Planters
Punchlines
Men’s Garden Club of Wethersfield
January 2016
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Connecticut’s Notable Trees"
@ Men’s Garden Club of Wethersfield
January Meeting
Monday January 25 @ 7:00 pm
in the
Pitkin Community Center
Frank Kaputa of the Connecticut Notable Trees Project, will
present to the Wethersfield Mens Garden Club on our state’s historic and
largest trees, the techniques used to measure them and the criteria used to
determine which trees are state and national champions.
Compostable Matter
By Jim Meehan
Birds are dumb. Squirrels too. I am convinced that if it were not for those
of us who maintain year-around bird feeders we would be living in a world
without chirps and tweets.
And even
with that easy-eating option these dopey diners would still starve to death if
we suppliers of seed did not diligently keep these alfresco eateries fully
stocked – day in, day out, twenty-four seven.
For example
Mars and I provide our resident tree rodents with a Squirrel Feeder Table and
Chair – the dining surface of which contains an inverted metal screw onto which
outrageously priced ears of dried corn (too unsuitable for cattle feed or even
ethanol) are screwed.
“Could
there be a cuter way of feeding squirrels? Great fun watching them gnaw away at
an ear of dried corn. Keep your zoom camera handy for some great photos!”
Except at
least half of the kernels never even make it to the beginning of the squirrel’s
perpetually churning digestive system.
Instead these juicy yellow grain bits are found, day after day,
scattered across the green metal tree-rat chair and strewn all around the
ground at the base of the oak tree, which provides a home for the small,
one-patron at a time, diner.
And do the
other squirrels that are sitting on the ground and looking up enviously at
their chow-downing drey-mate deign to partake in this indiscriminately
distributed bounty? NOOOO!
And when
the chair of honor is unoccupied do they check to see what pre-plucked nuts of
corn might be available for the taking before beginning the arduous chore of
stripping them off of the ear? NOOO!
Does anyone
except perhaps the once-or-twice a year passing duck, or the strutting murders
of crows that take over our yards during their winter migrations even notice
this free supply of high fructose food?
NOOOO! And NOOOO! (Well
occasionally the big black birds actually do indulge themselves.)
And it is
the same at our sunflower seed feeders where the average sparrow spews way more
than he chews. But here at least
low-lying doves creep by at the end of the day to suck up some of the residue.
Then each
night, no matter what, like a loyal domestic servant, this weary seed supplier
dons his winter jacket, scarf, gloves, and hat and trudges through windblown
sleet, snow, and bitter cold to ensure that the shelves in all of our
cafeterias are fully stocked and ready to go when the first ray of sunshine
illuminates that initial customer of the day.
Birds are
dumb. Squirrels too. Or are they?
DIY: Make Your Own Wildflower Seed Bombs
by Kendra Wilson – gardenista.com
Guerrilla
gardening may use the language of civilian warfare, but floral beauty is the
uniting cause. Gardening without permission is another way of describing these
activities: not strictly legal but filed away by the authorities under the
category of "What's not to like." Alex Mitchell in her book The
Rurbanite shows us how to make seed bombs, using guerrilla tactics to spread
cheer.
A
"rurbanite" is someone who has "a passion for the countryside
but no intention of leaving the city," says Alex Mitchell, adding: "A
growing band of rurbanites is getting in touch with the green side of the
city." Enter guerrilla gardening.
"Seed
bombs are best, and the most fun, when thrown into neglected roundabouts,
central reservations, flowerbeds and planters," says Mitchell.
Many
guerrilla gardeners arm themselves with trowels and work nocturnally. But with
seed bombs it is possible to make a difference without that considerable
commitment; lob a bomb from a bicycle, a car window or when passing on foot.
Seed
bombing is best done in spring and autumn, says Alex Mitchell. Or, time your
attack to coincide with heavy rainfall.
Before seed
bombing, assess a site for sunniness and choose your seeds accordingly. They do
not need to be sun-loving annuals: foxgloves would suit a shadier site. Cosmos
(Above), a classic annual, is a perfect candidate for guerrilla gardening.
Different
types of seed may be combined to make a seed bomb, says Alex Mitchell, but
check that they can all be sown at the same time of year.
Best
flowers for seed bombs: for sunny areas, annual meadow flowers including
poppies, cornflower, marigold; Californian poppies; cosmos; hollyhocks;
nigella; verbena bonariensis; viper's bugloss. For shady areas, use a woodland
seed mix; foxgloves, tobacco plant, honesty.
Wildflower
Seed Mix collections for various growing zones including Texas, California,
Midwest, and Southeast are $8 apiece
from Urban Farmer Seeds & Plants. In the UK Pictorial Meadows offers a wide
choice of meadow seed for any situation.
The
instructions are simple enough, a bit like making chocolate truffles. Takes 30
minutes.
Ingredients:
Flower seed, Potter's clay powder, from any craft shop, Peat-free compost, Water,
A bowl, A baking tray
Instructions:
Mix the seed, clay, and compost together in a bowl to a ratio of three handfuls
of clay, five handfuls of compost and one handful of seed. Then carefully add
water slowly and gradually (you don’t want it too gloopy), mixing it all
together until you get a consistency that you can form into truffle-sized
balls. Lay them out to bake dry on a sunny windowsill for at least three hours.
Targets for
seed bombing should not be brownfield sites, derelict and depressing as they
seem. They may be privately owned and will have their own micro eco-system,
best left alone. Ditto parks and other people's gardens. Instead, rescue
neglected planters and flowerbeds as well as civic spaces to which the planting
plan has long been lost.
Now is the
time to fight the good fight, says Alex Mitchell: "Urbanites the world
over are looking at public green spaces around their homes with a new sense of
responsibility and pride."
Lawn Reform: Back to the Future with Sustainable Lawns
By Thomas Christopher – gardenrant.com
What is
cutting edge in the field of sustainable lawns? Much of it is forgotten lore
from the late 19th/early 20th century, I have been discovering.
I came upon
this revelation while preparing for the talk I am going to give this month at a
conference organized by Larry Weaner that is to be hosted in Philadelphia by
the Morris Arboretum and in New London, CT by Connecticut College.
The basis
of my talk will be my own experiences with alternatives to Kentucky bluegrass
and the two or three other turf grasses that are the default choices for lawns
today. My thesis is that if you broaden your sights and find a grass species
that is naturally adapted to the soil and location, you shouldn’t have to cater
to it with constant chemical applications and endless irrigation. Grassland,
after all, is one of the toughest types of plant communities, commonly
flourishing where conditions are too difficult to permit the growth of woody
plants.
This, I
believed was an original thought, until I spent a couple of days reading
late-19th-century gardening books at the New York Botanical Garden library.
Published before the advent of the modern chemical industry, these presented a
much more sensible and relaxed view of lawn care.
For
example, Lawns & Gardens by N. Jonsson-Rosé (G.P. Putnam’s Sons, 1897)
included a list of two dozen wildflowers you can include with the grass when
you sow a new lawn. Jonsson-Rosé might not have recognized the term “biological
diversity” but his lawns were certainly no monocultures and definitely
pollinator-friendly.
And in
Lawns and How to Make Them by Leonard Barron (Doubleday, Page & Co. 1914) I
found recommendations for 13 different grass species, each one accompanied by a
description of the type of soil and conditions that suited it best. Included in
this list are several species such as sheep fescue that I have been using to
create self-sufficient, low-input lawns. There is even one species in Barron’s
list, sweet vernal grass (Anthoxanthum odoratum) that was mixed with other
grasses simply to give the lawn a sweet odor when it was cut. That might make
you almost look forward to mowing.
My favorite
tip from these books: control dandelions by inviting Italian immigrants in to
harvest the greens every spring.
10 Uses for Your Dead Christmas Tree
Jennifer Stimpson – This Old House magazine
When the
holidays are over, take down the tinsel, but don't bag the tree. Its needles,
boughs, and trunk can do more than hold ornaments.
1. Mulch with needles. Pine needles
dry quickly and decompose slowly, making them an excellent moisture- and
mold-free mulch for ground-covering crops, such as strawberries, to rest on.
2. Create a
Bird Sanctuary Place your tree in its stand outdoors. Fill bird feeders and
hang them from the boughs, or drape the tree with a swag of pinecones coated
with peanut butter
3.Insulate Perennials Cut off boughs
and lay them over perennial beds to protect them from snow and reduce frost
heaving.
4. Edge Your Borders. Cut the trunk into 2-inch discs and set them
into the soil to edge flower beds or walkways.
5. Shelter Fish If you live near a lake
or have a pond, and your tree's chemical-free, toss branches into the water to
provide sheltering habitat for overwintering fish. (Get permission from town
officials if needed.)
6. Set a Stage for Containers Saw the
trunk into different lengths and use the pieces as flowerpot risers for a
dramatic group display.
7. Make Coasters and Trivets Cut thin
slabs off the trunk, sand them smooth, and apply a thin coat of polyurethane to
keep the sap off tables and glassware.
8. Chip It. Rent a chipper (get a few
neighbors together to split the cost) and feed the tree through it. Next
spring, spread the wood chips under shrubs; they'll suppress weeds and, as they
decompose, add nutrients to the soil.
9. Feed a Fire Pit. It's fine to use
a few of the quick-to-ignite branches to start an outdoor fire pit—but never in
an indoor fireplace, where creosote build-up is a hazard.
10. Stake Your Plants. Strip small
branches and use the remaining twigs to support indoor potted plants or stake
leggy seedlings.
Will our unseasonably warm winter damage our plants?
Here in the
Northeastern United States, we are experiencing an unseasonably warm winter, so
'unseasonable', that it's breaking all time records here in Massachusetts.
Blame it on El Niño, global warming or just a freak of nature, the truth is,
plants are blooming and many gardeners are worried about damage.
Many of us
are worried about our cherry trees which are blooming in December, or our
daffodils, spirea or witch hazels which are coming into full bloom many months
earlier than their normal blooming time. I too am worried, for in my garden,
many shrubs are beginning to open their flowers, particularly those which
normally would bloom in late March or April. But I am noticing something - all
of the plants which re blooming now are not native. They are all imported
species either from Asia or Europe. While our native species may be able to
handle this climate shifts, most of the damage seems to affect our ornamentals,
most of which come from lands where winter behaves differently than in the
already variable climate of the North Eastern US.
We know all
too well about this fact. An alpine plant from the high alpine mountain tops in
the alps can perish in our coastal Boston gardens, since they are used to a
steady, certain period of thawing at snowmelt, never to freeze again until
autumn, whilst in the New England garden, said alpine may thaw and refreeze
multiple times during the average winter or spring.
If you
garden in the North East, you know about this sudden death syndrome. It is not uncommon at all for perennials to
emerge at snowmelt, grow a bit with new tender during a mild April or May, only
to refreeze, thus tearing their roots, and causing irreparable cellular damage
resulting in certain death.
We loose
many plants to this pattern of freeze, thaw, refreeze here in the Northern
Atlantic states. The Sadly 'perfect spring' rarely occurs. Ironically, last
year, we did have the 'perfect spring'. Long, slow and cool, with no killing
refreeze. I guess we are paying for this anomaly now with the warmest December
in recorded history.
Warmer than
average winters are not that unusual here in New England, but only rarely have
they been truly damaging. Most severe cases are measured through how they
affect agricultural crops, most recently, in 2012 when 90 percent of the apple
crop was damaged in the northeaster US due to a single freeze in April, and in
1934 more than 3/4's of the apple trees in the Northeast were killed by a
warmer than normal winter, which then followed with a cold snap. I have a photo of our house featured in our
local paper in 1934 with the apple trees in bloom during January. This record
breaking winter of 1934 was reportedly caused by many of the same factors that
caused the infamous dust bowl in the Western US a few years earlier. My father
remembers when it 'snowed red' that winter, with snow stained by airborne dust.
Many of the Baldwin apple trees were lost in New England during that winter.
Native
plants usually survive such periods of warm weather, but this winter is not
over yet, and I do wonder how the mild temperatures this year will change our
native plants. I mean, 20, 30 or even 100 years of record keeping isn't long
when it comes to climate change. But we are breaking 300 year records, still
small perhaps, but I do begin to worry when I see things like multiple records
being broken in just ten years. In 1995 we experienced a late frost which
killed many of our native oaks and ash trees - I remember this damage, since
Christopher Lloyd was visiting here, speaking at Tower Hill Botanic Garden
during that freeze in May. Cold snaps and odd late freezes are one thing, but
warm winters that cause entire populations of native trees to bloom off season
is another. Let's hope this only affects our imported species.
So whether
this year's mild weather is the result of long-tern climate changes or not, we
all know that there are some troubling signs in our own gardens. Personally, I
am thrilled that my heating bill for the greenhouse has been practically nil so
far, but those gains may be offset by plant loss around my garden. Facebook
abounds with images of freaky, blooming things out-of-season.
To those
who keep records about such things, it's all more than alarming. Climatologists
know the numbers. If we kept records in
our own gardens, we might, and should be alarmed as well. Even short term.
Lilacs are blooming on average, four days earlier than they did in the 1960's,
according to David Wolfe, a Cornell Department of Horticulture professor who
pointed out in a 2007 article that cultivated crops such as grapes and apples
are blooming on average, six to eight days earlier now than just thirty years
ago. Mr. Wolff focuses on how climate change is affecting agriculture, where
many crops are migrating northward in an effort to improve growing conditions.
It doesn't matter if you believe in climate change or not, it's happening
either way.
There are
some helpful resources for you to not only follow, but to participate with.
Project Budburst allows you to enter information about what is happening in
your own backyard and garden plus offers lots of other features. It's sponsored
by he National Science Foundation. Some of the reports on Project Budburst
reinforces my thoughts about how our native plants are able to handle such mild
winters as we are experiencing this year.
This year
has been more challenging for forecasters though, even though we were being
told that this epic El Niño was over due. Besides, the West needed rain, the
mountains are grateful for the snow, as are the skiers in Colorado and Utah.
Here in the Northeast, forecasting how this winter may layout has been more
challenging, even though scientists have learned so much recently. There are
other factors beyond El Niño which complicate things.A cold, deeply frozen
winter in Siberia can affect the Jet Stream in Canada and Northern North
America. Arctic Oscillation can mean a colder and snowier winter in the North
East, but this year is more complicated, since we are experiencing both a
snowy, cold arctic Siberian winter and a strong El Niño. How it will play out
remains to be seen.
In my
garden, I am noticing that the plants which are emerging early are mostly Asian
species. Native plants seem to be better with dealing with warm autumns and
unseasonable weather like this. I feel that this autumn started off with a bad
sign - and earlier and harder frost than what was considered normal occurred in
early October. Frost, temperatures just below freezing usually triggers a
chemical reaction in the petioles of leaves on trees, blocking chlorophyll from
being produced, leaving behind other chemical pigments which provide our
bright, colorful autumn foliage of reds, orange and yellow here in New England.
Our earlier
than normal deep freeze, was so cold (below 24 deg. F) froze the leaves and
killed them in their green state, before they had a change to slowly progress
to a colorful state. Most remained on the trees until they faded into a pale
olive brown, and then finally fell. Asian trees, such as Japanese Maples,
Himalayan Birches and Stewartia kept their brown, dried foliage until late November,
the petioles unable to release their leaves without the proper maturity. Many
berried shrubs such as the bright violet berries on callicarpa were so damaged
that they rotted on the branches, while the foliage, which typically would turn
yellow and drop after a light frost, simply remain on the branches in their
damaged, brown state. Many are still holding onto their leaves.
After that
initial hard freeze in early October, the temperatures in Massachusetts have
remain mild since early October, only now, this week around the New Year,
dropping again to 18-20 degrees. December 2015 was the hottest in recorded
history, with every day averaging about average. The plants, in particular, the
Asian species are not handling the mild weather well. Most are beginning to
sprout, with buds which should be dormant, emerging on Stewartia, Deutzia,
Spirea and Hamamelis.
Not all is
doom and gloom however, since most native species seem to have remained dormant
in our gardens, but the jury is still our with our imported plants species.
Sadly, most of our garden plants today are not native, (perhaps the best reason
of all for using more native plants in our landscape?) Non natives, be they
lilacs, Spirea, apples, Japanese Maples, hydrangeas even the newly available lace-leaved
elderberries with purple or golden foliage, can be damaged or killed.
Elderberries
are particularly susceptible to warmer than average winters since they form
their dormant buds earlier in the late summer, and they are not used to our
uncertain winter temperatures, which may spend a few weeks near 70 degrees F,
then drop to a frigid, killing 10 degrees overnight, only to rise again to a
balmy 65 degrees.
Most at
risk are those perennials which typically emerge at snow melt. We have enough
problems with them in the spring, when an early emergence followed by a hard
freeze kills many of our beloved garden perennials, but even in January, an
early emerging Helleborus nigra can face death with a hard, colder than average
winter, without snow cover. I expect to looks many plants this year, in
particular some Spirea and Elderberries which have been motivated to emerge 5
months early.
Native
plants respond to day length more than they do temperature, so most of our wild
plants will be safe, but we should keep our fingers crossed that Asian
agricultural crops such as apples, pears and cherries do not bloom before truly
cold weather arrives, or we risk loosing much more than some garden flowers.
The Non-Poisonous Poinsettia
Ann Streb, Penn State Master Gardener - extension.psu.edu
Despite
sound evidence to the contrary, poinsettia phobia continues. No other consumer
plant has been as widely tested as the poinsettia.
Researchers
at Ohio State University have measured the effects of ingesting unusually high doses
of all parts of the plant (including leaves, stems and sap) and found the plant
to be non-toxic. This is not to say that it should be consumed. As with any
non-food item, ingesting the plant could cause stomach discomfort but nothing
more.
The poinsettia’s
species name, pulcherrima, means “most beautiful,” which describes its large red bracts and rich
green foliage. This pairing of red and green may be what has made the
poinsettia the second most popular holiday plant, second only to the Christmas
tree. As a member of the euphorbia family, the poinsettia is noted for the
white milky sap, high in latex, that circulates throughout the plant. The
poinsettia is native to Central America and Mexico and was brought to America
by Mexico’s first ambassador, Dr. Joel R. Poinsett in 1825, after whom it was
named. Some believe it may be the similarity between his name and the word
poison that fostered the myth of toxicity.
A Christmas
legend from Mexico is also associated with the poinsettia. A poor girl was on
her way to the church on Christmas eve but having no gift to offer the Christ
child, she picked weeds along the way as a humble offering. As she approached
the altar, the weeds miraculously blossomed into brilliant red flowers called
Flores De Noche Buena, the Flowers of the Holy Night, now called poinsettias.
It is a lesson in what makes a gift truly beautiful.
To Deadhead or Not? Your Final Answer is...
Deadheading
is a gardening term that defines the process of removing faded or dead flowers
from plants. Deadheading is a process of pruning by which old growth and seed
heads are removed from the plant to promote new growth and re-flowering.
Deadheading
is very simple. As blooms fade, pinch or cut off the flower stems below the
spent flowers and just above the first set of full, healthy leaves. Always
check plants carefully to be sure that no flower buds are hiding amid the faded
blooms before you shear off the top of the plant.
The best
time to deadhead a flower is when its appearance begins to decline. The
frequency of deadheading a particular plant depends on the life span of its
blooms. This can range from a day to several weeks, depending on the species.
Weather also greatly affects a flower’s longevity as torrential rains and
unseasonably hot weather can take their toll on blooms.
Most
flowers lose their attraction as they fade. Snapping or cutting dead flower
heads can enhance the flowering performance of many plants. Deadheading is an
important task to keep up with in the garden throughout the growing season
because it results in healthier plants and continual blooms. When dead blooms
are left clinging to flowering plants, they sap the nutrition and strength from
the core of the plants and rob them of the energy to produce new and colorful
blooms. The deadheading process redirects plants energy from seed production to
root and vegetative growth.
Get in the
habit of evaluating your garden frequently to determine if there are any
deadheading needs. Spending a short time in the garden each day will make the
deadheading task much easier. Deadheading is a maintenance practice that can be
done throughout the growing season. Deadheading allows you to stay in contact
with your garden beds. Many gardeners find deadheading enjoyable and relaxing.
It can also be meditative and therapeutic.
After a
plant is finished flowering, it begins to form seeds. The flowering process is
suspended, and the plant begins to use all its energy to form seeds.
Deadheading plants as soon as the blooms begin to fade will promote a second
bloom.
Making a
decision about deadheading can be difficult because it is advantageous for some
plants and detrimental for others. Gardeners should evaluate the needs of their
plants in order to make a proper determination.
There are
some perennials that are great self-seeders. For example, columbine loves to
spread and roam its seedlings to places away from the parent plant. An
advantage to this is that baby plants can help fill in areas of your garden or
allow the gardener to share plants with other gardeners. Some perennials that
should not be deadheaded so that they reseed for the following year are Alcea
(Hollyhock), Digitalis (Foxglove), Lobelia (Cardinal Flower), and Myosotis
(Forget-me-not.).
However,
some perennials benefit from being deadheaded. These include Achillea (Yarrow),
Astilbe (False Spirea), Campanula (Bellflower), Centranthus (Jupiter’s Beard),
Coreopsis (Tickseed), Delphinium (Larkspur), Gaillardia (Blanket Flower),
Geranium (Cranesbill), Monarda (Bee Balm), Oenothera (Evening Primrose), and
Phlox paniculata (Garden Phlox). Taller varieties of Sedum such as Autumn Joy
should be cut back to prevent spindly branches and to promote compact growth.
In many
gardens, no deadheading guidelines apply in the autumn. It is very important to
keep seed pods on the plants for wildlife to enjoy during the winter months.
Also, some plants have very decorative seed pods and present a beautiful
display in the garden during the winter. Birds enjoy perching on Echinacaea
(coneflowers) and snacking on the seed heads. Plants like Rudbeckia are great
for attracting gold finches with their seeds. This is crucial food for them in
the winter.
Nothing is
more rewarding to a gardener than watching the garden come to life with beautiful
blooms and practicing the task of deadheading throughout the season, when it is
deemed appropriate. Nature will bless you with a second wave of blooms to
enjoy, even more for some plants, and will reward you with the reseeding of
some plants to keep the garden thriving from year to year.
