Dwarf Fothergilla (Fothergilla gardenii) is a native shrub that grows only 2-3 feet tall, so it fits in almost any yard. In spring, the plant produces bottlebrush-like clusters of white flowers. Fall color is a mix of yellow, orange and purple. Give this plant full sun or partial shade and a moist, well drained soil. Fall color is best in a sunny location.
Fragrant Sumac (Rhus aromatica) is another native shrub with good fall color. The glossy leaves turn shades of red, purple and orange in autumn. This shrub can grow up to 8 feet tall, but there is a short variety called "Gro-Low" that only gets about 2 feet tall. Fragrant Sumac grows in full sun to partial shade. It prefers a moist, well-drained soil, but can tolerate some dryness.
For more information and to see pictures of these shrubs go to http://www.urbanext.uiuc.edu/shrubselector/
Plan Ahead for Your Christmas Tree
As November rolls around and we look forward to the beginning of the holiday season, we may start planning for a fresh-cut Christmas tree. A trip to the Christmas tree farm is often a tradition that follows directly after Thanksgiving.
To get the most out of your Christmas tree, consider waiting a couple of weeks longer to make that trip. Fresh cut trees can be hard to keep fresh and cutting the tree closer to Christmas will insure a fresher, safer tree when the big day arrives.
A Few "To-do" items for Oct - Nov
October
- Start a compost pile. This is the time of year when we have everything we need (yard waste from garden clean up as well as autumn leaves).
- Be sure to dig up and store summer bulbs like canna and gladiolus, before the weather gets too cold.
November
- Keep watering trees and shrubs (especially evergreens) as long as the ground is not frozen. This will help plants come through winter in better shape.
- When you are through watering for the fall, be sure to drain and store garden hoses to keep them in good working order for next spring.
Blooming Houseplants to Brighten Winter
As the dreary days of winter approach, it would be a good idea to plan for some color inside the house. It will soon be time to buy blooming holiday plants, but there are a number of other blooming houseplants that can brighten winter days.
African Violet is a good, old-fashioned favorite. It frequently blooms for extended periods of time and is an easy care plant. Bright, indirect light or morning sun (east window) is best. Keep evenly moist and fertilize once a month.
Flamingo Flower (Anthurium hybrids) is a more exotic looking flower, with a waxy red, pink or white 'flower'. Provide bright, indirect light and high humidity.
Cyclamen is a great flowering houseplant that can be found in stores just about all year. The showy flowers come in shades of white, pink and red. The leaves are also decorative; often etched with silver markings. This plant would like a few hours of direct sunlight. Be sure the potting mix does not dry out.
Chinese Hibiscus is another favorite. It can be summered out doors and then brought in for winter. It will flower both summer and winter. The exotic looking flowers come in a variety of bright shades. Give this plant a few hours of direct light and keep soils consistently moist. Fertilize monthly.
A key to keeping flowering plants in flower is to keep the temperatures cool. Heat will make flowers fade quickly. For best results keep daytime temperatures in the low to mid-seventies.
Can I Keep It Through the Winter?
We all have some plant in the garden that we would like to save through the winter. Certain plants are easily maintained, others are more difficult.
Plants growing in containers: These plants are relatively easy to keep. If you are growing perennial flowers or small woody plants in containers, bring the entire container indoors. Place them in a basement or garage for the winter. The overwintering site should have some light and should stay above freezing all winter. Perennials and woody plants will be dormant during this time, so they won't need large quantities of light and will need very little water.
Annual plants: There are some annual plants that just seem worth keeping. This can be done couple of different ways.
The entire plant can be dug prior to frost and placed in a container. Once in a container, the plant can be treated like a houseplant, given good light and regular waterings. Annuals react to this treatment in various ways. Some plants may continue to grow and look good, others may maintain a living root system while the top of the plant looks less than desirable. Once spring arrives and the last frost has passed, these plants can be put back into the garden for a quick start.
Many annuals can be kept over winter as stem cuttings. This works well for plants with thicker stems, like geraniums. Take several stem cuttings about 3-4 inches long and stick them in a pot of soil. Keep the soil moist and place the cuttings in bright, but indirect light until they have a chance to form roots. Once they form roots, they can be placed in direct sunlight for good growth.
Plants that aren't always fully hardy in our area: There are a few plants in our garden that are not fully hardy in our area. They may survive a milder winter and then die out in a harsher winter. Despite this, we still try to grow them. These plants include butterfly bush (Buddleia species), some species of hydrangea, many roses and some of the mums. After we have had a frost or two, consider a heavy mulching of these plants. The mulch should be several inches thick (up to 10 inches) and should drain well so that the plants do not drown. Surround the base of the plant with a small fence to hold the mulch in place and apply several inches of a light mulch like straw, oak leaves or evergreen boughs. There is no guarantee that this will work every year, but it may extend the life of some of these borderline plants.
Some summer bulbs like caladium can be potted up and kept indoors like house plants.
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