|
|||
|---|---|---|---|
|
Volume:11 Issue:9 Web site address: www.squamishgardeners.com Date: October 2008 |
|||
|
Letter from the Editor: "Down the Garden Path" by Ellen Grant“Just before the death of flowers, And before they are buried in snow, There comes a festival season, When nature is all aglow. Author unknown A walk down the garden path not only gives us time to admire the flowers and fruits of the year but I always like to check out the forming buds of next years display. The camellias, rhododendrons, azaleas, and many of the early flowering shrubs have already set their flowers for 2009. Even some of the bulbs, such as alliums and snow crocus may send up primary leaves. I have flowers on a forsythia shrub and one of my magnolias always has a second blooming in the autumn. As we tidy the garden for the winter, watch for signs of spring. I took a ride a week or so ago up through Paradise Valley to Evans Lake. It was a sunny autumn day and the drive through the woods was especially gorgeous at this time of year. At the forestry camp on Evans Lake I noticed several patches of autumn crocus tucked under trees and beside rocks. They looked like wild flowers among the ferns. They are not really crocus except for the one from which the spice saffron is extracted. The flower resembles the spring plant but these bulbs produce their leaves in great abundance in the spring then die down in the summer only to re-emerge in the fall with only the flowers present, hence their other common name ‘naked ladies’. They seem to pop up almost over night and come in shades of purple, pink and white. They seem to multiply well and, as the trip to Evans Lake illustrated, naturalize too. Autumn is great for planting bulbs. The smaller the bulbs and sooner they should be planted to help them establish a good root system. Tulips and other large bulbs can wait until later this month or even up until Christmas. Trees and shrubs planted at this time enjoy the rainy weather. There is no better transplant tonic than rain! As you divide your perennials remember to set a few bits aside for the Plant Exchange at our October meeting. The Plant Exchange will be held at the Railway Heritage Park before our meeting. Bring excess plants, seeds, cuttings etc. Please try to label items or be prepared to explain what the items are to potential new owners. Size, color and planting ideas are especially welcome. If an item tends to be invasive please let people know. Indoor plants are also good for the exchange. You do not have to have plants to bring in order to take a plant. The idea is to share your abundance with others. If something is not taken please remember to take your leftovers home.
|
||
The garden path between the house and the red bridge over the pond is a mass of blues this week. The asters, Michaelmas daisies and the royal blue spires of the autumn monk’s hood threaten to gobble up the very passageway itself. There are other flowers seeking their place in the jumble, white and pink asters, fuchsias, dahlias, the last roses, sedums and a wonderful cloud of old-fashioned cosmos. A couple of cannas lilies still lift their flowers skyward and my yellow datura continues to trumpet its delicious scent over the beds. Although the begonias were late to bloom, they are all magnificent now. I try to keep them every year. Although some die during their winter storage, I still seem to be able to grow my collection by buying new and different varieties every spring. October is the month of leaves too. They are like the flowers of fall as one by one they replace their green attire for the brilliant garments of the season. Then they brazenly strip before our eyes and like some royal damsels they leave us to sweep up their discarded clothes and dispose of them. Naked, they wait for the white ermine of snow to wrap their limbs is winter’s costume.
|
Page 2 Newsletter |
|
Remember the roses that I told you I inherited last spring and managed to baby into blooming for me this summer. One I decided must be a Queen Elizabeth with its pink blossoms and elegant shape and the other was a rosy-orange color that I recognized for somewhere else. Well it is the same rose that once grew in my mother’s garden. Her mother had given her a rose as a thank-you gift for hosting a family reunion at the old homestead on Judd Road. Grandma had ordered Royal Albert sandwich and tea sets for all her daughters and daughter-in-law but when they arrived one set was broken and there was no time to order another before the big day. My mother offered to be the one to wait for the replacement. My grandmother bought her a rose instead. The new rose that grows outside my sunroom window is that same variety. I still don’t know its name but it already has a special place in my garden.
Earlier in the year I mentioned how I was trying different garden plants as cut flowers in arrangements. Well I have a new one. As the flowers begin to fade, my arrangements become more oriental looking and twigs and leaves take on more of a leading role. The latest is an arrangement of Lily of the Nile seed heads with three roses. They look very modern and quirky!
I was discussing with Dave Colwell the problems of keeping semi-tender plants alive over the winter. He suggested that storing them beside a heated greenhouse may keep them warm enough to weather all but the most extreme temperatures. Another trick he mentioned was to string Christmas lights through them or tuck the lights on top of the soil. Of course a good layer of leaves or mulch also helps to keep the roots alive through the winter. In this climate it is wise to keep most potted plants out of the heavy rains that can drench our valley. Putting semi-hardy plants under evergreen trees and shrubs or under the eaves can be all the protection that they will need. I have always considered this area to be 7B. Lately some of the mail order plant suppliers have given us a zone 8 rating which allows for temperatures down to -15 degrees Celsius. It is always fun to try to push the boundaries and find ways to grow items not usually considered hardy here but I would always try to keep cuttings, seeds or a back up plant just in case. I know that some people have been able to keep calla lilies in their garden year round as well as pineapple lilies but I loose mine every time I try to winter them outside. It depends on location and drainage. We all have our successes and duds.
Two reminders this month; First remember that Carla will be taking orders for the wreaths this month. Besides making beautiful, long lasting decorations for your home they also make great gifts for family, friends or neighbours. The wreaths are great just as they are but you can add your own ornaments, ribbons, or seeds and cones to make your wreath a unique expression of your style. Secondly please remember that November is our month to reorganize the executive function of our organization. New faces and new ideas keep the club interesting and focused. If you would like to be part of this steering group please let Carol or any of the present executive know. We definitely will need a new secretary but all committees and positions could use helping hands. The new position of Library garden coordinator must also be filled this year.
|
|
Page 3 Newsletter |
|
The September meeting was held at the Squamish Library. President Carol Robson welcomed everyone and announced that due to an unexpected illness, our guest speaker had to cancel. Two new members were welcomed: Brenda Triance and Kerry Davies. Carol also thanked the members who came out early for the weeding. In the absence of Dorte there was no Treasurer's report but Ellen Grant will accept any fees. Pauline was away and Carla volunteered to take the minutes. Dave reported that the website was OK. Ellen asked that members send her items for the newsletter: recipes, gardening successes or failures, bug problems, or interesting websites for gardeners.
Elections for positions on the executive will take place in November. Please consider standing for a position. Pauline will not stand for secretary this coming year so this position is open. Weeding at the library: this continues to be a problem. We do not hold all of our meetings at the library and therefore can't count on devoting the half hour before each meeting to take care of the weeding. Carol wondered if forming a “Weeding Committee” might be more effective. This would formalize the process of trying to get the job done in a timely manner and also distribute the workload. The committee would function much like the refreshment committee. This suggestion was favorably received. October Meeting: will take place at the Railway Park. Plant exchange will be at 6:30. Members were reminded to please keep root balls clean from “invasives” when bringing plants for the exchange. November: Elections will be held. Carla will organize the wreath orders for the annual December Wreath Decorating and Social. The business was concluded and an open discussion took place: Carol shared her experiences with worm composting. Dave brought up the issue of bi-weekly garbage pick-up that will be starting soon. He is concerned about bear problems with two week old garbage sitting around. A lively discussion about bears, fruit trees, composting, and garbage can locks ensued. Carla mentioned that Jean Wilkinson has several glass panes available to anyone who is interested in making a greenhouse or cold frames. (Contact Carla if interested.) Nairn spoke about the mail order company “Botanus” in Langley and offered to take names and addresses and pass them on to the company if anyone wants a catalog. Carol introduced the idea of the club (or a few individuals) selling some of their excess produce at next year's Farmer's Market. Perhaps we could have a group table. Tables for produce are free. If interested, please consider this when planning your vegetable garden for next year. Minutes: Carla / Typing: Beth Speaker for the October Meeting After the plant exchange (6:30pm) we will have a short meeting at the Railway station meeting room. Liza Bennett will then discuss irises. Liza often sells her plants at the Squamish Farmer’s Market. She enjoys all forms of gardening but her passion is this group of plants. She is very knowledgeable about the different varieties and their growing requirements. It will be nice to welcome a local expert to our club. |
Today I picked the last of our apples. The King apples weren’t ready for picking but if I hadn’t the bears would have feasted on them and I wouldn’t have been able to have my annual fill of these delicious baked treats. We have had a bumper crop of transparent apples for over a month now but last night the bears started breaking down the tree to reach the remaining crop. Today I stripped the boughs of their fruit. We have had three bruins vying for our apples. They can tell when they are ripe by the smell so you have to be on your toes to get your share. Three times a day I was picking up the apples as they fell. It was bags full every day. The bears were feasting on grapes, plums, blackberries and mountain ash berries and left us alone until last week. This week they have been chased out of our trees every night. One young bear thinks he is part gorilla. He is able to swing through the trees and can leap over a 4 foot fence without breaking stride. The food has been abundant for them this year so they are pretty fat. I hope they hibernate this year. For the last couple of years the hibernation period has been getting shorter. I wonder if it is a sign or global warming or the bears are just becoming accustomed to garbage eating. I suspect the former because there have always been bears that have lived at the dump but I think they spent the winters asleep in hollow logs.
MINUTES: Squamish Gardeners September 15, 2008
Carol reported that the Brackendale Fall Fair went well. We could do with more members at our booth next year. Dale Embree once again won the aggregate award for entries and was congratulated.