My Garden

Come for a stroll in my garden. I got into gardening late, so there is not a lot of variety, but I think you might find it interesting. I have learned a lot of things which I will share as we go along. The very first was to soak bare root plants 12 hours before planting. The second was in transplanting potted plants, the hole should be twicethe diameter of the pot and it should be as deep as the root ball. Water the plant in the container about 30 minutes before planting. That makes it easier to remove the plant from the pot. If the plant's roots are protruding from the pot's bottom, cut them off. Remove the plant by genly tapping on the container and slide the plant out.	Take the edge of a trowel and loosen the roots so they splay away from the ball. Loosen the soil in the bottom and sides of the hole before placing the plant. Place the plant in the hole, making sure the crown will not be covered with backfill. After arranging the plant in the hole backfill the hole to half depth and water. Don't tamp the backfill tight. Finish filling around the plant and water again. Newly planted specimens require more frequent watering than do established plants. I water every week, supplying about 1 inch of water each time. Don't over water. Older plants can normally get by just fine with normal rainfalls. An over watered plant may droop just as does an underwatered one.
Let's begin with the lily pond. This is the oldest part of the garden, done some 20 years ago. The lily blooms are actually yellow. I have seven lily plants, 1 white, 1 pink, 1 red and 3 yellow. It doesn't show in this photo, but there is a higher pond at the extreme right which provides a pool for a waterfall. I place 6 water hyacinths in this pool each spring. They help maintain water clarity, plus they have an attractive blue bloom. They grow so prolifically that I have to thin them out about midsummer. The fence is to keep the dogs from falling into the pond. In the winter we put up a construction fence so they won't walk out on the ice. That's the purpose of the buckets of marigolds. In addition to adding a little summer color, the buckets serve as anchors for the winter fence. There are about 160 Comet goldfish in the pond. We started with 6 and 5 Koi. The Koi all jumped out, but the Comets seem to be right at home.
One of the fun parts about the pond is the occasional observation of the aquatic life. I spotted these two bull frogs one late summer morning. The question: Is Dad showing Junior the ropes or is Junior about to become Dad's dinner?
One of the newer additions is the Shasta Daisy "Becky". These are two years old. I started with 13 plants. This spring there were 36. I will divide them in the fall. Should have about 72 next spring. These are my kind of plant. They are tolerant of some temporary (no more than 24 hours) flooding, and don't seem to be terribly drought sensitive. They bloom from July to mid-September if you keep the spent blooms deadheaded. I think I can divide them in the fall by digging up the clumps and separating into individual plants. In the spring this can be done by digging up the plant and separating the basal growth into individual plants. The older, Mother plant may be discarded.
Another recent addition, the threadleaf coreopsis (Tickseed) "moonbeam" These are two years old. They will be divided either this fall or next spring. I chose these because a part of my yard is a natural rain garden. The threadleaf can with stand some flooding. These have been inudated many times and, as you can see, they are thriving. They will bloom from mid-June until frost. There are so many blossoms that dead-heading is not an option. In fact, at least one gardener has reported that deadheading shortened not only the bloom period but also the plant's life. The"moombeam" is a sterile plant so propagation is by division. They should be divided every two years. The plant should be cut to the ground in the spring when new growth appears. The plant grows 1 1/2 to 2 ft. in height and about as wide.
This is Potentilla fruticosa "Goldfinger", one of three cultivars in my garden. It bloomed the last of all of them. Surprised it bloomed in the first year, many plants don't as they expend their energy becoming established. This plant will grow 3 to 4 feet in height and spread. t is a heavy bloomer from June to frost. It has small, kelly green leaves in clusters. They simply turn brown and fall off in winter. Hardy to zone 2, they suffer in warmer areas below zone 7. After a few years they will become scraggly. Trimming to 3 to 6 inches above ground will present a balanced new growth in the spring. Pruning should be done in early winter to early spring, before the first flush of spring growth.
This is Potentilla fruticosa "McKay's White". It was planted at the same time as "Goldfinger" but bloomed about a month earlier.The Potentilla is a sometimes a scrubby looking plant, but it is hardy, growing in most soils, requires little water, but does get "leggy" with age requiring severe pruning. (See description of "Goldfinger") Like all Potentilla fruticosa, this plant will grow 3 to 4 feet in height and width. As with all Potentilla it grows best in full sun and in well drained soils. One gardener has said it performs best if it is a bit neglected.
The newest addition, a pink Potentilla. I picked it up on the bargain counter at Home Depot, so I don't know its cultivar, but it may be a "Pink Beauty. It was in bloom when I bought it and has never slowed down, except, contrary to the statement above a lack of water did have the effect of stopping blooming. The depth of color seems yo depend on where it is grown. Warmer climates or hot northern summers will produce pale blossoms even turning creamy white.
A little change of pace. A strawberry patch. A gift from Mike Moran tnis spring, so this is their first year. Doing well after a rocky start. They were transplanted from an existing bed in early spring, not the most advantegous time to do so. Therefore, I don't anticipate any fruit this year, but they are producing runners and I am looking foward to a bumber crop in 2010. The flower is a Phlox my wife planted before the strawberries arrived.
Dividing Perennials
Perennials should be divided every three to five years. Spring/summer blooming plants such as Shasta Daisies and coreopsis should be divided in the early fall to give the roots time to become established before winter. Easy division steps are:
1. Lift the plant, taking care not to damage roots. 2. Shake ff loose soil and remove dead leaves and stems. 3. Separate plants uing hands, spade, fork or knofe. 4. Discard the center of the clump if it is weak or woody. 5. Divide the vigorous plant into clumps of 3 or 5 shoots. 6. Bearded irises shoul retain one fan trimmed to about 6 inches.	7. Prepare the planned plant area with compost, peat moss or aged manure. 8. Replant the divided sections to their original depth. 9. Label plants and water thoroughly. 10.Apply much after several killing frosts have dropped soil temperature.