Seasonal Chores &
Observations...
Considering our recent drought, 'Diana' has been one of the best performers this year. Dried and crunchy leaves have been snipped off. Fairly new to our gardens, the plants have increased in size, and I plan on dividing them towards the end of September. In the past, I've been known to advocate cutting off hosta buds and blossoms because I thought them ugly. Admittedly, none will compare to 'Diana' in my eyes. However, no more cutting off until after they are through blooming. Why, you may ask? Well, let me tell you: Because I have seen many bees visiting the blossoms. And, last week I saw a hummingbird visiting one of the purple (former ugly) flowers. Forgive me. I knew not what I did!
The summer drought has been tough on our so-called lawn and on many of our plants, especially the hostas. Their leaves are brown and crunchy looking. In spite of the dry conditions, however, our sedums, mums and asters are ahead of schedule, looking as they normally do at the beginning of September. Last night we had torrential showers, which caused flooding in many areas. As I often say, welcome to New England!
We don't even remember its species name, but it certainly seems happy in our garden, and we've made a mental note to get more. Or maybe try to root some cuttings. Our very fragrant lavender is rambling all over the place as some surrounding plants and the so-called lawn turn brown and crispy during our drought and steamy weather. Even after sporadic monsoons, digging in the soil shows that the ground is dry, dry, dry! So, the lavender must like these conditions. On a funny note, both hubby and I received ads yesterday declaring that now's the perfect time to be thinking of purchasing firewood and fire pits. "Merci bien!" for the reminder.
The most exciting thing about milkweed for me is that it attracts Monarch Butterflies. It is the Monarch's exclusive food source for their larvae. The herbaceous perennial plant grows from a rhizome. (I understand that some species are annuals.) The stem and all parts of the plants produce a white latex, which can irritate the skin. Numerous fragrant little flowers make up the spherical umbels. Over time the plants will form a large colony if left undisturbed. However, new shoots are easily pulled out as they appear where not wanted. At the end of the season, I try to remove all the large seedpods before they dry and pop open, ready to disperse their silky feathered seeds all over the place. Of course, I never totally succeed.
The salvia sclarea is beginning to put on quite the show. Also known as clary sage or European sage, it's a member of the mint family and a biennial in our garden. Some gardeners in warmer growing zones say that it is perennial for them, reliably coming back year after year if they cut it down at the end of each season. Biennials require two seasons after sowing or self seeding. The first year they exhibit only leaves; then, after over-wintering, they will flower the second year and die. By cutting off the spent flowers and encouraging side branching, some years we are able to keep these salvias blooming through the middle of October.
The celandine poppies were especially pretty this year. Also known as wood poppy, yellow poppy or poppywort, it's botanical name is Stylophorum diphyllum. The "flowers" are really showy sepals that are petal like, with many stamens in the middle. After blooming, a green hairy pod-like fruit is produced that usually hangs down under the foliage. In our garden the charming perennial has self-sowed and multiplied from its original planting on the north side of the house into another shady area. The pollen and mosquitoes are ubiquitous. Chipmunks are all over the place. We have had some severe thunder storms off and on the last couple of days. Today, however, it's a glorious day. Must get outside and take advantage of the good weather!
Also adding their blooms to this week's spectacular garden show are Iris 'Caesar's Brother' (aka Siberian Iris), and the tall bearded reblooming white Iris 'Immortality'. In a few weeks the Iris ensata, or Japanese iris, will begin their own show. We'll share more info about them when the time comes.
It's always fun to trial Proven Winners' new plant introductions and share our experiences with our readers. These plants will not be available to the public until 2011. www.provenwinners.com
In the veggie garden, the chives, Egyptian onions, lovage, self-seeded lettuces & parsley - and, yes, the rhubarb, are ready for harvesting. Too bad we don't like rhubarb, but it does make an attractive addition to the garden.
There are still some daffodils in bloom as well as some tulips. Unlike spent daffie blossoms, those of the tulips will be removed so they will not waste energy on seed production. Except for species tulips and the so-called "perennial tulips," most of them decline over the years anyway, no matter what you do. Many people consider them "annuals" and plant new bulbs every fall. I can't bring myself to do that. When we woke up this morning, there was frost on our cars. Some areas north of us even had a sprinkling of snow!
The forsythia blooms are fading as are those of the daffodils. There was a time when I used to cut off all the daffie seed pods thinking that it would help strengthen next year's bulbs. However, according to Sally Ferguson, it's not necessary. Since Sally represents the Netherlands Flower Bulb Organization in the U.S., I will listen to her. As she says, "Narcissi (daffodils) do not require dead-heading, just leave as is. The main requirement for bulb flowers in the post-bloom period is to leave the leaves alone so the plant can put its energy into 'recharging' its bulb for next spring's performance. It is necessary to leave the green foliage exposed to the sun until it turns brown, or until six weeks have elapsed since blooming." "Fight the urge to trim back or constrain the leaves during their die-back phase. Don't bunch, tie, braid or cut bulb plant leaves during this period. Dealing with the fading foliage is basically one of those things that lovers of spring bulbs must deal with. The only management tip is camouflage." Speaking of bulbs, we've received our first Fall catalog from Brent and Becky's Bulbs. One must be prepared, after all!
Seemingly a miracle, "forced" bulbs never disappoint. Outside in the garden, the daffodils are still putting on a great show, in spite of the almost 90-degree temperatures last Wednesday. I never did get to sprinkle my annual poppy seeds last month. I usually do it right over the snow. Since in March we had floods and more floods rather than snow, before I knew it, April had arrived. So, I just got to do it last week. No matter how careful I've been, I've never had luck planting annual poppy seeds in flats. They prefer to be sown where they're to grow. To make it easier to evenly scatter the tiny seeds, I mixed them with construction sand and shook them over some of the daffodil clumps. Since I only plant annual poppies, they won't interfere with the permanent daffodil bulb plantings. By the time the poppy seedlings appear and begin to elongate, the daffies will be through blooming. Ultimately the daffie foliage will die down and I'll carefully cut it off rather than pull it out. If all goes well, the poppy plants should grow undisturbed. At least they have in the past. We have frost warnings for tonight. Welcome to New England!
Speaking of sunny rays, we are told the weather is going to warm up in the next couple of days. It may even hit 90 degrees! Unbelievably, plants in the well-draining areas will need to be watered. For sure the outdoor pots will need a drink. And to think that last week I thought we would float away with all the rains and flooding.
I, however, have visions of water! We are experiencing flooding rains again today. Our garden has waterfalls and rivulets where there have never been any before. In some cases I've been able to redirect the water to walks and paths by using rocks and wooden posts. The raised beds in the vegetable garden, which are surrounded by stepping stones, are doing OK. For the most part, the water is affected by gravity and flows from higher areas to lower. Certainly the saturated beds will keep us from walking through to continue our spring tidying up once the rains stop. Good thing I never did get to plant peas on Saint Patrick's Day, so I have no seeds to rot. But, we are luckier than others in our town whose yards and gardens never did dry out from the last deluge.
Yesterday's 70+ temperatures made it perfect for working outside. Of course, today it's at least 20 degrees cooler. We're told that rain storms are approaching, maybe even some snow! Of course, we already put our shovel away. Hoping we don't have to take it out again.
Our gardens and pathways feature ponds and waterfalls that were not there last week as I enjoyed and wrote about the balmy air. In fact, in the more than 40 years that we have lived on our almost half-acre lot, we have never seen so much water. It will be a while before I get to work outside. So much for living in New England! Scenes of flooding from nearby Norwood Country Club:
This weekend the temperatures in Boston reached a high of 57 balmy degrees. It was hard to resist poking around on the still-moist garden beds and remain on the designated paths. Don't want to compact the soil.
In the unheated (but above freezing) cellar, the tubers of
Most of the Christmas decorations in the neighborhood have been removed. Daylight saving time begins next Sunday, the 14th; and spring officially arrives on the 20th. Life is good!
So what's a gardener to do?
I expect to be picking some "crops" soon. Ah, yes. Spring will come. It always does!
No telephoto lens for picture taking is necessary either, as the feeders are less than three feet away from where I sit at our kitchen table, and I can click right through the glass. It's interesting to note that some of the birds, such as the titmice, take a seed from the feeder and fly away to our front steps or another nearby tree to do their actual "shelling and eating." The finches, however, do all their eating at their feeder.
The days are getting longer and we look forward to spring. Catalogs arrive daily in the mailbox tempting us with their pictures of perfect flowers and vegetables. Alas, some of the photos have been altered and do not represent true colors or plant shapes. Our Garden Writers Association colleague Graham Rice recently wrote about such "Photoshop disasters" on his excellent blog www.transatlanticplantsman.com. Be sure to take a look when you get a chance.
Let's hope that newbie gardeners (who take the bait and purchase) don't give up on gardening when their expectations don't live up to the ad. Only my opinion, of course!
Wednesday, December 16, 2009 - The Knock Out Rose buds still look good even though it's been more than a week since we got hit by our first major snowstorm of the year, and temperatures hover around the freezing point. The heath (Erica) plants are in full glorious bloom! When I looked them up on the Internet to make sure what I have are in fact heath plants, I was amazed at the confusion between them and the heathers (Calluna). But in the final analysis, I checked one of my favorite reference books, "Dirr's Hardy Trees and Shrubs" by Dr. Michael A. Dirr, and his pictures of heaths look like ours.
This past weekend our grandson planted some spring flowering tulip bulbs in pots, which will spend the winter in our unheated porch. He was very disappointed that he couldn't do it out in the garden, which was covered with snow. I told him that it would be fun to bring the pots indoors after the bulbs leaf out. He planted two types: Tulipa 'Hollandia' and Tulipa 'Passionale', pinky-mauve colors that he had admired in a catalog months ago. I didn't tell him about the bags of forgotten daffodils in the cellar that are still awaiting planting. Somewhere I read that Martha Stewart planted between five and six thousand bulbs this fall. I bet our grandson would love to have the well-organized Martha as his Grammie!
Monday, November 23, 2009 - A white foxglove (Digitalis purpurea) is in full bloom, almost hidden from view at the base of bare Queen Elizabeth rose canes, where it must have self-seeded under our fence. Nearby, a clematis shows off its pretty lavender blooms. It's hard to believe it's almost the end of November.
Although fall is not considered the best time to prune, I've been snipping here and there, especially the hollies, yews and junipers. I stick the clippings in the pots that remain outside all winter to dress them up for the holidays. The pots that hold our dahlias, callas, cannas and other tender plants have been brought inside to spend the winter in our unheated cellar. At night, the white storm door is covered with brown moths that are attracted by the light over the front steps. Of course, every time someone comes in or goes out, some of our little friends manage to sneak inside. We still have a couple of bags of daffodil and tulip bulbs to plant. Let's hope I don't find them still in their bags next spring!
Amazingly, two of the clematis vines have emerging buds and flowers even though the leaves are all brown and crunchy looking. The lavender looks spectacular and the Knock Out roses are still going strong. Yesterday, we continued to rake and clean up the tender annuals, such as the fibrous rooted begonias, which had been turned to mush by the frost. Gone also are the Montauk daisies, which had become too woody and weedy. We did notice some baby plants here and there, where they had seeded themselves. We'll wait until spring to transplant them to their new homes.
I'm still relishing the wonderful memories of the Garden Writers Annual Symposium that hubby and I attended last month in Raleigh, North Carolina. In fact, I'm working on a future article to share with our readers: where we visited, whom we met and what we learned.
In my last "Seasonal Chores & Observations..." I mentioned our recent zucchini crop failures and that I would try to find out why. Well, thanks to the noted seed expert Renee Shepherd, who had a booth at the aforementioned Garden Writers convention, I have an answer. Renee said that some zucchini plants are grown specifically for their propensity to develop male flowers, which are preferred by chefs who use them in their stuffed zucchini-flower recipes. It seems that the male flowers hold up better than the female flowers in the cooking process. Zucchini squashes develop from female flowers. Thank you, Renee! Of course, I don't remember what type of zucchini seed I planted the last couple of years; but the plants were loaded with male flowers, so no zucchini. Will be sure to check with Renee before I do any planting next spring. Indoors, our houseplants are very dusty, to say the least, and will have a shower soon when I get some free time. Some of them really need to be repotted, too. I seem to say the same thing every fall and never get to it. Of course, fuzzy leaved plants such as the African violets (Saintpaulia ionantha) will not get a shower. In fact, if I get water on their leaves, they get brown and mushy and fall off. Their pots sit on dishes and they get watered from the bottom, but sometimes I splash them by mistake. Another plant that will not get a shower is our Holiday cactus (Schlumbergera truncata), since it's full of beautiful baby pink buds. Yesterday, we had our first snowstorm. Some of the weather forecasters called it a Nor'easter. Pots tipped over and rolled around. Amazingly, the tender annuals, such as the fibrous rooted begonias, were not affected. No killing frost... yet!
We're still enjoying cucumbers, lettuces, green and wax beans, parsley, and tomatoes. The grape tomatoes have been outstanding, and I must remember to plant them again next year. The zucchini crop had doubled since last year. We've picked two of them. Yes, two! Last year we only got one. I don't understand it and will have to do some research. We have many gorgeous zucchini flowers and we see lots of bees around. A gardener friend told me that it's because most of the flowers are male. How the heck do I encourage female flowers to grow? Will share the info if and when I find out! Some of the tree leaves are beginning to change color. Tomorrow is the first day of fall.
The real lilies, (genus Lilium, not the Hemerocallis/daylilies we featured in our last entry) are truly spectacular in spite of the red lily beetles, which have had a field day eating holes in their leaves. The lily fragrance is intoxicating and adds greatly to the enjoyment of the gardens. The mosquitoes have been relentless, and I suffered my first-ever tick assault, which went undetected for almost two days, prompting my doctor to prescribe antibiotics for a two-week period, "just in case" it may have been carrying Lyme disease. Tests on the unwelcome guest (once it had been removed) determined that it was not the dreaded deer tick. Not a fun experience, although better than the alternative! The lavender blooms were the best ever, even with all the rain. Go figure! Some of the chrysanthemums have begun to flower, even though they had been trimmed through the middle of July, to keep them bushy and to delay their blooming. Signs of fall are everywhere. Pushing their delicate looking leaves through the soil are the Muscari (grape hyacinth) leaves. Harbingers of spring, they also designate where my daffodil bulbs are planted so I won't go digging them up by mistake.
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Sunday, August 22, 2010 - The prettiest hosta blossoms in our gardens are those of 'Diana Remembered' named after the late Princess Diana. Not only are the flowers large and long lasting, but they also have a wonderful fragrance. The slightly corrugated leaves are also pretty, with creamy white colored edges.
Friday, August 6, 2010 - Yellow blossoms are the current stars throughout our gardens. Not only in the vegetable garden but in the perennial gardens as well. Because of their size, however, the zucchini blossoms really stand out. Even as they fade away at the tip of elongating baby zucchinis, in my eyes, there's still something special about them.
Thursday, July 15, 2010 - We are a day late in celebrating Bastille Day, but we feel very much under the French influence as we enjoy our one lavender plant (Lavandula), so reminiscent of our stay in Provence. Yes, one plant!
Friday, June 25, 2010 -- Our milkweed patch is beautiful to behold. Consisting of several plants in a dry, sunny area of our garden, they are reaching for the sky, already at five to six feet tall. Common milkweed (Asclepias syriaca) is also known as Butterfly flower, Silkweed, Silky Swallow-wort, and Virginia Silkweed.
Saturday, June 12, 2010 - Today is cloudy and rainy, not the best day to be working in the garden. In between showers, however, we were able to take some pictures. 
The salvia sclarea has germinated here and there among our plants and in our weedy paths. Fuzzy basal rosettes are evidence of first-year growth. After thinning them out, some will stay where they seeded themselves. Others will be moved to new locations, where hopefully, they will bloom next year. 
Wednesday, June 2, 2010 - Memorial Day has come and gone, and for many gardeners summer has begun even though its official start is not until June 21.
Friday, May 21, 2010 -- Iris pallida 'Variegata' is among my favorite irises because it looks good for more than one season. Once the blooms have faded, the bright green leaves (aka "blades'), striped with yellow and cream, continue to add interest to the garden throughout the summer and into late fall. Commonly called Dalmatian iris, its soft blue-violet flowers are fragrant. Another plus!
In the meantime, we are excited about the box of plants that arrived in yesterday's mail from Danielle Ernest of Proven Winners. Watered and temporarily resting on a lawn chair after their long trip from propagators in California, they're waiting to be planted in our garden this coming weekend. 
Thursday, May 6, 2010 - The azaleas are in bloom and are a glorious site to behold. Everything seems to be at least a couple of weeks earlier than usual.
Wednesday, April 28, 2010 - The Pieris shrubs are especially pretty at this time of the year when they are covered with panicles of pretty white flowers, reminiscent of lily-of-the-valley blossoms. In a couple of weeks, I'll deadhead them and do any necessary pruning.
Tuesday, April 20, 2010 - The Hellebore blossoms continue to enchant. Too bad we only have one plant! Will definitely have to get some more.
Tuesday, April 13, 2010 - We have tulips in bloom, but not in the garden. The bulbs were planted in pots by our grandson last December (he chose the colors); and they've been in the unheated porch all these weeks. (See March 7 entry for image of his emerging plants.) 
Monday, April 5, 2010 - Yellow seems to be the principal color "du jour." Clumps of daffodils are in bloom throughout the gardens, and the forsythia hedge is literally exploding with sunny rays.
Monday, March 29, 2010 - Easter is this coming Sunday. Children everywhere have visions of Easter bunnies and Easter baskets. 
Sunday, March 21, 2010 - It seems that everywhere we look there are crocus and scilla blossoms popping up throughout the gardens. Even between flagstones in the paths! 
Monday, March 15, 2010 - One appreciates the beauty of indoor plants all the more when the weather outside is frightful. That certainly has been the case for the last three days as we continue to endure a Nor'easter that has dumped almost 10 inches of rain in our area.
Sunday, March 7 - Spring is definitely in the air! The snowdrops are in bloom and so are the pink hellebores. 
In our unheated enclosed porch, the tulips that our six-year-old grandson planted in pots last December are starting to emerge. He will be so proud!
the potted dahlias, cannas, agapanthus and calla lilies are also throwing off some leaves; while the non-hardy hibiscus and dracaena are beginning to wake up from their winter nap. 
Also in the cellar is a four-shelf, plastic mini greenhouse waiting to be taken out of its box. I bought it at Ocean State Job Lot for $20. Soon it will be outside in a protected south-facing location next to the house, where I'll plant some seeds in flats, getting a head start on the gardening season. Will report back how all works out (or doesn't).
Wednesday, February 3, 2010 - I recently read that groundhogs, also known as woodchucks, are the largest members of the squirrel family. Punxsutawney Phil, the most famous member, saw his shadow yesterday. We are told that means we can expect six more weeks of winter. 
Amazingly in our garden, the Brussels sprouts are looking good. In February! This has never happened before. Even last year's parsley and some of the gourmet leaf lettuces are showing signs of life - all in spite of freeze-and-warming cycles and some weeks of deep snow cover. 
Tuesday, January 5, 2010 - The recent three-day weekend snowstorm gave us the opportunity to enjoy the comings and goings of our local birds. Hanging from the Kousa dogwood just outside our kitchen windows, our birdfeeders are easy to refill and enjoy without having to go outdoors. 
A solitary dried up Kousa berry is all that is left of the hundreds of juicy red orbs that fed our feathered friends at the end of summer. It makes a rather pretty picture, though, against the gray-white swirling snow.
Especially annoying are the ads in newspapers, such as the one on the left, which show a plant with lots of perfect tomatoes that aren't even attached to the plant. In fact, if one looks closely, it's the same tomato illustration reproduced several times, seemingly floating over a fake plant. To make matters worse, the ad promises up to 100 pounds of tomatoes!
We brought in all the hoses after draining them, and I washed all our gardening gloves (those that I could find, that is). Most of them are left-handed ones, as the rights had worn out and were full of holes! Many of the remaining ones don't look so great, but at least, they are no longer caked with mud.
Raking season is almost over as our Heptacodium is the only tree still holding on to its leaves in our immediate neighborhood.
Monday, November 9, 2009 - There is still lots of color in our gardens. Showing off in today's warm and sunny rays are the Ninebarks (physocarpus opulifolius), the Japanese maples, the Seven-son flower tree (Heptacodium miconioides), and pink chrysanthemums. 
Monday, October 19, 2009 - It's a "berry" lovely time of the year. Everywhere we look in the garden, red berries greet our eyes. And, yes, the birds love them, too. Amazingly, they haven't eaten them all... yet!
The last of the veggie "crops" in our gardens have been picked, although some salad greens and parsley are still going strong. Not very pretty, but homegrown and yummy nonetheless.
Monday, September 21, 2009 -The Rudbeckia goldsturms have been especially beautiful this year. I plan to deadhead them as soon as the flowers fade, however, since in past years they have reseeded all over the place. Well, I may leave a few since the finches enjoy them.
Friday, August 14, 2009 - The summer is flying by. The gardens have somehow survived the monsoons of earlier in the season.