Archive for October 2007
Protecting new divisions — October 30, 2007
Fall’s one of the best times to divide your pulmonaria or other perennials, so here’s a tip for helping the divisions survive.
Water hemlock — October 30, 2007
At a glance, the foliage resembles the herbs chervil, coriander and parsley.
‘Samantha’ bellflower — October 23, 2007
We grew ‘Samantha’ at our test garden in part shade and it bloomed beautifully. It’ll rebloom in late summer or fall if you deadhead.
Pineappleweed — October 23, 2007
It’s almost a shame to call this a weed, except that it doesn’t respect the boundaries of your garden. At 6 to 18 in. tall, this annual weed has finely divided leaves that smell like pineapple when they’re bruised.
Video: Wrap a tree — October 16, 2007
On sunny winter days, the bark of young trees can develop frost cracks. It’s a good idea to protect them by wrapping their trunks in fall with some white tree wrap.
Dodder — October 16, 2007
Dodder is a parasite with suckerlike roots that penetrate into another plant’s stem to gather nutrients and water.
Garter snakes — October 9, 2007
Common garter snakes are sometimes called garden snakes. The yellow stripes you see in the photo give these snakes their name.
Crown gall — October 9, 2007
A good word to describe crown gall on roses and other ornamental plants is “yuck.” The lumpy growths around the base of the plant are unattractive, to say the least.
Fritillaria bulbs of all sizes — October 2, 2007
Most bulbs do best with a planting depth of three times the height of the bulb, and fritillarias are no different. All I can say is don’t scrimp on this.
Leafy spurge — October 2, 2007
Although this perennial weed grows only 3 to 4 ft. high, its roots may spread up to 14 ft. below ground.
