A monthly gardening update by OSV staff horticulturist Roberta McQuaid

This behind-the-scenes glimpse of the Village gardens will explore a range of topics including what’s growing in our gardens and the culture and history of specific heirloom plants. We hope that you will find this monthly online feature informative and perhaps it will enrich your next visit to the museum - maybe even adding to your own gardening adventures at home.

Waiting for the big switcheroo

I haven’t been to a Disney park since I was a teenager, long before I knew I’d be in charge of display gardens at a nationally known museum. Visitors, however, often comment about the quick and very dramatic “switcheroos” that take place at the Magic Kingdom - how entire beds are redone overnight, leaving the returning visitor in awe of new and exciting plant combinations. 

Part of my job as staff horticulturist for the facilities and grounds department is to design, plant and maintain our three season “approach” beds. These are the gardens at our entrance and those adjoining the Visitor Center and Museum Gift Shop. Because they are outside of the Village proper, I can use modern-day plants within these beds, or a combination of “old” and new.  My goal is to come up with a colorful and long-lasting theme for spring, summer and fall. Each transition between the seasons allows me to perform a “switcheroo” of my own, just on a smaller scale. 

The changeover between spring and summer is easy: the tulips have gone by and need to be replaced.  A slew of annuals nurtured along in the Old Sturbridge Village greenhouse by me, my helper Cheryl, and our volunteers are ready for their turn in the sun. But what do you do when it is October 1 and these very same annuals just don’t want to pass the baton to fall plants? 

The large oval at the entrance to the museum is the first garden to greet our visitors.  Right now, it is in its glory and has been for well over six weeks. Meanwhile, 130 mums wait patiently for a plant, any plant, to show signs of decline-- a reason for removal, a reason for a “switcheroo.”  Better yet would be for a frost to wipe out the entire bed!  No such “luck” -- tomorrow the mercury will climb to 80 degrees.

At the very center of the garden is castor bean ‘Carmencita.’ Warm summer temperatures and fertile soil will certainly allow this plant to come into its own by early August.  Although the seed packet touted this cultivar as being dwarf compared to other castor bean plants, it has easily outgrown the 4-6’ label.

Huge, deeply cut bronze leaves, and stems thicker than a broom handle would hardly seem to make this plant graceful, yet it is. In fact, it is a strange combination of dramatic, bold and graceful all in one. To be most effective, plant castor beans in groups of at least three, and use as a backdrop for other plants, or as I did, plant them as the focal point of the garden.  Do exercise caution when planting around kids and pets, since the seeds, the “beans” themselves, are poisonous. I clip and dispose of the flowers before seeds can form.

To cover the habit that castor beans sometimes have of dropping their lower leaves, I wanted something around two feet tall to surround them in the oval.  What would go better with dark foliage than yellow? What plant is a symbol of summer?  Rudbeckia of Black-Eyed Susan fame, of course. Sometimes all it takes is a photograph in a catalog or book and a combination of plants is born.  I saw a unique picture of the Rudbeckia cultivar ‘Denver Daisy’ paired with a red-flowered, bronze leaf Begonia by the name of ‘Vodka.’  In another image the very same Rudbeckia was planted in the foreground of an ornamental grass Pennisetum ‘Rubrum.’ Its burgundy-bronze foliage and frosted seed heads added yet another texture differential to the equation of the never ending summer scheme.

It will be time soon enough to cart the annuals off to the compost pile.  Until then I will plan my “switcheroo”  -- perhaps remove them at dusk and plant the mums in the wee morning hours. Maybe returning visitors will do a “double-take.” Gardens are not instant, but we sure give it our best shot.

“Mum’s” the word for dependable fall color 

As the leaves on the trees begin to turn brilliant shades of yellow, orange and red, we are inspired to add some chrysanthemums in similar colors to our home landscapes. Whether we use them to spruce up a now drab perennial border, or choose to plant them in the place of spent summer annuals, the ability of mums to withstand a light frost make them a perfect candidate for extending the gardening season. Even people with little more than a doorstep for garden space can purchase a mum or two to combine with pumpkins, Indian corn and hay bales to make a festive autumn vignette.

The chrysanthemum originated in China, and was described in writings as early as the 15th century BC. “Chu” was the ancient Chinese name for this popular flowering herb, whose roots were said to have been boiled and used as a headache remedy. By the 8th century, the chrysanthemum had made its way to Japan, where it was so beloved that it became the crest and official seal of the emperor. Japan even celebrates National Chrysanthemum Day, known as the Festival of Happiness.  By the 17th century the flower had been introduced to the Western world. 

Although chrysanthemum translates as “golden flower,” modern breeding efforts have given us flowers in all of the autumnal shades along with lavender and violet, white, and even bicolors. Early illustrations of chrysanthemums appear daisy-like, and while daisies are still commonplace, double flowering decorative, pompon, and button types are now available. With many old varieties discarded each year to make way for new introductions, it is hard to find familiar selections year after year. I absolutely cherished a tiny, creamy-yellow button mum that grew and even overwintered for many years of my childhood next to my parent’s front step.  It is nowhere to be found today.

While breeders work consistently to improve compactness, floral color, size, and type, winter hardiness is less of a concern. Many of us frugal gardeners have a hard time shelling out $4.00 and upwards per plant for a mere few weeks of glory. To increase the odds that your “hardy mum” (as they are often referred to in the trade) will indeed be hardy, it is important that they be given special attention.  First of all, make sure they are planted in rich, well-drained soil. This, along with regular watering, will help the plant produce strong roots that will anchor it during winter heaving. To further encourage good rooting, it is important to slice the root ball of pot-bound plants with a knife in a few places, or, simply “butterfly” the roots by holding the base of the plant with both hands and pulling apart in an outward motion. By late November/early December it is a good idea to provide mums with a protective winter mulch. Evergreen boughs placed over the plant will do a good job of insulating the crown from temperature extremes. It can be removed when new growth appears in the spring, about when forsythias bloom in our area.

Many people are frustrated that their overwintered mums make it to autumn tall and gangly-looking, with brown foliage and few flowers. One word to fix this dilemma:  pinching. By shearing back new growth in late spring to create a dense, rounded shape and then by pinching off early flower buds two or three times, the gardener will be delighted with a plant that hopefully closely resembles the one that was purchased a year prior. In our area, pinching should stop by mid-July. Short day lengths will cause buds to form; flowering will take place in time for our fall displays. It varies according to variety, but you can usually expect around six weeks from bud to desiccation, perhaps longer if flowers are deadheaded and protected from hard frosts.