IN THE GARDEN

By Doreen Trudel

March has arrived and after perusing the luscious seed catalogs and planning the perfect garden it is finally time to get our hands dirty. We are beginning the busiest season in the garden so our “to do” list is long and varied. The first thing to do in the garden is finish the clean-up from last year. It is easier to weed before this year’s growth gets in the way.
After clean-up it is time to spread compost or well rotted manure over the beds. Make sure you keep the manure from touching the base of plants and trees. Not only is that a vulnerable area on plants you want the nutrients to go to the feeding roots which are around the perimeter of the plants.

Check with U.S. Customs regarding the type of compost or manure they allow to cross the border. I was told that no compost or manures with any cow products are allowed at this time. Also be aware that mushroom manure is very alkaline so it should be used sparingly and it should not be used at all around acid loving plants such as Rhododendrons. Compost is truly the best product for your garden so if you don’t already have one start a compost bin now. The final step in preparing garden beds is applying a layer of mulch, keeping it away from the trunks of trees and the base of other plants.

For new gardeners here is a list of typical spring chores: divide or move perennials, plant summer blooming bulbs, stagger the planting of gladioli corms every week or two for a succession of blooms throughout the summer, feed spring bulbs after they bloom and let the leaves die back, do not cut or tie them. Finish pruning roses and feed them. You can plant hardy perennials, shrubs, roses and trees but wait until after the chance of frost (usually Mother’s Day) to plant tender perennials and annuals.

Finish pruning fruit trees and berry bushes, cover rhubarb with compost and mulch, prune perennial herbs including lavender making sure to leave healthy leaf growth on the stems. Continue to sow seeds either indoors or out following guidelines on the seed packages. Now is the time to aerate and lime an existing lawn and depending upon the temperature it could be time to seed or sod a new lawn. Finally, if you plan to transplant a large shrub this year wait until fall to move it but root prune it now so new feeder roots can develop over the summer.
Check for slug damage on new shoots. Also watch for aphids especially on trees such as Blue Spruce. A strong spray of water will knock the aphids off and they will not return to the plant. Check again later for a new batch of aphids and repeat the water spray. Check for cut worms in the soil around young shoots that are being eaten. The worms are brownish grey and curl into a “c” shape and like slugs they feed at night.

In February we did not have very much rain so I had to water any plants in containers and shallow rooted plants such as Rhododendrons and azaleas. If we have a dry March you may have to do some additional watering.

If you are planning to introduce some new plants into your garden consider silver foliage plants which are frequently drought tolerant and provide an interesting contrast in a perennial bed. Some common silver leafed plants are; Lychnis (rose campion), Stachys (lamb’s ears) Helianthemum (rock rose) Helichrysum (curry plant), Santolina, Cynara (cardoon), Nepeta, Lavandula (lavender), Perovskia,
As we begin the planting season this is a good time to think about documenting your garden. A friend and fellow gardener from Tsawwassen, Laureen McCleary, recently shared her excellent method for staying organized in the garden. She keeps a separate index card for each type of plant she grows noting not only the name and variety or cultivar but the specific requirements such as feeding, pruning, bloom time, dividing time or any other details unique to that plant.
By cross referencing this information each season she knows exactly what chores need to be done and to which plant. Although I like the idea of index cards a computer file would also be handy.

Point Roberts once again has a garden club with 31 enthusiastic members. Many interesting and ambitious plans and ideas were discussed at the first meeting and the 31 members range from beginner to master gardener, from young to not-as-young. The next meeting will be Saturday March 4 at 9:30 a.m. at the Point Roberts Community Center on Gulf Road.

Planting and Pruning Clematis

Clematis is a reliable easy care vine that will provide spectacular flower displays. By choosing plants with different bloom times they can provide a colorful three season display.

Clematis can be divided into three basic pruning groups based on their bloom time. Once you identify the flowering habits of your plant you can follow the pruning guidelines for that category.

Group 1: These are the earliest spring blooming plants, usually evergreen varieties and they bloom on old wood. Prune for size and shape or removal of dead and weak stems immediately after flowering. They do not require pruning to encourage blooms.

Group 2: These Clematis bloom in early summer on old or previous year’s growth. Prune to remove dead or weak stems and then prune stems back to just above a pair of healthy buds.

Group 3: These are the late summer into fall blooming plants which bloom on this year’s new growth. They require a hard pruning in February or March, cutting them back to just above last season’s growth or approximately 30 inches above the soil.

Although Clematis will grow in just about any soil condition except a bog, there are two key requirements to remember when planting. They must have their roots shaded so plant them on the shady side of a fence or plant a shrub to provide shade to the base of the Clematis and bury the crown of the new plant about four inches below the soil. This encourages new roots along the stem.