Hello Dear Members,
If you find yourself swinging those gates open to the public on a nice day, one of our garden gurus, Claire, has a few suggestions on things you can do to bide the time and to make our garden even MORE beautiful that it already is. Have a look:
For those who can help this weekend here are some areas that would like some attention, some are ongoing. Mostly watering, weeding, and pruning.
1) Watering:
a) Hydrangeas, the “mop-head” (the big blue one) and “lace-caps” (two in the long border). Deep watering to each, before 11:00 AM or after 7:00PM.
b) Any new plantings in the borders.
2) Dead Ivy Leaves on House Wall: Brushing off the rest of the dead leaves, don’t try to get the dead vines off.
3) Columbia –Summit shady corner:
a) Hellebores (“Lenten, / Christmas Roses”) The finished, brown flowering stalks can be cut as close to the ground as you wish.
b) The four shrubs off the corner can be trimmed into globes or something roundish. Two with small green and white variegated leaves (euonymous)and two with small green leaves (ilex crenata, a type of holly). Scissors or hand pruners. Just let’s not cut them flat to the fence from the outside, roundish there also.
4) The usual hot-weather weeds, seeding about as they will:
a) Mugwort, ailanthus, lamb’s quarters and morning glory. Generally we’ve had no big problems with any of these this year, we’re just pulling them as we see them. So, if you know what they look like, just pull them and toss into the compost.
b) Grass in the paths. The usual treatment, just pull it and compost it.
5) Mediterranean Border (The rubble mound):
a) Autumn clematis: The vines that are streching out across the bed need to be cut way back towards the fence. The recent heat really got that vine going.
b) The grape: Looking good, some wild new shoots can be twined in or cut back,but generally it’s gotten good attention. Lots of grapes ripening!
c) Ground cover juniper: The small brown juniper can be removed or cut back to the ground.
d) Broome roots: Can be dug out or cut back further.
