UNIVERSITY PARK (Centre
Co.) Whether your land is too
wet, too dry. too shady or too
steep, there are beautiful, hardy
plants that will thrive in these con
ditions.
‘The trick to a low-mainten
ance, long-lived landscape is se
lecting plants best suited to grow
in the climate and soil conditions,”
says Dr. J. Robert Nuss, professor
of ornamental horticulture in Penn
State’s College of Agricultural
Sciences.
Overly wet soils occur in low
lying areas and are produced by
springs, a high groundwater table
or nearby ponds or streams. “Con
sider yourself lucky if you have a
wet area on your land,” says Nuss.
“It can support a wide range of
exotic plants, many of which grow
nowhere else.”
Annuals that do well in shady,
poorly drained areas include im
patiens, sweet alyssum, scarlet
sage, blue sage and verbena.
Many ferns also grow in moist,
shady soil. A long list of native
wildflowers thrive in these condi
tions, including cardinal lobelia,
forget-me-not, wild iris and many
species of violets.
Garden centers and catalogs
cany native fern and wildflower
stock. “Be patient when introduc
ing wildflowers to an area,” says
Nuss. “It may take a few years for
them to get established and be-
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Ornamentals Can Grow In
come showy.”-
Shrubs and trees that do well in
damp, shady places include alder,
dogwood, pussy willow, weeping
willow, magnolia and mountain
laurel, Pennsylvania’s state flow
er. Some fruit-producing shrubs,
such as blueberries, also grow in
partial shade if they receive half a
day of sun to help flowers and
fruit develop.
“Many of these plants do just as
well in shady, well-drained
says Nuss. Other flowers that
thrive in shady, but drier, soils are
columbine, lily of the valley,
bleeding heart, balloon flower and
daylily.
Shrubs and trees that grow in
well-drained shady spots include
boxwood, false cypress, holly,
hemlock, pine and yew. Shrubs
such as barberry and cotoneaster
produce colorful berries that re
main during the winter and pro
vide food for birds.
“Sunny, dry slopes present an
entirely different microclimate.”
says Nuss. “Even during rainy
periods, sloped land quickly loses
water. These areas require plants
that don’t mind droughty condi
tions.”
Many animals grow on sunny,
dry slopes, including old favorites
such as marigold, zinnia, four
o’clock, geranium and cosmos.
These annuals have remained
popular for so long partly because
they adapt well to these condi
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tions.
A lot of colorful perennials also
grow in semi-arid conditions.
These include yarrow, butterfly
weed, daylily, lupine mid oriental
poppy. Well-spaced perennials
will spread and cover semi-arid
spots and can be propagated by di
vision every few years.
More exotic plants such as or
namental grasses and prickly pear
cactus also are at home on dry"
slopes. In addition, many kinds of
ground covers, such as crown
vetch and sedum, are ideal for
these conditions.
“While these varieties have a
high tolerance for sunny, dry
areas, few plants do well when
completely neglected,” says Nuss.
“Even drought-tolerant plants ap
preciate organic mulch and per
iodic watering during the hot sum
mer months.”
Sometimes soil composition
also requires careful selection of
plants. “Heavy clay soil presents a
problem for plants with delicate
root systems,” says Nuss. “Unless
you’re willing to spend time add
ing a lot of organic matter to clay
soil, it’s best tostick with plants
whose roots easily penetrate
clay.”
these include mint, coltsfoot,
Siberian iris and perennial sweet
pea. Trees that grow in heavy clay
soil include red maple, American
hornbeam, pin oak and arborvitae.
Difficult Areas
“If you want to grow annuals in
clay soil, you will need to work in
a generous amount of organic ma
terial.” says Nuss.
To find out your soil’s makeup, mailed in the accompanying en
nutrient content and pH, have velope or delivered to the labora
samples tested. Soil testing kits tory, and you will receive the re
can be purchased for $6 at Penn suits within two weeks.
DOVER, Del. On May 20,
from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. The Dela
ware Agricultural Museum and
Village will be hosting the annual
Springtime on the Farm. This liv
ing history event re-creates the
1890 s and gives visitors a feel for
the era. Guides and interpreters
are dressed for the time period and
take part in activities related to
those undertaken on a rural farm
in the spring.
Demonstrations of gardening,
spinning and weaving, black
smithing, and sheep shearing (to
name a few) will be on hand. Wa
gon rides and 19th century games
are included for the young and
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Oiwaeo, NY
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JOHN KING
Box 42
Greenparic, PA 17031
Peny Co.
RON REINPORD
New •Bethlehem, PA
Lancaster Farming, Saturday, May 13, 1995-817
Springtime
On The Farm
lers
QAYWINDS TRAILER AUKER AG PRODUCTS
& EQUIP. SALES Oakland Mill*, PA
Keymar, MD ' (717) 463-2394
(301) 775-7177
TIM REINFORD
Cumberland Co., PA
(717) 776-3309
State Cooperative Extension
county offices or from 111 Agri
cultural'Analytical Services La
boratory, Tower Road, University
Park, PA 16802. Samples may be
young at heart Music and food
round out the day’s activities.
Just when you think you’ve
seen and done it all, grab your
partner, because at 4 p.m. the Ex
hibit Hall will be filled with danc
ing and games as visitors enjoy the
old-fashioned bam dance. Cake
walks, square dancing and tradi
tional music will fill the evening.
The Delaware Agricultural Mu
seum and Village, a private, non
profit organization, is located just
south of Delaware State Univer
sity on Rl 13 in Dover. Informa
tion on this event and others at the
Museum is available by calling
(302) 734-1618.
THOMAS BACHMAN
Falltton, MD
(301) 036-6877
557-7529
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