Cold Climate Gardening

Choose locations to plant fall bulbs now

Kathy Purdy — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 03:13:38 +0000

In January, the snowdrops in the Secret Garden looked like this:

Snowdrops in the Secret Garden January 2010

This Sunday just passed–March 7th–those same snowdrops looked like this:

Those same snowdrops in early March

Such are the vagaries of an upstate New York winter. Since then, the temperatures have been mild and the sunshine brilliant, and the snow is receding. This, my fellow cold climate gardeners, is the best time to decide where to plant your earliest spring bulbs. Look around, no, better yet–grab your camera, and record the places in your garden where the snow melts first.

Snow melts first around the base of trees, even stumps

The snow melts in damp areas first, though bulbs for this site must tolerate soggy soil.

The south-facing areas amongst shrubs are another good place for the earliest bulbs

Plant some early bulbs by a corner of the house that traps heat.

South-facing areas near pavement are the best of all. Can you see the snowdrops?

Here I followed my own advice, and in a previous year planted some Galanthus ‘S. Arnott’ in an area that always melts first. I chose this particular snowdrop because it is both large and early. As a matter of fact, a few of them bloomed today, though I didn’t manage to get a picture.

Label Your Images

As you may have noticed, these images don’t look like much. If you don’t rename your images, tag them, write captions for them, or whatever your photo managing program permits, you will look at them in July and wonder, “What was I thinking? Why did I take a bunch of photos of dirty, tired snow?” Put them in a folder labeled Plant Bulbs Here and make a note in your calendar to order them in June, when there are discounts for early online orders.

Which Bulbs Are the Earliest?

Of the commonly available snowdrops, Galanthus elwesii is the earliest. Winter aconites (Eranthis spp.) are reputedly equally as early, though they have not been so for me. I am not sure if they are coming back this year. When they like your garden, they really take off. The small species crocus bloom soon after the snowdrops for me. Two to three weeks after the very first blooms, the larger Dutch crocus, the Siberian squills, and the glory-of-the-snow (Chionodoxa) are all blooming. By then it’s a whole different ball game.

First Snowdrops: Status update

Kathy Purdy — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 22:47:07 +0000

First snowdrops bloomed today *and* it got up to 61F. Yes, mud season is here!

Forced Bulbs: Garden Bloggers Bloom Day February 2010

Kathy Purdy — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 02:28:25 +0000

Click to enlarge

The bulbs that I am forcing have started to bloom. I put one hyacinth in a forcing glass into the basement on November 29th. I potted the rest up on December 5th. I brought them all up when I saw green tips emerging from the bulbs. I now realize this was too early. According to Old House Bulbs, they are supposed to have at least eight weeks of chilling to develop the gibberellic acid which allows bloom stalks to lengthen. I was too impatient. Even though they are barely emerging from their leaves, they still smell nice and brighten my day. And here’s another odd thing: the bulb on glass was put down in the basement a week earlier, but the ones in the pot are blooming first. I wonder why?

Click to enlarge

I also am forcing some ‘Grand Soleil d’Or’ tazetta narcissus. According to Brent and Becky’s Bulbs, these are “best rooted at 50-60 degrees; then kept at 65 degrees with bottom heat of 70+ degrees to ensure bloom.” I kept mine in the basement (which is about 50 degrees F) for two or three weeks, then brought them up to the kitchen, which is usually about 70F. But they aren’t getting bottom heat. I’m glad I followed Elizabeth Licata’s advice and planted them fairly deep inside a tall, narrow container, because the tallest flower stem is eighteen inches long and leaning against the side of the glass.

I was surprised by the small size of the flowers

The small flower on the very long stem would look pretty ridiculous to anyone not half starved for the sight of flowers. Me, I’m excited to see it blooming. How ’bout that, it actually worked!

And there's more coming!

Inspired by the words of Elizabeth Lawrence, “We can have flowers nearly every month of the year,” Carol of May Dreams Gardens started Garden Bloggers Bloom Day. On the 15th of every month, garden bloggers from all over the world publish what is currently blooming in their gardens, and leave a link in Mr. Linky and the comments of May Dreams Gardens.

Cut Flowers Are a Frugal Luxury

Kathy Purdy — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 03:10:23 +0000

June 2008

I had long considered flowers from a florist to be a frivolous expense. You couldn’t plant them, and had nothing to show for it when they finally shriveled up and died. Spend the same amount on groceries, and at least you’ve fed your family, even if it still seems like you’ve got nothing to show for it.

January 2009

Then, a little over three years ago, I read Michele Owens’ article, “The Healing Power of Flowers” in the November 2006 issue of The Oprah Magazine. Michele referred to a study done at Rutgers where 100% of the women presented with flowers broke into a genuine smile, as did 90% of the women who received a fruit basket and 77% who received a pillar candle.

April 2009

My mind flashed back to the times people had bought me flowers. Yes, it made me happy to get flowers. Disproportionately happy. I had always attributed those positive feelings to pleasure at having received an unexpected gift, with the surprise of it and the implicit expression of good wishes and yes, the impractical luxury of it, the cause of such good feeling. But in that study, the women who received flowers were happier than the control group a couple of days later. Could it all be attributed to the “Flowers! For me?” factor?

Shortly after that, I read Flower Confidential by Amy Stewart. She makes the inner workings of the cut flower industry a fascinating read. It never occurred to me that cut flowers came from all over the world, that pesticides were heavily employed in their production, or that how they were cared for from the time they were cut, while they were in transit, and even after you place them on your table affected how long they would last. Amy claimed, with proper care, they would last a week in your home.

May 2006

I started looking at the cut flowers that I came across in various stores more carefully. I spied a bunch of burgundy carnations reduced for quick sale, four bucks. I thought they might be on sale because they were getting kind of old, but even if they only lasted four days, that was still no more expensive per day than a modest chocolate bar, the only other grocery store mood-lifter I occasionally indulged in. They became the subject of a low risk experiment.

September 2007

I took them home and followed Amy’s pointers diligently. Reader, they lasted three weeks. (It was winter, so my house was on the cool side, and I’m sure that helped.) Furthermore, they were not expensive, no one got them for me, and they still cheered me up. For three weeks. In the dead of winter. They were less expensive, and certainly less fattening, than a candy bar per day, and far less expensive than a prescription antidepressant. I began to see that cut flowers, properly cared for, were a fairly economical way to cheer oneself up.

June 2003

Amy writes in her introduction that she would have gladly spent the grocery money on the flowers she saw in the San Francisco flower market. I would feel too guilty to regularly spend even a small chunk of the grocery money on flowers, but now that I’ve persuaded myself that flowers are good for me, and not all that extravagant if properly cared for, I do permit myself an indulgence or two when flowers are not available from my own garden. The cost of a florist’s arrangement is still too high for my pecuniary soul, but bunches of flowers from a warehouse store or a better grocery store are priced at a level my conscience can live with.

April 2007

I will usually find something blooming to bring home between Christmas and Valentine’s Day, that dark, dreary season when the sun might not shine for weeks and social events are frequently postponed because of snow storms. Flowers can see me through those dark times, a tangible reminder of the spring that is still months away. I’ve also taken to buying flowers for my birthday, even though by then there are daffodils I could cut for the house (and I do). The flowers I bring home from the store, more varied in color and form than what’s growing outside at the time of the year, make the festive occasion a bit more celebratory.

For the mail lady. A small nosegay created by a child, neither elaborate or expensive, can still brighten a grownup's day.

Click on each flower arrangement for a larger image and a description of the flowers. Flower Confidential was a review copy provided by the publisher.

Black Plants: Book Review

Kathy Purdy — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 02:36:18 +0000

Korean angelica

Black Plants: 75 Striking Choices for the Garden by Paul Bonine is the kind of book that drives me wild. Seventy-five gorgeous plants and over half of them are not hardy for me. Wait. Maybe it’s just that half of the ones I want to grow aren’t hardy for me. I actually didn’t go through the book and count. At any rate, if you are a beginning cold climate gardener, stay away from this book. It will make you feel like there’s nothing you can grow in Zone 4.

Sooty sweet William

If you’re a veteran gardener who has earned her icicles, just be warned this book incites plant lust and empty-walletitis. (Hey, if Carol at May Dreams Gardens can make up words, so can I.) Did you know there is a dark-foliaged rhododendron, ‘Ebony Pearl’? The color of its flowers is not even mentioned, but it is supposedly hardy to Zone 5. Maybe you knew about ‘Black Scallop’ ajuga, but I didn’t. (Its foliage is featured as the background image on the book’s cover.) I’d really love to grow the purple-leaved grape, but it’s only hardy to Zone 6. Sigh. And I wonder if Trillium chloropetalum ‘Volcano’ would do well in my Northeast garden, since it is native to the Northwest of North America? It’s hardy to Zone 5, but not all trilliums do well in other parts of the continent. These are the kinds of thoughts this book inspires.

Black pansy

There are no sources listed for any of these plants; you’ll have to hunt them down on your own. In some cases I thought the hardiness zone was a bit optimistic; Voodoo Lily in Zone 5? And the dahlias were rated as Zone 8, but if you grow them as annuals it doesn’t matter. (There are other plants listed as annuals, so I guess some people grow dahlias as perennials?) With a stack of catalogs at your feet and a cup of something warm by your side, this book is a fine accessory to the winter garden dreaming we do when it’s snowing outside, which, this winter, applies to more southern gardeners than I ever would have imagined.

The three flowers pictured all grew in my garden this summer and are featured in Black Plants. (Click on any of the images to see a larger image.) Timber Press sent me a complimentary copy to review.

January Thaw Discoveries: Plants

Kathy Purdy — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 17:31:56 +0000

The January thaw of last week provided me with an opportunity to “check under the hood”–or, in this case, under the snow cover. It’s always thought provoking, prompting me to think about how different plants respond to this cold season.

I saw this snapdragon last time we had a thaw. It was in better shape then

This snapdragon looked perkier the last time I saw it. I don’t think it will make it till spring.

This foxglove was a seedling last year

Here’s the biggest of several foxglove rosettes that I saw in various places. Sometimes they can look great all winter, but turn brown sometime before May, when I find their dried up remains. I don’t know why. Do you? I wonder if I should be mulching them.

Some colchicums get an early start

It must be spring in the Mediterranean. That’s where a lot of colchicums originally come from (roughly speaking). And they still haven’t figured out that spring comes much, much later here. Not all my colchicums send up such precocious greenery, but many different ones do. I suspect they all share a common ancestor, and I always wonder what it is that triggers their emergence. The tips of the leaves turn brown, but the rest of the foliage looks fine and they bloom right on schedule–in autumn.

S. Arnott snowdrops

These are my furthest along snowdrops, but they aren’t nearly as far along as those of Mr. McGregor’s Daughter. She lives near Chicago. As best as I can tell, she’s had colder temperatures and more snow than I have. I thought ‘S. Arnott’ was a selection of Galanthus elwesii, one of the earliest snowdrops, but perhaps I am mistaken in that.

Lunar Glow bergenia

This ‘Lunar Glow’ bergenia has got to be the most colorful plant I saw on my little garden walk. Do all bergenias color up so nicely in the winter? This is the only one I have, a trial plant from Terra Nova Nurseries. I need to plant more of them where they can be viewed from the house.

The Great Houseplant Census of 2010

Kathy Purdy — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 21:53:39 +0000

Mr. McGregor’s Daughter, in an effort to promote domestic harmony*, has requested gardeners everywhere to tally up the number of plants they currently have growing inside. Here are my results:

Outdoor Plants Wintering Over

1 rosemary
1 ‘Rehoku Sunrise’ carex (an experiment)
1 apple seedling (my middle daughter’s experiment)
1 orange tree grown from seed by my 16 year old son

Year Round Houseplants

4 Aloe vera
2 Christmas cactus
1 Thanksgiving cactus
1 ivy (my eldest daughter’s)
1 stem of wandering Jew, rooting in water (also my eldest daughter’s)

Forced Bulbs

8 hyacinths (pictured above)
5 Soleil d’Or narcissus (there are actually more narcissus, but some aren’t sprouting)

For a grand total of 26 plants. I would have guessed half that, but then, I probably would have counted the pots of forced bulbs as one each, and I wouldn’t have counted my children’s plants. Good thing we haven’t started any seeds yet!

What about you? Do you know how many houseplants you really have? Do you dare to find out? If so, submit your tally here.

*If you have more indoor plants than Mr. McGregor’s Daughter, you promote her domestic harmony.

Edible Blue Honeysuckle: A Fruit for Cold Climates

Clayton Wiebe — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 02:07:11 +0000

My first introduction to Clayton was his comment on my post about cold climate seeds. On his recommendation I checked out the links in his sidebar. That’s how I found out he grows edible blue honeysuckle, a fruit that is extremely hardy. I thought my readers would like to know more about it, so I asked him to write a guest post.

Edible Blue Honeysuckle – A New Dream Crop for Prairie Berry and Fruit Growers

If you have been searching the internet lately, you may have come across this title on a blog about growing this very interesting fruit plant. The blog is my personal story about this tough plant which originates in the southern reaches of Siberia and the north of China and as far as the Kuril Islands north of Japan. Its botanical roots are in the Family Caprifoliaceae, Genus Lonicera, species caerulea. Edible blue honeysuckle fruit is also known as Haskap and Honeyberries.

Clayton stands with a 1.5 year-old Polish seedling

I first came into contact with the edible blue honeysuckle several years ago now when I was working at the University of Saskatchewan as a Research Technician in Malting Barley breeding. This department also includes the Horticultural Crops and I had always had a strong interest in fruit growing here on the Saskatchewan Prairies where the climate is a real test of hardiness. It is not uncommon in winter for the temperature to drop to -40C (-40F) on the prairies and with wind chills it can be even harsher. Brrrrrr! Thus it was very intriguing to me to first hear of edible blue honeysuckle sometime in the couple of years prior to 2006. Dr. Bob Bors and Rick Sawatzky (Horticulture Fruit Technician) began to talk of this plant and their work with it in our Prairie context. First it was in conversations and then at Fruit Crop meeting presentations on various occasions.

They were very enthused about the potential of the edible blue honeysuckle because of its hardy nature and good fruit production potential under difficult conditions. They also intimated in those early days that there seemed to be very little problem with disease or insect pests which are welcome traits in this day when less is more in terms of pesticides. All in all this seemed like an interesting plant to bring into the home garden and try. Currently I grow about three hundred of these shrubs, including ten named varieties and numerous seedlings in various stages of growth. I am also seeding to produce about two hundred to two hundred fifty more plants.

What Do Edible Blue Honeysuckles Taste Like?

The berry is a pale to dark blue, sometimes with a waxy overlay which makes it look dusty white. The flavour is described as a blueberry with black currant and black raspberry overtones. It seems the flavour is somewhat dependent on the level of polyphenols (antioxidants) and the soil types. They are certainly better well-ripened. The Russian types can be harvested all at one picking while the Japanese-area types tend to ripen over an extended time and are later by ten to fifteen days.

Clayton's wife created this Blue Honeysuckle Crumble based on a recipe for blueberries. Clayton says honeysuckles have more liquid so it was a little runny. The sauce would be great over ice cream!

We have used the berries for pies, jam, jelly and deep-fried treats. Locally, we have a producer at the Farmer’s Market who makes ice cream. Mmmmm, good! The fruit can be somewhat tart so some mixing of fruit may be helpful. (We did a blueberry/honeysuckle mix and it was very good). You can find examples of their use on the internet. Many products are available, especially on the Island of Hokkaido in Japan, and a search for Haskap or Haskup will bring up sites which illustrate these products.

How To Grow Edible Blue Honeysuckle

This is a plant that is, as I stated earlier, very hardy, so should be able to be grown anywhere where there is reasonable soil for gardening, a little protection from winds (better pollination and prevention of berry drop), and moderate rainfall. Cold hardiness is not an issue! The flowers are known to survive at -7C or 19F. They require very little, if any, fertilizing, but can be encouraged with a very light application of low nitrogen fertilizer, probably after the blooming season, applied at the base of the plant.

They do require a mate to pollinate so be sure you get two varieties. Some pair up better than others, so ask about this when you are purchasing plants. Do not be fooled into thinking you are getting a male and female plant. This is not the case. Rather, both plants need pollen from another plant to be productive and set fruit. One of your plants may not have as good fruit since the pollinator varieties are sometimes chosen because their pollen works better on the good variety. But fruit from both plants will be edible! They should be planted with a good spacing between so ask about the final size of the variety you buy and allow at least five feet between the plants. This will give room for maintenance and harvesting. Commercial growers are encouraged to allow eighteen feet between rows if you are going to mechanical harvest.

Since they bloom very early, as soon as the snow begins to recede and temperatures are constant at 5 to 8 degrees above freezing, the blooming pattern is already set. The flowers are insignificant so this is not an ornamental. The developing fruit will need protection from the birds. Robins and cedar waxwings will fly right into the area while you are putting up the net. For most areas harvest will take place about six to eight weeks after the bloom is finished. This is somewhat dependent on variety. Pest control is not an issue so general weed control will be the only real work while the fruit develops and on into the fall after harvest.

Where Can You Buy Them?

Finally, which varieties are available, and what do you buy? There are several varieties in the species and those which have come to the North American gardener are likely hybrids of those species. As was stated above, the key is that you will need two plants, usually not related to each other. The selection process has really already been done for you and most places (remember you’re not buying a male and female) will sell plants which are compatible in terms of pollinating each other. The best information on varieties for your location is the local Horticulture Department of your university or Dept. of Agriculture. In searching for information, I have noticed that most northern states and the provinces of Canada have some information. Also check out the local tree nurseries, garden centers, or online – you may have to look for Haskap, Honeyberry or Blue Honeysuckle since nurseries are not uniform in their naming. I refer you to a good article by Craig Larson on the different varieties. Try them – you might like them!

More Information About Edible Blue Honeysuckles

Some good sources for reference on the internet are Plants for a Future Database for the North American cousins, some of which do have edible fruit and Wikipedia which has a good coverage of the included subspecies. Of course there is much information now coming out of various Departments of Agriculture and Universities who are trying to improve on the materials which have come from those places mentioned above. You will find that some of the very earliest information on breeding and selection will be found in articles by Russian plant breeders as well as other member countries that were part of the former USSR. More recently, there is the further development of materials for the Great Plains of the North American continent and the registration of names by breeders and marketers. In this information you will find the names Honeyberries and Haskap. These are still the basic edible blue honeysuckle which has taken on a new identity.

Some good reference sites

Haskap Arrives in North America by Dr. Maxine Thompson
Craig Larson’s Haskap Wine Blog
University of Saskatchewan Fruit Program
Haskaps and Honeyberries at University of Idaho
You can follow my adventures with this berry here.
A search for Lonicera caerulea will bring up many other sources of information and some great photos.

Clayton grows the edible blue honeysuckle as a serious hobby, researching and breeding these plants in the hopes of finding new cultivars suitable for marketing. His current favorite is “#51 in our seedling nursery #2.” Feel free to ask questions in the comment form. We are interested in hearing from anyone who has experience growing these berries–or eating them!

January Thaw: A Video

Kathy Purdy — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 22:16:22 +0000

What happens when the snow melts in the middle of winter? I made a brief video to show you:

Some roads and a few low bridges have flooded, forcing early school closings and rerouting traffic.

A thaw in January is common, but rain doesn’t always accompany it. Sometimes it is brilliantly sunny, inspiring snowball fights in shirt sleeves. A thaw like this is similar to what happens in mud season–except we know winter isn’t over yet. Despite warming up to over 50F today, it will drop below freezing tonight and there’s a chance of snow flurries.

Seventh Annual Great Gardens and Landscaping Symposium

Kathy Purdy — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 21:00:03 +0000

Kerry Mendez just emailed me about the Great Gardens and Landscaping Symposium: “Six dynamic garden lectures by nationally recognized speakers, great handouts, food, door prizes, and garden gifts. The event takes place at The Equinox Resort in Manchester, VT. Overnight packages and day only rates available. Speakers include garden designer Julie Moir Messervy; Charlie Nardozzi of the National Gardening Association; Joe Kunkel, Executive Director of the Massachusetts Horticultural Society and past President of the Perennial Plant Association; Heather Poire from Proven Winners; and perennial specialist Kerry Ann Mendez of Perennially Yours.” For more about the speakers, topics, agenda and registration fee, visit the symposium’s web site or call Kerry at (518) 885-3471.