Aconitum - A Plant with a Dark Side

“Even those who are pure of heart, and say their prayers at night, can become a wolf, when the wolfsbane blooms and the autumn moon is bright.” 

You might remember hearing that popular rhyme while watching the old werewolf movie “The Wolfman”.  Wolfsbane, also known as monkshood, is a member of the Aconitum genus of over 250 plants.  Aconitum species are popular and attractive ornamental perennials that enjoy shady moist garden sites, but beware, they are also considered some of the deadliest plants in the world.

The myths and fear surrounding Aconitum are based on real-life danger.  Every part of the plant is poisonous especially the leaves, roots and seeds. The principal alkaloids are aconite and aconitine.  Aconitine is thought to be the main toxin causing severe gastrointestinal upset, followed by cardiac symptoms and eventually death if enough has been taken in. 

Got a problem with werewolves?  Hold the flower of the monkshood under the chin of someone you suspect and if you see a yellow-tinged shadow then you’ve got your wolf. The common name wolfsbane owed to its use as a real wolf extermination tool for farmers in the past.  It was used historically for hunting on spears and arrows (smeared onto the tips) or as a poison during ancient Greek and Roman times to eliminate enemies and criminals, or even one’s wife. 

Aconitum has tall leafy stems growing to about 1 foot and flowers resembling larkspur.  The flowers are in dense racemes, blue, purple, white, pink or yellow in color and a distinctive helmet-shaped hood. Leaves are palmate or deeply palmately lobed into 5-7 segments. Aconitum napellus is one of the more commonly grown garden species.  It has showy blue flowers on spike-like inflorescences. Like other species in the genus it too is toxic, producing mainly cardiac conditions, large doses (which seem to be specific to each individual) killing the victim in 2-6 hours. This plant has a very bitter taste so it is very rarely accidentally eaten, most accidental poisonings come from the absorption of the plant via the skin or open wounds. Aconitine toxin is easily absorbed through the skin so wearing gloves while handling this plant is a necessity. 

One of the more interesting stories I read about this plant was a murder in 1881 using aconite and aconitine. George Henry Lamson was an American doctor who became addicted to morphia and got into financial difficulties. In an attempt to secure his part of the family inheritance, he gave his brother-in-law some Dundee cake and a pill capsule containing the poisons.  Dr. Lamson was found guilty when the pill batch was later tested. He had learned about aconite from a professor in his early college days.  The professor thought that the poison could not be detected but forensic science had greatly improved by time Dr. Lamson conducted the murder and he was found guilty and hanged.  He left another unsolved murder in his wake of another brother-in-law whose death was suspected but never formally linked to him.  

The most recent criminal case was the conviction of the murderer Lakhvir Kaur Singh, also known as the “Curry Killer” in 2010 in London.  Singh laced her former lover’s and his bride-to-be’s curry with Indian Aconite.  She had made a special trip to India to purchase the powder. Her ex-lover died a horribly agonizing death after consuming the food. 

Using monkshood or any of your locally available Aconitum plants can add a bit of thrill to your garden and a great conversation piece. If you believe in some of the old myths that wolfsbane repels werewolves, it might also be smart to keep it handy for the next full moon. 

photos courtesy of about.com and drugstoremuseum.com

How Did Your Garden Grow? by Donna Duffy

Autumn is the perfect season to step back and reflect on the successes and challenges you experienced in your garden this summer. Grab your garden journal and take a walk around your yard. Jot down detailed notes – your memory may fade over the long winter months. Consider the following:

·      What did you love about the garden this year?

·      Which plants thrived? What did you do to help them thrive?

·      Which plants struggled? What happened to them? What were their precise growing conditions (e.g., how much water, what kind of soil, how much sun)?

·      What insect problems did you encounter? How did you manage those problems?

·      What plants outgrew their space?

·      What do you want to do differently next year?

With these notes in hand, you have several months to research answers to your specific plant problems. The CSU Extension website, http://www.cmg.colostate.edu/ has a wealth of information to help you get answers to your gardening questions. You’ll find downloadable fact sheets to shed light on your most perplexing issues and provide guidance.

The fun part of planning is considering all the options for adding or replacing plants. One of the best resources to find plants that thrive in the Rocky Mountain region is the Plant Select^® website: http://www.plantselect.org. Plant Select^® is a cooperative program administered by Denver Botanic Gardens and Colorado State University in concert with horticulturists and nurseries throughout the Rocky Mountain region and beyond. The purpose of Plant Select^® is to seek out, identify and distribute the best plants for landscapes and gardens from the intermountain region to the high plains.

Jeffco Master Gardeners Kristin Sutton, Jamie Gallagher, Jan Skibinski and Ellen Goodnight

Fair warning: once you open the website, you may find the time slipping by as you click through the plant lists and photos. You can check out the Plant Select^®  “winners” for the past year or previous years. You can create your own customized plant list based on your unique growing conditions. There are galleries of landscape designs as well as downloadable designs. You can look at individual plant photos and eye-popping photos of gardens that incorporate Plant Select^® recommended plants. You can even find a list of retail suppliers of these marvelous plants.

Next spring, take note of the nearly 90 Plant Select^® demonstration gardens to visit and view Plant Select^® introduced and recommended plants in real-garden situations. A great place to start is the Jefferson County CSU Extension at the Jefferson County Fairgrounds, 15200 W. 6^th Avenue.

Are Your Roses Ready for Winter? by Donna Duffy

The arrival of fall brings the realization that winter really will be here soon. Among all of your other fall garden chores, be sure to plan some time to get your roses “tucked in” and ready to brave whatever winter may bring. According to the Denver Rose Society’s publication “Growing Roses in Colorado,” there are five basic steps to remember.

FIRST – Pick up and discard all the leaves that have fallen from the rose bushes. This is especially important if you have had mildew and/or blackspot. You can repeat this step in another month or so, when the roses are truly dormant and more leaves have fallen. This simple sanitation practice will decrease the likelihood of having the problem recur next year.

SECOND – You can stop deadheading your roses at this point. Some roses develop colorful hips after the last bloom, and you’ll miss them if take off all the spent blooms. In Colorado, it’s best to wait for Spring to do heavy pruning of roses. If you have some rose canes that are taller than 3’, you could top them off to prevent them from rocking in the wind or breaking off in heavy snow. Save any additional pruning for springtime.

THIRD – Water your roses well before the ground freezes. Watch the weather: if the temperature is likely to drop below 25 degrees, get the roses watered. Roots will suffer more from cold temperatures in dry soil than in damp soil.

FOURTH – Keep watching the temperature. When it drops to about 22 degrees in your yard for a few nights, it’s time to cover the crown area of each bush with a few shovels full of soil. Add mulch for additional protection. If you live in a windy area, you might use a rose collar to hold the mulch in place (purchase them at garden centers).

FIFTH – Check the roses for moisture content every couple of weeks during late fall and winter. If the temperature will be 45 degrees or warmer for six hours, watering can be done. Dig down with your trowel for 4-6 inches to test the soil moisture.

These simple steps will help your roses survive the winter weather and be ready to delight you in the springtime!

For more information about rose care or for additional yard/gardening information, call the Jefferson County CSU Extension at 303-271-6620. You can also visit the website of the Denver Rose Society.

Violets and Ground Ivy in the Lawn by Elaine Lockey

Common blue violet

 Is it a flower or a weed?  Well that answer is truly in the eye of the beholder. The common blue violet, Viola species, seems to be such an innocent little plant when first appearing in your lawn but can become a very difficult plant to control if allowed to spread.  It can make a stunning ground cover with its pretty blooms in early spring and heart-shaped green leaves. It is generally found in woodlands and enjoys shady to partly sunny moist areas. However, it can also adapt to dry areas once established.

Ground ivy, also known as creeping Charlie, Glechoma hederacea, offers lush dark green leaves that are rounded with toothed edges and small funnel-shaped purplish-blue flowers in the spring.  This perennial belongs to the mint family and has square stems and a pungent odor when the leaves are crushed.  Ground ivy and wild violets can sometimes be confused when flowers are not present.

Both plants spread via seed from blossoms, branching rhizomes, and creeping roots.  With so many options to expand their range, it’s easy to see how they do so very easily.  These plants will simply spread out of your landscape beds and into your lawn.  Removal of them is a little more complicated.  Hand-pulling often just results in a lot of time and effort and broken off plants as they have extensive root systems.  Herbicides are usually recommended.

Ground Ivy in turf

If violets or ground ivy are in your lawn, you’ll need to use a broad-leaved herbicide only.  This type of herbicide will not harm your established lawn but can harm neighboring desired plants if the spray drifts.  Caution is highly recommended by using herbicides on very calm days and following all label directions.
 

A herbicide containing triclopyr, 2,4-D, MCPP, dicamba, or sulfentrazone is recommended for success in control, with triclopyr showing the best results. The best time to apply this spray on perennial weeds, such as violets and ground ivy, is September to early October.  Plants are storing energy reserves in their roots and stems for winter and the herbicide will be able to reach all parts of the plant via the food reserves.  You might not see immediate results but should see some impact in the spring.  Multiple treatments may be necessary. If you only have a few violets in your lawn spot-treat those areas, instead of applying herbicides to your whole lawn.
 

A healthy lawn is also the best defense against these and other weeds.  Proper mowing, fertilizing, watering, and aeration practices will provide you with the greatest success in conquering weeds.  The best defense I’ve discovered though is a healthy acceptance of a not so perfect lawn.  Consider lawn violets or ground ivy as a pretty addition and if you don’t spray them with herbicides you can incorporate them into your next salad. I am amazed at the number of things you can do with these plants from foods to vinegars to cosmetics.  There’s always a bright side right?

common violet photo by sierrapotomac.org

Why Aren't My Iris Blooming by Stan Ames

While manning the Master Gardener booth at the Golden Farmer’s Market last Saturday a woman asked me why her Iris do not all bloom.

I thought for a while and suggested they might be overcrowded or stressed from last year’s dividing activities. She said she had not divided any of her Iris, ever, and asked when to do that.  I said not until after the blooming was complete and not to cut back leaves until the divisions were made. She seemed satisfied with the answers and went on to get a nice big juicy breakfast burrito from the booth next to ours.  Imagine smelling that wonderful aroma all morning and not having enough time to buy one for yourself, much less eating one.  AND they were all gone when we broke down the booth!


Well, I have been thinking of that question now for a couple of days and decided to look up Iris on the http://www.ext.colostate.edu/  website.  Remarkably and somewhat surprisingly I was mostly correct!

 According to “Plantalk Colorado” 1018-Perennials: How to divide
“Plants that begin to produce more foliage at the expense of flowers may be overgrown.  To determine if plants are overgrown, count the number of stems that emerge from the base.  If five or more strong stems are present the plant may need to be divided.” (I found one clump with ten in my collection)
“When dividing plants, pick a cool spell in the spring or fall, and gently dig up a clump with as many roots as possible.  Expose the central rhizome or stem by shaking or washing away the soil.  Then, with a sharp knife, cleanly slice the plant into several new pieces.  Leave a minimum or two to three growing points, or it may take many years for the plants to recover. Place in newly prepared soil and keep them moist until they re-establish.  Share surplus divisions with friends.”  (Most likely when I do this in August I will be looking for parked cars with the windows rolled down!)

“It’s a good idea to start with a single clump of one kind of plant until you master division, rather than risking an entire planting.”  (It is  wise to have a first aid kit handy, sometimes sharp knives slip!)

According to “Plantalk Colorado” 1041-Iris
“Iris should be divided every three to four years.  Divide the rhizomes, which are underground stems, after the plant have finished flowering, but no later than August.”  (I was close!) “Discard any segments that are mushy or riddled with holes.  Separate the healthy rhizomes into segments with one fan of leaves and several feeding roots. Cut the leaves back to six inches. When setting the new plant spread the roots out in the soil and position the top third of the rhizome above the soil surface.  Arrange the foliage to face outward away from the center of a group.

Other helpful information can be obtained from Colorado State University Extension fact sheets:
Perennial gardening
Flowers for Mountain Communities 
Herbaceous Perennials

Herbacious Perennial Trials by Carol King

Joe Pye Weed Photo Courtesy of Iowa State University

Colorado State University maintains perennial trial gardens at the W. D. Holley Plant Environmental Research Center (PERC) in Fort Collins, Colorado. The main objective of these gardens is to determine which herbacious perennials are best suited for growing in the Rocky Mountain area.

Check here for the list.

Superior Herbacious Perennials for the High Plains

Planting a Butterfly Garden by Stan Ames

A Vanessa atalanta a.k.a. “Red Admiral”on a Purple Coneflower

Planning a butterfly garden this season?  These techniques will help you plant a successful garden.

Before you invest you time and money in constructing a butterfly garden it is important to know what butterflies are common to your area. Identification of your guest is very important, as each butterfly has preferences for their “Caterpillar Host Plants” and their favorite flowers for a nectar source.

Attracting butterflies then becomes relatively easy. In addition to a place for their eggs and a good source of nectar, butterflies like flowers for some of the same reasons that we do, bright colors with sweet fragrance.


The websites, below have useful photographs to help you identify your visitors and charts that will show you which plants are “irresistible” to which butterfly.
http://coloradofrontrangebutterflies.com/frontrange-checklist - has listings of over 100 varieties with links to photographs and details about most.
http://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/gallery - pictures for identification.
http://butterflywebsite.com/butterflygardening.cfm - chart of plants that attract, by specific butterfly.

In addition to the right choice of flowers you should incorporate a small source of water (a decorative dish) and perhaps a stepping stone or two for warmth.

Your site does not have to be very large, maybe only six to eight feet in diameter but it needs to be protected from wind and receive between four to six hours of sunlight a day.

Could that be a Monarch calling?
Too many look-a-likes to be sure.

In my garden, I used : Blanket flower), Butterfly bush) Tickseed (Coreopsis) – “Early Sunrise”, Purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea), Sedum spectabile, Zinnias (Zinnia laageana), Petunias and Snowdrift alyssum (Lobularia maritima, but also have Honeysuckle close by. This year I may add Cosmos and Joe Pye Weed.

 Finding a “Butterfly House” ready for use is a challenge, but they are relatively easy to construct.
Use a good quality 3/8” plywood and protect the house with paint or varnish.

Construction is simple and the dimensions are not critical beyond having the height about four times the width. Just use a good quality 3/8” plywood and protect the house with paint or varnish. There is no need to teach your visitors they need to fold up their wings to get in the house. They will know it is just for decoration.

The size and shape of the garden does not need to be large, mine is only five by six feet with a butterfly house in the middle to add a little decoration. The flowers in my garden are indicated below and work relatively well, just keep the flowers bright and base the selection on the specific butterflies you have identified in your area. Again, make sure the garden is protected from the wind!

Plant Select Announces 2011 Winners

Avalanche White Sun Daisy

Every year, Plant Select^® chooses new and underutilized plants to promote to regional gardeners and landscape professionals. New plants are evaluated on their ability to thrive in a broad range of garden situations in the Rocky Mountain region, their resilience to the region’s challenging climate, uniqueness, disease and insect resistance, ability to flourish in low water conditions, long season of beauty in the garden, and noninvasiveness.


You might want to take this list with you to the garden center!

All-America Selections Announce 2011 Winners

All-America Selections, is an organization dedicated to testing and recommending plants for gardens in North America . Their mission statement says it all:

“To promote new garden seed varieties with superior garden performance judged in impartial trials in North America.”

The 2011 Winners have been announced and here they are.

There's a pumpkin named "Hijinks" and a "Glamor Red" ornamental kale. What's not to love?

Fall and Winter Watering by Donna Duffy

We are on track for one of the warmer autumns on record. In addition, we know that Colorado winters can have long spells of dry, warm and windy weather. During the cold weather seasons, pay special attention to weather and soil conditions and provide supplemental water to keep the root systems of trees, shrubs, lawns and perennials alive and healthy. Here are some tips to help them survive the winter.

General Tips

Apply water in mid-day when the air and soil temperatures are above 40°F and there is no snow cover. If the root systems don’t receive adequate water, the plants could appear normal in the spring, but may be weakened and die off in the summer when temperatures rise. Lack of winter water may also create insect and disease problems. Whenever you water, remember to disconnect the hose when you are finished!

Trees

Newly planted trees are most susceptible to winter drought injury. All trees utilize water most effectively when it is allowed to soak into the soil to a depth of 12”. Whether you use a sprinkler, deep root watering device or soaker hose, be sure to apply water to many different locations below the tree and beyond the canopy of branches. Trees need 10 gallons of water for every inch of trunk diameter (measured at knee height). If you use a deep root needle, insert it only 6-8” below the ground – if it’s deeper than that, it’s out of reach of the tree roots.

Shrubs

Even established shrubs will benefit from winter watering in dry years. Apply five gallons of water for small shrubs (less than 3’) and 18 gallons for larger shrubs. If the shrubs are newly planted, water twice monthly. Mulching the shrubs will help them retain moisture.

Roses and Other Perennials

If you planted perennials in the fall, they probably didn’t have much time to establish a strong root system and they will need winter water. Water when the ground appears dry by checking the soil condition 2-3” deep.  All perennials that are in a windy or southwest location will benefit from supplemental water. Keep an eye on the mulch around your perennials, it’s often blown around in the winter and will need to be put back in place or supplemented.

Lawns

Lawns can suffer winter damage as well as trees, shrubs and perennials, especially newly established lawns. These new lawns will need supplemental winter irrigation following the general tips above. During dry winters, lawns are more susceptible to winter grass mites and dessication if occasional winter irrigation is not applied.

For More Information…download the CSU Extension Fact Sheet #7.211 “Fall and Winter Watering."

Asters Bring Jewel Tones to Your Fall Garden by Heirloom Fan

As the summer days wane, some of our annual flowers will be fading as well. While it is hard to see garden favorites like petunias leave for the season, we still have time to enjoy some wonderful flowers that bloom at this time of year through October.

Asters provide a wonderful array of deep purple and lavender tones to liven up those last days of the growing season. They are very drought tolerant and love the Colorado climate. They are perennial flowers, which mean that you plant them in your garden, and with very little care, they will come again year after year to display their beauty.


Bees also love the fluffy daisy like flower heads, so if you want to attract more bees into your garden, you will find they are a very attractive plant to bees. If you visit any large garden center, you will find a nice selection of these lovely blooming plants. After they bloom, the dried seed heads can be left on the plant if you wish to provide seeds through the fall and winter for birds.

Here is a Plantalk bulletin about asters that will help you learn more about them. http://www.ext.colostate.edu/ptlk/1014.html 

I hope you will consider these fall favorites for your garden.

Preparing Roses for Winter by Donna Duffy

It's October!  Ready or not, winter really will be here soon. Among all of your other fall garden chores, be sure to plan some time to get your roses “tucked in” and ready to brave whatever winter may bring. According to the Denver Rose Society’s publication “Growing Roses in Colorado,” there are five basic steps to remember.

FIRST – Pick up and discard all the leaves that have fallen from the rose bushes. This is especially important if you have had mildew and/or blackspot. You can repeat this step in another month or so, when the roses are truly dormant and more leaves have fallen. This simple sanitation practice will decrease the likelihood of having the problem recur next year.

Rose Hips

SECOND – You can stop deadheading your roses at this point. Some roses develop colorful hips after the last bloom, and you’ll miss them if take off all the spent blooms. In Colorado, it’s best to wait for Spring to do heavy pruning of roses. If you have some rose canes that are taller than 3’, you could top them off to prevent them from rocking in the wind or breaking off in heavy snow. Save any additional pruning for springtime.

THIRD – Water your roses well before the ground freezes. Watch the weather: if the temperature is likely to drop below 25 degrees, get the roses watered. Roots will suffer more from cold temperatures in dry soil than in damp soil.

FOURTH – Keep watching the temperature. When it drops to about 22 degrees in your yard for a few nights, it’s time to cover the crown area of each bush with a few shovels full of soil. Add mulch for additional protection. If you live in a windy area, you might use a rose collar to hold the mulch in place (purchase them at garden centers).

Rose Collar

FIFTH – Check the roses for moisture content every couple of weeks during late fall and winter. If the temperature will be 45 degrees or warmer for six hours, watering can be done. Dig down with your trowel for 4-6 inches to test the soil moisture.

AND IN THE SPRING…don’t be overly anxious to scrape off the mulch and prune the rose canes! Watch this blog for Spring pruning information. 

Planting Bare-Root Peonies | Horticulture - The Art & Science of Smart Gardening

Fall is a smart time to plant bare root peonies.  Here's how :



Planting Bare-Root Peonies | Horticulture - The Art & Science of Smart Gardening

Iris, Iris Everywhere! Rejuvenating the Iris Garden

How's your iris looking?  Mine are pretty sad right now.  This article from a sister Master Gardener in Larimer County if filled with good advice on rejuvenating your iris garden.

Colorado State University Extension - Iris, Iris Everywhere!

Does Goldenrod Cause Hayfever?

We have all heard it and assumed it to be true: Goldenrod causes hayfever. Right?

Well, dear gardener, it seems not! Read this article from Horticulture Magazine. Takes the "achoo" right out of the flower.

Horticulture - Does Goldenrod Cause Hayfever?

Keep Those Summer Blooms Coming! by Carol King and Donna Duffy

Late June and early July are rewarding times in the garden. The results of all the hard labor in the spring are beginning to be evident: a variety of blooms make their first appearance. Those beautiful blooming plants will need some attention to keep the blooms coming back. Most perennials and annuals will benefit from deadheading, pinching, cutting back, and disbudding. It’s not as traumatic as it sounds, and you’ll be rewarded with a longer blooming season.

Deadheading: Deadheading is the practice of removing faded flowers. By removing spent flowers you keep the plant from setting seed and thus promote flowering. Not all plants need to be deadheaded. Some annuals have flowers that fall off cleanly by themselves. Other blooming plants such as daisy, black-eyed susan, daylily, marigolds, geraniums, zinnias, roses, and yarrow respond well to deadheading. Be sure to use a clean, sharp pruning tool. Don't deadhead if you wish to dry flowers, save seed, or want to save seed pods for drying. Toward the end of the blooming season, leave some seed heads intact for winter interest in your garden.

Pinching:

Pinching is done to promote bushiness and, consequently, more flowering. For most plants, all you need is your fingernails. You may give annuals a pinch at planting, and then pinch again later in the season to rejuvenate and encourage new growth. Perennials are pinched or pruned for the same reasons.  Some flowers that benefit from pinching include: asters, ageratum, browallia, calendula, coleus, verbena, zinnias and petunias. Timing is important: be sure to pinch your fall blooming perennials (like mums) before they start blooming. Pinch too late and you’ll find yourself bloomless and baffled in the fall.  

Cutting back: Cutting back certain plants after they flower will cause them to bloom one more time later in the season. Cut the flower all the way to the leaf on lady’s mantle, catmint, sages, salvia and sea hollies. This will feel more drastic than deadheading or pinching because you’re removing more of the plant. Be brave – it will be worth it.

Disbudding: The act of cutting off a perfectly good bud may seem a bit crazy, but doing so creates larger blooms from the remaining buds. Want a show stopping dahlia or a prize winning rose? Disbudding is the key. On dahlias, remove the two side buds next to the central bud at the end of each lateral branch. The flower that develops will be larger and will grow a longer and stronger stem. On hybrid tea roses, remove the secondary buds by the main bud; on floribundas and grandifloras, remove the middle (terminal) bud.

Summer Rose Care by Donna Duffy

All around town the roses are coming into bloom! Here are some tips to keep your roses healthy during the heat of summer. An excellent resource is “Growing Roses in Colorado” published by the Denver Rose Society. You can also get a wealth of information on their website at: www.denverrosesociety.org.

Fertilizing

If you want to stir up the conversation among rose growers, just bring up the topic of fertilization. There are many different opinions and lots of advice – and no real consensus on what is the best fertilizer for roses. Do some research: there are balanced rose foods, chemical fertilizers and organic fertilizers. A soil test will provide you valuable information about what ingredients need to be added to your soil. The first fertilization happens in spring, soon after pruning. Hopefully, you are past that stage. Continue fertilizing every 4-6 weeks, with your last fertilization in mid-August. Be sure to water your roses well before and after, and don’t be tempted to over-fertilize. In this case, more is definitely not better. If you have newly planted roses, go easy on them this year. Don’t fertilize at the time of planting – wait until you see new growth or the first bloom.

Watering

In general, roses are thirsty plants. Your summer watering regime will need to change with the weather, and will be influenced by your soil amendments, amount of sunlight received and drainage. The best way to determine whether your roses need water is to get down and dirty in the soil. If the top 2-4 inches of soil are dry, it’s time to water. Roses benefit from deep watering, down to 18”. A rain gauge can help you determine how much water you need to apply to achieve deep watering. Overhead watering can contribute to some rose diseases, so if you use that method, be sure to water early in the morning to allow the leaves to dry out before evening. Watering the soil with a bubbler or hose wand helps reduce the problems of wet leaves.

Mulching

Mulching your rose bed will help reduce soil temperature in the summer, conserve moisture and reduce the growth of weeds. Like fertilizers, there are many choices. Choose mulch that compliments your landscape, won’t blow away and won’t compact easily. Black plastic film is not recommended, but other non-organic mulches like gravel may be appropriate for your garden. Organic mulches will decompose slowly and enrich the soil – an added benefit. Apply your organic mulch to a depth of 3-4 inches. Straw is not recommended because it may contain weed seeds. Dried grass clippings can be applied in thin layers – but only if they have not been treated for weeds.

Deadhead!

Roses, like many other flowering plants, benefit from deadheading – or cutting back the spent blooms. On roses, cut back the cane to the point where it is pencil-thick, or to the place where the next 5-leaflet leaf occurs. Cut at an outward-facing eye to keep the plant from growing inward. Apply a cane sealer (I use Elmer’s glue) to the cane to help reduce insect damage at the point of pruning. And use sharp, clean pruners; shaggy cuts are an invitation to disease and damage.

Watch for Insects!

Most pest problems are managed best when caught early. Prevention of pest problems and disease starts with good horticultural practices. Clean up dropped leaves and blooms and prune out infested branches. A fantastic resource for managing insect problems is Whitney Cranshaw’s publication “Rose Insects – What are They Doing?” downloadable at: http://www.denverrosesociety.org/education/Cranshaw_RoseInsects.pdf

So go out there and make the world more beautiful by planting some roses!

A Passion for Peonies by MJ Lechner

Every Spring I watch and wait.  Ever-so-slowly, the little reddish shoots emerge through the cold early spring soil and my heart skips a beat- the peonies are back!  From the first spotting until, I watch and wait patiently until one day, they burst into bloom!  It is then I am sure that spring is truly here to stay.
So, what is it about peonies that make them so darn enchanting?  Named for the ancient Balkan region & tribe, Paeonia, peonies hail from Asia and southern Europe.  They are an herbaceous (bushy) plant, meaning that they die all the way back in the winter.  Their color range is almost endless, with new hybrids being introduced each year.  Some tried and true favorites are singles, (e.g. Athena, Dad, Krinkled White, Scarlet O’Hara, Sea Shell) Japanese, (Nippon Beauty, Madame Butterfly) Semi-Double, (Paula Fay, Coral Charm, Miss America, Buckeye Belle) Double (Ann Cousins, Gardenia, Kansas, Paul M. Wild, Tourangelle) and Bomb-Double (Red Charm, Raspberry Sundae, Mons Jules Elie).

Planting, transplanting and dividing peonies is relatively easy and is best done in early fall (but may be done in spring as soon as soils are workable). Each plant requires an area about three feet in diameter. Dig a generous hole, large enough to accommodate the roots and incorporate aged organic matter, such as compost, in the bottom. Place the peony in the prepared hole so that the eyes (small, red-colored buds) are one to two inches below the soil's surface. This is crucial, as planting them too deeply will leave you with a beautiful bush, but alas, no blooms.  Backfill and water well.
Peonies may be left undisturbed for many years. A decline in flower usually indicates overcrowding and the need for division. Carefully lift the clump and wash away the soil to expose the eyes. Using a clean, sharp tool, divide the clump into sections, each with three to five eyes and good roots. Replant immediately.
Now, what about those darn ants?  Are they really necessary for the blossoms?  In a word, “NO!” That is just a persistent old wives tale.  The presence of ants on peony blossoms is neither beneficial nor harmful to the plants--they are simply attracted to the sugary liquid secreted by flower buds.  If they persist after the flowers open, cut the stems and shake the flowers and the ants will fall out of them.
 In the Chinese culture, the peony symbolizes happiness and prosperity.  May they grace your garden and bring you both in the springtime!

Comments on Spring Rose Pruning by Gardener Dave

Just a couple of paragraphs, repeated from my blog posting of May 12th, 2009, “Spring Rose Pruning and Other Rosy Ramblings”:

1) Pruning: I DON’T try to save rose canes in the spring that are really dark in color or have “weather cankers” on them. They will almost NEVER support good roses later in the season, even if they have new sprouts on them. When you cut the canes back from the top, look for a healthy green cambium layer all the way around the cane down to the base, then stop pruning a bit above that point. This spring my roses will be severely pruned!

2) Pruning: I WAIT until late April or early May to prune the canes back. By that time you will have a pretty good idea of the extent of winter damage, and new sprouting growth will be evident. This last winter was hard on roses in our area, especially if they were exposed to below-zero temperatures and drying winds. In my first years of growing roses, I would prune canes back on mild days (during some of our “false springs” in February or March) only to prune them back some more after later cold spells. All right… I’ll admit that some years – such as this one – I just can’t stand the sight of ugly tall, brown, thorny canes, and I do lop them off early to improve the general appearance of the garden.

Cheers,

Gardener Dave

Molly the Witch Peony by Duane Davidson

Last year I wrote about an unusual peony, the fernleaf peony, that makes its appearance earlier each spring than its better-known cousins. Growing nearby, and blooming even earlier, is another little-known member of the peony family. This one bears the nickname "Molly the Witch," a rendering of its unpronounceable botanical name Paeonia mlokosewitschii. A half-dozen flowers began opening last weekend to join the tulips, daffodils, hyacinths, and other spring bulbs blooming on my street.

Like all peonies, Molly was slow to establish. I found her as a young seedling at the Denver Botanic Gardens spring plant sale about ten years ago. For several years I wondered if she would survive, and then nearly forgot her. Four years ago she surprised me with a bloom.

Molly is one of the first plants to send up shoots in early spring. This year they weathered at least two snowfalls. Her flowers are less resilient, of course, but are holding up well this year.

Molly the Witch originated in the Caucasus and is also known as the Caucasian peony.