From the Perspective of a Bench

     I started to write this blog last week on Hosta.  I guess I wasn't overly inspired because it just sat there a while.

     Andrew brought home this bench last week.  He has been wanting a bench for the garden for a year now.  There was no where to sit and enjoy the garden.  But I think the reason we were slow in getting one is that  we just haven't seen the one we wanted.  They are either to plastic-key (not sure if that is even a word but you know what I mean), too big or too park bench like.  We wanted something to blend in.  Well blend in it does, since it is black wrought iron (looks-like) it really does blend in.  If you are not looking for it you could miss it.

     I thought I would take a picture of what I could see if I sat on the bench.  Directly in front is the new hosta bed that  replace the grass bed last spring (2010).  We can also look up the driveway and if we sit just right see cars going by the driveway.  We can not see the cars from the house (not that there are many where we live) anymore because the trees have filled in so much.  We even had to have our satellite dish relocated on the house last week.

     Back to the hosta bed.  I was nicely spaced last year, there was plenty of room between the hosta to show them off nicely.  But that just shows you how fast these guys can grow especially with all the rain we had this spring. There will be some little ones like Golden Tiara and Orange Marmalade that will be moved to a different spot.  Even though they are good sized hosta they are being dwarfed by the larger ones.  I will be making a map and taking pictures and planning which ones go where next spring.

     When the spruce tree came down this spring, I moved all the miniature hosta into pots for safe keeping until the bog garden was done and I figured out where to put them.  This bed, along where the shade plants are for sale, contained Pulmonaria (lungwort) and ferns.  We moved them to the back of the bog garden.  The miniatures went in there a few weeks ago.  I have two I have no names for.  I need to go back in my records in the past few years to try to figure out who they are.  Any hosta collector out there who wants to identify them for me is welcome.

     Getting back to that bench.  Some times things happen for a reason.  Andrew was in A J Walkers (Truro local Hardware Store)  two weeks ago and saw this bench in the window.  It had a sold sign on it so he asked if there were anymore.  There were not and at the price of $39, I can see why not.  The lady who put it on hold never came to pick it up so Andrew got it on Monday.  It was meant to be.

Compost: Part II - Sources in Colchester County

     Were do you get your compost?  A frequently asked question.  Compost is highly prized by gardeners.  If you have a small perennial bed or veggie garden then your own personal compost pile may be enough, or a few bags from the local nursery will do.  But what if you have a property like mine, where my own compost is just enough for the veggie garden not including the potatoes.

     Doesn't the beds look great with compost on them.  I was lax last year in getting them top dressed.  This year I was determined that that they would all be done.  Usually I get my compost from our local bailfill (municipal composting program).  I usually have good luck with it but I make a point of not putting it in my veggie garden.  A lot of people are not careful with what they put in the compost bin, there is always a lot of plastic (bags) and even though it is screened, there is still plastic and other small non composting items in it.  And even though  it is a in-vessel system (it is heated to the proper temperatures), I prefer to know exactly what is in it for my veggies.

      Ideally the best time to get it (municipal compost) is late summer.  That is because they sell it by weight (tonne) and in the spring it is usually alot heavier but the last few years they have run out of it.  But I really needed some so Andrew took the trailer to get a load.  They were really good about it and did deduct some off the price because of all the wet weather we have been having.  But it was really chunky and difficult to spread.  I have noticed that it is breaking down if I run the rake gently over it, it will smooth out.  You do get a bit of plastic showing up but over all not too bad.  Many people used to complain about the smell years ago.  I guess it used to be very bad.  It still does have a bit more odor than other companies.  That is due to the fact that it is not turned as much as it should be.  Frequent turning would solve the problem as well as the chunkiness.

     We also found a local (the other side of the bay) farmer that was mixing compost from manure and silage.  I have had this mix years before (different source) and found it wonderful.  But this one was not so great.  For one thing, we found white roots of couch grass which is not what you want in your garden, and we spent time carefully removing those roots as I sifted through it to top dress the bog garden.  Also germinating was lambs quarters and a bit of vetch.  As soon as we get some sunny dry weather, I will weed this out.  Since he just turned the piles with his tractor the mix never got up to temperature to kill any weed seeds.  Not going to buy this mix again.

     Fundy Compost in Pleasant Valley (also North River Rd, Bible Hill) was my third try.  They do take the local Bio Solids from the Waste Water Plant in Truro and mix it other material to produce compost.  They also take other county's municipal green cart waste and make compost out of it.  They do keep both streams separate.  We purchased the non bio solid compost which is equivalent to our municipal compost.  Fundy Compost windrows their compost to bring it to temperature to eliminate pathogens and weeds.  Their compost was not as chunky, much finer and any 'balls' were easily broken up.  I did find quite a few rocks ranging from golf to baseball size which probably came from the gravel pad it was piled on.

    The only thing I didn't like is that there was a lot more garbage in the load, I picked out a lot of small pieces of plastic (shopping and garbage bags) .  The compost had a good compost smell due to the fact that it was probably turned more often.  Even though it had more garbage, I got a second load.

     I don't like to use bark around my perennials, I just find it too chunky (I must like that word).  However a lot of people use composted bark.  This is a good alternative for larger perennials, if you have a hosta bed for example.  I don't think I would like it for more delicate perennials and certainly not an alpine garden.

This comes from Nova Tree Seed, across from the old Truro Hospital.  It is a nice product in that it is well composted and quite fine.  I use it in my soil mix for my potted perennials.

      I like shredded hemlock for my shrub beds  and paths around the perennial garden (like the colour).  I use pea gravel in the alpine (cactus) bed.  I don't like coloured mulches.  That is a personal opinion.

    

Compost: Part I - Why do my Gardens Look so Good.

   Yes I am bragging, I don't do that very often, I really am very modest.  But June is when my gardens shine.  Everybody's garden shines in June.  Spring rains (extra this year), warm temperatures, the bugs haven't chewed everything yet, no mildew, but there is another secret.

    There is nothing better you can do for your plants than improve your soil before you put them in. Absolutly nothing.  Many people ask how I get my plants to look so good.  The single word I answer is ... Compost.

     When ever we prepare a new bed, we add a lot of compost.  My soil has a lot of clay, in parts of the garden more than others.  But I tell every one that it is good.   I would rather have clay soil than sandy soil.  Although a nice sandy loam would be ideal, but that is quite rare. 

       Compost is more of a soil conditioner than a fertilizer.  The fertilizer of any compost is quite low.  But what it does is conditions the soil to allow that soil to either release the nutrients it already has (clay) or allow the soil to hold nutrients (sandy).  It gives clay soil structure, aeration and allows it to drain and allows sandy soils to retain water, nutrients and gives it structure.

Hosta Flamboyant

   I also like to top dress with compost.  It gives a nice clean look as well as adding extra compost to the soil.  It helps to keep the weeds down (more on that later), the soil moist (not a problem this year) and just gives a very finished look to it.  I usually add about 2" every year.

     This is my compost pile in the back of the veggie garden.  This is two years old and has been turned probably 3 times.  It would have been originally, 3X the size.  I use this for my vegetable garden (more on that later too).  A few weeds are turning up in it but nothing too bad (no perennial weeds).  It is not as fine as it would be if you bought a bag at the store.  I don't mind seeing the odd egg shell or unbroken down piece of plant material.  If it is too big I toss it into this years new compost bin and let it go through another years cycle.

     This is this years new pile started late last summer with garden clippings, chopped leaves, kitchen waste (peelings, paper towel, newspaper, coffee/tea), and bunny cage waste (bunny poop/newspaper).  I don't have a method for properly building a compost pile (you can find all sorts of recipes on the Internet).  I don't have time, I just dump and I figure it gets mixed enough when it gets turned.  Home composting usually doesn't allow the compost to get up to a temperature to properly kill all the weed seed or pathogens. Pathogens is not a problem in mine because I don't add questionable materials.  I also don't add weeds.  They get thrown in the woods.

     I did say that compost will keep down weeds.  It will help suppress those weeds that are present in your soil as long as they are not perennial weeds that grow by underground rhizomes (sheep sorrel, crab grass, buttercup, dandelions - when the root was not completely removed).  But weeds being weeds, there are always some seed being blown in or very persistent ones coming through, compost does make them easier to pull since the soil is loose. Weeds can come in with the compost though, which can create a whole other problem.

It can even bring in other organisms such as mushroom and maybe even unwanted insects such as earwigs.

    



     So where do you get your compost is the next most common question.  The next blog will explain.  I'll give you the pros and cons of 3 different sources that I tried this spring and which one I went back to.

A Blog on the Bog

     After those two wet, sunless weeks we got back at it.  Andrew had a vision.  He wanted a path down the middle that you could walk between the two bogs. We finished the first one, closest to the garage, by back-filling it with some of the soil that was there supplemented with peat moss.  I'm still concerned that it will not be boggy enough because he did poke quite a few holes in it.  

     The centre is a path of class A gravel to give it stability and still allow any water to drain through.  He is going to add stepping stones to the top and we will probably finish it in bark mulch or something like that.  The outside bog has the same mix as the first one only we poked only a few holes.  Andrew figured that if it held too much water we could always poke a few more holes.

     After trimming the edges to hide the plastic, I started planting.  Some of the Iris, Ligularia and Persicaria had been sitting in the garage for almost 2 weeks and need some TLC.  I am not concerned that any of them will not survive (they are all tough as nails) but they may need the rest of the summer to recover.  The back bog is a bit squishy (good), but I hope not too squishy.  This is really an experiment as to what water loving plants like what conditions.  A lot of sun hits these beds in the afternoon, but the two Oaks are starting to leaf out so that can change.



     The back edge drops off onto the lawn.  We added a 2 ft bed there, before we reached the lawn and some of the Lungwort and Ferns are going there.  We need a bit of sod and grass seed to repair the lawn.  The poor Lungwort looks pathetic when the sun hits it.  It did not like to be moved.  But it will recover.  A nice thick layer of compost will complete the look.

Phlox subulata Fort Hill

     Doesn't the garden phlox look great.  Just covered with masses of blooms.

Phlox subulata Apple Blossom

This one has pale pink blossoms with slightly greying foliage. 

     Creeping Phlox or Moss Pinks have been around for years.  They are low growing (about 6") creeping, evergreen plant considered by some as ground covers spreading to 2'.  They have small flowers in dense clusters of red, white, blue, pink, rose, lavender, purple as well as bicolours.  Easily grown in full sun with well drained soil (not a bog) and benefits with the addition of compost.  Easily divided in the spring and quite commonly found in spring plant sales.

In a Sea of Yellow

     So we haven't seen the sun in 13 days (oh maybe just a glimmer here in Clifton). I would give it credit, it did try yesterday, maybe 3 times and it was warm for the 30 second it managed. Time for a serious dose of yellow.  Maybe we will shame that sun into burning through those clouds.

     Nothing like a nice spring daisy, it is a shame that more people don't grow this one.  Leopards Bane (Doronicum) has nice apple green foliage first thing in the spring with blooms coming out in early May and holding on into June.

     Alyssum has fallen out of favour in the last ten - twenty years.  You don't see it as much as you use to.  Maybe because it was so over used.  I found that if a property had one, they had a dozen scattered all over the place.  Basket of Gold was concidered a rock garden plant and no rock garden was complete without alyssum and creeping phlox.  These little guys belong to the mustard family, easy to tell that by looking at the clusters of flowers.  Alyssum wulfenianum (above) is a nicer version, native to the alps it has deep gray foliage forming a low growing mound, completely covered in bloom by the end of the month.

     Our native Erythronium (Trout Lily or Dogtooth Violets) are little spring bulbs from the lily family.  The flowers are no more than 1" in diameter.  The above larger Erythronium is Pagoda, a hybrid bulb that may be purchased in the fall when buying tulips.  It may be 6-12" tall with 2 large brown-green mottled leaves.  Pagoda is one of those plants that disappears after flowering, so it is perfect for planting among hostas and ferns.

     Uvularia is also in the lily family as is Solomon's Seal of which this little Merrybell reminds me of.  U sessilifolia is our native one which is slightly smaller than the above U. grandiflora.  Very easy to grow in a woodland setting.

     Don't forget spring bulbs like these Darwin Tulips (I guess only if you do not have deer).  Darwins are best, in my opinion, for coming back year after year and putting on a good display.  Other spring bulbs such as crocus, daffodils and winter aconite can give that burst of yellow early on.

     Euphorbia's actually have no 'flowers'.  The colour you see are highly coloured bracts (modified leaves) that surround the very small flower parts.  Think poinsettias (same family).

     Don't forget plants that are grown for their foliage, there are many plants with yellow variegation.  From Hosta to Solomon's Seal, Euonymus to Coral Bells.

     Ah, the lowly Dandelion.  This is a love/hate relationship.  You either like it (not many) or hate it.  Either way I must give it some respect.  Look at that colour, a perfect round head of bright yellow with shaggy petals.  You can eat the leaves (high in Vit. A, B, C and D, Iron, Potassium and Zinc), the roots can be made into a coffee substitute and some parts of the flowers are made into wine.  What more do you need.  You can blame the French, English and Spanish for bringing them here.  They saw the benefits.

     The plant is ingenious at survival, it is designed to act as a funnel to direct rain water to the roots. If broken off it has the ability to regenerate from a piece of root.   It has an abundance of flowers per plant with up to 200 seeds being produce on one flower. The seeds have a transportation system that can travel for more than 200 km (so it is not just your neighbours lawn that you need worry about). They are found world wide and are able to grow in all conditions. 

     I know, 90% of you reading this is thinking that she is right off her rocker praising the Dandelion.  But I must give it some respect.  Which flower did you pick when you were a child.  Did you present your Mother or Grandmother with a Dandelion bouquet??  Didn't she gush with praise that it was the most beautiful flower ever??  And looking over a field, over a sea of yellow just adds some warmth to the chilly air. 

Come on Sun, Where are you.

Bogged Down by Rain, ...Literally

Rain, Rain, go away, come again another day

      We must be out of our minds.  Another garden project, when I am busy trying to get everything plotted and laid out for sale.  Andrew wanted to remove the rail bed, trolley flat car that occupied the centre of the above picture.  The ties were starting to rot and he felt we should have something new in the garden.  And if he is willing to do the construction part, why not.

     That bed was always the lowest part of the garden and held the plants that required more moisture anyway, but I was wishing for a true bog garden.  The Iris, Ligularia, Marsh Marigolds, Jack in the Pulpit and a few other moisture loving plants hung out in this area and did OK.  But I also had a Picture Plant and some Skunk Cabbage that were struggling in another area.   So out everything went, and in goes the big equipment.  Boys and their toys.

I think there will be a bit of lawn repair to do with a trip to the sod farm.

     We started the construction on Saturday morning.  Nice day, really, not too wet.  Dug down about 1.5' and laid down a heavy sheet of plastic.  Andrew poked some holes in the plastic for some drainage and we back filled with soil, peat moss and some sand.  I think it needs a bit more peat moss.  This picture above was taken Sunday morning after it had rained some over night.  I am a bit worried that we may have poked too many holes and it won't hold enough water.

     Never fear and don't wish too loud.  This may be a very long and drawn out project if it doesn't stop raining.  We now have a pool at the back of the bog.  And yes the bog is a bit boggy.  I still think I will add more peat moss when I can get in. The rest of the garden is soggy.  Awful, who can garden in this.  I have actually liked the weather lately because it is very good for potting (outside), non of the plants are wilting. But enough is enough.  At least it is showing signs that the weather may be good for the first day of the Truro Farmers Market.  More later as the bog progresses.

Fritilaria meleagris

Snakes Head Lily

Not really an attractive name although it describes it perfectly. 



     These are wonderful spring bulbs, growing 10 - 12", having 1 - 3 downward facing cup shaped flowers.  The flowers have a snake skin pattern  and comes in purple and sometimes white. They bloom just after the crocus and with the daffodils. Very easily grown  and can usually be purchased where you buy fall bulbs.   Last year I potted a few up in 4" pots and they came through the winter wonderfully.  People were asking for them for years.  Now I have a few for sale.  I must pot some more this fall.

More Construction

There is always something that needs fixed in the garden.  Andrew built me these rock walls to display my plants for sale probably 13 years ago.  He said he did not want to see wooden benches.  And I really like the natural feel it gives to the garden.  Anyway, the walls are holding up well, but they do tend to sag once in a while.  This part needed rebuilt.



While he was removing stones he found two small salamanders which I removed to a new location down the wall.  Thank goodness it wasn't snakes.  Never have seen one in the nursery area even with the rock walls.  Nothing against snakes, they have their benefits, but if they started to come around, the wall would go.

I talked about putting another small wall on the other side of the walkway, just to give it a more finished look.  Have been talking about doing it for years.  It only took 3/4 of an hour to do.

And it makes it look so much better. 

After Andrew finish this wall, he took on another project. 

 More on that later.

The Hellebours are blooming.

This one is called White Spotted Lady

Hellebours are sometimes called the Christmas Rose although they are not in the rose family at all.  They are an evergreen plant (leaves stay green throughout the winter) with the flower buds peeking through the ground as soon as the snow leaves in early April.  The current plant's leaves do not emerge until the plant is just past its peak bloom.

The flower has  5 petals that may be streaked with coloured veins or blotches.  Some varieties have double the amount of petals.  The flowers tend to fade a bit as they mature and set seed, but retain their form for many months.  It is very common to find many seedlings at the base of the plant the following season after it has bloomed.  It can take a few years for the plant to become established and put on a good show.

Primula elatior Oxlip

This proves you can always learn something new.  For years I have been calling this primula Oxslip.  In looking up some facts for primula's, I was surprised to find there is no 's' in it.  I have been miss pronouncing it for years.  These lovely little spring time blooming perennials prefer a moist woodland soil with spring sun.  They are one of the first primulas to bloom.  You can find primulas to bloom over 2 months.  Will write more about them later also.  Now I need to get back to the garden.