| Gardening with Beryl October 09 th 2008 |
| Hello My Dear Gardening Friends Hello My Dear Gardening Friends Suddenly fall is really here, I have been trying to decide which of the plants I am going to bring inside – I think that most of them are going to succumb to the frost. Make sure that anything you are bringing inside is washed really well , my friend told me that she always has problems with a particular plant, the bugs are actually in the soil, so remove all the soil, wash the roots well and repot in fresh sterilized potting soil. This way you eliminate the worms that always climb inside our outdoor pots. Pots I empty and turn upside down, if at all possible bring them indoors, or put in a garage, you don’t put your car in there anyway, never any room. It is time to turn off the lake water, close up the cottage for the year sigh, such a sad time – I really do not like the fall – I am a spring person. I mentioned that you should watch out for poison ivy, all year round, I picked up my cat, she nuzzled my throat and yes I now have a nice area of red, swollen, itchy poison ivy!!!! I should have written this lat the end of last summer After the fierce midsummer all ablaze What will we do when there are no more weeds to pull, nor hoe? No more back aches from working up those new flowers beds – never mind it will all be repeated next year!!! Speaking of chores – ah we are not finished yet, still the grass to mow and I am sure like me – all my plants are still outside enjoying those warm days , I was looking at my winter drapes and realizing that soon oh so very soon they will have to go back on the windows to keep out Jack frost. To-day i went to the ecology garden - Cathy was doing a workshop on identifying evergreens - as always this was a delight she is so very knowledgeable as well as being a thoroughly great person. - the weather was warmish and the rain held off until we were finished - there was a young boy , who I heard is home schooled with the wonderful name Amadeus , such a bright child , polite and thirsty for knowledge - it was delightful to be in his company and I am betting that he doesn't own a cell phone !!! November is fast approaching with shorter days and longer nights, giving us time to catch up on all those indoor "things" we have left undone, I do still have a few bulbs to plant and there are a few chores left in the garden I am afraid that we will have one more grass cutting session before we put the lawn mower away until the spring, do not forget to drain it, sharpen the blades etc. This is a good time to get it in for servicing, before the snowmobilers start getting their machines fixed. Think how wonderful it will be next spring when all you have todo is fill up with gas and away you go ( You had better arrange to have Brinks standing by , although the price of gas has dropped considerably) November is the time to start heaping straw around your precious strawberry plants. To make sure that you will prevent winter injury pile straw around the plants before the temperatures drop below 20F, but wait until we have had two or three hard frosts. The plants should be covered to a depeth of 2 to 3 inches with mulch you can actually successfully still plant strawberries, as late as October to November, though spring is the usual time , if you plant npw be sure that the plants are mulch very well before the severe weather arrives. I was reading an old seed catalogue the other day and it states the hardwood ashes are good not only for strawberries but for cabbages, potatoes, onions, fruit trees, corn and beans. About a pound of ashes for each 10 to 20 square feet was applied in the spring when you removed the winter mulch - so you lucky folk with wood stoves, be sure to save some of the good wood ash . I really miss my wood stove, but could not handle it alone - another thing I had to give up. Folk who "read" the moon signs, believe that the propagation of hardwoods is best done on a growing moon under Scorpio. Hardwood includes all kinds of deciduous trees and shrubs, as well as evergreens, yews, boxwood and hollies. Make up the slips under this fruitful watery sign, by cutting shoots off the plant, tying them in bundles, keeping them in damp sandin a cool dark place. In February or March, whilst the first quarter of the Moon passes through the moist sign of Pisces, plant them outdoors in rooting sand - I would wait until the middle of March April here. If you have noticed that some of your trees do not look healthy now is a good time to give them some special care. You can usually tell by the colour of their leaves if they are ailing. Cut off any dead limbs, now for that garden book, make yourself a note to give them a good dressing of compost in the early spring to encourage new growth, water them well - especially if we have another dry summer, oh yes we did in 2007111 A Little Folklore of trees If a tree will not bear fruit try driving nails into it - but not copper ones!! Trees for building purpose should be felled in late November or early December When transplanting a tree, be careful to have the same side facing south before and after it is moved. Wood from a tree struck by lightening should never be used in the construction of a house or barn, or they in turn may also be struck by lightening If a pregnant woman helps plant a tree and takes hold of it with both hands, the tree will bear doubly well You will become blind, so they say, if you look up into a tree while a women is in the tree!! I often wonder who THEY are, don't you?? Fall Bouquets Peonies belong to the buttercup family. many of the cultivated varieties common in North America are the off spring of only two species in the eastern hemisphere, the common peony of Southern Europe and a large group of hybrids known as the Chinese peony . The large flowers of the common peony are lovely to look at, but they do not have a lot of fragrance. Many of the Chinese peonies bear double, sweet scented blossoms. Although the tender buds may be winter- or frost-injured, peony plants are very hardy and require no special protection. However, after frost has killed the foliage. It should be cut off slightly above ground level, not deep enough to injure the buds at the crown (top) of the cluster of roots. Make sure that you clean up and dispose of the leaves and stems. Peonies should not be planted in an east facing border, for in this position the flower buds are liable to be damaged by the early morning sun if it happens to shine on them after a frosty night. Peonies in a border facing south, south west, or west, are unlikely to suffer burns in similar circumstances and if well cared for will bloom for many years, do not transplant them once they are established. I have been around the ruins of old farm houses, just the outline has been visible but in have found both roses and peonies blooming long after the owners have gone, in fact I have them in my own garden that were planted in 1939 by my father-in-law and they are still blooming their hearts out. He has been gone around 50 years, so his plants (and tools) have long outlasted him. Once established peonies are vigorous, leafy ants that take up a good deal of room, so make sure that you plant them in open spaces or even amongst shrubs. Although they do make a nice backdrop to other summer flowers, they should not be used too prominently in a mixed flower border- the flowers only last for around three weeks to month. A popular treatment for bruises, dried chervilwas moistened with water and bandaged on to the bruised skin. I hear that there is an icky flu going around - try this remedy. Boil
a large juicy pippin apple (or any other apple) in a quart of water. When
it has broke into pieces, strain off the water whilst the juice
is still boiling add a tumbler full of fine old whisky add a little
lemon juice, sweeten to taste. Take it hot at bedtime – |