Opuntia Culture

     Prickly Pears (Opuntia) are edible.  You can eat both the pad (nopales) and the fruit (tuna), although I haven't tried it.  A word of caution, remove the spines first. The Cactus are full of water, so considering where they grow, they are a very attractive food source to other animals,  hence the need for defence mechanisms of the spines. 

    Those spines are lethal, and it is not the large ones you need to look out for, but those small, tufted hairlike ones in clusters that are no more than a few millimeters in length..  Regular gardening gloves are not enough, they will go right through.  They will even go through several layers when leaning over the pots on a greenhouse bench.  Then you are back in the house looking for the tweezers.  There are some varieties that are spineless.

     The best way to work around them either when propagating or weeding around established plants in the garden is to use good old kitchen tongs and yuo do need to be careful.  Use your tongs to grab the weed, a small, long handled dandelion weeder to loosen it from the ground and gently pull, at least the soil mix is very loose.  Moving established plants requires a shovel (they have quite the root system) and good leather gloves.  Most varieties are quite tough and will not break off with out a lot of force.

Seedling selection

     Propagation is really easy.  They will produce viable seed.  I germinated mine with GA-3 but have hear that scarification also helps.  If you leave the seed pods on the plant for a year, they will drop and germinate much easier.  I have established quite a nice one from seed that resembles the O macrorhiza but the pads seem to be larger and the plant a bit more vigorous.  I also have one appears to have many more spines, much more like the O. polyacantha which gives it a more silvery look. 

     Propagation by pads is probably the the easiest and more reliable way to go.  Using your tongs to hold a pad, cut off the pad where it had joined to the other ones.  Allow the pad to lay out for a few days, even a week, they need to callus.  I have left them in the greenhouse in direct sunlight and they have been fine. After that pot them up in the soil mix suggested in the previous blog and they should root in within the month.

     I have said before that these cactus can take the cold: they can.  What they can't take is the wetness especially in the spring.  In the fall, make sure any debris from trees and other sources are removed from around the plants.  The Cactus will start to show signs of going dormant by starting to shrivel, they will also start to go from the pads being prostrate, to them lying on the ground..  This is a mechanism that allows them to overwinter.  In the spring, when the snow is gone they look pathetic.  But if they have not gone to mush or jelly, then they are usually fine.  Last winter with all that snow, a few of the pads turned black.  Those pads were dead and they needed to be removed.  The rest of the plant was find.  As the spring warmed, the pads went from being shriveled to filling with water and becoming prostrate again.

     Late spring, you started to see small knobs forming around the edge of the pads.  New pads were being formed.  At the first of the summer flower buds start, they don't look a lot different from the newly forming pads until they get a bit bigger.  Most of the cactus that do well here have yellow flowers, but reds, pinks, and salmons are available.  The flowers don't last long, they are a lot like peonies and poppies in that respect, but they are absolutely beautiful.

And just think what a great conversation starter when some one comes into your garden.

The Ice Storm Cometh

      So it rained on Saturday, what else is new.  Then sometime in the middle of the night, the ice hitting the side of the house woke me, and it takes a lot to wake me.  Andrew was called in to plow at the Agricultural college around 5 am.  He nearly tripped over the dog who sneaked upstairs (she is not allowed).  She doesn't like thunder and lightening and apparently ice storms too.

 

     All the branches are touching the ground.  Little bits of branches can be found every where. Most of the perennials I left standing are flattened.  I really hope the wind doesn't pick up.

      I looked out the front window this morning and saw my English Oak snapped off.  A good friend of mine gave it to me after my father died this spring.  There is always life after death, no one should forget that.  Even if there was a low branch I was going to nurse that tree back to life.

     But I was very happy to find it was just bent.  I may need staked for a year to straighten it up but it was fine.  Now I will need to dig its head out of the snow and ice.  That is the only problem with Engish Oak keeping ther leaves all winter, they are just a magnet for the ice.

     I found out in what direction the freezing rain was coming from. North, and a bit to the west.  All the windows on the back side of the house had a shear coat of ice on them and all the clap boards had a row of  tiny icicles.

I like it on the house, not on the trees.

     We lost a good healthy spruce tree. A dead one or dying one could have dropped but no, it had to be a living one.  At least it fell towards the woods and not the play set and the power lines.

This young spruce is also leaning.  Got to find another stake.



     The old birch at the side of the drive way is leaning further into the elm tree that was planted 15 years ago.  Andrew has been threatening to cut it for the last few years because it has been dying back and the Elm has been getting bigger (they grow fast - the Elm). 

I guess Andrew will have to sharpen his saw.

Winter Hardy Cactus

     10 years ago most gardeners in Atlantic Canada would not have believed that you could grow Cactus outside, in the garden,  through the winter in Nova Scotia.  I certainly would not have.  Even now, most people who come to my nursery or the Farmers Market comment   'but you need to take them inside in the fall?".... and are quite astonished to find out that you can leave them out.

     Winter hardy Cactus are found in almost every US state and from Ontario to BC.  It is not necessarily the hardiness that you need to look out for when selecting these plants but the conditions they are grown in.  Many of them can take the cold.  What they can not take is wetness,  after all they are 'Cactus'.  Some will even survive to Zone 2 temperatures.

      One of the biggest things to consider, besides varieties (will get into in the next blog) is where will I put them.  They need good drainage, a proper soil mix, sunlight and even though they are Cactus, they do need water.

     If you are thinking about Cacti, you are probably thinking about a desert.  They do need to be grown in well drained soil.  They don't mind the wetness, what they can't take is sitting in any water.  Ideally your Cacti should be on a slope where the water can flow away and the soil should be replaced or amened with course sand and rock.  A good soil mix is 1/3 each compost, sand, pea gravel.  If you want to just amend your existing soil then mix in sand and pea gravel or crushed rock.

     Be careful of what you plant near them. Because it is the wetness that will do them in, don't locate them to close to perennials (or shrubs and trees that loose their leaves) that die back in the fall and their leaves and stems fall on the Cactus. This can rot them because the leaves will hold water and moisture.  Make sure leaves and debris are removed before winter.  Don't mulch them  with anything.  Don't cover them.  The more exposed they are, the better they like it.

     Having said that, last winter, when we had snow, and the Cactus bed is located at the edge of our parking area.  Andrew is careful not to plow over it but because of the amount of snow it was piled up at least 6' over the bed.  I crossed my fingers, toes and whatever else I could and waited.  Most survived, two did not.

     As the snow receded, Opuntia humifusa failed to thrive for the second year.  It was clearly dead.  I always kept a copy in the unheated greenhouse to keep trying.  O. humifusa should survive and I am determined to get it to live.  Other people who have bought this variety from me have had no problem at all.



     This little barrel Cactus, one of four, turned to mush.  You know when they look like a mass of jelly, they are not coming back.

Opuntia macrorhiza

They are so well worth growing and when they flower........

I have more to tell you......next time...why you need to be very careful when you lean over.



Gardening in January

     So, if the weather is good, you might as well be in the garden. 

     House work can wait.  I am trying to finish putting away the Christmas stuff, seems there is more every year and Gill doesn't want me to get rid of anything.  But there is a box that is packed for the Community Workshop for next November.  Shh, don't tell her.

     Back to gardening.  If the temperature is around 10 C, in January (Tues. Jan 3), you might as well be out.  Do you know how easy it is to pull those weeds (yes I am on the weed topic again)?

     Out came the groundsel, which is still blooming.  Some one should test to see if those seeds are viable, bet they are, that is one determined plant.

     The grass still grows in the paths.  And this time of year they are so easy to pull, the ground is moist and the frost has somewhat heaved them up.  Only the dandelions and some plantain which has more of a tap root are more difficult to pull by hand.  I needed my little weeder, which I didn't bother with.  So I will get to them during the next thaw and the way the winter is going, I don't doubt that there will be another one.

     Andrew gave me these great gloves from Lee Valley Tools. (Thermal Gripper Gloves)  They are slightly insulated, quite comfortable and perfect when you want a bit of warmth this time of year.  Like the uninsulated pairs (Lightweight Nitrite Gripper Gloves)  I wear the rest of the year, they are quite easy to pick up small objects with.  These are great gloves and they keep your hands in good shape (for a gardener).

      This weather isn't all great, some of the bulbs and plants are getting heaved up.  These crocus are out of the ground and the Primula veris (below) has its roots exposed.  I will have to get a bit of soil some where or bark and mulch this bed. 

      They are directly under a Maple.  I think the tree is part of the problem with heaving. The rest of the garden isn't showing any signs of frost heave.  Although as of Tuesday, there wasn't much frost in the ground.



But the Daffodils are peeking up.

Back to bed darlings.

I guarantee winter will be back

Twigs and Bows

My wreath making is almost done. Just a few more orders to go out but nothing like last Tuesday. 

Last Tuesday was our 4-H  meeting (Christmas Party) and wreath/centrepiece pick up.  We host it here at the house as I do the wreaths for the annual fundraiser for the club. We have hot chocolate and juice, gingerbread cookie decoration, a bond fire, and games.  What a beautiful night.  The first night when we had this, three years ago, it must have been 10 below with 30 km winds.  We were lucky this year with only light rain (barely any as it did hold off).

We make 3 sizes of wreaths, 17". 20" and 23"

Bunches

And Centrepieces

We make the centrepieces at in the church basement in Old Barns with some of the local community members and 4-H members.  With the centrepieces, the proceeds are split with the Christmas Index Program and the 4-H group.

And after all that, Gill and some of her friends got together and make a bunch of the centrepieces to raise money for the Central Colchester Junior High breakfast program.  

It's amazing what you can do with a few twigs and a bow.

Tis the Season

      I have been busy these last three weeks.  Now that all the perennial have been tucked into bed I am out cutting fir to make wreaths.  We are lucky here to have a good supply on our property.  It is easy to just cut lower branches of the fir trees as they are growning, and sometimes we do thin out trees that are close together.  So nothing is wasted. 

 

     I collect cedar from a massive hedge that Andrew's Dad has on his property and I also raid his white pine trees.  I prefer the white pine as it is the softest of the pines.  I have in the past used hemlock, cypress, juniper, and yews.  I have inserted dogwood, spirea and any other shrub or perennial (sedum) that has an interesting seed head or drying flower that I can find.

      I started the week after Remembrance Day.  It seems early but I need that time to get them all done.   It was a lovely week, so warm, didn't need any extra heat on at all.  During the second week, my hands froze cutting the brush into usable pieces.  Thank goodness for the greenhouse. Now this week we are back to the balmest (is that word?) weather I can remember.

 

      I have been making these the last few years for our local 4-H club as well as a steady clientele.  Don't be fooled by the quantities in this picture, each wreath is a stack of 5 and that is just one part of the pile.
I have been determined to post atleast 2 blogs a month.  I haven't even had time this month to go for my usual walk and to the local excersize class Tuesday and Thursday mornings.

Maybe next week, then we will be 10 below Just my luck.

The Plants are Still Growing

      Now that all the pots were put to bed, it was time to start to clean up the nursery beds.  This is a good project for October.  The days are cooler, everything is usually finished blooming in the nursery and the plants are getting ready to go to sleep for the winter.  Last year, I didn't get the beds cleaned up so spring cleaning was in order, which is perfectly fine, there is really no reason why it can't be left till then.  But I am usually quite busy in the spring and one less thing to do helps out a lot.  Certain perennial are left untouched because they create winter interest.

      As you can see not everything has stopped growing.  I don't thinks weeds ever do.  This Irish moss is a menace to my woolly thyme path.  I am constantly removing it.  I don't understand why any one would want to purchase the cultivated version.
 

      And why do they feel the need to cosy up to the stems of plants making them very difficult to remove.  I have to say that I think dandelions are at their best in the spring and fall.  The groundsel is growing well too, I think it germinates blooming.  That is one that definitely needs to be removed.

       Here it is the first of November and I still have flowers blooming.  Monkshood, Anemone, and even the Double Marsh Marigold.  I don't think it realizes it is not spring.

      Certainly, Sedums are at their best usually right through winter.  Some hold there colour better than others.  Nothing beats Autumn Joy and Brilliant.  The Sedums are not at their best this year because of all the rain we had,  most of them have flopped over.

      They may not have blooms this time of year, but some plants like certain Euphorbias and Coral Bells, look even better than they do in the summer.

      I had never been particularly fond of Coral Bells but for these reasons I think they are really growing on me.  Now I know there are getting to be quite a few varieties of these just like mega amounts of Hosta but I will try to restrain myself in getting too many more....  I think.