Jerusalem Artichoke

Jerusalem Artichoke

I first found this plant in my neighbor's garden in Massachusetts. He had a fire in his house and decided to demolish the site. He moved to Florida and told me to take any of the flowers that I wanted from his garden. These were alongside his fence and were very easy to transplant.

They are very durable and have survived fire, being transplanted and then again being transported to Western New York.

The Jerusalem artichoke was titled 'best soup vegetable' in the 2002 Nice festival for the heritage of the French cuisine. Despite its name, this hardy perennial is native of North America. Prepare the vitamin and mineral-rich roots as you would potatoes. Or enjoy their sweet nutty flavor by slicing them raw into a salad or a stir fry.

This perennial grows from 4 – 9’ tall. The tubers are gnarly and uneven, vaguely resembling ginger root, with a crisp texture when raw; they vary in color from pale brown to white, red or purple. The crop yields are high, Jerusalem artichoke also has a great deal of unused potential as a producer of ethanol fuel.

Harvesting should be done after the first frost. Dig the roots with a spading fork as needed. They are thin skinned so keep them moist until you are ready to eat them. The roots keep best in the ground, even over the winter.

Sir Walter Raleigh found Native Americans cultivating sunroots in what is now Virginia in 1585. When the sunchoke reached Europe in the early 1600s, thanks to Samuel de Champlain, it was known as the "Canada" or "French" potato.

Jerusalem artichokes are easy to cultivate, which tempts gardeners to simply leave them completely alone to grow. Even a small piece of tuber will grow if left in the ground, making the hardy plant a potential weed.

CAUTION: very invasive. Best planted next to a fence and the rear of the flower bed.

Here is a squirrel whose main purpose in life seems to be to bury peanuts and chestnuts in every part of my garden. He and his partner live in a tree in front of my house. They spend most of their time frolicking around the power lines and fence tops. We have learned to live in harmony together.

Sedum and Garden Chores for September

Sedum Autumn Joy – Stonecrop

Drought tolerant perennials flourish well in full sun or light shade. They grow well in poor, dry soils. Zones 3 – 10. One to two feet in height

Their pink flowers turn a rusty red and remain colorful throughout the winter months. They can be increased by division or by rooting leaf or stem cuttings. Butterflies love sedum flowers.

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September is the best time to buy plants.

The garden centers need to clear their inventory of summer plants, trees and shrubs to create space for fall and holiday plants, so they reduce prices.

The cooler weather allows plants to expand their roots so it is an excellent time to plant peonies, and low maintenance perennials, such as hostas, daylilies and daisies. Independent nurseries generally have a larger discount than the mega stores. Also, stores like Home Depot, etc., return the unsold plants to the distributer and seldom reduce prices.

September chores for Zones 5 and 6.

Sow perennial and biennial seeds outdoors.

Remove spent blooms.

Prepare soil for fall planting.

Dig, divide and replant iris.

Divide and transplant spring flowering perennials.

Plant poppies and peonies.

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I have been very busy this past week gathering seeds from the flowers and making sure that I also gather the seeds from any weeds.

*** If you catch the weed seeds in time it will prevent your garden from being inundated by thousands of unwanted plants in the Springtime :-)

Japanese Anemone, Rose of Sharon, Jerusalem Artichoke, Blue Lobelia

Japanese Anemone hupehensis – Windflower - September Charm

Vigorous, erect, woody-based perennial – silver pink flowers edged with silver on tall stems. This spreading plant needs room to grow. Grows well in partial sun, however, my garden is full sun and they are doing well. Blooms late summer into fall. Height 2 – 3 feet and can get to 3 feet wide. Zones 5-8.Good cut flowers. Can be started by seed or by dividing established plants carefully in the Spring.

Minerva Rose of Sharon – Hibiscus - lavender

Originated in China and India. Plants grow 4 – 12 feet in height and in Zones 5 – 9. Require full sun and moist soil. Propagate from seedlings that appear around established plants. Most of these plants in my neighborhood were in full bloom during July and August. Mine have just started to bloom at the end of August – not sure why.

Jerusalem Artichoke – Helianthus tuberosus

Origin – North America introduce into Europe in 1617.

This perennial grows from 7 – 10 feet tall. They grow upright and flower in early autumn. This plant is grown for its edible root, however, I have never tried this. They love full sun. It is wise to plant them next to a wall or fence. Many consider it a weed because it grows rampantly.

Its long stems produce a yellow flower that can be used for cut flowers.

These flowers were given to me by a neighbor in Massachusetts.

They thrive just about anywhere.

Caution: plant this in an area that it can expand or you will find yourself pulling up many unwanted roots.

Great Blue Lobelia - Siphilitica– Cardinal Flower

Stiff stems up to 3 feet high. Bloom late summer through fall.

Zones 4 – 8.

Yet another flower that I brought with me from Massachusetts. They multiply rapidly but can be controlled by removing some of the new plants as they appear. Always a welcome addition of color later in the season with no need for special care.

Helianthus, Datura, More August Blooms

Helianthus

Bushy plant 3 - 5 ' tall. Loves the sun.

Propagate by division every three to four years in the spring.

Set at the rear of the border or in the center of an island bed.

These perennials make excellent cut flowers. Zones 5 - 9.

Datura - Belle Blanche

Also know as Angel's Trumpet

Origin - Mexico

Plant in full sun - grows 24" - 30"tall.

Large fragrant flowers bloom from summer until frost

Cleome and Monarda (beebalm)

Mallow, Obedient Plant,Liatris, Blue Mist Spirea, Scottish Thistle

Common Mallow - Malva Sylvestris

Shown on the right of the photo next to Purple Monarda. Originated in Britain. This robust perennial loves full sun. It blooms from spring to late summer. Herbal: leaves can be used as a substitute for tea and as a vegetable. Propagates by seeds.

Obedient Plant - Physostegia Virginiana

This plant is named 'obedient' because it appears to stand to attention at all times. It is an erect perennial plant that flowers mid-summer to early-autumn.

Likes full sun. Used in flowerbeds and borders.

CAUTION: this plant can be invasive and spreads itself by seed. I brought these from Massachusetts with me and I love them because they require no upkeep and they stand tall, however, they have a tendency to take over an area if you don't keep an eye on them.

Propagated by division or seed in the springtime. Zones 3 - 9.

Liatris Spicata - Gayfeather - Blazing Star

A strong perennial which grows to about 2 feet high. Flowers late summer to mid-autumn. Grows well in full sun and partial shade. Zones 3 - 9.

Blue Mist Spirea - Caryopteris Hybrid

This pretty perennial shrub loves full sun - grows to 3 feet tall.

Blooms in late summer to mid-autumn.

Has dark blue flowers which emerge from inky-blue buds.

Propagation by cuttings. Zones 5 - 9.

Scottish Thistle

Thistle is the common name of a group of flowering plants characterised by leaves with sharp prickles on the margins, mostly in the family Asteraceae. Prickles often occur all over the plant - on surfaces such as those of the stem and flat parts of leaves.

It is a strong and invasive plant which many consider to be a weed, trim flower heads before they set seed to control spreading of this plant in the garden. I usually let two or three plants bloom in my garden because being British I have a sentimental attachment to it.

The thistle became the official emblem of Scotland during the reign of Alexander III in the 13th century. It was first used on silver coins in 1470, during the reign of James II and was incorporated into the country's coat of arms in the 16th century.

So there you have it. You decide if you want them in your garden but be prepared to give them a wide berth when you are weeding because contact with the plant could be painful :-)

The flowers shown here all came into bloom this week and it is a coincidence that they are all a similar color but very pleasing to the eye.

Buffalo Garden Walk - 2010 - Another Neighbor's Garden

Nicholas lives directly across the street from me

His garden is an excellent example of inner city creativity

He has a blend of perennials, annuals and vegetables

Lavender and Feverfew are a perfect blend along the pathway

His garden was featured on the front page of the local Buffalo News.

Because of this many of the more than 50,000 visitors to Buffalo started their

Sunday viewing on our street

The viewers range from families pushing babies in strollers to people in their 90's - they come from as close as next door, from the same city and from all 50 states and several different countries. Canada is just a ride over the Peace Bridge from us so many, many Canadians make that ride over.

Next year make sure that you mark your calendars for the last weekend in

July so that you can pay us a visit in Buffalo

Buffalo Garden Walk - 2010 - My Neighbor's Garden

My neighbor Bruce is an artist and he displays his talents

in his garden and around his home.

A beautiful Hibiscus painted directly onto the window screens.

Each window has a window box filled with pink geraniums

A creative display of flower pots that most of us would just discard

Bruce has painted roll down bamboo screens with gorgeous floral

scenes that pull in the colors of the woodwork around the house.

They are a joy to anyone who happens to be passing by.

There are also tree planters that bring color to the garden and objects of interest (marbles, coins, teaspoons,in fact - anything that happens to be laying around is included) are cemented into the pathway along the side of the house.