| Close the garden loop with pot recycling |
So much of "being green" is doing the little things that can make a big difference. Take, for instance, recycling your garden pots.
Did you know that gardeners and garden centers in the U.S. use more than 350,000,000 pounds of plastic annually? If all that plastic ends up in the landfill, it's truly a mountain of trash! For that very reason, we have a recycling program, and garden pots are a big part of it!
As you put the garden to bed, don't forget that you can bring your garden pots to us for recycling. We'll see that they do not end up in a landfill! It's as simple as that.
We accept pots of all sizes, cell packs, hanging baskets and trays in our recycling program. Nest items together to conserve space. And thank you for being green as the gardening season comes to a close. |
| Take notes please! |
Now is the time of year to take lots of notes about your garden. As you cleanup, you'll see all kinds of things you want to change next year. You may think you will remember them all. How could you forget - you've spent all summer looking at those garden spots that need a makeover!
But don't be deceived! Winter comes and the snow covers it all and pretty soon you have forgotten all about them. Avoid that calamity by taking notes now! If you use the list technique, this can be a fun assignment.
List those garden areas that you want to improve, making note about what you don't like, or what the problem is in that spot.
Make another list of plants you have seen and loved this past summer. These are the potential additions to your own garden, if the right spot can be identified.
A third list can mention the colors that seem absent from your garden. This can help with plant selection for next year. (Not that you have to have every color in your garden! Some gardeners prefer to limit colors - but more about that another time.)
A final list should mention the types of beds you want to create - a butterfly garden? A night time garden? An herb garden? A rain garden?
We'll do some planning over the winter in Seasonal Solutions, using these lists!
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| In our next issue |
More on garden recycling
Holiday decor in the garden
Protecting shrubs and roses Watering in winter and more! |
| Contact us |
2550 East Dempster Street
Des Plaines, IL 60016
847-824-7411
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| Featured Plant: Amaryllis |
 The Amaryllis is a spectacular flowering bulb very popular during the Holiday season. If you want to have a flowering Amaryllis for Christmas, you need to begin the process of bringing the bulb to bloom now. The entire process takes about 6 weeks.
The Amaryllis produces several large and spectacular blossoms atop each stalk. They come in white, red, pink, orange, and some striped and ruffled varieties. It is not frost hardy and therefore is seen in our area only as an indoor blooming plant.
Once potted your Amaryllis needs a thorough watering only once. It will take about 2-3 weeks for growth to occur. It grows quickly and is therefore a great plant to watch with kids, who will see a daily change as it shoots out of the pot. The stalk will reach about 2 feet tall and as it grows the flower buds will become more prominent. The buds open just as quickly as the stalk grows, and the flowers are stunning no matter what color you select.
After that, light watering and a warm room with good light are needed. Once you see the bud emerge from the center, you are on your way.
Amaryllis bulbs have arrived at the Garden Center in pink, white, red, Apple Blossom (pink and white striped) and Candy Stripe (red and white striped)! |
| To mulch or not to mulch -- that is the question |
With apologies to Shakespeare, we're going to consider the merits of winter mulch.
What plants need extra protection from the winter elements? How do you protect them? Should you mulch plants for the winter? These are typical put-the-garden to bed questions. Here are some answers!
Mulching with a commercial product (premium hardwood, pine fines, or other shredded material) can help protect the root system of plants during winter by acting like a blanket. The secret of success when using mulch for winter is knowing what to use in any given situation.
Mulching with any shredded hardwood product is most beneficial to trees and shrubs. "Mulch like with like" is the key. Trees and shrubs are woody and in a natural setting they would be surrounded by deposited woody material. You are mimicking this when you mulch them with woody material in your garden.
Perennials can be mulched but should not be smothered with too much, too close. This practice can promote fungal disease and root rot if the weather is cold and wet for long periods - as it often is in the winter. If you are using commercial mulch, leave a ring of open soil around your perennials.
For sensitive plants that need serious winter protection, use burlap wrapped straw or shredded leaves around the base. The burlap should be pinned or staked in place or you can use plastic rose collars that are available at the Garden Center. Plants that need this type of protection during the winter months in Chicago include Butterfly Bush, some varieties of Sage, some varieties of St. John's Wort, and Roses. Any plant that is classified for Zone 5B could survive in the garden successfully if winterized in this way.
The right time to mulch your flower beds, and around trees & shrubs is now through early winter. Tender plants and certain roses should not be covered until temperatures are consistently below freezing for a minmum of three weeks. Look for details in the next issue of Seasonal Solutions. |
| Plan now for stunning and festive outdoor winter containers |
Even though the hHoliday season is not quite here, it's time to begin thinking about your Holiday containers. If you use top soil or sand as a base and water the pot, the arrangement will freeze in place and be stable for as long as the weather remains below freezing.
Here are some tips to keep in mind:
Use a variety of cut greens - including Spruce, Juniper, Pine and Fir. This adds texture, depth and interest to the design. Blue Spruce branches also add a different color! If your pot is big enough, you can use a miniature live potted evergreen.
Use bare twigs. Red Twig Dogwood branches are common in winter containers because they are red and they add height. Curly Willow or Birch are other possibilities. For something different, use spray painted twigs in the color of your choice.
Don't forget seeds! Pinecones are the first seed containers to use, of course, but they are not the only possibility. The seed pod of the Sweetgum tree make an interesting decoration for your container. Or, how about buckeyes?
Don't be afraid to experiment with ribbons, seeds, pine cones, lotus pods, berries, and more!
Attend a Winter Container Workshop at the Garden Center in November or December to create a beautiful container for a gift or for your own garden decorating.
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