Hi
Gardeners
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| Windflowers ( anemone) |
March weather is notoriously unstable here in Michigan.
I was standing in the barn this morning feeding chickens when I became aware of
a roaring that was coming closer. At
first I thought it was jets, lots of them.
I then realized it was going on longer than the noise of jets usually
does and not fading in the distance. It
suddenly came to me that maybe it was a tornado- so I rushed to the front of
the barn to look out- which probably wasn’t the best move- and I saw a line of
dark clouds passing by just to the south very swiftly. I saw nothing that looked like a funnel and
the winds on the ground were high, but not tornadic. But it was the source of the noise; a
rumbling black freight train of wind. When the tail end of that line of clouds
passed the noise began to recede. I have never seen anything like that. If that wind had been on the ground there
would have been terrible damage.
On my Monday walk with Gizzy it was 62 degrees and
partly sunny with a strong breeze from the south. That’s amazing because Sunday the temperature
was only 38 for the high and the wind was so strong it felt like 0 out there. Monday morning we had some light rain but
then it cleared off. We had a nice walk
around the pond and spring is certainly progressing. There was no ice on the pond and birds were
singing all over. Redwing blackbirds are
everywhere, although I haven’t seen a robin here yet.
I have crocus and winter aconite that will be blooming
in a few days. The snowdrops are still
blooming. Most of the spring bulbs are peeking through the soil. Pussy willows at the pond were in bloom. Both amur honeysuckle and trumpet honeysuckle
are actually getting leaves. There was leaf
bud break on apricot, lilac, black willow, forsythia and multiflora rose. Daylilies are sprouting, as well as beebalm,
lemon balm, golden globe, mums, and chives.
There are big buds on the flowering quince and I found
a rotting quince on the bush- one I hadn’t noticed in the fall. It’s the first time I have known the plant to
set fruit. The apricot branch I brought
inside to force is blooming, and I added some fuzzy pussy tail catkins to the
vase. On a walk last week I found some
small bulbs that had been heaved out of the ground so I brought them inside and
put them in a flower pot on the porch.
Even though it’s not heated out there they have jumped in size and are
3-4 inches high. Two are crocus and the
other is a mystery.
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| Pussy willows |
Inside my little fuchsia plants are blooming like
crazy. The streptocarpus have lots of
buds. The hibiscus are in a lull in bloom but have lots of buds. Kalanchoe and abutilon are in bloom. Oddly enough the Christmas cacti keep putting
out new flushes of bloom this year. And
I have an amaryllis getting ready to bloom.
This will be its 4th year of bloom. Many of my house plants
are taking a growth spurt now.
March
almanac
The full moon in March (March 12th) is
called the Worm moon, because earthworms once more make worm casts on the soil
surface, or Sap moon because the trees begin to produce sap again. (That was in
earlier years, now they produce sap in February in some places.) The moon
perigee was the 3rd and will occur again this month on the 30th
– a good day to expect a storm around.
Moon apogee is the 18th.
The most important date for all gardeners in March is,
of course the first day of spring. It’s
March 20th. That’s the date
when the length of the day and the night are about the same, the spring
equinox. Actually in Michigan the length of the day will be 12 hours and 10
minutes. The length of the day will be
12 hours, 42 minutes on March 31st.
March 12th begins daylight savings time. Spring those clocks
ahead 1 hour.
Other important dates and holidays in March are: 7th –
Employee Appreciation Day, 8th International Women’s day, 12th – Girl Scout Day
and Plant a flower Day, the 13th is National popcorn day and the 14th National
Potato chip day. The 14th is also Learn
about Butterflies day.
The 15th is the Ides of March. In ancient Rome this was the beginning of the
New Year and also of spring. The 17th is St. Patrick’s Day and the 18th is the
Goddess of Fertility day. The 19th is
poultry day, the 20th is Earth Day although beware-it’s also Alien Abduction
day. The 25th is National Agriculture
day as well as National Pecan day and National Waffle day. The 30th is National
Doctors day.
March is Irish American month as well as National
Women’s History month, National Nutrition month, National Peanut month,
National Craft Month and National Frozen Foods month.
March’s birth flower is the daffodil or jonquil, the
birthstone is aqua marine.
What
can be pruned now
With an early spring across much of the country what
you can prune is going to vary a lot from area to area, even among the same
growing zone. Normally March is a good
month for zones 5-6 to do pruning. Pruning fruit trees and grape vines can
still be done as long as trees and vines are dormant. Dormant means that the
buds are tight and not showing signs of green.
Get a good pruning manual and
follow the directions. You can get
pruning information at your County Extension office also. Pruning your fruit trees and grape vines
makes your plants healthier and more productive.
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| Apricot blooms |
It’s a good time to prune oaks, yews, poplars, willows,
honey locust, katsura, sycamore and some other trees. Take out all winter damaged limbs, crossing
and rubbing branches, and thin and shape if needed. The trees are best pruned when dormant too,
especially oaks. Trees can be pruned
once sap starts flowing and buds expand but it’s messier and trees like oaks
may attract insects if sap is leaking.
The insects carry many tree diseases such as oak wilt between trees.
What
not to prune
Don’t prune fruit trees that are kept just for spring
flowers, such as ornamental cherries and crabapples, if they haven’t flowered,
at this time. If you do you won’t get
flowers. Once they have flowered go ahead
and prune away.
Do not prune pines until new growth has expanded at the
branch tips. The proper way to prune pines is to let the new growth fully
expand and then remove only a third to a half of that new growth. Of course you
can remove dead branches at any time. Do
not prune trees or shrubs you want spring flowers from, like redbuds, dogwood,
magnolias, forsythia, lilacs, azalea, rhododendron, witch hazel, weigelia,
spirea, flowering quince, and daphne, if they haven’t flowered yet. If your shrubs have already flowered it’s a
good time to prune them.
Woody and semi-woody perennials should not be pruned
even if they have started to leaf out.
This includes roses. The ends of stems have hardened over the winter, or
died back, and are protecting buds farther down the stem. If you cut them back
in March a cold snap may kill buds down much farther than you want. Instead
wait for mid to late April (zones 5-6) (early April zone 7) or when the weather
seems to be settled in your area.
Check for and repair winter damage (if possible) from
rodents and deer. Look at the bottoms of
tree and shrub to see if the bark has been chewed. If a tree or shrub is totally girdled, (the
bark is eaten off all around the tree) it may die. Some shrubs and even trees may return from
the roots. You’ll want to give damaged
shrubs and trees extra water and fertilizer as new growth begins to help them
recover. Grafted trees such as most
fruit trees, will not respond with growth like the old tree, they come back
from rootstock that is generally undesirable for fruiting. You’ll want to remove those trees.
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| Girdled trees |
March
clean up
If your spring flowering bulbs were heavily mulched and
you can see growth through it, you need to gently remove most of the mulch from
around them. Once they are growing
leaving the mulch won’t stop the growth. If the mulch is leaves, like in my
garden, the leaves may deform flower buds as the stems grow up right through
leaves. If you see this gently pull the
leaves off. I use a small rake, called a shrub rake, to remove leaves around and
between the plants. Mulch can be left
around sturdy perennials that will grow up through it before blooming.
Don’t be in a hurry to remove any protective mulch you
put over strawberries. If the weather
gets quite warm you can remove some of the mulch but leave it close by and be
prepared to re-cover plants if a cold snap is coming. You may want some
floating row cover or old sheets handy if strawberries progress to the point of
bloom and then a cold snap is predicted.
Covering plants could protect the bloom and allow you to get fruit. Do not use plastic unless it is held away
from the plants on a frame. Make sure to
remove covers promptly if it’s sunny in the morning and will be above freezing.
If you didn’t cut down your herbaceous perennials, plants
whose upper parts died over winter, you can do that cleanup now. Remove old stems and seed stalks. Use caution when cutting back mums. Leave the stems several inches above ground
to avoid damaging buds on the lower stems.
Work with all plants carefully so as not to damage emerging sprouts or
pull them from wet ground.
Cut back ornamental grasses to the ground. Some people burn the old foliage but be aware
that these dried clumps can go up in flames like a torch and be ready to keep
flames from spreading.
If the vegetable garden wasn’t cleaned up in the fall
you can do that now. Remove all old
debris to avoid insect and disease problems in the coming year. It’s a good time to add aged manure or
compost to the beds. If you used a cover
crop it’s time to mow it down. If you
still till your garden you can till in compost or the cover crop. Do not till if the soil is still wet. You’ll compact the soil and cause numerous
problems.
Planting
in March
In planting zones 6 and below most of your planting
should be done inside, or in tunnels or greenhouses. If the weather has been fairly warm and the
soil is dry enough to work and frost free you could plant the very earliest
outside crops. That includes peas,
lettuce, and radishes. Pansies and violas can be planted outside for early
color. Grass seed can be planted and can
even be sowed on top of snow, although birds may eat it.
In planting zones 7 and 8 how your weather is this year
will determine what you can plant. Cold
resistant crops like cabbage, onions, and beets can be planted. If temperatures have been high and lilacs
have bloomed your warm weather crops are probably safe. That includes tomatoes, peppers, carrots,
beans and sweet corn. Bedding flowers
like petunias and geraniums are also safe.
You may have missed the best time for grass seeding, but if it’s still
relatively cool and moist you could try it.
I would wait until next month to put your tender tropical outside.
In all zones bare root, dormant plants; trees, shrubs
and perennials and dormant potted hardy plants can be planted if the ground is
thawed. If plants have begun to sprout
or have leaves a little more caution is needed.
In zones 7 and above I’d get them in the ground unless they are
considered borderline hardy for your zone.
If you are worried hold them in a cool, bright place until the weather
is a bit warmer.
Below zone 7 planting trees, shrubs and perennials that
have begun to leaf out or are in bloom should be tied to the current growth
stage of similar plants already in the ground.
For example if apple trees in the ground in your area are leafing out
you could plant a new potted apple tree that is leafing out. If hosta plants are showing above ground then
a new hosta plant that is at a similar growth stage can be planted. If you are worried about the new plants being
damaged keep them in a cool, sunny place indoors until they can go
outside. An unheated greenhouse or
tunnel would be fine.
Patience is a virtue in gardening as it is in many
aspects of life. Generally waiting a bit
longer is safer than planting at the first signs of spring. Sometimes though, it doesn’t hurt to take a
chance. For example seeds are fairly
cheap. If you plant your beans too early
and a late frost kills them you can just plant them again. But you may want to practice patience if you
are thinking about planting a $50.00 perennial.
Brewing
chocolate
I was reading some nutrition research and found a study
that said brewed chocolate helps improve memory, concentration and mood and
increases your metabolism and energy level.
Brewed chocolate is a new trend, one I hadn’t heard about but I am going
to try. Brewed chocolate is made like
coffee and is not like cocoa. The cacao
beans are roasted and ground like coffee beans, which you then use in a coffee
maker. I haven’t seen the roasted beans in
regular stores yet but they are available on line, even on Amazon, and I guess
in some gourmet food shops. On Amazon 10
oz. of roasted cacao sold for a little over $10.
Unlike cocoa powder the ground, roasted beans do not
have the cocoa fat removed and include the husk of the bean. This increases the antioxidant and vitamin
level in the brewed product. Reportedly an 8 oz. cup of brewed cacao has more
antioxidants than 2 servings of blueberries. It also has little caffeine but lots of theobromine,
which boosts your energy level without the jitters. If you drink black coffee you’ll probably
like brewed cacao straight. Other people
add sugar and cream.
Brewed cacao might be hard to come by if the experts
are right and a cacao shortage is in the near future. To ease the shortage researchers have been
looking for a plant substitute. They
found that Jackfruit (Artocarpus
heterophyllus) seeds might make a passable substitute when fermented and
treated like cacao. However the research
I read says they smell like chocolate, and doesn’t say anything about the
taste. The fruit of the Jackfruit is widely
eaten in South America and Southeast Asia but the seeds are generally
discarded.
How
to Grow Rhubarb
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| Rhubarb sprouting |
I was out walking in early March and noticed that my
rhubarb was already sprouting in the garden.
Rhubarb is a crop gardeners from zone 3 – 7 can easily grow, so if you
like rhubarb and strawberry pie, find room for a plant or two in your
yard. Rhubarb needs a long cold dormant
period, so gardeners in the south won’t have great luck with this plant.
Rhubarb is not just for pie, the plants are ornamental,
if you like large, impressive leaves and it has pretty, tall spikes of
fragrant, tiny white flowers in early summer.
Plants can be tucked in the back of a perennial bed and will fit right
in. It will even do well in light shade, although your crop will be bigger and
plants more robust in full sun.
Rhubarb is a perennial crop; once you plant it you can
harvest it for many years. Make sure you
choose a location for it in your garden where it won’t be disturbed. As plants mature they can easily fill a 5-6
foot square area, so keep that in mind when looking for a planting location. Rhubarb isn’t fussy about soil type or soil pH
as well as it is in a well-drained area.
It does appreciate a soil with lots of organic matter.
Rhubarb has large, “crinkled” or “rumpled” dark green
leaves with bright red stalks. The stalks are redder in the early spring and
some varieties have redder stalks than others.
Rhubarb plants slowly get larger over the years and a clump of rhubarb
can be 3 feet high and 5-6 feet wide. In early summer rhubarb puts up tall
flower stalks with clusters of white, airy flowers. These will turn to flat brown seed pods if
flower heads are not trimmed off.
Planting
rhubarb
Gardeners usually start with rhubarb “roots”, dormant
divisions of a rhubarb plant. It can be
grown from seeds fairly easily but you must wait several years for a harvest
from seed grown plants. There are several good varieties of rhubarb. Victoria
is an old variety that grows well in the garden. Canada
Red and Valentine are two other
good varieties. Rhubarb is generally
planted in early spring. One or two
well grown plants are usually enough for a small family.
Rhubarb likes rich, fertile soil. Work in compost and well-aged manure where
you are going to plant it. Plant
rhubarb so the sprouts are about 2 inches below the soil. Plants should be spaced at least 3 feet
apart. About 3 weeks after planting, as
growth starts, use a slow release garden fertilizer around the plants. If spring is dry, water rhubarb to keep it
succulent and growing.
Yearly
care of rhubarb
Fertilize rhubarb each year as you see growth begin.
Keep it weeded, especially the first year as it establishes itself. Deer or rabbits rarely touch rhubarb. Rhubarb has few pests other than kids; make
sure you keep an eye on those so they don’t over harvest
Rhubarb may need to be divided if clumps seem to be
producing fewer stalks or thin weak stalks.
Simply dig up the whole clump in early spring and pull apart the roots
and stem buds into separate clumps with several stem buds on each. Replant as soon as possible. Most rhubarb benefits from dividing every 3-5
years. However many people have had
clumps for 20 years without dividing the plants if there is plenty of room for
the plants to spread.
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| Young Rhubarb |
Some garden books recommend trimming off the flower
stalks before they get very large. This
does concentrate plant energy to leaf and root growth and for the first year or
two after you plant rhubarb this is probably a good idea. After that you can allow the flowers to
develop without any harm. The flowers
develop after the spring rhubarb stalk harvest and the plant has time to
replace removed stalks before fall. Do
remove the flower stalks after the flowers die, you don’t need the plant using
energy to produce seeds and the seed pods aren’t that attractive.
In the fall, after rhubarb leaves are killed by frost,
trim them off. I personally pile the cut
leaves over the growing location. Or after
the ground freezes throw a layer of straw or oak leaves over the rhubarb
crown. Remove the mulch in early
spring. It’s a good idea to mark the
location of rhubarb clumps with a stake if early garden work could damage them.
Harvesting
rhubarb
Unfortunately you’ll need to skip a harvest the first
year you plant rhubarb. The plant needs
to establish a good root system and needs all its leaves. In the second year and every year after, you
can harvest up to a third of the leaf stalks.
To harvest rhubarb simply snap or cut the stalks off the plant. Wash well before eating. Never eat rhubarb
leaves. Stop harvesting rhubarb as the
days get hot and if you see flower stalks forming, as it tends to get bitter
then.
Rhubarb can be eaten raw as most country kids know, or
sweetened and cooked into pies, preserves or jelly. A common name for rhubarb is pie plant. It is
often combined with strawberries for some delectable treats. Rhubarb can be washed, cut into small pieces
and frozen. Frozen rhubarb will be soft
when thawed but can be turned into pies and other treats. It can also be cooked and frozen.
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| Rhubarb in bloom |
Caution-
and medicinal use
Never consume any part of the rhubarb plant except the stalks and stalks only in the
spring. Rhubarb contains oxalic acid,
which can be poisonous. In the spring,
before the flower stalks start, the stems of rhubarb have little oxalic acid
and are safe to eat, unless you consume huge quantities. If there has been a heavy frost or freeze
after stalks are well developed the stalks may be high in oxalic acid and not
safe to eat. Wait 7-10 days after
weather has warmed before resuming harvest.
Rhubarb has been used in Chinese medicine for thousands
of years. And you may have guessed its
primary use- as a laxative. Powdered root was used for this purpose. Consuming large amounts of rhubarb stalks can
also lead to a tummy ache and lots of bathroom trips even in the spring. It was also prescribed as a diet aid- but I
can think of better ways to lose weight.
Modern medicine has isolated a pigment in rhubarb that is being studied
for leukemia treatment. Rhubarb root can produce a brown dye.
Michigan is also home to a thriving commercial rhubarb
crop, most of it grown under glass or in tunnels to provide early rhubarb for
those who craving the sweet -sour treat before it is ready in the garden. Rhubarb is a good crop for early sales at
Farmer’s markets.
If you love rhubarb, you can tuck a clump into all but
the tiniest garden and enjoy it for many years.
The best tasting rhubarb is right from your own garden.
Planning
the woodland garden
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| Hodgeson garden |
If you have property that has lots of mature trees you
may be considering a garden that features shade loving or woodland plants. Woodland gardens are gardens where humans
manipulate the understory plants- the plants which tolerate conditions of shade
and competition from larger plants and fill in the space under them. For some that may be a wooded glen full of
native wildflowers or for others a place to showcase hosta, heuchera and other
shade plants. There are many plants that
will grow in the shade of other plants but not every shade loving plant will
grow in any shaded area.
Degrees
of shade
When you are considering developing a garden in a
wooded or shaded area there are several considerations. One is of course the light available for a
garden. There are very densely shaded
areas under trees that won’t be suitable for most types of understory
plants. The best areas for woodland
gardens are where there is filtered light, with a light tree canopy and
shifting patterns of sunlit spots. In
nature this occurs at the edges of woodlands and around areas where trees have
fallen or died. A path or road through
your woodlands may provide these conditions on either side of it.
The shade from deciduous trees (trees which lose their
leaves in the winter) is different from the shade under evergreen trees. Deciduous wooded areas offer the chance for
many understory plants to grow and bloom in the early spring to early summer
period, before the trees have heavy leaf coverage. Many native wildflowers fall into this
category and are called ephemeral flowers. They grow and bloom early in the season then
die back and go dormant until the next spring.
There are also a few plants that bloom in autumn, after the leaves begin
to fall.
In contrast when shade is from evergreen trees plants
have to adapt to a continuous level of low light. These areas can support good woodland gardens
if they are thinned and “limbed up” to allow some light to penetrate. This is generally easier to achieve under
pines, which tend to lose their lower branches as they grow anyway and still
maintain a pleasing look when lower limbs are removed. In contrast spruce and firs tend to look a
bit odd when lower limbs are pruned to allow more light to penetrate under
them.
Very densely planted stands of evergreens such as those
in windbreaks and abandoned Christmas tree farms will need a lot of thinning
and pruning, including the removal of whole trees, if you want to plant a
woodland garden under them. Some
deciduous stands of trees may also need thinning and pruning before a garden
under them is attempted. If you have
property like this and want to put in a woodland garden you may want to consult
with and or use the services of a registered arborist or forester. They can advise you how to correctly thin and
remove trees.
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| Dappled shade under an oak in spring. |
Competition
for water and food
Moisture levels under trees can be a limiting factor as
to what plants will grow there. The area
under trees often has drier soil than other areas. While shade helps keep moisture from
evaporating from soil as quickly as in a sunny area the trees also prevent some
rain from ever hitting the ground under them.
And when rain does hit the soil beneath the trees it is quickly soaked
up by the trees roots. Some areas turn
out to be quite dry. Areas under deciduous trees may have more moisture in the
soil because at times of the year rain and snow can reach the ground readily.
If you have the ability to water under the tree canopy then you may be able to
use a wider range of plants there.
Tree roots also grab soil nutrients. The soil
characteristics such as soil fertility and soil pH under trees can vary just as
it does anywhere else but it is harder to amend these things than in an area
not under trees. It’s a good idea to get
a soil test done before beginning a woodland garden. Then you may have a better
idea of what plants will do well there. Some trees will also have many surface
roots that make planting understory plants under them difficult.
Usually soil under wooded areas has a lot of organic
matter in it from rotting leaves and/or needles. Most woodland plants really appreciate
this. But in some cases the property
owner has removed leaves or needles every year and the soil is low in organic
matter. While some organic matter can be
worked into soil at planting time no more than 3 inches of soil or organic
matter such as compost or wood chips should be put on top of tree roots. Adding more may cause stress or death to the
trees.
Some tree roots may actually give off chemicals that interfere
with the growth of plants near them.
Black walnut trees and Tree of Heaven, (Ailanthus altissima), for
example, stunt the growth or kill plants growing near their roots. Other trees which may have allopathic
(suppressant) factors include Sugar
maple, Black Locust, Eucalyptus, Sassafrass, Red oak, Black Cherry, and
Sycamore. There are plants which will
grow near these species but your selection will be more limited. (Note: alleopathy is now controversial, with
some experts believing that these trees do not give off chemical suppressants,
but may alter soil conditions.)
If you are willing and able to use some irrigation and
supplemental feeding you can grow many species of woodland plants that might
not grow in your woodland area naturally.
If you want your woodland garden to be completely self-sustaining you’ll
have to use care to select plant species that suit your conditions.
Deciding
what to plant
After you have determined light, soil, moisture and
nutrient conditions of your woodland area you’ll need to decide just what type
of plants you want to grow- and can grow- in those conditions. You can choose to grow only plants native to
your area. You can use plants that are
native to your area with a few “wild flowers” from other places with similar
climates and conditions. You can use
only cultivated shade species such as heuchera, hosta and similar plants. Or you use in your woodland garden any kind
of plant that will grow well in your shade conditions, including annual plants
and tropical plants during the summer.
Make sure that you research the zone hardiness and
specific cultural requirements of plants that you select for your woodland
garden just as you would for other gardens. Some woodland plants such as
violets and sweet woodruff can spread quickly so keep the invasive qualities in
mind as you choose plants too. Some species of plants have varieties that have
different levels of light requirements. Certain
hosta varieties, for example, need more light than others to do well, so pay
attention to specific variety requirements.
In any garden it’s important to plan on plants whose
foliage, form or texture, are as important as the flowers. In woodland gardens it is even more important
because most woodland plants only have a short blooming period, which tends to
be concentrated in the spring, and when they do bloom the blooms may not be
very conspicuous. Some woodland plants
may disappear altogether once summer arrives.
Plants with gold or white variegated foliage, blue or
red foliage can add color without flowers. Light colored foliage, especially in the
golden range, brightens dark areas and is very effective in small amounts. Don’t
overdo such color spots though- it will not look natural in a woodland
setting. Varying the texture; ferns,
broad leaved hosta, Japanese Forest grass, and form; ground covers, upright,
arching spreading and so forth of plants is also more pleasing than plants that
are all of one size and shape.
If you observe your wooded area carefully you may
notice areas where “spotlights” of sun fall at least part of the day. These areas may support plants that more
evenly shaded areas won’t. These areas
are also great for a “focus point” perhaps an exuberant basket of tuberous
begonias or a cluster of fuchsia. They are also good areas to locate a water
feature in the shade garden as the light is reflected off the water.
 |
| Partial shade garden |
Bulbs
and small spring plants for woodland gardens
Crocus, snowdrops, wood hyacinth, cyclamen(spring blooming),
anemone, Shooting Stars(Dodecatheon species) Helleborus species, Lily of the
Valley, Blood root, Hepatica species, Erythronium (Trout Lilies), Trilliums,
Arisaema species (Jack in The Pulpit), Corydalis, Arum, primula, violas and
violets, Bleeding hearts, Epimedium, Tiarella, Uvularia, Chionodoxa
,Hyacinthoides( English Bluebells), Scilla, Eranthis, Fritillaria. At the edges of deciduous trees tulips and
narcissus often do well.
Summer
and fall blooming plants
Astilbe, Aralia, Aconitum, Kirengeshoma, cyclamen (fall
blooming), Evening primrose, Trycyrtis (Toad Lilies), Cranesbill geraniums,
Hypericum, Siberian Iris, Lobelia, (some species), Polemonium (Jacobs Ladder), Cypripedium
(lady Slipper orchids), Autumn Crocus.
Ground
cover type plants
Sweet Woodruff, Bunchberry, Pachysandra, Ajuga, Lamium,
Chrysogonum, Liriope, Phlox stolonifera, Phlox divaricate, Asarum (Wild
Ginger), violets.
Larger
Foliage (some also
bloom)
Hosta, heuchera, heucherella, Brunnera, Aruncus,
Cimicifuga(Snakeroot), Mukdenia, Rodgersia, Ferns(various), Hakonechloa
(Japanese Forest Grass), Solomon’s Seal, Pulmonaria, Goldenseal, Paris
Polyphylla, May apple
Shrubs
and trees
Japanese Maples, rhododendrons, azaleas, Calycanthus,
Dogwoods (some species) Clethra, Fothergilla, Daphne, Itea, Hydrangea (some), Schizophragma
(vine) Viburnum,(some).
Annuals/
tender tropical/ houseplants for shade
Tuberous begonias, rex begonias, coleus, fuchsia, impatiens,
Norfolk Pines, staghorn ferns, Snake plant, spider plant, streptocarpus, peace
lily and many other houseplants. Many
houseplants that like sun inside do better in partial shade or light shade
outside.
Your woodland garden will probably evolve a bit through
the years as you discover what species do well and where you need more color,
form or interest. Being open to adding
non-native plants or supplementing with annuals and tropical plants will often
provide the most pleasing and interesting woodland garden. Many woodland native plants are now available
through garden stores. New shade plants are being discovered and new varieties
being developed from older ones each year.
March
Maple Biscuits
A good cook knows how to make good biscuits. Here’s a biscuit recipe for maple syrup
time. These are very rich and
satisfying. Make this a yearly treat;
don’t sub “healthy” ingredients. That
said if you can’t find real maple syrup use the grocery store “flavored” kind.
Ingredients
2 cups flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
¾ teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons of cold butter, cut into tiny pieces
¾ cup cream
¼ cup real maple syrup
Glaze
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons real maple syrup
Melt these together and set aside.
Biscuit
directions
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Put the flour, salt and baking powder in the blender (or
bowl)
Add the butter pieces, pulse blend until the mix
resembles coarse cornmeal (or use a fork to cut in the flour)
Pour the cream and maple syrup into the blender, blend
just a few seconds until a dough forms. (Or
blend the ingredients in a bowl)
Place the dough on a floured surface and knead several
times.
Roll the dough out into a ¾ inch thick rectangle.
Using a biscuit cutter or glass cut out biscuits and
place on a lightly greased baking sheet.
(About 12 biscuits)
Brush each biscuit with the reserved butter and maple
syrup mixture.
Bake about 12-15 minutes, until golden brown. Serve warm with butter or maple syrup.
This
week’s garden question: I have clay soil and I want to plant some trees. Should
I use a bag of peat in each hole?
Janelle, from Ohio
This is a very common question and the answer that real
plant experts will give you is no. However people at garden shops and nurseries
will often try and sell you some amendment for your soil when they sell you a
tree or shrub. Can you guess why that
might be so? Some people are well
meaning, because that’s what they have been taught. Others just see an additional sale. Landscapers,
particularly at new home sites often do this, but that doesn’t mean they are
right. It just seems like that if you have heavy clay soil or sandy rocky soil
that those new roots a tree puts out would like some light fluffy peat around
them, or compost, or topsoil. But that’s not so.
Real plant experts will tell you that you should always
refill holes you dig to plant trees or shrubs with the soil you removed. That’s true even if you believe your soil is
terrible. First you should select trees
and shrubs that are going to be able to survive in the soil conditions you
have. Second, as that new plant begins
to grow new roots they will immediately adapt to the native soil conditions. Third, research studies have proven that not amending the soil in the planting
hole is the best approach to tree planting.
If you place a bag of peat in a hole dug in heavy clay
soil you are basically putting a sponge in a bathtub with the plant roots. That’s not a great idea. Sometimes tree roots will circle around and
around in amended soil rather than going bravely out into the native soil. This may cause the roots to girdle and “choke”
the young tree. It can also cause the
tree to be more easily blown over in a storm.
Trees may seem to take off and grow faster in an
amended planting situation but in the long run their health and stability is
better if holes are re-filled with the native soil. An early growth spurt is often followed by
die-back or poor growth as the tree tries to adjust to the new conditions the
roots are experiencing outside the original planting area.
Make your planting holes twice as wide as the plant
root ball, loose soil is always helpful. But if you add anything, make it a
little slow release granular fertilizer that you mix into the soil before
re-filling the hole. I prefer not to fertilize until I see new growth start on
the tree. Mulching new trees is always a
good idea. If you feel you must do something
else, add mulch to the soil surface after planting, just don’t let it actually
touch the tree trunk.
In short: refill planting holes with the soil you
removed and do not be tempted to mess with nature.
Just 12 days to spring!
Kim Willis
“He who has a garden and
a library wants for nothing” ― Cicero
© Kim Willis - no parts of this newsletter may be used
without permission.
And
So On….
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