First Day of Spring Update: Patriot and Japanese Forest Grass

It's the first day of Spring, and we're in the middle of a 2 day cold snap with lows down to 27°F, no thanks! Anyway, here is an update on a few things I'm obsessively watching in my yard:

Hosta 'Patriot' is waking up already, about 15 days earlier than last year! I'm calling these the Eyes of March, get it? (Beware the Ides of March).

Below, I've never been more excited to see 3 teeny tiny sprouts of Japanese Forest Grass. It's alive! After being transplanted twice and eaten by rabbits down to the ground, it came back! On a side note, my forest grass (left) is about the same progress, albeit smaller, than my parents' in Dayton (right).

Below, here is a good sign, I've got new growth on my Pieris 'Passion' - my Japanese Andromeda shrub. I hope it grows 5 feet tall, it will look great next to my Japanese forest grass if they both live and reach full size. My side yards are looking particularly Asian with these and my Japanese painted fern and bamboo on the other side.

Pieris japonica 'Passion' new growth on Japanese Andromeda shrub

Here's hoping that the cold mornings don't kill off all this great progress. I think it will be fine since the hostas haven't opened up yet and especially my hydrangea haven't leafed out since those are the ones that experienced some frost damage last year. Who knows, still plenty of time for a cold front or even some April snow wouldn't be out of the question.

First day of Spring 2016

Ferns on the Menu in Latest Rabbit Attack

Curse you rabbits! The local cottontails struck again, once again hitting my ostrich fern [Matteuccia struthiopteris], Japanese forest grass [Hakonechloa macra], and this time the Japanese painted fern [Athyrium nipponicum 'Pictum'] on the other side of my house too.

A young Japanese painted fern with rabbit damage

My precious baby Japanese forest grass undergoing its third devastating attack

Tiny new ostrich fern sprout compromised by rabbit snacking

 The rabbits seem to come through in waves. They must have other places they patrol as well, because they aren't in my utility box planter during the day - although I know this is their home base in my yard because I scared one out of here one morning.

I know exactly where they hide at night, so it's my own fault I guess. This is the only brush in the whole neighborhood, so it makes sense they would be here and nibble on things close to this area.

I sprinkled more repellent in the brushy area and around a couple of the plants they seem to like. I'm not ready to start putting chicken wire cylinders around all my young fleshy sprouts just yet, but so far the repellents don't seem to be working too well.

What's Eating My Japanese Forest Grass?

Haven't you ever heard of picking on someone your own size? This poor Japanese forest grass has been through a lot. It's just barely hanging on after being transplanted on July 4, and it was just starting to sprout a new shoot - when what do I find?? Chew marks! Snipped stems!

My guess is this is a sure sign of rabbits.

Looks like teeth marks to me

They bit off one of the 3 green stems, that's a big hit to this struggling plant!

Sliced clean through

We haven't had any rabbits, chipmunks, squirrels, or any other mammals move into our neighborhood yet. When they built all the houses, they basically stripped the whole area down to clay. Since then we are seeing plenty of bugs, worms, even frogs and toads - but no signs of mammals until now.

Since other blogs indicate rabbits eat Japanese forest grass, and since this plant is in my side yard and not protected by my dog fence, it seems like the best answer.

This was the new growth coming through a couple days ago, but this morning it was sliced clean to the ground. I'm hoping at least the roots are strong enough to make it through the winter, because above ground we are down to just 2 green stems and a few leaves!

Japanese Forest Grass Finally Taking Root

I got this tiny Hakonechloa macra Japanese Forest Grass from my dad on the 4th of July, and it was very tiny and didn't have much of a root ball on it when it made the car trip from Dayton to Indianapolis. All things considered, this little guy held on for a couple months and didn't kick the bucket. 

Now, I'm super excited to see that it's actually putting up a tiny bamboo-looking sprig of new growth. This is surely a sign that root production has been going well, and the thing is actually going to start growing!

Here is a before and after from July 4 to August 25:

And here's a close up of the teenie tiny new growth:

Hakonechloa macra - Japanese Forest Grass putting on new growth for the first time since transplant

Say Hello: 4th of July New Additions

Welcome home new additions! I got a back seat full of plants coming home from my parents' house. Lots of new fun for the shade garden in the side yard, and some Shasta daisies to help hide the utility boxes in the front. I got up at 7am today and did 3 hours of yard work - whew!

Ostrich fern - Matteuccia struthiopteris

Ostrich fern - Matteuccia struthiopteris

Got a clump with 2 heads from my dad. I put them in my side yard in the place where a Hosta died last Fall. It's a little floppy, and I don't like that it touches the house, but hopefully when it puts up new fronds they are more upright. When a few more of these come in, it will definitely make the side yard look more like a nice forest floor.

Shasta Daisy - Leucanthemum × superbum 'Becky'

Shasta Daisy - Leucanthemum × superbum 'Becky'

Got 2 clumps from my dad to take home with me. I planted them on the neighbor's side of the utility box with their permission (they pretty much said I could do whatever I want). They are nice and tall and don't require staking. They spent the night in a garbage bag so hopefully they root in before the weather gets too hot. It should be upper 70's low 80's all week, so I think they've got a shot.

Japanese forest grass - Hakonechloa macra

Japanese forest grass - Hakonechloa macra

This little sprig doesn't look like much now, but hopefully by next year it will be a nice 3 foot wide bushy bamboo-ish grassy clump. I want to use Japanese forest grass in several places around my side yards, and it all starts with this bunch I got from my dad. It's not much to look at now, but it's alive!

European wild ginger - Asarum europaeum

European wild ginger - Asarum europaeum

I'm really excited to see what this European wild ginger does in a couple years. I got this clump from my parents' house. It was all over their side yard - I guess it pops up all over the place - here's hoping it naturalizes and mixes in well. So far my side yard plants are all neatly plopped down, and I'm trying to get used to the idea of them touching and overlapping and blending in to create an overall lush bed.


Shenandoah Switch Grass - Panicum virgatum 'Shenandoah'

Shenandoah Switch Grass - Panicum virgatum 'Shenandoah'

Got this for $1 from Lowe's sale table, looked like shit, fungus on leaves, only 4 stems, planted in part shade to hopefully hide electric meter. It's worth a shot for only a buck! I won't get too attached until I see that it's growing again. It probably should be planted in full sun, but if I can get it rooted and up to 3 feet it'll do wonders for hiding the meter. It's a little more out in the open right by the garage so not really deep shade. 

Cut a tiny piece off the larger of the two Karl Foerster for the back side and moved the iris to block the shorter Comcast box

Moved some more Siberian iris to the backyard for full sun rehab

Side yard looking much more lush with the fern. Just need a few coral bells to mix in. Thinking about hiding the AC with a boxwood.

Other side of the wet shade garden, hoping to add some astilbe next year