The aftermath...

Yesterday, I spent many hours up-close and personal with the Brown Marmorated Stink Bug. I estimate that approximately 70% of the bugs were adolescents (without wings) and the other 30% were babies (about the size of a tick) and adults (with wings). I captured them in a plastic container with about 2 inches of soapy water in the bottom. Carefully, I flicked, scooped and caught many stink bugs. Feeling entirely itchy and as if I had bugs crawling all over me, I gained skill and courage as time went by. After several hours of killing, I was talking to them and flicking them into my cup with my bare hands. While only a few of the adults flew at me, it became quite apparent how horrible a mass of these insects would be hitting you in the face with their hard bodies...quite Hitchcockian!

In the end, I decided to remove my Clerodendron 'Carnival'. It became clear that I couldn't reach all of the stink bugs on top of the tree and the BMSB had caused quite a bit of foliage damage and the tree was only 3 yrs. old and I'm making many other changes in the garden this year so what's one more 'plant opportunity'? Its still sad...I loved looking at the perfectly variegated foliage from my kitchen and dining room windows and will miss it!

Brown Marmorated Stink Bug - Invasive Species in my Garden!

Well...its a pretty bad feeling to find out that an invasive insect is populating your garden! Today it is confirmed that I have the Brown Marmorated Stink Bug living on my Clerodendron trichotomum 'Carnival'. I called the Oregon Dept. of Agriculture, Oregon Invasive Species Hotline, spoke to an entomologist and here's what I learned:

BMSB (Brown Marmorated Stink Bug) is an exotic species from Asia that has been reported in the Portland Metro area on the east side of town more than the west. BMSB has recently been found in Salem as well.

There is no biological control of the insect. A broad-spectrum pesticide or mechanical removal are the only means of controlling BMSB.

While BMSB's main hosts are agricultural crops, it also favors more than 100 species of ornamental plants. Some are Clerodendron, Buddleia, Paulownia, Catalpa, Verbascum, Ash (especially the seeds).

I am choosing to remove BMSB from my Clerodendron by hand. I'll then kill them by freezing, stomping or flushing them - as recommended.

Please be on the look out for the Brown Marmorated Stink Bug in your garden and notify the Oregon Invasive Species Hotline if you believe that you've seen this bug.


1-866-INVADER (1-866-468-2337) or e-mail ODAʼs taxonomic entomologist, James LaBonte, at jlabonte@oda.state.or.us

Leaf Damage

Wilted foliage

New Plants!!!

Last week I visited Carolyn Kolb at Wind Dancer Nursery in Salem, OR. Carolyn is known as the 'Grass Lady' and rightfully so! Carolyn and I toured the gardens, which are gorgeous - nursery display gardens are so educational! As we all know, a plant in a pot rarely holds the same form as when planted in the ground and established. Carolyn's display garden is full of the grasses she grows, vegetables and lovely perennials. So I could walk over and identify the plants which 'moved' me, then pick up a pot of it and buy it. Unfortunately, I didn't get any photos of the display gardens, I was too busy learning and laughing with Carolyn, but I can show you what I bought!

Miscanthus 'Little Zebra'

4' tall and wide with purplish blooms

arching, fountain-like form

This fall's 'all-the-rage' plant

Hakonechloa macra 'Fubuki'

white-green variegation with pink tinges

reported to stay smaller - about 12-18"

part-full shade

Phormium...NOPE!

Its a Pennesetum! Pennesetum 'Princess Caroline'

BUT...its a zone 8, so we'll see about it's hardiness!

Super cool form - very spiky and upright - solid structure, nice burgandy foliage.

I don't think it will bloom here...

Eragrostis species

upright, spiky, green foliage with pinky (not so much yet) blooms that are closely affixed to the basal clump. 

approx. 18" tall

Panicum 'Ruby Ribbons'

GORGEOUS fall color - green, red, blue, purple - fab!

upright, 4'

I love this grass!!! I've wanted it in my own garden for some time now...

Calamagrostis brachytricha

approx. 1/2" wide green blade, fountain form with fluffy purple, smoky, 10" blooms

Look at that Calamagrostis bloom against the black pot!

I love it!

Carolyn Kolb is coming to Portland to speak about grasses on September 28th as part of the 

Hardy Plant Society Genius Series.

Fall Plant Sale!!!!

WHAT: Hardy Plant Society Plant Sale
WHEN: Saturday, September 18 and Sunday, September 19th
WHERE: Portland EXPO Hall C

Its time! its time! to get out there to see and buy some cool plants for our gardens!!!

Meeting Danger Garden and Plant Lust...

I finally met (face to face) Loree from Danger Garden. I've been following her blog regularly but never met her - it was so exciting! I also met Megan from Nestmaker. These two savvy women are setting out on an adventure - Plant Lust! Plant Lust seriously simple search for plants and where to buy them - how awesome...and I DO mean 'awesome'. It seems many have tried to coordinate and develop such a data base but have failed when it comes to information that is relevant in our region. Where Plant Lust seems to differ is that they are creating a data base full of information provided by growers. So far I see Gossler Farms and Rare Plant Nursery have contributed information and some pictures - I can't wait to see who's next. Check out Plant Lust.

Black Plants...the new white garden?

Generally speaking, I'm not much of a fan of one-color gardens but after Paul Bonine's, of Xera Plants, talk on Black Plants, I've re-considered my position. Why not design a black garden? Do I refrain from designing a black garden out of protest to the one-color gardens that do not interest me? Do one-color gardens not possess a modernity that I gravitate toward? Perhaps one-color gardens can be exciting, daring and bold! Perhaps I'll design a black garden! I LOVE true black blooms such as Salvia discolor (Zone9b), foliage and all hues of purple foliage such as Euphorbia 'Blackbird'. Last weekend at Joy Creek Nursery, Paul Bonine, author of Black Plants introduced some of his favorite dark-hued beauties. For example, in containers we could try Coprosma repens  'Roy's Red', Cosmos atrosanguineus or Phormium 'Platt's Black'. In our gardens, we could plant Lobelia 'Queen Victoria', Aster lateriflorus 'Prince' and Sedum 'Bertram Anderson'.

My perspective of the one-color garden not being modern and not being interesting, may have been huge oversight or rather ignorance... Were many gardeners designing one-color gardens when Vita Sackville-West designed her white garden at Sissinghurst? I believe not! Sackville-West seems to have broken new ground when she built her one-color garden - actually she started a trend!

Is black the new white?