Comments on: Mud Season Chores: Cleaning up

By: mss @ Zanthan Gardens

mss @ Zanthan Gardens — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 02:45:04 +0000

You do make me glad to be a Southerner (although I'm sure we can reverse the sentiment in August). The only cleanup I'm doing is *still* raking up leaves. The trees have already leafed out for the spring and I'm still chasing down (oak leaves mostly) that are wedged in the yuccas and agaves. Prickly work. mss @ Zanthan Gardens’s last blog post..Rose ‘Ducher’

By: eliz

eliz — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 00:00:23 +0000

My whole thing is the maple leaves. They insinuate themselves everywhere and never disintegrate. Seems like I am clearing them all year around.

By: Annie in Austin

Annie in Austin — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 14:44:55 +0000

The ground in my Austin, TX garden doesn’t freeze, but like MMD, most of my garden life was spent in Chicagoland. I’m enjoying a nostalgic wallow in your Mud Season posts, Kathy! Your writing is so clear and informative.

My zone 8 garden may be warmer than yours, but we also have those chancy times when the dormant perennials wake up too soon and could get frost-nipped. Because the ground is warmer, usually just covering the crown with an overturned flower pot is enough protection for one chilly night.

Happy Crocus-Time!

Annie at the Transplantable Rose

By: jane

jane — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 01:20:47 +0000

What a treat to find your blog, Kathy! Being a newbie at the wonderfully addictive and thoroughly enjoyable hobby of gardening, I’ve been searching for blogs to reference. I’m even more delighted you are in a chillier zone like myself.

Did anyone else find yourself (and your garden) taken a bit off guard by winter at the end of ‘08? I was just pruning some shrubs this past weekend and found some leaves on them…still green. They had been flash-frozen by the sudden arrival of tons of snow!

Kelly, I had just read up on foxglove and how to handle it in the spring. My looks absolutely terrible right now. However, it was recommended on a few sites to leave the dead foliage for now since it acts as a natural mulch for the plant. When the dangers of frost are gone, you can cut away any winter-damaged leaves.

By: Bren/ BGgarden

Bren/ BGgarden — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 13:09:03 +0000

This has been a crazy WARM spring for us in the Midwest. I will agree with you that the clean up is messy but don’t you just love being outside again.

Happy Spring – you have a wonderful blog that I enjoy to check weekly.

By: Kathy Purdy

Kathy Purdy — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 01:05:32 +0000

I don’t have wood shavings, but I do have a pile of leaves. I might do the same.

By: Kathy Purdy

Kathy Purdy — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 01:04:49 +0000

Do you have the smaller, earlier crocuses (called species or snow crocus)? None of my big(ger) Dutch crocuses are blooming yet.

By: Kathy Purdy

Kathy Purdy — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 01:03:33 +0000

Lynn, a garden notebook really helps. It doesn’t have to be fancy or expensive. Just write down when you do things and when things emerge from the ground and/or bloom. Then next year when you wonder, “When did I do . . .?” you’ll have the answer.

By: Kathy Purdy

Kathy Purdy — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 01:01:02 +0000

Kelly, I don’t clean up foxglove foliage till later. I just might take MMD’s suggestion and top them off with some dry shredded leaves.

By: Gardendesigner

Gardendesigner — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 15:27:04 +0000

I am up here in Wisconsin… and we had a false taste of warm weather a couple weeks ago, Now its So cold, rainy and damp! I am dying to get out and cut back the debris, especially before the bulbs start popping up! I know If I wait even a couple days too late, I will lose a whole early season of loveliness! I am going to try an experiment this year with my foxgloves… and tuck in some wood shavings Lightly under and around the foliage. I planted 15 late last summer! and I sure hope They can bloom this year!

The Rhinestone Contessa