The Madman’s Brugmansia Path
The madman’s Brugmansia path is looking good. It has taken a long time to get here. You see, it was one of those garden projects that kept getting moved to the back burner – probably because the prospect seemed daunting.
Let me explain. We had the back patio with its all-important grill. About 48’ away we had the Treehouse with its all-important dining area. Between the two was a stretch of grass; the madman would never go so far as to call it a lawn. Every summer it turned into a brown wasteland of dead grass and weeds. Ants were the only things that seemed to like it.
What Do We Do?
So, every summer we would have the discussion of what to do with this area. Creating a path sounded like our best solution. That would make it easy for the madman to carry his freshly roasted vegetables from the grill to the Treehouse. But what kind of a path? That was always the stumbling block.
We first thought a 3’ wide path would be ideal. And we could easily push a wheelbarrow or pull a wagon on it. We already created a path from the Treehouse to the side door using 12” square pavers. An extension to the path would be easy. But when we realized how many pavers we needed we were shocked. We went back to the drawing board. We thought about other materials from woodchips to the old dock under the cottage at the lake. Nothing stirred our fancy, and we tried to convince ourselves that the brown wasteland was okay.
Lucky Break
But, then a couple of planks on our bridge (yes, our driveway crosses a brook) broke. When the first one goes, we know that the rest will soon follow. So, we replaced all 39 of the 4”x6”x12’ beams. They would no longer safely support a car, but they were perfect to edge a path of stones.
As luck would have it, we were planning to move the old Greenhouse to a new foundation in the backyard. Friend Bill, the mastermind of this project, was planning to use the best planks for the foundation of the Greenhouse. We transformed the rest into our new path – planks for the edge, stones for the center: no more dead grass and a nice pervious surface.
While waiting for the delivery of the new Greenhouse and the moving of the old Greenhouse, we took a quick road trip to Longwood Gardens. True to form, this DuPont estate provided inspiration – this time a new way to look at our path.
Beautiful Smells
While strolling down one of their garden paths at night, we were struck by the wonderful fragrance of the giant Brugmansias planted along the edge. And when I say giant, I mean giant – these plants towered over the madman and their scent filled the air. What a lovely Brugmansia path!
The madman said, “I want.” We loved the effect and began to wonder how to create it on a smaller scale along our new path. Our solution was to create cut-outs in the lawn along the path and place large potted plants in each one.
This year we didn’t have enough Brugmansias for each cut-out, so we filled some spots with potted Canna Lilies and specimens from the madman’s Conifer collection. We love the effect, but the key plant is the Brugmansia with its evening fragrance.
Wonderful Genus
The genus Brugmansia, often referred to as Angel’s Trumpet, is interesting. It hails from the foothills of the Andes Mountains in South America and contains seven species. It is cultivated all over the world and is considered invasive in Australia and other exotic places. But it is extinct in the wild. How’s that for a plant paradox?
Current thinking is that its seed-dispersal system involved a large four-footed animal that is also extinct. Without its seed-dispersal system, the plant died off in the wild. But then, why does it still exist?
Leave It To The Experts
For the answer, we need to look at the chemical properties of the plant. I like it for its lovely fragrance and gorgeous blooms. But that’s not what kept it going in our world. The plant is poisonous – all parts of the plant are poisonous. This plant is chock-full of Belladonna alkaloids. And you know what those will do, right? Okay, so you don’t, but the madman does. These compounds can cause sweating, blurred vision, heart problems, hallucinations and most likely death with high exposure. This is not something you want to put in your salad – even touching it can cause you some problems. So, if you have kids or pets, look for something else.
Propagation
The priests and shamans of ancient cultures revered the plant for its hallucinogenic properties. They knew how much to use in their rites and ceremonies, so they kept the plant going in captivity. Luckily for the shamans of old, Brugmansias are a perennial surviving easily in warmer climates. But, also, it is easily propagated by cuttings. Spring is the best time to take tip cuttings whereas stem cuttings are best started in the fall.
For tip cuttings, look for a 4-6” long top section and use pruning shears to cut ¼” below a leaf node. Strip the lower leaves and dip the cutting into a rooting hormone. I prefer to let the stem sit in water, but if you prefer, you can use loose, moist soil. I have never tried stem cuttings, but I have been told that a 6” woody stem placed horizontally on moist potting soil easily roots from the nodes along the stem.
Seeds
Lots of sources recommend against starting Brugmansias from seed. So, of course, the madman had to try it. We ordered seeds from a source in the United Kingdom, Plant World Seeds. We soaked them for 24 hours, then transferred them to flats filled with loose potting soil and covered lightly. As recommended, the madman placed the flats on a heating pad. Germination takes a long time, so have patience. That was hard for the madman. After a couple of months, we had a few Brugmansia seedlings.
Between these and cuttings this fall, we should have plenty of Brugmansias for next year’s Brugmansia path.
Over-wintering
Since the plant is hardy to Zones 9-10, we cut them back and overwinter the plants in a dark corner of our basement. The madman waters sparingly, unlike during the growing season when the plants demand at least 3” of water each week. It’s also a very heavy feeder and can require liquid fertilizer twice a week. This may seem like a lot of work, but the end product is worth every bit of it.
You probably won’t want a Brugmansia path like the madman or the gardeners at Longwood Gardens, but a specimen or two would look lovely on a sunny patio. We got our first one at Logee’s Greenhouse, but most nurseries sell Brugmansias. Since the plant is easy to hybridize, there are lots of choices out there – none will disappoint.
Since our last blog, we have gotten an awful lot of rain – too much in fact. But, things are starting to dry out and our Brugmansias need a hit of fertilizer. Before we do that, we’ll enjoy a cold glass of lemonade.
