Some tricks for creating beauty in your garden
I like using espaliered plants to soften walls and fences in places where there is little room for planting. Generally, I train them in an informal style so it takes less maintenance to keep them looking good. Formal espaliers need more frequent pruning to keep them in peak form. To train espaliers, twigs and branches are bent to meet design requirements when the plants are young and supple. Carefully tie the branches in place with raffia or plastic tape. The ties should be secured loosely so the flow of water and nutrients through the stem is not constricted. Adjust ties during the remainder of the growing season as necessary.
Container beauty
When planting a container, mix different heights of plants for a layered effect. Try something other than the typical tall plant in the center with a ring of shorter plants. Include plants that will cascade over the edge. Think of your containers as large, exuberant floral displays when choosing plants. Combine different sizes of containers in each group for a more interesting display. A simple design of only one variety of annual planted in each container can also be beautiful.
Pinch those plants
Pinch fall-blooming plants such as chrysanthemums and hardy asters to control their size and increase flower production. Try pinching back Autumn Joy sedum now for shorter flowering plants in late summer. Pinching encourages side branching, producing bushier, stockier plants. Make the first pinch when the plants reach 6 to 8 inches in height by removing approximately 1 inch from the tip of each shoot. Adjust your pinching height according to how big the plants have grown. When the resulting lateral branches reach 6 inches tall, pinch them as well. These plants should not be pinched later than July 4 in the Chicago area, as flower buds begin forming at this time and late pinching can delay or prevent flowering.
Cut back bulb foliage as it turns completely yellow or brown, since it is dormant and will no longer produce food to store for next year’s flowers. Your patience in waiting to cut back ugly bulb foliage will be rewarded next year with bulbs that grow and flower well.
• Tim Johnson is director of horticulture at Chicago Botanic Garden, chicagobotanic.org.