ANEMONE

August 28, 2026 Karen Logan

ANEMONE

WINDFLOWER

The common name windflower comes from the way the delicate, poppy-like blossoms sway gracefully in the breeze, a trait reflected in the Greek word anemos, meaning "wind." Ranging from native spring ephemerals to summer and autumn bloomers, anemones can offer a continuous display from spring through fall. Don't let their whimsical blooms fool you, many varieties are remarkably tough because they spread via underground rhizomes and can form robust colonies over time.

**********

JAPANESE ANEMONES

Japanese anemones add a magnificent splash of color to the autumn garden when most perennials are beginning to fade. They are exceptional garden extenders that spread happily when sited in moist soils and space to roam.

CARE:

Sunlight: Thrive best in partial shade and protection from harsh afternoon sun. They can tolerate full sun as long as the soil remains consistently moist.
Soil: Prefer rich, moisture-retentive soil. Water regularly during dry spells.
Bloom Time: Mid-summer to late fall.

LANDSCAPE USES:

Mixed borders, cottage gardens, coastal gardens, and naturalized areas.
Moonlight Gardens: White-blooming anemones stand out strikingly at twilight, catching the evening light to create a luminous, glowing effect.

Japanese Anemones We Carry at Vineyard Gardens

Most garden-variety Japanese anemones are hybrids (Eriocapitella × hybrida), varying in height up to 3 to 4 feet. While many popular selections feature single blossoms, we also offer double-flowered forms like 'Pamina'.

'Wild Swan': White blossoms featuring a distinctive bluish-violet band on the reverse of the sepals.
'Honorine Jobert': Classic white single flowers.
'September Charm': Silvery-pink single flowers.
'Robustissima': Vigorous grower with clear pink single flowers.
'Bressingham Glow': Deep, rich rose-pink flowers.
'Pamina': Deep rose-pink double flowers.

Flowering abundantly from mid-summer through late fall, Japanese anemones are a brilliant, elegant alternative to traditional autumn mums.

**********

NATIVE ANEMONES ON MARTHA’S VINEYARD

**Wood Anemone (Anemone quinquefolia)**

A native spring ephemeral. It blooms early before the overhead tree canopy leafs out, utilizing the spring sun before dying back to dormancy as shade takes over. It typically has 5 sepals (which function as petals) that linger longer than true petals and is why it’s scientific name is quinquefolia meaning five leafed.

**Tall Thimbleweed / Tall Windflower (Anemone virginiana)**

Thrives in partly shaded locations with moist to moderately dry soils. In early summer, it produces greenish-white sepals above dark green foliage. Following the bloom, it develops characteristic thimble-like seed heads that turn fluffy as they disperse in autumn.

**Canada Anemone (Anemone canadensis)**

Features long stems topped with white blossoms from May to June. While its foliage looks delicate, it is a very hardy plant that forms dense colonies in moderate to moist soils with partial to full sun.

An excellent choice for a deer deterrent border because most Anemones have a natural bitter compound that make it unpalatable to deer and rabbits.

***Wood Anemone (Anemone nemerosa ‘Vestal’***

FEATURED PROPERTY BY VINEYARD GARDENS LANDSCAPING

August 27, 2026 Karen Logan

A QUIET OASIS

VINEYARD GARDENS LANDSCAPING HARMONIOUSLY MERGES THIS CHILMARK PROPERTY INTO ITS NATIVE ECOSYSTEM

Situated down a dirt road in the woods of Chilmark, this property is surrounded by mature oaks, pines and flowering shrubs. The cultivated landscape meshes beautifully with the surrounding ecosystem. A path-like lawn winds it’s way around the house meandering past native and ornamental shrubs alike, a mixture of evergreen screening and a colorful annual garden. A beautiful container garden sits upon the back patio with the backdrop of large PG Hydrangeas and native Clethra. A stone pathway from the house leads to a patio nestled in the woods. This property sits on a few acres with wood chip paths lined with well placed rhododendrons, hydrangeas and native shrubs. The path meanders past a yoga area and a sitting area under a gorgeous oak tree.

**************************

SHRUBS, TREES & PLANTS INCORPORATED INTO THIS LANDSCAPE

The screening is a mixture of big evergreens: Western Red Cedar (native), American Hollys (native) and Rhododendron maximum (native to eastern seaboard but not Martha’s Vineyard). Deciduous flowering shrubs are incorporated within the screening such as Viburnums (some native) and a mixture of hydrangeas (Oak Leaf (native), Blue Ball, Climbing and PG). To finish it off we intermixed many ferns and astilbe.

Big evergreens for screening: Western Red Cedars (native), American Hollys (native)

Viburnums in the screening (native), Oak Lead Hydrangea, Clethra (native)

**************************

BEFORE & AFTER : TRAILS ON THE PROPERTY

JOE-PYE WEED

August 11, 2026 Karen Logan

JOE-PYE WEED

Eutrochium

by karen blackerby logan

A member of the Asteraceae (Aster) family, Joe-Pye weed (Eutrochium) is a late-summer blooming native with vital ecological value. It serves as a primary late-season nectar source for pollinators, including monarchs, swallowtails, and native bees, while its seed heads provide key autumn and winter forage for songbirds. Beyond its ecological importance, Joe-Pye weed is a wonderful landscape plant, helping with erosion control, naturalizing rain gardens, woodland borders, pond shores, and native meadows.

Botanical Illustration through a Biomimicry Lens

In nature, every form follows a functional purpose. When you observe plant architecture closely, you begin to uncover universal evolutionary strategies.

For me, creating botanical illustrations is far more than capturing a likeness: it is an exercise in field observation. While drawing in the garden, I observe which species interact with the plant, feel its textures, smell its aromas, and attempt to deduce its defense mechanisms, structural adaptations, and reproductive strategies. It becomes a fascinating game of botany detective: analyzing the details using all my senses, and then diving into reliable research to see how accurate my hypotheses are.

Here is what I observed while illustrating and sitting with Joe-Pye weed in the garden, in combination with researching the botanical science behind its design.

——————————-

Observing Nature’s Design:

The Architecture, Strategies, and Ecology of Joe-Pye Weed

Architectural Height & Stem Resilience

Tall Structure (4–8+ feet): Growing tall allows Joe-Pye weed to have greater access to sunlight while surrounded by lower vegetation.
Pithed or Hollow Stems: The thick stems provide great structural integrity, resisting wind and rain without toppling over.
Purple Stems: The purple stems have anthocyanin pigment that acts as a sun shield protecting the plant from solar radiation and deterring herbivorous insects.

Leaf Structure and Shape

Whorled Leaf Pattern: Radiating out in whorls of 3 to 6 leaves per node, this arrangement prevents upper leaves from completely shading lower foliage, maximizing sunlight capture.
Serrated Margins: The finely jagged leaf edges help facilitate rapid transpiration, absorbing and releasing moisture to cool the plant during hot summer days.
Chemical Defenses: When crushed, the leaves emit a subtle, sweet vanilla scent, which serve as an effective chemical deterrent against browsing deer and rabbits.

Inflorescence & Pollination

Inflorescence: Arranged in broad, dome grouping, many tiny florets form a sturdy, accessible platform. This allows butterflies and bees to feed continuously while expending minimal energy.
Styles: The fuzzy, thread-like bristles on the flower heads are actually extended styles coated in pollen, guaranteeing that visiting insects will help with cross-pollination.
Nectar: The faint vanilla aroma and the high sugar concentration in the nectar rewards migrating butterflies and native bees in late summer.

Propagation & Soil Stabilization

Wind-Dispersed Seeds: The seeds, attached to delicate bristles operate much like dandelion seeds, floating in the breeze to their next destination. In winter, non-dispersed seeds become vital energy sources for songbirds.
Rhizomes: Below ground, Joe-Pye weed spreads via short, woody rhizomes. This forms dense, stable colonies that bind the soil, making it exceptional for controlling shoreline and wetland erosion.
——————————-

Martha’s Vineyard Native Joe-Pye Weed Species

Four Eutrochium species native to Martha’s Vineyard and the surrounding coastal plain ecosystem. While they look similar at first glance, key botanical details set them apart:

**Hollow Joe-Pye Weed (Eutrochium fistulosum)**

It features hollow, smooth stems that are often purplish. It is the tallest of the Eutrochium, frequently exceeding 6.5 to 8 feet tall. Very common in damp, sunny areas, wet meadows, and roadside ditches.

**Purple Joe-Pye Weed (Eutrochium purpureum)**

Stems are solid and green, with distinct purple pigmentation mainly on leaf nodes. Leaves release a noticeable vanilla fragrance when crushed. Prefers slightly cooler, partially shaded spots along woodland edges and clearings.

**Coastal Plain Joe-Pye Weed (Eutrochium dubium)**

Shorter and more compact (typically 3–5 feet), making it well-suited for home gardens. It has fewer individual florets per flower head (5–9 florets per head, compared to 9–22 in spotted Joe-Pye weed) and thicker, darker leaves. Well adapted to the sandy, acidic soil conditions and coastal damp habitats found throughout Martha's Vineyard, including pond shores and meadows.

**Spotted Joe-Pye Weed (Eutrochium maculatum)**

Identified by its stems that are heavily mottled with dark purple spots (some variations can occasionally feature hollow stems). It features flat-topped flower clusters rather than domed ones and has the widest geographic range of all the Joe-Pye species. Thrives in full sun to partial shade in medium-wet to saturated soils.

Garden Companion Plantings

To create a vibrant, ecologically rich native bed, pair Joe-Pye weed with these native island companions that share similar sun and moisture requirements:

Blue Flag Iris (Iris versicolor)
New England Aster (Symphyotrichum novae-angliae)
Swamp Milkweed (Asclepias incarnata)
Flat-Topped White Aster (Doellingeria umbellata)
Golden Alexanders (Zizia aurea)
Boneset (Eupatorium perfoliatum)

By welcoming Joe-Pye weed into our gardens, we don't just add height and late-season color, we give our island's pollinators a vital lifeline when they need it most.

SEDUMS

August 5, 2026 Karen Logan

SEDUMS

Late-Summer Stars of the Garden

When late summer arrives and other perennials begin to fade, sedums, commonly known as stonecrops, standout. Belonging to the family Crassulaceae, this diverse genus contains hundreds of species prized for their thick, succulent foliage and exceptional drought tolerance. Hardy, reliable, and effortless to grow, sedums thrive in full sun and well draining soil. While they perform best with plenty of sunlight, many groundcover varieties tolerate light afternoon shade. In addition to their rugged nature, sedum blooms are an invaluable late-season nectar source, drawing native bees, butterflies, and beneficial pollinators to the garden.

Sedums are terrific low maintenance plants which really stand out in late summer to fall.

Sedums grown at our on site production location

SEDUM PLANT TYPES

To help choose the right plant for your landscape, sedums are grouped by their growth habits.

Creeping & Rock Garden Sedum: Low growing groundcovers that form dense, weed-suppressing carpets up to 3 feet wide. Many feature small, tight rosettes that mimic tiny floral buds that are actually foliage.
Tall/Upright Border Sedum: Mounding, shrub-like perennials reaching 1.5 to 3 feet tall. These feature stout stems and broad, flat flower heads that hold their structure well into winter.
Trailing Sedum: Varieties with cascading stems perfect for spilling over stone retaining walls, hanging baskets, or patio containers.

SEDUMS AT VINEYARD GARDENS

We stock a wide selection of creeping, mid-sized, and upright sedums for all areas of your garden.

Low-Growing & Spreading Varieties

Sedum rupestris “Angelina”: A rock garden spreader with needle-like yellow foliage that turns a warm copper-orange in autumn, topped with bright yellow summer flowers.
Sedum reflexum “Blue Spruce”: Cool blue-gray foliage resembling tiny evergreen branches; ideal for rock gardens and edging paths.
Sedum “Steel the Show”: A dense groundcover with striking blue-green foliage, perfect ground cover for a sunny garden.
Sedum dasphyllum “Major”: A delicate-looking creeping variety with tiny, rounded leaves that resemble soft blue flowers.

Mid-Sized & SunSparkler® Series

Sedum Sunsparkler Series: A popular series of compact, medium sized sedums (8–18 inches tall) with a range of foliage color and disease resistance.
Some available cultivars are 'Dazzleberry', 'Plum Dazzled', 'Cherry Tart', 'Lime Zinger', 'Firecracker', and 'Blue Elf'.

Upright Varieties

Sedum ‘Munstead Dark Red’: An upright selection growing 15–18 inches tall with deep green foliage and dark ruby-red flower clusters.
Sedum ‘Mojave Jewels Saphire’: Featuring rich plum-purple stems and foliage topped with contrasting rose-pink blooms.
Sedum ‘Night Light’: Growing 22–26 inches tall with an expansive spread and features soft yellow flowers that mature into warm goldish seed heads.
Sedum blooms attract pollinators. Birds, butterflies and many insects love them!

Flowering yellow sedum with Butterfly Bush and Hydrangea paniculata

PLANTING & CARE TIPS

Soil: Plant in well-drained soil. Heavy clay should be amended with coarse sand to prevent root rot during wet winter months.
Watering: Water deeply after planting to establish the root system. Once established, sedums require minimal supplemental watering.
Winter Interest: Leave the dried flower heads on upright varieties over winter; they add structural architecture to snowy beds and provide seed heads for foraging birds.

*******************

AUTUMN CLIMBERS

August 3, 2026 Karen Logan

AUTUMN CLIMBERS

THE LATE SEASON VERTICAL GARDEN

As summer annuals fade, late-season blooming vines step up to bring dramatic color, texture, and ecological value to the autumn landscape. Vertical gardening maximizes limited footprints, creating living walls that cool the surrounding air, absorb carbon dioxide, and provide crucial late-season food and shelter for birds, butterflies, and native pollinators. Even in small spaces, potted vines weaving up porch railings bring vital energy to underutilized structures.

Here are four vines to elevate your autumn garden.

*****************

HONEYSUCKLE

Trumpet Honeysuckle (Lonicera sempervirens), an eastern native vine produces rich clusters of tubular, bright coral-red flowers with yellow interiors. While it begins it’s blooms in late spring, it reliably reblooms throughout late summer and into autumn. The tubular flowers are a primary nectar source for hummingbirds and native bees, while fall berries feed songbirds. Goldflame honeysuckle (Lonicera × heckrottii 'Goldflame') are closely related and share a similar vining habit.

Cultivation: Extremely adaptable, it thrives in full sun to partial shade, though full sun yields the most blooms. Unlike invasive exotic honeysuckles, it is non-invasive and performs exceptionally well in large containers alongside a patio trellis.

*****************

WISTERIA

For gardeners who love the dramatic look of cascading purple blooms American Wisteria (Wisteria frutescens) is the ideal native (to North America). Producing compact, grape-like clusters of fragrant lavender-blue flowers, American Wisteria blooms in early summer and frequently produces repeat blooms into early autumn.

Pruning: This woody vine requires a sturdy, heavy-duty arbor or metal trellis for support. Because American Wisteria sets flower buds on new wood (the current season's growth), pruning in late winter or early spring encourages vigorous new stems and abundant flower clusters.

*****************

CLEMATIS VITICELLA HYBRIDS

Small-flowered Clematis viticella cultivars and hybrids, such as the fragrant bell-shaped 'Betty Corning' or the deep indigo 'Rooguchi', are prized for their disease resistance and exceptional late-season blooms. These vines climb by wrapping delicate leaf petioles around trellis wire or neighboring shrubs, making them excellent companions for growing up and through late-blooming shrubs.

Spring Pruning: Most late-blooming clematis require hard pruning. Cutting the stems back in early spring, to about 12–18 inches above the soil, stimulates a flush of fresh new stems from the crown, resulting in a denser plant with far more flowers in autumn.

*****************

**VIRGIN’S BOWER (Clematis virginiana)**

A tough, fast-growing vine native to eastern North America, Virgin's Bower lights up the late-summer and early-autumn garden with swaths of sweet-smelling white blooms. Blooming from late August through September, its small, four-petaled white flowers attract a wide array of native bees, beneficial wasps, and syrphid flies. In late autumn, female plants form silvery, feathery seed heads and persist into winter, providing nesting material and winter interest.

Cultivation: Like most clematis species, it prefers roots in the shade flowers in the sun. Keep the root area cool and moist with organic mulch or companion plantings, while allowing the climbing vines to reach full sun for maximum blooms.
*****************

Whether trained over a pergola, woven along a porch railing, or spilling over a large patio container, late-blooming vines turn vertical spaces into dynamic, living tapestries that keep your garden vibrant and full of life long after summer fades.

AUGUST GARDEN TIPS

August 1, 2026 Karen Logan

(L to R) Coreopsis, Rudbeckia, Agastache & Allium

AUGUST

GARDEN TIPS

Late summer brings a distinct shift to the garden. While some mid-season bloomers begin to fade, many late-blooming perennials and shrubs are just reaching their peak. Here’s how to keep your landscape thriving through late summer and into autumn.

*****************

Annuals & Containers

Trim back leggy annuals and remove spent flowers to stimulate fresh growth and continuous flower buds.
Every 10-14 days dd a diluted liquid fertilizer when watering to encourage continued blooms.

Trees, Shrubs & Perennials

Hold off on fertilizing established trees and shrubs starting in August. Late-season nitrogen pushes tender new growth that won't have time to harden off before early autumn frosts, resulting in tip dieback, damaged vascular tissue, and entry points for pathogens.
Stake tall perennials like dahlias, goldenrod, and late sunflowers that may be top-heavy or leaning after summer rainstorms.
Cut back spent perennial blooms to clean up plant silhouettes. Certain species (like salvia, catmint, and coreopsis) may reward you with a second flush of flowers before frost.

Vegetable Gardens

Pick warm-weather crops like tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, and summer squash frequently. Consistent harvesting prevents plants from going to seed and encourages continuous yield.
Now’s the time to sow cool-season crops: lettuce, spinach, arugula, carrots, beets, beans, kale, and peas for fall harvest. Direct-seed greens like spinach, arugula, lettuce, and kale, along with root crops like beets, radishes, and carrots. Fast-maturing bush beans and snow peas can also be sown early in the month.

Weed & Pest Vigilance

Summer heat speeds up seed production for opportunistic weeds like crabgrass and wild blackberry. Pull them before they drop seed into the soil for next spring.
Leave late-blooming native perennials (such as coneflowers, asters, joe-pye weed, and goldenrod) intact as vital nectar sources for bees, butterflies, and migrating monarchs.

Enjoy the buzz of late-summer pollinators darting from bloom to bloom, it’s one of the season’s sweetest rewards!

native summer blooming shrubs

ANEMONE

WINDFLOWER

JAPANESE ANEMONES

CARE:

LANDSCAPE USES:

Japanese Anemones We Carry at Vineyard Gardens

Flowering abundantly from mid-summer through late fall, Japanese anemones are a brilliant, elegant alternative to traditional autumn mums.

NATIVE ANEMONES ON MARTHA’S VINEYARD

Wood Anemone (Anemone quinquefolia)

Tall Thimbleweed / Tall Windflower (Anemone virginiana)

Canada Anemone (Anemone canadensis)

An excellent choice for a deer deterrent border because most Anemones have a natural bitter compound that make it unpalatable to deer and rabbits.

A QUIET OASIS

SHRUBS, TREES & PLANTS INCORPORATED INTO THIS LANDSCAPE

BEFORE & AFTER : TRAILS ON THE PROPERTY

JOE-PYE WEED

Eutrochium

Botanical Illustration through a Biomimicry Lens

Observing Nature’s Design:

The Architecture, Strategies, and Ecology of Joe-Pye Weed

Architectural Height & Stem Resilience

Leaf Structure and Shape

Inflorescence & Pollination

Propagation & Soil Stabilization

Martha’s Vineyard Native Joe-Pye Weed Species

Hollow Joe-Pye Weed (Eutrochium fistulosum)

Purple Joe-Pye Weed (Eutrochium purpureum)

Coastal Plain Joe-Pye Weed (Eutrochium dubium)

Spotted Joe-Pye Weed (Eutrochium maculatum)

Garden Companion Plantings

By welcoming Joe-Pye weed into our gardens, we don't just add height and late-season color, we give our island's pollinators a vital lifeline when they need it most.

SEDUMS

Late-Summer Stars of the Garden

Sedums are terrific low maintenance plants which really stand out in late summer to fall.

SEDUM PLANT TYPES

SEDUMS AT VINEYARD GARDENS

Low-Growing & Spreading Varieties

Mid-Sized & SunSparkler® Series

Upright Varieties

Sedum blooms attract pollinators. Birds, butterflies and many insects love them!

PLANTING & CARE TIPS

AUTUMN CLIMBERS

THE LATE SEASON VERTICAL GARDEN

HONEYSUCKLE

WISTERIA

CLEMATIS VITICELLA HYBRIDS

VIRGIN’S BOWER (Clematis virginiana)

AUGUST

GARDEN TIPS

Annuals & Containers

Trees, Shrubs & Perennials

Vegetable Gardens

Weed & Pest Vigilance

Enjoy the buzz of late-summer pollinators darting from bloom to bloom, it’s one of the season’s sweetest rewards!

**Wood Anemone (Anemone quinquefolia)**

**Tall Thimbleweed / Tall Windflower (Anemone virginiana)**

**Canada Anemone (Anemone canadensis)**

**Hollow Joe-Pye Weed (Eutrochium fistulosum)**

**Purple Joe-Pye Weed (Eutrochium purpureum)**

**Coastal Plain Joe-Pye Weed (Eutrochium dubium)**

**Spotted Joe-Pye Weed (Eutrochium maculatum)**

**VIRGIN’S BOWER (Clematis virginiana)**