In this month’s column we offer an email conversation between two Point Roberts Garden Club members, Peg Keenleyside and Jody Hackleman, talking about renovating a garden and what tasks can be undertaken in the late fall.

Dear Jody,

A friend of mine has a well established garden that she and her husband want to renovate, and they’ve asked me for some advice about things they can do now to get underway and not have to delay the whole project until spring. I wanted to ask for your thoughts on this request as I generally don’t garden in winter (too wet and cold for me!), but I know you do. What do you think: should they try to tackle some of the work now or wait until spring?

P.S. How are your winter salad greens coming along?

Dear Peg,

Well I think it depends on what they want to try to do. This can be a good time to move dormant shrubs like roses, but a bad time to try to move tender perennial plants. What can you tell me about the garden?

P.S. Greens are coming along nicely, and are forming their true leaves.  I see lots of cilantro among the lettuces, but I’m afraid the robins ate all my spinach seedlings!

Dear Jody,

The thing they’ve talked about most is the need to simplify the garden because they travel quite a bit and therefore need a low maintenance regimen.  The garden surrounds their town house property in a complex that is situated on a hill.  The view to the southeast is unobstructed with a rich, eye-captivating landscape of trees and mountains including Mt. Baker.  The windows in the house are designed for the view, and not the garden, which is lower down on the property. That being said though, the garden has a number of really valuable and interesting plants that show a four seasons approach to gardening – incorporating colorful fall-blooming shrubs like Oak Leaf Hydrangea, winter-flowering Hellebores (planted in groups of course – can’t just have one little plant flowering out there in a sea of winter grey), along with a host of better known summer bloomers. Most of the garden lies in full sun.

Dear Peg,

Hmm, sounds like they need a dual strategy: low maintenance perennial plantings and also some eye-catching specimens that draw your eye to the garden from the surrounding view and entice you down to explore it. It’s not too late in the year to be shopping at garden centers for interesting evergreens – always good for a low maintenance approach. But before moving, deleting or planting any new plants. I would recommend that they consider putting in some kind of timed automatic sprinkler system this fall. People sometimes balk at the time and expense of putting one of these systems in but they make a huge difference in terms of the amount of time one has to devote to watering over a summer – especially over a hot, dry summer like we had this past year.

Dear Jody,

Yes, I’ve been bemoaning the loss of so many plants in my garden this past summer just because I didn’t have the time to water or I was away on holiday. Next year’s garden budget is definitely including an automatic watering system!

Talking with my friends about changes to their garden, the plans include moving larger plants that have outgrown their current home (they’re crowding other plants or just getting too big for their location say, beside a pathway) and putting in some new spring color interest around their two entrance doors. I’ve offered that late fall is a good time to prepare larger plants for a move and to move others as they become dormant for the winter. 

Dear Peg,

For larger plants, it may be necessary to prune the roots a year before moving the plant.  For pruning such plants as roses, it is best to leave it until later fall when the leaves have dropped and the branch structure of the plant is revealed. If they do get in a gardening service to help them, now would be a good time to have the landscape specialist come and go over their plans and decide what they can do themselves and what may need younger backs to accomplish.

Right now they can also be dividing overgrown hardy perennials using clean, sharp tools.  They can prepare the new beds to receive the transplants by mixing in lots of bark mulch and add bone meal to the planting holes for good root development.  Maybe they can share some of their extra perennial divisions with friends. 

And don’t forget to remind them to make some notes and place some plant markers around the plants they intend to move!  We tend to forget what a plant looks like in its spot when it’s not in bloom and attracting our attention.  Digital photos taken when the plant or shrub is in full flower can help too.

Dear Jody,

What about weed control? This is a big issue for low maintenance gardeners. I’m an organic gardener as you know, so I try to co-exist with weeds as much as possible, but in a true ornamental garden, weeds really do spoil the effect. Any suggestions for my friends?

Dear Peg,

Mulch now, mulch in spring and keep on mulching through the summer.  If a few weeds pop up they can be controlled by organically derived herbicide-like products. But always read up on them and follow the application directions to the T. 

Dear Jody,

Thanks so much for the feedback on this garden project of my friends. I know they are grateful for the input we can provide. See you at the next club meeting!

BIOS:

Peg Keenleyside has a market garden and an ornamental garden on a
heritage farm in Point Roberts. She teaches organic food gardening
programs for children and also edits the Point Roberts Garden Club “In the Garden” column for the All Point Bulletin.

Jody Hackleman has a little cottage garden where she aims for four season ornamental interest and all-year-round vegetable gardening.  To keep it growing, she relies on the expert advice of local Master Gardeners and professional garden writers.

The last Point Roberts Garden Club’s meeting for 2009 is Wednesday, November 4 at 7 p.m. at the community center. Non-members are always welcome.