|
|
 |
Reiman's Picks - Reiman Gardens |
 |
|
Home
»
Reiman's Picks
|
Reiman's Picks
Posted on Jun 30, 2011
at 3:17 PM
Get a dose of a tropical climate this summer at Reiman Gardens. Besides actually visiting those far-off places, what better way to fulfill these cravings than to take in some of the tropical plants and butterflies that Reiman Gardens provides all year round?
Of recent interest is a new Irwin Mango tree (Mangifer indica ‘Irwin’) that has been planted in the Home Productions Garden. Yes, mangoes, considered to be the queen of fruits in some tropical areas around the world. This particular cultivar was first planted in southern Florida on the property of F.D. Irwin in 1939, and it first bore fruits later in 1945. Irwin Mangoes are now Florida’s leading market cultivar.
The Irwin Mango tree is considered a dwarf tree, which makes it ideal for container growing. Their fruits, which are renowned for its consistent and heavy production, are born in clusters with an orange to pink skin and a dark red blush. The Irwin Mango provides a wonderful, sweet flavor and fiberless texture that allows it to be considered high quality and a tasty choice for consumers. The tree’s flowers are about one foot long purple panicles that turn a reddish pink as they begin to wilt.
Normally grown in USDA Hardiness Zones 10 and 11, this tree is truly a sight to see in our Midwest landscape. Irwin Mango trees grow best in full sun with a moist, yet well drained area. Their busiest time to produce fruits is between late June and July. Temperatures below 40°F can greatly affect the processes of flowering, fruiting, and leaf growth, especially with younger trees. Plants are also susceptible to leaf damage due to a powdery mildew. Luckily the Irwin Mango grows well in containers, because even though this tree doesn’t normally grow in our zone, we will be able to bring it inside and take care of it before the first frost of the year!
This tree is one of beauty because it is in the realm of the unknown. Providing a break from the sights of our everyday landscape, the Irwin Mango tree can transport you into that tropical environment even if only for a moment. Not being practical as a year-round, outdoor tree for us gardeners here in the Midwest, it is definitely worthy of a gander next time you are out enjoying the beautiful landscape of Reiman Gardens.
 
Posted on Jul 30, 2010
at 1:54 PM
Reiman’s Pick
For the week of July 26, 2010
Livening up your garden: Ornamental Pepper, Capsicum annuum
Courtney Long, Outdoor Horticulture Intern
Reiman Gardens, Iowa State University
Peppers are typically thought of as a vegetable for eating, but there are numerous peppers now available grown not for their edible fruit, but for their beautiful fruit. Ornamental peppers are wonderful additions to outdoor containers or annual flower beds where their brightly colored, fruits spice-up gardens from spring to frost.
Pepper plants are warm season annuals native to tropical areas in America. They have been grown by Native American’s since pre-historic times. Peppers are easy to grow in full sun, fertile and well drained soil.
At Reiman Gardens there are several different varieties of peppers growing this summer, two of which are ornamental. The Capsicum annuum ‘Garda Tricolor’ has light to medium green foliage, and contains cone shaped fruit with shades of purple, red and yellow. These fruit all develop at once, appearing like confetti, creating a unique look. While the fruits are edible, they are primarily grown for their beauty.
Also found at the Gardens is Black Pearl ornamental pepper, Capsicum annuum ‘Black Pearl’. In 2006, Rob Griesbach and John Stommel of the Agricultural Research Service’s Vegetable Laboratory received the All-American Selections (AAS) award for this unique ornamental pepper cultivar. Black Pearl pepper gets its name from its small, shiny, black, round fruit which are produced all summer on short compact plants. Once the fruit matures, they become a brilliant red color and contrast beautifully against the purple leaves and dark stems.
Whether they are planted in seasonal containers or in planting beds, ornamental peppers are sure to add a unique twist to your home landscape. Visit Reiman Gardens and see which type of pepper fits your fancy.
Reference:
Posted on Jul 23, 2010
at 2:09 PM
Reiman’s Pick
For the week of July 19,, 2010
Louis Hilgemann, Outdoor Horticulture Intern
Reiman Gardens, Iowa State University
It was nearly a decade after the end of World War II and spirits were high in America. Home ownership was skyrocketing as people were moving out to the suburbs to start a family. People now had the time and money for vacations, and Florida was a main destination. It was here in the sunshine state that the plastic flamingo was born.
First introduced in 1952 by Union Plastics, the lawn flamingo was not an initial success for the Massachusetts company. They asked Don Featherstone to redesign the flamingo in 1956 after multiple versions didn’t sell. Featherstone studied National Geographic photos and sculpted two clay flamingos. Union Plastics bought the molds and pumped out millions of these plastic flamingos in the late 1950’s early 1960’s.
The environmental movement of the 1970’s resulted in flamingo’s popularity to plummet only to be revived in the 1980’s retro/nostalgia trends and the hit television show “Miami Vice”. Rising oil prices, raw materials, electricity, and other production costs took a toll on Union Pacific, eventually causing this company to close down.
Today a company in New York is manufacturing pink plastic flamingos from the original Featherstone mold. With many imitations out there, the original can be easily identified by Featherstone’s signature on the flamingo’s backside. Come see dozens of these original Featherstone flamingos congregating the Pattern Garden’s “Flamingotorium”.
Posted on Jul 23, 2010
at 1:53 PM
Reiman’s Pick
For the Week of July 12, 2010
Samantha Blakley, Education Intern
Reiman Gardens, Iowa State University
Over the years, Acanthus, commonly known as bear’s breeches, has been used to compliment Greek artwork and Corinthian columns in the landscape. This simple plant incorporates texture with bold colors to add something special to your garden area. This is one of the earliest cultivated garden plants in the Mediterranean region where it is native. This plant is very adaptable in the landscape and can be grown now in many regions of the world.
Acanthus spinosus, spiny bear’s breeches prefers well drained soils and can be grown in full sun to partial shade. It is two to three feet tall with a similar width and grows in a spreading habit. When planting, it is important to allow plenty of space between plants for this reason. This plant is a tender perennial and is hardy to Zone 6, so benefits from winter mulching for protection in our climate. The leaves are a dark green to purple color and the spiked blooms are white or purple. Acanthus spinosus blooms from June through August.
This plant has many different uses in the landscape. It was originally used to compliment large structures such as columns. Today it works well in mixed perennial borders in the middle or towards the back because of its large size. The bold texture of the leaves adds contrast when used with finer textured plants such as ferns or grasses.
Spiny bear’s breeches is currently on display and growing in the Events Plaza at Reiman Gardens. Its unique texture and color combination is adding a lot to the area!
Sources:
Posted on Jul 12, 2010
at 8:30 AM
Reiman’s Pick
For the week of July 12, 2010
Pete Segebart, Outdoor Horticulture Intern
Reiman Gardens, Iowa State University
When early settlers came across the Midwest’s central plains, it was a struggle to travel through virgin prairies. Getting lost in the tall-grass prairies was a mistake easily made with grasses towering above the highest bow of a wagon.. To get their bearings, some say the compass plant was very useful at pointing pioneers to their destinations. The large and deeply lobed leaves at the base of the compass plant almost always point in a north-south direction.
Today, though aided by maps and GPS systems, spotting a compass plant is still just as exciting. You need a sense of direction, but it’s easy to see how it could accurately guide travelers through the grassy jungles of the tall-grass prairie.
Topped with large, yellow, daisy-like flowers, at heights ranging from six to twelve feet, the compass plant (Silphium laciniatum) is very easy to identify in the landscape. Its robust, course-textured leaves can reach lengths of over two-feet long. Its pale, green color is derived from small, white hairs that also offer a natural cooling effect to the leaves. Compass plants are hardy in USDA zones 3 through 9 and have a deep root system. Amazingly, compass plant can live up to 100 years and from mid-July to September will bloom.
Compass plant can be used in your garden to give it a somewhat wild character, plus the roots assist with storm water management. Its roots are so deep, water will easily percolate into the soil rather than flow down to a storm drain. Compass plant performs best in full sun with moist to slightly dry, soils.
The native compass plant’s bold appearance and symbolism of landscape history makes it a great addition to a Midwest garden. This plant can be found standing tall throughout the Stafford Garden with its leaves proudly spreading north and south.
Posted on Jun 29, 2010
at 8:38 AM
Reiman's Pick
For the week of June 21, 2010
Stephanie Haase, Indoor Horticulture Intern
Reiman Gardens, Iowa State University
Kaffir lilies, St. John’s lilies, and fire lilies are the common names for one very uncommon plant, Clivia miniata. Derived from “clivia nobilis” this scientific name is a tribute to Lady Charlotte Clive. Lady Clive, the Duchess of Northlumberland, was the first to cultivate the plant in Great Britain after it was discovered by John Lindley in South Africa in 1815.
Kaffir lily became very popular because it could well tolerate the low-light conditions of Victorian Europe and easily became highly cultivated. Today, it’s still popular in Europe, Asia, and Australia, where it is known as the “Queen of House Plants”. In North America, Clivia miniata is a popular houseplant that can withstand the toughest conditions.
In Iowa kaffir lily grows best as a house plant. It can reach up to 18” in height and has beautiful evergreen flat-shaped leaves arranged in an alternating pattern. It takes three to five years for a kaffir lily to bloom. A single inflorescence will emerge consisting of twelve to twenty trumpet-shaped flowers. Though it blooms quite rarely, the most common color is orange with yellow centers. Yet, cultivars with whitish yellow through the spectrum to red have are also seen. Rare variegated leaf forms are available and highly sought after by collectors.
If grown in the summer months outdoors, kaffir lily does best in dappled shade and sheltered areas with regular watering. Potting media should have good drainage and gardeners need to be aware that low light conditions will inhibit blooming. Kaffir lilies naturally bloom in late winter to early spring. These are striking additions to your house plant collection, and overall requires little special treatment.
To experience the beauty of the “Queen of house plants”, join us at Reiman Gardens and visit the Conservatory where we have several specimens in bloom in the “All Bottled Up” summer display.
Posted on Jun 15, 2010
at 9:40 AM
Reiman's Pick
For the week of June 14, 2010
Dustin Bailey, Outdoor Horticulture Intern
Reiman Gardens, Iowa State University
When you think of a willow, you might visualize a large, beautiful, weeping tree, but did you know its connection to modern medicine? The willow tree has been used for hundreds of years for its medicinal benefits. Willow bark and leaves contain salicylic acid which was used as a precursor to aspirin. Ancient Assyrian and Egyptian text noted the willow's ability to ease aches and fever. There are many different plant forms represented in the Salicaceae family. This family features the large, weeping willows as well as spreading vines found in alpine regions that only raise a few inches off the ground. The dappled willow 'Flamingo' is a popular cultivar available in the nursery trade.
Dappled willows are considered a small tree or large shrub. Their variegated foliage makes them attractive to gardeners and designers. They grow in a variety of lighting conditions, from full-sun to shade. They can handle moist soils, but shouldn't be grown in standing water. The Salix integra 'Flamingo' displays a variety of colors year-round. In the spring and summer, it boasts light green leaves with a mottled white variegation. The fall and winter allow the noteworthy red stems to stand out. The cultivar name 'Flamingo', is inspired by the outstanding deep pink color of new growth that remains intact through the growing season.
Since Salix integra 'Flamingo' reaches manageable heights of four to six feet, they are well suited for most gardens. They survive in USDA hardiness zones 4a-7a (Ames is rated as hardiness zone 5a). This willow offers excellent, fine texture in shady areas that combines well with hostas and other broad-leafed plants. In addition to a shrub form, it is available as a tree form, giving it a distinctive lollipop form in the landscape.
Be sure to visit Iowa State University's Reiman Gardens and look for the 'Flamingo' dappled willow. It is located near The Paving Courtyard in the Town and Country Garden.
Sources:
www.clemson.edu
www.davesgarden.com
www.daytonnursery.com
Posted on Jun 15, 2010
at 8:36 AM
Reiman's Pick
For the week of June 7, 2010
Greta oto: Glasswing or Clearwing Butterfly
Renee Zbynski
Entomology Intern
Reiman Gardens, Iowa State University
It's a common myth that touching the wings of a butterfly will eliminate its ability to fly. While it's true these scales are loosely attached and can come off easily if touched, this doesn't impact the butterfly's flight. Instead, if a butterfly relies on warning colors or camouflage to avoid predators, losing their scales make it more vulnerable. Warning colors, such as those of the monarch, caution predators of a potentially poisonous butterfly. Camouflage is another protective coloring technique; making butterflies a difficult prey to find and is an important survival technique.
However, just as scales are not required for flight, they are not necessarily required for camouflage. A unique butterfly, Greta oto (commonly called Glasswing or Clearwing) has a different way of blending into its habitat. The majority of its wings are transparent, giving it the ability to fade into the background of virtually any environment. It is one of the few animals to successfully master the art of transparency. Despite the appearance of these delicate wings, they are surprisingly resilient. Glasswings participate in migratory flight and can travel more than 12 miles a day.
Beyond the exceptional camouflage of adult Glasswings the pupae, or chrysalides, also have unique properties. The Pupae are extremely reflective, and if you look closely, you can see your mirror image. While this may not sound like effective camouflage, it is almost as advantageous as being invisible! The mirror-like chrysalides will reflect the surrounding location, instantly disguising it as part of its environment.
Caterpillars have strict nutrition requirements, and require certain plants in order to survive, commonly known as the butterflies "host" plant. Butterflies and moths usually lay their eggs on or near the host plants. Glasswing caterpillars eat several plants from the Nightshade (Solanaceae) family. These plants are highly poisonous to most animals, providing another layer of protection for the Glasswing caterpillars.
Although not a rare species, Glasswings are not native to the United States. They inhabit Central America from Mexico to Panama. The Christina Reiman Butterfly Wing is home to about 800 butterflies, most of them tropical species. The Wing is kept at a constant 80 degrees Fahrenheit and 80% humidity year round to provide the ideal habitat for our foreign friends.
Be sure to stop by the Butterfly Wing at Reiman Gardens to see all the tropical butterflies, and try your best to find and recognize the elusive Glasswing Butterfly.
Clear here to see a video about Glasswings.
Posted on May 26, 2010
at 10:25 AM
Reiman's Pick
For the Week of May 24, 2010
Bottle Trees
Alexandria Meyer
Communications & Graphic Design Intern
Reiman Gardens, Iowa State University
"She knew that there could be a spell put in trees, and she was familiar from the time she was born with the way bottle trees kept evil spirits from coming into the house - by luring them inside the colored bottles, where they cannot get out again." -Livvie by Eudora Welty
Bottle trees were brought to the United States by African slaves in the 18th century. These unique trees originated in ninth century Congo when the people of Central Africa held the superstition that genies and imps could be captured in empty glass bottles. People would place these glass bottles outside their homes to catch evil spirits, believing that the spirits were dazzled from the sunlit bottles. Once the spirits entered the bottle, they could not find their way out.
Bottle trees come in many forms, sizes and colors. Some bottle trees are not trees at all, but creative constructions meant to be portable. Often, people will use a tree stump with long nails hammered in to support the bottles, or plant a fallen tree branch in a pot of soil. Bottle trees are often found in the Southern United States, but can be "grown" anywhere. Creating strong branches to hold an empty bottle is most important when constructing a bottle tree. And, remember to choose bottles of various colors that are clean and luminescent in sunshine. Many will find old, glass bottles at yard sales or flea markets, but you can use something as simple as an empty wine or coke bottle.
To construct a bottle tree, just slide the bottles onto as many branches as desired. You can also create other designs using wire to hang bottles. Update your bottle tree by choosing seasonal colors or adding other decorative items celebrating different holidays or family celebrations. You can purchase pre-made bottle trees in many hobby shops if you don't have time to make one yourself. Pre-fabricated trees typically use metal rods for structure.
Bottle trees can be used in your lawn or on a porch. But if you believe the lore of bottle trees, then place it close to your home to capture evil spirits before they have a chance to enter.
This summer, there are beautiful examples of bottle trees at Reiman Gardens. Visit the Conservatory to view bottle trees designed for every season. With fascinating bottle trees, beautiful floral displays and new butterflies arriving daily, your visit to Reiman Gardens is sure to leave you enchanted.
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/814861/make_a_colorful_and_unique_bottle_tree.html?cat=32
http://www.appalachianhistory.net/2008/10/bottle-tree.html
http://www.felderrushing.net/BottleTreeImagess.htm
http://www.squidoo.com/bottletrees
Posted on Aug 5, 2009
at 2:52 PM
Reiman’s Pick
For the Week of August 3, 2009
Catalpa speciosa: Northern Catalpa, Cigar Tree or Indian-bean
Kyler Sheets
Outdoor Horticulture Intern
Reiman Gardens, Iowa State University
The name Catalpa originates from the word Catawba, the name of a southeastern Native American tribe. Botanist Giovanni Antonio Scopoli accidentally coined the scientific name for this tree, Catalpa, instead of Catawba due to a transcription error. According to the rules of botanical naming, the first spelling of the formal scientific description has to remain the scientific name and this name stands today.
The common name of the Catalpa is the Cigar Tree, from the bean-like pods that are present in autumn. A highly underused wood, the Catalpa has the lowest shrinkage and expansion rate of any domestic hardwood and has been used to make totem poles, canoes, furniture, interior trim and cabinetry. Being the primary source of food for the Catalpa Sphinx moth (Ceratomia catalpae) some anglers plant these trees around private ponds and use the “catawba-worms” as live bait.
Northern Catalpa (Catalpa speciosa) is a 75-100 ft tall deciduous tree. Belonging to the Bignoniaceae family, the Northern Catalpa is closely related to the Trumpet Creeper vine. It has grayish to reddish-brown bark that forms thick scales. The large heart-shaped leaves of this plant are about 12 inches long to eight-inches wide with eight-inch long petioles. The Northern Catalpa blooms in clusters of showy two-inch white bell-shaped flowers with yellow streaks and purple spots inside the petals. The fruit is a bean-like pod with many small flat seeds inside. Each seed has two thin wings for wind dispersal. The pods grow up to 18 inches in length and about half an inch in width. Persisting through winter, some say these pods resemble brown icicles.
The Northern Catalpa is winter hardy in Iowa, but is native from Illinois and Indiana south to Arkansas and Tennessee. This tree can grow in most of Northern America, but it does best in moist, high pH, coarse to medium textured soils in full sun. Northern Catalpa does not tolerate shade, but they seem to tolerate some drought. These trees are widely grown for the ornamental value and long lifespan. Being one of the last trees to put on foliage in the spring they provide much needed shade and weather protection for our feathered friends.
To experience the beautiful flowers of the Northern Catalpa, visit a grouping at the end of June at Iowa State University’s Reiman Gardens. You’ll find them due east of the Mahlstede Building. And while you are there - take some time to smell the roses.
|
|
