Trough of the Week: Jingle Troughs ~ On Sale This Week!

I will be at a holiday craft sale this Saturday at the First Parish Church in Beverly 9a - 2p. If you are in the area, drop by and see these new living festive creations. These long-lasting troughs make a wonderful gift that keeps on giving.

Trough of the Week: Jingle Troughs ~ Phase One

As I have laid to rest a solid stash of 3-season troughs, I turn my thoughts now to my holiday line. I call them "Jingle Troughs." I am preparing them for a Holiday Market I will be attending on Dec. 1.

Behold the be-decked Chamaecyparis obtusa 'Chirimen'! For now,  I am playing with the idea of having this unique miniature conifer be the only star in the Jingle-trough show, along with various holiday accoutrements that inevitably warm one's heart in the season. One of the two (above, left) is livened up with a cutting of Winterberry (Ilex verticillata), God's gift to gardeners during the winter. The other (below, right) is the tree, a rock, and some ACMoore specials. I'm still playing with various arrangements, so don't judge me yet. This attempt is Phase One: to be looked at by me for a few days and then expanded upon as my sensibilities dictate.

Back to some life lessons:

Aspiration: To make money selling these babies because I am broke.
Garden Lesson: So many versions of natural life play well with another to create an ambiance unmatched by plastic and glitter.
Life Lesson: Take pleasure in the simple, natural, beautiful gifts of earth which, by the way, don't cost a penny.

Trough of the Week: Luke

Luke: Very cool in his 14" x 14" trough

Meet Luke: he's cool. He isn't impressed with fussy showy blooming displays. He just keeps growing, keeps building his root system and stands out as a go-to champion when other, more delicate and temperamental troughs show fatigue.

His stand-out feature is the miniature conifer (upper right) Blue Foliage Cypress Chamaecyparis pisifera 'Glauca Compacta Nana'.  (Why the horticultural world attaches so many extraneous denotations to the name of a small tree is lost on me -- but there you have it.) Blue Sterling Nursery says of this winner:

'COMPACTA' Rich greenish-blue bun that has nice compact recurving sprays and a good tight habit. The size in ten years will be somewhere around 12" high and 12" wide. Good selection! 

Photo by Wolfgang Putz

To the left of the tree is a miniature hosta 'Cat's Eye.' The little bit of bloom that will come from this trough arises here, from the mini-hosta, which blooms a delicate lavender flower in early summer.

The mounding growth below the hosta is Greek Oregano, a subspecies of Origanum vulgare. What a great herb! According to greekfood.com:

Historically, as the name implies, Greek oregano originates on the mountain slopes of Greece. It continues to be an important erosion-control plant: its roots reduce soil erosion on mountain slopes. Greek hillsides covered with summer's growth of wild oregano in bloom are a fantastic excursion for eyes, feet, and nose!

The name "oregano" means "joy of the mountain" and has its origins in the ancient Greek "oros" (mountain) and "ganos" (joy).

According to Greek mythology, the sweet, spicy scent of oregano was created by the goddess Aphrodite as a symbol of happiness. In ancient Greece, bridal couples were crowned with garlands of oregano. Oregano plants were placed on tombs to give peace to departed spirits. It was also used as a laxative because of its cathartic effect.

Oregano has powerful bacteria and fungi killing properties. It is used as a painkiller and anti-inflammatory, . . .  a treatment for indigestion, coughs, and to stimulate menstruation. The oil of oregano is used for toothache, and in some cosmetics. The leaves and flowering stems are natural antiseptics because of high thymol content.

To its right you'll find a small delicate patch of green moss, which, I've discovered, enhances any shade-loving trough. (I plan to write a future post about mosses.)

Finally, lower right, is the beginning of a stunning bundle of European Ginger  Asarum europaeum,
a low-growing ground cover that adds shiny green accent and keeps on giving (it spreads and at points needs to be divided).

Final note on Luke: He is at rest right now, bundled in for the coming cold winter (as noted here). When he re-emerges in the spring the single contingency he imposes is how much sun he will need. All of the plants in this trough are shade-loving, with the exception of the Chamaecyparis pis. Glauca Compacta Nana.  Most Chamaecypari love sun. I may need to transplant it and replace it with a shade-loving Taxus cuspidata ‘Nana Aurescens’ or Abies koreana ‘Starker’s Dwarf’. But we'll see. As I said, this trough is a champion and the Blue Foliage Cypress might do just fine.

Trough of the Week: Willis

Three plants and pea stone
in 10"x 14" trough

Meet Willis ~ So different than Lilly -- That's what I love about troughs! So much diverse and dynamic growing life that comes together and creates the big show, like botanical fireworks on a hypertufa stage.

He stands strong, but unassuming and the trough shopper might easily pass him by. But he bids you,  Look Again! The roundish greenery is a cypress tree! More specifically the Chamaeciparis obtusa 'Nana', (Miniature Hinoke Cypress) ~ a sturdy slow grower (about 1 inch a year) with dark green foliage in a tight miniature bun. This miniature conifer has stood the test of time and does not disappoint.

His trough companion, adding a flourish is whimsy, is the beloved Sedum sieboldii (lower left).  On the other side of the rock divide (lower right) is another sedum: Sedum niveum, a small slow growing specimen, perfect for trough gardens. Close up you can see  tiny orange tinged foliage. In July it blooms starry white.

Willis is special for another reason. Because of the ballast of the plants choices that compose his respective parts, I have chosen Willis for a seasonal experiment. Most alpine and succulent troughs are hardy and ought to be wintered outdoors (with a little added protection such as salt marsh hay). This winter season I am wintering Willis indoors, in my landing, to see if a hardy trough can take the heat, literally. Placed in the landing will keep Willis exposed to lower-than-normal inside temperatures, being positioned next to the front door, which opens several times a day. So he won't be coddled. But he won't be buried in snow, either. Check out below to compare Willis in mid-summer and Willis, in my landing, late fall.

Willis in the summer, newly planted and outdoors

Willis in late fall when sedums really come to life (indoors).

Trough of the Week: Lilly

Lilly shines in a 14" x 14" trough

Question: What do you see in the picture above?

Answer: A universe of decisions. Meet Lilly Trough. Helping her reach her beauty -- even as she is rockin' it  in her non-blooming season -- was complicated.

First decision: I had to determine the size and shape of the trough mold I used. (Did I want edges? A circle? Oblong?)

Second decision: Proportions of the respective ingredients for the trough (cement, peat & perlite). In this particular trough I used less peat since -- another decision -- I attached a screened bottom, instead of  cement with drainage holes. (The screened bottom diminishes the weight of the trough and enhances good drainage - - a must for the sustainable trough garden).

Third decision: Proportions for the soil mix specific to the plants in this trough. Which brings me to the

Fourth decision: The plants. This trough has been made for full sun  ~ standard rock-garden fare. This means the soil mix must be a healthy gritty mix of a little compost, sand -- maybe even grit or small gravel. These hard-core stone-croppers thrive in harsh conditions, which is why I love Lilly. Her respective parts include:
     Upper right corner: Cerastium tomentosum ~ Snow-in-summer. (Blooms white flowers in summer)
     Lower right corner: Dianthus gratianopolitanus 'Bath's Pink' (Blooms pink in summer)
     Center: Sedum acre 'Golden Carpet' (Blooms yellow in summer)
     Lower left corner: Sempervivum arachnoideum tomentosum

Even off-season, Lilly shines! She's edgy, with a center of warmth, a good solid mix-up of moods and expressions, and she's got attitude.  She can be yours.

Fifth decision: What's she worth? Contact me here if your are interested.