Hello My Dear Gardening Friends,

We have had very little snow, and the temperatures are still kind – not like it was 36 years ago. It is finally approaching seasonal winter weather. I went out to the boat house yesterday and brought in the hoses but I had to leave them on the living room floor to soften sufficiently to roll up and put away. Why do we keep putting these things off??? I suppose that we think “one more time to ……” before we concede that winter is really coming and the flowers are gone until next spring – however, my pansies are still blooming! They are such precious little souls.

Cornel is another name for Dogwood; and Dogwood has nothing to do with dogs. It used to be Dag-wood, or dagger-wood, which had another name, Prickwood, to show that it was used to make sharp pointed things.

Dogwood Cornus sanguinea:

This attractive shrub is usually found in hedgerows or mixed woodland. The Latin name ‘sanguinea’ refers to the blood-red tinge seen on twigs in autumn and winter which, along with the sprigs of creamy blossom in early summer and round black fruits in the autumn, give the Dogwood year round interest.

As Cicely tells in her rhyme, Dogwood was used to make arrows because of its hard, smooth wood. The name refers to its use in making sharp pointed things; thus Dagger-wood became Dag-wood, later corrupted to Dogwood.

There are many varieties of Cornus, all of which are grown for their abundant flowers, their brilliant winter-stem colour and their foliage. They are all quite hardy, native to northern climes, and they are mainly deciduous shrubs and small trees.

The red-barked Dogwood (Cornus alba) is best grown as a multi-stemmed plant. It is very vigorous and spreads by suckers. The crimson red stems show their richest colour when pruned regularly. The leaves turn bright crimson and purple in autumn, and flattened clusters of small yellow-white flowers in early summer are followed by pale, blue-white berries.

The Cornelian Cherry (Cornus mas) is a small tree with spreading branches. ‘Variegata’ is a particularly attractive cultivar, which has a broad white margin to its grey green leaves. It bears clusters of tiny golden yellow flowers, followed by bright red fruits in autumn.

I had promised you some information on growing “Orchids on the Window Sill”:

You really do not need an expensive greenhouse to grow orchids. There are many varieties that are adaptable to growing in your home. With only a little understanding of their native habits, they will flourish and bloom for you. As a bonus many of these plants will enjoy a summer outside.

Orchids come from all parts of the world. From the high mountains, the tops of trees, beside streams, under waterfalls, and quite often in open meadows. The orchids that grow in trees or upon rocks are called epiphytes – that means that they are air plants getting their nutrients from the debris that collects in crooks of branches or in rock crevices and from moisture in the air. They are not parasites; they often have thickened leaves and stems to store water.

Other orchids grow on the ground and are called terrestrials. Their roots are always moist, though not soggy. The soil that they grow in drains rapidly so that the roots do not stand in water, for this would cause them to rot. Orchids are different from other plants in their cultural needs and habitats. They are not difficult to grow merely needing different care and some understanding of their cultural needs.

Containers:

Everyone who grows orchids has a different idea about the type of container that is the best. Clay pots seem to be the standard type of container, some have slits up the sides, but you do not really need to purchase these special pots. The drainage hole should be made a bit larger to make sure that you get really good drainage and that the roots are aerated.

Many orchids can be grown in baskets. Try a redwood one with the pieces of wood fairly close together so that the potting medium will be well contained. In fact orchids look very attractive in this kind of container.

Some orchids are grown on pieces of osmunda or tree fern. This type of material can be purchased in logs, poles and slabs, the plants can be either wired or stapled to them. Plants with cascading flower spikes look wonderful on a slab that is hung so that the flowers cascade downwards.

Wooden or plastic planters are very effective for cymbidiums. Some growers use large plastic pails, whilst others prefer redwood planters, this choice is really up to you.

There are two types of growth in orchid plants: sympodial and monopodial. Sympodial has a creeping stem (rhizome) from which the roots grow downwards and the leaves and flowers grow upwards. The rhizome is woody, and the new flower growth originates from the apex, usually after flowering, generally there is only one new growth a year. The stem that rises from the rhizome is called a pseudobulb and is thickened. This is not a true bulb. But it does function as one, storing water and food. The shape of the pseudobulb varies in different kinds of orchids.

Above the pseudobulb rise one to three leaves, depending on the kind of orchid. The leaves are usually leathery and almost succulent in nature. Water loss is cut down considerably because of this. As new pseudo-bulbs are formed the leaves on the back bulbs turn yellow and fall off over a period of years. Gradually the pseudobulb withers and turns yellow too. When the plants are divided, this older portion is cut off and usually discarded. The flower spikes come from within the folds of the leaves and are enclosed in sheaths (protective coverings). Many flowers may be carried on this one spike.

The roots of the orchids grow down and out from the rhizome, are white in colour and rather fleshy. Some of the roots will not grow in the potting medium and grow over the outside of the pot. The other roots weave in and out through the potting mix and absorb water and nutrients to sustain the plants. As the roots grow old they turn brown and can be cut off.

The other plant form is monopodial which is a plant with only one stem that continuously grows upwards. Sometimes the stem is visible, but other times it is covered with leaves. As the plant grows up, the older leaves at the bottom turn yellow and fall off. The monopodial plant does not produce pseudo-bulbs, so they do not have a capacity for storing water. The potting medium must always be kept moist, never let it dry out, like the sympodials should. The medium must be porous and fast draining otherwise the roots will rot and the plant will die.

The roots are white and fleshy, similar to the sympodials, and maybe pale green when wet. Again, the old roots are brown; many arial roots are produced along the stem. Some go into the potting medium and others will spill over the pots edge. Flowers are produced in spikes from the leaf axils along the stem. More mature plants may produce several spikes each season. These plants do not produce a sheath. The flower spikes can bear many flowers and will usually arch over the plant.

That is enough for this week – I will continue next time.

Some common questions:

Question: Is it true that native plants are better bets for low-maintenance gardening than exotic plants from other parts of the world?

Answer: Not necessarily. Many exotics actually outperform natives when brought into cultivation in our gardens. The forsythia for example is an Asian plant that generally thrives here with very little attention. If your garden provides a plant’s basic cultural needs it should do just fine. You should choose plants on the basis of growth form, flower colour, size, season of bloom, hardiness, and disease resistance rather than the country of origin.

Question: Are fast growing plants the best for low-maintenance situations since they cover the ground quickly?

Answer: Yes for the short term, but sometimes not for long term low maintenance. Fast spreading plants tend to fill in quickly but need more fertilizing than other plants. As well as pruning to keep them from taking over. The same is true of many species of shade trees that grow fast, such as willows, Norway and Silver maples. The roots of these trees are so shallow and invasive that growing plants beneath them becomes a real challenge.

More next time! I will say goodnight and good gardening. It is about to snow so warm hats, gloves, coats and boots, but do not forget your sunscreen! Hopefully your snow shovel is on the porch or at least close to hand.

Lovingly, Beryl