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Fall Hydrangea & Rhododendron Care
Prune Hydrangeas & Propagate Rhododendrons Color is everywhere and trees (and shrubs) are near peak on the Cape. I’ve been out a lot lately trying to soak in the color as I know the gray twig season of winter is just around the corner. Most of us are probably avoiding the inevitable leaf raking that’s just over the horizon [...]
Fall Colors
Trees, Shrubs and Plants for Fall Color It’s not hard to notice fall is around the corner. The air is crisp and the trees (and many other plants) are starting their annual journey into dormancy. Along the way we are privileged to witness their spectacular show. Of course I’m speaking of the fall color that many trees, woody shrubs, [...]
How to be Inspired in August….
Hakone Grass (Hakonechloa macra) How to be inspired in August…. Especially this August, with its heat and humidity. Walking around the Garden (Heritage Museums & Gardens), I’m excited to see the beautiful meadows(I’ll discuss the meadows in a future article) of the Parking Garden with their spectacular show of herbaceous plants. Many are in full-flower and have been now [...]
Hydrangea Paniculata: Dependable & Hardy
Let’s Talk about Hydrangeas! For those of you that read my columns, you know that I’ve devoted the last two to several hydrangea species. Specifically Hydrangea macrophylla and Hydrangea arborescens. This week I’m going to discuss the other species that’s common on the Cape, Hydrangea paniculata, the Panicle Hydrangea. As we move through the latter parts of July and into August, this species will [...]
Charles Dexter Rhododendrons
Life Blooms Charles Owen Dexter got some bad news in 1921. At age 59, his doctor told him he didn’t have long to live. What would you do if you got news like that? If you were Charles Dexter, you’d buy some beautiful, rolling farmland on Cape Cod and start hybridizing rhododendrons like there’s no tomorrow. In fact, there were [...]
Monitoring your Propagating Plants!
Monitoring your Propagating Plants! *Down to Earth is a weekly garden column in The Sandwich Enterprise written by Heritage’s Director of Horticulture, Les Lutz. For the full article with images please visit The Sandwich Enterprise here. Late last fall I discussed winter propagation of hardwood trees and shrubs. I decided to do a follow-up article now to let you know the [...]
Protect Gardens & Trees From Wind
*Down to Earth is a weekly garden column in The Sandwich Enterprise written by Heritage’s Director of Horticulture, Les Lutz. For the full article with images please visit The Sandwich Enterprise here. The recent (never-ending) winds have me thinking about the science of wind and plants. While I don’t claim to be an expert on wind and how it affects plants, [...]
Stratification For New Plants
Down to Earth: Stratification Opens Interesting Possibilities For New Garden Plants *Down to Earth is a weekly garden column in The Sandwich Enterprise written by Heritage’s Director of Horticulture, Les Lutz. For the full article with images please visit The Sandwich Enterprise here. Now is a great time of the year to begin planning for the spring. I’ve been out [...]
