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The Newsletter of Tranquil Lake Nursery

TRANQUIL TIMES

Spring 1997

Contents of the 1997 spring issue of Tranquil Times:
1997 Perennial Plant of the Year
Applause for Astilbes
Mixed Border Menagerie
Sensational Shrubs
Summer Sizzlers Collection
Gardening Author
Daylily Jonny Cakes
1997 Annual Open House
Garden Design
Garden Design Workshop
Visiting the Nursery

1997 Perennial Plant of the Year: Salvia x sylvestris `May Night'

'May Night' blooms with rich indigo-violet flowers, encased in reddish-purple bracts on 18 inch spikes. Combine with pale-yellow Achillea x 'Moonshine' and Hemerocallis 'Sweet Pea'.

'May Night' or 'Manacht' is a German hybrid of twosalvia species native to eastern Europe. Salvia nemorosa and Salvia pratensis grow in rocky slopes and dry meadows. This hybrid offspring also has a rugged constitution and doesn't need pampering. 'May Night' prefers full sun, well drained soils with relatively low fertility. Its bloom season is June into July and will rebloom if cut back after flowering.
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Applause for Astilbes

Astilbes reign as stars in the dappled- shade. Their attractive feathery foliage and plumed spires of white, pink, red and raspberry flowers create a visual feast in the garden. The astilbe bloom season begins mid June and lasts through July into August. The attractive skeletal flower heads even add winter interest.

Astilbes thrive in organically-rich, moisture-retentive soils. However, they dislike water-logged soils in winter and are intolerant of drought. Like many shade perennials, most astilbes will also grow well in nearly full sun, as long as ample moisture is provided.

Astilbe's range in size from diminutive to towering 3 foot varieties. Astilbe 'Sprite' is appropriately named, sporting pink plumes that will reach only 12 to 15 inches in height. The lofty plumes of Astilbe 'Purple Candle' soar to more than 3 feet.

The tiny, 8-inch variety, Astilbe 'William Buchanan' is a vigorous plant with dark-green foliage and an abundance of blush-white flowers. Astilbe 'Perkeo', at 10 inches is perfect for the shaded doorstep or rock garden. Its deep-green, dense foliage and many, narrow spires of pink blooms should be admired from up close.

In spring, the feathery foliage of many varieties is red or bronze tinged, with some varieties retaining this coloring all season. The new foliage on Astilbe 'Erica' is bronze-red. The mature foliage turns green, presenting an attractive two-tone effect to accompany narrow triangular flowers of light pink (32"). The variation in the color of the foliage is another of the astilbe's assets, extending their value beyond the mid-to-late summer blooming time.

Astilbe 'Fanal', a classic red of middle height, reaching 22 inches, blooms in early July with upright flowers and a lasting distinctive bronze tint to the foliage. Probably the reddest of all astilbes 'Montgomery', has deep red foliage, flowers, and even flower stems (24").

Astilbe flowers are not always upright spikes. Some varieties, trace their parentage to the species Astilbe thunbergii. These have tall, arching, almost weeping, flowers. Astilbe 'Professor Van der Wielen', has creamy-white flowers that arch to three feet in height - a real sensation in the shaded border.

The salmon-pink florets of Astilbe 'Bressingham Beauty' are presented in graceful arching plumes. An old favorite, Astilbe 'Cattleya', has similar height and form, but flower colors range from lilac to pink. 'Cattleya' is one of a group of astilbes that blooms in a range of tones, varying from plant to plant, but always harmonious.

The best companion plants for astilbes are other lovers of moist shade. Hostas are comfortable in both dry and wet shade, and their wide, uncut leaves contrast nicely with the feathery astilbe foliage. Tall thalictrums will bloom in airy lavender clouds over the tops of astilbe plumes in late summer. The Turtlehead's (Chelone) tight pink or white flower spikes and shiny green leaves also offers contrast in leaf and flower form.

In less deeply shaded spots astilbes are wonderful companions to Japanese iris which also bloom in July. Their fanfare calls, Encore! by Kristin Kearney

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Mixed Border Menagerie

The mixed border is an exotic and much celebrated garden type, perhaps even taking on the distinction of an Art Form. Art form or horticultural menagerie, an eclectic combination of woody and herbaceous plants simply makes sense to passionate plant lovers with a fervent collecting bug. The foliage, flowers and fruit of shrubs and small trees can create complementary backgrounds for herbaceous perennials as well as provide a helpful crutch on which vines or lax perennials can grow.

The slouching stems of Platycodon grandiflora (balloon flower) and Salvia azurea, like many herbaceous perennials, benefit from some sort of structural support. An aesthetically mutual, as well as practical relationship, is made by placing either of these perennials next to Cornus stolonifera 'Silver and Gold' for a smashing combination of azure blue flowers intertwining with cream-variegated foliage. The variegated foliage of Cornus or Weigela also offer a beautiful background for peonies - especially pink anemone types with cream petaloid centers.

Woody shrubs and trees can be tamed to fit the scale of the smallest garden by judicious pruning techniques. One such pruning method is to stool or coppice - literally cutting a plant to the ground and forcing it to sprout from its stump. The result is dramatic, producing vigorous new shoots and leaves much larger than normal.

The tree of heaven, Ailanthus altissima, an unappreciated exotic tree usually banished to the city-street gutter, responds to coppice pruning by producing extraordinarily large pinnately-compound, palm-like leaves. What could be more dramatic than faux palm trees and huge lush tropical like foliage for an accent in the mixed border? Combine with euphorbias, grasses, sedums, kniphofia, crocosmia daylilies or geraniums for a dramatic full sun border.

Another tree that can be coppiced for a special-effects display is the Crimson King Norway maple (Acer platanoides 'Crimson King'), which will sprout huge palmate-lobed, maroon leaves. Coppice pruning of the Empress tree (Paulownia tomentosa) produces mammoth, woolly, heart-shaped foliage, but alas you must forego the lavender, foxglove-like blooms when you undertake this severe pruning. Shrub dogwoods (Cornus stolonifera) are commonly stooled to produce the brightest red or yellow-colored twigs for winter interest.

Pollarding is less drastic than stool pruning, leaving stubby limbs, but is still an effective way to limit the size of otherwise large shrubs or small trees. Willows (Salix) and smokebush (Cotinus) respond especially well to this treatment. Rejuvenating pruning, thinning and partially cutting back stems, not only controls the size of shrubs, but promotes vigorous bloom on attractive new growth. Caryopteris, Buddleia, Spiraea, and Hydrangea are shrubs that bloom on new wood and respond well to heading back to keep in scale to complement flowering perennials.

Choose shrubs for just their foliage characteristics, or for year-round assets that combine attractive foliage with colorful flowers, fruits, and twigs. Some familiar foliage favorites are Weigela florida 'Variegata', Cornus stolonifera 'Variegata', Physocarpus opulifolius 'Luteus', Spiraea x 'Goldflame', Berberis thunbergii 'Rose Glow' and Buddleia 'Lochinch'.

Yellow foliage, when carefully sited need not look anemic or garish. Chartreuse or yellow-green, is the attractive color of newly emerging, fresh, spring leaves. The yellow form of barberry, Berberis thunbergii 'Aurea', is a coarse chrome yellow when planted in full sun. However, if grown in partial shade, its color changes to chartreuse, a sophisticated companion for Astilbe ‘Professor 'Van der Wielen'.

Two forms of Spiraea 'Goldflame' and the shorter 'Gold Mound' sport spring-fresh chartreuse leafs all summer. Chartreuse mixes well with pastel as well as bold hot colors. Combine pale-pink Hemerocallis 'Lullaby Baby' and blue Russian sage behind Spiraea 'Gold Mound' and Artemisia 'Powis Castle' for a luminescent pastel border. A foliar background of golden ninebark (Physocarpus opulifolius 'Luteus') adds pizzazz to the scarlet of Crocosmia 'Lucifer', violet Salvia 'May Night' and maroon Euphorbia amygdaloides 'Purpurea'.

Plants with red-pigmented foliage need full sun to produce the most intense coloration. The color red has properties associated with it that offer unique design opportunities. Red does not show off well in the distance or in the evening; however, it is a visual heavy-weight in its ability to stop the eye and create focus. Most "red" foliage is actually a blend of maroon and brown, such as the red leaf forms of smoke bush, barberry and Japanese maples.

A red accent can subtly complement pastel-pink flowers or be a daring partner with the right shades of purple and orange. Cotinus coggygria 'Purpureus' is a foil for either the delicate colors of Phlox ‘Nora Leigh’ or the striking maroon and orange-red Hemerocallis 'Holiday Delight'

Certain shrubs, like viburnums, are aristocrats in the border, contributing multi-season ornamental characteristics. Aronia arbutifolia ‘Brilliantissima', is a versatile and under used native shrub that will grow in both shade or full sun. White flowers open in early spring on this multi-stemmed, upright shrub followed by red fall foliage and red winter fruit. In shade, combine with Hosta, Astilbe, or Carex - in sun mix with Perovskia, Calamagrostis, Yucca and daylilies. by Warren P. Leach
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Sensational Shrubs

Foliage with Marginal Variegation
Acanthopanax sieboldianus f. variegatus
Aralia elata 'Aureomarginata'
Cornus alba 'Argenteomarginata'
Cornus stolonifera 'Silver & Gold'
Daphne x burkwoodii 'Carol Mackie'
Euonymus fortunei 'Emerald Gaiety'
Kerria japonica 'Picta'
Weigela florida 'Variegata'

Red to Reddish-Purple Foliage
Berberis thunbergii 'Atropurpurea'
Berberis thunbergii 'Crimson Pygmy'
Berberis thunbergii 'Rose Glow'
Cotinus coggygria 'Purpureus'
Prunus x cistena

Yellow to Yellow-Green Foliage
Berberis thunbergii 'Aurea'
Euonymus foutunei 'Emerald n'Gold'
Physocarpus opulifolius 'Luteus'
Spiraea japonica 'Goldflame'
Spiraea japonica 'Gold Mound'

Gray to Gray-Green Foliage
Amorpha canescens
Lavendula sp.
Rosa glauca

Silver Gray
Salix alba var. sericea
Buddleia x 'Lochinch'

Flowering Shrubs
Abelia x grandiflora
Aronia arbutifolia 'Brilliantissima'
Buddleia davidii var.
Clethra alnifolia 'Pink Spires'
Daphne caucasica
Enkianthus campanulatus
Fothegilla gardenii 'Blue Mist'
Heptacodium miconoides
Hibiscus syriacus var.
Hydrangea sp.
Potentilla fruticosa 'Katherine Dykes'
Rhamnus frangula 'Asplenifolius'
Rhus typhina 'Laciniata'
Rubus odoratus
Sorbaria sorbifoliav
Viburnum sargentii 'Onondaga'
Weigela florida 'Variegata'

Coppice Trees Ailanthus altissima
Acer negundo 'Elegans'
Salix sp.
Paulownia tomentosa


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Summer Sizzlers Collection
Daylilies that Are Hot!

Be daring with color and combine this dayliliy collection with red foliage. What could be more exciting than bittersweet-orange Rocket City, orange and burgundy Ben Kirk, maroon and orange-red Holiday Delight, tangerine Viracocha and brick red Red Rum planted in beds edged with Crimson Pygmy barberry. Add violet Verbena bonariensis for an extra hot-color sizzle. 5 plants for $27.00 plus shipping
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Gardening Author

Meet Martha Smith at Tranquil Lake Nursery on Saturday, May 17, at 11 a.m. Learn about the colorful cast of New England gardeners she has met over the years. You are sure to enjoy her trademark wit and laugh-out-loud sense of humor as she takes aim at the weird and wonderful world of amateur gardening. Copies of the book will be available and signing following the lecture.
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Daylily Jonny Cakes

If you visit our Open House on July 19, you'll have the opportunity to taste a special treat -- daylily Jonny cakes, made by Dick Donnelly. Dick was born and raised in South County, Rhode Island. He learned to make Jonny Cakes more than 50 years ago from his father, and continues this Rhode Island tradition. He is a Board member of the Society for the Perpetuation of the RI Jonny Cake.

A true Rhode Island Jonny Cake is made using Rhode Island Flint Corn. Dick provides local farmers with the seed, to make sure this corn will be available for making Jonny cakes at the places he travels to during the year.

The name "Jonny cake actually comes from the word "journey." The Jonny cake is made from unleavened corn bread. It was a little bread that people would take on their journey." In the West Bay portion of South County, white stone ground corn is mixed with boiling water to make thick cakes that are 3-4" in diameter. In the East Bay area, white stone ground corn is mixed with cold milk to make very thin, 6 inch diameter Jonny cakes.

Dick makes his Jonny cakes in a "middle of the bay" fashion. He adds dry milk to the batter, and uses scalded meal with a milk base. His Jonny cakes are 1/2" thick and 2 and 1/2 to 3" in diameter. and cooked at 375-400 degrees F. until they are crispy on the outside and still mushy on the inside.

Dick says "he adulterates his Jonny cake, by adding things to the batter and the butter." His favorite recipes is called "Jonny Cake Claudette" and is named after his wife of 34 years. This Jonny cake has orange zest in the batter and is served with a butter Grand Marnier sauce. Dick will also be serving Jonny cakes with daylilies in the batter, and a nutmeg butter sauce. He also plans to dip daylilies in corn batter and serve them with nutmeg butter sauce.
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1997 Annual Open House

Our Sixth Annual Open House will be held on Saturday, July 19, 1997 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. This year we will feature the best of Southern New England gardening, with a gathering of talented garden speakers and garden demonstrations.

Throughout the day there will be a diverse assortment of lectures and demonstrations on daylilies, herbs, perennials as well as daylily cooking and tasting demonstrations by various chefs. Dick Donnelly, will be making daylily Jonny cakes and we will offer a sampling of our favorite stuffed daylily recipes.

Of course, the ten acres of daylilies at Tranquil Lake Nursery will be at peak bloom. There will be perennials, herbs and other plant items to purchase, and cool drinks and daylily tasting will complete the day. As always, it's sure to be a hit. Mark you calendar now.
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Garden Design

Does your garden need perking up, expansion or a complete reworking? Tranquil Lake Nursery offers creative design advise and quality installation. Let us plan a perennial border, walkway or house front planting for your home or business. Call Warren Leach at the nursery at 508-252-4002 to make an appointment.
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Garden Design Workshop

On June 7th, Warren Leach will offer this hands-on garden design workshop at Tranquil Lake Nursery. Meet a sensational selection of perennial, shrubs, grasses, trees and vines, and learn design ideas that will help you create a distinctive mixed border. There is a fee of $18; registration required.

RI Wild Plant Benefit

Tranquil Lake Nursery and the Rhode Island Wild Plant Society are co-sponsoring a native plant lecture. It will be held at Tranquil Lake Nursery on Saturday, June 14 from 10 a.m. to 12 noon. Warren Leach will introduce a pleasing selection of "Plants for the Meadow Garden and Woodland Edge" A percentage of the days sales will be donated to RI Wild Plant Society. The lecture is free and open to the public. Support a worthy institution while you expand the garden edge.
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Visiting the Nursery

Tranquil Lake Nursery is open Wed- nesday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m in May and June. In July and August the nursery is open 7 days a week from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. We are closed Memorial Day and July 4.

Directions: Tranquil Lake Nursery is located just north of Route 44 in Rehoboth, Massachusetts, about 8 miles east of Providence, Rhode Island. If you are traveling east on Route 44, take a left turn onto River Street immediately after you pass Winthrop Old Farm Nursery. Continue on River Street across Broad Street. The nursery is the fourth driveway on the right. If you are traveling west on Route 44, turn right onto Danforth Street just after passing the sign for Hunter's Rest -- (there is a stuffed elk on top of the sign). Take the first left from Danforth Street onto River Street. Tranquil Lake Nursery is the fourth driveway on the left.
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