Wild Flower Peak at Garden in the Woods

Photo Caption. This is the wild flower peak. In bloom this week at New England Wild Flower Society headquarters in Framingham, from top: Giant solomon seal; Celandine poppy; Trillium cuneatum (Whippoorwill flower); Dutchmans' breeches. (Photo: Robert Mussey)

Garden Event: Today, May 14, 2009 from 5:30 - 8:30 p.m., 180 Hemenway Road, Framingham, at Garden in the Woods.

Carol Stocker writes: These are some of the native wild flowers in peak bloom in the approximately 45 acre Garden in the Woods.
Tonight there's a big benefit here entitled, "An Evening of Garden Delights & Irresistible Plant Shopping" instead of the annual big plant sale. But the evening will include plant sales (including the popular Gardener to Gardener table), and both live and silent auctions. There will also be music, festive food and beverages. As an added bonus, spring ephemerals will be in bloom at Garden in the Woods. Tickets are $50. Visit www.newenglandwild.org. You may also order tickets by calling Karen Pierce at 508 877-7630 x3801.

The Society owns and operates Garden in the Woods, the largest landscaped collection of wildflowers in the Northeast, as its headquarters and as a public botanic garden.
For over 30 years, the Society has focused on perfecting techniques to propagate and grow more than 450 species of native plants, and selling them as an alternative to wild-collected plants. The Society also owns and operates Nasami Farm, in Whately, MA, a native plant nursery which produces over 75,000 plants annually for homeowners, landscape professionals, restoration projects, and towns.

(Photo: Robert Mussey)

In addition to selling plants, the Garden in the Woods has a great gift shop. Pictured are several sizes of an organic do-it-yourself fertilizer maker called a "Compost Tea System." They range in price from approximately $500 to $8000, depending on size. If that sounds pricey, visitors can bring their own empty one gallon jugs on weekends and fill them up with this nutrient rich compost tea for $3.
You can call the shop at 508-877-7630 x 3405 for more information.

The New England Wild Flower Society also has an amusing "jail" for evil invasive plants to help you to recognize them. The incarcerated jailbirds include bittersweet, Japanese knotweed, burning bush, honeysuckle and Norway maple.

(Photo: Robert Mussey)

Speaking about invasive plants, here's a question pertaining to our discussion about garlic mustard:

A reader asks: Can these affect the soil chemistry for large trees (e.g. maples)? upon reading this blog, I found out that a wooded area of min was filled with them. I weeded for 20 minutes (very easy to pull) but there are more. Are my large trees in danger from this soil change, or just the smaller shrubs and plants?

Carol Stocker replies:
Trees are also vulnerable. Most have wide-ranging roots, but those roots are usually surprisingly close to the surface. If your trees are surrounded by garlic mustard, they can only protect themselves by extending their roots beyond the garlic mustard. And, unfortunately, garlic mustard will win the race because it spreads faster than tree roots. Do no be afraid to spray your garlic mustard patch with Round-Up to kill it. This is the safest systemic herbcide. It will affect anything green it is sprayed on, but will not penetrate tree bark unless the tree has been recently nicked by a mower. Do not let your garlic mustard go to seed or you will have to weed and spray for several years.

Question:

Another reader asks:
I have some rhodies which were really chewed up by the deer. Should I cut them back?
What do you suggest I fertilize perennials with to last all summer?

Carol Stocker replies:

I would not cut the rhododendrons back. Try this: Scratch a dead looking branch with your fingernail and see if there is any hint of green under the bark. If so, the branch is still alive and you should leave it. If there's no green under the bark it is dead and you can cut it back to the crotch of a live branch. Do not cut any live branches, as rhododendrons resent pruning.
I recommended Sea Kelp powder or liquid form in a previous blogging about organic fertilizers as the best of the best. If you do not care about being organic, buy Osmacote slow time release pellets, which last all summer.