Garden Cleanup

Since the Halloween snow and a hard frost most of the garden is looking sad. I’ve been working steadily on cleanup. I think I’m doing better this year than usual. I want to make sure I don’t have a lot of cleanup to do in spring when it’s time for mulch.

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Canna tubers (above) have been dug up and stored.
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Autumn Joy blooms have been cut back. I usually leave the seed heads for the birds but the snow smashed them to the ground. Iris and hibiscus have been cut in the background.

Most of the mums are cut.

The annuals are gone.

The pile awaits delivery to the city’s compost site.

More to do before the garden is ready for fall compost but I’ve got a good start.

Canna Again

I’ve been going on and on about Cannas for a long time in this blog. The oldest post is August 6, 2006. I’ve been planting in spring and digging out in fall for more years than that.

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Every time I dig them out I think I should seek psychological help. Maybe I can get an appointment with Carol’s Dr. Hortfreud at May Dreams Garden.

Anyway, even though we haven’t had frost, I had to dig out the tropical canna rhizomes to store them for the winter. We have had beautiful gardening weather and I had time this weekend. Make hay while the sun shines as they say.

I loosened and dug them out with a garden fork. They were huge once again – reminding me of large yams and making me hungry for roast turkey.
I set them on the patio to dry. Then cleaned off most of the soil. I Put them in a plastic tub and covered them with peat moss. I’ll store them in the garage where they will stay cool but not freeze. In spring, I’ll cut apart the tubers with a sharp knife. I’ll replant pieces with at least 2 eyes.

They seem to multiply exponentially. I made a pact with myself not to keep more rhizomes than fit in one container. I filled my container and one box to give away. I did the same last fall.

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This pile remains.

I will most likely throw the rest away if I can’t find anyone interested in planting them. If I find several people willing to plant and unplant, maybe we can get a group rate with Dr. Hortfreud.


More information about Canna from Washington State University here.

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Canna

Every year I use cannas to help fill the vertical space along the garage wall. (It will take time for the pencil holly (Ilex crenata 'Sky Pencil') that I planted last October to grow tall enough to help fill the space. )

I try to get the rhizomes planted at the beginning of May. They take a few weeks to come up. I’m late but I finally got them planted this week.


After being stored in peat moss since last October and kept in a cool garage to keep them from freezing, the rhizomes were in good condition. I cut some of the larger ones in half making sure there were at least 2 eyes on each piece. I cut off a few dried parts. I dug holes between the existing plants and plopped them in – eyes up - and that was it.

It’s a lot easier putting them in than taking them out. They are tropical plant and have to be dug out if I want to have rhizomes to plant next year. (See November 10, 2007 post. )

I hope they look as good this year as they did in September 2006.

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Japanese Holly

I can’t resist a bargain – especially bargain plants. I have ‘Sky Pencil’ Japanese holly (Ilex Crenata) on my list to add some winter interest in the narrow strip along the blank garage wall. At the 50% off sale at Lowe’s this week, I bought three at $3.99 each. I couldn’t pass up that deal.

That started a chain of events.

First, I divided and moved the yellow ‘Autumn Sun’ rudbeckia (Rudbeckia nitida 'Herbstsonne'). It had grown too big for the spot and had to be staked every year. I dug it out and planted one section where I think it may be OK. I put the other two pieces in a temporary bed near the compost bin. (Am I doing the same thing I did with the Red Hot Poker and Liatris? I hope it doesn’t take 4 or 5 years to find them a permanent home.)

Second, I cut off and pulled canna tubers. I need to put them in a bin for the winter as soon as they dry and I can clean off most of the soil. I posted my canna overwintering method (and madness) in the November 10, 2007 post.

Then it was time to plant the holly. They look a bit inadequate now but the slender, slow growing shrubs can grow to 8 feet.

A lump of roots fell away from the soil when I took the holly out of the pots. Roots girdled the pot. I scored the roots and planted them as best I could. I watered them in well.

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I hope they grow an adequate root system to survive the winter. I'll use an anti-desiccant spray to keep them from loosing too much moisture through the leaves in the winter winds and keep them watered until the ground freezes.

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Sometimes, it's the chance you take when you buy plants late in the season. But the price is hard to resist.

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(More information on Japanese holly from University of Connecticut . Scroll down for specifics of ‘Sky Pencil’.)

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A Walk Through the Garden

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I haven’t spent much time in the garden so far this week. I picked a peck of (un)pickled peppers. This has been a good year for sweet peppers!

The potted plants are growing tall and full. The pots with cannas and coleus are my favorites.

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The hardy hibiscus is being gobbled up by some unknown bug. The first picture is from the middle of August. The second picture is from the end of August. Not very pretty.
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The cleome is still going strong. Such an easy annual for me. The seed pods hanging from the stems guarantee next year's crop.
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Frost

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Now you see 'em.
Now you don’t.

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The first frost happened here on October 20. The annual canna dig-out started shortly after. I used the same process as my November 10, 2007 post.

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The pile of rhizomes is large again this year. I will only keep the bunch in the foreground. The others will be given away to anyone who comes to get them. The rest will be compost. I don’t have room to store more than one container full of rhizomes.

The beautiful coleus are all brown and shriveled. They will be added to the compost.

Before frost.

After frost.

I removed most of the zinnia, cleome, impatiens and other annuals. I’ll get the marigolds and petunias later this week. The pots have been put away. I trimmed the holly. I’ll clean up the prickly leaves that fell on the ground.

It’s a little early to put the roses to bed. In the next few weeks, I’ll trim the long branches, clean up and remove all the fallen leaves. I’ll spray the canes with my baking soda/water solution. Then I’ll cover the base with a hefty layer of mulch. According to some experts, this should be done after the ground freezes. But, if I wait for the ground to freeze, the mulch is also frozen. Did you ever try to shovel frozen mulch?

My biggest incentive for all this fall cleanup is spring. There is too much to do in spring. Any cleanup I can get done in fall, will give me more time for other jobs in spring.

There will be plants to divide and plants to move. Ornamental grasses to cut and dig out. The brick garden edging that didn’t get moved this year will be started next spring (I hope). Then there’s mulch and compost to spread. Weeding will begin anew.

I always eagerly await the garden work after a cold, dark winter. Can you imagine?

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Canna

The Canna plants were beginning to look a little tired and showing burn from the frost on the edges of the leaves. Time to dig them out. It may be a little early according to some experts but I have to work in the garden when time and weather permit. Don't we all? (See October 15, 2006 post)

I cut off the large stalks about 3 to 4 inches from the ground. The stalks are waiting to be taken to the city compost center. I dug the rhizomes with a garden fork. Trying to keep as many roots as possible, I turned them upside down and let them dry for a few hours. I gently cleaned off most of the soil and put them in the wheel barrow and a plastic container to finish drying.

Once they are dry, I’ll store them in a cool (not freezing) area of the garage in a container and surround the rhizomes with peat moss. I’ll check them from time to time over the winter to make sure they are not too dry or too wet. If they are too dry, I’ll cover the container. If they are too wet, I’ll add more peat moss.

The rhizomes are huge masses again this year. Next spring I’ll separate the rhizomes, keeping at least 2 or 3 eyes per cutting, and re-plant. Hopefully, I can give some away to my friends this year because I know they will multiply again next summer. I hope I never run out of friends!

Cannas by Quality Gladiolus Gardens has some helpful tips on growing cannas http://www.qualitycannas.net/cannacare.html Old House Gardens also has some great tips for care of all kinds of spring planted rhizomes and tubers http://oldhousegardens.com/howToSpring.asp

Fall Garden Cleanup

A few days of badly needed rain has caused a temporary halt in garden cleanup.

In the last few weeks, I managed to get a few things done.

Even though we have not had a frost, I’ve been emptying pots and composting the potted annuals. The pots were cleaned and stored for the winter. The pot pictured is ready to roll toward the compost bin. I never do a great job of cleaning pots before I put them away. I dump the soil and brush out a little remaining soil. I use new soil mix in spring and I haven’t had any problems. I guess this is OK but I’m sure there are better methods.

I cut back a few of the black-eyed Susan and cone flowers. I leave some for the small birds to feed on. They like the little seed heads.

I cut back and cleaned the iris bed a few weeks ago. This is the first year I’ve done this. Most years I tend to ignore the mess altogether. The yellow iris blooms profusely every year with almost no care at all. I hope the iris like being neat and tidy for a change.

The peonies were cut off and discarded in the trash. They were a mildewed, unsightly mess.

I picked the last of the tomatoes and pulled the plant the other day before the rain. I harvested 8 green tomatoes and one almost ripe. Most of them will ripen off the vine – or become green fried tomatoes. Next year I want to try Brandyboy tomatoes if I can find them. It's large beefsteak that I’ve heard good things about from other gardeners.

If we get a frost this weekend, I’ll cut off canna stalks. I’ll dig up the canna tubers with a garden fork. They will be dried and stored in peat moss in a cool place for the winter. The rest of the annuals will need to be cleaned out of the garden.

Hopefully, I’ll have time to spread some compost and mulch before leaf raking starts in earnest.

Canna

I like the look of tall Cannas along our blank garage wall. I’ve tried other plants. The hollyhocks developed rust and leaves turned yellow. Crocosmia is a gorgeous plant but not really tall enough - the same with lupine.

The cannas need to be dug up and stored for the winter (see 10-15-06 post) and then replanted in the spring. They need to be stored in peat moss over the winter in a cool place making sure they don’t freeze. That’s a bit of a chore. I’m willing to do the work - at least until I find a tall perennial to replace them.

Next year I’m going to plant early - about May 1. Even though the last frost date is May 15 in zone 6, it takes about 2 weeks for the sprouts to appear. If we get a late frost, I’ll cover the sprouts overnight. I think I can get away with it since it's a warm, sheltered spot.

There is good canna care information at Old House Gardens http://www.oldhousegardens.com/canMore.asp and some great varieties for sale.

Garden Success and Failure. I'm sure every gardener has her/his share of success and failure in the garden. We learn from our mistakes, right? mmmmm

I'm posting a few of my successes and a few of my failures. Any comments would be welcomed. Misery and joy love company!


Failure:

Tuberose -Double Flowering Tuberose Polianthea Tuberosa. I bought a few bulbs early in 2004. I potted them and put them outside in May. They never flowered. I brought them in in fall and put them out again in May. No flowers. Last fall, I brought them in and let them dry back - treating them like the amaryllis. I re-potted them and put them out in spring. 2006 again no flowers. This year I put them in the garage to dry and overwinter. In spring, I'll plant a few in the ground and some in a pot. 2007 may be my last year for the Tuberose!

Sweet Pea - Ferry & Morse seeds. This may be partially a success story. I don't have a lot of full sun garden areas. I planted seeds in May in a spot next to our fence where they would get the most sun. But, I let them climb on the cleome for support which gave them more shade . I had only a few flowers. Next year I'll try some sort of trellis or plant them in the middle of the yard.

Seedbalz - Cosmos & Bachelor Button. There were no Bachelor Buttons. I think the few Cosmos that came up were seeded from last year's plants.

Impatiens cuttings. Each year I lose a few cuttings. This year I lost all of them. They start out fine, bloom & look great. Then they get tiny white spots and eventually the leaves curl up and the plant dies.

There were a few more failures - but let's not dwell on that. On to better things -


Success:

Coleus Cuttings. I had 8 flats to plant out in May (including some impatiens & begonias). Coleus have become my favorite annual. I used them in pots, in dry/part shade and to accent perennial color or form.

Canna (pictures posted October 16) - The original tubers were a gift. They grow easily and have a tropical impact on a long blank garage wall - and they multiply like rabbits!

Euonymus - Variegated Emerald Surprise (I think) - upright shrub. I conquered the dreaded scale. A few years ago the bushes were sparce and one of them bit the dust. I've been spraying regularly with water/baking soda soap solution and this summer they were full and healthy.

General Garden Design - I really like the way the garden looked this summer. But - the best garden is always next year's.

HAPPY NEW YEAR! AND HAPPY GARDENING!