Secret Swiss Chard Collection

As I've been ordering seeds for the grounds this year, I've been selecting categories of vegetables that will be displayed in one garden area with the emphasis on "ornamental edibles" and vegetables for compact locations. Swiss chard (Beta vulgaris) is a prime candidate for both categories and as I've gone thru the catalogs, I decided to amass every variety I can find. I shouldn't have too much trouble locating a wide range of this ornamental (and entirely edible) vegetable. Varieties seem to vary depending on their petiole/vein coloration. Above is 'Orange Fantasia' as an example. This blog has lots of different varieties that we've grown and will have in this collection.

The picture to the right is from last night. Our volunteer chili dinner was very well-attended with 90 past, current and potential volunteers. The chili was good and kudos to Lori, Janice, Virginia and Dave for getting it all set-up. I did a presentation on upcoming developments and events at RBG for 2011 and later showed some images from my visits to Philadelphia gardens over the past two years. I'm excited that I'll be able to visit Philadelphia again in June as part of a professional conference and will get reacquainted with gardens and botanic garden friends in that area of the country.

Today was relatively quiet at the Horticulture Center and I was able to finish a presentation and continue with various seed orders. Dr. Gredler was in to work on painting obelisks and progressed to some larger yellow ones that need a fresh coat or two. Rose and Urban were in to also use some yellow paint. Maury was in a couple times with supplies and we also saw Big John and Mary Kay. Tonight is the Moss Gardening talk by Dale Sievert and we'll get things set-up early and be ready to roll at 6 pm. The entire lecture series of twelve monthly seminars should be set-up by the end of the month and we anticipate a good showing at every one.

Swiss chard (Beta vulgaris) can be purchased as a mix of colors as seen with 'Bright Lights' to the left. However, I'm seeing lots of merit with getting solid colors as the primary contribution from the plant in terms of color is the petiole and veins of the leaves. As a side note, Swiss chard is nice in a container as well. Whereas greens like lettuce despise our summer heat, chard will go the distance thru the season and can continually be cut back as a vegetable. Select stems from the outer portion of the plant and new growth will continue from the center of the plant. Swiss chard is a great source for Vitamins A, C, E and K. High in carotenes and fiber, this ornamental edible also has significant amounts of potassium, magnesium, iron, manganese, vitamin B6, protein, calcium, thiamine, selenium, zinc, niacin and folic acid. I don't know what many of those nutrients are or what their value is for our health but it sure sounds good. Don't forget to look for a healthy (pun intended) assortment of Swiss chard (Beta vulgaris) at RBG this year.

A New Blanket Delivered

A new blanket of snow descended on our area over the past 24 hours giving us a nice 5-7" blanket of white. We have taken full advantage of the recent lack of snow to get out in the gardens to take down and process the Holiday Lights Show. However, that same lack of snow was very concerning as our "insulating blanket" was gone and extreme cold can create some significant soil freezing (and subsequent heaving) that may adversely impact our collections. Snow, as an insulator of the soil, protects the soil from alternating freezing and thawing as it has quite a bit of air space which helps with that blanketing effect. While I grumbled about shoveling snow last night, I was happy to see Mother Nature return a new blanket for us. Snow melt in late winter is what helps green up our gardens and gives a good start to the spring "surge." I was just reading that snow has been called "the poor man's fertilizer" as it also deposits (along with rain) small amounts of nitrogen and sulfur in our gardens. The amount is fairly small (2-12 lbs. per acre annually) but does offer some benefit.

To the right and left are some images of Little Jerry who has retired from his grounds position but will continue to help at RBG as a volunteer as his time and health allows. I've included a description of Jerry that was to go in a future newsletter below:

Affectionately know as "Little Jerry" or "Muskrat", Gerald Wilson started as a volunteer at the gardens back in 2000. After taking the Master Gardener course, Jerry became more involved as a volunteer and actually contributed a standing record of 2,000+ volunteer hours in one year. He was hired on as grounds staff in 2004 with the primary duty of maintaining the Japanese Garden which was always an interest of his. In his previous life, Jerry was a design draftsman at Beloit Corp for 30 years and also worked as a taxidermist. He received his nickname "Muskrat" after disposing of a dead muskrat at RBG and then almost every other animal carcass found at RBG over the years. His hobbies include fishing, photography and painting. Jerry is married with three adult children, five grandkids and four great granchildren. Jerry is a top notch pruner with an eye for detail and his duties have expanded well beyond the Japanese Garden and include tool sharpening (see to the left), mowing, etc.

Jerry has been a great asset at RBG and we wish him the best. We're sure we'll see him often as we always have his little chocolate donuts on hand at the Horticulture Center (don't tell his wife!). For those that know Jerry, we'll be having an appreciation luncheon for him at 11:30 am on Thursday, January 27th at the Parker Education Center. The main dish will be provided but we ask that attendees bring a salad or side dish. Please RSVP with Polly at (608) 752-3885 [ext. 16] if you will be attending or have questions. I'm also collecting small donations for a gift if you are interested.

I spent the day finishing a presentation on annuals that I'll give next Wednesday night in Milton, WI and started another significant seed order. We've already received two orders of seeds and will process them tomorrow. Larry and Bill took care of the snow removal around the building and in the gardens while Dick H. came and plowed out our parking lot. Dr. Gredler was here converting small obelisks from pink to lavender and Maury came in to work on some projects, get some fuel and bring supplies. We also saw Mary, Jim H. and Big John over here today. Tonight is our "Volunteer Soup Event" that is the first of three that have been organized to get our volunteers together socially but to also talk about our 2011 plans. I'll also do a little ditty ("slide show") of some of the neat gardens I saw in Philadelphia. The next two soup events are February 17th and March 16th where I'll talk not only about RBG but will feature "Gardens of Los Angeles" and "Gardens of New York City" respectively. We had some good meetings today and are excited about our events and educational opportunities for 2011. I'll blog about our workshops (cooking classes, stained glass, pruning, container planting) as they are finalized.

Purple Pennisetums

When April and May come around, we are all starved for those bright colors which is only to be expected. However, remember that dark foliage plants not only are great companions for brighter neighbors but create depth in the garden. At RBG, we've put a lot of time in to offering colorful foliage from our woody plants, perennials and annuals. I was working on a presentation today that revolves around my favorite annuals and not only did I notice that foliage interest was predominant but I kept adding various annual fountain grasses (Pennisetum sp.) that are quite dark and textural. Above is the variegated purple fountain grass (Pennisetum setaceum 'Fireworks') that was a huge hit in 2010 around the gardens. This was a primary component of our maroon and red theme and the pink highlights fit right in to our arrangements. To the right is 'Fireworks' fountain grass in front of the purple elephant grass (Pennisetum purpureum 'Prince') that I'll mention later. It is fairly easy to locate the standard purple fountain grass (Pennisetum setaceum 'Rubrum') at garden centers (always support your local garden centers!!!) and it will always be one of my favorites (see directly below and the bottom photo). This non-hardy grass grows quickly, offers that deep maroon in a sunny landscape and the showy inflorescences from mid-summer until frost. The specimen below was blended with bronze fennel (Foeniculum vulgare 'Dulce') which offered a nice color accent.
We've had some fun with some of the larger maroon elephant grasses (Pennisetum purpureum) that are native to Northern Africa and are normally green. It is important to note that we see no flowering on these elephant grasses as our season isn't long enough but the foliage contribution is extraordinary. Full sun is a must for the darkest coloration and more water plus occasional fertilizer will increase size significantly. We grew 'Prince' many years ago and saw it top out at 8' tall! To the left is a specimen from 2010 that was over 9' tall. It takes up a sizeable amount of real estate so keep that in mind in terms of proximity to other plants. The variety 'Princess' is a bit more demure but will get a good 5' tall in optimum growing conditions. To the right is a perfect picture for comparison of the two varieties with 'Princess' in the foreground and 'Prince' in the background. These grasses combine well with anything yellow or white (blooms and/or foliage) and are quite statuesque in terms of being a focal point in the garden. To the left is another shot of 'Prince'. Directly below is a border in the Children's Garden from 2010 that included both grasses ('Prince' and 'Princess') and the standard ornamental pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum 'Purple Majesty') that looks like maroon corn with dark, "cattail-like" blooms (left side of the image). While the elephant grasses are drought tolerant, adequate watering will keep the leaf blades looking vigorous all summer.
While standard purple fountain grass (Pennisetum setaceum 'Rubrum') will vary in mature height between 36" and 48", there has been more developments in the elephant grass (Pennisetum purpureum) cultivars for some varieties shorter than both 'Prince' and 'Princess' that tend to be overbearing in a container or smaller garden. It is important to mention that there is a variety of purple fountain grass called 'Burgundy Giant' which tops out at 5' and was introduced by Longwood Gardens. It can be seen to the right but it sure looks alot like the standard Pennisetum setaceum 'Rubrum'. Directly below is a neat medium-sized purple pennisetum (Pennisetum glaucum) called 'Vertigo' that is part of the Proven Winners Graceful Grasses program. We've not tried it yet at RBG but I've seen it grown and it is very dark in full sun and around 48" at maturity. The picture below is from the West Madison Agricultural Research Station. The Athens Select Program at the University of Georgia has introduced some small elephant grasses that combine the benefits of deep maroon foliage but with a smaller stature. Two pictures down is 'Princess Caroline' from Athens Select that is glossy, dark maroon and 36" tall. Not pictured, but even smaller is 'Princess Molly' which gets 20" or so and is ideal as a container centerpiece. I've thrown a lot of varieties at you but keep your eyes peeled this spring for purple pennisetums for your landscape.

The Nuances of Bark & Branches

Winter is a nice season to start noticing the impact that ornamental bark and branching patterns of our woody plants can provide. Understandably, most plants are sold based on features like flowers, fragrance, fall color, etc. and the merits of bark are secondary or perhaps emphasized for those that provide the most dramatic winter color [red-stemmed dogwoods (Cornus), ornamental willows (Salix), white-barked birches (Betula), etc.]. As I go thru my photos each year I've seen more "unsolicited" shots of ornamental bark as I think I've come to appreciate it more with each passing season. Branching patterns for various trees (upright, horizonatal, etc.) can also be of interest as well. Each year I extoll the virtues of "bark appreciation" but understand that it can frequently be a "hard sell" to those that want more substantial interest (i.e. flowers). I've always preached that our gardens should be 12 months of interest and while it may be tough to be inspired by the garden when it's cold and miserable outside, that interest should be there and colorful bark and stems are part of that equation. Of course, it's also hard to look away from our armchair indulgence of colorful catalogs luring us in for the upcoming spring season. There's nothing wrong with that but if you don't glance at or appreciate your landscape from December thru March, something is missing! Above is the bark of the paper bark maple (Acer griseum) in the Japanese garden of Chicago Botanic Garden. In order below, we have giant sequoia (Sequoiadendron giganteum), Caucasian elm (Zelkova carpinifolia), yew (Taxus sp.) and persimmon (Diospyros virginiana).

Next Wednesday (January 19)

2011 will be an exciting year for education at the garden. The first of our twelve monthly lectures will be held next Wednesday night starting at 6 pm. The topic is "Moss Gardening" and will be given by Dale Sievert (seen to the right) of Waukesha, WI. The three images here are from his garden which I visited in 2008 and 2010 with the grounds staff. Dale was extremely cordial and quite modest regarding his 1 acre masterpiece which not only contains lots of moss but many different garden spaces and themes. Dale has been to RBG many times and travels extensively to visit and photograph other gardens and destinations. His photography is quite impressive as well. Dale is a retired economics instructor from the Milwaukee Area Technical College but has a vast horticultural knowledge as well. I've promoted this topic heavily and will do the same for the other eleven as it is vital to have good attendance at these informative (and affordable) presentations (free for RBG members, $5 for others). No RSVP required, just show up at the Parker Education Center. We didn't have a lot of volunteers at the Horticulture Center today but the quiet allowed me to finish our largest seed order which included about 150 varieties of various items. As I sift thru the catalogs, I'm looking for collections-based plants (yellow/blue collection, scented, All-America Selections, etc.) as well as cool new varieties. I'll continue to peck thru the other 40 catalogs next week and we'll end up with over 800 varieties of seed grown plants is my guess. Rose came in to do some painting of the culvert planters while Dr. Gredler continued his painting of obelisks. He finished his dark blue painting but is still in the blue range with a lighter blue for other structures. Dick H. came in to fix the snowblower on the Grasshopper mower and Bill O. was a big help doing various things around the shop. We also saw Maury, Big John and Little Jerry. Little Jerry is retiring from being a paid groundsperson but we hope to have him around often to consult as a volunteer and keep everyone honest around here. We appreciate all he has done for the gardens both as a volunteer and groundsperson. Below is a sample of our new labels that will be churned out in February when Jenny gets back. Our goal is to install 200 of the woody labels like this sample and 2,000 perennial labels in 2011. Our limitation right now is data verification (checking proper plant nomenclature) and data entry by Jenny and Gary. I think I'm the factor slowing things down as I juggle 27 balls instead of the normal 16. Our garden labeling program will continue to improve as we replace labels and Luis O. continues his woody plant inventory.For those that might be interested, our brochure for the spring symposium ("Your Garden - Maximized!") has been printed and is available as a hard copy from our gift shop or we can certainly mail it as well. It also exists on our website. We've had a huge response thus far in terms of registration and I don't think we'll have any problem filling our maximum attendance of 250. I've already started planning the November 5th symposium which will be all about plants. I have two "big name" speakers already lined up. We'll have the fall symposium organized by March so we can promote it early to our spring symposium attendees! To the right is some worm tea that we'll be selling at our spring sale. This is a new twist at our sale and we'll also be selling worm castings. Both of these organic products have significant value when used properly in the garden. I'll blog in the future about both products or feel free to do some research on your own. Another neat component of the spring sale (May 14 & 15 with a presale on the 13th for RBG members) will be a "plant your own container" option with a focus on the veggies, compact vegetables and herbs in the plant sale. As always, more details will follow both on the blog and our website. Below is our new plan for the North Point Garden which will be tackled in early spring. Features include boxwood defined annual beds, a bluestone patio, six benches, eight Adirondack chairs, 12 fancy containers, scented plants, trees, shrubs, grasses, bulbs and support features like irrigation and power access. This will be a neat addition to our current garden and the view out across the water is awesome.

Did We Schedule A Workday!?

Today was extremely busy with well over 20 volunteers coming over to the Horticulture Center over the course of the day. It was a Grumpy day so we had Marv, Terry, Larry and Bill all taking down displays and lights out in the gardens. The carpenters (Dave, Jim, Bob A. and Vern) were here working on their Adirondack chairs (see further below) and have no shortage of projects with requests for more vining structures, benches, etc. piling up every day. Del was in to do some painting and Dr. Gredler continued painting our largest obelisks blue with the help of both Mary W. and Jim H. Urban was here to do some painting and Roger popped in too. Dick H. worked on repairing our snowblower attachment. Other Grumpies included Maury, Rollie and Big John. We also saw Becky N., John N., Marianne, Janice and Amy S. over here today. Lots of traffic but lots of progress. Below are two (of six total in the group) of Janice's volunteers processing our 1/2 gallon milk jugs for storage. They made quick work of the two loads above and we look forward to further assistance this winter from this dedicated crew.

Our current priority out in the gardens is to bring in the lights show at this point. Our six miles of extension cords also have to go thru a thaw and then be rolled or bundled (see a small pile below). However, we'll move in to winter pruning very shortly and need to spend some time preparing for our Garden Expo booth in February. I've mentioned it in previous blogs but do check out www.wigardenexpo.com/ to get more information on this cool event. Where else can you hear great garden talks, see informative booths, pick up some plants, local art, all while drinking a beer (or soda)? Nirvana I say.For anyone interest in establishing a windbreak, planting a large property or simple enjoying a nice evergreen (granted, fairly young specimens) out in the yard, RBG will be partnering with the Janesville Blackhawk Golden Kiwanis club for a tree sale to be held on April 22nd and 23rd. We've ordered 2,000 Norway spruce (Picea abies), 3,000 Colorado blue spruce (Picea pungens glauca), 2,000 Black Hills spruce (Picea glauca 'Densata') and 3,000 Eastern arborvitae (Thuja occidentalis). These are all 2 year transplants and will be sold in various bundle quantities. We're still finalizing details on pricing, preordering, sale time, etc. but keep this opportunity in mind. These are all WI grown transplants and will be a nice fundraiser to support the continued missions of both non-profit organizations. Plant a tree this spring (or a 100!). Remember, you're not planting these trees just for yourself, but for your children, grandchildren, etc...(was that warm and fuzzy enough?) The shot below is in Europe and those tight evergreens are English yews (Taxus) I believe (not hardy but these pruned forms are eyecatching!).

Listing Compiled

As I've progressed thru my 5' tall pile of things to read (catalogs, gardening magazines, newsletters, etc.), I ran across a neat little tidbit about an enormous undertaking started by the Missouri Botanic Garden (MOBOT) and the Royal Botanic Gardens - Kew (UK). They have collected, sorted, researched, and organized the most comprehensive list of land plant species ever compiled (so the water lily above is not eligible at this point, yet!). This idea, first proposed in 1999, has been a major project that will continue to be a "working list" of all known plant species. This list (Version 1) focuses on all flowering plants, conifers, ferns, mosses and liverworts. There are currently 1.25 million plant names in this database with more to follow each year. The listed included accepted Latin names, synonyms (many) and unresolved references as well. Check out www.theplantlist.org/ for more information regarding this epic project. On the Royal Botanic Garden - Kew site (www.kew.org/news/plant-list-complete.htm) regarding this historic accomplishment, I found the quotes below quite descriptive of why this is important. Check out the links too. To me, this is big news, not updates on Justin Bieber's haircut or love life. UGH.

"Without accurate names, understanding and communication about global plant life would descend into inefficient chaos, costing vast sums of money and threatening lives in the case of plants used for food or medicine."

"The Plant List provides a way of linking the different scientific names used for a particular species together, thus meeting the needs of the conservation community by providing reliable names for all communication about plants and their uses."

"The on-time completion of The Plant List is a significant accomplishment for Kew and the Missouri Botanical Garden, and our partners worldwide. It is crucial to planning, implementing and monitoring plant conservation programs around the world." Dr. Stephen Cooper, Director, Royal Botanic Gardens - Kew

Today was filled with meetings, seed orders and phone calls for me but it is all another step towards preparation for 2011. We had a great Education Committee meeting and are excited about the opportunities for this year and beyond. Larry and Bill put displays away today while Dr. Gredler (with some help from Bill) painted more obelisks that vivid blue color. We also saw Maury, Dick H., Mary Kay and many others over here as well. Business as usual. If you haven't read some of the more recent blogs, catch up and see more details on some neat, upcoming opportunities.