(Chelsea Update would like to thank Jennifer Fairfield, owner of The Garden Mill, for the information in this column. This is part one of two parts. Part 2 will run tomorrow.)
How did it get to be November already?
As usual, I’m not ready for it to be cold. I haven’t cleaned up my garden yet, haven’t put away my tools, and haven’t even planted my bulbs (including my much-loved garlic). I guess I’d better get moving, since winter isn’t going to wait for me to be ready for it. It’s coming, no matter what I do. Part of my problem is that I had the nerve to take a little vacation. I went to southern Pennsylvania and New Jersey for about a week to visit some friends and family.
If you’ve never been to Hawk Mountain Sanctuary in PA, and you like birds and nature, I highly recommend the trip. It’s not far from Allentown, PA, and is “one of the best places in northeastern North America to view the annual autumn hawk migration” according to their website. It’s absolutely amazing to see all the birds there – hawks, yes, but also vultures, falcons, osprey, and eagles – and the hiking trails are beautiful, especially in the fall with all the leaves changing color.
The other beautiful places I visited were Longwood Gardens in Kennett Square, PA and Bartram’s Garden in Philadelphia. The history of both of these gardens is a history of the United States as well as of gardening and botany (John Bartram was friends with Benjamin Franklin, and his gardens are the oldest surviving botanical gardens in the US).
Although both gardens are really in their splendor in spring and summer, there was still so much to see and learn in autumn, and I had a fabulous time. Now I just have to hurry up and get caught up in my own garden.
Here are some things that need to be done, pronto:
Bulbs – There is still time to get your spring-blooming bulbs in the ground. They can actually be planted all the way up until the ground freezes, and the forecast for the upcoming week looks like it will be a little warmer, which makes the task a lot more pleasant.
If you’ve had problems with creatures digging up your bulbs in the past, try mixing them up with some baby powder in a bag (think “Shake-n-Bake”) before you plant them. Squirrels and such don’t like the smell of baby powder, so it might deter them. There are other ways to deter them that can be very effective, but are also a bit more labor-intensive. Stop in and chat with me if you’d like some more tips.
Trees and shrubs – Keep watering your trees and shrubs until the ground freezes. Making sure that they have good moisture going into winter will help them get through the cold months. After last year’s extreme harshness, your trees and shrubs are already likely to be stressed, so don’t add to that stress by making them start out thirsty this winter.
To help evergreen shrubs get through the winter, provide a barrier against the drying effects of the wind. You can do this by attaching burlap to stakes in the ground in front of the plants. Wrapping burlap or any other fabric around them can cause more harm than good, as ice and snow can cling to the fabric, making it heavy and weighing down or even breaking the branches.
Perennials and ornamental grasses – If you prefer the tidiness of having your plants cut back in the winter, go ahead and do that early this month. Don’t wait until it’s too cold or there is snow on the ground, or you won’t do it at all. Of course, leaving them until very early spring is an option, too. That’s the option I choose, because I like the look of snow on the plants, and they can provide some food and shelter for the birds in the winter months.
