Saturday, December 18, 2010

Garden goalroll, 2011

For the past two years, I have run a garden goalroll: this is my place to scribble horticultural marginalia and to post reminders about what needs doing when.  Or to record what I still haven't done.  Bearded irises, I hear you.  I'm making plans for a glorious 2011!


Dead of winter

Read up on xeriscaping in anticipation of extending the bed in front of the day lilies.  The drought-killed lawn there is going to go!  Plants to consider:
  • Coneflower "Green Jewel" (move from current location)
  • Sedum "Autmn Joy" (move from behind compost bin)
  • Fort Ticonderoga bearded irises (move from current location)
  • Pink coneflower
Order dahlia tubers.  Ordered 3/1/2011

  • Back of house: Arabian Nights, Rae Ann's Peach, Rose Toscano, Patty Cake
  • Old side bed: Karras 150, Bonne Esperance
  • New side bed: Park Princess

When the forsythia blooms

Continue to prune front foundation plantings into shape.

Prune clethra to remove deadwood and shape.

Edge garden beds.

After the forsythia blooms


Dig out a new curved bed in front of the day lilies, amend, and load up with drought-tolerant plants.

Lightly fertilize bearded irises with bonr meal, superphosphate or other low nitrogen (5-10-15) supplement. 

May or June

After flowering, shear Amsonia hubrichtii by 1/3 of its height to promote better form.

When it is 3 feet tall, cut the joe pye weed "Gateway" back to half its height to encourage dense growth. 

Pinch sedum "Autumn Joy" when it reaches 8 inches; stake with ring.

Organize the bearded irises, so that visually compatible cultivars are grouped together. Tag individual plants so that they can be moved later in the season.

Stake dahlias when the tubers are planted and again and again as they grow. Stop dahlias by pinching stem back to four pairs of leaves.

Pinch back shasta daisies to 6" in late May.

And stake, stake, stake!

Columbus Day

Dig in bone meal around peonies.

Lightly feed evergreen along front of house with Holly-Tone.

Veterans Day

While daytime temperatures are still above 40 degrees, spray an anti-transpirant, like Wilt-Pruf or Wilt Stop, on "Sky Needle" hollies to prevent winter kill.

Top-dress beds with composted cow manure.

Thanksgiving

Winter-sow larkspur seeds.



1 comment:

Commonweeder said...

Your post and my own struggles with what to do this spring have made me realize that one of the things I need to make is a planting plot plan of the Lawn Beds. I do keep an up to date record of Rose plantings.