Welcome Weather?

We haven't minded the snow too much this year but we now have some freezing drizzle coming down. Our concern is regarding moisture and how it adversely affects our Holiday Lights Show. Oh well, we'll wait it out but it looks like a nasty system is coming in that will dump snow on top of the freezing rain. Ugh! Light day today with the Grumpies working inside on resealing/staining benches and working on various carpentry projects. Larry continues to fine tune the lights show but left early to beat the potentially hazardous roads that are getting worse by the minute. Marv, Marianne, Janice and Terry all stopped in and we've all decided that it's finally winter despite the official start of winter in 13 days! Look at the little hint of color below of the golden juniper (Juniperus chinensis 'Saybrook Gold') peeping out! I'm really sinking my teeth in to the "ever-arriving" seed catalogs and remembered an article (see below) that I wrote about catalogs years ago. These catalogs offer plenty of "eye candy" but what is appropriate and applicable in our gardens is what we need to determine from these pubications.
It’s amazing how early the holiday season is promoted each year. There are continuing efforts by vendors to market and display their product and promote new features or options for the consumer. The same efforts are made by seed companies as catalogs start to arrive in the mail now for plants that you will not be growing until next spring. These catalogs, most of which contain wonderful photographs and other information, are a welcome break from winter and give the hint of promise for a lush garden next year.

Although a wide range of seeds are offered at local garden centers in early spring, seed catalogs offer a wider range of options that will include many new, interesting or otherwise “hard-to-find” vegetable and flower varieties. Colorful pictures and engaging descriptions will seek to promote your use and enjoyment of a wide range of options. These catalogs will also typically offer gardening tools, accessories, books, etc. Considering these seed catalogs will broaden the range of plants available for your garden and early ordering will maximize availability of some of the rarer varieties. However, there are some things to consider when utilizing these catalogs.

Seed catalogs will be variable with what information they provide regarding their product. Some initial information to consider (besides price) includes the package size and variety description. The package size should indicate a measured seed quantity or a volume that corresponds to a rough estimate of seed quantity. Know how many seeds you need and how many you are ordering to minimize surplus seed and related storage issues. The variety description may include information on flower color, plant vigor, size, germination information and other tips. It is important to note that the photos that promote a variety are professional quality and portray a perfect, thriving plant. Also consider that when a variety is promoted as “new”, it may not be new “in cultivation” but simply new to that catalog. The term “new” does not necessarily mean “exclusive” either.

If you make the decision to order from seed catalogs, it will be important to understand the germination information for your selections. Essentially, this involves becoming familiar with whatever steps you need to follow with your seeds to achieve growing success. Various seeds require various techniques for germination and subsequent care. Knowing what to expect from your plant as well as what your plant expects from you is vital.

Place your orders as early as possible. Early orders may receive a discount or will at least secure varieties that are in limited supply. It always a good idea to consider substitutions as well in case availability becomes an issue. Many seed suppliers will ask for substitutions or provide the service of picking out something very similar to a choice that may be sold out. Try to visualize your exact needs for seeds as it is easy to “over do” it and purchase more seeds than you could hope to grow. Rotary Gardens grows over 800 varieties of annuals each year and orders seeds from over 40 seed catalogs from around the world.

One Man Crew

With Larry off today, I've had a lot of time to myself today. I've been alternating between seed orders and preparing for presentations. I have an interesting one on vines that I've gotten in to preparing. I have thousands of digital images and while they are fairly well organized, the trick is picking out good pictures that will work for the presentation. As I take more pictures, the task of "presentation preparation" becomes more arduous but not any less fun. Maury, Bill, Hal and Dr. Gredler all stopped in briefly but otherwise, I've been self-motivated. Larry will turn on the lights tomorrow night and we don't have much concern at this point regarding how well it will stay on.

I see that garden centers are carrying poinsettias already and the assortment of available varieties is amazing. Included below is an article I wrote on poinsettias and their care.

It’s difficult not to notice a poinsettia during December. They are commonly used for decoration in businesses and perhaps in your home with shades of red, white, pink, combined colors and now a multitude of exciting (albeit non-traditional) “color enhancements”. Poinsettias, the best-selling flowering plant in the United States, have become synonymous with the holiday season. There are well over 100 varieties of this classic plant with the bulk of the world’s crop produced annually in California. Over 60 million of these plants are sold every year with a large portion of these being discarded after the New Year. With proper care, the colorful impact of poinsettias can be prolonged and enjoyed. With very special attention, poinsettias can be maintained and encouraged to repeat their holiday “color contribution” the following December.

Poinsettias (Euphorbia pulcherrima) are native to southern Mexico and parts of Central America. In their native habitat, these plants are large shrubs reaching heights of ten feet. The Aztecs used the sap of this plant to control fevers and the leaves were used to create a purplish-red dye. Note that the sap of this plant may cause an allergic skin reaction for select individuals, particularly those with a latex allergy. Joel Robert Poinsett, the first U.S. Embassador to Mexico, introduced this plant to the United States in 1825 and the plant was later named for him. Incidentally, Mr. Poinsett was also responsible for establishing the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C.

There are some facts to consider in regards to this popular plant. The showy colored parts of the plants that most people call flowers are in fact modified leaves (or bracts). The flowers are actually the small, yellow-green centers between the colorful bracts. Poinsettias are termed a photoperiodic plant meaning that buds are set and flowers produced as the autumn nights lengthen. The timing to produce blooms for the holiday season can be difficult outside the controlled environment of a greenhouse where moisture and lighting can be very precise. Poinsettias have long been considered a poisonous plant but extensive research has found this to be a myth. However, ingestion of the plant by humans and animals is obviously not recommended.

Once poinsettias are purchased in December, they typically look the most attractive for 2-4 weeks. This duration of color impact (and your enjoyment) can be extended significantly with proper care although most poinsettias are composted or tossed out after the holidays. Following some simple procedures will maximize the health and appearance of your poinsettia and you may consider adding to the ranks of your other houseplants.

Place the plant in a window where it receives bright, but indirect light. Be sure the plant doesn’t touch any cold window panes. Keep the plant at 65-70 degrees F during the day and if possible, a cooler spot at night (55-60 degrees F) but never below 50 degrees F. Keep the plant away from both warm and cold drafts from radiators, air registers, doors and windows. After the plant is done blooming, consider a light fertilizer application every month (never while blooming!).

In regards to watering, first remove any foil or other wrapping that affects surplus water flowing thru the base of the container. Any poinsettia container should have drainage holes. Examine the soil daily and water when the top surface is dry to the touch. Let surplus water run out and discard any additional water that collects in the saucer. Mist leaves occasionally for increased humidity as needed. The key to watering success with poinsettias is to avoid moisture extremes; not too dry or not too wet.

To say that it is a challenge to maintain a poinsettia with the intent of display the following holiday season would be an understatement. However, it can be done although the extensive details can’t be covered in the content of this article. Understand that this process will include repotting, fertilizer applications and replicating complete darkness to incite flowering and coloration of the bracts. For more details on how to maintain your poinsettia thru the year with the intent of “recreating” that classic, colorful look, refer to the following websites or visit your local library.
www.urbanext.uiuc.edu/poinsettia/reflowering.html
www.ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/1000/1248.html
www.ecke.com/html/h_corp/corp_pntcare.html#rebloom

More Snow

Another snowy day today. It's been a nice light snow for most of the morning although it may pile up to between 3-7" by tonite. We'll worry about snow removal throughout the lights show tomorrow. Snow is good, rain is bad. We'll take the white stuff. Small crew today. Little Jerry and Janice stopped in to do some odd jobs while Del, Dick H., Dr. Gredler and Maury all popped by as well. Del is still working on making reindeer cutouts for the holiday show. I've enjoyed going thru seed catalogs the past couple of days (see below). We probably order seeds from over 50 vendors and like to have all our orders in by early January. The catalogs are rolling in daily. Essentially, our planning for next year starts immediately. In upcoming blogs, I'll recommend some of my favorite seed sources and mail order resources. I always like to emphasize the importance of patronizing your local garden centers first before ordering from other (non-local) vendors. Garden centers are selling amaryllis bulbs and kits this time of year. What a great gift for the young gardener or those that like interior color as our landscapes become more drab! At the bottom of this blog is an article I wrote on amaryllis a couple of years ago. My younger daughter still talks about the ones she's started in the past!

Although winter colors can be striking in the garden, the muted tones of browns, greens and a hopeful dusting of white tends to make us focus on our indoor plants for color as we long for spring. A great gift for adults and children alike are amaryllis. This easy-to-grow bulb can be grown indoors (forced) for a dramatic show of color in the dreary winter months. Garden centers and retailers typically sell individual amaryllis bulbs and amaryllis “kits” that have everything you need to get started.

The amaryllis originated in the Andes Mountains of Chile and Peru although there is a South African counterpart to this bulb. Most amaryllis offered for retail are Dutch or African hybrids selected for flower size, color and ease of forcing. Lily-shaped flowers are borne on a tall stem between 18 and 36 inches. Flower colors include white, lavender, crimson, scarlet, rose, pink, salmon and many bi-colored combinations. Each bulb may only produce one flower cluster of two to four blooms although individual blossoms can reach up to 8 inches in diameter.

Newly purchased bulbs should be kept in a cool, dry location with air circulation until they can be planted. Plant an individual amaryllis bulb in a heavy pot with drainage holes that is twice the height of the bulb (typically 6-8” in depth). The pot should also be just a few inches wider than the width of the bulb as amaryllis roots love to be root bound. Amaryllis kits will include proper containers and soil for planting. Use a sterile, lightweight planting mix that contains peat moss or other organic material. Incorporate a slow-release fertilizer into this mix. Plant the bulb, pointed end up, with one-third of the bulb above the final soil line. Press soil firmly around the sides and water thoroughly with lukewarm water. Avoid pouring water over the top of the bulb. Water the sides of the pot or apply water to a saucer at the base of the pot so water can be drawn upwards by the soil. Water sparingly until the first shoots appear. Keep the soil moist but not too damp. Then place the amaryllis in a sunny windowsill in a cool location (55-65 degrees F). Staggering the planting of multiple bulbs every two weeks from September thru February will allow for continuous color until May as some bulbs peak while others wane.

The amaryllis bulb will send up leaves and a flower stalk very quickly and blooms will appear within six to eight weeks of planting. As the flower bud forms, start applying a light liquid fertilizer every ten days or so until the amaryllis blooms. At this point, you may need to stake the flower stalk, as the amaryllis becomes “top heavy”. Be careful that your stake does not pierce the amaryllis bulb. As the flowers emerge, place the amaryllis in an area with indirect sunlight to prolong the bloom time. A blooming amaryllis does not need direct sunlight or even a bright room. At this point, adequate watering is very crucial. Remove spend blossoms as they fade. This prevents seed formation, which diverts food from the bulb itself.

Many people consider these a seasonal plant and compost them when they are done blooming. However, following certain procedures may allow you to keep these bulbs and promote future flowering. This can be a frustrating endeavor as reblooming is not always assured due to so many cultural factors and it may take years to achieve another colorful show.

If you want to experiment with “reblooming” your amaryllis, cut the spent flower stalk down to 2” and wait for the leaves to yellow and die back. Water and fertilize as you would a houseplant until the leaves have died back. This can take many months. Cut and remove leaves once they have turned brown. Place near a sunny window at about 55 degrees F. At this point, your amaryllis needs a period of cool, dry dormancy. Withhold water for two months until you see new growth emerging. Carefully re-pot the bulb and repeat the steps above. You may need to use a larger pot if your bulb has increased in size significantly.

Amaryllis is named after a shepherdess in Greek mythology. Amaryllis means “sparkling” in Greek and you will certainly understand this meaning when these plants light up the inside of your home with color and relieve the winter doldrums. Consider amaryllis as a holiday gift for gardeners, children or others that will appreciate the simple joy of nurturing a plant.

Truly A Winter Wonderland

There was a light, damp snowfall most of yesterday that ended up including about 4" of fluff over some slush. The trees in the garden looked beautiful this morning. The conifer to the left is the Engelmann spruce (Picea engelmannii 'Carlson's Red Cone') that looked picturesque this morning with arching branches. The holiday lights show is up and we tested it on November 25th and had very few problems. The lights will be turned on as part of our "Taste of Chocolate" event on December 6th with the official public opening on December 13th. The challenge now is to keep the paths (extensive) clear of snow and ice while periodically testing the lights to make sure everything is going ok. Maury and Dick P. replaced some breakers today and we have some "fine tuning" to finish before this weekend.

The grounds staff, with the exception of Larry and Jerry, finished up last Wednesday. Special thanks to the continued efforts and quality work of Marv, Marianne, Terry and Janice. I'm sure we'll see them periodically thru the winter but not "officially" until April. We have an awesome team of both volunteers and paid staff but I can't say enough about the contributions and sacrifices of the small ground staff (a veritable "skeleton crew"). Little Jerry finishes up in two weeks. We stretch him out a bit to work on more pruning with Larry. The Grumpies worked on carpentry items for the most part today and Dick H. plowed out our parking lot (thank goodness).

When the stress of setting up the light show is done, I can then settle in and start going thru seed catalogs and begin to figure out our plans for next year. I'm often asked what I do in winter and aside from the lights show, I figure out what we're going to do next year, put together seed orders, facilitate our specialty growing operations with greenhouses and prepare for winter presentations. I usually have about 20 talks in February thru April and try to plan them well in advance so I don't have to put anything together last minute. These talks, frequently to audiences outside of the area, are also a great opportunity to encourage new visitors to come visit. Horticultural education is part of our mission and we're willing to go "on the road" to "spread the word". The shot below is a bit dark but note the colorful fruit display of the 'Winter King' hawthorn (Crataegus viridis 'Winter King').

A Day of Testing

This St. John's wort (Hypericum calycinum 'Brigadoon') was a real eyecatcher today with it's golden/orange coloration and thanks to a late leaf drop, this subshrub (root hardy hopefully) really glows in our woodland walk. We planted 50 of these and I hope they continue to mature and offer great color (golden thru the summer). They are hardy to zone 5 and do prefer full sun but we'll see how they do. Speaking of do (as in doo-doo), the deer are starting to forage in the gardens and we're now erecting posts and will protect their favorite munchies this winter (arborvitae and small pines). See picture below for one of many of their "calling cards". Ugh.

I finished running cords for the Holiday Lights Show and we "fired up" the entire thing today. We had some minor although not unexpected problems. We'll be troubleshooting over the next couple of weeks and will pray for no rain during this event. Marv, Terry, Marianne and I worked on the lights all day while Larry bounced between projects as usual. Rick and Tony finished removing buckthorn and started remulching our arboretum. They'll finish up on Friday and we sure appreciate their help. Jerry worked on pruning and debris collection and Jumbo Jim brought in the RECAPPERS to help pound posts for deer protection. Other volunteers included Del, Vern, Dr. Gredler, Bill and of course the lovely Kay who continues to be our "go to gal" out in the gardens. Below is another nice sedge. The blue sedge (Carex flacca 'Blue Zinger') has a wonderful blue coloration and is listed as a nice color improvement over the straight species. I've known this species to be a moderate spreader although descriptions for this variety say "more clump forming"... I'm not sure what that means but we'll see how they fill out and grow in the future with the thought that we may have to remove them if they get too vigorous. As a side note, I wont be blogging for a couple days as my wife is having surgery and I'll be away from the gardens and computer.

That "End of the Tunnel" Light Was Just Found

Above is a shot of the front of our visitors center last December for the lights show. I did almost finish running cords today and should be able to finish tomorrow morning. The final work on the show includes testing everything and trying to troubleshoot the problems. I'm almost out of extension cords and we had to buy another 2,000 feet of cords last week! Jerry, Bill and Urban worked on pruning and debris clean-up. Larry bounced between projects while Tony and Rick cleared more buckthorn and are working on a couple projects to finish off their last week. Del and Maury worked inside on painting "deer cutouts" for the event and Janice has begun researching some of our heirloom vegetable collections for next year. She and Barb also worked on processing more lights.

Nice image of the Korean feather reed grass (Calamagrostis brachytricha) to the right. Aside from the great winter interest from this 30" tall grass, it tolerates part shade and has wonderful flower plumes by mid-summer. This grass is not real easy to find but I've found fewer that are low maintenance. You also may get a nice orangey fall color as well if you're lucky. I like all Calamagrostis species and varieties. Nice willow relection in the pond below.

A Brief Winter Wonderland

It was brisk today and we had a "mini-blizzard" between 1 pm and 2 pm. It's blue skies and sunny right now at 3 pm.

Nice shot of a weeping spruce (Picea abies 'Pendula') to the left with a heavy crop of cones. I sure like interesting forms of conifers as they become the "eye candy" in our winter landscapes.

Marv, Terry, Marianne, Larry and I worked on the lights all day. We are on track to be done this Wednesday. We did turn on the power today and as usual, have some "bugs" to work out. Jerry worked on pruning more shrubs and small trees while Bill and some Grumpies worked on collecting debris. Rick and Tony did a nice job cleaning up our east parking lot and worked on clearing European buckthorn (both lost blood in their battles with this foe). Most Grumpy work will now shift inside to bench resealing and miscellaneous carpentry. See below for my article on the value of conifers in the landscape.

The landscape is now becoming starker as winter digs in and snow starts to accumulate. Our gardens are biding their time until active growth can resume with warmer soil temperatures and spring rains. Now is a great time to enjoy conifers in the garden or locate those spots that can use a structural element, focal point and/or a “splash” of color. Conifers are considered the “bones” of the garden and should be in place before other elements are added. They are the perfect “foil” for perennials and annuals during the summer and they take center stage during the winter months.

Conifers are usually evergreen trees and shrubs where the leaves are in the form of needles. The larch (or tamarack) is an example of a deciduous conifer that loses its needles in fall. We are all familiar with pines, junipers, spruces and yews as they are commonly found throughout our neighborhoods and parks. Conifer means “cone bearer” and the contribution of these trees and shrubs to the winter landscape in terms of structure is quite apparent.

Conifers have been planted around the foundations of many homes as they visually “anchor” the home to the surrounding yard. However, a very narrow palette of conifers has traditionally been used for this purpose and lack of maintenance has created many overgrown situations where these plants are more of a nuisance than an asset. Understanding the growth and maintenance requirements of individual conifers as well as their mature size, will help in the selection of appropriate varieties.

Conifers are also used around the yard and when placed appropriately, can form an effective wind screen, blocking winter winds and snow from hitting the home directly (thereby reducing winter heating costs). Conifers come in all shapes and sizes and typically a different form can be found of a desirable shrub or tree. For instance, the white pine, which can attain a mammoth size, does not lend itself to the smaller home landscape. However, it can be found in varieties that include dwarf, upright, weeping, golden, etc. Interesting forms of conifers will give you four seasons of interest and can become an important visual element in the landscape. Research the availability of conifer varieties to help in your selection process. Variability, availability and affordability has all improved as the smaller home landscape is considered and conifers proportional to that landscape become more readily available. Conifers are also wonderful for wildlife habitat, providing shelter and in some cases, a reliable food source in the scarce winter months. As a general rule of thumb, native conifers are preferred by our native wildlife.

Most conifers come in shades of green, but other colors exist and when combined in the landscape, this color becomes important in the “year-round” composition of the home landscape. It is important to note that green is a wonderful winter foil for ornamental grasses and other garden elements. The dark green silhouette of a conifer in winter can be quite striking, particularly when accentuated with a dusting of snow. However, colors such as gold, yellow, blue, white, silver and maroon can all be found in the winter landscape provided by conifers. These colors will come into the forefront of the winter landscape and can also be important in the summer composition. Consider all assets of the plant prior to purchase and installation. Visualize the contribution of these conifers year-round but don’t forget their winter value with form, texture and color.

Take winter walks around the neighborhood as well as area botanic gardens to locate some wonderful evergreens that are “stealing the show” right now. Create or enhance your fourth season of interest by planning now for the addition of conifers to your landscape.