a wonderful coffee shop serving lunch in town, called Middle Ground Cafe. It is about 5 miles from the lake, continuing on Rt 140, until you hit the center of Stafford, which you will recognize with the brick buildings. Look for the cafe on your right, at 42 Main Street, Stafford Springs, CT, (860) 851-8900, http://www.middlegroundcafe.com. They offer great teas, coffees, and a mix of light lunch entrees and sandwiches. Stop into “The Chocolate Moose” at 72 Main after for dessert, and be sure to visit the quaint art shops. I bought some tiles at “Stained Glass Creations & Beyond” by “Art by Stefanie” across the street. Old newspaper prints related to agriculture with plant images stamped on them caught my attention. There were also some nice pottery items by other artists, hand-made soaps, jewelry, and paintings on the wall.
Downtown art shop, Stafford Springs, CT
P.S. I will be adding information to this post once I get my call back from the lake association on my questions about the invasives to share with you, and for me to learn more!
Update: I heard from Mark Mickiewicz, President of the Crystal Lake Association. He said “the invasive plants grow from the bottom and rise to the surface, and they are trying to prevent power boats from going into those areas because it can cut the plants, detach, float, and repopulate into other cleaned out areas. They are asking to be “careful” and not to pull, cut, detach or damage the plants.” (Basically it is not strictly prohibited to enter for kayakers, but requested to stay out of the invasive cove areas if possible to prevent any spread, but some people do venture there to fish, etc.) For questions, call 860-875-1001.
Cathy Testa
Container Crazy Cathy T
http://www.cathytesta.com
(860) 977-9473
Bramble Flower.
Leave a commentAh Nature’s petals, …so delicate, soft, and quiet. Cathy T
My Guest Post on CT Bloggers
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Featured CT Blogger
Visit the CT Bloggers website to see my Guest Post on a fail safe design technique for container gardening and patio pots. I use it every time and talk about this in my classes, and you will find it very useful too if you aren’t aware of the “thriller-spiller-filler” method. See also my Container Gardens page here for recently posted container garden creations and photos by me.
And don’t forget to look around at the CT Bloggers page and other links there. There are a great deal of resources on all things CT. I enjoy reading blogs over websites these days when I’m researching a particular town or city – the experiences are by people from CT passionate about sharing good things to see, do, and enjoy.
Happy Monday – Get ready for the heat wave! Water those plants. Cathy T
A Dwindling Resource.
Leave a commentIsn’t he cute? Bees are a buzzin’ around my plants these days, they are really loving the Nepeta (Catmint) blooms at home.
Container Crazy CT 