Apple
Early spring
Prune moderately. Keep tree open with main branches well spaced. Avoid sharp V-shaped crotches.
Cherry
Early spring
Prune the most vigorous shoots moderately.
Clematis
Spring
Cut weak growth. Save as much old wood as possible.
Flowering dogwood
After flowering
Remove dead wood only.
Forsythia
After flowering
Remove old branches at ground. Trim new growth.
Lilac
After flowering
Remove diseased, scaly growth, flower heads, and suckers.
Peach
Early spring
Remove half of last year's growth. Keep tree headed low.
Plum
Early spring
Cut dead, diseased branches; trim rank growth moderately.
Rhododendron
After flowering
Prune judiciously. Snip branches from weak, leggy plants to induce growth from roots.
Rose (except climbers)
Spring, after frosts
Cut dead and weak growth; cut branches or canes to four or five eyes.
Rose (climbers)
After flowering
Cut half of old growth; retain new shoots for next year.
Rose of Sharon
When buds
Cut all winter-killed wood to swell begin growth back to live wood.
Trumpet vine
Early spring
Prune side branches severely to main stem.
Virginia creeper
Spring
Clip young plants freely. Thin old plants and remove dead growth.
Wisteria
Spring, summer
Cut new growth to spurs at axils of leaves.
From The Old Farmers's Almanac http://www.almanac.com/garden/trees/springprune.php
Preview all these Trees and Shurbs on your property with our easy to use landscape design software, Landscape Vision. www.landscapeyourvisions.com
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Friday, March 13, 2009
Golden Hakone Grass By Yvonne Cinnington
Golden Hakone Grass (Hakonechloa macra 'Aureola')2009 Perennial Plant of the Year
One of my favorite plants, Golden Hakone Grass (Hakonechloa macra 'Aureola') is the 2009 Perennial Plant of the Year.
In my garden I team this ornamental grass with gold-tinged 'Golden Tiara' hosta and purple-leaved oxalis, a non-hardy summer bulb plant.
This grouping at my side entry garden (shown below) looks lovely all season long.
This species of grass is native to Japan's main Island, Honshu, and gets its name from the region near Mt. Hakone. Chloa is the Greek word for grass.
How to growGolden Hakone Grass
Hardiness: USDA zones 5-9.
Size and growth habit: This grass grows 12 to 18 inches tall and 18 to 24 inches wide, and its leaves fall attractively in one direction.
The bright yellow foliage is 1/2" wide with thin green stripes, and in the fall becomes tinged pink and red.
Golden hakone grass spreads by rhizomes and stolons, but grows so slowly that it does not becomes a rampant spreader. Slow growth means that you don't need to divide it for many years.
However, if you wish to divide to obtain more plants, as with other ornamental grasses, the best time to do this is in early spring just as new growth starts.
Light and soil conditions: This ornamental grass grows well in partial shade, especially in hot climates, but it can take more sun in cooler areas. Plant in moist, humus-rich, well-drained soil.
The Perennial Plant Association recommends not planting it in poorly drained soil, heavy clay or excessively dry and sandy soils. However, I've had several readers tell me they have it in moist clay areas, where it grows well.
In its native habitat, the growing conditions are wet, rocky cliffs, so this plant appears to be quite adaptable.
How the 2009 Perennial Plant of the Year was chosen
Each year the Perennial Plant Association selects a plant of the year.
The chosen perennial must be:
-Suitable for a wide range of climates
-Easy to grow (low maintenance care)
-Easy for growers to propagate (comes true from seed or vegetative propagation
-Attractive throughout the gardening season.
Golden Hakone Grass is the second ornamental grass to be chosen as a Perennial Plant of the Year. Calamagrostis x acutiflora 'Karl Foerster', feather reed grass, was chosen in 2001.
Maintenance: Golden Hakone grass is a shade tolerant grass and has few insect or disease problems. Even deer tend to leave it alone.
The only maintenance required is to cut the previous season's dead leaves back in fall, late winter or early spring.
This grass has shallow roots, and therefore is best divided in spring, like most grasses. If divided in fall, the divisions are prone to cold weather damage and frost heaving.
Garden uses: This perennial grass makes a great companion for hostas, especially hostas with gold variegation, or bluish leaves.
Other good matches with perennials include foam flower (Tiarella cultivars) and Heucheras, especially those with purple leaves, and purple leaved bugbane cultivars (Actaea, also known as Cimicifuga), such as 'Hillside Black Beauty' and 'Brunette'.
Golden Hakone Grass also looks great with astilbe, epimedium, wild ginger, bleeding heart and lady's mantle.
I've also grown it as a container plant and love the way it cascades over one side like a waterfall. My favorite way to use it in my garden beds is as an edger where its foliage can cascade onto a path.
http://www.flower-gardening-made-easy.com/index.html
One of my favorite plants, Golden Hakone Grass (Hakonechloa macra 'Aureola') is the 2009 Perennial Plant of the Year.
In my garden I team this ornamental grass with gold-tinged 'Golden Tiara' hosta and purple-leaved oxalis, a non-hardy summer bulb plant.
This grouping at my side entry garden (shown below) looks lovely all season long.
This species of grass is native to Japan's main Island, Honshu, and gets its name from the region near Mt. Hakone. Chloa is the Greek word for grass.
How to growGolden Hakone Grass
Hardiness: USDA zones 5-9.
Size and growth habit: This grass grows 12 to 18 inches tall and 18 to 24 inches wide, and its leaves fall attractively in one direction.
The bright yellow foliage is 1/2" wide with thin green stripes, and in the fall becomes tinged pink and red.
Golden hakone grass spreads by rhizomes and stolons, but grows so slowly that it does not becomes a rampant spreader. Slow growth means that you don't need to divide it for many years.
However, if you wish to divide to obtain more plants, as with other ornamental grasses, the best time to do this is in early spring just as new growth starts.
Light and soil conditions: This ornamental grass grows well in partial shade, especially in hot climates, but it can take more sun in cooler areas. Plant in moist, humus-rich, well-drained soil.
The Perennial Plant Association recommends not planting it in poorly drained soil, heavy clay or excessively dry and sandy soils. However, I've had several readers tell me they have it in moist clay areas, where it grows well.
In its native habitat, the growing conditions are wet, rocky cliffs, so this plant appears to be quite adaptable.
How the 2009 Perennial Plant of the Year was chosen
Each year the Perennial Plant Association selects a plant of the year.
The chosen perennial must be:
-Suitable for a wide range of climates
-Easy to grow (low maintenance care)
-Easy for growers to propagate (comes true from seed or vegetative propagation
-Attractive throughout the gardening season.
Golden Hakone Grass is the second ornamental grass to be chosen as a Perennial Plant of the Year. Calamagrostis x acutiflora 'Karl Foerster', feather reed grass, was chosen in 2001.
Maintenance: Golden Hakone grass is a shade tolerant grass and has few insect or disease problems. Even deer tend to leave it alone.
The only maintenance required is to cut the previous season's dead leaves back in fall, late winter or early spring.
This grass has shallow roots, and therefore is best divided in spring, like most grasses. If divided in fall, the divisions are prone to cold weather damage and frost heaving.
Garden uses: This perennial grass makes a great companion for hostas, especially hostas with gold variegation, or bluish leaves.
Other good matches with perennials include foam flower (Tiarella cultivars) and Heucheras, especially those with purple leaves, and purple leaved bugbane cultivars (Actaea, also known as Cimicifuga), such as 'Hillside Black Beauty' and 'Brunette'.
Golden Hakone Grass also looks great with astilbe, epimedium, wild ginger, bleeding heart and lady's mantle.
I've also grown it as a container plant and love the way it cascades over one side like a waterfall. My favorite way to use it in my garden beds is as an edger where its foliage can cascade onto a path.
http://www.flower-gardening-made-easy.com/index.html
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Outdoor Planting Table from Old Farmers Almanac
Outdoor Planting Table for 2009
The best time to plant flowers and vegetables that bear crops above ground is during the light of the Moon; that is, from the day the Moon is new to the day it is full. Flowering bulbs and vegetables that bear crops below ground should be planted during the dark of the Moon; that is, from the day after it is full to the day before it is new again. The Moon Favorable column below gives these days, which are based on the Moon's phases for 2009 and the safe periods for planting in areas that receive frost. See the Moon Phase Calendar for the exact days of the new and full Moons.
To find the best time to plant for your area check out this link;
http://www.almanac.com/garden/plantingtable/index.php
The Old Farmers Almanac is a great source for gardening information, and it's fun.
Keep the planting table handy while you design this years garden with Landscape Vision an Easy to Use Landscape Design Software
www.landscapeyourvisions.com
The best time to plant flowers and vegetables that bear crops above ground is during the light of the Moon; that is, from the day the Moon is new to the day it is full. Flowering bulbs and vegetables that bear crops below ground should be planted during the dark of the Moon; that is, from the day after it is full to the day before it is new again. The Moon Favorable column below gives these days, which are based on the Moon's phases for 2009 and the safe periods for planting in areas that receive frost. See the Moon Phase Calendar for the exact days of the new and full Moons.
To find the best time to plant for your area check out this link;
http://www.almanac.com/garden/plantingtable/index.php
The Old Farmers Almanac is a great source for gardening information, and it's fun.
Keep the planting table handy while you design this years garden with Landscape Vision an Easy to Use Landscape Design Software
www.landscapeyourvisions.com
Saturday, March 07, 2009
Spring Ahead...With garden design software today.
Oh yeah, it's that time of year...Spring ahead.
Time to start thinking about your landscape, your gardens and getting your patio ready.
Landscape Vision and easy to use garden/landscape design software is hear to help you get ready. Our garden/landscape design software allows you to use a picture of your own home, draw garden beds, walkways, patios. See Annuals, Perennials, Roses, Vines, Trees, Shrubs, and more right in your gardens. We have over 1000 real plant images in our award winning plant data base.
Preview Outdoor living products like Arbors, Gazebos, Lawn Furniture and more right on your property.
Import you own images of Anything!
Bring your software generated shopping list to your local garden center.
Spring ahead...be ready..check us out TODAY. www.landscapeyourvisions.com
Time to start thinking about your landscape, your gardens and getting your patio ready.
Landscape Vision and easy to use garden/landscape design software is hear to help you get ready. Our garden/landscape design software allows you to use a picture of your own home, draw garden beds, walkways, patios. See Annuals, Perennials, Roses, Vines, Trees, Shrubs, and more right in your gardens. We have over 1000 real plant images in our award winning plant data base.
Preview Outdoor living products like Arbors, Gazebos, Lawn Furniture and more right on your property.
Import you own images of Anything!
Bring your software generated shopping list to your local garden center.
Spring ahead...be ready..check us out TODAY. www.landscapeyourvisions.com
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Grden Jobs for March The Old Farmers Almanac
Re-pot houseplants so they will grow well during spring and summer.
Water gloxinias and African violets from the bottom, avoiding getting any water on the leaves. Dust the leaves with a small, soft brush.
Consider ordering a few blueberry plants. Not only will they provide delicious fruit for jams, muffins, and pies, but they are also an excellent choice for landscaping plants, offering scarlet fall foliage and creamy white spring flowers. Blueberries serve neatly in a hedge or as specimen plants.
When choosing fruit trees, remember that apple, apricot, and pear trees need two varieties present to ensure pollination. If space is limited, try peach, nectarine, or sour cherry, which will bear fruit on a single tree.
Garden work should begin when a lump of soil squeezed in the hand is dry enough to fall apart slowly.
Uncover bulb beds and hardy borders near the middle of the month.
Plant deciduous trees and shrubs this month.
Trim out the old canes from the rows of berry bushes. The bramble fruits are borne on new wood of last year's growth.
Prune fruit trees until spring buds swell. Maple and birch should not be pruned until they leaf out.
Sprinkle wood ashes around berries and fruit trees. The potash will enhance the sweetness of the fruit.
Remove mulches from snowdrops and crocuses so the shoots can come through.
Uncover mulched perennial and strawberry beds gradually, pressing into place any plants that have been heaved up.
Dig up over-wintered parsnips as soon as the soil is loose enough. They will not benefit from any additional time in the ground.
Set out pansies as soon as the ground is ready. They'll happily withstand cold weather and will bloom steadily if the spent blossoms are kept picked.
Remove the mulch from your perennial beds gradually. Take it off as the season progresses and add it to your compost pile.
If your compost pile has been frozen all winter, add some manure now and turn it frequently.
Check trellises, latticework, and fences for winter damage. Repair before spring growth begins.
Dormant spraying for fruit trees should be done before spring growth begins.
Resist the temptation to uncover spring-flowering plants such as daffodils and tulips. Mulch may be loosened, but the shoots will still benefit from protection against cold, drying winds.
Manure can be spread over the garden now, especially on the asparagus and rhubarb beds.
Be sure that flats and pots used for starting seed are perfectly clean. Likewise, the soil should be clean and sterile.
Mark and label your sown seeds, indoors and out.
Water newly started seedlings carefully. A pitcher may let the water out too forcefully. A mist sprayer is gentle but can take a long time. Try using a meat basting syringe, which will dispense the water effectively without causing too much soil disruption.
Give peas a chance. The earlier they mature, the sweeter they'll be. Sow them right under the snow, if necessary, but save some for a later planting as well.
Spread dark plastic intended for mulch out over the garden site to hasten the warming of the soil. This will provide for earlier and better germination.
Keep plastic milk jugs or other coverings on hand to protect the flowers of pansies, crocuses, and other early bloomers against the return of severe weather.
Start seedlings of annuals in flats -- aster, larkspur, alyssum, and balsam should be started now (or 6 to 8 weeks before the last frost date in your area). If summer season is short, zinnias should be started now. They will need to be potted up in individual pots after 4 to 5 weeks.
Start some vegetables in flats now: Brussel sprouts, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, peppers, eggplants, tomatoes, and lettuce are good choices.
Seed alpine strawberries now to make attractive and bountiful hanging baskets for summer.
http://www.almanac.com/garden/jobs/index.php?month=3
Water gloxinias and African violets from the bottom, avoiding getting any water on the leaves. Dust the leaves with a small, soft brush.
Consider ordering a few blueberry plants. Not only will they provide delicious fruit for jams, muffins, and pies, but they are also an excellent choice for landscaping plants, offering scarlet fall foliage and creamy white spring flowers. Blueberries serve neatly in a hedge or as specimen plants.
When choosing fruit trees, remember that apple, apricot, and pear trees need two varieties present to ensure pollination. If space is limited, try peach, nectarine, or sour cherry, which will bear fruit on a single tree.
Garden work should begin when a lump of soil squeezed in the hand is dry enough to fall apart slowly.
Uncover bulb beds and hardy borders near the middle of the month.
Plant deciduous trees and shrubs this month.
Trim out the old canes from the rows of berry bushes. The bramble fruits are borne on new wood of last year's growth.
Prune fruit trees until spring buds swell. Maple and birch should not be pruned until they leaf out.
Sprinkle wood ashes around berries and fruit trees. The potash will enhance the sweetness of the fruit.
Remove mulches from snowdrops and crocuses so the shoots can come through.
Uncover mulched perennial and strawberry beds gradually, pressing into place any plants that have been heaved up.
Dig up over-wintered parsnips as soon as the soil is loose enough. They will not benefit from any additional time in the ground.
Set out pansies as soon as the ground is ready. They'll happily withstand cold weather and will bloom steadily if the spent blossoms are kept picked.
Remove the mulch from your perennial beds gradually. Take it off as the season progresses and add it to your compost pile.
If your compost pile has been frozen all winter, add some manure now and turn it frequently.
Check trellises, latticework, and fences for winter damage. Repair before spring growth begins.
Dormant spraying for fruit trees should be done before spring growth begins.
Resist the temptation to uncover spring-flowering plants such as daffodils and tulips. Mulch may be loosened, but the shoots will still benefit from protection against cold, drying winds.
Manure can be spread over the garden now, especially on the asparagus and rhubarb beds.
Be sure that flats and pots used for starting seed are perfectly clean. Likewise, the soil should be clean and sterile.
Mark and label your sown seeds, indoors and out.
Water newly started seedlings carefully. A pitcher may let the water out too forcefully. A mist sprayer is gentle but can take a long time. Try using a meat basting syringe, which will dispense the water effectively without causing too much soil disruption.
Give peas a chance. The earlier they mature, the sweeter they'll be. Sow them right under the snow, if necessary, but save some for a later planting as well.
Spread dark plastic intended for mulch out over the garden site to hasten the warming of the soil. This will provide for earlier and better germination.
Keep plastic milk jugs or other coverings on hand to protect the flowers of pansies, crocuses, and other early bloomers against the return of severe weather.
Start seedlings of annuals in flats -- aster, larkspur, alyssum, and balsam should be started now (or 6 to 8 weeks before the last frost date in your area). If summer season is short, zinnias should be started now. They will need to be potted up in individual pots after 4 to 5 weeks.
Start some vegetables in flats now: Brussel sprouts, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, peppers, eggplants, tomatoes, and lettuce are good choices.
Seed alpine strawberries now to make attractive and bountiful hanging baskets for summer.
http://www.almanac.com/garden/jobs/index.php?month=3
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