The Big Dipper Farm News-ette is an occasional gardening e-newsletter for discussing new plant introductions, gardening tips, quotes, poems, ‘things-to-do-in-the-garden-now’, seminar reminders and much more.  It’s free, kept private, spam-less and fun!     Share it with a friend.     Happy Gardening!    

-Deidre Finley, Big Dipper Farm

 

I believe that gardens themselves are very healing.

To be surrounded by the exquisite beauty of nature is to experience a healing of the soul.

-author unknown

 

 

Attention Northern Gardeners!    For those of you in zones 6 and colder, it’s time to do your fall planting. It’s best if you can give your new additions at least 6 weeks to establish before the first frost for the best odds of winter survival.    We are shipping now!       Catalog Page Here

 

 

Beautiful young people are accidents of nature.
Beautiful old people are works of art.

 

A Focus on Summer Foliage

To choose a plant only for its bloom, is like marrying a woman because you like her Easter hat. 

-Nancy Short

When I recently read this quote of Nancy’s, a Peony popped into my mind. During a July visit to a friend’s garden, I noticed a peony shrub in its summer glory. Perfect lush foliage in a clean rounded habit. Its bloomless grace was just lovely.

A few nights ago at a friend’s lakeside garden, I stopped before an enormous evergreen Clematis armandii covering the side of her house. Again, no blooms now, but the beautiful, glossy foliage was nothing short of breathtaking.

I often hear gardeners complain about a plant’s “short bloom period” but the foliage is often over-looked or undervalued.

Astilbes also come to mind. The large colorful plumes are what gardeners buy them for but the cut-leaf, lacy foliage in shades of bronze, red and green make them a rich tapestry plant for several months in the shade garden. The plum colored spears of foliage on the yellow flowering Crocosmia Solfaterre is stunning all season. The Purple Leaf Clematis doesn’t get much attention because of its small white flowers but the entire vine is a showstopper right now.

Take another look at the so-called ‘off-season’ value of plants and focus more on year-round interest, color and texture.

You’ll find that with some plants, bloom-time is just an added bonus.

 

 

Gardening is civil and social, but it wants the vigor and freedom of the forest and the outlaw.      

-Henry David Thoreau

 

A couple of recent letters:

We really enjoy your letters, photos and emails and they are often posted in the shipping shed for the crew.

Hurricane Dennis and the Blueberries

I had some time to plant in the midst of getting fringes of Hurricane Dennis. I commenced to making planting holes with a posthole digger. The wind was whipping up and blowing papers out of the box of blueberries. They were blue and healthy and I plunged them into the holes as a blast of cold air came from nowhere. I added liquid acid fertilizer and backfilled the soil in. Black was the sky now with clouds tumbling over each other and rain started in just as I got them covered and ran for cover with the empty box and the waded New York Times newspapers, which I read by the way. I really liked that touch, we don’t get news like that around here. These must be sophisticated blueberries. So needless to say, I didn’t read the ‘Read this First’ till now but they did get a good soaking from the storm and they look healthy. Regards from a new grower, Glendon in Williston, Florida

Braving the Georgia Heat

Today as I stumbled in from the 95-degree heat in North Georgia I wondered if this would be the appropriate time for this gardener to hibernate.  Yes, just forget about pulling the weeds and those ever present spittlebugs.  Perhaps retreat to the air conditioning!  Then I spent some time with your most recent newsletter and the gardener quotes inspired me to weather the storm (heat) of summer in the South.   Thanks for the newsletter.  I like looking at the plants and reading the clips.  A Customer,   Glenn in Suwanee, GA 

 

A perfect summer day is when the sun is shining,
the breeze is blowing, the birds are singing,
and the lawn mower is broken.
- James Dent

 

The Gas Plant  -  Dictamnus albus 'Purpureus'

The Burning Bush or Gas Plant got its common name from a bizarre phenomenon. The strong lemon scented vapor emitted from the leaves, flowers and seedpods can be ignited with a match on a calm summer night. This oil can be irritating to some people's skin, gloves are advised if cutting or handling.

From seed, it can take four to five years to flower, so those of us a bit ‘patience disabled’ may be better off buying plants instead. Choose your site carefully as it doesn’t like to be disturbed.

This is an absolutely wonderful long-lived, low maintenance perennial that is very hardy, down to zone 3, and produces an abundance of pale to deep purplish-pink flowers with maroon veins in late spring to early summer. The Dictamnus albus has beautiful white flowers.  The blooms give way attractive, star-shaped seedpods. Leave them for Autumn interest or cut them for dried arrangements.

The elegant and aromatic, glossy foliage is attractive throughout the growing season and is bothered by very little. An important host plant for the Giant Swallowtail butterfly.

Prefers full sun and does best in northern climates where the nights are cool. Reaches 2 to 3 feet high and wide and is easy to grow. Cut plant down in the Spring before new growth. Surprisingly drought tolerant once established but is known for its slow development. Will gradually increase in size each year and should be given a few years to mature. Some things are just worth the wait.

Bring this little ‘pyro’ home and light up your garden.       See the Gas Plants

 

 

Wow-- I ordered on the 20th and received on the 23rd--amazing!

Thanks for ....

1. great selection

2. fast shipping

3. healthy plants

4. detailed plant information on invoice (brilliant)

5. commitment to quality service

I'm a new fan!  Cheers   Tom C. – Vashon Island, WA

 

 

Powdery Mildew – The Fungus Amongus

One of the most common, widespread and easily recognized plant diseases, Powdery Mildew, is in full swing now. Its favored weather conditions are warm and dry during the day and cold at night, and on dry soils. They are typically at their worst now at the end of the growing season.

The best natural means of control is increasing your deep root watering and decrease the infection with a spray of 1 Tablespoon of Baking soda in 1 gal of lukewarm water with a teaspoon of vegetable oil, well shaken and applied immediately.

The fungi can overwinter in plant debris left in the garden so to reduce their numbers next year, clean up and dispose of affected plant material now and through Fall. In the spring, a good top dress of organic compost will retain root moisture and bury the previous years spores.   

Follow these simple steps and you’ll keep this uninvited guest out of your garden.

 

 

Human subtlety will never devise an invention more beautiful, more simple or more direct than does Nature, because in her inventions, nothing is lacking and nothing is superfluous.
-Leonardo da Vinci

 

Naturally Native – Americans of the Month

Umbrella Plant  -  Darmera peltatum

The cool ‘Tropical Look’ for Northern gardeners. Also known as: Peltiphyllum peltatum and Indian Rhubarb and Umbrella Plant. Large impressive clusters of red-centered white flowers rise on single stems before the foliage. In our garden, no foliage appears until after the flowers are gone and then the massive shiny round leaves spread up to 18'' across. Hardy in zones 4 to 7. A good northern substitute for Gunnera but only reaches 3 feet tall. You need lots of moist shady space for this great bog plant. A Pacific NW native.   See the Umbrella Plant

 

Maryland Pink or Indian Pink  -  Spigelia marilandica

Bright red trumpet-shaped flowers with yellow throats are produced in early summer over dark green, glossy foliage. Can be used in containers with other plants or alone. The flower display is incredible when planted in large mass. A wonderful Native American plant typically found in moist woods, stream banks and needs a shady location. Voted one of the top 10 Hummingbird plants by Operation Rubythroat.  Top Ten Native Hummingbird Plants

No significant insect or disease problems. Can take its time to establish, but will colonize into a large impressive clump.  The ‘All-you-can-eat’ Hummer Buffet is open!   See the Spigelia

 

 

If I'm ever reborn, I want to be a gardener—there's too much to do for one lifetime! 

-Karl Foerster

 

Things to do in the Late Summer Garden;

• Make compost of lawn clippings and garden plants that are ready to be recycled. Do not use clippings if lawn has been treated with herbicide, including "weed-and-feed" products. 
• Check for spider mites in Fatsias, Bamboos, Crocosmia, Jap Hollies, Alberta Spruce & Viburnum davidii. Treat as necessary. A non-chemical treatment for spider mites is to raise the humidity level by spraying the foliage of affected or high-risk plants on especially hot days.
• Use mulch to protect ornamentals and garden plants from hot weather damage.
• Spring blooming shrubs are developing their flower buds now so be sure they don’t dry out.
• Gather herbs and flowers for drying.
• Now’s the time to take your Summer softwood cuttings for new plants.
• This is a good month for dividing oriental poppies, hostas and Siberian iris.
• Stop fertilizing your trees, shrubs and perennials now to allow soft growth to harden for winter.
• Review your garden. Take pictures and make notes of holes in the design or problem areas. Decide what you want to move and/or divide this Fall.
• Learn how to make perfect lavender lemonade and buy a hammock.

 

Among gardeners, enthusiasm and experience rarely exist in equal measures.   

-Roger B. Swain

 

New!   Groundcover Forsythia  -  Forsythia x intermedia 'Gold Tide' 

A revolutionary development in Forsythia from France. A profusion of light yellow flowers appear in late winter to early spring on this dwarf, low growing form of forsythia. Very attractive feathery, fresh light green foliage. Only reaches two to three feet high and spreads four feet. A stunner in bloom and wonderful texture all summer long. Adaptable to most any soils, so long as they are not saturated.  Prune as needed immediately after spring flowering. Hardy in zones 5 to 9 and gives its best display in full sun. Cut stems force easily indoors for bright color in the dark of winter. An excellent new ‘polite’ size for this great plant.    

See ‘Gold Tide’

 

 

 

 

Dear Deidre and Crew:  I wanted to thank you again for another fantastic delivery of plants. When I received the package, I thought that part of my order must have been lost since it was so small, but everything was there, and packed just beautifully!  I ordered a number of fairly fragile plants, including some ferns, and a couple of Pinellia Tripartitas, which have very long, fragile stems, and I wouldn't be exaggerating if I said there wasn't a single bent stem or a lost leaf in the bunch.  It reminded me a bit of the old magic act where more and more big items keep getting pulled out of a little hat!   Please let the packers know that they are doing a great job, and that because of that, plants are coming out of boxes 3000 miles away in perfect shape, already standing up straight and looking great in my garden!  And I would also like to thank you for the gift of a hyssop blue, a gorgeous plant.  I have shared my experiences with Big Dipper on the Dave's Garden website Garden Watchdog (where I originally found out about your nursery while looking for gentians), and I hope they will encourage others to give your excellent nursery a try.

Yours,   Greg R. -  Bridgewater, MA

 

 

Once you have heard the lark, known the swish of feet through hill-top grass

and smelt the earth made ready for the seed,

you are never again going to be fully happy about the cities and towns

that man carries like a crippling weight upon his back.
-Gwyn Thomas

 

 

 

Big Dipper Farm 
360-886-8133
www.BigDipperFarm.com