By JOYCE ARLEEN CORSON
Master Gardener

Joyce Arleen Corson

SYRACUSE — Living plants for summer in zone 5b can be designed into a purposeful relationship to each other, their environment and those who choose to enjoy a personal creation for garden design.

First, consider the space available, direction of natural elements and lay of the land, drainage and percolation. The intention here is to display what can work with approximately, six hours of full sun each day. This will give consideration to color, special occasions, garden art, containers shrubs and trees. Also how plants help each other to honor the necessities they face.

This year, 2016, Indiana is celebrating 200 years of admission in the United States of America. From 1816 to 2016, we are proud of Indiana and hope the gardens illustrated will reflect this honor by featuring yellow and blue flowers in progressions through the seasons.

Many gardens are “works in progress” as we learn what will work and what needs to be restudied. In the first picture is a very small space outside my kitchen window. It is a space which I enjoy and can watch everyday. It is on the south west side of the house and receives four hours of sun during summer. In spring with out deciduous leaves it receives six hours of sunlight based on the sun gaining a position higher in the changing solar system

Picture One (photo provided)

In the first picture, color scheme is forget-me-not blue, a combination of Annual Firmament, Myosotis, and tete tete yellow daffodils. In the container garden, to the right, are growing perennials, blue bottle gentian, and yellow lilies, yellow Stella de Oro. The working together of these flowers is essential with the emerging tall leaves which will give the shade necessary for the flourishment of forget-me-not, helping to act as a ground cover retaining moisture. Both these species are water lovers and are terrific companions through the seasons. To keep the blue in the color scheme, some replacement Chinese forget-me-not, cynoglossum, are being grown in a cold frame. the chimnea is an example of functional, cast iron garden art.

Picture Two (photo provided)

In the second picture is another perennial garden selection with blue and yellow hosta. This is a rounded garden with a tree needed for shade as hostas do not necessarily like full sun. Krossa regal, Blue Angel and Halycon are good choices for blue. Here are some yellow hosta considerations; Sum and Substatance, Gold Standard and Tortilla Chip, check plant sticker for height and width. In the center is space reserved for the container planting.

Picture Three (photo provided)

The third picture shows a seasoned garden which encompasses the southeast side sloping, extending the charm of a summer kitchen.This is a spring design that has very efficiently painted a palette of color. The bulbs, forget-me-not and redbud tree are perennial so to speak. However the explanation was given as to the commensalism symbiotic relationship between forget-me-not and lilies was given earlier. Often forget-me-not are viewed as perennial which happens only with reseeding from the parent plant. The tall leaves of the lilies keeps this a secret. No deadheading allowed in this situation.

All these gardens present opportunity for daytime and night time, twilight and dawn, viewing in which hues change to enchance ones observation abilities to enjoy the beauty.

Corson is a graduate of Adams Central High School, Manchester University and Ball State University. She and her husband, Ron, were married and enjoyed many years of traveling before they settled at Lake Papakeechie to raise their family. Soon after moving to the Syracuse area, Corson joined the Syracuse/Wawasee Garden Club and then became a Kosciusko County Master Gardener in 2002, the same year she retired from teaching.

“Early on my interest in gardening came from a lineage of farmers and their wives, including three generations of generosity, giving me an enormous collection of heritage trees, shrubs and flowers. History and traveling has given me special interest in native flowers, hosta, the art of bonsai and many plants that have been naturalized.”

Individuals who wish to contact Corson for further information or questions may email her at [email protected]