Newsletter - February 2009

Hi,

"Aquarius", "Leap Year", the Chinese "Year of the Ox", Valentine's Day, and Presidents' Weekend do not affect our gardens, but there are certain activities reserved just for February that we should not ignore - especially while the weather is so beautiful.

Do you have a shade area where you're growing camellias, azaleas, ferns, daphne, hydrangeas and other plants that enjoy this environment? If so, you are probably enjoying the camellia flowers and the wonderful scent from the daphne. If you want to enhance this area with a lower layer of perennial flowers, you should find both the Lenten Rose (Helleborus cultivars) and winter bergenia (Bergenia crassifolia) in bloom at the nurseries now. I like to choose plants while they are performing to pick their color and fullness. For annual color, there should be large selections of the different varieties of primroses. The English primrose has spectacular clear color hues, but the leaves look weedy to me. I prefer the candelabra primrose, or the Primula obconica, foliage, but the color selection is definitely less. It depends on how you'll use them and the amount of space available in your garden. The books will tell you that primroses are perennial, but I usually loose mine in our dry summers. You may prefer cyclamen to primrose for the shade and I do have good luck with repeat bloom on cyclamen. The trick is to plant them with the top of the bulb exposed about ¼ inch above the soil level. This prevents the water sensitive crown from rotting. They're easy and beautiful.

For foliage contrast in the shade, look at arum root. When I was a child, only one type was available -- coral bells (Heuchera sanguinea) and this is still the best for spring flower color. Now however, many varieties are offered for foliage rather than flowers. Burgundy, apricot, chartreuse, and variegated leaves are available at the better nurseries. While you're there, you may also want to seek varieties of foxglove, columbine, and calla to complete a spring palette of color and texture.

There may be a few plants in the shade garden that do not look wonderful right now. Both hydrangea and fuchsia are deciduous and once the leaves are gone, messy, rangy stems are left. Prune them both in February to encourage new growth for summer bloom and to shape and strengthen the shrub. Just as with rose pruning discussed last month, thin out the center for good air circulation to reduce mildew, and direct new growth to the outside of the plant for a balanced shape. Do not prune camellia, azalea, rhododendron, justicia, daphne and pieris until the bloom cycle is completed. Then you have a three month window before they seriously begin to set bud for next winter.

I know I keep reverting to shopping, but if you like summer bulb flowers, they are ready to plant this month. All types of lilies, dahlias and gladiolas are available and the weather encourages planting before clay soil turns to concrete. If you like the more unusual flowers, plant sparaxis (Harlequin flower), ixia (African Corn Lily), crocosmia (Montbretia) and acidanthera (Abyssinian Sword Lily). Like most summer bulbs these are indigenous to South Africa and delightful filling-in small spaces between other plants. Just remember that the acidanthera blooms to the east, so place them where the bloom will face you and not the neighbors. Some things are learned through experience. Also, the seed selection for summer vegetables is ready for perusal. I love the planning and anticipation of garden planting.

The last thing to do this month is to apply lime-sulfur to peaches and nectarines to control curly-leaf disease. Nothing is more disfiguring to these trees. Have a wonderful month and enjoy the garden.