The Optimistic Gardener - Louise Kondakow

June 2010 

In Pursuit of Trivia
Several years ago, my Mum sent me a gardening quiz that appeared in the Victoria Times Colonist. As winter and spring had been kind that year, and my garden was looking particularly lovely, I was rather smug about my expectations of completing the quiz with, of course, a 100% score in the end. Unfortunately, my hopes were dashed right at the get-go, as the first three questions barely contained a word of English. Back in the “olden days” I had taken four years of Latin in high school, but what little I remembered of this dead language did not help me here. I finished the quiz, squeaking through with slightly over half the questions correct, and realized that I had a lot to learn.
As “summer holidays” are just around the corner, I thought it would be entertaining to leave you with a bit of homework in the form of my own gardening quiz. I will keep the Latin to a minimum, and the answers will be available at the end (no peeking!). Please grade yourself fairly, and if you do not do well, detention will be spent, of course, in your garden.
1. Of the three major nutrients that plants need to grow and flourish, namely nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, which one is responsible for flower, fruit and root growth?
2. If bryology is the study of mosses, and mycology is the study of mushrooms, what is dendrology the study of?
3. The famous plant geneticist Gregor Mendel traced inheritance patterns using which common garden vegetable?
4. If an annual plant lives for only one growing season, and a perennial lives for many growing seasons, what does a biennial do?
5. What is the name of the powerful antioxidant found in tomatoes, that also makes them red?
6. Where does the term “cool as a cucumber” come from?
7. Which popular herb has the reputation for improving the memory?
8. What is the name of the green pigment found in plants?
9. What is the name of the process that takes place in green plants where energy from the sun and carbon dioxide are converted to sugar?
10. Bonus Question…What kind of socks do gardeners wear?
Here are the answers:
1. Phosphorous is responsible for fruit, flowers and roots. It is also very important for photosynthesis and energy transfer within the plant. 2. Dendrology is the study of woody plants, including trees, shrubs and vines. 3. Peas  4. Biennials live for two years, producing a rosette of leaves the first year, and flowers and seed in the second year. 5. Lycopene 6. The temperature inside a cucumber on the vine can measure as much as 20 degrees cooler than the outside temperature. 7. Rosemary 8. Chlorophyll is the molecule in plants that absorbs energy from the sun and, with CO2 and water, synthesizes carbohydrates. It also gives plants the green pigment. 9. Photosynthesis 10. Garden Hose (it’s always good to end with a joke)
This has been a wonderful spring for gardening (although I would have preferred a bit more rain), and I have been able to complete quite a few projects that have been on my list for some time. I had my first “empty nest’ experience in May when Michael and the band toured the west coast for three weeks. I missed the daily reports of what everyone was up to however I did have less cooking and cleaning to do…more time in the garden. I hope you enjoyed the quiz, and I wish everyone a wonderful summer, with bountiful blooms and time enough to enjoy them! Off to see what’s blooming in my garden, I remain…The Optimistic Gardener.

May 2010 

In Praise of Big Trees
 We approached the giant slowly, being very careful not to step on any wild flowers and delicate mosses growing about its huge base. One by one we took our places, linking hands and enclosing the huge span of this monster with our bodies. It took six of us to accomplish this feat, Mick, Michael, Di, Dave, Meg and myself. Gramma and Grampa took the picture, recorded in history for future generations. We all then took a moment to look up, the staggering height and breadth of this Douglas fir causing us all to feel a bit wobbly on our feet, and very humbled in our souls. There is something about big trees that always makes me feel very privileged to be able to experience their incredible grandeur, knowing that they have stood for hundreds of years, hoping they will stand for hundreds more.
 Our big tree experience was during a walk we took several weeks ago, after partaking of a rather large Sunday brunch at the Oak Bay Marina, to celebrate the occasion of Dad’s 90th birthday. To take him there in style, my sister and I arranged to have Mum and Dad picked up in a sunshine yellow, 1954 Ford Sunliner convertible. The driver took them for a lovely drive around Victoria, visiting all their favourite spots and scenic views. As the island had experienced an early spring, tulips, daffodils, rhododendrons and camellias were all in full bloom. Dad, who is not much of a gardener, was most interested in the old car and had a lengthy chat with Dale the driver during their excursion about the restoration process, having once had a 1960 Ford Sunliner convertible himself. Mum was very happy to just sit back and enjoy seeing all the gardens.
 During what seemed like a three week long birthday party for Dad, with family constantly coming and going, Mum and I managed to get to our favourite garden spots. We arrived at the Horticultural Centre of the Pacific on volunteer day, which was wonderful as everyone was very willing to talk about their particular project at the centre. We chatted with one volunteer who said she had been given this one garden to rejuvenate; plants needed moving and dividing as it had become quite overgrown. I noted a few things while I was there – leaf mould is the mulch of choice, with every bed being covered once planted, and plants are lifted and the soil enriched every couple of years. Our visit to Abkhazi Garden was on a sunny, but windy day. As this is a city garden with its own small “valley”, it was well protected and warm. Early spring flowers bloomed everywhere; fawn lilies, trilliums, spring snowflakes (leucojum), dwarf irises, woodland anemones, hellebores, and early rhododendrons filled the acre so beautifully designed years ago by Prince and Princess Abkhazi. At the end of our stay we stopped for tea and scones (with Devonshire cream) at the original home of the Abkhazis, which call for another long walk among the big trees! Our last visit was to Playfair Park, a city run garden with a lovely perennial border and huge stand of tree Rhododendrons. The perennials were well up as this garden is quite protected and receives good sun. Peonies, oriental poppies and daylilies were in bud, irises, hyacinths and tulips were in full bloom.
 At the end of our three week celebration, I left the island, flying over the fields of daffodils, the green valleys and the big trees. I crossed snow-capped Rockies, the checkerboard browns of the prairies, and came home to the deep blue of Lake Superior surrounded by the rich green forests of Thunder Bay. Signs of life are starting to show in my garden, and before long I will be busy moving, dividing and planting…in my own piece of paradise. Every place has its own “big trees”…you just have to look for them! Off to do a little cleaning up in my forest, I remain…The Optimistic Gardener! 

April 2010 

The Master Plan

In the beginning, there was just an open area of grass and weeds, where long ago a plot had been cleared for a vegetable garden which supplied the previous owners with enough potatoes, carrots and onions to last the winter. The space was flat, surrounded by a wall of natural trees on the west, an open ravine to the north and a man-made fence to the south. It received good sun, and although it would have been nice to have more protection on the north, the ravine was a lovely backdrop as it changed through the seasons.

In the beginning, I was a novice gardener with a wealth of knowledge passed on from my mother. After our house was built, the ground leveled, and the sod laid, I began to plan where the gardens would grow. This was the first indication that I was indeed, a novice gardener. I planted my first garden by digging up the sod my husband had so painstakingly laid the year before, and I have continued to do so for the past twenty-two years. I tell him I am doing him a huge favour by slowly decreasing the amount of grass he has to cut – I often think he doesn’t quite see it that way. What was once a backyard of mostly grass is now a backyard of mostly perennials which, in my mind, is far superior.

Every book on gardening will tell you it is most important to have a plan or design for your garden. Taking time to assess your site and determine the best design for it will save you countless hours of work and frustration. One of the most important questions to ask when planning your garden is “What do you want your garden to do?” If gardening is not your passion, but you would like to add some colour and interest around your home, keep your garden simple, using a mix of annuals and shrubs. If gardening is your source of exercise, and your garden a place of escape from daily hustle and bustle, then a more elaborate design is for you.

Within the garden design is the garden style. This reflects the personal taste of the gardener, and the only rules that apply here are yours. However, there are several recognized styles of gardens. The formal garden uses the classic design principles of balance, repetition, and proportion. This is a very structured garden with fewer species of plants, but placed repetitively to maximize impact and be restful to the eye. The informal garden is more relaxed in its design but more vibrant in its look. This garden has less structure and balance, tending to be asymmetrical with much less repetition of plantings. Informal gardens are perfect places for whimsical elements – ceramic animals, gazing balls, decorative bird houses and rustic furniture are just some of the things you can use to dress up this garden. The cottage garden is an informal garden gone mad. It is a wonderful mix of colour, fragrance, plant types and found items. Annuals, perennials, herbs and vegetables all mix together in a garden that is the epitome of gay abandon. A note of caution – from personal experience, although it sounds delightful, a cottage garden can be the most demanding of the garden styles to maintain.

In the beginning, my garden was a hodge-podge of beds with some vague plan of how everything would eventually look. Over time, I have drastically changed and expanded the design of the garden, but the style of a mix between informal and cottage has remained the same. They say that a garden is a reflection of the personality of the gardener (yikes!). No matter how hard I try to add a little formality to my garden (if only to slightly decrease the amount of work) I always manage to add a little more informality instead. It is important to know the basics of garden design so you and your plants will be happy, but always remember to put a lot of who you are into your garden. No garden design is ever wrong if the gardener loves it! With spade in hand and off to create more havoc in the backyard, I remain…The Optimistic Gardener!

Does This Look Like Spring To You? 

March is a devious month. Although there is always enough snow on the ground to give us the impression that it is still winter, March tempts us and tricks us with sultry south-wind days and water running down the eavestroughs, making a lovely gurgling sound that declares spring has arrived. We search out the lawn chairs and get our gardening tools and supplies ready in excited anticipation of finally getting out in the garden again. And then, in the blink of an eye, March can change her mind and we wake up to several inches of snow on the deck, and the realization that we have fallen victim to March’s dubious sense of humour. When March is feeling particularly funny, this snow falls on the first day of spring – haha.

It is a rare March that we, in this part of the world, can actually get outside and do some gardening. However, March is an excellent month to do some often much needed indoor gardening. Early spring is the perfect time to repot and clean house plants. After their winter rest period, houseplants now start to grow again and would appreciate some fresh soil and a larger pot, if necessary. You often know if your plants need repotting when water runs through the pot very quickly, if you need a hammer and chisel to poke a hole in the soil, or if roots are pushing their way out the bottom. Remember when repotting to only increase the pot size by one size larger (6 in. to 8 in. etc.). Putting a small plant in a large pot causes two things to happen. As houseplants prefer to be slightly pot-bound, the newly potted plant will only grow roots until these roots fill the pot, and as the volume of soil is large compared to root volume, the soil will stay too wet too long, with the risk of root rot occurring. Clean the leaves with a damp, soft cloth and check for evidence of pests on the leaves and stems. Now is also the time to start fertilizing houseplants with the proper fertilizer.

March is a good time to start seeds that require a longer germination period. For seeds that require planting about four to six weeks before the last frost date, which in our zone is around the first week of June (sad, but true), March can be a bit early as plants become too “leggy” if grown in the house too long. However, starting lettuce seeds in the house will not only give you that all-important “gardening-fix” that is so needed right about now, but will also supply you with delicious baby greens for fresh salads. Try a variety of lettuces as well as some beet greens and radicchio or endive. A grow light would be ideal for optimum production, but a bright, sunny window will also suffice. It is also time to start tuberous begonias. Tuberous begonias are a bit slow to show growth, and in order to get an early start on the flowering season it is best to start your tubers indoors and then transplant them to their containers once budding leaves form. Remember to plant them bud side up (the rounded side is the root side!), and keep them in a warm room.

To get a jump on spring, prune some branches from an apple, crabapple, or pussy willow tree and put them in water. The buds will soon open into delicate green leaves – a reminder of the wonderful season ahead. I have even been lucky enough to have blossoms open on crab apple cuttings, which is the ultimate prize.

For now though, we wait patiently while March makes up her mind. However, the days are getting longer, the sun is getting warmer, the snow is silently melting away, and spring will come despite any attempt March may make to delay its arrival. And we are ready! With pruning shears in hand, and wading through knee-deep snow to the crab apple tree, I remain…The Optimistic Gardener!

 

Roses are yellow …and pink.. and ..white and.. 

A dozen long stemmed red roses and a box of chocolates (hopefully not all vanilla crème, unless of course, you like vanilla creme) in the month of February usually say one thing…Valentine’s Day! When it comes to roses, my personal favourite is a yellow rose, with its gorgeous golden colour and sweet, spicy scent. Having roses in the house is a wonderful treat, especially at this time of year when the bright colour and fresh fragrance, reminiscent of the garden, is so welcome. Growing roses in our northern gardens is also wonderful, but can be a challenge as our weather, both winter and summer, is so unpredictable.

If you are planning to grow roses in your garden this summer, knowing a bit of rose terminology would be very helpful. There are several different types of roses, each one with its own growth habit, size and type of bloom. The hybrid tea rose is the one most people associate with the florist shop rose. Sporting large single blooms atop long canes, and often very fragrant, these roses are excellent container plants, and can be a dramatic focal point in the garden. Floribunda roses (flora meaning flowers, bunda meaning lots) are smaller plants with smaller flowers that usually grow in clusters at the end of stems. Grandiflora roses are a cross between hybrid teas and floribunda roses, producing larger flowers that grow in smaller clusters. David Austin roses are a cross between Old Garden roses and hybrid teas or floribundas, producing beautiful large double blooms that flower repeatedly through the summer. Hardy or Sub zero Roses were developed by Agriculture Canada to withstand our Canadian winters (hence the name). The Explorer and Parkland series of roses are quite cold-tolerant, and a good place to start if you would like to try and over-winter roses in your garden.

Once you have chosen your rose, proper planting is very important. Roses become quickly established in the cool moist spring soil so plant your rose as soon as the risk of heavy frost is past. Roses do best in full sun, with a minimum of 4 to 6 hours daily. This is where growing the less hardy roses (hybrid teas, floribundas and grandifloras) in containers works beautifully as they can be placed where they get the most sun; hopefully this is on your deck or patio where you can enjoy them all summer long. Roses prefer a heavier soil with some clay content, however they will do well in most soils as long as a good amount of organic matter is worked in. Prepare the soil to a depth of about 18 to 24 inches. Mix in some well rotted cow manure, peat moss and bone meal – roses are heavy feeders, and the organic matter will help retain moisture in the soil. It is very important not to let the roots dry out before planting especially if the day is sunny or windy. To help give your rose a bit more winter hardiness, plant the crown 1 to 2 inches below the soil surface. Wait until your rose is established before fertilizing with a rose fertilizer. Many roses have been bred to be resistant to diseases such as black spot, powdery mildew and rust; check the tag on the rose for this information as choosing a more disease resistant rose will make your experience more rewarding. Pruning your rose as flowers fade is important to encourage continuous blooming. There are many schools of thought on pruning, but I have found that once all the buds at the top of a stem are finished, pruning that stem down to the first outward-facing leaf with five leaflets works well. Winter protection, in varying degrees, is necessary for all types of roses, but as spring is on the way, this is best left for another time.

As you start to make plant choices for this year, consider a rose, either planted in the garden or in a container. I love having a fragrant hybrid tea up on the deck where I can pick a bloom or two to float in a rose bowl in the house, or just enjoy the scent on a warm summer evening. And by doing a bit of homework, you too can promise yourself, or someone else…a rose garden! Off to leave a few hints around the house about yellow roses, I remain…The Optimistic Gardener!

 

A State of Euphorbia

A New Year! I am always excited at the beginning of a new year to imagine what it might bring…will the garden weather the storms of winter well, will the spring rains come just at the right time to replenish the earth and send budding plants into a frenzy, and will we have warm summer days, not too windy, with just the right amount of precipitation? Not too much to ask…sort of like Camelot! However, a wise man once said “The fair-weather gardener, who will do nothing except when the wind and weather and everything else are favorable, is never master of his craft.”– Henry Ellacombe. Living in Thunder Bay, where the weather can be quite different from one end of the city to the next, one cannot afford to be a fair-weather gardener. So to “master our craft’ we gardeners must embrace the variance in climate, design our gardens around it, and be willing to change our plans when Mother Nature throws us a curve ball.

The approach of Spring always brings on a feeling of euphoria; the thought of the first green leaves, the first flowers, the first colour. One plant in my garden that I have always been able to count on, year after year, to burst forth with brilliant spring colour is my very unassuming Euphorbia polychrome or Cushion Spurge. Its common name does not do it justice as it is almost florescent yellow/lime foliage in the spring creates spotlights in the garden that appear early in the season and last well until early summer. It is generous when it comes to spreading seed, and offspring appear all around the garden, but not to the extent that it becomes a nuisance (the evil Tansy owns that status… lock, stock and barrel). A slightly higher zoned Euphorbia that I have managed to keep in the garden is the variety Bonfire. As it is a zone 5, it unfortunately does not grow to any great size, but the colour combinations on this plant make it well worth the effort. The foliage is green with burgundy tips, culminating in chartreuse yellow bracts at the tip of every stem. The colour lasts well through the season, and it has come back for me for several years now.

The Euphorbia family also includes some varieties that you may not realize; the Poinsettia is a member, as is the Crown of Thorns. Diamond Frost, an annual Euphorbia, with its mounds of delicate white flowers, imitates a summer snow storm when grown in planters and hanging baskets. To fully appreciate the amazing diversity of the varieties within the Euphorbia family, it is necessary to spend some time in a somewhat warmer climate. The Horticultural Centre of the Pacific boasts a Euphorbia garden with plants so unusual that many look as though they belong in a prehistoric jungle. One particular favourite of mine has bracts that form a dark eye with a white centre, so that as you pass the plant, you have the strangest feeling that you’re being watched!

We have now passed the Winter Solstice, and although it seems to take forever, before we know it, that lovely pale blue sky will be lighting our way home at the end of our working day. It is then that gardeners get that glint in their eye, their green thumb starts to itch, and there’s that familiar feeling of…you guessed it…Euphoria! With my green thumb poised and my eye on the western horizon, I remain…The Optimistic Gardener!

Hoe, Hoe, Hoe

It is official…the Christmas countdown is on! Sparkling lights adorn every home, stores are decked in seasonal finery, and shoppers have that all too familiar look of panic as they rush here and there, searching for that perfect gift. If a gardener is on your list, you are lucky, as gardeners are very easy to please. Speaking personally, as I go through several pairs of gloves in a season and misplace pruning shears quite regularly, a good pair of gardening gloves and well-made pruning shears (secateurs to the gardening gurus) generally completes my list.

To hopefully assist anyone who may have fallen into the “gift idea black hole”, here is a list of items that any gardener would be pleased to find under the tree on Christmas morning.

• A lovely book on gardening – when winter temperatures have dipped to a number too low to mention, a book on gardening would be a welcome companion and a reminder of warmer days ahead. If you know that the gardener on your list has specific plans for their garden (building a rock garden, putting in a pond), a book on the subject would be all the better.

• A very good pair of pruning shears – these are invaluable, and worth their weight when it comes to garden maintenance. There are two types of shears; bypass and anvil, with the bypass type being the most preferred. There are also some available with replaceable blades, which is very handy. A word to the wise – look for a pair with brightly coloured handles (trust me on this one).

• Gardening gloves – several different types for different purposes are always well received. I personally prefer the thin, fairly snug fitting gloves as these are perfect for weeding and handling delicate stems and flowers. Heavier gloves protect hands when working with rough or thorny stems, and are often completely waterproof, keeping hands warm during spring clean up. As gardeners are busy, hard working people and sometimes, inadvertently cut the ends of their gloves off with their pruning shears (who me?), it’s always nice to have a spare pair of gloves waiting in the wings.

• Light weight garden refuse totes – there are several types on the market, and are invaluable when cleaning up in the spring, dead heading through the season and putting the garden to bed in the fall.

• A garden trowel – a good strong garden trowel with a comfortable handle is a gardener’s best friend. Known in our family as a “diggy”, like the shears, it also often becomes misplaced, and panic then ensues as all activity stops until “diggy” has been found. Again, I recommend one with a florescent handle.

• A gift for the garden is also a gift for the gardener. A hand-made birdhouse or bird feeder, garden fairy, stepping stone or bird bath would be a delight to receive as all of these create a focal point in the garden and an area of interest.

The year has once again come full circle, and we are getting excited about having everyone together for the holidays. Meg arrives a week before Christmas Day, Michael and the band are busy jamming and playing, and Mick and I are in “hectic mode”, finishing up last minute details. This year it is boxwood and cedar garland on the fence, and boxwood up the stairs inside, for an extra-special touch. There is nothing like fresh greenery for Christmas! I hope everyone has a wonderful holiday season filled with joy, health and happiness. Off to find that sprig of Mistletoe, I remain…The Optimistic Gardener!

 

 

A Garden Gallery

On a particularly lovely morning in October, with a bright blue sky and soft sunlight streaming across the frosted grass, I ventured out to take in the fall colours in my garden as I knew they would not be there much longer. It has been a strange fall, with very warm temperatures in September, and then sharp frosts in October, mixed with blustery days that took leaves from the trees before they had a chance to don their autumn hues. Even now, our Northwood Maple is still yellow with patches of red here and there, and the Green Ash, which normally changes to a rich gold, has lost every leaf. The Amur Maples still delight with leaves a mix of red, orange and yellow, and the small propeller-shaped seeds that rustle in the wind. As I make my way to the north garden, I spy the interesting “garden sculptures” that appeared as a result of taking down some rather large trees that would most likely fall on the house should we have a bad winter storm. The sculptures are actually the tree roots, plucked from the ground and now, with long root tentacles reaching for the sky, are waiting to be removed. The interesting part about all this is that they have become a great topic of conversation as they are rather large, and have been there a rather long time. The roots will eventually be gone, but in their own completely natural way, they have been a form of garden art (not my first choice mind you, but they are too heavy for me to move, so there you have it).

Once your garden has taken its form and plants have established themselves, you may want to consider the addition of some garden art. As your garden is often an outward expression of your personality, including non-plant objects further builds your garden’s character. Almost anything can be garden art; a trellis, ceramic pot, birdhouse, or statuary can create a focal point that draws the visitor’s eye to that part of the garden. Wonderful garden pieces can be found from local artisans and at flea markets. With a little imagination, an old washstand, ladder, or wheelbarrow, placed in just the right spot, can become an amazingly artistic part of your landscape. Pieces of driftwood, with their smoothly polished gnarled forms make wonderful points of interest in the garden (more than one suitcase full of driftwood has made its way to my garden courtesy of the west coast.) One of the easiest ways to add art to your garden is with the use of ceramic pots. Either terra cotta or brightly coloured, depending on your choice, they can be placed in and around the garden, and planted with annuals or perennials. Grasses planted in ceramic pots create some of the most dramatic scenes in the garden, with their upright structure and graceful movement. At this time of year, many grasses change colour and boast beautiful and unusual seed heads that keep our gardens going just a little longer.

One of my favourite pastimes is to take a Sunday drive and look at all the wonderful gardens our city has to offer. The creativity and imagination of our gardeners is remarkable, and I always find a garden or two that make me stop the car to take a second look. And, I suppose, that while my “tree-mendous” garden sculptures remain where they are, I too will be causing passers-by to take a second look. With an open mind, and always open to artistic suggestions,

I remain…The Optimistic Gardner! 

A Measure of Time 

It’s funny how age changes the way we look at things. Until lately, I was never very concerned about the passage of time. When I was young, as with all young people, I was going to live forever (and, being the optimist that I am, the possibility is still there…one never knows). Summers went on without end and years seemed like eternities. This summer however, I saw the passage of time through my parents’ eyes, and for the first time, faced the reality of my own life’s time and the importance of spending it wisely.

Summers in our family have always been our greatest measure of time. Hot sunny days filled with swimming, water skiing and sailing, with the whole family together, were what we waited for throughout the rest of the year. When it was not summer, conversation during Sunday dinners always revolved around summer; what we did last summer, and what we are going to do next summer. It’s not that we didn’t enjoy the rest of the year, but summer was definitely the highlight.

When one measures a life based on summers… “I only have so many summers left, you know”, it is very disconcerting when one misses the mark, and this was just that summer. Dad was less than pleased at the end of August to be closing up camp feeling, at his age, he had been diddled out of a very important portion of his time. Mum, ever the optimist, was talking about next summer, and what we would do with the pots on the deck, and the back garden by the guest cottage. As weather this past summer played a predominant role in the health and welfare of the gardens and planters, the decision was made to go with bright yellow marigolds on the deck and dragon wing begonias everywhere else. These two plants performed beautifully through the storms, wind, rain, and more rain. Our usual geraniums, petunias and bacopa faired rather badly with the lack of sun and constant wet. Next year, the back garden perennials will need lifting and dividing, and as this garden seems to struggle a bit, the daylilies that are doing well will be joined by masses of bright annuals. We are always planning next year’s garden as gardening too, is a measure of time.

As the summer we didn’t have seems to be making a comeback, pushing the cool crisp days of autumn out of the way, I find my garden is lasting well past its normal time. With daylilies and monkshood still in bloom, and a Japanese anemone in bud (a west coast immigrant), I am hoping for a slow progression into fall. The vegetable garden has, for the most part, been put to bed, with bushels of onions and bags of beans to show for our hard work. The carrots are the last to be removed as they keep well where they are, netted of course to prevent the annual “deer square dance on the carrots” that seem to occur right about this time.

And now we are as we were before the start of summer. Mum and Dad have settled back in Victoria, albeit with Dad wishing they’d stayed at camp just a bit longer. Mum’s garden is “a jungle of weeds”, but will be ship-shape in no time. Soon we both will be putting in tulips and daffodils, an act of faith that spring will come, and of course, summer is sure to follow. Savoring the last of these golden days, but always excited about those yet to come I remain…The Optimistic Gardener!

 

A Summer of “Firsts” 

As we come to the end of our days of summer, it is obvious that Northwestern Ontario certainly got short changed in the heat and sunny days department, and was drastically over paid with rain and cool temperatures. My mother, being my life time optimistic role model, when we were complaining about the weather, would coin her second most popular phrase “Lots would like it” (her first most popular phrase being “Think of it as an adventure” which has come in very handy on many occasions). I know that this summer, the west coast would have given their eye teeth for some of our rain, so I suppose Mum was right.

When I look back over the past two months, what most comes to mind is that, for me, this has been a summer of “firsts”. This was the first summer that I did not spend the entire time at camp in my bathing suit. Mum & I swam a few times, but it was more like a dunking than a long leisurely swim, the water temperature being cold enough, even on a hot day, to tingle your skin. The term “a refreshing swim” was an understatement. Dad put his feet in, and that was enough for him. This was also the first summer that, on several occasions, I actually put the heat on in the car during my morning drive to work. When the heat did arrive toward the middle of August, it did so with a vengeance, for which I was totally unprepared, still sporting my winter layer of brown fat, which I needed just a few short weeks earlier.

However, not all my summer “firsts” were negative. This was the first summer that the house did not become a sauna, with sleepless nights lying awake waiting for a cool breeze to waft through the windows, providing some relief. This was the first summer that I had flowers blooming from all three growing seasons; globe flower, lilies and gloriosa daisies, all at once! I have never had flowers last so long, and many that I would normally miss while on holidays were still blooming when I returned. Hostas in the garden became enormous for the first time in many years (lots of rain) and my Persicaria has taken over the end of the north garden in a spectacular show of white. Even the mosquitoes and black flies were bearable this summer, making garden work “less itchy”. Michael and the band went on their first road tour, spending ten days in southern Ontario promoting their new CD. I don’t know who was more excited, the band or the parents, but the tour was a smashing success with many requests for a second tour. Meg made her first trip to California…oh to be young again!

All in all, it wasn’t exactly the summer we might have wished for, but as the Rolling Stones once said “You can’t always get what you want, but you get what you need”…hard to argue with that. I find a summer like this starts me thinking toward next year, and planning changes for the garden. I have already jotted down a plan for the front garden, a few modifications to the back gardens and the vegetable garden, and some ideas for garden fixtures as yet to be finalized. As for now, I am excited to see the rich colours of fall, to hike through some of our amazing countryside, and, of course, that first smell of wood smoke in the air, which is one of my favourite “firsts”. Watching for the first red leaves on my Northwood Maple, I remain…The Optimistic Gardner!

 

 

Coming Full Circle   June 2009

And now that the garden is dressed for spring, at last we have finally come full circle once more, having survived what was most definitely considered to be a long and arduous winter. Our fickle spring weather, with sun one day and snow the next, tested the mettle of even the most patient gardener. I was lucky enough to make my annual pilgrimage to the west coast (Valentine’s present courtesy of Mum and Dad) at the end of April. The weather was spectacular, and as Michael joined me for the first week to spend time with Meg and Grandma and Grandpa, I saved my garden visits for the second week. We went whale watching, cruised the music shops, ate our weight in sushi, and of course spent time at the inner harbor being entertained by the street buskers – did you know that Darth Vader plays a mean violin! Once Michael had headed home, it was time for gardens. The Horticultural Centre of the Pacific, Finnerty Gardens at the university, and Abkhazi which was, as always, my garden highlight, with Rhododendrons and Azaleas in full bloom. This garden is the most peaceful I have ever visited. They also have a delightful tea room, and Meg, Grandma and I enjoyed a cream tea at the end of our visit. I also helped Meg put in a vegetable garden and perennial garden at her request…Grandma says it a promising sign! It is easy for things to grow in Victoria, and while it is a gardener’s paradise, we must appreciate what our own gardens accomplish each spring and summer with the conditions they must endure. If nothing else, they teach us persistence.

This year in my garden is a year of change. I no longer fool myself about how much energy I have, and will be making the garden easier to look after. First on the agenda is planting more flowering shrubs. As my garden is all perennials, filling some areas with shrubs will help decrease spring clean up time. Serviceberry, snowberry and barberry are a few that I have chosen for their spring flowers, foliage, and in the case of serviceberry and barberry, deer resistance. My second task is to remove invasive plants. As much as I love these over-achievers, very quickly they get out of hand and before you can say “Tanacetum vugare” (aka. The Evil Tansy), they’re everywhere! Removal takes time, time better spent designing, planting and enjoying. Lastly, I will be making my garden easier to move within; some areas are just not “user-friendly” and although I do take Yoga classes, I don’t think being a contortionist should part of the gardening experience.

I am quite excited to start these changes to the garden. They say a change is as good as a rest, and as the garden has passed its twenty year mark, it will be good to revitalize some old areas and redesign some less functional ones. I shall also be erecting two arbors at the beginning of the two garden paths. I have had to remove four very large cedars that were unfortunately eaten away by deer, but these new additions will allow me to add hanging baskets and lighting which will give the garden a new and interesting look.

Gardening is about change – changes through the seasons and through the years. Several weeks ago I pulled out some old pictures taken when my garden first began, and I can hardly believe how it has changed. I’m sure, if I take pictures this summer and look at them twenty years from now, I’ll say the same thing. Wishing you a summer of good changes, and peace at the end of your gardening day, I remain…The Optimistic Gardener!

This Green Earth

“The ultimate test of man’s conscience may be his willingness to sacrifice something today for future generations whose words of thanks will not be heard.”

Gaylord Nelson former governor of Wisconsin, co-founder of Earth Day

As a rule, I use very little in the way of chemicals in my garden to combat weeds and insect pests. It’s not so much that I am an “anti-chemicalist” so much as I am a “survival-of-the-fitalist”. Having a full time job and a full time garden dictates that plants in my garden must be somewhat self-sufficient and a little on the tough side. I have a few special plants that require a larger allotment of my gardening time, but in general, apart from the common necessities of life, most are quite undemanding. I do fertilize my garden every spring as this keeps the plants healthy, vigorous and able to fight pests and diseases, and use mulch where ever I can to suppress weeds and retain moisture. Earth Day this year (April 22nd) marks the start of a ban in Ontario of over 250 cosmetic use pesticides and herbicides from various companies, and consequently marks a different way of fighting disease and pests for many gardeners. The impact that this ban will have on my garden will be slight; the impact over the long term remains to be seen, but this is a direction we must take.

A good friend of mine once shared two sayings with me that have become my favourites, and are very useful at times like this. The first is “It is what it is” and the second is” Suck it up, Princess”. No amount of whining is going to change the pesticide ban, so we must become innovative, resourceful and find other ways to protect our plants. There are many natural ways of getting rid of insects and weeds, and here are a few that I have come across.

• This is not a time to be squeamish – picking bugs off by hand is very effective and is also good exercise. If you have slugs in your garden, a plate of beer placed in the shade will attract them; I don’t know which brand works the best, but I don’t think the slugs will care.

• Keep your garden clean – this will reduce the chance of disease spreading from plant to plant through contaminated vegetation. Dispose of diseased plant material in the garbage and not in the compost pile.

• Attracting birds to your garden by using a bird feeder will provide you with all kinds of help in your fight against insects.

• Use beneficial insects to combat the less desirable ones. Ladybugs eat aphids, and nematodes applied to your lawn help control cinch bug, grubs, Japanese beetle and webworm.

• Digging out weeds and cutting weed flowers off before they go to seed are both effective at reducing weed numbers.

• A mixture of 1 litre of vinegar, ¼ cup of salt and 2 tablespoons of liquid dish soap makes an effective herbicide, however it is non-selective so use carefully.

• Mulch your garden for weed control – a good 3″ of mulch will deter weed growth and also greatly decrease the amount of water your garden will lose to evaporation.

Whether we like it or not, these are changing times, and a good gardener must be able to adapt to change. Our weather is not as settled as in the past; systems seem to move through quickly and with a little more intensity than I remember. The way we protect our gardens is also changing, but just as we deal with harsh winters, late springs and hot dry summers, we shall deal with this change as well. In times of adversity, my Mum’s favourite saying is “Think of it as an adventure!” (good old Mum!). This may not be an adventure, but it will cause us to improve our gardening practices, which will in turn improve the health of our plants…gardening well can be your best revenge! Off to buy some beer, for the slugs of course, I remain…The Optimistic Gardener!

 

  

April 09 

It’s Spring, Sir!

When it comes to TV comedy, M.A.S.H. is Dad’s favourite. Of all the episodes, there is one that is always guaranteed to make him burst out in laughter. Bear with me for a moment as I set the scene (anyone familiar with the series will know this one). The members of the M.A.S.H. unit are standing at attention for morning announcements. Corporal Max Klinger, dressed in required military attire, is sporting a lovely floral hat. Henry, commanding officer of the unit walks past Klinger, pauses, backs up and asks him “Why the hat?” Klinger answers “It’s Spring, Sir!”

We all have our own personal clues that spring is approaching. For some, it is the urge to clean the house from top to bottom, for others it might be the need for a new spring wardrobe. For me, as I have had all winter to clean the house, and my spring wardrobe consists of gardening gloves and pruning shears, the clue that spring is on its way is a burning desire to get back into the garden. With several feet of snow still covering the backyard, I know I will have to be patient, but there are still a few things I can do to catch a little spring fever.

March 7th: The afternoon sun is beating down on the deck, and just enough snow has receded along the edge that I can get to the old Adirondack chair on the south side. Bundled in a warm jacket as the wind still has a winter nip, I settle down to bask in the warmth of these familiar rays. It is surprisingly quiet, but I realize that all around me are the sounds of spring. Water is dripping down the drain pipe, making a gurgling, almost melodic noise. Chickadees are scolding each other in the branches of the crabapple tree, and a woodpecker is busy drilling a hole in the dead tree that holds the clothesline. Listening very closely, I can actually hear the snow melting. It is a very faint tinkling sound, like tiny shards of glass breaking off and falling onto each other. Life is good.

March 10th: I have altered a popular saying to now read “Pride goeth before a snowfall”. Oh well, it is March after all, and early spring snow storms are what happens in March.

March 14th: Ah, back on the deck again! This time, the snow melting off the balcony above is raining down on the garden paraphernalia, somehow forgotten from last fall, and creating a symphony of pings and blops, and the odd ring as it hits the metal patio set. This is music to my ears. Looking out over the snow banks covering the garden, it will be a while yet before I can walk along the cedar chip paths, hoping to see new growth. But the sun’s rays are strong, and it only takes a few warm days to see a drastic change.

March 20th: A pinnacle day for all gardeners…the first day of spring! The weather is still unsettled, but the weather is unsettled all across the country. They say patience is a virtue, however there are a few things one can do to speed the process up a bit, even if it’s just in the house. Two weeks ago I ventured into the woods and cut some pussywillow branches to force. They are now in full leaf, and the sight of this alone will help carry me through the “lion and lamb” days of March.

It is now officially spring regardless of what the weather brings. Although the odd snowstorm is most certainly going to darken our spring skies, this too shall pass, the days will get warmer, the snow will melt, and the earth will renew itself yet once more. I can almost feel gardeners everywhere smiling. It’s Sunday afternoon, the sun is out, and I’m off to find that Adirondack chair. With a smile on my face, I remain

…The Optimistic Gardener!

 

  

…What the World Needs Now! 

I don’t own a cell phone. Long ago, when cell phones were about the size of a pound of butter (and weighed about the same), I owned one. I used it mostly for ordering pizza on my way home from work on Friday nights – needless to say, as soon as the contract was up, the cell phone made a quick exit…stage left. I don’t feel that I am any less informed for not owning a cell phone and if someone really wants to contact me, they’ll figure out a way. I do have an answering machine on our home phone, but even that very often gets ignored. It’s not that I object to the bombardment of technology that we are faced with these days, it’s just that I choose not to be as involved. I haven’t used my clothes dryer for well over ten years now. Our clothes are hung up year ‘round; outside as long as the weather will allow, and inside to dry by the fire during the winter. There is nothing like hopping out of the shower and drying off with a towel all ruff and smelling like a spring day. As a matter of fact, one of the first things Meg bought when we moved her to Victoria was a folding clothes dryer to hang her laundry on…so her towels would smell like home. I like to think that some of the small steps we take to get back to basics will somehow help in the big scheme of things.

For a short month, February is a lot of things; it is more or less the middle of winter, it is the month of many seed exchanges across the country, it is the owner of Valentine’s Day and a much-needed new long weekend, and it is the month when sunsets all of a sudden become noticed again. It is such a welcome sight to look westward in the evening and see the pinks, oranges and that wonderful turquoise blue of an early spring sunset.

Feb 9th: I call Mum and Dad in Victoria to tell them that it’s raining here; a bit unusual for February…they say it’s raining there too, what a coincidence! Three days later when I call to say it’s snowing here…they say it’s snowing there too. ..yet another coincidence. In fact, temperatures on the west coast have been less than ideal – so chilly at night that the annual flower count has been put off until the end of March. Often here, by the end of March, the odd brave daffodil or tulip has made its way through the snow, hoping to be the first flower of spring. It seems that Mother Nature has a very interesting, if not somewhat sarcastic sense of humour!

It has been one of those winters where I seem to have spent a lot of time indoors. In hopes of warding off cabin fever, I have brought home some pots of primulas in bright colours and a pot full of tiny daffodils, Quail variety I believe. All are in full bloom and looking so full of spring. The piece de resistance for my indoor garden will be a pot of hyacinths, with a scent so intoxicating that it makes you stop and breathe in every last molecule of fragrance. Spring is on its way, but for now, on sunny weekend afternoons, when the sun is streaming through the living room windows, I take a moment to stretch out on the couch and bask in the warm rays. And while I’m basking, I think about the garden. February is the month of love, and what the world needs now is a little love…but it could also use a little spring! Soaking up all the sunshine I can get, I remain

…The Optimistic Gardner!

 

  

February 09 

Jan 1, 2009: As with all new years at our house, this one began with blueberry pancakes and sausage. This is our traditional New Year’s breakfast, accompanied by many cups of coffee and great discussion of everyone’s plans for the months ahead. All family members were quite busy at the start of the year; I was off on a buying trip, Mick headed to a convention, Michael and the band were recording in Winnipeg, and Meg was planning a weekend at Whistler. Christmas was a whirlwind of parties and outings, and now we are down to the serious business of waiting for spring.

I am not one to make resolutions at the beginning of the year – it puts a heavy burden on a body already burdened by snow and cold weather. Rather, I make plans, and these plans always revolve around the garden. My last year’s plans came to fruition with the installation of our irrigation system. This saved me hours of labour in watering the garden, was much more efficient and considerably more conservative in water use. This year, we will extend the system to the west garden, which was omitted as I need to give it a complete overhaul. This is the oldest garden and the most challenging to rejuvenate as it has become quite wild (mostly with perennials and, thankfully, not with weeds), which is the perfect segway into my main plan for this coming season. This is the year of the “garden makeover” – all the oldest gardens are going to be lifted, dug and amended. Plants will be divided and put back in more appropriate places, as over the past twenty years sun and shade patterns have changed drastically. I actually have some shade in the garden now and have discovered the amazing beauty of hostas and their incredible variation of foliage. I also want to incorporate more grasses into the garden landscape as they give wonderful contrast of texture and are drought tolerant. Grasses also create an interesting winter garden, although this year, only the tips are visible (optimistic note: don’t forget, good snow cover is important for insulation and provides early spring moisture to plants). The vegetable garden is also on the “hit list” – over the years, the beds have become depleted and it is time for some serious soil supplementation. By the sounds of things, I have my work cut out for me…I’m certainly glad I don’t make resolutions!

As always, it seems to take much longer for the days to lengthen than it does for them to shorten. Just lately though, the sky, at that point just above the pink of sunset, has taken on that wonderful turquoise blue which is the first hint that spring is on the way. To see this colour in the sky again makes me pause for a few minutes to marvel at how quickly time passes from one season to the next. I have been told this is a consequence of age…I believe it is one of Einstein’s lesser known theories - the older one gets, the faster time goes. It is always a bit surprising when a whole year has come and gone, but every passing year has been filled with such wonderful memories that I can hardly wait for the next one to start. With spring fast approaching, and no time to waste, I remain…The Optimistic Gardener.

 

 

December

December 3rd: For me, the beginning of December is akin to the firing of the starter’s pistol in the race to Christmas. I can now officially bring out all the decorations; put the red satin bows on the windows and railings, sit my Santas and elves at their rightful spot beside the fireplace, and bring lots of fresh greens into the house. Vases of boxwood, red pine and incense cedar adorn the stairs and hall table, imparting a fresh, and almost wild scent to the air. My Christmas cactuses are finished blooming. They are always ahead of the season, being in full bloom in November, which is not such a bad thing as the house is full of colour in this often dreary month. They do however, bloom again around Easter, perhaps as an apology for their poor timing in the fall. Gifts for the west coast are ready to go, including of course the Christmas pudding, weighing in at a full three pounds and being liberally soaked in brandy. It is specifically sent for my brother-in-law David who, once it has been set alight and served up with rum sauce, will slowly savour every bite, being his favourite end to Christmas dinner. I cannot take claim to creating this pudding; it was made by a wonderful British friend whose culinary skills are unsurpassed. One day I will find a way to bribe her for her recipe (a gardening-cooking exchange possibly).

December 11th: It seems to me that this December is a bit more wintery than past Decembers; I do recall being treated to balmier temperatures, green grass and even a bit of rain at this same time in previous years. The cold is quite bitter right now – if this is global warming, I think they have it backwards. We do have a bit of snow cover which will help protect the gardens from drying winter winds. The house is toasty with woodstoves radiating a warm glow. Houseplants dry out a little faster these days and need checking regularly. I have added a dwarf Alberta spruce to my terrarium (nothing escapes the decorating frenzy!)

December 19th: Excitement in our house is building as Meg arrives in two days. This weekend we will cut a tree at the tree farm and bring it in to thaw, waiting until Meg’s arrival to decorate it. Christmas dinner is at our house this year, and I am busy planning the menu and table decorations – chocolates and candies at each place setting, Christmas crackers (my British background) and sprigs of holly for good luck. I have a twin to the “west coast pudding” which we will douse with warmed brandy and, with lights dimmed, set aflame with oohs and aahs at the eerie blue glow. There will also be Michael and Megan’s favourite dessert, a lime peppermint mousse which is Gramma’s specialty.

December can be a dark month; day light hours are fleeting and skies are often heavy with snow clouds. It is not dark in spirit though as Christmas lights shine on houses and trees, and faces shine with delight in the season. We have passed the shortest day and are on our way to spring. The garden looks quite peaceful under its comforter of snow. It can rest as its busy time will come soon enough. As for us, we are blanketed in the joy of family and friends, blessed with good health and much happiness, and I saw this morning that my Christmas vine has new green shoots. For all this, and so much more, I will always remain

…The Optimistic Gardener!

‘We are nearer to Spring than we were in September, I heard a bird sing in the dark of December.”

 

November

“If it is true that one of the greatest pleasures of gardening lies in looking forward, then the planning of next year’s beds and borders must be one of the most agreeable occupations in the gardener’s calendar. This should make October and November particularly pleasant months, for then we may begin to clear our borders, to cut down those sodden and untidy stalks, to dig up and increase our plants, and to move them to other positions where they will show up to greater effect. People who are not gardeners always say that the bare beds of winter are uninteresting; gardeners know better, and take even a certain pleasure in the neatness of the newly dug, bare, brown earth.”…Vita Sackville-WestNovember 4th: What an incredible day! I am home today, having worked the weekend, and want to catch up on my “not done yet, but waiting” list, but I think instead I will spend this day in the garden. The sky is pale blue, the wind is warm and light, and everything is glistening with droplets of water from the heavy fog which lifted early this morning. John Denver once wrote “Some days are diamonds, some days are rust”; this is definitely a diamond day. I have some perennials to prune back, still leaving enough to catch the snow, and leaves to rake and put on the compost pile, but mostly I think I will just wander through the garden and drink in this wonderful day! When the sun comes around this afternoon, I may even open up a lawn chair and bask in its rays, holding the feeling of the warmth on my face, to be recalled at a later and probably much colder date.

November 8th: Today I am going to conduct an experiment (something I have been meaning to try for years, but just never got around to it); I am planting tulips in my oak barrel at the front of the house to see how they will perform. It is in an area somewhat protected from the winter winds, and should get good snow cover. Outside it is snowing lightly, but surprisingly mild, and I have the urge to do some last minute gardening, and a bit of outdoor decorating. The corn stalks are going to the compost pile, and pine branches will now grace my cedar pole by the front door, from which I have also hung a red lantern. The boys think I’m a bit “Christmas-silly”, but I know Meg would be pleased.

November 15, 2008: We have a sunny day! After a week of overcast days and rain, today is a “final clean up the yard” day. I must bring in all my ceramic garden creatures to protect them from frost damage, and ensure all ceramic pots are clean, dry and stored upside down. I will do some last minute mulching of some of my new plantings and in particular my zone 5’s to give them the best chance of returning next spring. I have brought in my pot of purple fountain grass to over winter in the house, but have left the euphorbia, that I “pinched” from Mum’s garden in Victoria in the spring (with her permission of course!), to experience a Thunder Bay winter and see how it does. The previous fall I brought one in the house but it was not pleased and eventually expired.

Although the colour in the garden has faded, except of course for the bright orange fruit of my sea buckthorn, my Christmas cacti are now in full bloom and are filling the house with cascades of red and pink. I have brought home my first Poinsettia, and look forward to the sweet, spicy scent of fresh pine and cedar boughs I use for decorating. I have even added a small evergreen to my terrarium, just for the holidays! These days are full of excitement and anticipation for the yuletide festivities, and for me, a close second only to that of the coming of spring. With armfuls of garland to decorate the fence and humming “Sleigh Ride”, I remain

…The Optimistic Gardener!

 

 

November

“There is no season when such pleasant and sunny spots may be lighted on, and produce so pleasant an effect on the feelings, as now in October.”

- Nathaniel Hawthorne

October is orange, and golden yellow and flaming red. October is wool sweaters and hot chocolate and bon fires. October is that wonderful month when nature gives her last hurrah to the glorious days of summer with a tribute of incredible colour. This October, perhaps because of the persistent pleasant weather, lack of frosty nights, and just the right amount of rain, was like a lingering sunset, with vibrant yellows changing to orange and red, and then as the month dwindled, to a rich brown. A few windy days mid-month rendered the trees bare of their fall finery, and out came the rakes, the wheelbarrows and the liniment. I was busy with my leaf mulcher, sucking up maple, ash and apple leaves, and grinding them up into next year’s soil amendment.

October was a brilliant month for many varieties of fall perennials, and those plants that enjoy a second blooming; flowers lasted well past Thanksgiving, and the foliage of daylilies, like golden fountains, was a treat for the eyes. I have mentioned Thalictrum in past articles, mostly for its contribution to height in the garden (reaching over ten feet in mine), but must also include it in this homage to fall because of its amazing fall foliage colour. With the first mild frost, its leaves changed from a rich green to the most vivid shade of gold. As other perennials faded and withered, the Thalictrum remained steadfast and stuck out like a beacon as I looked around the garden. One annual that quite surprised me was my patch of Calendula daisies; planted from seed in the spring, they produced bright flowers of butter yellow and tangerine orange, and were amazingly frost hardy. While many of my perennials succumbed to the cold temperatures, these stalwart plants kept blooming until late in the month.

With the decreasing daylight, gardening chores of any length were kept to the weekends. Many years ago, and before I had the knowledge that I have today, I cut back most of my perennials in the fall, hoping to have little work to do in the spring. A very good friend at work convinced me (after much badgering) that this was not a prudent practice, as leaving the stems and foliage of perennials through the winter helps to trap snow and insulate the plants from temperature changes in the spring. As the amount of our snow cover seems to be decreasing, I have admitted to her that she is right, and now leave my clean up to the spring, having interesting seed heads and grasses to add to the garden’s winter landscape.

Presently, I look forward to our first fire in the woodstove, and the gentle way it warms the house on chilly days. The boys in the band were over for turkey and corn chowder, and Dave has already claimed his spot beside the stove. My Christmas cactus is covered in buds, preparing for the holiday season which is fast approaching, but I mustn’t get ahead of myself…we have a couple of months to go yet! Off to don my big wool sweater and fill the kindling basket, I remain…The Optimistic Gardener!

“Listen! The wind is rising, and the air is wild with leaves,

We have had our summer evenings, now for October eves!”

- Humbert Wolfe

 

 

“Try to remember the kind of September

When life was slow and oh, so mellow”

What a treat September has been. It seems that what we may have lost in hot summer days, we have gained in warm, sunny fall days. The arrival of fall is usually met with mixed emotions; some sadness in the knowledge that yet another summer has passed, and we are all a little bit older, and at the same time, excitement for the coming of a new season. I always look forward to the changing fall colours in the garden; from the flashy, vibrant hues of Daylilies, Veronicas and Delphiniums to the softer pastels of autumn Sedums, and rich jewel-tones of Helenium and Gloriosa daisies. Our Northwood maple resembles a patchwork quilt, with blotches of flaming red here and there, eventually turning the tree into a blazing torch, a last salute to this wonderful time of year.

The lateness of our summer heat and the generosity of temperatures through September have given my garden an extended life – flowers that would, by now be spreading seeds for next year, are still in bloom, and others that I cut back earlier are enjoying a second flowering. I have planted pockets of tulips and daffodils – the bright pink, yellow, orange and purple will be a welcome sight after the monochromatic white of winter. And although we have a small army of deer that wander through the garden, my tulips need not be afraid as I will be armed with a spray bottle of Plantskydd (very effective deer repellant) which proved to be one hundred percent effective last spring in protecting my border of pink tulips.

I have harvested the vegetable garden, with the exception of a few rows of carrots, which I must get to before the deer have their annual square dance, and dig up whatever I have missed. Although our harvest was much smaller this year (mostly caused by weather and ground hog), our crabapple tree and grapevine were bountiful, and I have been making jelly every weekend since the beginning of the month. My Sea Buckthorn is still loaded with fruit, and I make a point of stopping to pop a few of these tangy orange morsels in my mouth while working in the garden.

In mid September, we had a wonderful family celebration for my aunt’s 90th birthday. I flew to Winnipeg, with my arrival being a complete surprise to everyone except my cousin Joanne. Even Mum and Dad, who had closed up camp and were coming to stay with my aunt before heading west, didn’t know I would be there. I decorated my aunt’s house with balloons and banners, made dinner, and surprised them all at the door. We had a huge family party the next day, and even with her advancing years, my aunt looked, as my Dad would say, like a million bucks! I sent my parents home with two jars of crabapple jelly, Dad’s favourite.

I still work in the garden every day, cleaning, deadheading and pulling elusive weeds out from their hiding places. Sunset comes much earlier these days, and working in the garden until late evening will have to wait until next year. I now look forward to fall hikes, bonfires, and pumpkin pie! Off to find my cozy wool sweater and hiking stick, I remain…The Optimistic Gardener.

 

A Year in My Garden

Gardening is so much like life. As with plants, we grow, we mature (well, some of us do, she says with a smile), we blossom, and then we are gone. Some of us put on a spectacular show while we are here, others prefer to remain in the background, but all of us are integral parts of our garden. Some years we thrive, some we just survive, but every year is an adventure.I thought for this new year of articles, I would take you through a year in the garden, both mine…and ours. I will share my triumphs, tribulations and possibly the odd temper tantrum with you, as well as my ramblings and raves about my love affair with the plant world, and life in general. I hope it proves to be an interesting, amusing and enlightening journey.

Summer

Summer began, I think, around the first week of August. Up until this point, the weather often threatened summer, but then retracted back into late spring. This made it challenging in the garden as everything was certainly getting enough water, but not quite enough sun and heat. Perennial foliage was lush and tall plants were… enormous! Blooming was consequently much later than normal. My vegetable garden suffered the most for two reasons - the late season, and a rather large groundhog with an equally large attitude. Germination of carrots and beans was slow, and what was eaten by “the hog” as it emerged, had to be replanted. I do have some bonuses though; my Sea Buckthorn has a bountiful crop of tasty fruit which will be wonderful to snack on in the fall while I clean up the garden. With the flavor of tart orange ( not unlike Grand Marnier), and packed full of vitamin C, these bright tangerine coloured buds provide a quick pick-me-up while working.

The stars of my garden this year have to be the daylilies. I was a bit doubtful as to whether or not I would see the profusion of blooms as in past hot, dry summers. I was, however, elated to find not only an abundance of flowers, but each one was the size of my open hand. I counted the flower buds on one variety, and each of the twenty odd stems had over fifteen buds on it! Apart from my early spring plants, everything else seemed to come into full flower mid August. The garden was a delight to walk through, with something new opening up every day.

Our summer with family was, as always, riotous! My sister Diane and brother-in-law Dave came from Victoria for a visit, as did Meg (who chose to stay out west for the summer – good job, and teaching sailing). Then we all headed to camp for my cousin’s 50th birthday, and two weeks of swimming, sunning, parties and general mayhem. There were the hysterical, often violent games of five-handed solitaire, long-winded discussions at breakfast of the origin of the universe (several pots of coffee later) and of course, five o’clock wine time on the deck. Mum’s camp garden took a beating in the spring, with wind storms and hail, but bounced back with a determination to amaze, and it did. Michael, with my direction, has become a budding gardener, as he is a grounds keeper for Dawson Court, and has taken quite an interest in the success of his handiwork. I assisted him with one of the gardens and received daily updates as to its progress. We ended the summer with a Black Crows concert in Minneapolis (rock on!). So, all in all, it was a great summer.

I now look forward to the crisp days of fall, the smell of wood smoke, and weekend bonfires with good friends, hot coffee, and gooey marshmallows. Heading out to inspect the bonfire pit, and looking for the perfect marshmallow-roasting stick I remain…The Optimistic Gardener!

Tip: Make notes on your garden successes and failures now while all is still fresh in your mind. Take a walk through your garden with a notebook and jot down ideas for next spring…it’s just around the corner!

 

June 2008 issue

 …And In Between, We Garden.
Last month, I made my semi-annual pilgrimage to the west coast, and I have to say, without shame or embarrassment, that it was wonderful and I reveled in every moment. It was a blatant act of self- indulgence for which, after the rather lengthy winter we experienced and the slow-to-arrive spring, I felt I was completely entitled. It was a chance to re-energize my batteries, spend time with family, and visit my favourite gardens. My visits usually involve a little work in family gardens, namely my Mum and Dad’s garden, and my sister’s ever-expanding garden at her cottage, and this trip was no exception. Our daughter Meg is staying on the island for the summer and renting a house with her school mates, and to my great delight, she asked if I would help her put in a small garden by her front door, so I now have a third garden to tend to (and hopefully, a budding gardener!). The guest bedroom at my parent’s house overlooks their garden, and I would begin each morning by opening the bedroom window and taking a deep breath of air laden with moisture and the smell of spring flowers. Breakfast with Mum & Dad is always long and leisurely, involving in-depth discussions of such things as world politics, the state of society and taxes (never sex as I am not quite old enough yet for that one). Once we have solved the world’s problems, we choose which gardens or garden centres to visit, and of course, where to have afternoon tea – scones with clotted cream and strawberry jam are my downfall.
Having expanded my gardening horizons over the years, my favourite gardens are now the less commercial, more intimate ones. The Horticultural Centre of the Pacific (HCP) is one we usually begin with as it is a teaching garden maintained, for the most part, by volunteers. If you are lucky enough to visit when the volunteers are working, you will witness an army of gardeners of all ages, bustling about with trowels and pruners and happily chatting about their area of the garden. They welcome questions, and lengthy discussions of new varieties and growing practices often ensue. The crowning glory of the HCP is the Japanese garden, with its gentle river running down past huge clumps of irises, primulas and graceful grasses. At the river’s end is a Zen garden where one can sit and take a moment to reflect.
I like my last garden visit to be Abkhazi Garden. Located in downtown Victoria, it was originally created by Prince Nicholas and Princess Peggy Abkhazi. Almost lost to developers several years ago, it was purchased by The Land Conservancy, and is now considered to be a jewel among gardens. Hidden from the street, the garden is nestled in amongst glacial rock, the top of which gives the most wonderful view of Victoria. The garden paths meander through a shady forest of towering tree rhododendrons, delicate woodland toad lilies and fairy wings. The centre of the garden is a large sunny bank full of lilies, grasses, euphorbia and shrub rhododendrons, framed at the back by the huge rock covered in blossom, as if painted by nature. It is obvious that this garden was grown with great passion, and it is here that we linger the longest. The original home of the Abkhazis which overlooks the garden is now a tea room, and we finish our afternoon with a pot of Earl Grey and, of course, fresh scones (some of the best in Victoria).  
And now I am back home in my own garden, full of great ideas for changes and improvements. Mum & Dad are once again at the cottage, and we are discussing what to plant in their garden for this year. Mum says that gardeners are always thinking ahead; before this season has even begun, they are planning for the next. She also says that gardening gives her something to look forward to, and keeps her young at heart. Our gardening journey never really ends, and we both agreed, it’s a wonderful way to travel through life. Wishing everyone a summer, and a lifetime filled with gardening, I remain…The Optimistic Gardener.

Multiply, Divide & Conquer June 2008 issue

Mention the word mathematics in mixed company, and you may evoke a reaction similar to that of Janet Leigh in the shower scene from the movie Psycho. Mention the word to my Mum and she will say, without hesitation, “A train was leaving London at 60 miles per hour, and a train was leaving Edinburgh at 40 miles per hour…”and then tell you that her most feared moment in school was to have that question appear on a test. Gardeners too, are not immune from having to do their “sums” – in the spring, we add plants to the landscape, which are often subtracted after a long cold winter. There is however a bright side to gardening math in that perennials, being the clever plants that they are, know how to multiply. This amazing little feat allows us to come along and divide these perennials resulting in many more plants in our gardens…Brilliant!

Spring is the best time to divide a great many perennials. A rule of thumb for division is that if the perennial blooms in early spring, it is best divided after it flowers; if it blooms in early to late summer, it is best divided in the spring. There are several reasons for dividing perennials: the clump may have started to die out in the middle, flower performance may have declined, soil nutrients around the clump have become exhausted, weeds have infested the clump, or you would like to have more of this plant in your garden.

Dividing your first perennial can be a bit unnerving especially if you are dividing a large and perfectly healthy plant. If you are dividing a plant that is showing signs of distress, the resulting improvement in the health and appearance of the plant will show you how important this part of gardening is. The basic steps to dividing are quite simple; once you see an inch or two of new growth in the spring, dig up the entire clump getting as many thick roots as possible. Be generous with the amount of soil you dig up with the clump. Dig all the way around and pry the clump out of the ground. Carry the clump to a work area – a tarp on the ground is good. I use a wheelbarrow as it holds the excess soil nicely and I don’t have to bend over as far. Knock some of the soil from the clump so you can see the major roots. An old kitchen bread knife makes the perfect tool for dividing plants. Take a deep breath, and with knife in hand, find a natural point where the clump can be divided. Cut cleanly through, and if the clump is very large, find a second place to divide. Once the dividing is complete, it is time to replant the pieces, being sure to plant at the same depth at which they were growing. Remember to amend the soil and water in well to ensure a healthy recovery for these new additions. Using a low level fertilizer containing a rooting hormone will help overcome the shock of being “dug and divided”. A word to the wise…have your new planting areas ready before you divide plants as this will shorten the length of time they are out of the ground.

Having your own garden supply you with more of the plants you love is like a dream come true. At some point however, you may find that many of your perennials require dividing all at the same time. If you find yourself going on a “dividing rampage”, the resulting population explosion of perennials may be more than your garden can handle. What a perfect opportunity to share the wealth! Pot up some of the overflow and give them to fellow gardeners, or donate them to local plant sales or fund raisers – the result of this multiplication and division calculation will be ten fold… and add up to smiles all around! Off to do my “gardening gus-in-tas”, I remain…The Optimistic Gardener.

Tip: Some plants do not appreciate being divided and may pout for a while, and others should not be divided at all. Some to leave alone are Iberis, Delphinium, Euphorbia, Columbine and Aconitum. Always remember to check before you divide to be sure you get an A+ for your efforts.

 

The Heralds of Spring 

There is a small bird called the Veery, whose song is like the sound of a small woodland stream bubbling along its path through the forest. As a child, this bird’s song would be the last thing I remember hearing before drifting off to sleep in the summer at our cottage at Kenora. Like a forest lullaby, it would echo though the trees, and while all the other bird songs would slowly fade, the Veery would sing until almost dark. I find it very comforting that something as simple as this small bird’s song can bring back such fond memories. Although, these days, I don’t get to spend as much time at the cottage as I would like, the Veery I have in my garden sings me to sleep on warm summer evenings, taking me back to our cottage as I drift off.

One of the things I look forward to most in the spring is the return of the small song birds to our garden. Sharing your garden with birds can bring hours of enjoyment and entertainment. Over the years, I have been delighted by the antics of chickadees, bluejays, warblers and sparrows, and privileged to be able to witness the devotion of bird parents to their offspring. I have been humbled by the tenacity and resourcefulness of these tiny creatures, and am thankful every spring that they choose to spend some time in our garden.

Providing birdhouses for birds is one way of attracting them to your garden. Many birds are cavity dwellers, building their nests inside a cavity such as a hollow tree. A manmade birdhouse, also called a nest box, is a good simulation of this. There are a few rules to follow for building a successful nest box. Dimension is important; each species requires a certain amount of space and size of entry hole. Always build the birdhouse out of untreated wood – recycling scrap lumber and previously used wood is environmentally friendly, and be sure to include a means of clean out. A few half inch holes near the top of the house will provide some ventilation. A perch, although attractive, is not necessary and may even make it easier for predators to enter the house. Choose a shady location in a natural setting.

Over the years, of all the birds that have nested in our trees and up in the rafters of our balcony, one always comes to mind as being particularly memorable. I had put a small and, what I thought, decorative birdhouse out in the garden, never expecting it to be used because of its diminutive size and rather inappropriate shape. To my delight, a family of house wrens found it perfect for their needs, and moved in. The song of the male house wren has been described as a “bubbly chatter”, and I remember the first time I heard it as, being early morning, I jumped out of bed and quietly opened the door to our balcony to listen. It is an incredibly happy song and, over the next several weeks, we would look forward to waking to his singing every morning. Through late spring and summer we became engrossed with the comings and goings of these tiny birds, which were quite friendly and regularly told me off as I hung up my laundry. Eventually, the fledgling wrens ventured out of the nest and spent the next few weeks in the garden eating insects and learning how to fly. To our delight, they returned to a different birdhouse in the garden the next year.

More and more birds are returning to our garden as the weather warms. Each week I look forward to hearing a different song, and wait patiently for the sound of the Veery. With binoculars handy and my ear to the window, I remain…The Optimistic Gardener.

Tip: Attracting birds to your garden will provide you with great entertainment and natural insect control. Birds are attracted to bright colours; planting red flowers will attract migrating birds. Providing food and water sources will also attract birds; be sure to keep food sources dry, and water fresh and clean.

March Issue 

Hy…Hy…Hypertufa!  Bless You!
 
As a gardener obsessed by my hobby, I find March, of all the months of the year, to be the most frustrating. It is neither spring nor winter and, being aptly named for the Roman god of war, is a constant battle ground for these two seasons to have “a jolly old punch up”, catching all of us poor house-bound souls right in the middle. We are teased on warm days with the hope that the “spring lamb” has been born, and then without warning, the “winter lion” roars to remind us not to be too hasty in our presumption that he has finally retreated.  It is during this time of climatic uncertainty that a gardening project comes in very handy, helping to keep one’s mind off the weather and on the construction of something useful for the garden.
My project for this March is to construct a hypertufa trough which will hold small alpine plants when completed. For those of you who are unfamiliar with hypertufa, it is not a medical condition that anxious gardener’s get, but rather a concoction of Portland cement, peat moss,  vermiculite and water. When poured into a form, it creates a wonderful, ancient-looking stone-like container. I have hypertufa in my garden, and have assisted in the construction of some,  but have never actually made my own. This year, I am going to jump in with both feet (so to speak) and be ready with my handiwork when spring arrives.
The recipe for hypertufa is quite simple: 3 part peat moss, 3 parts vermiculite, and 2 parts Portland cement. These are all mixed together and water added until the consistency of the mixture is that of cottage cheese. The mixture should not be too runny – too much water will result in weak hypertufa. The mold for the planter can be made out of just about anything, however avoid using wood or metal unless lined with plastic as the material will stick to these. An old plastic wash tub makes a wonderful mold; it can be turned upside down and the material formed around the outside, or use a smaller tub to “nest” inside the larger one, filling the space between with hypertufa.

Always make your hypertufa in a well-ventilated area – I will be making mine in the basement. A large plastic tub is perfect for mixing the ingredients and be sure to use rubber gloves and a dust mask for safety.
Curing your hypertufa has two stages. The first stage occurs where the mold and the material remain intact. During this stage, which can take anywhere from 14 to 36 hours, the mold should be covered with plastic to ensure it cures slowly, resulting in a stronger planter. After a few days, test the planter by scratching the surface with your fingernail. If it scratches easily, it is still too soft. If it requires a screwdriver to scratch it, the planter is ready for the second stage of curing. Gently remove the planter from the mold, and allow it to sit for about 3 weeks. During this time, more water will evaporate, and the planter will become much lighter. When you can get your planter outside, spray it with water to remove any surface lime. Leaching the planter, by filling with water and allowing it to drain out, will also help to remove excess lime. Hypertufa is quite porous, but more drainage holes can be made in the bottom by drilling using a masonry bit.
So, with my gardening project well in hand, I shall be oblivious to whatever devious weather changes March decides to throw at me.  I will revel in the sunny, warm days, and on those last few remaining days of winter, I will be hyped up on hypertufa, too busy to care! Off to the basement to mix up another batch, I remain…The Optimistic Gardener!
Tip: When making your hypertufa, you can also add decorative stones and pieces of broken ceramic to create a mosaic pattern. Large leaves covered with plastic wrap and placed on the outside wall of the mold will give a leaf pattern to the hypertufa.