James' Garden

James garden is under the 100-year-old oak tree located high on the hill near the back of our property. He likes to help his Dad weed the garden and plant new plants in the spring! James picked some of his favorite garden pictures to show you.

Visit each family member's garden

Spring photos

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Close up of an onion flower head.
Hosta garden.
The large pond in spring. Plants in the pond are cattails planted in pots. the pots have holes drilled in the bottom to allow some roots out to help anchor the plant to the rocks below.
Lamium or Dead Nettle is a fine ground cover for all sorts of shady conditions, including dry shade. This is probably Orchid Frost with purple flowers. Other varieties are commercially available, and there seems to be some spontaneous hybridization going on as well, with different shades of pink and yellow appearing throughout the garden. It generally holds it's appearance during summer and fall. Deer don't bother it.
This unnamed Kaufmanniana tulip is a reliable perennial, unlike most tulips. It blooms before the larger tulips and nearly all daffodils. It is a beautiful sight on a sunny early spring day!
Plum trees put on a great show every spring. Some varieties, including Toka, Pipestone and Superior produce good crops of plums. The downside of all plum trees is the short life span. Although one must replant frequently, they bloom profusely after only a couple of years. Compare this picture to the one of 6/1/2002 to see how they grow!
Vinca grow under the white pine trees and make an early spring appearance. They are reliable and spread but do not grow thickly enough to crowd out the weeds. Weeding is a pain! The pine needles provide a mulch and help control the weeds.
Maple flowers (develop into samaras) provide the honey bees with their first source of pollen used to feed the larva. This is an Autumn Spire maple and grows more slowly and is more upright than most maples. However, it is not a consistent performer and may decline in vigor with time if not perfectly happy. The leaves tend to turn red very early in the fall (the less vigorous the tree is the earlier the leaves turn).
The tree peony is an exotic plant for the Minnesota garden. It is hardy, but after a harsh winter it may bloom sparsely, or not at all. Try to buy plants on their own roots. Tree peonies and their cousin, the herbaceous peony, are very reliable early spring perennials.
The Allium Globemaster first breaks through the ground in April and blooms in June. It is one of the first bulbs to appear as the soil warms.
Early Stardrift. This is a wonderful bulb (www.dutchgardens.com). It is very attractive to bees. Whereas crocus tend to die out in our area, Stardrift flowers reliably and spreads slowly. It blooms for weeks before dying back to prepare for the next season. Great speciality bulb!
Bright yellow spring follage of the Ninebark contrasts with with the weathered three story wren house built by our carpenter, Chuck. A Toka plum tree is about to burst into bloom on the left. The Ninebark is a hardy shrub that has small white flowers in the spring. Older branches need to be pruned out every year or two.
A Red Splendor Crabapple tree is shown in the foreground and a Snowdrift is seen in the background. Crabapple trees are very popular here in Rochester. They are difficult to kill, and reliably bloom in the spring. The problem is that the bloom lasts only a week, and many become unsightly in the summer as disease takes it's toll on the foliage. The Red Splendor produces bright, red berries that persist throughout the winter. Early arriving robins eat them in the spring. They also attract the occasional pileated woodpecker.
Apple trees are hard to photograph! The blooms are not as robust and plentiful as plum trees. These apple blossoms are just opening, adding to their lack of pizzazz. However, there is nothing like a beautifully scented apple tree to shake off the winter blahs. This tree is probably a MacFree apple tree. It requires minimal spraying yet produces a worm and blemish free apple. THey taste great! Unfortunately, it does not appear to produce yearly.
The Autumn Blaze flowering or ornamental pear (the fruit is very small and not edible) is one of the few reliably hardy pear trees in Southern Minnesota. It blooms well after a mild winter, but may have a restricted bloom following a more severe winter. It's fall color is a beautiful red and is consistently one of the last trees to turn. Change of color is easily aborted with an early start to winter weather. Branch form is excellent, although this takes time. Shown here is a young tree that has not yet established good structure. Pruning requirements are minimal.
The Ninebark shrub in the background grows to about 8 feet. Old stalks need to be pruned out to maintain vigor and shape. The golden foliage is a welcomed sight in Spring, followed by white flowers. The leaves become a little ragged by Summer's end, and the Fall foliage is unremarkable. It loses its leaves slowly over the winter. In the foreground is a white Spirea that branches like a Bridlewreath Spirea, but it is smaller and with sturdier branches (help!).
Snow Drift Crabapple is a consistent bloomer and attractive to the bees. It is quite resistant to fungus and retains it's leaves during most summers. The orange apples are a big hit with the Cedar Waxwings in the fall.
We show this Carolina Lupine not so much for its beauty, but for it's uniqueness and reliability in a garden where the other lupines fail to thrive. Once the bloom is complete the Carolina Lupine needs to be cut back. It can also be easily divided in spring.
Viburnum, Arrowwood in full bloom. This is a totally reliable shrub that gets to be 10 x 10 feet in size. It turns burgundy in the fall.
Plum trees put on a great show every spring. Some varieties, including Toka, Pipestone and Superior produce good crops of plums. The downside of all plum trees is the short life span. Although one must replant frequently, they bloom profusely after only a couple of years.
Crown Imperial Fritillaria is one of the first bulbs to appear in the spring. Although difficult to establish, it becomes a reliable springtime bloomer. Yellow and variagated Crown Imperial Fritillaria also grow in the garden.
A wild thorned Hawthorne tree that was saved from the bulldozer when the backyard was cleared. It grows on a limestone hillside covered with a thin layer of soil and blooms reliably each year.
Meadowlark Forsythia is a fairly hardy early flowering shrub in our garden. It may not flower after a particularly long, cold winter. It needs to be thinned out every 2-3 years.
Here is a sample of the thousands of Daffodils that welcome Spring into our garden. Daffodils are totally deer and rabbit resistant (not many plants can claim that!), so they take the place of tulips and crocus in our garden.
Closeup shot of the Dewarf Korean Lilac. This shrub produces an incredible springtime aroma. It is easy to manage, grows in the shade, and looks respectable all summer!
The 'Pink Hawaiian Coral' Peony, is a relatively newcomer in the world of peonies. It is not quite as vigorous as the standard varieties here in Minnesota, but still it is very attractive.
Dewarf Korean Lilac is a wonderful choice of shrub for the late spring. The gardenia-like aroma is intoxicating! It likes sun but does well in shade. It should be pruned occasionally to remove suckers and to shape.
Once established, the Giant Allium is a survivor here in Minnesota. It blooms in late spring with the Siberian Iris and Tall Bearded Iris(background). It divides very slowly.
Red and white peonies come back year after year with minimal care. You can't go wrong with these plants. But remember, ants like them more than bees!
Peonies share the spotlight with a purple Siberian Iris. Peonies last for decades and falter only in persistently wet soil. Email us if you know the variety of this peony!

Summer photos

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Mass planting of Hosta. Regular spraying with Hinder keep the deer away. The yellow Hosta are deer resistant.
This yellow Asiatic Lily was purchased at Sam's Club many years ago and has outlived nearly all it's highly touted, expensive cousins. We have found that Asiatic Lilies tend to die out over the years, aggravated by increasing shade, poor soil, fungus and overcrowding. In general, the more exotic the Asiatic Lily the shorter it's lifespan!
The Cascading Begonia needs to be stored in a cool place during the winter (a ziplock plastic bag filled with shavings will do), but are worth the effort. Replant one or two bulbs in a hanging basket each spring and by early summer they will be blooming.
This is probably an Upland White Aster. It was obtained from Quebec, Canada several years ago and has thrived here in Minnesota. It tolerates poor soil, and blooms for a long time during the summer. It is not deer resistant!
Heliopsis helianthoides - Summer Sun Oxeye is one of the best Heliopsis in the Johnston Honey garden. It blooms throughout the summer and doesn't need deadheading. It reseeds just the right amount so there are some new plants each spring. The only downside is the aphid infestations that can occur later in the summer. It is fairly deer resistant.
The Knockout shrub rose is a fairly disease resistant new shrub rose that bloom profusely in early summer and again in late fall. The blooms will survive the first few frosts. However, contrary to the advertisements for this rose, it is not perfect. It is susceptible to fungus if planted in the wrong location and it is not super winter hardy. Mulching in the fall might improve survival. Regardless, Don recommnends it for mass plantings with the anticipation that 1-2 will need to be replaced each spring. The red Carpet Shrub rose is hardier and more disease resistant, and blooms about the same amount.
Helianthus 'Lemon Queen'. This is a very vigorous,. large sunflower. It blooms for 2 months, late in the summer when other perennials have long since given up. This plant is fully hardy in zone 4 and it tolerates some shade. Bees really love it!
Trumpet Lilies are a terrific plant....for 3-4 years. They tend to die out, either from a harsh winter, or a dry fall. If kept moist through summer and fall and mulched carefully in the winter, they may thrive. Trumpet liies spread their scent over the entire garden. A wire enclosure is necessary in Don's garden to keep the deer out. Even though the deer could nip at the branches protruding out of the enclosure, they seem to be afraid of the wire. Besides, in July there is a lot of desert items to chose from!

Fall photos

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A new duck pond has been built at the Johnston Honey Farm. The challanges are to find plants that tolerate heavy, wet clay soil, and are deer resistant. A portion of the garden surrounding the pond is shaded. So far, in descending order of shade tolerance, Monkshood (Arendsii Acontium), Miss Kim's Knee High Purple coneflower, Rudbeckia Goldstrum, Karl Forrester ornamental grass, and nepeta (Walker's Low) do the best.
Arendsii Acontium finally bloom in late October. This shade tolerant plant will survive several frosts before finall succumbing to winter. It is one of the first perennials back up through the newly thawed ground in spring. This plant is truly a 3 season perennial for the shade. It is poisonous if eaten (animals seem to know this without testing the plant first).
Orchid Frost Spotted Dead Nettle (Lamium). This is the best ground cover for dry shade. As a bonus it is completely deer resistant. A pink flower arises above the silvery foliage in spring. However, the greatest attraction of this plant is how attractive it appears thoughout the year. It spreads quickly but it is not invasive and it suppresses the weeds.
Orchid Frost Spotted Dead Nettle (Lamium). This is the best ground cover for dry shade. As a bonus it is completely deer resistant. A pink flower arises above the silvery foliage in spring. However, the greatest attraction of this plant is how attractive it appears thoughout the year. It spreads quickly but it is not invasive and it suppresses the weeds.
The American Cranberrybush gradually yields its crop of scarlet berries to the birds over the winter months. This shrub needs to be pruned regularly!
A bow of Silver feather ornamental grass hangs over the pond.

Winter photos

(10 photos) click on photo for larger view and caption

Guinea Fowl like it hot! This flock gradually diminished over the summer as owls, racoons and coyotes feasted on them.
Autumn Clematis really does smell sweet!
The wrens have left for a warmer place. Their song is one of the most welcomed sounds of spring.
The fountain in winter.
Winter amonst the Populars.
Thornless Hawthorne tree has a characteristic shape.
Winter scene.
Snow piles up on this winter morning. Paradoxically, a thick blanket of snow is good for the garden by providing insulation from the cold and wind.
Johnston Honey Jar

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