In these last few days of garden activity, I usually take some time to clean up the hellebore bed. I remove the leaves in late fall, because snow ruins them over winter, and I don’t want to see the lovely spring blossoms rise amid dead foliage. Often, I find a healthy army of hellebore seedlings under the skirts of several plants. The seeds fall from the plants’ seed cases in … [Read more...] about Discovering hellebore seedlings in fall
Fall
How to winterize roses
For several mornings, my garden has been coated with hoar frost, a warning that soon the earth will be frozen solid. This is the time I begin to winterize all my roses, giving special attention to ‘Clair Matin’, a climber supported by the open framework of a ginkgo’s branches. The ‘Clair Matin’ canes are entirely exposed to winter temperatures and even lower wind-chill … [Read more...] about How to winterize roses
Preparing containers for winter
I went for a drive through Niagara vineyards this weekend as the suddenly warm and moist air turned the late fall landscape into a beautiful tapestry of muted colours. Every now and then, something brilliant appeared to catch my eye. In one vineyard, tall stands of late purple monkshood (for more about this perennial, see late bloomers in the garden ) stood against clusters of … [Read more...] about Preparing containers for winter
Late bloomers in the garden
Despite several nights that touched on freezing temperatures in my Zone 6a garden, there has been no deeply killing frost. Even the most cold-resistant of the small solitary bees are now gone, but some perennials continue to flower. It’s a short list, but worth keeping in mind when plant shopping next spring. Any plant that is a late bloomer into the first weeks of November is … [Read more...] about Late bloomers in the garden
Bargains to be found at garden centres
In these last weeks of the growing season, garden centres and nurseries are anxious to sell off plant stock rather than put it into winter storage. And that means bargains for gardeners! Shopping the late-season sales is one way to find good shrubs and perennials at discounted prices. Although there is limited selection, this is an opportunity to add interest to the garden and … [Read more...] about Bargains to be found at garden centres