There is freezing rain falling as I write this. It gives me an opportunity to stress the importance of snow on a perennial garden.
Constant freezing and thawing combined with very wet soil, can mean doom for a perennial bed.
Even though I have put a blanket of leaves on the beds, the snow acts as an insulating blanket, protecting the roots.
If we don't get snow soon, I could lose a lot of my more sensitive plants, lillies (the soggy soil could rot the bulbs), blanket flowers. If it stays mild for too long the tulips will start, then be frozen by a freeze.
All in all, a very depressing thought.
Friday, December 22, 2006
Saturday, December 9, 2006
A word about annuals
Most people are in such a hurry in the spring to dig the garden. STOP.
I never dig my beds in the spring, a gentle raking is all that is needed. My reward for this is that I have not had to buy annuals for years. They seed themselves and I just have to move them around
Patience people.
Petunias, nicotianna, feverfew, violas, calendula, sweet allysum, and many others all seed themselves nicely.
I like them as fillers between the perennials, and when the perennials are done, or between blooms, they fill in the void.
So, don't be in such a hurry to dig the beds up next spring. You will be rewarded with a plethora of baby annuals you can move wherever you need them.
I never dig my beds in the spring, a gentle raking is all that is needed. My reward for this is that I have not had to buy annuals for years. They seed themselves and I just have to move them around
Patience people.
Petunias, nicotianna, feverfew, violas, calendula, sweet allysum, and many others all seed themselves nicely.
I like them as fillers between the perennials, and when the perennials are done, or between blooms, they fill in the void.
So, don't be in such a hurry to dig the beds up next spring. You will be rewarded with a plethora of baby annuals you can move wherever you need them.