Garden Solutions - December 2012

The month of December brings the holiday season and warm thoughts of family, friends and community. I would like to say “Thank You” and wish you and yours a “Blessed Holiday Season” with all the best in the New Year!

Fall will turn into winter this month. It may not always be the most comfortable time to be planting anything in your landscape, but it is a great time for the plants. Trees and shrubs are completely dormant now, so the concept of transplant shock does not apply. 

Trimming or pruning of some of your trees and shrubs can be done now. Basically, it breaks down like this, if the tree or shrub flowers before the 1^st of June don’t touch it now. If it flowers after the 1^st of June, you can safely cut it now. Resist the urge to cut back everything. Most perennials benefit from adding a layer of mulch or dead leaves. If you had any fungus or disease problems in an area, go ahead and cut back the plants in that area and rake up the debris. Keep your ornamental grasses up until mid-March.

Roses: a winter “hair-cut” can be given, but don’t cut them back all the way. Some winters can be so cold that the roses could get winter die-back which would need to be removed in the spring anyway, so plan on your heaviest rose trimming in spring in early April. Apply a thick layer (10-12”) of mulch at the base of your roses now.

Plants get “chapped lips” too. Cold, dry winter winds and bright winter sun make our skin chapped and unhealthy. Those winds have a devastatingly similar effect on your plants, which are out in the winds all winter. No wonder your evergreens don’t look so great come spring. This drying effect is called desiccation. To fight desiccation, choose the right plants for windy, dry areas. Make sure to water your evergreens well through early December, before the ground freezes. Mulch your plants for winter to retain soil moisture as well as soil temperature. Use an anti-desiccant like Wilt Stop by Bonide. These products coat leaves and needles to slow down the loss of moisture.

Here are a few tips on winter houseplant care. When the heat goes on and the daylight becomes shorter. It may be necessary to move the plants to a different place in the home and to give them different treatment from that given during the summer. Flowering plants need at least half a day of direct sunlight. Cacti and many succulents require a sunny location, and crotons need direct sun to maintain the decorative color. The ideal temperatures for foliage plants are 68-70 degrees during the day and slightly lower at night. Remember, windowsill locations are much colder during the winter and plants may need to be moved to prevent them from getting chilled. The amount of water the houseplants need declines during winter, so increase the amount of time between watering.  Reduce fertilizing as well.

Some of the plants in your landscape can help you decorate for the Christmas season as you prune them for next year. Holly and Boxwood can be trimmed now with some of the cuttings used to accent wreaths or live indoor plants. Some of the growth of evergreens such as White Pine, Norway Spruce, and even some of the seed heads of ornamental grasses can be used to make a harvest wreath or basket for your front door or porch. Talk about recycling! After Christmas, you can take them to your compost bin for future fertilizer! Along with these Holiday tips, here are a few other ideas for the month:

·                     Use caution when spreading salt or calcium on ice or snow packed walks or driveways. Salt can damage lawns and plantings, calcium is much safer to use. Be sure to designate areas to for piling snow from plowing in advance to prevent damage to trees, shrubs and lawns.

·                     Continue to feed our fine feathered friends and place heated birdbaths with fresh water out for them.

Again, I wish you and your family a very Blessed Christmas season.  Let’s get to work on planning that beautiful garden scene for next year!

See you in the Garden…………..

Sandi Hillermann Mcdonald

 

Garden Solutions - June 2011

This month I will begin with a reminder that June is Perennial Gardening Month. Perennials are herbaceous plants that die back to the ground in the winter but return year after year to dazzle us with color.

The Perennial Plant Association’s “Perennials of the Year” (proven performance perennials that have been named since 1991) are usually great choices for anyone’s garden, as they are tried and true varieties. We are in planting zone 5, so it is always important to check that bit of information as well, on all plants you plan to leave from year to year in your yard.

Here are some quick tips to Fabulous Perennials: Begin by preparing the soil, then choose plants carefully, sun vs. shade, etc. Purchase plants that can establish in one season and space perennials to give them room to grow. Fertilize, mulch, control weeds and insects. Clean up your beds at the end of each season and enjoy!!!

Well, June is also the month of graduations, weddings, vacations, Father’s Day, and the beginning of summer. This is the month that we all begin to spend more of our free time outdoors, enjoying our gardens and the fruits of our labor from the last several months. If all of you have kept up with your tasks, then this month should be easy. However, if you are like me, June will be a month you get caught up.

The first task that we need to do this month is to get the spring flowering trees and shrubs trimmed. Flowering crabapples, serviceberry, dogwoods, magnolias, lilacs and viburnums all set their buds for next years’ flower on the new growth they develop this year. These plants should be pruned now to encourage new growth and therefore flower buds for next year. I recommend that you complete the pruning of these plants by early this month.

Here are other tips for the garden for June:
• Watch for the outbreak of bagworms on garden plants, especially junipers. Then spray affected plants with Permethrin sold under the label ‘Eight’.
• Deadhead bulbs and spring perennials as blossoms fade.
• Repeat plantings of corn and beans to extend the harvest season.
• Fertilize Zoysia grass now while it is actively growing.
• Renovate strawberries after harvest. Mow the rows; thin out excess plants; remove weeds; fertilize and apply mulch for weed control.
• Spray roses with a fungicide to prevent black spot disease and fertilize monthly.
• Continue pinching back your garden mums until July 4th to promote full, bushy growth and good fall color.
• Water turf as needed to prevent drought stress, and watch for fungus problems.
• Mow lawns frequently enough to remove no more than one-third the total height per mowing.
• Continue enjoying the antics of the wildlife in your yard and gardens by continuing to supply food and water sources for them.
• Change hummingbird nectar at least weekly to prevent fungus from growing. You can make your own nectar, 1 part sugar to 4 parts water---no food coloring please!
• Rejuvenate your older lilacs by cutting to the ground one third of the largest branches. This will create a fuller, lusher specimen.
• Orioles (if you were lucky enough to keep them around) begin building a gray woven nest; this takes about a week.
• Watch for birds carrying food to their young.
• Gray squirrels begin a second breeding.

Fully enjoy your garden; it is the only true place to connect you to Mother Nature.

See you in the Garden…
Sandi Hillermann McDonald

www.hillermann.com

Garden Solutions - June 2010

Although I’ve never been accused of being short on words, there is often this blank in my mind about where to start the article. This month I will begin with a reminder that June is National Perennial Gardening Month. Perennials are herbaceous plants that die back to the ground in the winter but return year after year to dazzle us with color.

Past and present Perennials of the Year (these are proven performance perennials that have been named since 1991) are usually great choices for anyone’s garden, as they are tried and true varieties. The 2010 Perennial Plant of the Year is Baptisia australis, commonly known as Blue false indigo. It grows three to four feet tall and three to four feet wide in an upright habit. This exceptional perennial grows across a wide range of zones and is one of the most adaptable native species. We are in planting zone 6, so it is always important to check that bit of information as well, on all plants you plan to leave from year to year in your yard. Check the Perennial Plant Association website at http://www.perennialplant.org/ for perennial plants of the year since 1991 plus gardening tips.

Here are 10 quick tips to Fabulous Perennials:
1. Begin by preparing the soil
2. Choose plants carefully, sun vs. shade, etc.
3. Purchase plants that can establish in one season.
4. Space perennials to give them room to grow.
5. Fertilize
6. Mulch
7. Control weeds
8. Control insects
9. Additionally, clean up the beds each season. Enjoy!!

Well, June is also the month of graduations, weddings, vacations, Father’s Day, and the beginning of summer. This is the month that we all begin to spend more of our free time out of doors, enjoying our gardens and the fruits of our labors from the last 3 months, (plus). If all of you have kept up with your tasks, then this month should be easy. However, if you are like me, June will be a month you can get caught up.

The first task that we need to do this month is to get the spring flowering trees and shrubs trimmed. Flowering crabapples, serviceberry, dogwoods, magnolias, lilacs and viburnums all set their buds for next years’ flower on the new growth they develop this year. These plants should be pruned now to encourage new growth and therefore flower buds for next year. It is recommended that you complete the pruning of these plants by early this month.

Here are other garden tips for June:

• Watch for the outbreak of bagworms on garden plants, especially junipers. Then spray affected plants with Permethrin sold under the label ‘Eight’.
• Deadhead bulbs and spring perennials as blossoms fade.
• Repeat plantings of corn and beans to extend the harvest season.
• Fertilize Zoysia grass now while it is actively growing.
• Renovate strawberries after harvest. plow the rows; thin out excess plants; remove weeds; fertilize and apply mulch for weed control.
• Spray roses with a fungicide to prevent black spot disease and fertilize monthly.
• Continue pinching back your garden mums till July 4th to promote full, bushy growth and good fall color.
• Water turf as needed to prevent drought stress, and watch for fungus problems.
• Mow lawns frequently enough to remove no more than one-third the total height per mowing.
• Continue enjoying the antics of the wildlife in your yard and gardens by continuing to supply food and water sources for them.
• Change hummingbird nectar at least weekly to prevent fungus from growing. You can make your own nectar using 1 part sugar to 4 parts water---no food coloring please!
• Move houseplants outside for the summer. Place plants in areas with dappled shade and some protection from hot summer winds.
• Rejuvenate your older lilacs by cutting back to one third of the largest branches. This will create a fuller, more lush specimen.
• Orioles (if you were lucky enough to keep them around) begin building a gray woven nest; this takes about a week.
• Watch for birds carrying food to their young.
• Gray squirrels begin a second breeding.

Are you late getting planting started in your garden this year? YOU ARE NOT ALONE! As busy as we were this May, and as wet as the weather was, many people have commented that they haven’t even begun their planting. That’s okay—you still have plenty of time. Plant selections should still be pretty strong at independent garden centers. Fully enjoy your garden; it is the only true place to connect you to Mother Nature.

See you in the Garden……………..
Sandi Hillermann McDonald