IN THE GARDEN

By Doreen Trudel

Although September in the Pacific Northwest can be warm and sunny the arrival of the Labor Day holiday also means that fall is near. This time of year brings an opportunity to implement those garden design ideas we have been collecting and planning all summer. When the weather cools and the rain begins it is time to peruse the garden center for shrubs, trees and spring bulbs.

Although you must wait until October to plant bulbs, if you wait until then to buy them your choices will be limited. Consider choosing some of the bulbs recommended by the Great Plant Picks program including Allium cristophii (star of Persia). In May its spectacular inflorescences bloom on top of a two to three foot stem. Also blooming in May is Camassia quamash (Indian hyacinth) producing tall blue flowers. March blooming Crocus tommasinianus (Tommasinini’s crocus) is a longer lived species of this diminutive harbinger of spring. Other early spring bulb suggestions include Narcissus ‘King Alfred’ (trumpet daffodil), Tulipa ‘Spring Green’ (viridiflora tulip) and Erythronium ‘Pagoda’ (yellow fawn lily).

Fall is the time to plant tulips so I planned on discussing some new and unusual introductions but I quickly realized I cannot talk about Tulips without photographs. I found two excellent websites which have not only beautiful pictures but also encyclopedic information on choosing and growing many species and varieties of Tulips. There are very few Tulip growers left in Skagit County but one comprehensive site featuring local growers is www.tulips.com. If you are looking for an even greater variety of bulbs from Holland an informative and easy site is www.dutchgardens.com. They are in the U.S. so it is very easy to buy from this company. Both sites offer a variety of bulbs, not just Tulips.

In spring I was surprised by this year’s particularly pretty crop of wildflowers otherwise referred to as weeds by the unromantic. So I defiantly stood in front of husband and mower to protect my patch of nature’s little gifts. From this single act bloomed a summer’s worth of research on meadow making. After three months of periodical perusing, web surfing and book browsing I have determined that beginning a meadow is not for the faint of heart. Seeding a meadow seems to involve the same preparation as seeding a lawn in a weed patch with additional steps thrown in.

Just when I was going to put aside my vision of dancing the May pole in my very own meadow I found an article on meadow making touting the superiority of simply broadcasting wildflower seeds after having first mowed the area then tromping on the seeds either by foot over a small area or with a roller on a larger patch. The key seems to be in choosing the correct combination of seeds for our area and sowing just before rain.

Some Washington horticulturalists and botanists warn against using wildflower seed mixes due to the high percentage of noxious weed seeds in these mixes. I have found a source that offers wildflowers packaged individually allowing the gardener to choose which flowers to grow in her meadow. Since increasing the supply of noxious weeds should not be the goal of any gardener I will broadcast these specialty seeds in my own little meadow patch and report back next year. If any readers have experience in meadow seeding I would like to hear of your endeavors.

At any gathering of gardeners you will hear a lot of gardening folk wisdom. Some of these myths are now being studied and tested. A few factoids I have heard recently about compost tea, repelling yellow jackets and re-hydrating soil have been supported by research and could be helpful.

Using compost has been found to be better for the garden than simply using a tea made from compost. The compost tea can be used as a supplement only when it is impractical to use compost on the area.
Yellow jackets are a beneficial insect but they do have a nasty sting. When in the garden a convenient repellent is a scented fabric softener sheet. Carrying one of these sheets or leaving them around your outdoor dining area is said to discourage the wee beasties.

If you water your plants but they still look parched make sure that the water is getting down into the soil and the roots. Soil can dry out and form a hard surface crust or become hydrophobic. When this happens the soil actually repels water creating puddles but not letting the water soak in. Hydrophobic soil is very common during dry summer months.

Once your soil gets to this state the only solution has been a time consuming process of slowly watering and re-watering frequently until the soil several inches down is moist and puddles do not form. Pooling large amounts of water on the surface will only form tiny rivers of water going no further down than the surface cracks allow.

Garden writer Mary Robson suggests pre-soaking the area with a mild soap and water mixture. The soap acts as a surfactant which reduces the surface tension keeping the water from interacting with the soil. I did use this on a small patch in my garden and although you still have to water and re-water the area the soapy water did seem to speed the process. I use non-toxic, biodegradable, non-petroleum based dish soap which is approved for greywater systems so I assume it will not hurt surrounding plants.

One final reminder; September is time to direct sow sweet peas if you are looking for early blooms.