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Himalayan Blue Poppies
GARDENING LIFE:
ASK MARJORIE
AUTUMN 2000
There are two general points I want to make given the mail on them:
Himalayan Blue Poppies: the most popular plant of the year because it photographs so well. It loves a cool place (look where it comes from), sheltered spot with dappled light but it can't stand humidity; moist soil is a must with lots of organic matter. It grows perfectly at the Devonian Garden in Edmonton. (Blue Haven Specialty Nursery; Seeds of Distinction; Gardens North)
Garlic mustard: this weed is beginning to be more than scarey. It looks so inoffensive: pleasing sagey green leaves that smell faintly of garlic, white starry flowers. Don't be fooled get it out of your garden, don't let it go to seed, don't let it travel. It will take over everything. And this year has produced a bumper crop. I'd never seen if before in my own garden and it's taken all summer to rout this weed.
Q. Hi Marjorie: My problem is that we have a huge Norway Maple tree in our backyard and have tried unsuccessfully for the past 6 years to grow something (anything) under it. We've tried grass seed, several different kinds of ground covers, hostas, etc. One suggestions has been lamiastrum (Yellow archangel) to compete successfully with the shallow root system of a Norway Maple and would spread rapidly.Regards. Elaine.
A. Lamiastrum is a great plant, you might also consider lamiums, pulmonarias and creeping phlox (Phlox subulata) in every color and foliage texture. Woodland plants are used to competing with shallow roots systems. Hostas go too deep and grass just simply wont make it without lots of sun. I garden under a silver maple and to get stuff going I made a raised bed around filled it with decent soil and jammed in a ton of plants. The tree does not seem to have been harmed and I've got a nice garden. I apply lots of compost which keeps everything healthy. Have a look at my new book called Seasons of My Garden (HarperCollins and it's just come out in paperback). It will show you lots of plants for this situation..
Q. I saw your interview on Television (House & Home TV) and found it extremely interesting. We live in the country and we have snakes. I find them on my porch, in my flower beds or wrapped around my shrubs. But I am "Deathly afraid of them!" How can I discourage them? I'm allergic to mothballs. Jane Jacques e-mail
A. I hate to say it, but snakes are our friends and unless you've got rattlers they won't be up to any harm. Here's what they're doing for you: keeping your garden clean. They are eating slugs and other uglies. Here's what you can do: get some kind of loud motor (a weed wacker or one of your kid's noisy toys) or bang on the ground with something. Do either when when you want to go into a border; they may not have outer ears (and are just a tick deaf), but they can feel the vibrations and will move on. Or make a safe place for them: under a board raised on bricks in the shade. At least you'll know where they are. Honestly you'll get used to them. We used to summer on a place called Snake Island. It took a bit but we did get to ignore them after a while.
Q. I would like to plant small trees (Japanese Maples, small flowering trees) in concrete pots and be able to leave them out for the winter (and of course have them survive!) Is this possible? Which trees are more likely to survive? Is some kind of winter protection required? Diane Kerbel
A. Check with the manufacturer to make sure that the concrete pots will be able to take the freeze-thaws that we go through in our winters. Make sure the pots are really big: a minimum of 18 inches in diameter. In warm zones (6 to 9) you'll have no problem with Japanese maples as long as they are dwarf forms; the hardiest plant I've found and nothing seems to damage it are the boxwoods developed in this country. Look for names forms such as 'Winter Beauty' which is gorgeous and ironclad. There are a few containers guaranteed not to succumb to frost, but don't scorn the huge plastic ones that look just like Italian terra cotta. To prep for winter: line the pots with plastic six packs from annuals, styrofoam or bubblewrap and then continue to pot up. Make sure they are up on bricks or chocks so that they are off the ground or deck.
Q. Shari Hosaki writes: I have a damp, shaded garden in my backyard that continues to grow wild mushrooms, despite our constant efforts to remove them. Can you suggest a method to get rid of these ugly eyesores?
A. Sounds like you have had a tree that's been cut down somewhere in your garden. If so all sorts of fungi will grow along the underground decaying root systems until it's completely rotted down. If you don't want to dig up your yard and get them all out, just knock the mushrooms over and let them compost down. They won't harm the soil. Get them identified to see if you can eat them, and then you won't have enough.
Q. About mulching. A couple of years ago I used coco shells as a mulch and much to my surprise a fungus or mold appeared on the surface making the garden look horrible. Not knowing what to do I just removed all the mulch along with the problem. Can you you help me out with some advise on what I did wrong and/or why this mold or fungus appeared. Oh yes I used this mulch in a shade garden around hosta's and other shade loving plants. John Zarowsky
A. I've seen this happen before and it's thrown me off cocoshells. It means they were packed damp and some fungus got in there. I did the same thing as you did. Now I use coconuthulls as an addition to compost and ground up leaves. This is a milled product product and lightens up compost, stretches it and it's perfect for adding organic matter to the top of the soil in the shade.
Q. Al Moulaison has a farm in Bracebridge, Ontario and has prepated a site for a large vegetable garden. He writes: I would like to build raised beds using 6x6 timber at a height of about 24 inches. After the beds are built I will line the inside with a heavy pond liner and then fill soil. Once this is complete, I will cover the pressure treated timber with cedar boards and let them turn grey to match the cedar rail fence we will install afterwards to fence in the area. Once this is complete, we will lay down about 4 inches of bark mulch throughout the walkways. This may seem like alot of work but I only want to have to build this once. My concern is, if there is any leaching of the pressure treated timber into the soil, will the roots of the vegetables consume this, and then transfer it to the vegetable.
A. The research shows that the toxic chemicals that will keep pressure-treated lumber from rotting, will leach over time. But, everything you've suggested sounds good, but paint the lumber with a sealer to help retard the leaching. Make sure you have a really heavy-duty plastic for the liner.
Q. What do you do if there are frost warnings and you have already planted a large number of annuals. I have heard that the frost occurs around 4:00 a.m., then I have heard it occurs around 9:00 or 10:00 a.m. when the sun heats the ground. Any suggestions would be appreciated. Carol
A. Save all those old sheets you were going to tear up for rags. I just gather the containers in one place and fling them over the pots; and for areas where I planted tender annuals do the same thing. Everything old is new again in gardening.
Copyright Marjorie Harris, 2005
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