Lynn O’Shaughnessy’s breathtaking garden layout is loaded with native plants and is a haven for pollinators

by Lisa Steinkopf

If a plane flew over Lynn O’Shaughnessy’s property, I’m sure it would circle and fly over again, just to see the spectacle. Lynn’s circle garden is beautiful from ground level, but is stunning from above. After initially seeing Lynn’s garden on a tour, we later met to talk about what inspired her to build the circle garden and why she decided to plant only native plants.

The very first time I attended a garden walk at Lynn’s was before the circle garden was built. Her sunny gardens were bursting with color and her hosta garden in the woods was exceptional. But the shade got deeper and the deer hungrier, so she decided to concentrate on a new garden. (That said, she also is revamping the hosta area into a native planting.)

The second time I toured her property, the hosta area was roped off, while her perennial beds and the new circle garden were the stars of the show. Lynn was giving a circle garden tour to a few attendees. I took photos and listened from afar, and could feel the pure joy and love of the garden radiating from Lynn as she described the new space. She has a passion for native plants and has created an exceptional garden to demonstrate that native plants don’t have to look like roadside weeds. The gorgeous garden is both well planned and well executed.

Garden conception

What brought about her interest in native plants? In 2018, she investigated how her garden could become a monarch waystation, and began adding plants that monarchs would love. She started seeing other butterflies as well. The new plants she had incorportated were natives, and she was seeing more butterflies than ever. She decided to start gardening with a purpose—to support the pollinators.

In the winter of 2019, a friend showed her an aerial photo of the lavender labyrinth at Cherry Point Farm in Shelby, Michigan. The center was a circular garden with a 12-point geometric design. Instantly, she knew this would be the garden design for her native plants.

She researched the layout and found it was a sacred geometry design known as torus vesica piscis. Using the design as the center, she created a vision board with pictures of the many native plants she wanted to incorporate into the design.

Building the garden

Lynn created the garden independently, except for the ground preparation, fencing, and irrigation. The garden is 100 feet wide and the fencing keeps the deer, turkeys, and rabbits out. The robins are still a problem, scratching and throwing soil onto the walkways. Lynn lives on 10 acres, so there are plenty of critters to keep out of the garden.

The contractors removed eight inches of topsoil and replaced it with sandy loam. They also installed an irrigation system. The rest was done with Lynn’s muscle power using a shovel and wheelbarrow. The walkways between the beds are gravel instead of grass so there would be no need to mow. Lynn chose brick edging to keep it neat and clean (the robins don’t understand that part).

It took her three months to get the garden ready to start planting the next year. The next spring, she worked for two more months and the circle garden was finished. She purchased some plants from native plant nurseries, and also grew many things, sowing seeds in her greenhouse. One of the helpful garden features for visitors is that every plant has a sign with its common and botanical name. The entire garden consists of perennials, except for two shrubs: shrubby St. John’s wort (Hypericum prolificum) and New Jersey tea (Ceanothus americanus). She has flowers blooming from April through the fall and everything is cut down to six inches in late fall.

Pollinator lessons

This native garden is grown for pollinators. I saw so many as I walked through the garden with Lynn. She knew them all. How did she learn to identify them? She discovered the website www.bugguide.net, created by Iowa University. You can send in your “bug” picture, and they will do their best to identify it.

As we walked around the garden, here are a few things I learned from Lynn, in no particular order:

• Bunnies don’t eat bee balm (Monarda).
• Wool carder bees use lamb’s ear wool for their nests.
• The clustered mountain mint (Pycnanthemum muticum) has the most diverse selection of pollinators. Lynn photo-documented 26 different pollinators on it while it was blooming.
• Golden Alexander (Zizia aurea) is a host plant for the black swallowtail, a resident in every Michigan county.
• Lynn’s favorite flower is bottle gentian (Gentiana andrewsii) because the blue flowers never fully open. In the late summer, our native bumblebee pollinates it by pushing its way in. She likes this plant’s interesting story.
• White turtlehead (Chelone glabra) is the host of the Baltimore checkerspot butterfly. The caterpillars overwinter in the leaf litter and become butterflies in the spring. This is unusual, as most butterflies don’t overwinter as larvae. This is a good reason to leave your flower beds messy in the fall.
• I saw many different insects and many looked like bees to me. Yet, many were flies. How do you tell the difference? Flies have short antennae, two wings, and big eyes. Bees, on the other hand, have longer antennae, four wings, and small, oblong eyes.
• Northern blazing star (Liatris) is the biggest butterfly magnet when blooming. The other plants are ignored when this is in bloom. Lynn took a photo with 11 monarchs in the picture at one time. 
• Pearly everlasting (Anaphalis margaritacea) is the host for the American lady butterfly. Lynn has seen 40 to 50 caterpillars on the plant, and they completely defoliated it. The plant recovered and bloomed 4 to 5 weeks later.

In its fourth year, the garden looked amazing and seemed much more established than a four-year-old garden. Lynn takes a drone photo every Friday to record the progression of growth and flowering. She hosts garden clubs and other groups, giving them tours of the garden (by appointment only). I learned so much from Lynn about pollinators and native plants. If you have a chance to tour her garden, don’t miss it. It is an amazingly beautiful place, buzzing with life.

Lisa Steinkopf is The Houseplant Guru (www.thehouseplantguru.com).

After a career in horticulture, Julie Buttigieg now focuses on her own garden and the results are magnificent

Text and photos by Lisa Steinkopf

As you drive by the Buttigieg home, it only takes one glance to know a serious gardener lives there. Yet the front yard is just a hint of what the back garden holds. On this three-acre property, there is not only an extensive fairy garden and hundreds of hostas, but also a roughly 16,000-gallon koi pond. What’s even more amazing: in 2015 none of it existed except the front yard cherry tree. Two years later in 2017, the garden was on its first garden walk.

Let’s start at the beginning of Julie Buttigieg’s journey in horticulture. She attended Michigan State University where she studied floriculture. From there she landed a job at Weber Brothers Greenhouses, where she worked until it closed when I-696 was built. Originally from Dearborn, her mom told her about an employment ad for a horticulturist at Greenfield Village. That was 1977. Julie ended up working at Greenfield Village for 38 years, retiring in 2015. Mom knows best, right?

It was originally a florist position, making flower arrangements for different areas in the village and banquets held there. She was also an assistant in the greenhouse, planting window boxes and hanging baskets, and caring for the gardens around the planters. Julie also taught adult education classes, including wreath making, table centerpieces, and Christmas décor. In the early 1980s when the greenhouse manager retired, Julie took over and oversaw all the containers and gardens in the village, including growing the plants for them.

A progression of ponds

Julie and her husband lived in Livonia until 2015. They had a koi pond there—I remember visiting the garden on pond tours in 2012 and 2014. Their garden also had been on the Livonia garden walk in 1998 and 2002. At that time, their yard wasn’t particularly large and was filled with a swing set and sandbox for many years for their young son. When those playthings were no longer needed, building a pond became Julie’s focus.

She started small with a 300-gallon pond. When that became too tight, she moved up to 1,500 gallons. Then that became a 6,000-gallon pond, which was still too cramped—the growing fish were knocking the plant pots off the underwater shelves. The new 8,500-gallon pond had no shelves, so the plants couldn’t be knocked over. Then with retirement, Julie and her husband decided to move to a larger piece of property in Fenton. Happily, the new owners of their Livonia home kept the pond and have also been on the pond tour.

When the Buttigiegs decided to move to a new house, they built the pond first to move their koi, which are now 18 to 20 years old and up to 38 inches long. They bought the new house in October 2014, but didn’t move in until the next July when the pond was finished. The koi are much loved pets and the couple wanted to be sure the fish had a new home to live in before the move. Amazingly, these fish can live 60 to 80 years.

This also gave the Buttigiegs time to dig up and divide the perennials in their previous garden and bring them to the new property. As far as the new pond goes, it is seven feet deep and holds 15,800 gallons of water. It is a long way from the 300-gallon pond Julie started with. There are drains and aerators to take the waste out and filter the water (using a bakki tower system). During winter the fish stay in the pond, which is covered. The water temperature is lowered slowly to 48 degrees starting in October and then gradually warmed back up starting in March. The fish rest and eat nothing for about two months of the year.

Plants and collections

Another collection that moved from Livonia to their new garden was an extensive fairy garden. A castle is the focal point and was the piece that turned Julie on to fairy gardening. The current fairy garden is much larger than before and includes many small vignettes. The large house and castle stay outside all winter, but the rest is put away—a big job.

When they chose this property, it was bare and hilly, so the Buttigiegs hired professionals to do some hardscaping. They had the pond dug, a fence installed around the pond, and stone steps and a patio constructed. Two large boulder walls were built to make level areas for the patio and the area around the pond. Then Julie filled the garden with lovely perennials, shrubs, and annuals. The garden became her new full-time job; she now loves working in her own garden.

One of her favorite plants is coleus—she has collected over 75 varieties. Julie takes cuttings of each one every fall and grows them under lights in her basement. She nurtures 10 flats of coleus cuttings, which amounts to 320 plants. She also has a fuchsia called ‘Billy Green’ that she has taken cuttings from and overwintered for 20 years. Julie also overwinters the Rex begonias she grows in pots in the mixed border.

Her third-generation Christmas cactus goes outside for the summer. This special plant belonged to her grandmother. Julie’s mom then took it to her schoolroom for many years, but after she retired, Julie inherited the plant and has now enjoyed it for over 20 years. I love family plants and the stories behind them.

Repelling the deer

On the Buttigieg property, one of the notable things was the lack of chewed plants by the deer. We all know hostas are deer magnets and Julie’s garden has hundreds of them. So, of course, I asked her secret. It is an intensive regimen that includes Bobbex animal repellent, Milorganite, and Green Screen deer and rabbit repellent. She uses all three deterrents to keep those pesky herbivores away. Milorganite, a granular “aromatic” fertilizer, is scattered in the garden every week like chicken feed. Maybe that’s one of the reasons her plants are so beautiful. She also sprays Bobbex every 7 to 10 days if it is rainy or twice a month if it is drier, as it eventually washes off. She uses over six gallons each time. And lastly, she hangs Green Screen in small bags on hooks around the garden. This regime seems to work, as I saw not one nibbled plant.

I also noticed the absence of mosquitoes. While Julie doesn’t spray for them, the homeowner’s association does. She requested that they not spray her garden, and they honor that, but the spray around the perimeter seems to work. Julie uses no insecticides or herbicides. She has dogs and, of course, fish, so her yard cannot be sprayed. If sprays landed in the pond, they could kill the fish.

This amazing garden filled with gorgeous plants, fanciful fairies, and mature fish is not to be missed. Julie, a member of the Open Gate Garden Club, works in the garden 10 to 12 hours a day in the spring and 2 to 3 hours daily in the summer. This is a well-tended garden, and it shows!

Lisa Steinkopf is The Houseplant Guru (www.thehouseplantguru.com).

Bob Koenders shares pointers on how to best grow this popular flower

Photos by Sandie Parrott
Bob Koenders demonstrates how to cut sunflowers: strip the lower leaves and cut diagonally with a sharp, clean boxcutter, and place immediately in water with preservative.by Sandie Parrott

When Koenders married the love of his life, Judy, they used lots of happy sunflowers for their wedding. In fact, sunflowers and even sunflower bouquets for the bride are becoming more popular for weddings according to Koenders. Florists in the area didn’t even know they wanted sunflowers when Koenders started experimenting with varieties. “I grew about 50 different varieties until I found about 5 that I grow every year.” They are all the pollenless varieties. “Now the demand is so high, the florists are calling me!” he exclaims.

At dusk, a field of sunflowers begin to turn their heads toward the setting sun. Notice the hilled rows of soil that help support the heavy plants.A little bit of history

According to the National Sunflower Association, the wild sunflower is native to North America, but commercialization of the plant was done by Russia. It was only somewhat recently that the sunflower plant “returned” to America. Native Americans first developed the wild sunflower into a single-headed plant with a variety of seed colors including black, red, white, and striped black and white. Some archeologists suggest that sunflowers may have been domesticated before corn. The Native Americans used the sunflower seed for grinding into flour, trail snacks, purple dyes, body painting, ceremonial, and medicinal uses. Sunflower oil was used for making bread, as well as on skin and hair. The dried stalks were even used for building materials. 

The large Russian varieties are still available today. Names like ‘Mammoth Russian,’ ‘Russian Giant,’ ‘Tall Russian,’ and ‘Mammoth’ are all typical varieties sold as giant sunflowers, along with all the new American, European and Asian hybrids. Koenders says identifying sunflowers can be a problem—there are always several names for essentially the same plant. He advises purchasing seed from reputable sources if you want a plant that grows true to the variety.

This unopened bud of ‘Sunrich Gold’ is still too early to cut but still beautiful and pollenless like most of Koenders’ sunflowers.Cutting sunflowers

Giant sunflowers wouldn’t work well as cut flowers, according to Koenders. They would be difficult to sell, handle (you practically need a chain saw to cut them) and use in a vase (the stalks are too thick and long). Koenders’ goals for the ideal cut sunflower: no pollen, 1/2-inch thick stem of about 3 feet in length, straight with a perfect flower head (held high) about 3 to 5 inches across. A “perfect” flower means no disfiguration, consistent color, and no diseases or pests.

During cutting, most of the leaves are stripped in one quick motion, leaving only the large ones by the head, and then a sharp box cutter is used to swiftly and cleanly cut the stem at an angle by the plant’s base. Cut flowers go directly into a solution of preservative and bleach until he delivers them, usually within 24 hours. Koenders and his hardy workers cut 7 days a week, 1,000 to 1,500 stems a day, which is just under 100,000 flowers annually.

This ‘Sunrich Gold’ sunflower is open too far to be cut for the floral industry. It will be sold directly at a farmers’ market or roadside stand.Growing sunflowers for cutting

The process begins with purchasing F1 (first generation) pollenless seed of proven varieties from quality sources. “It is more costly, but the plants are far superior. Saving seed means genetic variance, which can be good or bad,” Koenders comments. “Reusing seed means colors and sizes vary from plant to plant and stems can be weak, since it is open-pollinated (uncontrolled pollination by wind, insects, or birds). For homeowners, give it a try—it is fun to see what you get, but I can’t afford the risk.”

The other big component is good soil, and his farm has wonderful lake bed loam. Koenders monitors his soil, testing it every one to three years, depending on diseases or pests during that time, not just because he is an agronomist, but to check the levels of nitrogen and other nutrients. “Nitrogen is important for sunflowers. Nitrogen leaches out, but too much makes them leggy with large leaves.”

Seeds are started April 1 in the greenhouse. Sunflowers germinate in cool temperatures (45 to 50 degrees), and starting in early May seedlings are planted in the field. Seeds are started and plants are moved to the field every 7 to 10 days for about 10 successive plantings. “We can’t have them all in bloom at once, since we can’t harvest and sell all at once,” says Koenders. A tip he shares is to mound up the soil around the base of the plant to help support the stem. He continues to mound the soil while they are growing to help support the plant and to bury weeds. The mounded earth can get as high as a foot by the time the flowers are cut. He cautions, however, to not cover any leaves. 

Plants are set close together (6 to 12 inches) for support and to keep the plant size manageable, but he recommends up to two feet in a backyard situation for larger flowers. Rows are about 3 feet apart for cultivation. Pruning is important for florist quality blooms. Koenders prunes excessively to produce the type of perfect flower you expect to see at the florist.

“Sunflowers have a bad reputation with some people. Although they are pretty, many people think they don’t last, heads droop, and the stems are too thick,” Koenders laments. “This is because some sunflowers are dry-shipped from long distances like South America with their foliage stripped off.” According to Koenders, local pollenless sunflowers should have thinner stems and heads held high, and last 7 to 10 days in a vase (out of direct sunlight).

So the next time you want to brighten one of your late summer or fall days, pick up some cut sunflowers. You now know what qualities to be looking for.

Sandie Parrott is a garden writer and photographer who lives and gardens in Oakland County, MI.

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Fun facts about sunflowers

• Sunflower’s scientific name is Helianthus; Helios meaning “sun” and anthos meaning “flower.”
• Sunflower heads track the sun’s movement; this phenomenon is called heliotropism.
• Sunflowers can grow up to 12 inches a day during the peak of the growing season. They are more photosynthetic than many other plants and better utilize the sun for growth.
• Sunflowers (certain varieties) yield up to 40 percent of their weight in oil.
• Sunflower stems were used as filling for life jackets.
• Sunflowers are considered a popular art form because of their “human-like” characteristics, such as the “head” and the similar height to humans. 
• Sunflower leaves are cupped to channel the water down the stem.
• Sunflowers were worshipped by the Aztecs.
• Sunflower heads consist of 1,000 to 2,000 individual flowers joined by a receptacle base. The large petals around the edge of the sunflower head are individual ray flowers which do not develop into seed.
• The world record tallest sunflower (25 feet, 5-1/2 inches) was grown in the Netherlands in 1986.
• The world record sunflower with the largest head (32-1/4 inches in diameter) was grown in Canada in 1983.
• The world record sunflower with the most heads (837) was grown in Michigan in 2001.

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How to grow sunflowers – Tips from Bob Koenders

Light – All day sun.

Soil type – Not particular about type, but must have good drainage. Ideal pH range is 6.5 to 7.5.

Moisture – Water to start seeds and seedlings; water older plants during dry spells; they are drought tolerant, but will wilt when they need water.

Seed depth – Approximately 1/4 to 1 inch deep; very easy to germinate and grow.

Soil temperature for germination – 45 to 50 degrees.

Sowing – Sow seeds in successive plantings for cut flowers throughout the summer and fall.

Spacing – 6-12 inches for smaller varieties and up to 24 inches for larger varieties; allow at least 3 feet between rows for cultivation and air circulation.

Staking – May be required, unless grown closer together or up against a fence. Mound soil around base to support plant.

Fertilizing – Watch the salts. Sunflowers are very salt sensitive.

Pinching – Useful for forcing side shoots or pushing all the energy into one head.

Cutting – Plants should be cut when the bud is just beginning to open and is showing a little of the petal color. Strip off most of the lower leaves but leave larger ones by the head. Cut at an angle with a sharp and clean tool. Put in water with preservative immediately.

Height – Ranges from dwarf plants of 1-2 feet to giants of 15 feet or more.

Colors – Available colors range from white and cream, to all shades of yellow through to orange, red and burgundy. Centers can be yellow, green, brown, black, and black and white.

Recommended varieties – Gold-orange: ‘Soraya,’ ‘Sunrich,’ ‘Pro-Cut’ and ‘Sonja.’ Burgundy: ‘Moulin Rouge’ and ‘Prado Red.’