Ted Wight's St. Louis Style

Ginko Leaves

Yesterday I saw several Ginko trees and was in awe of the lovely yellow carpet that they create in the Fall when they drop their leaves. Ginkos sort of drop every leaf at the same time so you are left with a bare tree surrounded by a yellow skirt. So pretty that I don't think I would rake them up right away.

Japanese Maples- Fall Color

Every year they are probably lovely, though I really noticed the Japanese Maples this weekend. They were almost hard to look at they are so bright. The narrow-leafed, bush-shaped one are Thread-leaf Japanese Maples. They come in green and red leafed varieties. The green-leafed ones are pictured here...and are probably my favorite. Japanese maples also have lovely spring leafs as they emerge....almost as if they are in bloom.

Below is a view of the fun listing I have in Glendale on Bismark. You feel like you are in the woods...right off Berry Rd. Plus click this LINK to see the cool tree houses.

The picture below is looking at the annex of my mother's Bernoudy in Ladue. Bernoudy loved to use Japanese Maples in his landscapes.

 

Hornbeams

Hornbeams are an ideal tree to use in a formal landscape to help provide a screen and some structure. These I saw in a CWE garden over the summer. Lovely!

Morning Glories

I went out to our farm early this morning to meet with a plumber and was greeted by these beauties.

Persian Shield

One of my favorite plants for the St. Louis area has become Persian Shield. The purple color is so useful in the garden. I have been successful in clipping it back in the fall and storing the pots in my garage...they come back!  The same holds true with lantana.

"Lemon Coral" Sedum

Look at yesterday's post and you will know why I had to take a lap around the Missouri Botanical Garden. The most exciting thing that I saw was the "Lemon Coral" Sedum in the formal garden near the Henry Shaw home. It was so bouncing and day-glow bright. Don't tell anyone, though I took a little sprig to root. How about the sedum globes....aren't they fun!

Red Castor Beans

After being beaten down all summer by the heat and lack of rain, the annuals are perking up for a last hurrah! I was out at our farm in Pike County Missouri yesterday and admired my Red Castor Bean plant.  I love the bright red pods. Every year I harvest the seeds from these pods and use them again next year. I also gather the dried zinnia flowers and reuse their seeds.

U City In Bloom Garden Tour This Sunday, September 18th 1-5 PM

 

Click HERE for more information.

Zinnias

So much color from the zinnias and
an old copper chair that sits out at our farm. The chair once graced my grandparent's Westmoreland Place house.

Butterflies, Zinnias and.....a little Paintball

Yesterday one of my sons had a group of friends out to our farm to do a little paintballing. While they were out in the woods and fields, I had an opportunity to clean the house, do some gardening and read some of my book (East of Eden.....I love it!) We don't have AC in our house, so it was back to basics to stay cool....sitting on the porch, fans, water and loose clothing.

The butterflies were in an abundance in my garden. There are so many reasons why I like zinnias....they attract butterflies is one of them.

Lighted Stepping Stones

Take a look at this cool design product for the garden. Lighted stepping stones designed by Roberto Paoli for design firm Serralunga.  They call them the Jacko Steps in homage to Michael Jackson's Billy Jean video. I have tried to find out how to buy them, and can not find a resource. Other sites point you to the Serralunga site, though the product and the designer are not on their site. Maybe Centro can find them.

Sedum Shoes

Near Lake Keuka in NY is a wonderful market where people from all over come to sell their wares.  Here are some pictures from the Amish stand.  Love the shoes...they are real!.....now you know what to do with your old Guccis.

Flower Boxes of Nantucket

You will be jealous....not only for me being on Nantucket...the weather is a breezy 70 degrees. Visited some cousins from the Wight side of the family. It became confusing. 50% of the male crowd was either named Ted or Ned Wight. Today I am featuring some of the lovely window boxes seen on the island.

Flowers on Nantucket

The gardens on Nantucket are lovely. I am jealous of their hydrangeas.

My Farm Garden

Everything just seems to grow better out at the farm. I have these same plants in my garden in University City...they look good, though not this robust! The red flower is Bee Balm or Monarda. The white flower is Gooseneck Loosestrife.  Both are pretty invasive...so give them room!

Summer Garden

Summer is here and we are creeping towards to the longest day of the year. It is not too late to add some things to your garden or do some container gardening. You will surprised how quickly things start to grow. I pull some of my larger pots into the garage over the winter. The cannas, elephant ears, lantana and purple persian shield popped back! 

 

Rockford School House, Eolia, MO

This is my cousins' and Aunt's house at Rockford Farms. The irises and peonies were in top form this year.

 

Bowoods- CWE Olive Blvd

Bowoods has become my garden center of choice over the last three planting seasons. No only is the place attractive and well-organized, though they have so many varieties and options. You just can't find the same stock at Home Depot or Lowes.  They have just expanded their garden center so it is bigger and better than before! (I was not paid for this advertisement)

What is happening in Ted's garden?

My yellow baptisia is blooming!

The columbine are happy!

I just forgot the names of these beauties.

Spiderwort

The pots are planted in the staging area and ready to move to my deck and other areas of the garden.

These candle holders I was given by a friend for my Birthday last month.  They are from Crate and Barrell.  I found the battery- operated candles from Restoration Hardware.  Their candles are probably the best on the market...as far as looking realistic. They have real wax ones for the indoors. I think these outdoor ones are a good idea since regular candles blow out so quickly. 100 hours of battery life and you can turn them on and off.

 

Easter Eggs in the Garden

Spring Garden

My Spring garden is bursting!  I have so much to do to get everything ready for summer. Over the weekend I at least hauled all of my pots out the garage and have them ready to start potting. I have several cannas that are potted that I take into the garage over the winter. I just leave them in the soil and they generally start sprouting again...bigger and better than ever. I will remove some of the old potting soil and give them a fresh potting.

Bleeding Hearts...below

Ostrich Ferns

Red Horse Chestnut

I call this Snow-ball Bush

Snow Scenes

Yesterday morning a caught a shot of the cherry trees dusted with a light snow before the snow really started to accumulate.

I also showed a lovely contemporary home in the Sugar Creek area of Kirkwood...the snow in the woods was enchanting...what a lovely setting

This mid-century beauty in Creve Coeur also looked perfect on a snowy spring day. This cool house is for sale!

Early Spring Gardens

The earliest risers in the Spring garden are witch hazel, snow drops and winter aconite.  They are pleasant surprises when they burst out on a early March day.

Eradicating the Bush Honeysuckle

I finally did it.  Yesterday I had the nerve to cut down the last bush honeysuckle in my yard. They provide such nice cover from your neighbor's property and that is why I have done it slowly.  I just did not want my backyard to be naked. I have since replaced one hole in my yard with three lovely magnolias that provide a great year-around screen. This Spring I will be putting in some hemlocks where I recently removed some honeysuckle. Try it yourself....get the nerve....we must get rid of this invasive species.

 

Coral Bark Japanese Maple

I am just in love with Coral Bark Japanese Maples!  They add a splash of color to the winter landscape. They are also lovely in the fall with bright yellow leaves.

French Potager Gardens, Saturday, Feb. 26, 10 a.m.

-- French Potager Gardens, Saturday, Feb. 26, 10 a.m., FREE.  Come hear Bowoods’ own Ellen Barredo and Kathie Hoyer talk about the French Potager garden. This geometric four-season garden is designed to supply the family kitchen with herbs, fruits and vegetables on a daily basis. In addition to providing for the kitchen, this type of garden is an aesthetically pleasing ornamental, all-season landscape. Learn how to create your own potager garden and discover which plants work best, including varieties of French vegetable seeds from Botanical Interest, plus Bowood-grown herbs, vegetables and perennials.   

For more information, call the garden center at 314-454-6868, or visit Bowood Farms at 4605 Olive Street in the Central West End, 63108. 

Focus on Flowers, Saturday, Feb. 12 Bowood Farms, CWE

 Focus on Flowers,  Saturday, Feb. 12, at 4 p.m. (pre-registration and $5 admission required).  Shake off your winter blues and come see breathtaking flower images by the celebrated young wildlife photographer, Noppadol "Nop" Paothong.  Nop is a staff member of the Missouri Department of Conservation's magazine, The Conservationist. At Bowood, he'll not only show vivid new images from his 2010 shoots of spring and summer flowering perennials around Missouri, but he'll also give tips on how to photograph flowers and other plants in your own garden. In recent years, he's been a keynote speaker for the St. Louis Camera Club and the St. Louis Audubon Society. Now hear him focus on flower photography at Bowood Farms! Space is limited to 40 guests. To register, call the garden center at 314-454-6868, or visit Bowood Farms at 4605 Olive Street in the Central West End, 63108.

Now is the Time to Start Planning Your Garden!

A nice thing to do this time of year is to sit down in front of a fire with a cup of coffee and start thinking about what you are going to do in your garden this year. I really want to try a vegetable garden. I keep reading about how the vegetables that you buy in the market are depleted of nutrients by the time you get them to your table. I am going to stake out a portion of my yard and try it! If you do not have a yard, try some veggies in containers. Of course....I will also have plenty of zinnias also!

Plant Your Fall Bulbs Now!

If you are like me, you are sort of tired of gardening this time of the year. I know that I need to redo some of my perennial beds this year and Fall is the best time to split and replant perennials. I have a patch of phlox that is looking tired. Phlox beds really need attention about every 3 years....mine is about 4 years overdue.  Back to my headline topic....buy some bulbs this weekend and plant them! This Spring you will be so happy that you put in the effort.

(That is my cat, Boo, below....he was brought home from our farm on Halloween about 8 years ago.)

Fall Garden

My deck which used to be sunny most of the day, is now cast in shade.  I can see that the container plants on it will soon begin to sulk that they want more hot sun. There are a few highlights in the garden right now.

The Sweet Autumn Clematis are blooming.

 

The Red Castor beans are creating these beautiful pods.  When they turn brown and dry out, I collect the seeds for next year.

 

I did a good job of this plant combination.  I put them in a container near my garage door.  I like a garden near the garage....I think I see more of it than any other part of my garden.

The roses are giving me one last splash of color.

 

The grasses are putting out their tassels in full force!

Summer Container Garden

This is a good time of the year to look at your container gardens to see what worked.  It was a good year for containers as long as you kept them watered during the high temperatures. Over the last few years I have been doing lots of colorful foliage.  I like the look since it is not dependent on plants flowering....though I do miss the bright flowers.  I think next year I will try to have a nice balance and add more flowers.  Go to the Missouri Botanical Garden in the next couple of weeks for inspiration.  Their annual gardens should be at their peak.

 

Zinnas and Sunflowers!

Nothing says the peak of summer better than sunflowers and zinnas!  The sunflowers were photographed in Clarksville, MO near Overlook Farm and the zinnias at our farm. Enjoy!

 

 

   

 

Pierre Laclede Center- Plantings

If you are in Clayton in the near future, take a stop to admire the plantings at the Pierre Laclede Center located at 7701 and 7733 Forsyth Blvd.  Landscape Designer, Adam Woodruff is the master behind the design.  The same concepts can easily be incorporated into your container plantings at your home!

Adam Woodruff
Adam Woodruff + Associates, Garden Artisans
PO Box 16863
Clayton, Missouri 63105
Ph: (314) 225-7119
Email: principal@adamwoodruff.com

On the web: www.adamwoodruff.com 

 

 

 

 

Bamboo Control

I love bamboo, though it is not for the casual gardener.  It is tough, aggressive and unruly.  It can literally take over your yard and your neighbors.  The running forms of bamboo can not just be placed in the ground without proper barriers put in place.  Even with barriers, it is guaranteed to escape.  I use 18" metal roof flashing around my yellow-groove bamboo grove.  A lower form of running bamboo, that I planted a couple years ago, I thought would be contained by a concrete walkway.  Before I knew it, it was running up on the other side of the walk.  This local gardener has put together a nice tutorial on pruning bamboo rhizomes (runners)....which is supposed to be done this time of the year.  Read it HERE.

Are Japanese Beetles Invading Your Garden?

Just this week a plague of Japanese Beetles descended on my garden and have been voraciously eating my plants.  They seem to like rose pedals and anything else that is pretty.  Last year I tried the traps, though I now understand that these may attract more to your yard unless all of your neighbors also have traps.  The other day I tried spraying the plants with soapy water....this did not work.  I then tried just knocking them into a container of soapy water.  This seems to work.  They are very clumsy and just drop in to drown in their soapy bath.  I just went out into my garden this morning and find that they are still sleepy in the morning and take the plunge more readily.  In the heat of the day, about half of your prey will fly off.

Let me know what works for you!

 

 

Leaves damaged by these annoying beetles.

Deck Plantings

My deck plantings are growing leaps and bounds.  I have really gotten into colored foliage as the priority on the deck.

 

A pot on my driveway.....it seems that I see this part of my garden the most pulling in and out of my garage.

 

This picture was shot on May 2nd.  So much hope sprouting from those pots!

St. Louis Style Has a New Camera!

The days of populating this site with images from my little pocket Canon camera are gone.  We have upgraded to a Nikon COOLPIX P100. I still need to figure out how to use it.

This pic was shot with the new camera.

 

 

 

Small Pots with Succulents/Sedums

One of the hardest things to have on your patio during the hot St. Louis summers are plants in small pots.  They dry up the moment that you water them.  I have found that using sedums and other succulents work well.

 

Feverfew

When I was about 14 years old I used to help a neighbor in her garden. She gave me a little Feverfew plant from her garden.  Ancestors of that same plant are still springing up in my gardens in town and out in the country.  It is a little bit of a weed, though I love it.

 

Canterbury Bells

When a house was being torn down in my neighborhood I quickly went over to save some of the plants in the garden.  These are some of my finds.  I think they are Canterbury Bells, though someone correct me if I am wrong.