Garden almanac, Lawns, Pruning trees and shrubs

A Few Things to be Concerned about in the Landscape/Garden

A few things to be concerned about in the landscape/garden, starting with any shrubs or tree branches that have not leafed out should be pruned to a live stem or branch. If the shrubs produce canes, prune them to the ground. Last winter was hard on ornamental grass especially if under a heavy snowdrift. If they are not sending up any new blades of grass, think about replacing them.

A few questions were about our smoke from Canada. The smoke does block the UV light causing garden and flower transplants from greening up quickly. Along with longer dew times, this may increase the chance of higher fungus diseases. If crabgrass has been a problem, you still might have a limited time to apply a pre-emergence herbicide, but time is running out.

If you have newly planted lawn areas, wait until you have mowed twice before applying any chemicals. Dandelions can be controlled better at the puffball stage than when in flower. Treat this fall to kill them. Think about using grub control if you had a grub problem last year.

Remove tulip or daffodil heads after they flower so the energy goes to the bulb to produce next year’s flowers. If your rhubarb is throwing up flower stalks, remove them.

Flowers (annual and perennial), Landscaping

Moonflower gardens are becoming more popular

Moonflower gardens are becoming more popular in the last few years, maybe we are spending more time at night in our backyards. But what is a Moon Garden? It is a group of white flowering plants that seemly glow in the moonlight. Many flowers produced more scent at night bringing in various moths to pollinate them. Foliage plants are used with grey and white hues creating more ambiance. Adding solar lighting will make the beds stand out when the moonlight is missing. Add a fountain to create the sound of flowing water.

Plants that give off scent are flowering tobaccos, especially Nicotiana sylvestris with their long white flowers. Moonflowers with their large white flowers make a wonderful climbing vine. Angel trumpets can not be beaten with their neat, rounded growth and 8-inch flowers.

Any other white flowering annuals or perennials make an excellent addition. You can go will pale pinks, blues, and yellows for variety.

Add a few benches so you can enjoy your new moon flowerbed.

Flowers (annual and perennial), Vegetables

Time to Start Thinking about Gardening

Next week is supposed to have night temperatures above 40 for a change. Maybe it is time to start thinking about gardening. This weekend is supposed to be cold so maybe I will see if the mower and rototiller are working. I finished clearing off the garden including removing the old asparagus stalks and flowerbeds and cleaning out the pots. Need some more rabbit damage pruning on shrubs. Got the tools ready except the hand trowel, which I think the dog grabbed and buried in the backyard.

I did get in a hurry and planted seeds of lettuce, spinach, radish, and Bok choy (whatever that is) out in the garden which are poking their heads above the soil. This weekend I will put in onion, shallot, and garlic bulbs and sow seeds of carrots, parsnips, and beets into the ground. Later I’ll plant cabbage, onion, and cauliflower plants. Might even prune the roses if I can find a decent pair of leather gloves that the pup has not eaten. The cold frames are full of flower transplants and tomato, pepper, and summer squash transplants. I will plant vine crop seeds into peat pots to germinate indoors now.

I guess to keep a close eye on the night temperatures and get ready!