Garden Siren Call

Hosta Sieboldiana, as seen in front of a sign (above), and up close (top). The name is innocuous: Hosta Sieboldiana or "Elegans." The plant, however, is mighty and strong. Put in various tough circumstances (think poor soil, too much sun, indifferent care) it comes up, flowers, and thrives to huge extremes. The impressive durability of this hosta reminds me of a story: A person I have interviewed is a specialist in getting rid of bedbugs in homes. This is a messy, scary, necessary task in some home settings, especially as the bugs become used to various chemical treatments. One time he was curious: How tough are these bugs? He put some in a plastic bag during a frigid week in Davenport. After several days in subzero conditions there was still life in the bedbugs! Yikes! The Sieboldiana is similar. Two years ago, several of these hosta plants were donated to a garden I helped to establish. I'd been wresting with the ones we had at home. I took one look and s...

Creeping Charlie is an invasive plant in many states. At top, I've pulled all of it out of an area; above, I'm working on part of what is a "gutter" running next to cobbie stone border. Our home is in rural Scott County, and we own about an acre of land. The fact that it's in a rural area, and includes landscaping, adds up to be space for a common criminal in the groundcover world: Creeping Charlie. This plant, useful in some ways, goes wild when uncontrolled. It is very, very prolific. My war has gone on for years, but I am determined. Last week I pulled Creeping Charlie out of my husband's veggie garden. This raised bed is easy on the back muscles but Creeping Charlie was everywhere. I filled two 15-gallon containers, and one of those large, paper, yard waste bags. This week I was on hands and knees, pulling Creeping Charlie out of the "gutters" that edge the cobbie stone boundaries of the garden areas in the yard. That's when I...