Chives

Chives (Allium schoenoprasum) are the smallest member of the onion family. An herbaceous perennial herb, chive is easy to grow. Plant in full sun in well-drained soil. From mid-May to June, chives have pretty, little cluster-like purple flowers.

The hollow, tubular leaves grow 30-50 cm in height. Cuttings can be made 3 times a year (cut close to the ground). My patch of chives is over 10 years old and requires minimal care. The mild, onion-flavored leaves can be used fresh or dried.

My favorite way to use chives is freshly snipped and added to scrambled eggs. I also like fresh chives on baked potatoes with sour cream and in vegetable soup.

Punctuating the Garden

Gardening is a pursuit of both the physical and the aesthetic. I enjoy a good workout in the garden especially at planting time. I also enjoy weeding and watering as it puts me in a Zen-like state. Pausing to take in the sweet fragrance of my flowers and gaze upon their form feeds my need for beauty.

Here and there, I try to punctuate my gardens with tiny vignettes. Sometimes, the vignette is whimsical, sometimes practical. Here is a practical piece made for me by my sister, an avid and accomplished gardener. See more of her gardening delights at http://rusticranch.blogspot.com/

Pansey Faces

Pansies are a hybrid annual which will reseed. A cold hardy viola species, pansies come in a variety of colors. This year, I bought a cheery yellow - my favorite color - to compliment the purple plants already in the bed. I also made up 3 pots for my small deck.
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What I like best about pansies is that they have 'little faces.' For me, these faces give pansies a charm and English cottage garden feel.

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Easy to grow in sun or partial shade, pansies prefer well drained soil and can even survive freezing. Pansies are an economical and pretty flower for zone 5.

The Young Apple Maiden

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Young compared to the multi-trunked old apple tree, the "young apple maiden" leans over at a severe angle. The strong west winds that sweep through the back acreage have bent her more than any of the other trees on our property.

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She produces very small, red apples. Too small to be used. In early fall, yellow jackets feast on her fallen and hanging apples. Migrating birds, thankful for rest and a little nourishment, peck at the ripe, soft fruit.

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Though my husband derides her unproductive state, I defend her. I am after all, the grounds keeper!

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For me, the pretty little flowers in spring are her glory. I am content with that.

The Old Apple Tree in Spring

Beautiful in winter. Beautiful in spring.

Here is the old apple tree decked out in her floral splendor in April of this year. Lots of fragrant white-pink blooms. Hoping for a bumper crop this fall!

The old apple tree produces small, sweet apples. I do not know the variety and I think there actually might be two different kinds of apples. Mom and I collect the apples and with our paring knives, we prepare the apples for freezing, drying into apple slices, canning apple butter, and making fresh pies and strudel. Mom is German. She makes the most amazing strudel from a recipe she learned from her landlord back in the 1950's.

Candytuft

Candytuft (Iberis sempervirens) is an evergreen perennial ground cover that grows well in poor soil as long as the soil is well-drained. Candytuft is a member of the mustard family.

One large, low growing mound is at the sunny front leading border of the narrow bed between the foundation and the deck. The candytuft is in the same bed as the grape hyacinths.

Hardy to Zone 5, candytuft is slow spreading and grows from 8 to 12" tall. In mid-spring, its small, bright white blooms open up and last for weeks.

In many ways, Candytuft reminds me Edelweiss. It is one of my favorite plants.

Shades of Lilac

Lilacs are a fragrant, easy care deciduous shrub in the olive family.

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I have three shrubs and each is a different shade: pale pink, light violet and a dark Byzantium violet. The shrubs were planted by the previous owner, so I do not know how old they are - they are at least 20 years old. All of the bushes are in the front yard and in direct line with the westerly winds. They are very hardy to Zone 5.
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The only care I have given my lilacs is some watering during the hot summer months and pruning to cut back the spent blossoms.

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The shrubs bloom in mid-spring to early summer. I like to bring in sprigs of the lilac to enjoy their beauty and gorgeous scent - it is a heavy fragrance that can fill a room.

Grape Hyacinths

In the narrow space between the patio deck and the house, grape hyacinths grow. It is a moist and and shaded area. The soil is not as good here. It has more clay because of it's proximity to the foundation. The soil has never been amended nor has the bed been fertilized.

Despite these conditions, the grape hyacinth has thrived. And, it is a pretty flower.

Grape hyacinths are small, spiked flowers resembling a bunch of grapes. Early spring bloomers, their fragrance is delicate and most welcomed after a long winter. Bees, especially the bumble bee, love it.

When in bloom, Muscari armeniacam is a gorgeous, deep cobalt blue. Another positive characteristic of this bulb is that it spreads. The plantings in this narrow space have increased over the years, and, after 15 years, have taken on the appearance of a a blue carpet.

Hardy, no care. Grape hyacinths do well in Zone 5.

Spring Nesting Time

The house runneth over

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We need more feathers!

Although it's always sad to see trees and plants, flower bulbs, that didn't survive the winter or that have been damaged, spring also is a time to assess some of the quiet positives.

While strolling with Noll, I chuckled at the sight of the bluebird house that has been claimed by a house sparrow. Only once did a family of bluebirds fledge in this house. That was one of those magical moments. I don't know if I imagined it or not, but I think the outer edges of the hole were stained blue from the birds' comings and goings. Too bad bluebirds are not want to fight for their territory. I miss them. But, the house sparrows have got a good things going on now.

Winter's Damage

Yesterday, April 23, while strolling around with Noll, I took stock of this winter's damage.

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Zone 5 had an atypical winter - colder and longer with extended freezing. There's signs of animal and salt damage and dessication on some of the established landscape.

The old apple tree has peeling bark and a patch that looks shredded - as if something with claws or a beak has been working away at the soft wood. It's a main branch, so I'm concerned about the integrity of the tree's health. Don't want anything to happen to the old gal. She's glorious in spring and breathtaking in winter (see blog title photo).

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One large limb of the Noll's favorit tree - the purple plum - is dead.

I'll leave it for the flickers and woodpeckers to peck at.

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Salt and wind damage to the evergreens bordering the front entrance. Noll's piddling is an added assault. The nearby boxwoods are an ugly, dessicated, yellow-brown. They'll get a trim and some Miracle Gro.

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The newer landscape was also impacted: Two of the three small cherry trees I planted last fall show struggling signs of life. They will need extra TLC if they are to make it.

The little plug of a buckeye tree I have been nursing for the past three years was munched down to a nub....again! My dream of having my own buckeye tree is fast fading. The three year old oak sapling - planted by a squirrel - was chewed a bit too. It should recover nicely though.

Peonies in May

The perennial peonies growing in my garden are of the herbaceous cultivar variety. There is also a tree variety; which I've never had the pleasure of seeing in a nursery or yard.

Hardy to Zone 5, my peonies grow in the rock garden (full sun) and in a garden on the north side (partial sun) of the garage. Both peonies are over 15 years old, in well-drained soil with delicate pink petals. Sweetly fragrant, the plants grow to a little over two feet.

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Peonies are easy care. I cut them back in the spring when the new growth starts. Most people cut them back in the fall after the plant has died back.

I remember peonies grew in the yard next to my childhood home. Two things come to mind when I think about them - first, how the blossoms drooped or lay flat on the ground and second, the icky ants crawling over the buds and up and down the stems.

After a couple of years of having the blooms fall flat, I found a fix for the first thing.

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I installed a green circular, wire plant support secured by four stakes (from Gardener Supply). The stems grow up through the holes in the circular form. The green color of the support blends in with the foliage. The stems are supported by the form at mid-level. Even when wet, the blooms remain erect. With that main distraction solved, I almost don't notice the ants.

Spring Jewels

Blue and White Primrose

Tulip

Bi-color Daffodil

French Hyacinth

Springtime Reflections

Large Cup Daffodil

In early spring, there seems to be no end to last year's leaves, dried stems and twigs. The strong west wind, keeps blowing stuff in. This weekend was one endless loop to the compost piles.

However, progress has been made on the veggie front.

After edging and working peat moss into the soil, the cold crop patio vegetable garden was ready for planting. Peas, short & sweet carrots, green onions, and firecracker radishes are in. Last night there was a nice, soaking rain. Might have a trace of snow tonight, but things will be warming up again mid-week.

Meanwhile, the jewels of spring are all around. Here and there, the bulbs are up and shining and sending up a delicate fragrance. It's a lovely prelude to late April when the fruit trees will be in bloom.

Enjoy the show!

Time to Make the Beds

Outside: For the past two weeks, it's been flower and landscape bed cleanup time.

At this stage, it's simply raking up the remaining leaves and cutting back the old growth of the perennials. The leaves and cuttings are hauled to the compost piles at the treeline at the back acreage. Edging will come in another couple weeks. Last night I tidied up the catnip bed. Noll helped but seemed a little disconcerted that I removed some perfectly good catnip stalks ;)

At the end of March, the potting shed garden was extended by another 2 x 4 feet. Pumpkins will go in here. The compost bin was moved to the east side of the shed. One inch of compost was added to the garden to prep the soil for the corn that will go in early May.

This weekend, peat moss will be added to the patio garden, the soil tilled and peas and leaf lettuce planted.

Inside: Some of the starter seeds have sprouted - cabbage, cosmos, alyssum, a few tomatoes. I love to check the progress every day.

The cherry tomatoes I have been growing indoors all year are nearing an end. About 3 dozen fruit remain on the vines in various stages of ripening. The three plants have produced since December. It's been nice to have fresh tomatoes to garish our salads.

The green onions I started in a window sill box are thriving too. Pretty soon, they'll go outside to finish growing. Before the onions, loose leaf lettuce grew in this container. We had fresh lettuce last October/November.

I don't know why I didn't think to extend my "gardening" season sooner. So long as the plants don't require pollination and have a sunny southern exposure, tomatoes, loose leaf lettuce, herbs, green onions, can do quite well indoors during the dead of winter.

Starting Seeds Indoors

It is now 6 to 8 weeks out until planting time! In Zone 5, the frost free date is typically around Mother's Day. I usually wait a couple days after that date to plant just to be safe.

Today, I gathered four trays and plastic cells from the potting shed. I cleaned the trays/cells and filled them with seed starter soil. In these trays/cells, I planted yellow and green peppers, beefsteak, cherry and pear tomatoes, cabbage, basil and eggplant. In one premade tray of peat pots, I planted yellow marigolds. In another premade tray I did a combination of alyssum, orange coneflowers and purple cosmos. The marigold and coneflower seeds were collected last year from my garden.

I covered each of the trays with a clear plastic dome to keep the soil moist. Light and warmth is provided free of charge courtesy of the sun that comes through the south facing French doors in the kitchen. Seeds should start germinating in 7 to 10 days.

The cats were very curious about today's activity. I had a few noses and paws in the soil and cats on the table watching me work. It was an interesting and fun day for them too. They like to "garden" as much as I do ;)

Orange cosmos, catnip and agastache (lavender hyssop) line the fence near the main vegetable garden.

Agastache is an easy to grow perennial herb. Agastache has all of the qualities I look for in a perennial: low maintenance, drought tolerant and loved by butterflies, hummingbirds and pollinaters like the bumble bee. It's especially pretty to see the orange sulfur butterfly feeding on the purple flowers.

A prolific bloomer: agastache's tubular, spikey flower heads bloom from July to September. Height is between 1' to 3'.

Zone 5 Rating: Superb!

The Potting Shed's Garden History

The first year I dug out a garden for the potting shed, I filled it mostly with annuals: marigolds - yellow and orange - and zinnias - red and multi-colored. In the fall, I collected the marigold seeds and later used them in the vegetable garden. Marigolds are great companion plants for tomatoes and peppers. Their pungent smell keeps insects away.

Over the years, the potting shed garden has been a raspberry patch and a plot for sunflowers. Currently, it is a vegetable (corn, tomatoes) and dill garden.

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A large compost bin is located to the right of the garden. Every spring, I enrich the soil with compost. Last year, I did a top dressing of chicken manure also because I had grown popcorn the previous year and was putting in a crop of sweet corn. In the main garden, I would rotate between beans and corn. But I like this location for the corn. It is protected on the north side and the west by a large apple tree. Out in the main garden, I can usually count on the corn being knocked down during one of our many Ohio thunderstorms. I might be committing a garden sin, but the potting shed garden will be seeing corn again this year.

My Petite Columbine

(Aquilegia vulgaris)
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As a gardener, I tend to favor easy to grow and utilitarian plants. Hybrid roses are too fussy for me. Impatiens try my patience constantly demanding water. My laziness no doubt keeps me from growing as a gardener, but until I retire, my time is limited, so I eschew the needy.

Columbine is both easy and utilitarian. It is also hardy. It's also everywhere.

Columbine's large flower clusters bloom in the late spring, early summer and attract hummingbirds and bees. The bees volley between the rock and vegetable gardens where they pollinate the cucumbers.

A native plant, Columbine is insect and disease resistant. It can be directly seeded (I collect the seeds when the seed pods are dry) or the plant can be divided. I grow the purple, blue and pink varieties. Columbine also comes in red, white and yellow.

Dreaming of Spring

Test Results: Beet and yellow bean seed germination rate 0%. Will need to buy some. Lucky for me, Oakland Nursery is having a seed sale beginning March 7.

It's the last week in February. Still way too early to start seedlings indoors. But the bitter cold and dreary day drove me to lift my spirits the only way I know how....dreaming of spring.

I spent a nice hour visiting with my vegetable, herb and flower seeds. Back in January, by a quick, unscientific inspection and count, I determined I had enough seed for the gardens. The only seeds I ordered from Burpee this year were peas, basil, zucchini and loose leaf lettuce. I had none of these standards.

Leisurely looking through my seeds today, I found lots going back to 2004. Some packs had not been opened and some were still in vacuum-packed pouches. I'm fairly hopeful my penny-pinching decision not to purchase more of what I already have will not backfire.

As of today though, I'm hedging my bet by scientifically testing the viability of the older seeds (lots '04 through '06). In a southern exposure, between two damp paper towels, I placed 10 each of yellow bean, carrot, lettuce, tomato, beet, cucumber, radish, cabbage and radish seeds. The tray is covered with cling wrap to keep in the moisture. I'll check the tray over the next 5-10 days and count how many seeds of each variety sprout. If less than 3, then, I'll be buying new; around 5, I'll have to double plant. Here's hoping the seeds germinate at a high rate!

American Bittersweet

American Bittersweet (Celastraceae) during the summer with ripening fruit.

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The first fall after moving to our rural home, I made friends with a woman from church. She designed and created gorgeous dried arrangements and wreaths.

I had this enormous vine of a plant growing up a light pole in my backyard. I had no idea what it was. It did have pretty little clusters of red and orange berries with ariles. So, I snipped a branch and took it over to show her.

Her eyes lit up as she gasped, "Where did you get that?" Turns out, I had bittersweet. Bittersweet is highly prized for its use in dry flower arranging. It's also pricey.

Broadly twining, bittersweet is native dioecious and is not always welcome by farmers. As my friend put it, "There's a Round-up mentality about bittersweet in these parts." She was very happy to take as much of the berried branches that I could reach. The rest were left for the birds to eat.

Spike Speedwell

Spike speedwell (Veronica spicata) is an herbaceous perennial with spiked, tubular flowers. The flowers are a cool blue. The blue pops against the plant's dark green leaves. Speedwell also comes in pink.

Suited to sun as well as partial shade, my speedwell grows happily under a volunteer scrub willow. Low maintenance and low growing (it reaches 1.5 to 2 ft.), speedwell is a wonderful perennial to plant at the front edge of the flowerbed.

Pluses: Speedwell is deer resistant and attracts pollinators for the nearby vegetable garden. Rating: Excellent and easy care for Zone 5 growing.

"There's rosemary, that's for remembrance."

So wrote Shakespeare in Hamlet. For me, rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis), also embodies remembrance.

Although this perennial herb is used to flavor meats, poultry and potatoes, I rarely use mine for this purpose. I'm slightly more romantic and cerebral about rosemary.

Several years ago, I placed a small plant* in a pot and there it remains. As a potted plant, I take rosemary outside when the weather warms, inside when it cools. Rosemary's woody and evergreen-like needles are suited to the arid and sunny conditions of the wood deck. Unlike other potted plants that require daily watering during the summer months, rosemary is forgiving of a little neglect.

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During these long winter months, there is nothing like the pungent, earthy-pine fragrance emitted from even the slightest brush of rosemary's leaves. The scent reminds me of times in the garden. It's a reminder of why I garden.

*Grows in zones 7 -10. In zone 5, it must be either dug up or grown in pots and brought inside.

Orange Cosmos (C.sulphureaus)

Life is a series of rituals.

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One of my favorite rituals is the gathering of orange cosmos seeds in mid-September. Every year, I collect enough (about three pickle jars full) to reseed the annual beds and give away to family and friends. Cosmos seeds, like marigolds or forget-me-nots, are easy to collect and store. I save money on annuals by collecting the seeds or, as is the case of geraniums, digging them up before the first frost. I plant the seeds after Mother's Day, typically the frost-free date in Zone 5.
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Although orange cosmos is a wildflower native to the Southwestern U.S. and Mexico, it does extremely well in our hot Ohio summers. Cosmos love full sun and arid soil. The majority are planted along the foundation in the backyard. Its brilliantly tangerine color and daisy-like flowers bloom from mid to late summer or until the first fall frost. Year after year, praying mantis have used the cosmos as their niche. Mantis are a curious and beneficial insect; and most welcome in the garden.

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I have been cultivating orange cosmos for fourteen years. And to think, this ritual began with one pack of seeds!

Oriental Lily

Tucked into my perennial bed are a few Oriental lilies. For rose-like fragrance and that 'wow-factor', Orientals can't be beat. I also have a couple Asiatic lilies (these are not fragrant). Asiatics are pretty in their own right - speckled like bird eggs - though not quite as showy.

Unlike day lilies, Orientals, are true lilies (genus lilium). Orientals are grown from bulbs. The bulbs do not have to be dug up in the fall like gladioli. I planted the lilies 3 years ago in full sun and well-drained soil. Orientals prefer slightly acid soil which I do not have. However, mine don't seem to mind. The plant grows on strong stems and range from 3 to 6 feet. Most of the blooms are eye level. Needless to say during mid to late summer, I can't pass by my Orientals without bending my head and taking in a long whiff of sweetness.

Zone 5 performance: Great, requiring occasional watering

A Pair of Pear Trees

In the mid 1930s, our property was part of a large pig farm. The property also sits on a hundred-year flood plain. Consequently, there's an excellent top soil (12" +) over the Ohio clay. Sometime back in the 1980's, someone planted a pair of pear trees in the small orchard.

What the exact varieties are is not known. We've never done much more than harvest and enjoy the pears. One is definitely a winter pear. I suspect it is a Bosc. The fruit is ready for picking in mid to late September. After picking and storing in the basement at a temperature around 55 degrees, the winter pear begins to ripen after 6 weeks. The other most likely is a green Bartlet. It ripens in late August and is sweet and juicy. *Note: two varieties are required for cross-pollination.

Both trees put out an abundance of fruit (as in hundreds of pounds each). We eat them fresh, dried, made into apple/pear butter or, our favorite - pear bread.

Our pear bread recipe:
3 cups all-purpose flour, 1 tsp. baking soda, 1/4 tsp baking powder, 1 tsp salt, 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon, 3 eggs lightly beaten, 3/4 cup vegetable oil, 2 cups sugar, 2 cups of pear peeled and chopped into small pieces, 2 tsp vanilla extract, 1 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 325. Grease and flour two 8 1/2" x 4 1/2" loaf pans.

Combine dry ingredients in large bowl. Mix eggs, oil, sugar, vanilla and pears in small bowl. Add to the dry mixture. Stir until moistened. Add nuts.

Pour into pans, bake for one hour. Insert a knife into center to check if done. If knife does not come out clean, bake for an additional 10 minutes. Allow bread to cool before removing from pan. Bread keeps well in the freezer double-wrapped in foil.

P.S. It's mid-January, and we're still pulling pear bread out of the freezer.

Achillea - Yarrows

Back in 1995, I arrived at a friend's house just as she was ripping out the white yarrow that grew along her foundation. Never one to see a plant be tossed, I gladly accepted a brown bag full of this aromatic yarrow.

Fourteen years later, I think I've finally gotten it under control!

Like Achilles the Trojan war hero it is named after, yarrow marched on like a soldier: conquering and occupying almost every corner of the perennial bed. Prodigiously spreading underground through the rhizomatoms, it dawned on me one summer that my beds were becoming overwhelminly filled with green, fern-like leaves.
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While I was wrestling to get the white yarrow under control, I wondered if my yellow and wine varieties would follow suit. Thankfully, both yellow and wine do not invade. All three varieties tolerate dry soil and drought and grow in full sun.

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Today, I still have a couple of the white yarrow. These I manage vigorously. The yellow and wine, I simply enjoy.

Sedum and Solidago

Sun loving Sedum and Solidago provide a one – two punch of color at the beginning of fall. In my perennial garden, placed on opposite sides of a fence, their contrasting colors bring a soft pink and a vibrant yellow to the waning flower bed.

Sedum, a succulent, is drought tolerant and deer resistant. The only drawback to this tall plant (it grows to 15”) is the strong westward winds can knock it down. Conversely, the companion Solidago grows on tall, sturdy stems. Tall (36") Solidago sends a yellow canopy cascading over the top of the fence. Color-wise, Solidago rivals the wild goldenrod that grows in Ohio fields. Solidago is one of those ‘happy accidents.’ I bought it to attract beneficial insects. I got a standout beauty in the bargain. I got even luckier when I put these two perennials side by side.

Rating: Easy to grow, requiring minimal care. Great plants for Zone 5

Airy Astilbe

If you've ever seen mushrooms and curious dark green circles in the grass, it's fanciful to imagine fairies danced where the rings sprouted overnight.

It's also whimsical to place fairy figurines or little houses in shady garden areas to attract this fabled creature.

But, it's transcendent to plant the airy Astilbe. For this herbaceous perennial embodies the qualities of fairies. If ever a flower came from fairyland, Astilbe with its feathery plumes, fern-like leaves and a preference for the partially shaded undergrowth, would be it.

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Another easy to grow flower with long lasting blooms, Astilbe adds a romantic charm to any perennial bed. I grow the pink variety. Astilbe also comes in white and a darker shade of pink.

English Lavender

My rock garden has flowers which bloom in the spring (creeping phlox, peonies, columbine, iris), summer (lavender, hostas, marigolds) and fall (sedum). In the winter, some low lying evergreen gives the garden its interest.

English Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) is beautifully fragrant; think English country garden aromatic. Both flowers and spikey leaves have essential oils. I frequently use the lavender in potpourri.

A perennial, lavender prefers dry conditions. It is a very compact plant. I have two clumps which have remain fairly static in size for 12 years.

Grade: A+ Lavender does well in Ohio's hot Zone 5 summers.

Shasta Daisies

As a child, I loved picking the wild daisies that grew in the field behind our house.

Back then, daisies made wonderful chains, fit neatly behind the ear, and amused little girls with "He loves me, He loves me not."

My childhood reverence for the simple daisy is why it has a prominent place in my perennial beds. As a gardener, I also appreciate how easy they are to grow.

My Shasta daisies have multiplied over the years. Good in both full and partial shade, they bloom for months. They are proficient reseeders. If left unchecked, however, they can become invasive.

Understated, but cheery, with their bright yellow hearts, the white daisy pops against the green landscape. Funny though, I no longer have the urge to pick them. I like them better in the garden.

Zone 5 Vegetable Garden

It is January. The nicest part about winter are the colorful seed catalogs that arrive in the mail. They are a glimmer of things to come. As of this writing, my order is already somewhere at W. Atlee Burpee & Co. being processed.

On our three acre property, I have a large vegetable garden, a small potting shed garden and a patio herb garden.

The vegetables I've had the most success with are: corn, tomatoes, green beans, peppers, cabbage, peas, radishes, loose leaf lettuce, zucchini, yellow squash, carrots, cucumbers, onions and peas.

Vegetables that, for one reason or another, struggled to produce are: sweet potatoes, broccoli, eggplant, melon and lima beans. Moles nibbled at the sweet potatoes (every last one!). Broccoli had little green worms. Eggplant and melons were small, albeit tasty. Lima beans produced very little bean for the amount of work.

For a couple of years, I used to have trouble with my corn. For some unknown reason, I had to replant because either nothing came up, or germinaion was spotty. An experienced gardener told me her strategy. Now, instead of one seed, I plant two at a time. I don't know why, but this seems to do the trick.

My two favorite sweet corn varieties are Silver Queen (white) and Sun & Stars (bicolor). This past sumer, I did a top dressing of chicken manure in the potting shed garden. The Silver Queen went in here and took off like gang busters. The planting was prolific and with high sugar content.

Other recommended Burpee favorites: Big Boy Tomatoes, Sugar Snack Hybrid Cherry Tomatoes, Salad Bowl Looseleaf (cutting) Lettuce, and Hybrid Zucchini. They never disappoint!

P.S., that's Noll checking out the potting shed garden.

Monarda

One bushy bunch of monarda grows next to the bitter sweet vine. It attracts hummingbirds and butterflies. Monarda is a tall bee balm. It is a perennial that blooms midsummer and likes full sun.

I planted this balm as a single plant five years ago. It is slowly spreading to the other side of the fence.

The monarda is the only red flower I have growing in the perennial bed, so when it blooms, the contrast in color from the yellows, oranges, whites, pinks, and blues is very striking.

Performance in Zone 5 - Excellent

My Bleeding Hearts

My sister gave me my first and only bleeding heart as an anniversary present three years ago.

Bleeding heart (Dicentra) is a woodland plant with late-spring blooms. Its flowers are pendant-shaped, like a string of little hearts. The blooms are long-lasting.

Since I planted it, the plant has doubled in size. It is happy within its perfect micro environment of shade, seclusion and well-drained soil.

Rating: Excellent in Zone 5, requiring very little attention.

Creeping Phlox

Creeping phlox is also known as "moss pink." As you can see from this picture of my rock garden, it is a very appropriate and descriptive name. Phlox makes for a striking burst of color in May.

A herbaceous perennial, phlox enjoys full sun and is evergreen once the flowers have stopped blooming. The only work phlox requires of me is an annual trim to keep it from "creeping" out of the bed.

Phlox comes in several different colors: variegated, purple, pink and white. Last year I added two clumps of variegated (white with pink stripes) to this rock garden. Judging from the "moss pink," they should do just fine in Zone 5.

Rudbeckia (Black-Eyed Susans)

I have been growing Black-Eyed Susans for almost thirty years.

In my first home, the few plants I started with reseeded and flourished so well I gave some to my neighbor. She in turn gave some to her neighbor. A year later, I was quite pleased to look out from my backyard into hers and her neighbor's to see a continuous sea of yellow daisies.

When I moved, I took three young plants with me. Thirteen years later, every July, I am in the midst of a new yellow sea. Hardy, heat tolerant and cheery, Black-Eyed Susans are one of my favorite perennials.

A couple years ago to mix things up, I planted some bicolor Rudbeckia (annuals from seed). They have exploded. Their blooms are larger with red radiating from the cone. Bicolor also self-seeds. Unlike the Black-Eyed Susans, the bicolor spreads out so I have to transplant the new plants to keep them together. Otherwise, they start to crowd out the smaller perennials. But hey, it gives me an excuse to spend more time digging in the dirt.

Rating: Excellent choice for zone 5

Echinacea (Cone flowers)

I have always liked cone flowers because they have large, showy blooms. The light purple color is pretty and the flower attracts butterflies and birds - always a plus in my book. Being a native perennial, Echinacea is extremely hardy in zone 5. It is also drought-tolerant. The blooms last a long time and the coned centers are unique on each bloom making this plant all the more interesting.

Naturally, when I learned Burpee was offering an orange Echinacea, I bit, I bought. I received a live plant that produced two blooms (more salmon than orange imo). Not bad for the first year. However, the second year, I dug it up and moved it closer to the purple variety. Results in year two, one bloom.

A friend clued me in to a great place to buy inexpensive perennials this past spring. I bit, I bought.....six white Echinacea. I'm keeping my fingers crossed hoping the whites take hold. She explained to me why my orange Echinacea wasn't as productive as my many purple plants. It's too technical for me to recall here. Suffice it to say it involves roots and grafting.

My sister, who color-coordinates her zone 5 gardens in purple and orange, also noted the orange Echinacea she bought from a local nursery failed to thrive. It's looking like this specimen, while stunning in glossy catalogs, probably isn't going to rival the purple any time soon.

Catnip - the magic herb

I have four cats, so catnip (Nepeta cataria) is an essential plant.

Easy to grow, self-seeding and highly prized by my cats, catnip is a perennial herb that is well established in the gardens around my home. Sometimes, too established. But this isn't really a problem since I pull and dry any wayward plant.

Catnip, a member of the mint family, grows in sun or partial-shade. It grows in any type soil and doesn't require much tending. Catnip grows up to 18". The herb has tiny whitish-purple flowers that attract bees and, when seed heads form, goldfinches.

The cats love the nip fresh or dried. The buds are the most potent part. When fresh, catnip has a strong, I think almost skunky, smell. In the winter, I sprinkle dry catnip on the kitchen carpet for the cats to eat and roll in. The oil works its magic slowly; then BAM! the cats are crazed for the next 15 minutes.

I started my nip patches in 1995 with one packet of seeds; a very good investment. So far, Zone 5 and catnip are a perfect match.