PPC amphitheater

A Perennial Favorite

Each year I look forward to the Perennial Plant Conference in October, an amazing full day event including lectures given by horticulturalists from around the world. This year’s conference welcomed speakers from Japan, the Netherlands, the US, and Britain.

Started over 35 years ago, the conference continued its educational focus by gathering experts in the field to share knowledge and experiences. The sold out conference attracted 600 attendees and was held on the grounds of Swarthmore College which is advertised as “the most beautiful campus in America.” I can attest to the beauty of the campus. As with the other attendees, I was able to tour the campus before and after the conference. I even ate lunch in the gorgeous amphitheater where students celebrate graduation rain or shine.

Lasting Landscapes by Carol Perennial Plant Conference
This is what the crowd looks like during a break. I can see the coffee urn but it seems to be a mile away!
Lasting Landscapes by Carol Perennial Plant Conference
Loved these chairs – what a great place to take a break from the auditorium.
Lasting Landscapes by Carol Perennial Plant Conference
Shady spots welcomed visitors too.
Lasting Landscapes by Carol Perennial Plant Conference
The amphitheater is my favorite spot on Swarthmore’s campus. Just stunning.
Lasting Landscapes by Carol Perennial Plant Conference
When you tired of sitting you could tour the rose garden.
Lasting Landscapes by Carol Perennial Plant Conference
The blooms were amazing.
Lasting Landscapes by Carol Perennial Plant Conference
This water feature with floating blooms and the reflection of the surrounding trees was magical.
Lasting Landscapes by Carol Perennial Plant Conference
The fall colors in the gardens inspired visitors.
Lasting Landscapes by Carol Perennial Plant Conference
Anemone ‘Honorine Jobert’ colonized along the pathways.

 

The conference was co-sponsored by ChanticleerLongwood GardensThe Hardy Plant Society/Mid-Atlantic GroupPennsylvania Horticultural Society, and The Scott Arboretum of Swarthmore College. That’s some serious backing, which is probably why the speakers are well regarded and the attendance so impressive.

This year’s program included presentations on naturalistic plantings such as Midori Shintani’s discussion about the Millennium Forest and her team’s strategy to merge the cultivated gardens into the natural expanse beyond. Midori explained how her team used random software to position plants in an organic way.

Jacqueline Van Der Kloet, an internationally acclaimed garden designer from Holland, shared her tips for a cohesive design including the need to consider a winter framework of trees and hedges, a planned sequence of flowering for maximum impact, use of repetition for a naturalistic effect, and a recommendation to tie plant colors to the buildings in the background. Of course Jacqueline also suggested lots of bulbs which was no surprise given her Dutch background.

Lasting Landscapes by Carol Perennial Plant Conference
When you are Dutch, bulbs are a must.

Ivin Etienne, Horticulture Display Coordinator for The Garden at Newfields in Indiana, explained that plants have to perform in a public display. There is no tolerance for a part of the garden that isn’t working when you have visitors every day. He highlighted a number of tried and true plants used at Newfields including Hellebores, Epimediums, Baptisia, Iris, Hosta, and Echinacea.

Panayoti Kelaidis is associated with the Denver Botanic Gardens. His presentation focused on rock garden plants that thrive in Colorado’s alpine environment and can also be used in other parts of the country if given the right conditions.

Lee Buttala, an author and television producer, stressed the need to let plants go to seed in order to allow new varieties to be born and to create more balanced ecosystems.

Finally, British garden designer, James Alexander-Sinclair, shared some of his work and explained his design principles such as using angles to make a space look bigger, hiding parts of the garden to reveal it slowly, and doing more planting close to the house. I particularly liked his comment that gardens are only as good as those who look after them. He said what the world needs is more gardeners. I am glad I am one of them at that I have the opportunity to tend gardens every day and attend wonderful educational events like the Perennial Plant Conference.

If you have a passion for perennials or just love plants, I encourage you to attend next year. Be sure to register early though as the 2020 program will likely sell out quickly.

 

Lasting Landscapes by Carol

Oh Deer!

I welcome many critters in the garden like good bugs, birds and butterflies. Deer, on the other hand, I could do without. For many years now I have tried multiple methods for deterring them. I have sprayed and sprinkled deer repellent, fenced ¾ of my yard, installed a fox garden statue and even chased them out of my yard while running on foot in my bathrobe, but to no avail. They return to dine in my garden on a regular basis.

Lasting Landscapes by Carol
A hosta partially consumed by deer

I guess I could accept the fact that my hostas will be eaten each year, if not the plants themselves, at least the flowers. But now it seems these four legged pests are eating ‘deer resistant’ plants as well like Illicium, Gentian, Kalimeris, Astilbe and even ferns. Either my deer have sinus issues or they just don’t know that they shouldn’t be eating ‘deer resistant’ plants. Is anyone else having this problem?

Lasting Landscapes by Carol
Astilbe chinensis “Pumila” minus the blooms thanks to the deer
Lasting Landscapes by Carol
Even Japanese Painted Fern isn’t safe from the deer

In an effort to win the battle against the deer, I continually seek out new methods for control. I considered a sprinkler system that is motion detected, which will squirt deer when they attempt to enter a space. The problem is these sprinklers also water any human visitors. I know this because I have been drenched by one of them when caring for a friend’s house when they forget to disarm the device.

Other methods of control include repellents that emit sounds or flash lights when deer diners are near. Most of these devices don’t get good ratings. Typically, they only cover 30 square feet anyway and with a 1.3 acre property, that’s a big investment. I am trying a new deer repellent called Deer Defeat, recommended by a plant society friend who swears by it. I had to laugh when I read the label since they are located in Elkhorn, NE. Elk are in the deer family after all. Funny that their address is reflective of the very species being repelled!

If I don’t have success with Deer Defeat, I might go back to a recommendation made by the lovely Sophia, a good friend’s daughter, who gave a hosta leaf eyes and a mouth so the deer would think I was in the garden instead of a delicious plant.

Lasting Landscapes by Carol
A hosta face created by Sophia to ward off the deer

Or perhaps I’ll send my deer to school as they clearly need more education in which plants are on the deer resistant list! Let me know your methods for control, especially if they work. I’d like to win the deer vs. gardener battle and need some new armor!