Early fall is that magic season in the garden when a good soaking rain and warm soil trigger a flush of new growth in perennials and some shrubs before cold temperatures slows everything down. This explains why now is an ideal time to transplant, divide and otherwise shuffle around your plants. For an illustrated essay on techniques and timing of dividing perennials go to: Clemson University Extension.
Archives: Garden Tips
Gardening tips and suggestions.
Garden Tip #71
Once a gardener decides she wants a certain plant for her garden still another decision has to be made: what cultivar? A combination between \”cultivated\” and \”variety\”, cultivar is a named selection of a species that exhibits an ornamental trait that differs from the straight species (but not too much). An example is Helleborus foetidus ‘Red Silver’ a particularly nice Stinking Hellebore with flowers edged with red.
The Chicago Botanic Garden publishes a research report called Plant Evaluation Notes that reports the results of years of research comparing all of the available cultivars of popular perennial species like Hardy Geraniums and shade-loving Lamium. Most reports look at general garden worthiness, but occasionally they will look at disease susceptibility, like powdery mildew in Phlox or Bee Balm. Typically three issues are published per year. To find current and past issues and ordering information, go to the website of Chicago Botanic Garden.
You can also write Chicago Botanic Garden, Plant Evaluation Program, 1000 Lake Cook Road, Glencoe, IL 60022. Individual issues cost $3.00.
- Top scoring Hardy Geraniums include: Geranium \’Blue Cloud\’, G. \’Brookside\’ and G. macrorrhizum \’Lohfelden\’.
- Top ranking Lamium (Dead Nettle) include: Lamium album \’Friday\’, L. maculatum \’Red Nancy\’ and L. maculatum \’Shell Pink\’.
Garden Tip #55
This time of year gardeners appreciate the color and good looks of heaths and heathers. Most heather species prefer sun, acid soil and some supplemental summer water. To learn more about heathers join the Cascade Heather Society. For a $5.00 yearly membership, you will receive three color newsletters per year. To join, mail a check to Alice Knight, Secretary-Treasurer, 1199 Monte Elma Rd. Elma, WA 98541-9038.
To learn more about the many different heath and heather varieties and how to grow them go online to:
The Heather Society (British).
Garden Tip #48
Meet with like-minded backyard fruit growers by joining one of these fruit gardening societies:
- Home Orchard Society – $15.00 a year and includes quarterly journal Pome News. www.homeorchardsociety.org
- Western Cascade Fruit Society (with 6 regional chapters including Seattle Tree Fruit Society, which meets on the last Saturday of the month at the Center for Urban Horticulture, 3501 NE 41st, Seattle) – $15 a year, includes quarterly newsletter. wcfs.org
- North American Fruit Explorers – $13.00 a year includes quarterly journal, Pomona www.nafex.org/
- Western Washington Fruit Research Foundation – $25.00 includes a newsletter and free admission to events. wwfrf.org
Garden Tip #203
Ever wonder what you can do to combat global warming? The Union of Concerned Scientists has produced a guide called “The Climate-Friendly Gardener: A Guide to Combating Global Warming from the Ground Up.” The gardening choices we make can maximize carbon storage and minimize pollution. This publication discusses fertilizers, cover crops, food gardens, composting, lawn maintenance, and more. You can also sign a pledge to be a climate-friendly gardener!
Garden Tip #34
Verticillium wilt is making an appearance now as trees and shrubs begin to leaf out. Maple trees are especially susceptible. The sudden wilting and death of one or two branches in an otherwise healthy looking tree is the one obvious symptom. If this soil- borne disease attacked early in spring, tree branches may not have leafed out at all. Cutting into an affected branch typically reveals dark streaks. Control is difficult, but sometimes a tree can be preserved for a few years by cutting out the diseased wood and eliminating environmental stress such as drought. Make sure to disinfect pruning tools between cuts to avoid spreading the fungus. No fungicides for verticillium are registered for homeowners in Washington. For more information read Washington State University Cooperative Extension online article.
Garden Tip #75
The mild Pacific Northwest climate allows us to garden straight through the winter months, if we are tenacious enough to brave the wind and rain. What to do if you’re a fair weather gardener? You could go online and commune with fellow gardeners around the world. Here are some of the more active gardening forums:
- http://groups.google.com/group/rec.gardens – The original forums were known as “Usenet” in the early days of the Internet; registration required; very active but not moderated; users can create private groups (for your garden club, for example); other topics include edible gardens and rose gardening.
- www.thegardenhelper.com Gardener’s Forum – registration required, 25 topics.
- forums.gardenweb.com/forums – registration required, at least 100 topics.
- davesgarden.com/forums many topics.
Garden Tip #74
Encourage hummingbirds to visit your garden by providing food and shelter. While hummingbird feeders bring the tiny birds close to the house for easy viewing, providing nectar from flowers is probably better for the birds. Phygelius, Salvia, and hardy Fuchsias in pink and red shades will make them happy. For winter food try the glorious Mahonia x media ‘Charity’ which tends to start blooming sweet yellow flowers in December.
Everything you ever wanted to know about hummers: www.hummingbirds.net. This site has migration maps, ratings of feeders, and species descriptions with photos.
Garden Tip #37
Books for hosta lovers:
- Hostas by Rosemary Barrett (Firefly Books, $24.95) is a new book (Feb. 2004) with an emphasis on landscaping with hostas and the best companion plants. Color photographs by Derek Hughes will whet your appetite.
- The Hosta Handbook by Mark Zilis (Q & Z Nursery, $34.95) describes, in detail, 278 hostas, with over 1,000 receiving mention. Most entries have a color photo. This database-like book also gives cultural requirements and a problem-solving guide.
- The Gardener’s Guide to Growing Hostas by Diana Grenfell (Timber Press, $19.95) reveals everything a gardener needs to know about growing hostas well, including how to propagate. There is a chapter on the best hostas which groups the plants into categories such as ‘sun-tolerant’, ‘blue leaves’, and ‘fragrant flowers’.
Garden Tip #29
Powdery mildew season has begun (May), so act now to prevent or slow the development of this disfiguring (though not usually lethal) disease. Research published in Crop Protection demonstrated good results for preventing and managing mildew by spraying once a week with a 20%-40% solution of non-fat milk diluted in water. The down side to this organic remedy is the white residue left behind by the milk, which resembles the mildew we’re trying to cure in the first place! Other less-toxic sprays that are new to the market are:
- Eco E-Rase (also sold as Detur), a jojoba oil spray that smothers mildew spores;
- Citrall Organic Lawn and Garden Fungicide derived from Backhousia citriodora (Lemon Myrtle), native to Australia;
- Rose Defense made with Neem oil, which is not so new, but is still unfamiliar to many gardeners.
Go online to Colorado State University for a fact sheet on powdery mildew.