Hi all--
I wanted to start a thread on some things we can do NOW in the Cottage Garden. I know it's the tail end of the season, and I know that more northerly gardens will be frozen solid, but there are still some cool things to do outside. I'd like you to post what you're doing, what you plan to do, and also comment on other people's posts -- ask questions, etc.
One is to take deciduous hardwood cuttings, for either trade or yourself. (I would like some pink Clematis montana if anybody wants to try this for me.) I posted a thread in the propagation forum on how to do it, but there are also links at the bottom of this post with photos and step by step directions:
http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/669060/
And here is a list of plants it will work with. I'm sure many of you have tons of these -- they are all family names deciduous shrubs.
Clematis montana
Cornus alba and C. stolonifera (Shrubby dogwoods)
Deutzia
Euonymus
Forsythia
Hibiscus
Hypericum
Kerria japonica
Laburnum (Golden chain tree)
Ligustrum (Privet)
Lonicera (Honeysuckle)
Metasequoia glyptostroboides
Philadelphus (Mock-orange)
Physocarpus
Platanus (Plane, Sycamore)
Polygonum
Populus (Aspen, Cottonwood, Poplar)
Prunus
Rosa rugosa
Salix (Willow)
Sambucus (Elderberry)
Spiraea (Spirea)
Stephanandra incisa
Symphoricarpos (Coralberry)
Syringa persica (Persian lilac)
Viburnum - this is a huge family of highly ornamental shrubs
Vitis (Grape)
Weigela
-- I also heard Japanese Maples will work, but I noticed they are not on the list. I think deciduous azaleas will work, too, but they aren't on the list, either.
Here are some common names: Burning Bush, Red Twig Dogwood, Rose of Sharon, Pussy Willow (any willow, including florists curly willow), Ninebark, and Purple Sandcherry
Here are some links. These show photos and also step by step. One thing they don't really mention is that on some of these shrubs, you will be removing next year's flowers -- the lilac and the viburnum, I believe, so don't go hog wild! One branch can make many cuttings.
http://www.correspondence.school.nz/departments/science/horticulture/web/home/webpages/takingdeciduous.htm
http://www.plantpropagation.com/propagatinghardwoodcuttingsofdeciduousplants.htm
http://clark.wsu.edu/volunteer/mg/gm_tips/HardwoodCuttings.html
Suzy
Nov & Dec Cottage Garden Items of Interest
Forsythia needs its old wood, too, and I THINK azalea. Nice thread, by the way.
Another thing is to get tools in order -- really clean them, sharpen them, that sort of thing. I'm a horribly lazy gardener when it comes to that. I keep neglecting to keep a bucket of bleach water handy when I'm pruning the roses. Hopefully this will be a good winter for organizing -- and doing things like getting that bucket for bleach where I can't forget to grab it!
I'm also planning on REALLY reading up on organic control of pests -- that DOES need to be started now.
And composting.
Suzy, give me a holler in December and remind me to take cuttings of my C. montana 'Rubens'.... I'll make a note that you want some, but I may not remember to check my trade tracker when I'm taking dormant cuttings this winter, LOL. If the dormant cuttings don't take, I'm thinking that this is one that I might try layering into pots next summer also.
(see, I told you we would find things to trade next spring... I think our interests might be pretty similar!)
I have 2 more things...not that everybody would necessarily grow these plants, but ...
DAHLIAS: Check on dahlia tubers to make sure they are still firm and chilled and not sprouted.
ROSES: Tie up rose bushes to keep them from swinging around in the winter wind and uprooting themselves. Also, for colder climates: put a shovelful of dirt over them and dry leaves.
Brigidlily, That's a good idea about the tools...and one I never seem to get around to. I never knew that about the bleach for cutting tools on roses. One more thing to try to remember when the time comes. Does the bleach make white spots on your clothes if you spill it?
You know what has helped me most on organic gardening? Compost! Specifically, leaf mold and compost. I've always had a leaf mold pile, but last summer I found out how to make a hot pile. I was able to get a HUGE hot pile going and used the resulting compost on top of the garden .... everywhere. I started some lasagne beds and the corrugated cardboad really does bring in the worms, too! That in turn brings the birds to eat the worms, which alternately breaks my heart and makes me mad because those worms are working, and wouldn't be there if I hadn't lured them...to their death. But I realized in September that I didn't see one single aphid this year, and the only explantion I can think of is all those gull durn birds! Not sure how that would factor in, though, so I need to study up more myself! I probably should find out what else eats aphids as an explanation because worms are eaten by ground feeders and aphids are usually too high up in the air to be eaten by ground feeders. Would make a good topic for another thread!
Suzy
I am putting all my crocosmia to bed for the winter................................over 500 pots to cut back, split, weed and put in the greenhouse and conservatory for the winter months!!!!!!!!! Never ending job.............. or it seems to be!!!!
Anyone want to come over to england for a week and give me a hand???????????????????? LOL
Mark
don't tempt me Mark
I AM TEMPTING YOU JUDE.............................. COME ON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
actually, I wish I could plan another trip in the near future, but it's not in the cards for 2007 I'm afraid.
Susy, I can't get the second link to work. Can anyone else?
The DG software likes to truncate some URLs, but I don't know why.
To fix it, click on the link, and look for the rest of the words or letters in the original post -- copy them and add them to the end.
Go up and look and you'll see "ousplants.htm" at the end of the hyperlink that is in plain text. That is the part that didn't make it.
The full URL without the wwwpart is this:
plantpropagation.com/propagatinghardwoodcuttingsofdeciduousplants.htm
I know this was poorly written, hopefully you can figure it out.
Suzy
Well, if anyone would like to come West where it's 65 degrees and help me clean up the garden -- whacking back the evergreen passiflora and solanum vines, and cleaning up the bearded iris leaves and walnut/oak tree leaf fall -- come on over!!!
This is the front and side yards, but it's my back that really needs cleanup. Oh, and the Meyer lemon harvest will start soon, can hardly wait to start picking them again.
jkom51 you have a beautiful place there!