LOBELIA

September 16, 2026 Karen Logan

LOBELIA

Plant Detective: The Secret World of Cardinal Flowers

by karen blackerby logan

There is nothing quite like sitting quietly in the garden with a sketchbook, playing plant detective and watching nature unfold it’s quiet magic. Lately, I’ve been completely captivated by our native Cardinal Flower (Lobelia cardinalis). Watching it through a biomimicry lens, studying how its physical structures, evolutionary strategies, and relationships with pollinators weave together, has provided me with profound insight into a beautiful evolutionary mutualism.

While I was out observing and drawing, a ruby-throated hummingbird came by for a visit, giving me a front-row seat to one of nature's magical partnerships in action.

sketchbook entry about cardinal flowers [karen blackerby logan]

Cardinal Flower and Hummingbird Mutualism

If you look closely at a Cardinal Flower, the details of its design tells a story of co-evolution.

Hummingbirds have exceptional vision for red, unlike bees, which generally cannot see the red color spectrum and lack the physical aspects to access deep nectar. The flower's red, deep tubular structure is a beacon, perfectly matched for the Ruby-Throated Hummingbird's vision and long, slender beaks.

Even more fascinating is the engineering inside the stamen tube. The Cardinal Flower features a hollow angled, stamen tube with brush-like anthers at the tip, safely holding the female stigma inside until the timing is right. When a hummingbird dips its beak in for a drink of nectar, its forehead makes direct contact with this angled brush tube coated in pollen. The pollen precisely transfers onto the bird's forehead, ready to be carried off to pollinate the next flower.

Detail of male phase (upper) and female phase (lower) [image credit: karen blackerby logan]

Detail female phase and petal arrangement [image credit: karen blackerby logan]

Close up of female phase [image credit: karen blackerby logan]

Pollination Strategy

Cardinal Flowers bloom in vertical spires, opening sequentially from the bottom up. Because hummingbirds naturally forage in this same upward direction (where the lower blooms offer the most nectar), self-pollination is prevented.

Each individual flower goes through two distinct phases:

The Male Phase: When the lower blooms first open up, the pollen is available on the anthers, while the female stigma is tucked away in the hollow fused stamen tube .

The Female Phase: As the season progresses and the hummingbirds work their way up the stalk, the older lower blooms age and the pollen phase is complete. The stigmas finally push their way through and open up, ready to catch fresh pollen brought by another hummingbird from a different Cardinal Flower.

The petals are designed for this partnership as well. The two side petals curl back while the lower three cleft petals droop into a funnel-like bullseye for the hummingbird to swoop in. In contrast, the Great Blue Lobelia’s (Lobelia siphilitica) "landing pad" lower petal evolved specifically to invite heavy-bodied native bees to land on.

This evolutionary split between the Cardinal Flower and the Great Blue Lobelia is a great lesson in resource sharing and pollination efficiency, allowing each plant to optimize its own unique pollinator specialist.

**Lobelia Starship Deep Rose & Scarlet Bronze Leaf**

**Lobelia Starship Deep Rose & Scarlet Bronze Leaf**. Rich bronze or purple foliage throughout the growing season. Adds a bold color for the late summer to early autumn garden.

Lobelias in your Garden

While Cardinal Flowers are hummingbird magnets, Great Blue Lobelias are native bee havens and they both deserve a special place in your garden.

In nature, you’ll typically find these North American natives growing in wet, swampy soils, woodland edges, or low, damp spots in the landscape. If you have a rain garden, a spot near a pond or stream, or just a part-shade garden that holds moisture well, they will thrive. With consistently moist soil, they can thrive in sun as well.

Whether you fall in love with the classic native Cardinal Flower, the deep foliage of 'Queen Victoria' (a Royal Horticultural Society Award winner), or the slightly more compact Starship series, these plants bring an incredible sense of place, wonder, and life to the garden.

Grab a sketchbook, find a quiet spot near your flower beds, and see what stories your own garden plants are waiting to tell!

Lobelia ‘Great Blue’. A blue counterpart of the Cardinal Flower. Desirable plant for woodland gardens especially since it blooms bright blue in late summer.

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CARE

Prefer fertile, evenly moist soil.
Can be divided every 2-3 years in spring.
Allow to self sow.
Winter over with stems on.
Can be pinched back before flowering to produce more compact plants

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USES

Woodland paths
Perennial beds and border gardens with moist, well-drained soil.
Given enough water they can be fine with more sun.
Great choice for partial shade gardens
Well-suited for use in rain gardens, around ponds and streams and other moist areas.
Pairs well with ferns and heuchera

Stop by Vineyard Gardens to bring this wonderful native plant home and watch the garden magic unfold!

AUTUMN GARDEN

[PLANT PROFILE] ASTERS

FALL TREES & SHRUBS

September 9, 2026 Karen Logan

September Border at Vineyard Gardens. Crape Myrtles & Vitex [photo credit: keith kurman]

FALL TREES

& SHRUBS

Fall is a great time to plant trees and shrubs! The combination of the weather cooling down and fall rain allows plants to establish their roots. Planting in the fall also gives trees and shrubs an extra growing season before the stress of summer heat and drought.

On warm days from here on out the Witchhazels will be unfurling their ribbon-like petals creating brilliant splashes of color in the stark winter landscape.

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TREES

Trees are exceptional fall extenders, offering stunning foliage transitions and late-season blooms that keep the landscape vibrant long after summer fades.

Franklinia alatamaha (Franklin Tree): Native to US. Typically grows to 15’x10’. Showy fragrant white flowers in August. Great fall color! Plant in full sun with light shade in moist soil.
Lagerstroemia indica crape myrtle: Multi stemmed trees with beautiful late season color. Blooms late summer into fall. Exfoliating bark which continues to be showy into winter. Great diversity available.
Maple Trees: Known for their fall color. {10 best Maples for fall color}
- Acer palmatum: Japanese maples are easy to grow, cold hardy and remarkable adaptable. Their green leaf forms have the best fall color!
- Acer ginnala: This smaller maple can be used as small specimen, patio tree and even works well in a container. It has a particularly fabulous fall color!
Myrica pensylvanica (Bayberry): Native to Martha’s Vineyard. Typically grows to 10’ x 8’. Plant in full sun. It tolerates drought once established. Deer resistant.
Nysa sylvatica (Beetlebung Tree): An island native that grows where there is quite a bit of water. Often found growing in low points and bogs on the island. Has beautiful fall color and a distinguished shape. We have some young beauties for sale at the nursery.
Osmanthus heterophyllus (False Holly): An evergreen shrub that typically grows to 10’ x 10’. Blooms late fall into the winter (Oct-Nov) with small fragrant white flowers. Shade tolerant and deer resistant.
Oxydendron arboreum: Native tree known for its fall color.

SHRUBS

Shrubs serve as wonderful seasonal extenders, bringing extended interest through late-season berries, persistent blooms, and brilliant autumn foliage.

Callicarpa dichotoma: Beauty Bush with beautiful lavender berries.
- Early Amethyst: A smaller variety
- Pearl Glam: A new Proven Winner cultivar, with dark foliage.
Callicarpa japonica Leucocarpa: An upright beauty berry with white berries. Pale pink-white flowers in summer.
Fothergilla: A native shrub known for its fall color. It blooms in June and later lights up your yard with red and purple fall color. If you need a large shrub the species to get is major. There is a dwarf species available called gardenii, for a smaller shrub.
Hamamelis (Witch Hazel): Large native shrubs known for their fall color.
- Hamamelis virginiana: A fall yellow bloomer
- Hamamelis vernalis: Blooms in February
Hydrangeas: Many of the panicle hydrangeas fade to pink and hold the dried blooms way into the fall. There are some late summer bloomers that bloom into fall.
Symphoricarpos (Snow Berry): A season extender. This shrub has large white berries.
Vaccinium Corymbosum (High bush blueberry): Native to Martha’s Vineyard. Typically grows to 8’x 6’. Great fall color! Plant in full sun. Deer resistant.
Viburnums: There are many which have fabulous fall color and berries.
- Viburnum dentatum (arrowwood viburnum): Native to Martha’s Vineyard. Non-fragrant flat-topped white flowers appear in late spring. Flowers give way to blue-black, berries which are quite attractive to birds and wildlife. Tolerates light shade.
- Viburnum dilatatum: Known for their drooping berries. We carry Cardinal Candy with red berries and Michael Dodge with yellow berries.
- Viburnum plicatums: These are Chris Wiley’s favorite Viburnum in flower.

Viburnum dilatatum Michael Dodge and some Virginia Creeper

late season spent flowers of Hydrangea macrophylla

VINEYARD GARDENS LANDSCAPING

AUTUMN GARDEN

FALL GREENS!

September 3, 2026 Karen Logan

Cool weather greens & herbs [illustration by karen blackerby logan]

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GREAT TIME TO

PLANT YOUR

FALL GREENS!

As summer winds down and the nights turn crisp, it is the ideal window to plant your cool-weather crops. Varieties like broccoli, greens, arugula, spinach, and kale thrive in autumn conditions. Grow your own crisp lettuce, spicy arugula, tender spinach, and fresh annual herbs like cilantro, parsley, and dill right in your backyard! There is nothing quite like the flavor of homegrown greens harvested straight from the garden.

Why Fall is the Best Season for Greens

Cool autumn nights and crisp morning air cause plants to convert starches into sugars, resulting in sweeter flavor compared to summer-grown crops.
Hardy cool-season greens love the dropping temperatures. Many varieties will continue producing well past the first autumn frosts.
As the weather cools, common garden pests like aphids naturally decline, giving your crops a healthier growing cycle with less upkeep.

Stop by the nursery to pick out your cool-weather plants and enjoy a fresh harvested bounty through the fall season!

ASTERACEAE: THE ASTER FAMILY

September 3, 2026 Karen Logan

New England Asters [illustration by karen blackerby logan]

ASTERACEAE

THE ASTER FAMILY

by Patrick Best

Asters are the hallmark of the late-season garden. While many associate plants like the native white wood aster (Aster divaricatus) or the long-blooming Monch aster (Aster frikartii) with the term “aster”, you may be surprised to learn that the aster family encompasses a huge variety of late-blooming perennials. From goldenrods (Solidago) to sunflowers (Helianthus), and from black-eyed Susans (Rudbeckia) to mums (Chrysanthemum), asters are everywhere!

Vineyard natives, white wood aster (Aster divaricatus) and hay-scented fern (Dennstaedtia punctilobula), pair nicely in the late-season garden.

Blue wood aster (Aster cordifolius) is a native aster that is well adapted to partial shade, unlike most asters which prefer sunny conditions.

Morphology

Looking closely at an aster flower, you can see that these compound flowers are actually made up of many smaller, individual florets. Disk flowers make up the center of the bloom and lack petals, while ray flowers encircle the central disk and have one petal each. Not all asteraceous plants have blooms consisting of both disk and ray flowers, but their presence is a helpful way to tell that you’re looking at a species in the aster family.

Ecosystem

In the ecosystem, these nectar-rich plants provide forage for a host of insects, especially the pollinators and bees looking for their final meals before the cold weather sets in. Native asters are far more valuable to the wider ecosystem than annual mums. Next time you walk by a mum, notice the absence of pollinators and then consider planting native asters in your fall pots!

Single-flowered annual mums offer the nectar-rich disk flowers valuable for late-season pollinators. The double-flowered mums only consist of ray flowers and are ecologically inert.

Dahlias are a popular late-season bloomer in the aster family and are well-suited to bouquets.

Garden Uses

Generally starting in August, the asters commonly grown on Martha’s Vineyard bloom well into October, allowing the Vineyard gardener to enjoy a profusion of flowers into the fall.

Zinnias, an aster-family annual, provide a long season of color in the landscape

In the garden, it is vital to ensure that a plant’s habit matches the goals you have for that space. Some plants are more useful for their clumping habit, others for their freely-seeding nature, and still others for their rhizomatous spread, more commonly thought of as groundcover behavior, which allows for colonization of larger spaces. As there are a host of beautiful native plants in the Aster family, it is nice to know that any accidental spread of these plants into the wildlands is an act of ecosystem restoration, and not a sign of invasiveness.

Helen’s Flower (Helenium autumnale) blooms throughout the summer in the Vineyard Gardens display bed.

This fall at the nursery, we have a large variety of Asteraceous plants available:

True Asters:

Twilight (rhizomatous spread)
Little Carlow (clumping)
Blue wood aster (clumping)
White wood aster (rhizomatous spread)
Vasterival (rhizomatous spread)
Prof. Anton von Kippenberg
Aster novi-angliae Alma Potschke (clumping)
Winston Churchill

OTHER PLANTS IN THE ASTERACEAE FAMILY:

Coreopsis
- Zagreb
- Moonbeam
- C. tripteris Gold Standard
Echinacea
- E. pallida
Eupatorium/Eutrochium
- Joe Pye Weed
- Boneset
Helenium
- Moerheim Beauty
- Sombrero
- H. autumnale
Helianthus
- Lemon Queen (rhizomatous spread)
- Maximillian (rhizomatous spread)
Heliopsis
- Summer Sun
- Summer Nights
- Bleeding Hearts

Leucanthemum/Nipponanthemum
- Shasta Daisies (cvs.)
- Montauk Daisies
Liatris
- L. microcephala
- Kobold
- Floristan White and Purple

Solidago
- Loysden Crown
- S. canadensis ‘Crown of Rays’
- Little Lemon
Rudbeckia
- R. triloba Prairie glow (short-lived, seeds around non-aggressively)
- R. subtomentosa Little Henry (clumping)
- R. laciniata Autumn Sun/Herbstsonne (clumping)
Vernonia
- V. noveboracensis
Chrysanthemum
- Hardy (Claire Curtis, Igloo Series, Matchstick…)
- Annuals

Familiar Annuals in the Asteraceae Family:

Dahlia, Cosmos, Marigold, Ageratum, Zinnia

AUTUMN GARDEN

September 1, 2026 Karen Logan

Cornus kousa fruit at Polly Hill Arboretum — Cornus kousa (Asian dogwood) fruit at Polly Hill Arboretum

AUTUMN GARDEN

by Keith Kurman / Updated by Patrick Best

Martha’s Vineyard has long, warm falls that can often linger into December, allowing the ambitious year-round gardener to extend the traditional summer bloom season by months. With insightful planning, you, too, can engineer a full and floriferous garden from early spring straight through the first frost and beyond. Indeed, as the climate continues to warm, the Vineyard gardener need only suffer a few weeks in the dead of winter without something in bloom. However, a garden like this takes careful planning. Some plants don’t begin flowering until September or later, so space must be provisioned such that they may perform to their fullest potential that late in the growing season, when other plants are competing for space. Yielding space in the middle and back of your borders can allow late-blooming perennials to lend texture and substance alongside earlier flowering annuals and bulbs and space to grow into gaps left vacant by the late spring perennial displays. Take this space allocation into consideration when planning your garden beds. Distribute your late flowering plants evenly through the border and stagger height and depth, allowing space for earlier flowers.

Autumn tones in the display gardens at Vineyard Gardens

Challenges With Late-Blooming Plants:

1. STAKING or HEADING BACK: Chrysanthemums (hardy mums), Asters, Phlox paniculata (garden phlox), Nipponanthemum nipponicum (Montauk daisy), and other late-season perennials need pinching back before early July. The extent to which this is done can vary from a conservative tip-out to a more drastic cutting back by one-third to one-half. The Anglophiles among us may know this as the “Chelsea Chop,” in reference to the Chelsea Flower Show, which is held in late spring each year. It’s important to provide support for some of the tall growing perennials early in the season to allow them to grow into your staking system. Bamboo stakes and jute twine are probably the most straightforward approach, but peony hoops and tomato cages can be very effective as well. Staking may seem a little fussy and early in the season, but you’ll be glad you did when the late season storms return.

2. DROUGHT: Irrigation requires constant monitoring, and gardens often require supplemental water during long dry spells. Over the course of the gardening year, any number of things can happen to disturb a basic irrigation system: from root blockage to punctured lines.

3. HERBIVORY: Across the island, it seems that few gardeners are safe from the animals who would make your garden their dinner. From deer to rabbits and chipmunks to avians, there is no shortage of hungry animals as wild habitats are consumed by new development. Regular applications of Bobbex can help dissuade deer from browsing your plants, but I have heard many reports that rabbits are unfazed by the stench and continue munching. For bunny damage, I recommend hot pepper wax (capsaicin), available as a spray and applied regularly to lower growing plants. In areas where repellants fall short, physical barriers such as caging and fencing are the best options. Sorry, up-islanders, I’m talking to you.

4. CATEPILLARS (and other insects): Many native plants play host to the caterpillar larvae of some fantastic moths and butterflies. Considering this, I always recommend doing some research before impulsively reaching for insecticide. If the damage isn’t widespread, I urge you to accept this as a sign that your garden is a part of the wider ecosystem, which is surely something to celebrate! If treatment is necessary, organic options such as Safer Soap, Neem Oil, Pyrethrum, or Bt are best.

Lespedeza thunbergii and Pycnanthemum (Mountain Mint) at Polly Hill Arboretum — Lespedeza thunbergii (bush clover) and Pycnanthemum muticum (mountain mint) at Polly Hill Arboretum

September Border with Crepe Myrtles, Vitex, Rudbeckia and Hibiscus — September border with Crape Myrtles, Vitex, and Rudbeckia

PLANTS THAT ARE LOOKING FANTASTIC IN THE GARDENS RIGHT NOW

PERENNIALS:

Asters, Eupatorium/Eutrochium (Boneset/Joe Pie Weed, both lovely natives), Vernonia (Ironweed), Chrysanthemum/Dendranthema (Hardy Mum), Agastashe (Anise Hyssop), Phlox, Anemone, Tricyrtis (Toad Lilies), Late-Blooming Hostas, Helianthus (Perennial Sunflowers), Hibiscus moscheutos (Rose Mallow), Rudbeckia (Black Eyed Susan and relatives), Kirengeshoma palmata (Yellow Wax Bells), Aconitum (Monkshood), Chelone (Turtlehead), Patrinia scabiosifolia, Pycnanthemum (Mountain Mint), Physostegia (not-so Obedient Plant), Solidago (Goldenrod), Ceratostigma plumbaginoides (Hardy Plumbago), Garden Sage (Salvia glabrescens, Salvia koyamae, Salvia uliginosa), Hardy Plectranthus/Rabdosia species, Dicentra ‘White Diamonds’ and ‘Bacchanal’ (Everblooming Bleeding Hearts), Geranium (Cranesbill), Eucomis (Pineapple Lily), Nipponanthemum (Montauk Daisy), Begonia grandis (Hardy Begonia), Persicaria, Colchicum (Fall Crocus), some Sedum, Caryopteris divaricata

Autumn Crocus, Colchicum ‘Waterlily’

Rudbeckia hirta, self-seeding annual

Hardy Mum, Chrysanthemum ‘Clara Curtis’

Kirengeshoma palmata, Dryopteris marginalis

New England Aster (Aster novae-angliae)

Patrinia scabiosifolia

Ginger Lily (Hedychium gardinerianum)

Japanese Anemone and Impatiens balfourii

ANNUALS:

Tropical Salvias (Salvia guaranitaca, Salvia leucantha, etc), Chrysanthemums, Dahlias, Cosmos, Marigolds, Rudbeckia hirta, Tithonia (Mexican Sunflower), Arctotis, Petunias, Celosia, Browallia, Ricinus, Coleus, Hedychium (Ginger Lilies)… and oh so many more!

Coleus and Tithonia "Torch" — Coleus and Tithonia ‘Torch’

Dahlias and Salvia gaurinitica "Black and Blue" — Dahlias with Salvia guaranitaca ‘Black and Blue’

FLOWERING SHRUBS:

Hydrangea paniculata (Panicle Hydrangea), Buddleia (Butterfly Bush) and Spirea (if dead- headed throughout the season), Caryopteris x clandonensis (Bluebeard), Lespedeza thunbergii (Bush Clover), Lagerstroemia (Crape Myrtle), Vitex (Chastetree), Abelia x grandiflora, Fall-Blooming Camellias (like ‘Winter’s Snowman’), some Illicium (a highly deer-resistant evergreen for shade, look for ‘Orion’), Mahonia x media (‘Winter Sun’, ‘Charity’, and ‘Arthur Menzies’ are common), some Daphne (Daphne x transatlantica blooms through November), Hibiscus syriaca (Rose of Sharon), Hamamelis virginiana (native witch hazel blooms fragrant yellow flowers)

A yellow-leafed selection of Bluebeard or Caryopteris x clandonensis "Aurea" — A yellow-leafed selection of Bluebeard (Caryopteris x clandonensis ‘Aurea’)

Hydrangea paniculata grandiflora "Tardiva" and (front) Hydrangea "Annabelle" — Hydrangea paniculata ‘Tardiva’ with Hydrangea arborescens ‘Annabelle’ in the foreground

PLANTS for FOLIAGE:

Fothergilla (bottlebrush), Itea virginica (sweetspire), Clethra (sweet pepperbush) Parthenocissus quinquefolia (Virginia creeper), Rhus sp. (sumac), Hamamelis/Parrotia (witch hazel family), Grasses (Hakonechloa, Panicum, Schizachryium, Andropogon, Carex, Calamagrostis, Pennisetum, etc.), Ferns (Dryopteris, Athyrium, Osmunda, Onoclea, Polystichum, Dennstaedtia, etc.), Nyssa (tupelo), Acer (maples), Lindera benzoin (spicebush)

Viburnum dilatatum "Michael Dodge" and Virginia Creeper — Viburnum dilatatum ‘Michael Dodge’ and Virginia Creeper

Quaking Oat Grass Chasmanthium latifolium — Northern Sea Oats (Chasmanthium latifolium)

PLANTS for FRUIT:

Viburnum, Ilex (winterberry and hollies), Callicarpa (beautyberry), Roses, Crabapples

miniature Roses will continue flowering well past first frost — Tea roses will continue flowering well past first frost

Beauty Berry (Callicarpa dichotoma) — Japanese Beautyberry (Callicarpa dichotoma)

These lists are just a starting point and there are so many more wonderful plants to choose from. Fall is a great time to plant and many of the plants listed above are available for sale at the nursery, including many specialty plants.

Come explore the late bloomers and extend your garden’s bloom season today!

ODE TO AUTUMN

September 25, 2024 Karen Logan

a season

of transitions

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What a glorious time of year, a season for the senses. The mysteries and magic in nature are in their transition states, quietly entering new phases of life. The meadow is dancing with asters and goldenrods. Birds and bees are singing and buzzing their way from flower to flower and seed to seed. Squirrels and chipmunks are busily searching for as many acorns as possible preparing for winter. The sound of the first fallen leaves crunching underfoot. Maples and oaks will soon brighten the canopy with vibrant oranges, reds and yellows. And as I am writing, I am experiencing one of the most miraculous transitions; a monarch chrysalis in her final stage of transformation. I think it will be minutes until the monarch emerges, now visible through the transparent chrysalis. The ‘super’ monarch that emerges this time of year will be preparing for her great migration south to Michoacan, Mexico.

Autumn is truly an atmospheric time of year, teetering between life and death. As you walk through your garden you may have the urge to cut back plants and rake up the leaves, but in each of those seed pods a meal is to be had or a home to be occupied. Seed pods of echinaceas, sunflowers and many other flowers are a valuable food source for wildlife during the long winter months ahead. Long pithy stemmed flowers like Joe-Pye Weed are homes to native bees. Not only is this necessary for wildlife, they can also be an ornamental part of your landscape. The various shapes and shades of brown bring texture to your garden. Letting leaves and organic matter decompose in your garden bed helps regenerate the soil, insulates roots, stores carbon and protects habitats through the winter months. Many species of moths and butterflies pupate and overwinter in our leaves and emerge in spring, like the Luna Moth.

At Vineyard Gardens, the same bustling and excitement is happening. We’re soaking up the remaining warmth of summer days and enjoying cool nights, knowing this is the best time to plant trees, bushes and perennials so they can set root before the ground freezes over. We’re excited about the upcoming Harvest Festival to celebrate another wonderful season on Martha’s Vineyard. We have incredible sales going on to give you some incentive to fill any holes in your garden in anticipation for next year.

As I walk through my garden, holes are becoming more evident as the early and mid-summer perennials have faded away. I contemplate what to grow there. What will be a colorful and beneficial addition for our native species during this transition time? How about some late blooming flowers that give a flash of hope as we head into winter? Or a bush or tree that transitions to that brilliant autumn glow of dazzling ambers, reds and yellows? It is too late now to plant annual season extenders, which should have been planted a month or so ago, but I am reminded to think ahead in early summer about the autumn garden. Planted early enough though, Dalhias, Salvias and grasses are wonderful season extenders, adding color, texture and movement to your landscape.

Shrubs help create the bones of the garden, adding structure even if fillers are needed. They are aesthetically valuable, providing blooms at more than one level, as well as offering height that contributes to layering. Shrubs are also extremely beneficial as a habitat and food for wildlife. Native shrubs, like Viburnums, Buttonbush and Winterberry provide berries, seed and protection throughout the winter months. Crape Myrtles (Lagerstroemia indica), offer taller blooms and beautiful exfoliating bark. Clerodendron trichotomum’s fragrant white flowers bloom throughout August and September and form purple and red seed pods that hang on into fall. Panicle hydrangeas are starting to fade from white to pink, and many are still blooming profusely. Hydrangea macrophyllas are reaching the end of their summer show but are transitioning to a burgundy color to match the fall pallette. Oak Leaf Hydrangea flowers have faded to burnt copper and compliment the bright yellow Helianthus Lemon Queen that can reach over six feet tall. The berries on Hollies are ripening and their evergreen leaves add structure within the winter garden.

A great option for autumn color in your garden is to add potted plants. Potted grasses will bring some height and texture. Mums, gourds and pumpkins near the front of your garden bed will add color and enhance the autumnal season palette. Place Brugmansia, Angels Trumpet, a wonderfully fragrant tropical plant, in a pot on your patio, and its nighttime fragrance will fill the fall air.

As summer fades, there is a lingering warmth and some colorful life that is still at its peak. Colchium, Autumn Crocus, emerges and is that bit of pink hope reminding us of summer blooms. African Blue Basil is particularly gorgeous this time of year with its purple hues and abundant blooms, a magnet for pollinators. This is the time of year that Pineapple Sage (Salvia elegans), with its red flower spikes, and Mexican sage (Salvia leucantha) are putting on their best show. Salvia guaranitica and uliginosa’s blue tubular flowers contrast the toned down hues of the autumn landscape. Grasses are very showy and sway to the rhythm of the wind. Purple, pink and white asters and yellow goldenrods vibrate in meadows, helping monarchs find their way south.

I just love this time of year, lightly bundled up walking through orchards, the smell of ripening and decaying apples and pumpkins perfuming the air, shrubs and trees transitioning into their autumn fashion, the pace of life begins to slow and a moment for reflection is found. This transition between the bright excitement of summer and the dark quiet calm of winter captivates my nostalgic heart. As I finish writing this ode to autumn, my monarch has emerged and is ready for her next phase.

THIS FALL THINK SPRING!

September 25, 2023 Karen Logan

Chionodoxa [illustration karen blackerby logan]

BEST TIME TO PLANT

SPRING BULBS!

We have a variety of fall bulbs ready to plant! Plant them out now and they will be blooming in the spring!

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BULBS WE HAVE AVAILABLE

Narcissus // Allium // Camassia // Iris // Leucojum // Tulips

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PUMPKINS HAVE ARRIVED!

September 23, 2023 Karen Logan

Pumpkins [illustration by karen blackerby logan]

IT’S FALL Y’ALL!

And we have all the plants, pumpkins and gourds to make this time of year festive!

PUMPKINS // FALL MUMS // ORNAMENTAL KALE, CABBAGE & PEPPERS // HOME GROWN GOURDS // ASTERS

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A VARIETY OF PUMPKINS TO CHOOSE FROM!

SUGAR PUMPKINS // CINDERELLA PUMPKINS // WHITE PUMPKINS

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OUR OWN HOME GROWN GOURDS!

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SPICE UP YOUR GARDEN WITH “ORNAMENTAL” CABBAGES, KALE & PEPPERS

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ASTERS

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FALL MUMS

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FALL PLANTED BULBS

We have a variety of fall bulbs ready to plant, including daffodil and tulip bulbs. Plant them out now and they will be blooming in the spring!

asters & goldenrod

beauty & pollinator benefits

Fall mums [illustration by karen blackerby logan]

EVERGREENS FOR SCREENING

September 28, 2022 Karen Logan

EVERGREENS FOR SCREENING

Evergreens retain their foliage for a full year or more and are classified as either conifers or broadleaf evergreens. Coniferous plants belong to the phylum gymnosperms which are plants that bear cones instead of flowers as reproductive structures. Their leaves are called either needles or scales. These are adaptations for survival in tough windy droughty conditions, like on top of mountains. While broad leaf evergreens have flowers that produce seeds and belong to the phylum Angiosperms, the flowering plants. They are beautiful and functional! Both conifers and broadleaf evergreens are a wonderful asset to your landscape and for screening.

SCREENING is one of the most requested landscape functions. This can seem like a very simple request however from the grower’s perspective it is much more complex and dependent on budget and environment.

BUDGET: How much you have to spend on screening directly correlates to the amount of time it will take to achieve your end goal. The bigger the tree, grass or shrub, the more expensive it is and the more work it is to install. Faster growing plants are not always an ideal option. A fast growing plant can be weak wooded, suffering from high winds or winter damage, or the plant could be invasive and outgrow its location. Even very large transplants can take a couple of years to re-set their supporting root systems. The most economical and hardiest solution is to start your screening "vision" with smaller plants that can quickly establish themselves with slower growth screening behind.

ENVIRONMENT: The Island may be small but it is very diverse in terrain and habitats. What would work for a screen in Vineyard Haven will not necessarily work for screening on the north shore in Chilmark. There are many different soils, exposures and pests that can modify your choices. Deer are a big problem up island and poor, sandy soils are a problem in Oak Bluffs. Some areas have clay soils that cause poor drainage that can slowly kill off new plantings. Some have ample available water that can cause problems for plants like Juniper that are adapted to poor, dry soils. It may help to remember that what you see above ground is only half of the plant, what goes on below is perhaps even more important.

*Layered screening with large Thuja plicatas that give wonderful privacy*

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CONIFERS WE’D LIKE TO HIGHLIGHT

Picea Abies (Norway Spruce). A fast growing evergreen. Growing on average of 13 inches per year! This is ideal for planting on the island because it grows in acidic, loamy, sandy, well drained & clay soils.
Cupressocyparis Leylandii (Leyland Cypress). Grows at least 24" per year. Also ideal for island growing conditions, except for near the shore, where salt and wind can cause irreversible damage.

Pinus Strobus (Eastern White Pine). Prefers acidic, moist, well drained soil. This evergreen grows at least 24" each year.
Thuja plicata Green Giant: We have been carrying this cultivar for years. This specific variety can get up to 60' tall! Many use arborvitae as screening for privacy on their properties, as well as a windbreaker. We have them in several sizes.
Thuja plicata Virginian: This year we received a new cultivar of arborvitae from Worthington Farms, introduced as Thuja 'Green Giants' little sister. Thuja Virginian grows only 15' tall x 6' wide in ten years. Grows 1 to 2 feet yearly. It is also known to be deer resistant! They are beautiful and make great screening. We offer 3 different sizes up to 9'.

BENEFITS OF EVERGREENS

Provide year round interest
Great for privacy screening
Provides habitats for birds and other small animals
Drought resistant, once established
Pollinator friendly!
Great for Martha’s Vineyards climate zone 7A (hardier than zone 7A).

Chamaecyparis lawsoniana ‘Pinpoint Blue’

Broadleaf evergreens make excellent screening as well!

Plants like Hollies, rhododendrons, cherry laurels and andromedas are great, especially for areas that are shady.

VIBURNUM

September 21, 2022 Karen Logan

VIBURNUM

Viburnum are a very popular landscape shrub, both attractive and useful. With the many cultivars available it’s likely to find one to suit your garden. Fragrant viburnums flower in the spring and gives way to berries in the fall. If you’d like your viburnum to produce berries for the birds, you'll need to plant several different varieties that bloom at the same time so plants can cross-pollinate.

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Fall Interest Viburnums

There are many viburnums which have fabulous fall color and berries.

Viburnum trilobum (Highbush Cranberry): Known for its berry production in the fall. Dark green leaves turn purplish-red in autumn, alongside drooping clusters of bright red berries. Typically matures to 8-12 feet tall.
Viburnum plicatum: These are Chris Wiley’s favorite Viburnum in flower.
Viburnum dilatatum 'Cardinal Candy': Known for their drooping red berries.
Viburnum dilatatum 'Michael Dodge': Known for their drooping yellow berries.

Native Viburnums

Viburnum dentatum (arrowwood viburnum): Native to Martha’s Vineyard, Viburnum dentatum grows wild all over Chilmark and the woods of West Tisbury.. Non-fragrant flat-topped white flowers appear in late spring. Flowers give way to blue-black, berries which are quite attractive to birds and wildlife. Tolerates light shade. It is useful in restoration projects or in natural plantings. Deer resistant. We carry a cultivar called Blue Muffin.

Evergreen Viburnums

Viburnum 'Pragense (Prague viburnum): Creamy white flowers in spring gives way to berries in early fall which first appear red and then change to glossy black. Typically matures to 10-12 feet tall. Plant in full sun to part shade.
Viburnum rhytidophyllum (Leatherleaf viburnum): A large rough textured evergreen shrub. Creamy white flowers in spring.

Fragrant Spring Blooming Viburnums

Viburnum carlessi (Korean Spice viburnum): A wonderfully fragrant cultivar. Reddish pink buds open in late March/early April and progress into 3” snowball like clusters of fragrant blooms. Plant in sun to part shade. Typically matures to 4-5 feet tall but may reach a height of 8' in the right conditions.
Viburnum carlocephalum (Fragrant Viburnum): A multi stemmed shrub with an open and rounded form. Fragrant snow-ball type blooms in the spring and reddish fall color. Fruit production happens best when planted in groups. Good drought tolerance once established. Grows 6-10 feet tall and wide.
Viburnum burkwoodii (Burkwood Viburnum): An early spring beauty is Viburnum x burkwoodii which is from a group of Viburnums called Korean Spice or Snowball Viburnum. Burkwood Viburnum grows quite large, under ideal conditions 10’ x 10. It blooms clusters of pinkish white spring flowers with an insanely delicious fragrance in late April-early May. Beautiful dark green foliage. Use as a hedge, screen or accent plant.

Viburnum x burkwoodii [photo credit: keith kurman]

[PLANT PROFILE] CRAPE MYRTLE

September 6, 2022 Karen Logan

Lagerstroemia

[CRAPE MYRTLE]

An all-season performer that shows off colorful foliage in fall, attractive exfoliating bark in winter and showy flowers in the summer! Crape Myrtle bloom from July to September, with some varieties blooming until first frost. Flowers have a crepe like texture and range in color from red, purple, pink, orchid and white. There are several varieties that range in size from 2-foot shrubby dwarfs to large trees.

Crape Myrtles’ showy flowers adds a punch of color in late summer & early fall.

Crape Myrtle (front), Rudbeckia & Hibiscus

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HISTORY

Better known by their common name of Crape Myrtle, Lagerstroemia is a genus of about 50 plants native to the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia. The Genus is named after the director of the Swedish East India Company, Magnus van Lagerstrom, who supplied Carl Linnaeus with plants he collected.

Only 2 species are primarily used in gardening and landscape horticulture. The Lagerstroemia indica from China and Korea was introduced to Charleston, North Carolina in 1790 by French botanist Andre Michaux. In the wild it is a large multi stemmed shrub but 200 years of cultivation have resulted in a huge number of cultivars with varying characteristics.

Another species from Japan Lagerstroemia fauriei is becoming increasingly important as a landscape plant and as a parent in hybrids with L. Indica. This species is more resistant to fungal diseases, has highly ornamental bark and is more cold hardy than L. Indica making it valuable as genetic material for hybridization.

FALL IS A GREAT TIME TO PLANT. allowS CRAPE MYRTLE time to establish their roots before going dormant in winter.

CARE

Prefer full sun. The more sun the more blooms!
Once established, Crape Myrtles are quite drought tolerant.
They need good drainage.
A common mistake is over-pruning.
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USES
Crape myrtles make great additions to any size garden. Some ideas for how to use them:
Plant multiple dwarf or medium-size varieties together to form a hedge.
Use dwarf varieties as colorful additions in borders and beds.
Dwarf varieties make excellent choices for large containers.
A good choice near walkways and driveways.
Use larger varieties as an individual accent