Gardening
It’s Time to Prune – Spring Pruning
Jan 12th
Could it be the beginning of the end of winter? My Dad has pruned his grape vines, and later this week, we’ll do the same for clematis, roses, and fruit trees. In any pruning event, dead and damaged wood should be the first to go; tools should be wiped with alcohol or a 10% solution of bleach after every pruning cut to prevent the spread of infection from diseased branches.
Whenever the timing is right for your area, you’ll need the proper equipment to make the job go as smoothly as possible. Make sure your blades are sharp, and your gloves are in good condition, especially if you’re tackling the rose bed, or bramble fruits.
You’ll need to know the type of clematis you have; if your clematis blooms in summer and fall, then you should prune hard in late winter, cutting each stem back to the last pair of healthy buds. ‘Jackmanii’, ‘Comtesse de Bouchaud’, and ‘Ernest Markham’ are included in this group. Clematis that bloom in spring don’t need pruning at all unless you just want to control size. If so, prune immediately after blooms fade. ‘Duchess of Edinburgh’, ‘Belle of Woking’, ‘Henryi’, ‘Nelly Moser’, ‘Red Cardinal’, and ‘The President’ fall into this (prune after they bloom) category.
Cut back vitex, crepe myrtle, and summer bloomers. Remove all old flower heads. Peegee hydrangeas prefer heavy pruning deep into the crown, but French hydrangeas bloom on second year wood. Go figure (how will we ever remember this?)! Prune French hydrangeas now only to remove whole branches at the base of plants that are too dense.
Gardeners in my area have already finished pruning roses. You should know the type of roses you have (climbers and once-blooming varieties are usually pruned after they bloom), then contact a professional rosarian that can tell you the proper pruning time for your zone. Pruning is different for once-blooming old garden roses and repeat-blooming old garden roses. And modern roses are sure to bring on the trepidation of pruning.
Wait until broad-leaved evergreens (that flower in early spring) such as azaleas, camellias, and magnolias are blooming. Pick a nice bouquet of stragglers, and finish the pruning job as soon as flowering has ended. Don’t delay too long, or you’ll cut off next years flower buds. When cutting that camellia blossom, realize that a flowering branch removed now probably won’t bloom next season. It is not advisable to cut more than 1/3 of a broad leaved evergreen shrub. This includes both 1/3 of the height, and 1/3 of the healthy branches that might be removed from the base of a shrub that needs thinning. Previously neglected plants should be cut back over a period of 2 to 3 years.
Remove shoots and suckers at the base of all but spring-flowering trees and shrubs. Prune out all dead, injured and diseased branches.
When pruning fruit trees, lop off broken, dead & diseased branches, those that are crossed, and those that grow at narrow angles to the main trunk. Remove any suckers at the base by ripping them out just below the surface of the soil.
Fire up the lawn mower (with the blade on its highest setting) and take a stroll through ground covers such as lily turf, Mondo grass, snow-in-summer, and yarrow.
Leave the flower stalks and foliage on spring-flowering bulbs until they look just about dead. The bulb needs to complete this cycle in order to bloom next year.
How to Grow Tuberous Begonias
Jan 10th
No time should be lost in planting tuberous rooted begonias if you want to enjoy a display of loveliness from June to frost.
Start tubers in flats inside the house. in February or March. Make sure the tuber is indented side up when planting. Prepare a two-inch layer of dampened peat moss and sand. Spate the tubers two inches apart. Press them firmly into the flat and cover only about one-fourth. Covering deeper may cause rot.
Keep the moss just damp, never letting it get wet. Place in a warm location, the basement if it’s heated and cover with newspaper. Watch for tiny pink sprouts to show. When they are an inch above the moss, remove the paper. Leaves will develop shlowly.
Within two weeks roots should be an inch long. Transplant to 4-inch pots, taking care not to break the brittle roots. Light shading is beneficial until the plants are well developed.
In late May after danger of frost is past, plant in a well prepared bed. Choose a shady site where morning or late evening sunlight is available. The north side of the house or garage is ideal. The plants are easily broken by wind and need protection. A bush planted to the east or west of the bed will serve as a wind break.
Plant the begonia so the point of the leaves faces the observer. The flowers will face that direction, too.
If the soil is heavy underneath, include a 4-inch bed of cinders for better drainage or landscaping stones. Over this place a mixture of one-third leaf mold, one-third moss and one-third well -otted manure.
Never cultivate the ‘bed, but pull all weeds by hand, for the plants are shallow rooted. During the growing period begonias must have free circulation of air. During the hot summer mulch the bed with peat moss or leaf mold.
The bed should ‘be watered with a fine mist spray every day. Sprinkling of the foliage is more beneficial than soaking the soil. Over-watering will cause the plants to ui op their buds.
Begonia colors range from pink to flaming orange. The popular Camellia type is known as Crispa. The Picotee type has bands of color. The Fibriatte type resembles a carnation. The hanging basket, Llovdi type, will produce hundreds of blossoms during the season.
Tuberous rooted begonias must be kept outside. They will not flower indoors. They may be planted in the open ground or left in pots.
Top Pick Compost Tumbler Achla
Jan 4th
There are a huge selection of composters out there and quite rightly so, the more composters on the market means that there should be a composter out there for every one no matter what there particular requirements are, and that has got to be a good thing as the more people who compost the less stuff that goes to landfill needlessly. The Achla compost tumbler is a great way to start on your compost making journey, how many things are there start of as a waste material get thrown out into the garden and come back as a real thing that can be reused and after your initial investment doesn’t cost you anything other than the time it takes to fill, turn and empty that compost tumbler seems like a good deal to me. And it will keep giving you returns as long as you keep filling it up, constant compost. Not only does compost put nutrients back into your soil it also adds bulk which will help water retention in your soil
The Refreshing Greens of My Garden
Oct 10th
I am living in an individual house and I am lucky to have a small garden by the side of my house. Whenever I feel down, I remember to have a coffee and bring a book to read in my garden which makes me feel refreshed. If the sun is shining, I get out my popup gazebo to give me some shade.
Most of the plants at my garden are selected from our nearby nursery. I love the rose plants as it is exciting to watch the rose flowers from bud. I have aloe-vera plant at my garden which is a great medical use. Watering my garden gives nice relaxation to my mind as I do meditation. I am attached with all the plants. Whenever I get time and chance I like to add some plants to my garden. I have placed a small tea table and chairs at my garden. It’s great to invite friends in the evening times to chat about life and put the world to rights!
The greens of my garden always give me a feeling of comfort and “home”.
Selecting Materials For The Garden
Aug 30th
The essence of selecting materials for the garden depends on both a respect for local building styles and traditions, and a need to keep the design simple. One of the first problems that face anyone designing or building a garden is the wide range of choice available. Time was when a local stone was all that you could use for walling and paving, now, however, the local garden centre will be crammed full of every conceivable type of fence, paving and stonework.
In basic terms it should be obvious that to have a concrete screen block wall adjoining a granite Cornish cottage is wrong. Likewise a slate wall in a Cotswold garden would be equally incongruous. Both materials have their place; the point is to make sure they are used in it.
There is no doubt that snobbery also enters into the equation; it may be considered cool to have stone in a Surrey rockery but do bear in mind that it will probably look totally out of place and will also cost a fortune because of transport costs. For a garden to look its best, the materials from which it is built should have some form of positive link with the surroundings. plant care
Very often the house is an excellent starting point, primarily because it is probably the largest single element on the site. If the house is built from brick then it will make sound sense to include the same material in the patio, reinforcing the link between home and garden. The theme could be continued with raised beds, a wall running out from the house and other features such as a barbecue or bin store. Similarly, if you are lucky enough to have a cottage with a stone flagged floor, then what could be more natural than to use a similar material outside.
Of course, not all situations are as clear cut as this. Many houses are rendered and painted, having no real local affinity. In this case the choice is far more open but remember that key rule of simplicity; use materials sparingly but well.house plants