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| Copyright 2025. PJ Gartin |
Wednesday, February 12, 2025
Saturday, December 16, 2023
Don't give up on Mexican Petunia
Taxonomists have assigned several botanical names to what most gardeners call Mexican petunia. But no matter the appellation - Ruellia brittoniana, R. simplex or R. malacosperma, this shrubby perennial is a summer-blooming plant that folks either love or hate. While some of us have grown weary with the way this ubiquitous, sometimes obnoxious "intruder" from Brazil has a propensity to hog flower beds, if assigned an appropriate place in the garden, Mexican petunia becomes an asset.
However, something happened to Charleston’s Mexican petunia this past summer. Its leaves and stems became oddly fuzzy and blotchy and remained looking bedraggled throughout the season. Fortunately, the appealing purple/periwinkle blue blossoms (there are also pink and white varieties) were never compromised, but the overall attractiveness was certainly diminished. It wasn't bad enough to make gardeners yank out their plants, but I doubt any ever made it into a bouquet.
I first noticed this affliction in my backyard garden in early summer, except I blamed this Jackson-Pollock-effect it on my house painters. (Sorry, guys.) I thought they were flinging watery paint-soaked brushes in the direction of my stand of Mexican petunia while cleaning up at the end of the day. However, this wasn’t enough to make me complain because I figured the “artwork” was temporary and would eventually fade away.
But shortly after, I noticed the same blotchy patterns on swaths of Colonial Lake’s Mexican petunia that grow near Rutledge and Broad Streets. That was when I realized that marauding house painters were not to blame, and I began looking for the similar evidence in nearby landscapes. This was an easy and pleasant assignment because I see plenty of Mexican petunia during my morning runs around the lower Charleston peninsula. I never encountered a single, blemish-free plant all summer.
Here are three reliable websites that discuss Mexican petunia and Eriophyid:
Wednesday, September 9, 2015
A Gardener's Guide to Cuba (Part 2)
When
croton (Codiaeum variegatum) was
introduced into the Lowcountry many years ago, I assumed that these
outrageously colorful plants would run a short-lived course and then disappear.
This is because gardeners seem to suffer from some sort of horticultural
attention deficient disorder and, as a result, flit from one botanical fad to
the next.
However,
a lot of Charleston gardeners continue to replant croton each spring and eventually
end up in yet another garden design rut. Please, no more croton commingled
with bright orange Chinese hibiscus or—worse yet—snuggled next to a couple of
vinca.Poor croton. Like many other plants (privet and Japanese yew come to mind), it’s easy to turn them horticultural clichés. But just when I was about throw in the trowel over croton, I discovered a delightful ensemble of this tropical plant in a garden on James Island. Instead of mixing it with additional color, this croton was allowed to compliment a swath of established dark green shrubbery. Doing so made green hues, as well as textures, come alive. Plus, it gave croton the chance to become a point of interest instead of a gaudy distraction.
No matter my opinion on the frequent ill treatment of croton, I’ve always wanted to see it in its full glory. My recent trip to Cuba finally afforded me this opportunity.
Grown as an annual in USDA Hardiness Zones lower than 10b in the US—because the first frost promptly turns it to toast—the croton we know never grows much taller than 3 feet, perhaps 5 if you’re lucky. But because this Indian and Malaysian native loves year-round megadoses of heat and humidity, it feels at home in the southern regions of Florida and Cuba where it’s not uncommon to see 12-feet tall specimens. But guess what? Croton is shrub du jour in Havana and is rarely given much design consideration. It looks just as silly as it does at home.
But with that said, there is nothing more spectacular than coming upon mass of yellow, green, orange and burgundy leaved croton growing with seemingly wild abandon on a steep Cuban hillside.
The above
photos were taken at the Soroas Orchid Garden, which is situated in Cuba’s most
western province, Pinar del Río.
Text and photos are copyrighted by PJ Gartin; all rights reserved.
Sunday, September 6, 2015
A Gardener's Guide to Cuba (Part I)
I recently returned from a ten-day excursion to
Cuba. Yep, Cuba—like in Ricky Ricardo, cigars, Babalu and mile after mile of tropical flora. Although one still can’t take a spur-of-the-moment flight to Havana's José Martí International Airport just yet—because the US
embargo is far from over—I traveled with a group organized by Magnolia Plantation and Gardens.
Our purpose was somewhat horticultural, but mostly agricultural because Cuba is still trying to figure out how to feed her city dwellers (seventy-five percent of the island's population is urban) without using industrially manufactured fertilizers or pesticides. However, the politics of hunger will have to wait until later because my photo files are overflowing with an amazing array of ornamentals.
Our purpose was somewhat horticultural, but mostly agricultural because Cuba is still trying to figure out how to feed her city dwellers (seventy-five percent of the island's population is urban) without using industrially manufactured fertilizers or pesticides. However, the politics of hunger will have to wait until later because my photo files are overflowing with an amazing array of ornamentals.
Flamboyant tree (Delonix regia) is ubiquitous in
Cuba. This tree's USDA Hardiness Zone rating is 9b–10a, which means that it will cheerfully grow in Miami or the
Florida Keys. However, it is not common in South Carolina Lowcountry landscapes because most of us garden in chillier zones 8b or 9a. (By the way, Cuba's USDA Hardiness Zone ratings are 11a and 11b, which means that their coldest winter temperature rarely, if ever, falls below 40º F.)
If you don't live in Florida, yet can't resist wrapping your green thumbs around a Flamboyant tree, you'll probably have to drag a containerized version into your house during cold weather. But with that said, Tom Johnson, Executive Director at Magnolia Plantation and Gardens, which is located about 12 miles northwest of peninsular Charleston, SC, has one planted on the property. Although a hard freeze always kills Magnolia's Flamboyant tree to the soil-line each winter, it rebounds and becomes a flowering shrub during the summer months.
If you don't live in Florida, yet can't resist wrapping your green thumbs around a Flamboyant tree, you'll probably have to drag a containerized version into your house during cold weather. But with that said, Tom Johnson, Executive Director at Magnolia Plantation and Gardens, which is located about 12 miles northwest of peninsular Charleston, SC, has one planted on the property. Although a hard freeze always kills Magnolia's Flamboyant tree to the soil-line each winter, it rebounds and becomes a flowering shrub during the summer months.
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| Flamboyant tree's blossoms are orchid-like. |
Cubans use dried Flamboyant tree pods to make maraca-like
instruments, and local arts and crafts folk sometimes paint and dress them up to
resemble children’s dolls.
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| This photo was taken from inside a moving bus. We were on our way to Viñales, a small town west of Havana, located in the north-central province of Pinar del Río. The hillsides were dotted with Flamboyant trees. |
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| Leaves are reminiscent of ferns, especially the Southern shield fern, which is found throughout the southeast. |
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| Don't expect to see exceptionally large pods like these in Carolina gardens. Cuba has a much longer growing season because it never freezes. |
For more information about growing Flamboyant tree in the
southeast US, go to http://okeechobee.ifas.ufl.edu/News%20columns/Royal.Poinciana.htm
Text and photos are copyrighted by PJ Gartin; all rights reserved.
Text and photos are copyrighted by PJ Gartin; all rights reserved.
Tuesday, August 28, 2012
The Old Charleston Musuem at Cannon Park
Whenever I walk through Cannon Park with my camera, I invariably stop to take another picture of the four remaining Corinthian columns that once graced the entrance to the old Charleston Museum. Although this structure caught fire sometime in the late 1970s or early 80s, the city decided to let the columns stand. (In case anyone's wondering, the building was empty when it burned and its contents had already been moved to the "new" museum that's still located at the corner of Mary and Meeting Streets.)
I always wondered what this structure originally looked like. Finally, thanks to an article written by Post and Courier writer, Robert Behre, on Sunday, August 26th, titled "Preservation Remains Big Business Here," I have a better idea.
It seems that a woman named Frances Benjamin Johnston traveled to Charleston during the mid-1930s to photograph "endangered Southern architecture." Ms. Johnston's pictures are now part of the Library of Congress archives, and the old museum is included in this collection.
My favorite photo is posted below. It's taken facing west from across the street on Rutledge Avenue.
I always wondered what this structure originally looked like. Finally, thanks to an article written by Post and Courier writer, Robert Behre, on Sunday, August 26th, titled "Preservation Remains Big Business Here," I have a better idea.
It seems that a woman named Frances Benjamin Johnston traveled to Charleston during the mid-1930s to photograph "endangered Southern architecture." Ms. Johnston's pictures are now part of the Library of Congress archives, and the old museum is included in this collection.
My favorite photo is posted below. It's taken facing west from across the street on Rutledge Avenue.
Frances Benjamin Johnston
I usually shoot from the opposite direction, or from the western edge of the park, looking east.
Wednesday, March 21, 2012
Historic Charleston Foundation 'Eat and Run' Lecture, March 29, 2012
The Heat Is On: Ovenproof Flora for Southern Gardens. Plants That Thrive In Hot and Humid Weather. . .Even When You Can't
Hello,
Not all of my slide show pictures are posted below, although every one of the photo numbers and their titles are included.
If you wish to see a particular plant’s complete picture ensemble, please contact me at askamg@hotmail.com. If you have a gardening question or simply want to make a remark, you’re welcome to use the "Comments” section at the bottom of this page.
Thanks for supporting the Charleston Historic Foundation.
Horticulturally yours,
PJ Gartin
Slide 1. Title (sunflower)
Slide 1. Title (sunflower)
Slide 2. 1990 USDA Hardiness Zone Map
Slide 3. 2005 USDA Hardiness Zone Map
Both Hardiness Zone maps are available at
Slide 4. How to add interest to hot summertime gardens? Start with trees and shrubs.
Slides 5. White loropetalum (L. chinense). USDA Hardiness Zones 7–9.
Slide 6–7. Pink fringe-flower (L. chinense var. rubrum). USDA Hardiness Zones 7–9.
Dr. Michael Dirr suggests that 'Zhuzhou Fuchsia' might be the hardiest—perhaps as far north as Cincinnati (6a-6b). 'Zhuzhou Fuchsia' is usually rated 7–9.
"Changed the market for purpleleaf shrubs in Zones 7 to 9." (Dirr) Has replaced purple-leaved barberries. Comes in all sizes from 1 to 2' up to 25'.
Slide 8. Purple-leaved barberry (Berberis spp.) particularly Japanese barberry (B. thunbergii) has become invasive is some areas. USDA Hardiness Zones 4–8.
Slides 9–11. Nandina or heavenly bamboo (N. domestica) USDA Hardiness Zones 6–9.
Slide 12. Abelia x grandiflora USDA Hardiness Zones 6–9.
Grandiflora is perhaps the most popular abelia. It is cold hardy in Chicago (6a).
Slide 13. American beautyberry (Callicarpa americana) (Picture used with permission. © F. Brian Smith, 2004). USDA Hardiness Zones 7–11.
Slide 14. According to Dr. Michael Dirr, C. dichotoma or Korean beautyberry might be the most cold hardy (Picture used with permission. © F. Brian Smith, 2004). USDA Hardiness Zones 5-9a.
Also, "treat as [a] cut-back shrub to stimulate vigorous shoot growth." Dirr
Slides 15–16 Mahonia japonica ‘Bealei’. USDA Hardiness Zones 5–8.
Slides 17–18 Viburnum tinus. USDA Hardiness Zones 6–12. Two varieties: ‘Compactum, which grows 4–6 ft. tall and ‘Robustum’, which grows to 6–12 feet tall. It is difficult to tell them apart. Based on its height, the one in the photo below is probably ‘Robustum’.
Slides 19–20. Doublefile viburnum (V. plicatum tomentosum). USDA Hardiness Zones 5–8.
Slide 21. Crape myrtle (Lagerstroemia spp.) USDA Hardiness Zones (6)7–9.
Flowering shrub or small tree
Slide 22. Crape myrtle ‘Natchez’
All crape myrtles bloom on new growth from about June into September. However, the white 'Natchez' (to 35 ft. tall) sometimes flowers in Charleston as early as late May or early June.
The Early Bird(™) series (5–8 ft. tall) might blossom as early as mid-May, depending on location. Early Bird comes in white, lavender, and purple. (Zones 7–10) Available from southernlivingplants.com.
Slides 23–24. Crape myrtle
Interesting bark
Interesting shape
Crape myrtle can survive winter in parts of St. Louis, Cincinnati, Philadelphia, and Long Island.
Slide 25. Crape “murder"
Slide 26. Correctly grown crape myrtle
Slides 27–29. Pomegranate (Punica granatum). USDA Hardiness Zones 7–11. Double flowered pomegranates produce less fruit than single varieties (pictured).
Use as a container plant in cooler areas and haul it indoors during winter. Drought tolerant. Full sun, well-drained soil.
The standard variety grows to about 10 ft. tall. The dwarf variety, called ‘Nana, is only 3 ft. tall.
Slides 30–32. Dawn redwood (Metasequoia glyptostroboides) USDA Hardiness Zones 5–11.
50–90 ft. tall; 15–25 wide. Fast grower. Full sun.
To read my article about dawn redwood, go to
Too cold for dawn redwood? Grow its cousin, Larix spp. (L. occidentalis or Western larch grows to 150 ft. tall and 30 ft. wide.)
Slide 33. Dawn redwood ‘Ogdon’ is bright lime green.
Slide 34. Accessories: Annuals and perennials
Slides 35–37. Gaillardia (Gaillardia spp.) Sometimes called blanket flower. USDA Hardiness Zones 2–5.
Slides 38–41. Garden phlox (P. paniculata). USDA Hardiness Zones 2-8.
Summer-blooming tall phlox needs moist, well-drained soil. Full sun to part shade.
Three native species: P. caroliniana, P. maculata, and P. paniculata
Slide 42. "House"Plants. Indoor Flora For Outdoor Southern Gardens.
Slides 43–46. Creeping fig (Ficus pumila). USDA Hardiness Zones 8–11.
Slides 47–48. Asparagus fern (A. densiflorus). USDA Hardiness Zones 8–12 (est.) From South Africa. Not a fern, but a member of the lily family. Invasive is some parts of the US.
Slides 49–52. ‘Grand Duke of Tuscany’ jasmine (Jasminum sambac). USDA Hardiness Zone 10. To read my story on 'Grand Duke of Tuscany', go to http://statebystategardening.com/state.php/newsletters/stories/grand_duke_of_tuscany/
Slides 53–59. Musical note plant (Clerodendrum incisum). USDA Hardiness Zone 10. Treat as an annual or grow it in a container and haul it indoors during cooler months.
Slide 60. Gartin on Gardening
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
City Garden Club
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| MY FAVORITE PLANTS By PJ Gartin Slide List
Note: To see numbered pictures with captions, go to https://picasaweb.google.com/113986865352391439206/MyFavoritePlants
Suggested Web Sites and References Clemson’s
Home and Garden Information Center North
Carolina State’s “Horticulture on the Internet” The Gardeners’ Guide for Charleston and the
Lowcountry. The Garden Club of Charleston. Garden Guide to the Lower South. Trustees’ Garden Club, Savannah, Georgia. http://Pgartin.blogspot.com • askamg@hotmail.com
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