Despite the dry and windy spring we’ve been having, the flowering shrubs and trees have been glorious. I can tell that it’s been a mild winter when I get azalea blooms on the entire shrub. Typically, many of my azaleas only bloom on the bottom half where they are covered by snow. Does that happen to you as well? I have never seen so many blooms on dogwoods, crab apples, azaleas and many of the other trees that are flowering now. There is hardly space for the leaves! I’ve kept my fingers crossed that the recent cold nights don’t turn those blooms to brown mush!

We seem to be entering a warming trend this week but remember – we can still have a frost through the end of May. Be faithful about monitoring the nighttime temperatures in your local weather reports. Even though this spring got off to a very early start with unseasonable warm weather, and many of our plants are blooming ahead of schedule, be wary of more frosts and the need to protect vulnerable buds that are forming on peonies and other perennials.

“To stand silently in the early morning light and know that I am part of the life that flowers all around me is a gift unlike any other in the universe.”  –Peggy Kornegger

MY TOP 5 SMALL SHRUBS FOR EARLY SPRING COLOR

As many of you know, I’ve been advocating the use of small shrubs in our gardens in place of fussy perennials because they are much easier to care for, they never need dividing, and if you select the right shrub, they require very little care once they are planted. Here are a few of my favorites.

Magic Carpet Spirea in the Garden Border

–Spirea ‘Magic Carpet’ and ‘Mini Gold’ – yellow & gold foliage is always a welcome splash against the brown soil first thing in the spring before flower blooms begin to appear. I’ve come to rely on spireas for that spot of brightness early in the spring for full sun areas. These two varieties stay below 2’ tall and work nicely into the front of the border.

–Weigela and Ninebark – my passion for burgundy foliage used as a contrast to golds and greens in the landscape has now found a new source of this wonderful color that could, at one time, only be satisfied with barberry. Both the weigela and ninebark families offer great dwarf shrubs for the garden and foundation plantings that range in size from only 12 to 18” tall (‘Midnight Wine’ weigela) to a the 5’ x 5’ ‘Summer Wine’ ninebark with many other sizes in between.

–Korean Spice Vibernum ‘Compactum’ (V. carlesii) – the sweet fragrance of this plant cannot be beat in April. I have a 5’ to 6’ full size multi-stemmed Korean Spice that unfortunately took a beating in the October 2011 storm but is still standing. Local nurseries are now carrying a compact version of this wonderful shrub that fits more easily into the garden border. Plant it close to a path or near a deck or patio area to enjoy the spring fragrance and great burgundy fall color.

–Evergreen azalea – this is a small shrub that can’t be beat for four seasons of interest – lush, colorful blooms each spring, dark green foliage all summer, leaves that darken to red/burgundy in the fall and remain that way throughout the cold winter – ready to begin again each spring. Some of my favorites are ‘Mother’s Day’, ‘Delaware Valley White’, and ‘Rosebud’.

SHRUB BUYING ADVICE

I think one of the most prevalent problems I see that homeowners make when doing their own landscaping is planting shrubs too closely together. Many times, people plant according to the size of the shrub they are buying. Sometimes people will read the tag to note mature size but that is not a guarantee. The Internet is full of good advice from reputable sources on mature plant size. It’s best to compare a few sites and evaluate carefully before you buy and plant. I can’t tell you how many overgrown foundation plantings I’ve torn out already this year. Save time and money and do your research. Also take advantage of the expertise of nursery managers like Dan Ziomek at Hadley Garden Center. When I am concerned about putting a shrub in a particular spot, his knowledge with plant sizes and habits has been invaluable to me.

MARK YOUR CALENDARS — IT’S PLANT SALE TIME!!

As soon as nursery stock begins arriving, I start shopping and planting. I always look forward to the local plant sales because they are a great place to pick up good buys and plants that we know will survive and thrive in our area. Here are a few of the more popular sales. Consult Sherry Wilson’s column in the Daily Hampshire Gazette each week for a full list and details for each sale. I’m planning to do a mid-month blog update to list additional plant sales – you can also check my Events page for an updated list.

May 12: Smith Vocational School SOS Plant and Garden Market (Northampton)

May 12: Garden Club of Amherst Plant Sale on the town common

June 2: Hadley “One Room School House” Plant Sale – at the schoolhouse on Hockanum Rd.

Also remember that the weekly farmer’s markets are a great place to buy locally grown plants. It’s another opportunity for you to “buy local” and support the local growers.

Coming Next Month: A list of area Garden Tours.

UPCOMING GARDENSCAPES EVENTS

Spring Garden Tour and Tea 2011: Friends enjoying tea on the deck

June 9: My Spring Garden Tour and Tea

My second annual Spring garden tour and tea is scheduled for Saturday, June 9th from 10am to 3pm (rain date June 10). Having the tour a few weeks later this year will make a big difference in the number of blooms we will enjoy. Early to mid June is typically peak color time in my gardens. Come and spend some time wandering among the beautiful blossoms, sip tea and munch on delicious goodies, and exchange garden gab with other kindred garden spirits. Check my Events page for the latest line-up of activities. I’m working on signing up a few artist friends to work out in the gardens that day.

Today is May Day and the welcoming sound of raindrops is music to my ears and will be so helpful to the gardens. I wish you a great month of putting in new plants, picking fragrant bouquets to keep under your nose, and some quiet, peaceful time spent working in your own little corner of the world.

Happy Gardening,

Debbie

My double bloodroot is in bloom!

Spring has sprung, with a little summer weather thrown in for good measure. Happily, we’ve escaped late season snows (so far!). As I write this update it is raining and I hope it continues throughout the evening to give our dry gardens a much needed soaking.

It’s been interesting to make notes in my garden journal of the “firsts” of the season, and look back at years past to compare dates and notes. This year has many of the first birds and blooms beat by a long shot. This is the earliest that I’ve seen buds on daylilies, honeysuckle and clematis!

One thing is for certain, as gardeners in New England, we need to be flexible!

“If the day and night are such that you greet them with joy

and life emits a fragrance like flowers and sweet scented herbs –

that is your success. All nature is your congratulations.”

–Henry David Thoreau

NEW GARDENING BOOKS OF NOTE

It was only a matter of time before a garden book appeared about gardening in extreme weather situations.  “Weatherproofing Your Landscape – A Homeowner’s Guide to Protecting and Rescuing Your Plants” has just arrived. Written by Sandra Dark and Dean Hill, the book focuses on the harsh effects of wind, drought, ice and snow, and flooding with particular emphasis on the consequences for trees and shrubs. Considering the many unusual weather “events” we experienced last year, this may be a good book to keep on the gardening bookshelf!

5 FAVORITE PERENNIALS FOR EARLY SPRING COLOR & INTEREST

We often rely on spring bulbs to provide the first spots of color in our gardens. Colorful daffodils, grape hyacinths, scilla, and many other bulbs have been blooming for weeks in my yard. I’m always looking for perennials that show great early spring interest and have found several over the years that have become favorites in my gardens.

• Iberis (Candytuft) – This low-growing mound of dark green foliage is covered with white flowers. For me, it is a semi-evergreen plant and after a particularly mild winter and early spring, it is already covered with blooms. It’s not fussy about soil or watering and takes full sun. Try it in a rock garden or on the edge of your border. ’Purity’ has larger blooms than other varieties and is my candytuft of choice.

• Euphorbia polychroma (Cushion Spurge) – I love plants that have chartreuse flowers and this foot tall mound of attractive foliage adds great color and form to the early spring border. It likes full sun and is not fussy once it is established. This is a plant that looks good in my border from spring through fall providing a neat mound of foliage, even after the flowers fade.

Feathery Pulsatilla in my rock garden.

• Pulsatilla (Pasque Flower)– Feathery leaves and flower heads are already emerging in my rock garden on this fabulous early perennial. I have the purple and white varieties and they come back faithfully year after year. A bonus for this lovely little plant is the fuzzy seed heads that appear after the flower petals fall off. I leave them on the plant for added interest in the spring garden.

• ‘Basket of Gold’ Alyssum (now called Aurinia) – Golden yellow blooms cover soft grey-green leaves on this colorful groundcover plant. I use it to cascade over the edges of my pergola stone walls. It is very drought tolerant and a great source of nectar for early spring bees and butterflies.

• Hellebores – I cannot imagine my gardens without one of my favorite four season plants, also called Lenten Rose. These woodland plants bloom in shades of whites, pinks and reds in late winter to early spring and require very little care other than to clip off the previous year’s leaves. This plant is a must- have for part shade to shady locations.

UPCOMING GARDENSCAPES LECTURES

March was a busy month for giving lectures – I did four within a space of two weeks and always enjoy sharing my expertise with an audience of gardeners! Yesterday at the Master Gardener Spring Gardening Symposium in Holyoke, I gave two talks and attended a very good lecture on native shrubs given by Leslie Duthie, plant propagator at Norcross Wildlife Sanctuary. The list of speakers and programs was especially good this year. I hope some of you had the opportunity to attend. $30.00 is a great bargain for a day of helpful gardening advice, and to have the opportunity to spend time with other gardeners sharing your ideas and experiences after months spent away from the garden.

I have one more lecture scheduled for this Spring. It is one of the talks I gave this weekend at the Symposium.

Wednesday, April 25 at Goodwin Memorial Library in Hadley at 6:30pm: Creating a Garden For All The Senses. This is a PowerPoint presentation with beautiful photos and I will be leading a special exercise to help you plan your own unique multisensory garden! The event is free and open to the public.

For a more complete list of area garden-related lectures and workshops, please visit my Events & Workshops Page.

Early blooming Hellebores in my woodland border.

I hope that your spring has gotten off to a good start and that you’ve already been digging in the dirt and picking bouquets of spring flowers. Until next time, enjoy the “dance of spring” and all of the rewards that it offers.

Happy Gardening!

Debbie

The new USDA Hardiness Zone Map

Recently, the USDA released its new USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map adjusting many of the zones throughout the United States to reflect a slow change in minimum winter temperatures. The new map reflects a minimum increase of 1/2 zone and as much as a full zone higher, depending on where you live in the country. For many of us here in western Massachusetts, getting less-hardy plants to survive winter temperatures, this is great news indeed! A new selection of plants will now be available to us.

For years, I’ve been reminding gardeners to buy Zone 5 plants and now I believe it’s time to consider Zone 6 plants as well. For me, that means no more hilling up the soil around butterfly bushes, clematis and other favorite temperamental perennials in the Fall to ensure that they make it to Spring. On this season’s shopping list will be a few new shrubs and perennials that I’d always wished were more hardy.

So, stay tuned! Each month I will be introducing you to Zone 6 plants that I hope you will work into your garden beds and borders. Spring is just around the corner!

Our crazy winter — on again, off again . . .

On this last day of February I am looking out the window at a blizzard of snow! Earlier this week I made note of robin song first thing in the morning, delighted in gold finches starting to show their spring gold color, saw a lone yellow crocus blooming at the Hadley post office and thought that maybe winter will pass us by this year. Not so I’m afraid.

That’s fine with me. It’s only 20 days until the first official day of spring and I’m making my plant shopping lists, beginning to pot up dahlia tubers, enjoying new amaryllis blossoms that open every day, and have already been out cutting back my ornamental grasses. This winter has been just one long spring as far as I’m concerned and I’m not going to let a snowstorm dampen my spirits!

“May flowers always line your path and sunshine light your day.

May songbirds serenade you every step along the way.

May a rainbow run beside you in a sky that’s always blue.

And may happiness fill your heart each day your whole life through”.

~Irish Blessing

NEW GARDENING BOOKS OF NOTE

Photo courtesy of Ellen Hoverkamp

While at the Connecticut Spring Flower and Garden Show last Friday, I spoke with a wonderful photographer by the name of Ellen Hoverkamp who has collaborated with one of my favorite garden writers, Ken Druse, on a new book titled Natural Companions – The Garden Lover’s Guide to Plant Combinations’. Ellen is a botanical photographer who creates her work using a flatbed scanner. Her flower photos are stunning. I highly recommend this gorgeous book showing creative plant pairings throughout the seasons.

Another must-have book for anyone who is interested in sustainable gardening and using native/indigenous plants should pick up a copy of Carolyn Summers’ book Designing Gardens with Flora of the American East. I found it as thought provoking as Doug Tallamy’s recent book Bringing Nature Home and use both books as reference for my garden design work.  I worry about the destruction of our native wildlife habitat and appreciate books that educate the public about how and why this destruction is happening and what we, as gardeners, can do to make a positive difference.

PLEASING PERENNIALS FOR 2012

Karen Olsen from Sunny Border Nurseries gave a great talk a few weeks ago on New and Noteworthy Perennials at Hadley Garden Center. I’m really excited about many of the plants Karen showed us and include my five favorites here.

Coreopsis ‘Galaxy’ – a member of the ‘Big Bang’ series of cold-hardy sturdy coreopsis, this selection has bright yellow, semi-double flowers that bloom from June to October on compact plants that grow 12” tall. I will be using this plant along the front of my borders for sure.

‘Virgin’ Echinacea purpurea – always on the lookout for a good, reliable white coneflower, this fragrant white variety blooms mid-summer through fall, has a green center and has a nice upright habit with no staking.

Photo courtesy of Nature Hills

Geranium sanguineum ‘Sweet Heidi’– this hardy geranium has large pink saucer-shaped flowers with white eyes. This low-maintenance mounding plant will grow in sun or part shade (pictured here).

‘Beaujolais’ Heuchera – I’m always on the lookout for plants with non-green foliage to add interest and variety to my gardens. This selection has large burgundy leaves with a sliver cast and burgundy venation throughout. The plant will grow 12” tall and about 14” wide. I can’t wait to try it.

Salvia pratensis ‘Rose Rhapsody’ – who can resist a perennial with such a name? The hooded pink flowers bloom on dark green stems from June to August and with deadheading, will rebloom in the fall. It should be a great hummingbird magnet!

UPCOMING GARDENSCAPES LECTURES

March is a busy month for garden events. The spring bulb shows run from March 3 – 18 at both Mt. Holyoke and Smith colleges – both are must-see events guaranteed to bring on spring fever. In addition to ongoing talks at local garden centers, we round out the month with the Western Mass Master Garden Symposia in Deerfield, Holyoke and the Berkshires. For those of you who don’t mind traveling down to U-Conn in Storrs, CT, the Perennial Plant Conferences for professionals and home gardeners occurs mid-month.

I hope to see you at one or more of my talks later in the month:

Saturday, March 24 at Annie’s Garden & Gift Store — 10am: Creating a Garden For All The Senses (this is a new topic – first time presented). Free

Saturday, March 31 at the 16^th Annual Western Mass. Master Gardener’s Spring Gardening Symposium at Dean Technical High School in Holyoke – 8:45am to 3:30pm. I will be presenting 2 topics: Creating a Backyard Wildlife Habitat and Creating a Garden For All The Senses. Registration for workshops is required. Classes fill up fast so register early. Visit the Western Mass. Master Gardener site for more information.

For a more complete list of area garden-related lectures, workshops and annual flower and garden shows, please visit my Events and Workshops Page.

Until next month, keep those snow shovels nearby, but get your garden tools cleaned and ready. Have you checked your bulbs in storage and do you have your seed supplies ready? Spring is just around the corner!

Photo courtesy of flowersociety.org

In honor of American Heart Month and Valentine’s Day,
I’m dedicating this mid-month update to the color red and how we can incorporate more red into our winter landscapes.

WINTER GARDENING

Here are my five favorite ways to enjoy red in the landscape –

Add these shrubs and perennials to your 2012 wish list so that next February at this time, you’ll be seeing red in your own landscape!

• Winterberry (Ilex verticillata) – the brilliant red berries of winterberries stand out so well and can be seen from quite a good distance. This shrub is deciduous and the berries cling to the branches after the leaves fall off. Another bonus of this shrub is that it attracts birds to your yard! Hollies also have bright red berries while the dark leathery green leaves stay on the shrub year-round. Both a male and female variety are needed for winterberries and other hollies to produce berries.

• Red-Twig Dogwood (Cornus alba)
  I cannot imagine my landscape without my favorite red-twig dogwoods. On a sunny day when snow is on the ground, there aren’t many plants that can supply this warm red color on a cold winter day. Even without snow cover, the twigs of this beautiful shrub just glow in the sun.

• ‘Winter Fire’ Pieris japonica
  The new foliage of this evergreen shrub is a fiery red and covers the shrub at this time of the year. In the spring, clusters of drooping red flowers appear. A beautiful choice for a part-sun location.
  

  'Mountain Fire' Pieris japonica

• Perennials – although these perennials offer more of a burgundy color than warm red, the evergreen foliage of ‘Dark Towers’ Penstemon and the many varieties of Heuchera (‘Purple Petticoats’ is a favorite of mine) offer good foliage color throughout the winter months.
• Cardinals – seeing a pair of cardinals out in my bird sanctuary just makes my heart sing. The bright red plumage of one of my favorite birds is a delight at all times of year, but particularly seen against white snow.

In Honor of President’s Day

“No occupation is so delightful to me as the culture of the earth . . . and no culture comparable to that of the garden . . . But, though an old man, I am but a young gardener.”  –Thomas Jefferson

PERENNIALS LECTURE – THIS SATURDAY, 2/18

Mark this lecture on your calendar — 1pm at Hadley Garden Center, Karen Olson, a horticulturist with Sunny Border Nurseries, will be doing her annual update of new and improved perennials. Her slides are always wonderful to view on a winter afternoon and besides, you need to keep adding to your 2012 plant wish list! Karen always provides a great handout too!

For a more complete list of area garden-related lectures, workshops and annual flower and garden shows, please visit my Events & Workshops Page.

Hasn’t this been an easy winter so far? Once we get November, December and January behind us, I always feel that I can say that spring is just around the corner. Although February can be quite “wintery”, March can often provide good days for early spring garden work. With a forecast for the mid-50’s and rain mid-week, the month isn’t starting out too badly!

I’ve been reading up on all of the 2012 plant introductions in garden magazines, browsing daily arrivals of gardening catalogs, and attending a weekly garden lecture to keep me in the gardening mindset. February is the month for spring flower and garden shows too – a great way to get a garden fix! Check my Events page for a listing of New England shows.

At this time next month, we’ll be saying, “in just a few more weeks” . . . . . I can’t wait, can you?

“To own a bit of ground, to scratch it with a hoe, to plant seeds and watch the renewal of life – this is the commonest delight of the race, the most satisfactory thing a man can do”
Charles Dudley Warner

BIRD GARDENS IN WINTER

As always, my bird viewing area on the north side of my house is one of my favorite winter garden spots! A lone robin and red-bellied woodpecker have taken up permanent residence in my crabapple trees snacking on the few remaining dried fruits! I’ve been putting out raisins as an extra treat for the robin and keep the suet feeders filled for the woodpecker.

Did you know that when birds puff up their feathers they are doing it to hold in their body heat? Our state bird, the chickadee, looks like a little fluff ball and is so comical to watch. These perky little birds are constantly at my feeders enjoying black oil sunflower and safflower seeds! They add such joy to my day.

INDOOR WINTER GARDENING

I’m enjoying all of my windowsill plants — my amaryllis bulbs have been brought up from the cellar, fed, and are showing new growth – several with buds already! Watching the daily changes in plant growth and blooms satisfies my connection to Nature during the winter months.

Fragrant Primroses — Did you ever notice that some primroses have a lovely sweet scent? Pick up and sniff a yellow primrose the next time you are shopping. They seem to have the most pronounced fragrance – very similar to freesias.

DEBBIE’S TOP FIVE — New Plant Introductions for 2012

I always look forward to reading about new and exciting plant introductions at this time of the year and watch for small easy-care shrubs that can be worked into the garden border. Here are five new compact shrubs that will be on my “can’t do without“ list!

‘Sapphire Surf’ Caryopteris x clandonensis – this dark blue flowered bluebeard will grow only 2’ tall x 3’ wide – a perfect addition to the garden border. Very low-maintenance and deer resistant.

‘Baton Rouge’ Cornus alba – a small red-twig dogwood providing four seasons of interest. Compact at 3’ – 4’ tall and wide. The vibrant red stems in winter are the real bonus!

‘Starburst’ Kalmia– maroon banded star shaped flowers with small leaves, this Mt. Laurel will slowly grow 5 – 6’ tall and wide.

‘Pancake’ Thuja – a low, mounding arborvitae with blue-green winter color growing about 2’ wide by 1’ tall.  A good evergreen plant for front of the border.

‘Sugar Baby’ Forsythia – this miniature forsythia grows only 1 ½ to 2 ½ ‘ tall and is covered with golden yellow blooms.

UPCOMING GARDENSCAPES LECTURES

I’ve been spending the last few Saturdays going to gardening lectures and I always run into friends and gardeners who I haven’t seen in awhile. I also pick up a new flowering plant in the greenhouse at Annie’s or Hadley Garden Center  – both places have several more Saturday workshops scheduled. It’s such a pleasant way to spend part of my Saturday. I hope to see you at one of my lectures between now and spring:

Saturday, Feb. 4 at Hadley Garden Center –1pm: Creating Easy-Care Gardens. Free.

Saturday, March 24 at Annie’s Garden & Gift Store — 10am: Creating a Garden For All The Senses (this is a new topic – first time presented). Free

Saturday, March 31 at the 16^th Annual Western Mass. Master Gardener’s Spring Gardening Symposium at Dean Technical High School in Holyoke – 8:45am to 3:30pm. I will be presenting 2 topics: Creating a Backyard Wildlife Habitat and Creating a Garden For All The Senses. Registration for workshops is required. Classes fill up fast so register early. Visit www.wmassmastergardeners.org.

For a more complete list of area garden-related lectures, workshops and annual flower and garden shows, please visit my Events & Workshops Page.

Until next month, have fun reading all of those gardening catalogs, start making your seed list, enjoy watching and feeding the birds, and create your own windowsill garden with beautiful primrose, mini-daffodils and other colorful spring plants available at our local nurseries. Spring is getting closer!

Happy February!

Debbie

I have also witnessed how much I have grown as a person by connecting with Nature on a regular basis. Both areas have made such a positive impact on my life that I want to share them with you.

So, for 2012, in addition to my garden design and coaching services, you will see an increased emphasis on ecological gardening. I will continue to teach how to build backyard wildlife habitats using native plants, and will show you how to create your own garden sanctuary and contemplative garden spaces. I‘ll be promoting the healing aspects of gardening and showing you how to grow better herbs, vegetables, and flowers for cutting and crafts. Not only will you be growing your own gardens better, but you’ll be growing yourself as well!

For those of you who attended and enjoyed my Garden Tour and Tea last year, I plan to hold one again in May or June and will be posting the date soon. As always, my gardens are open to anyone who would like to stop by for inspiration or education and I look forward to sharing my love of gardening with you in some way in 2012!

“Winter, a lingering season, is a time to gather golden moments, embark upon a sentimental journey, and enjoy every idle hour. ”  -  John Boswell

SIMPLE PLEASURES OF WINDOWSILL GARDENING

Gardening, for me, doesn’t end when I put my outdoor gardens to bed. My sunny plant window and south-facing windows in my home are filled with plants – many with colorful blooms and sweet fragrance.

Have you tried the new ‘Inbal’ paperwhites that bloom with a delicate fragrance? Many people are turned off by the strong, sweet fragrance of most paperwhites so these are a nice alternative. I grow mine in tall, narrow glass jars to keep the foliage from flopping.

Are you wondering if those old bulbs that you purchased last winter will grow? Plant them in fresh soil, fertilize them and set them on a sunny windowsill. What do you have to lose? I did the same with some old bulbs I found and now have sweet, fragrant hyacinth blooms and some grape hyacinths sending up fresh, new foliage.

The tender French lavender plants and flowering geraniums that I brought inside a few months ago are providing great color and fragrance. I also tried overwintering a tarragon and rosemary indoors and have been rewarded with fresh herbs for cooking.

Of course, I wouldn’t be without my favorite amaryllis bulbs that provide non-stop color all winter. I’ve enjoyed several of my bulbs for 10 years or more and have perfected the way to get them to come back each year.

Tending my houseplants allows me to get my fingers in the soil during the winter months and feel that I am nurturing living things while receiving the gifts of their beauty in return.

Primrose Alert! I spotted the first pots of primrose at the grocery store this morning and will be adding them to my plant collection as soon as I can clear some space!! Be sure to do a sniff test before buying. Many have a delightful fragrance!

THE WINTER GARDEN

On New Year’s Day, I was amazed to find blooms on my Pink Frost hellebore and my Mediterranean Pink heath out in my gardens. I’ve been continuing to pick parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme and I don’t ever remember a January 1^st when I could wander through my gardens and observe green shoots and healthy new growth!

I know the weather can change very quickly so I enjoyed adding chopped leaves to some of my tender perennials and savored the warm sun on my face while I contemplated adding a moon garden in the spring.

UPCOMING GARDENSCAPES LECTURES

I’m looking forward to sharing my gardening expertise with you at 3 different venues this winter:

Saturday, Feb. 4 at Hadley Garden Center –1pm: Creating Easy-Care Gardens. Free.

Saturday, March 24 at Annie’s Garden & Gift Store — 10am: Creating a Garden For All The Senses (this is a new topic – first time presented). Free

Saturday, March 31 at the 16^th Annual Western Mass. Master Gardener’s Spring Gardening Symposium at Dean Technical High School in Holyoke – 8:45am to 3:30pm. I will be presenting 2 topics: Creating a Backyard Wildlife Habitat and Creating a Garden For All The Senses. Registration for workshops is required. Classes fill up fast so register early. Visit www.wmassmastergardeners.org.

For a more complete list of area garden-related lectures, workshops and annual flower and garden shows, please visit my Events & Workshops Page.

Until next month, be sure to pot up some fragrant bulbs, give a primrose a home on your windowsill, remember to feed the birds, and cuddle up with a good gardening book and a hot cup of tea!

Happy 2012!

Debbie

As much as I love to garden, I also look forward to a few months of relaxation and time to enjoy other pursuits now that Gardenscapes is all tucked in for a long winter’s rest! Although I’m done a month later than normal due to the unseasonably warm weather, I’ve enjoyed having the extra time to do a thorough job of garden clean up and winter prep work this year. I now figure that spring will feel like it is arriving sooner in 2012! My favorite amaryllis bulbs are resting in the basement, and I’ve potted up and brought in many of my beautiful geraniums and herbs so I have a good sized indoor garden to tend to throughout the winter months! A gardener’s work is never really done . . .

Gardening Quote of the Month: Let us be grateful for people who make us happy. They are the charming gardeners who make our souls bloom. –Marcel Proust

5 MUST-DO HOLIDAY EVENTS
The next few weeks leading up to the end-of-the-year holidays will be filled with many forms of preparation. I, for one, plan to take time to think about what the season means to me and celebrate in small ways for the entire month beginning this weekend!

1. Christmas Tree Festival in Hadley – This Friday!
As soon as I’ve finished updating this blog post, I’ll be creating natural decorations for my themed tree donation for the Christmas Tree Festival to benefit Hadley’s volunteer fire department. Have you heard about this fun event? Twenty-five Hadley businesses are donating decorated trees to be auctioned on Friday between 5:30 and 8:30pm at the Most Holy Redeemer Parish Hall at 120 Russell Street (Rt. 9) in Hadley. The public will be able to view and bid on the trees (via silent auction) at this time. The Hadley Mother’s Club will be serving refreshments, Maple Valley Ice Cream will be scooping free ice cream, and Hampshire County 4-H will have a wreath sale. This is the perfect event to get into the holiday spirit while helping a good cause.

2. Yuletide at Storrowtown — West Springfield, MA , December 3 – 4. Tour Storrowtown’s 18th- and 19th-century buildings, seasonally decorated by area garden clubs and florists and enjoy musical performances, storytelling, old-fashioned craft demonstrations, ice sculpting, Sweet Shoppe, kids’ crafts, an old-fashioned Santa and much more. Caroling on the Gazebo at 4 p.m., both days. Holiday gifts, decorations and many unique items are available in the Gift Shop and Christmas Shop. Visit www.thebige.com/sv/programs/Calendar.asp for details.

Photo courtesy of flowersociety.org

Holly Days at Tower Hill Botanic Gardens in Boylston, MA (runs now through January 2): I love visiting Tower Hill in all seasons, but particularly between November and January for their Holly Days event. Not only can you wander through the special holiday exhibits – this year the theme is “Fashioned from Nature” and see hundreds of handmade natural ornaments with a glitz and glamour theme, but you can also have lunch at Twigs café and shop at Tower Hill’s great garden shop! Be sure to visit their website for details.

4. The 27th Festival of Trees at the Berkshire Museum in Pittsfield runs through January 2. This year’s theme is Under the Big Top and will feature more than one hundred dazzling holiday trees decked out in circus colors. For info visit www.berkshiremuseum.org. Since I was born in Pittsfield, I love to go back to my hometown and wander through the museum, reminiscing about many visits there as a child.

5. Winter Solstice Celebration. Wednesday, Dec. 21st @ 5:30pm at Arcadia Wildlife Sanctuary in Easthampton. This year I plan to celebrate the Solstice by joining with others around a roaring bonfire while listening to readings and music. What a wonderful way to honor the change in seasons. This is a FREE event. For info, call 584-3009.

WINTER WILDLIFE GARDENS
The suet feeders are hung, cases of suet are stored and ready to put out, and I’ve stocked up on black oil sunflower seeds, safflower seed, and cracked corn. I have new platform feeders for the ground-feeding birds, my birdbath heater installed, and my tree stand is ready for my outdoor bird area tree. I enjoy covering this tree with tiny white lights and viewing it from the comfort of my home each night. This tree has become an annual gift I give to me and my wildlife friends. Not only do I enjoy the lights each night, but it gives the birds and bunnies one more area for shelter from the wind, snow and predators. Have you thought about how you can support wildlife in your backyard through the cold winter months?

It’s been another great year in the garden and I send you my very best wishes for a happy & healthy holiday season!

Debbie
P.S. Do you know someone on your gift list who might enjoy a Gardenscapes Gift Certificate? They are available in any denomination beginning at $50.00 for one hour of garden coaching or garden design. The certificate is printed in color on holiday paper and comes in a pretty envelope with a holiday seal to close it with.

As I spend the final days putting my gardens to bed, I am thankful for unseasonably warm weather and the blessings of butterflies, bees and grasshoppers still buzzing around me as I work!

I was also quite surprised to find a bright yellow primrose blooming on Sunday as I cut back surrounding hosta leaves.

My goal is to have all plants cut back, bulbs planted, pots stored, dahlias and cannas buried in peat moss, veggie garden cleaned up, and my pond winterized by Thanksgiving (3 weeks later than I normally do my fall cleanup!). For those of you who know how much area I have to cover, it’s a big task, but the fresh air and exercise exhilarates me and I am now looking forward to a few months rest for my weary body.
Here are 5 final tips for those of you who are putting the finishing touches on your garden cleanups –
1. As you can see in the photo above, I don’t cut my plants close to the ground, because I want foliage and stems to catch leaves to provide some insulation throughout the cold, winter months.

2. Remember to support the birds and wildlife on your property. I leave coneflower seed heads, some grasses and other plants standing to provide food and shelter for wildlife. Don’t be too tidy.

3. Be diligent about cutting back diseased foliage and remove it from your property. Don’t put it in the compost pile! Any foliage that shows signs of mildew, black spot, rust, or other questionable problems needs to be disposed of.

4. Remove as many visible weeds as you can to get a head-start for next spring.

5. If you’ve been making compost all season, now is a good time to top-dress your gardens and work it into the top few inches of soil.

Wishing all of you a safe, healthy and Happy Thanksgiving and blessings from the garden.

Who would ever expect that I’d be writing about the effects of a major snow storm on our Zone 5 gardens at the end of October? Since we’ve already experienced an earthquake, tornadoes and a hurricane this year, why not? We can add it to our long list of strange weather events for 2011!

Upon initial inspection of the damage on Sunday morning, I found several trees and shrubs with branches laden with heavy wet snow, pinned to the ground. I thought for sure my ‘Cherokee Princess’ dogwood was a goner. I wrote it off as a storm casualty and was thinking about the replacement I would buy next spring. After a day of sunshine, however, I’m happy to report that all branches are back to their regular outstretched positions. As with other storms this year, I’ve been astonished at how flexible many plants can be. To have the ability to bend and sway under such harsh conditions, but not to break, is a lesson in flexibility that we can all learn from.

Despite the damage I witnessed all around me, and going through a 24-hour period with no power or heat, I found many things to be grateful for. The sunny, blue skies provided welcome heat, gas kept us in hot water and the ability to cook, cell phones let us communicate with the outside world, and the roof over my head let me practice my nesting techniques with a good book, numerous cups of tea, and yummy zucchini bread I had stored in the freezer!

5 REASONS NOT TO PROCRASTINATE WITH FALL CLEANUPS

Shame on me! I for one should know better! I got caught this year, enjoying the fact that a frost had not arrived earlier in the month – telling myself I had more time. Now I’m hoping for enough warm temperatures to melt the snow this week so I can do the work in my gardens I should have done 2 weeks ago! I will use this lesson as a learning experience and share with you my 5 new garden resolutions for fall.

1. Do major fall garden cleanup in mid-October.
“Typically” our first frost occurs around Columbus Day. However, what has been typical about any of our weather for the past few years? From now on, I am not going to be swayed by the actual weather and will let the calendar guide me.

2. Don’t put off bulb purchases.
Although I buy many of my unique bulbs by catalog, I like to support local nurseries and garden stores by purchasing bulbs from them. Bulbs for fall planting are offered earlier every year, it seems (kind of like seeing Christmas merchandise arrive in the stores right after Labor Day!). As soon as I see bulbs in the stores next year, I’m shopping early for the best selection. The same tactic applies to planting them. I have buckets of bulbs to plant, still! I’m keeping my fingers crossed that the weather will accommodate my tardiness this year.

3. Take cuttings of favorite garden plants early.
I love to make bouquets of my favorite coleus plants, waiting for them to root in vases of water. Once the roots form, I pot them up and enjoy these wonderful plants throughout the house all winter. I simply pinch back any stems that become leggy to keep the plants compact. Next spring, I will share cuttings with friends and have my favorite plants to put out in the garden again. It’s hard to pick them once they are buried in snow!

4. Give sale shrubs and perennials time to establish roots.
When people ask me “how late can plants be put in the ground at this time of the year”?, I always reply – “give them several weeks before a good hard frost to give them time for good root development”. Did I follow my own advice? Of course not! I won’t tell you how many plants I have sitting out in my gardens still in pots ready to go into the snow-covered ground! You’ve heard the famous saying “the shoemaker’s children go barefoot” – that’s me!

5. Don’t put off fall pond care.
For those of you who have water gardens or garden ponds, this is absolutely one area that must be attended to before freezing temperatures occur! If you are overwintering fish in your pond, you need to get your heaters in the water and apply your fall pond care solutions early. I hadn’t moved my small fish from my upper pond yet and was trying to keep a hole in the ice with a birdbath heater yesterday!! Thankfully, it worked

AN UPDATE FROM THE VEGGIE PATCH

I think I’ve picked my final harvest. Early Saturday morning, with snow approaching, I picked a lovely bowl of fresh raspberries and about four dozen sweet peppers – ever wary of the increasing damp coldness in the air. If the cold weather hasn’t adversely affected my raspberry bushes, there is still the promise of many more berries waiting to ripen.
Friday I was able to dig up all of my dahlia tubers and let them dry on a tarp in the warm sun – (they’re still sitting in the garage in a wheelbarrow!) and all of my containers got either emptied and stored, or moved inside so they wouldn’t get covered with snow and possibly crack in the cold overnight temperatures.

As much as I’ve enjoyed this area of my gardens, I’m ready to come inside for a few months of non-gardening activity. There are plenty of months ahead to dream of next year’s vegetable, cut flower, and herb selection, but for now, I plan to enjoy the bounty stored in my freezer and put my feet up (after the fall cleanup, that is!)

BACKYARD WILDLIFE ACTIVITY

During the past few weeks, I’ve witnessed a change in bird activity in the sanctuary. A migrating yellow rumped warbler spent nearly two weeks foraging crabapples right outside my window. The white crowned and white throated sparrows have returned, flocks of starlings attacked the fruit on my trees, and the snowbirds (juncos) are back.

I’ve switched out some of my summer feeders for suet stations and have noted an increase in woodpecker activity. My ceramic birdbaths are stored away in favor of large, heavy-duty plastic plant pot saucers. I began putting whole shelled peanuts out for the blue jays and squirrels, and I’m buying larger bags of black oil sunflower seeds and cracked corn to stock up for the cold weather ahead. My binoculars and nature journal are positioned next to my favorite viewing chair, faced toward the window, looking out into my bird sanctuary. It’s a time of year I always look forward to.

PARTING TIP FOR NOVEMBER
Be sure to put aside (in a warm spot) a few pails of loose soil (or buy a few bags of topsoil) to use later in the month. You’ll want to hill up your roses, butterfly bushes, clematis and other tender plants for winter protection. Be sure to contact me if you need some tips on how to do this important end-of-the-season garden task.

Be sure to check Cheryl Wilson’s weekly gardening column on Friday evenings in the Daily Hampshire Gazette to keep track of area happenings.

Note: All of my monthly garden blogs are archived here on my site. To read step-by-step advice on what to do in the garden each month, check here.