Coleus

Eons ago I first became interested in gardening as a child but a few years later my environmental science teacher hired another student and myself through the school.  Our job on the surface was easy, to help out with the greenhouse.  The real purpose of the job was to teach us how the greenhouse was maintained including all the operational functions.  I absolutely loved it!  I would spend every single minute I could outside of class time in the greenhouse.  Years later through during my academic career as an adult I spent many hours of free time equipped with my lunch and camera then later with laptop enjoying one of our universities small greenhouses.  I still enjoy greenhouses especially during the winter months in beautiful Ontario, Canada.

One of the very first plants I learned to propagate was coleus.  Coleus is a beautiful, lower growing ground cover outdoors or an lovely potted houseplant although it is more difficult to get it to bloom indoors.  It will thrive in lower light conditions while adding a splash of colour to garden beds.  I particularly like using coleus in pots outdoors as accent plantings that can be brought indoors for the winter.

Coleus benefits from pinching that results in thicker, bushier plants.  It can be propagated by dipping a cut stem in rooting hormone then putting the prepared stem in moistened vermiculite or the stems will root simply by placing them in water.  If using the water method, fill a glass jar with water to about a half-inch from the top.  Cover with plastic wrap and secure.  Poke two or three holes in the plastic wrap.  Let the prepared jar sit until the water is at room temperature.  Cut the same number of stems as holes from a healthy coleus plant.  For best results the stems should be about 4 to 5 - inches long.  Remove any bottom leave.  Poke each stem down into the holes until they are below the water level by about an inch.  Set in a location out of direct sun.  It will take a few days for roots to appear.  When the root ball is sufficient, pot each rooted stem in individually prepared pots.   If planting outdoors allow the new coleus plant to become established in the potting soil first then remove from the pot and plant in prepared outdoor locations (ground or containers).

Happy Gardening!

Garden Gnome
©2006-2011

Sweet Woodruff (Galium odoratum)

This is the fifth home we have owned and while each house/property presented unique challenges this property has presented the problem of over growth. The landscaping is mature as far as trees, bushes and shrubs. There really is too much! Compounding the problem are several perimeter, pocket garden beds planted willy nilly with everything imaginable. Despite moving here the end of June 2007 we are still in the tear out mode. At the same time we are doing a fair amount of pruning because we want to keep the look of the gardens without the wild, unkept look. It is obvious that some plants have to go. In order to do this I have been identifying what is growing on the property then eliminating the problem plants while keeping or transplanting those plants that give us the look we want.

Sweet Woodruff
(Galium odoratum)

A sidewalk runs from the driveway to the back steps leading to the lower covered patio. On the house side this forms one small flower bed about 2' x 6' that would be perfect planted with a low growing ground cover. Also bordering the sidewalk on the house side is a L-shaped bend actually more like a P-shape with a narrow tail and wide bed in front of the kitchen window. On the other side of the sidewalk is a meandering garden bed with various plants that in most cases need to be moved. On of these plants is Sweet Woodruff (Galium odoratum) identified with the help of one of my kids. There is a good size patch of this plant along with a smaller one.

and in various edible products (May wine, sausage, jam, jelly and soft drinks) however high levels of Sweet Woodruff is a very pretty, low growing, mat forming ground cover popular for shady locations. It has small, white, four petal flowers formed in cymes (each flower on one stem with stems joined together on a single stem) in the spring. The simple leaves form whorls of six to nine giving this ground cover a unique, delicate look. Sweet Woodruff is said to be slightly invasive but I have not found that to be the case. If anything I would like it to spread a bit more. Propagation is by division. When dried, Sweet Woodruff resembles fresh mown hay or slightly vanilla scented. Dried Sweet Woodruff is used in potpourri and it has both culinary and medicinal uses. Coumarin (a blood thinner) that gives this herb its scent can cause headaches while very high doses can cause vertigo, central paralysis and apnea while in a coma. Sweet Woodruff has not been used as a flavouring in Germany since 1981 however, home growers continue to use dried Sweet Woodruff for flavouring a variety of foods. I am going to stress the high levels as you would have to eat a lot of Sweet Woodruff to experience the negative side effects. Normal culinary levels of dried Sweet Woodruff is unlikely to cause any negative side effects.

I would like to establish a second patch of Sweet Woodruff. It would be a perfect ground cover for the first small garden between the sidewalk and house. Not only would it be pretty and delicate looking, it would be maintenance free. The plant will be ideal for potpourri as well. This will be one herb that I will be growing indoors as well.

Happy Gardening!

Garden Gnome
©2006-2008

Lily of the Valley

Lily of the Valley
(Convallaria majalis)

Lily of the Valley (Convallaria majalis) is one of my favourite garden flowers. It evokes pleasant childhood memories and has been in every garden I've created since we were wed. I can remember laying on the cool grass gazing into the glass rocks my mom had surrounded by the heavenly smell of Lily of the Valley. I have a nice sized patch of Lily of the Valley on the north side of this house. While there is a very good chance that Lily of the Valley is already planted at the new house, I will be taking a few plants just in case.

Lily of the Valley is a very popular, hardy ground cover perennial for shady areas in our zone normally planted on the north side of the house but quite often found planted under trees as well. This plant is a slow spreading by rhizomes with fragrant white flowers that bloom in the spring followed by glossy red berries. It is rather problem free but can get leaf and stem rot during the rainy season. Lily of the Valley is a medicinal herb used as a cardiac tonic and antidiuretic similar to Digitalis. Pips, flowers and berries are poisonous so be sure to supervise children if you have Lily of the Valley growing in your garden.

Happy Gardening!

Garden Gnome
©2007