Warming Up to Cold Weather 
Greetings!
Well, we all knew it was going to happen. The weather has taken its inevitable wet, chilly turn. Those lingering warm days of early fall were great-and I got a lot done outside-but it's time to finish up the garden for good. Oh well. We're entering the season for lots of DVDs, books, and cozy evenings by the fire!
The bulbs are planted. I haven't cut back perennials yet--I had to wait for our late frost first to fell plants--and there are leaves to be raked. Because of a little upcoming travel, I'm going to have to hammer to get it all done before the snow starts to blow.
For a complete list of Iowa fall garden cleanup and winter prep, click here.
Happy Chilly Gardening,
Veronica Lorson Fowler
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Still Time To Plant Bulbs
 October is usually the month to plant bulbs, but with our lingering warm weather, this year you could do it the first couple of weeks of November. Best of all, by now, many garden centers have bulbs on clearance. (But always buy full-sized "not discount" bulbs. Those sold cheap in prepackaged at the big box stores tend to be undersized and won't bloom well.)
Click here for our best bulb planting info and tips! |
Pit Composting
 So many leaves; so little space! My five compost heaps overflow with leaves and cut-back perennials this time of year, so sometimes I do what I call pit composting. Just dig a big hole (or, rather, order my teenage son to dig a hole for me) in an out-of-the-way place-behind my lilacs in the corner of the yard is a favorite. Then fill with leaves. Backfill with some of the soil you dug out and smooth everything level. Nearly invisible and materials break down very quickly underground. |
Better Late Than Never
I've been getting several questions from people who bought perennials late and want to know if they should plant them. The answer is "Yes!" It's best to plant perennials, trees, and shrubs in Iowa in the spring or in early fall. But if you don't have a choice, plant them now and water well.
Key to helping them make it through winter: Mulch with a few to several inches of chopped leaves or straw, anchored in place with chicken wire, branches, or similar material to keep it from blowing.
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Cheer Up Your Desktop
 As cold, rainy weather makes being out in the garden less enjoyable, sometimes it's nice to have a background photo of of a brilliant fall day greet us on screen. Click here to visit our page of photos that can be used as desktop pictures. You'll find this photo there as well as a few others.
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Garden Quote
I read in the paper that this is an especially good year for fall color, and considering some of the spectacular trees I've seen the past couple of weeks, I believe it! So this quote seemed especially appropriate: "In the garden, Autumn is, indeed the crowning glory of the year, bringing us the fruition of months of thought and care and toil. And at no season, save perhaps in Daffodil time, do we get such superb colour effects as from August to November." - Rose G. Kingsley, The Autumn Garden |
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Garden To-Do List
For a printer-friendly version of this list, click here.
 Are you keeping an The Iowa Gardener Garden Journal? If so, click here for your November page!
If you haven't already, pull up all annuals and cut back perennials. Pitch them in your compost heap.
Dig up and store indoors any tender bulbs, such as gladiolus, cannas, dahlias, and caladiums, that you want to store over the winter.
Empty all pots and store indoors for the winter. In Iowa's harsh winters, even plastic containers will crack and clay pots will definitely shatter.
If you have any newly planted trees, especially fruit trees, wrap them with a protective tree wrap now. It prevents sun scald and also prevents rabbits and rodents from nibbling the tasty bark. Remove in spring.
If you want to be safe, wrap boxwood and any other borderline-hardy evergreens to Iowa in burlap. It's a good idea also to wrap any new evergreens that you planted earlier this year. This will prevent winter burn, which can disfigure the plant badly enough you have to dig it up or cut it down.
Perennials and strawberries do best with 1 to 4 inches of a loose, removable mulch over and/or around them. Leaves chopped by running a mower over them are perfect.
Protect roses. Mound all but rugosa roses around the base with 8 to 12 inches of compost or rich, dark soil to protect the bud union (right above the roots) from winter cold.
Hybrid teas, grandiflora, and floribunda roses--the least cold hardy types--are more likely to survive the winter if you also wrap their stems in burlap and twine.
Plant spring-blooming bulbs as long as the soil lisn't frozen. Water well after planting.
Force bulbs now, as desired.
Rake leaves as needed. Keep them off the grass--they can suffocate it. Running the mower over leaves to chop them reduces their volume and makes perfect compost material.
After the frost, do one final mowing. Then run the mower until the gas tank is empty to store it for winter.
Maintain your mower and sharpen the blade.
Detach garden hoses or your faucet may freeze and damage pipes. Drain the hoses and store in the garage or other sheltered place.
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Upcoming Garden Events
Saturday, Nov. 5
Holiday Bulb Mart
Des Moines Botanical Center
9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. Shop for the latest Dutch hybrid amaryllis and paper-white narcissus bulbs for winter flowers in the house. You'll also find a selection of African violets and other gesneriads for winter window gardens and unusual orchids.
Tuesday, Nov. 8
Floral Design Classes
Reiman Gardens, Ames
2:00 or 6:30 p.m. Learn how to create a centerpiece that will upstage the Thanksgiving turkey! Learn the basics of floral design while creating beautiful arrangements to take home. (Those who complete all nine classes in this series will receive a certificate of floral design.)
Decmber 5 - December 23
Home-Grown Holidays Iowa Arboretum, Madrid
9:00-4:00 on weekdays only. Enjoy home grown Iowa Christmas trees creatively decorated for the holidays. Find holiday gifts for all ages at the arboretum gift shop.
For more upcoming Iowa garden events, click here.
Have a garden event or events that you'd like featured in The Iowa Gardener? Click here and send us your information. . |
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