Ten Takeaways From the Garden Bloggers' Fling

Recently, I attended the Garden Bloggers' Fling in Toronto. It was great fun! Bloggers from around the world converged on the city to share camaraderie, information, ideas, and garden tours.

I hope to post in-depth coverage of several individual gardens in the weeks ahead, but for now I thought I'd share a few takeaways--simple observations that come to mind as I sift through the multisensory experience.

TAKEAWAY #1:



If you don't have a rabbit problem like I do, Strawberries can be planted just about anywhere as a great groundcover, with the added benefit of fresh, sweet fruit, in season. I was excited to try this, and then I realized rabbits in my garden would eat them. Maybe I'll try this in a section of my fenced-in potager.

TAKEAWAY #2:



I'm hankering for Ninebark (Physocarpus spp.). I didn't even realize this desire until I got home and started reviewing the plethora of photos I snapped of this lovely shrub. If you have a Ninebark, you probably realize its appeal in all seasons, not to mention the value to pollinators and wildlife. It's a great substitute for Barberry (Berberis spp.) which is invasive in North America.

TAKEAWAY #3:



I have many unmatched pots. I have many overgrown perennials. I have potting soil. I don't have to spend big bucks on new "matching" pots and plants. I can divide what I have now and stuff odds and ends of perennials (and annuals) in said pots of various shapes and sizes. Big plants spill over the sides of the pots anyway, and the colorful combinations are whimsical and welcoming.

TAKEAWAY #4:



Speaking of pots, they're perfect for small Japanese Maples. (Many ideas on this subject are forming in my brain. Hehe.)

TAKEAWAY #5:



Tomato cages can be turned on their sides as structure and climbing support for plants like squashes, pumpkins, cucumbers, and many other edibles. I've never tried this, but when/if I have a bigger vegetable garden, I will.

TAKEAWAY #6:



Just about any vessel with a cavity that will hold soil can be used as a container for plants. Sometimes, they can even be mounted on fences and other structures. (Time to investigate the "treasures" in my garage.)

TAKEAWAY #7:

A small section of the incredibly wonderful overflowing garden of Marion Jarvie, which is open

to the public several times per year.

Sometimes the scale and richness of a large, diverse garden can be overwhelming when looking at the big picture.



Equally mind-boggling is the small scale of tiny seedlings, purposefully placed together in close quarters, like a fairy garden within a big garden. (How many tiny plants can you find in this one small area?)

TAKEAWAY #8:



Metal sculpture and earthy elements, combined with colorful plants can create movement and whimsical eye appeal.



Here, metal sculpture combines with rock, metalized pots, and plants for a simple, yet elegant combination.

TAKEAWAY #9:

Toronto skyline as a backdrop, as viewed from Toronto Island gardens.

The Toronto skyline is stunning. It pops into view at various locations around the city, and is especially dramatic when clouds, rain, and stormy weather are imminent.

TAKEAWAY #10:



Garden bloggers, like most gardeners, are welcoming people. This was my first Garden Bloggers' Fling, and I was a little nervous about circulating with people who've known each other from previous flings. But there were other newbies, too, and the veterans shared tips, tricks, and fun to make the conference a truly rewarding and enjoyable experience.

Several of us grabbed chalk at the Evergreen Brick Works to add our mark to the graffiti-

decorated floor.

I'm already looking forward to next year's Fling in Minneapolis/St. Paul, to reconnect, and to meet new garden-blogging friends!

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There's still time to participate in the "Garden Lessons Learned" meme. Feel free to write a post or share one you've already written about your "Lessons Learned" during the past season. Then share your links or simple observations in the comments at: Garden Lessons Learned, Quarter 2, 2015. The link will be available always under the "Lessons Learned" tab at the top of this blog.

Please also join in Donna's Seasonal Celebrations at Gardens Eye View! You can join in with a post that fits both memes, or separate posts for one or both of them. I'll include wrap-ups on PlantPostings' Facebook page as we approach the solstice.

Plant of the Month: Agastache foeniculum

As we move through the depths of winter, many of us treasure tangible reminders of the garden's plenty. Dried seed heads and flowers, including the Anise Hyssop (Agastache foeniculum) in my potpourri bowl, fulfill this purpose.



Outdoors, the plants (and the picnic table) are coated with a few inches of fluffy, white snow--just enough to keep the landscape fresh and sparkly. We awoke this morning to a new dance of gently falling snowflakes ...



Those huge, puffy flakes that are so large you can easily see how each one is different from the next, and the air between them creates depths of beneficial insulation. (Did you know that fresh, uncompacted snow typically is 90% to 95% trapped air?)

As I contemplate the perennials under their winter blanket and smell the licorice/mint scent of my potpourri, I remember how beautiful, fragrant, and soft the Anise Hyssop was during the growing season.



It was a perfect partner to the Rudbeckias, Echinaceas, and Calaminthas in the pollinator garden I helped establish as a master naturalist volunteer project.



Each flower stalk was fluffy and soft as a cat's tail.



Pollinators like this bumble bee ...



And this Goldenrod Soldier Beetle found it irresistible.



I liked the way it wrapped around and hugged the fence posts. Very romantic.



While the straight-species seeds I winter sowed last year didn't germinate in my garden, I did have luck with small seedling plants of A. foeniculum 'Golden Jubilee.' I'll try the straight species again this spring, but in the meantime, I sure enjoyed the pretty flower spikes and the bright, chartreuse color of the cultivar's foliage.



As the days progressed, the flowers gained character. I snipped them to encourage new blooms and, although that didn't pay off with my young plants, I'm happy I saved the flowers for my potpourri. The scent became even more concentrated as they dried.



At the end of the season, when very few plants were still flowering, the Anise Hyssop was still blooming away--a great companion to late-season Goldenrod (Solidago rugosa), and other fall bloomers.

I didn't realize until recently that both the flowers and the foliage of Anise Hyssop are edible. Other fast facts, based on information from the Missouri Botanical Garden, the USDA, and the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center:

• Native to a large portion of the northern U.S., the Appalacians, and Canada;
• Height: 2 ft. to 4 ft. (a little shorter for some of the cultivars), with a similar spread;
• Hardy: zones 4 to 8 (a little warmer for some of the cultivars);
• Bloom time: late June to hard frost (in my experience here in Southern Wisconsin);
• Light requirements: Full sun to part shade (bigger flower spikes in full sun; foliage of 'Golden Jubilee' remains more vibrant in partial shade);
• Attracts butterflies, beetles, bees, and hummingbirds, and is of special value to native bees and honey bees, according to the Xerces Society;
• Flower spikes provide form, texture, and color to fresh and dried floral arrangements;
• Tolerates drought, but prefers average to moist, well-drained soil.

All I know is that I like it, I don't know why I didn't have it in my garden until recently, and I'm looking forward to seeing it bloom again!