By Rosemary Verey Autumn is approaching – here are some tips to ease the gardener into that time of mists and mellow fruitfulness. September is the start of autumn, when nature is having a final fling of beauty before quieting down for winter. And it is helpful to prepare a program or campaign for your autumn activity. We will be taking cuttings of our doubtfully hardy and tender favourites – verbenas, diascias, felicias, argyranthemums and pelargoniums. Do not forget the violas, rock roses, dianthus and fuchsias that are useful for infilling after the tulips are over. Most of our cuttings go on the mist bench, carefully noted with the name, number and date. If you don’t have the facilities to create a mist, put these cuttings in pots with a polythene bag over the top to conserve moisture. Hardwood cuttings are easy. We have a well-drained shady bed where cuttings 10-12 inches long are lined out, with half their length buried. For an extra shrub or two put these round the parent plant. By late spring they will have enough roots to move them to their permanent home. Try ribes, spiraea, privet, rue, honeysuckle, philadelphus, weigela, hebes and willows. Seed gathering continues into the September program. Gather seeds in paper bags, then transfer them into sealed envelopes and store them in your fridge. Sow some now in drills and watch out for slugs eating the young growth. We order new bulbs every August, many of you may have done the same. Some crocuses, both species and Dutch, scillas and puschkinias and others ring the changes, and keep up a selection each year. Plant the prepared hyacinths in September so they are in flower at Christmas. Paper white narcissus are wonderful for forcing. Put them on the surface of a flat…
By Garden Helpers Let’s keep those flowers and foliage looking good during the “Dog Days”! Here are a few August gardening tasks and projects that you can do to help keep your garden looking it’s best for the rest of this season. Watering Watering can be the biggest task this month particularity if the weather gets hot. Vegetable gardens, most flowering plants, and the lawn all need about one inch of water every week to keep them green and looking nice. Be sure to water thoroughly, and deeply each time you water. When possible, do your watering in the morning or early afternoon so the soil has a chance to warm up before the cooler evening hours set in. Deep watering will induce the plant’s roots to grow deeper, where they are less likely to dry out, as well as the added benefit of anchoring the plant into the ground better. Light, surface watering actually wastes water, because the water never actually reaches the root zone of the plant, and the moisture rapidly evaporates from the top inch of soil. The best way to tell if your plants are receiving enough water is to take a trowel or shovel and dig down a few inches. The soil should be moist at least 3 or 4 inches deep to insure that the water is reaching the root zone of the plants. Of course, if you planted drought resistant plants in your garden, you won’t have to water as often, but the principal of deep watering still applies. Be sure to check the hanging baskets and container grown plants every day during hot weather and about every second day on moderate summer days. Don’t just check the surface… Push your finger an inch or two into the soil to be sure there…
By: Michael J. McGroarty Don’t be afraid to trim those flowering shrubs and trees that need it. Failure to prune is probably the biggest gardening mistake a person can make. I spent 20 years landscaping homes and businesses, and I watched people make the investment in my services, then they failed to prune when the plants needed it, and before you know it their landscape looks terrible. If you make a mistake pruning, don’t worry about it. It’s like a bad haircut, it will grow out. Of course use common sense and read the previous articles that I’ve written on pruning. Along with summer time comes high humidity. High humidity can cause a lot of problems with the plants in your garden and around your house. One of the simple things you can do is don’t water just before dark. Make sure your plants are nice and dry when you tuck them in for the night and you can cut down of the chance fungus being a problem. One of the more common fungi that I get asked about a lot is powdery mildew. This appears as a white film on the leaves of ornamental plants. Dogwoods and Purple Sandcherry are often the victim of powdery mildew. Powdery mildew isn’t extremely harmful to the plants, it’s just that the foliage is damaged, and little growing takes place once it sets in. Your local garden center will have a general fungicide you can spray if you’d like to try and control it. Usually once the plant defoliates in the fall the plant is back to normal. If you have perennial rye grass in your lawn, you must be careful not to leave your grass wet at night. There is a fungus known as pythium blight that appears in very humid conditions….
By Rita Jacinto The inspiration for this column began at the local shopping mall. Yeah, I know it is a pretty bizarre place to get any kind of inspiration let alone gardening inspiration but sometimes you just have to go with the flow. You see sitting out front of one of the mega stores was a WWII veteran and what looked like his grandson. On the shaky card table were a bunch of red silk poppies and a can for donations. I always put some money in the can and get a poppy to wear. It’s a habit I picked up from my Dad when I was a little kid. He always bought a poppy and kept it in the visor of his truck. I didn’t know why he did this exactly except that it had something to do with the war. He was a veteran of WWII and since he is no longer around to buy his poppy I do it for him. That old vet sitting at his table a few weeks before Memorial Day got me wondering about the story of the red poppy. There are many kinds of poppies but the poppy mentioned in John McCrae’s poem “In Flanders Fields”, was found growing in the fields of Flanders and often referred to as Flanders Poppy is actually Papaver rhoeas more commonly called Corn Poppy. This Mediterranean native is found growing in cultivated fields all over southern Europe. Its legend reaches back thousands of years. They have been found in Egyptian tombs dating back 3,000 years. There is a drawing of a poppy that was found in the Codex Vindobonensis which was put together for the Byzantine princess Anicia Juliana. The Codex is dated at over a thousand years. Homer mentions poppies in the Iliad, comparing the…
Plants should be putting on lots of new growth now, so if you have any perennials to lift and divide, or new ones to plant, do so as early in April as possible to allow them the maximum time to settle in. Start feeding established perennials now with a general fertilizer. Taking Cuttings in April Continue to take cuttings of fuchsias, geraniums, dahlias and chrysanthemums during April, for a late summer flowering display. As the weather improves in late April, begin hardening off those cuttings that were taken last month and have formed roots. Use a cold frame or find a sunny, sheltered spot outdoors. Leave the plants there during the day, but bring them in at night, when temperatures drop. Pinch out the growing point when rooted cuttings are about 6 inches high. This encourages the young plant to produce side shoots, which in turn will produce more flowers, rather than expending all its energy in producing a single, tall stem. Sowing Annuals Outside in April Hardy annuals are the main flowers to be sown in April. Choose a windless day as fine seeds can easily be blown all over the place. Most hardy annuals can be sown where they are to flower. Ideally they can be used to fill up gaps in developing shrub borders or to add color to mixed borders. If space permits, you can also sow them in drifts and groups of different flowers. If you are planning a large annual border, it should first be marked out, and then the seeds sown in lines or broadcast in a pre-arranged location for each variety. Sowing Herbaceous Perennials Outside Seeds of herbaceous perennial plants may also be sown in April, either direct into the ground or into pots or trays, instead of sowing the seeds in…
By Melinda Myers You don’t need a prairie or large lot to attract and support pollinators. A meadow or informal, formal and even container gardens can bring in bees, butterflies and hummingbirds to help pollinate plants. It’s just a matter of selecting the right plants, adjusting your maintenance practices, and skipping the pesticides. Create your garden by converting a few square feet of lawn, garden bed or front yard into a pollinator-friendly garden. You may want to start by switching out part of an existing garden or container to more pollinator-friendly flowers. Expand your planting options by converting a portion of your lawn into a pollinator garden. Outline the bed with a hose or rope. Remove the sod, add compost as needed to improve drainage and you’ll be ready to plant. Simplify and dress up your efforts by using an easy-to-assemble raised garden kit like the Pollinator Garden Bed (gardeners.com). Its long-lasting cedar planks slide into aluminum corners to create a hexagonal bed. Get creative while increasing the garden’s size by adding additional sections to create a honeycomb or other interesting design. Mark the outline of the raised bed you select. Cut the grass short and cover with newspaper. Set your raised bed in place and fill with a quality planting mix. Mulch four to six inches surrounding the raised bed for ease of mowing and to eliminate the need to hand trim. Once your planting bed is prepared, you’re ready to plant. Include single daisy-like black-eyed Susans, coneflowers, and asters that allow visiting insects to rest and warm when sipping on nectar or dining on pollen. Add a few tubular flowers for butterflies and hummingbirds. They both like bright colors and can be seen visiting salvias, penstemon and nasturtiums. And don’t forget the bees that are attracted to…
By OTC Staff ‘My love is like a red, red rose, that’s newly sprung in June…Scottish bard, Robbie Burns ‘Sweet flowers alone can say what passion fears revealing’ Thomas Hood While we realize that this column is normally dedicated to what we all should be doing during the month of February to ensure a beautiful garden during the rest of the year, we are stepping outside the box with a piece about the meaning of many of the flowers that you have growing or plan to grow this season. In the spirit of the season, we all recognize the red rose as the ultimate flower symbol of love. A red rose is the traditional romantic gift given to your love on Valentine’s Day, however, different rose colors can send other messages. Some of which are listed below: Red – True love White – I love you not Yellow – Jealousy Pink – Innocent love and happiness Orange – I love you vigorously Purple – I will love you forever Wild rose – Uncontrollable desire Moss rose – I admire you from afar The following information was garnered from several sources that may be a bit subjective since not all of the “experts” tend to agree on some of the meanings; however, we hope you find the information entertaining and enlightening in some fashion. For hundreds of years flowers have held hidden meanings, derived from mythology, folklore, religious and historical symbolism. The floral bouquet you send or receive brings a special coded message, depending on the flowers you choose. The study of the meaning of flowers is an actual science known as floriography, and it reveals an extra underlying meaning to sending or receiving flowers – subtle and secret messages can be passed through the different blooms. During the 18th century…
By Elaine Cole …Over 58 million Americans watch the birds and many of them have read or heard that feeding birds in the winter is B-A-D and does more harm than good. Perpetuated myths say feeding birds during fall and winter can prevent timely migrations or cause birds to depend on feeders rather than foraging for food themselves- then the myth jumps to, if you stop feeding birds in winter, they’ll starve to death??!! That is FAR from the truth, and those 58 some-odd million people who have a vested interest in bird watching (and feeding!) should know they are not hurting the birds by feeding them in cold weather! The fact of the matter is, winter may be the most important time to leave feeders up, stocked with seed. Leaving feeders up through winter will not keep migratory birds from flying to warmer climates, instead full feeders will supplement natural food sources for migrating birds and birds that don’t migrate (resident birds), won’t be forced to scour for food all winter long. I will say that to feed or not to feed in cold weather, IS an age-old question –BUT- the truth is these are myths and feeding birds is actually beneficial to their well-being. Birds migrate regardless of seed in feeders. It’s estimated that wild birds only get 25 percent of food from feeders, the rest is naturally sourced, so full feeders don’t keep birds from migrating. Instead, several triggers urge birds to migrate; like changes in nesting locations as trees lose leaves, less natural food sources, insect decline, winds, temperature drop, and day length. As days grow shorter, many birds get internally restless and head south, taking advantage of lots of natural food sources, and (hopefully!) stocked feeders to help fuel their long flights ahead. During cold weather, resident birds that don’t migrate, need extra…
By Dr. Gary Chastagner and Dr. Eric Hinesley Use lots of water! When a Christmas tree is cut, more than half its weight is water. With proper care, you can maintain the quality of your tree. Below are a number of tips on caring for your tree: -Displaying trees in water in a traditional reservoir type stand is the most effective way of maintaining their freshness and minimizing needle loss problems. -To display the trees indoors, use a stand with an adequate water holding capacity for the tree. As a general rule, stands should provide 1 quart of water per inch of stem diameter. Devices are available that help maintain a constant water level in the stand. -Use a stand that fits your tree. Avoid whittling the sides of the trunk down to fit a stand. The outer layers of wood are the most efficient in taking up water and should not be removed. -Make a fresh cut to remove about a 1/2-inch thick disk of wood from the base of the trunk before putting the tree in the stand. Make the cut perpendicular to the stem axis. Don’t cut the trunk at an angle, or into a v-shape, which makes it far more difficult to hold the tree in the stand and also reduces the amount of water available to the tree. -Drilling a hole in the base of the trunk does NOT improve water uptake. -Once home, place the tree in water as soon as possible. Most species can go 6 to 8 hours after cutting the trunk and still take up water. Don’t bruise the cut surface or get it dirty. If needed, trees can be temporarily stored for several days in a cool location. Place the freshly cut trunk in a bucket that is kept full…
The Fruits Some years are better than others, but if you plant enough varieties, you’re bound to get something delicious in return. Apples. Pears. Peaches. Blueberries. Blackberries. Raspberries. Grapes. Pumpkin. Onions. Tomatoes. Leeks. It’s easy to make pies from many of the autumn harvests. Don’t be afraid to experiment with the mix, even try odd, but delicious combinations like pumpkin and grapes, or onion and apples; make it savory with some sauteed chicken with garlic, applesauce, a squeeze of lemon and a touch of whisky or pernod. Yarrow in the American Landscape Believed to be both a plant foretelling the future and a medicine, the Yarrow plant falls into that strange category of ubiquitous or ‘common’ plants that brings centuries of migration and cohabitation to light. Yarrow lives all over the world, and has become a companion plant for countless cultures. Fifty-eight stalks are needed to ask a question of the ancient Chinese oracle, the I Ching. It is easy to harvest your Yarrow for this purpose and properly prepared bundles of fifty-eight stalks make great gifts. In the Americas, different traditions portend and retell a time when the Yarrow stalks are drying in the foothill sun, giving us the color and feel of Thanksgiving and plenty seed for next year. During the gold rush in the West, including the mineral rich rivers of the Sierra and Northern California’s Trinity and Klammath river canyons, Chinese workers and artisans would gather the yarrow each autumn for philosophical activities. With extremely strong cultural ties to ancient traditions of profound thought and artistic accomplishment, finding, gathering and using an ancient companion plant in a new land was one of the simple ways to help keep the community close even in times of strife and uncertainty. The landscapes we live in are all too…
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