Garden Tapestry – Page 4 – Tips and Tricks for Gardeners

Birds and Blossoms

Posted on February 5, 2000 in General Posts, Thoughts

Final Thoughts:
“Birds and Blossoms” by Mala Gunadasa-Rohling

Stepping out onto the patio a week ago, I was surprised by a very sweet scent filling the air…since this is our first February in this place, I had no idea what this was, or where it was coming from. It didn’t take long to find the guilty party – a very small witch hazel shrub, covered with bright yellow flowers which was hidden from view behind some other larger shrubs, just behind a corner post of the patio. I knew these shrubs were fragrant, but had no idea how sweet and strong they were. It was a still, sunny day, and the whole corner of the garden was scented by this tiny bush, no more than 3 feet tall, with a few spindly branches. Just goes to show it doesn’t take much room to incorporate scented shrubs into the garden – I hadn’t even noticed it was there before!

Witch hazels ‘Sunburst’ (left) and ‘Diane’ (right) are just two varieties widely available – look for one for your garden.

The yellow varieties of witch hazel, Hamamelis mollis, and the cross Hamamelis x intermedia have the strongest fragrance, though they are all scented. These plants come in several shades of yellow, orange and even red, and are a must for every garden. As if the spectacular and fascinating spidery flowers on bare stems so early in the year wasn’t enough, they have the added bonus of brilliant autumn colour. I cut a few small branches of my newly discovered treasure to bring indoors, where they really did fill the office with such a strong scent it was almost overpowering (I’d read about this before, but had never experienced it firsthand, so I was dubious, but not any more!)

Forsythia – well known and loved everywhere, this common shrub still shines every spring. Bring some indoors early to enjoy inside as well.

I’m also looking forward to bringing in a few branches of forsythia, which I know forces early very easily. I’m not a fan of its fragrance though, it reminds me of the scent of broom which I also don’t really care for – some people love it, others don’t and both camps are very strongly attached to their opinion. Daffodils are another plant which this happens to…I don’t like the scent although I absolutely adore the flowers! Anyway, back to the forsythia – cut a few branches just as the buds begin to swell and become obvious, place them in a large pot of water overnight in a cool basement or room indoors, then bring them into the living area to enjoy the beautiful bright yellow flowers that will quickly smother the branches. If you’re lucky and patient with the branches, they will probably root right in the vase, and you can plant them around the garden afterwards! They make a great informal flowering hedge or screen.

Surely one of the greatest joys of the winter garden has to be the birds. These charming and beautiful little creatures bring so much life and colour to the garden. Now that I work from home, and spend almost every waking hour in front of this computer screen, I have really come to appreciate them, and the simple joy that comes from watching their antics outside the office window.

Chickadees have distinctive colourations and song, making identification easy.

Crowds of perky chickadees flash black and white in the mornings and early evenings as they dance through the trees (where do they go during the rest of the day??) It is always fun watching these birds as they hang completely upside down in the conifers, trying to get the seeds out of the cones. Their distinctive call and colouring makes them easy to recognise, and children love them.

Down on the ground, flocks of starlings, black with irridescent flashes of colour all over, pick out worms and other grubs from the lawn. I’m always surprised that there are enough bugs to feed so many birds every day, but I guess Nature is pretty good at looking after itself…the fact that the lawn is basically a bog during the winter season probably doesn’t hurt – all the worms, larvae, etc must be just below the surface to avoid drowning, and provide easy pickings for the hungry starlings. Watch for the bright yellow beaks of the males later this month. It is great watching them all swoop down together, peck around the grass, then swoop off at once – still a curious neuroscientist, I wonder all the time how they transmit the “let’s go!” signal so quickly through the flock. I know there is some fascinating research happening in this area, if only I had time to follow it.

European robin (left) and its American cousin (right)

Robins also feast on the lawn area, but singly, not in groups. The large American Robin is actually a thrush (Turdus migratorius), quite different from the cute little robin (Erithacus rubecula) you see in England and Europe, and that I miss so much. I only get to see “real robins” on Christmas cards. Both robins share the red breast though and have adapted very well to city and suburban life close to humans, and both are beautiful birds in their own right. Another thrush I see often has a bright orange chest, with a dark band around its neck like a necklace and big black spots – spectacular. The thrushes are enjoying the last of the berries on the hawthorn, pyracantha and crab apples, they should have them cleaned off by the end of the month.

Then there are the countless other little birds, finches and sparrows of every colouring, but basically variations on brown. I recognise many of these – we have house and tree sparrows, juncos with their black hoods, tiny “mini-robins” with a red flushed front (can’t remember what these are, but they really like whatever is in our neighbours feeder). I remember reading somewhere a famous garden writer having the same identification problem and classifying them all collectively as “LBJ’s”, which stood for “Little Brown Jobs”. I think this is very satisfactory myself. All my LBJ’s are very sweet and cheerful and lively, they keep me company through the day. I’ll try to remember how much I like them during the winter when they are busy undoing all my hard work with the freshly sown annuals later this year – aarrghh! the frustration as they happily feast on my seeds. Maybe if I had my own feeders they would ignore my borders? I doubt it – still, they probably perform a very important task of thinning out the seeds since I always, always seed too thickly in the first place, and can never bear to pull out happily growing seedlings even though they are much closer together than I know they are supposed to be for best growth. Between my cat that digs in the borders (another aarrggh!!) and the birds eating the seeds before they sprout, and also eating the fresh sprouts, everything seems to work out just fine. Tolerance is the word here…

The other day, my very observant four-year-old daughter asked me what that black thing was in the tree: it was a nest from last year, clearly visible now that the leaves are off the honey locust trees along the street. I remember watching for the enormous nests of eagles that line the Fraser River, and were also visible during the winter months when we lived down in White Rock. Very impressive, both the huge birds and their huge nests silhouetted against the setting sun as we commuted home along the highway. About the only thing good about having to drive an hour each way just to get to and from work – I definitely don’t miss those days, but I do miss the eagles and herons, the sparrowhawks and other birds of prey as they perched on the fence posts along the road and watched for rodents scurrying through the long grass on the verges. And don’t forget the flocks of seagulls and crows following the tractors around the freshly plowed fields during planting season, completely oblivious to all manner of “bird-scaring” devices and tricks the poor farmers have implemented. Then there were the swarms of ducks and geese of all size, shape and colour, migrating up and down the coast…hmmm, maybe I do miss the drive more than I thought.

Before getting onto the highway, we had to drive through the city – one of the few times I actually enjoy driving around the streets of Vancouver is late February and March when the cherry blossoms are out – all along the streets these lovely small flowering trees, ranging in colour from pure white, through light, then dark pink to almost magenta burst forth to dangerously distract you from the traffic nightmare that this city has become…I must say that Vancouver does cherry blossoms better than any other place in the world, with the possible exception of Japan, which I haven’t had the privilege of enjoying first hand yet. If anyone from the Japanese Tourist Board wants to send me an airline ticket, I’d be happy to report on the Cherry Blossom Festivals happening over there!

Cherry blossoms in Japan

Don’t forget to enjoy the extra day this month, spring is right around the corner so rest up and take it easy while you can before the busy season begins…

Air Layering Houseplants

Posted on February 5, 2000 in General Posts, How to: Plant Care, Month 02: February

Air layering is an easy technique to bring those too-tall houseplants back into a manageable size. This method basically causes the plant to produce roots high up on the stem, then the top part can be severed and replanted as a shorter, compact plant.

Here’s how to do it:

1. Choose the right candidate:
This works on many common houseplants such as dracenas, corn plants, crotons, hedera, rubber trees and schefflera. It should have a tall, lanky stem with the crown of leaves right at the top.

2. Gently wound the stem at the place where you would like the new roots to form. Make a small cut with a clean sharp knife. It works best between 6-12 inches down from the growing tip of the plant.

Make a small nick in the stem, prop it open with a toothpick

3. This area now needs some damp material packed around it to stimulate root growth into: try several handfuls of damp moss. Pack it tightly around the entire stem of the plant, and secure firmly with a covering of plastic held in place on top and bottom by string, tape or twist-ties.

Pack it with damp moss or coir, seal both ends firmly to keep moisture in.

4. Then continue to care for the plant as usual, maybe not giving it too much direct sun as that may dry out the moss. Check to see that it remains damp, but not so soggy as to rot the stem.

5. Be patient – air layering is not a quick process! It can take several months for new roots to develop strongly and become visible through the plastic wrap.

6. When there is strong root growth easily visible, you may cut the plant off just below the plastic-encased root ball, and then pot it up in fresh compost and sand mixed together. Firm it in and stake if necessary until it has become established .

Cut off top when well rooted, and then pot up

7. With the remaining stem, you might want to try taking stem cuttings, and really increasing your stock of houseplants (these can be donated to friends, local schools or hospitals, or to a charity plant sale). Cut the stem into pieces several inches long, making sure to note which end is up (it won’t work if you stick them in upside down). Put them into sharply draining mix of sand and soil, and keep moist. You can put several into a shallow pan and cover the entire pan with plastic to create a mini greenhouse. With luck, most of the stem pieces will root, and can then potted up separately to form new plants.

Once you’ve mastered the technique, you can air-layer many shrubs outside as well as your houseplants – this works well with expensive plants such as rhododendrons, azaleas, magnolias, crab apples, holly bushes and those fragrant witch hazels. David demonstrated the technique on Canadian Gardener on July 25/98, and these two stills illustrate the process on a magnolia tree:

Packing moss around the wound

Sealed in plastic wrap to keep moist

Don’t start until later though – late spring to midsummer works best for outside shrubs. You will have to be even more patient though, as rooting can take one or maybe two years in some cases, but then, what’s the hurry? You’ll have the satisfaction of being able to propagate many plants yourself.

Robots slug it out in the killing fields

Posted on February 5, 2000 in Garden Gossip, General Posts

Horticulture News from Around the World:
“Robots slug it out in the killing fields” by Adrian Lee. From The Times, Jan 08, 2000.

The slug, bane of gardener and farmer alike, should be afraid. Very afraid.

Scientists have developed a robot that not only seeks and destroys the pests but is powered by fuel made from their slimy remains.

The “slugbot” prowls on a four-wheel-drive system, relies on light sensors to identify its prey and grabs it with an extendable arm. From sighting to capture takes a mere three seconds. A prototype of the killing machine, developed by engineers at the University of the West of England, in Bristol, will take to the fields in a matter of weeks.

For the moment the robot is powered by battery, but future versions will drop the slugs into a fermentation station that will break them down into methane gas to be used as fuel. Ten average-size slugs should provide an hour’s power for the robots, which will be programmed to make regular visits to the station

Dr Ian Kelly, one of four scientists working on the project, said that the slug was chosen as prey because it could not run away and an outcry over its mass slaughter was thought to be unlikely. The snail, another enemy of the gardener, got a lucky break because it has a shell that hinders decomposition.

The robot, which is 2ft high, is designed to operate at night, when slugs do most of their damage. The pests emit a different infra-red wavelength from earthworms, soil and snails. What began as a research project to create the world’s first self-sustaining robot also promises to become a commercial success.

The Soil Association welcomed the robot yesterday as an invention that could rid farmers of slugs without the need for pellets. At present, £10 million is spent each year on the chemical control of slugs.

The “slugbots”, developed over two years at a cost of £150,000, are expected eventually to work in teams and sell for about £1,000 each.

Abkhazi Garden – the incredible story

Posted on February 5, 2000 in Garden Gossip, General Posts

by Judith Brand and Cyril Hume.

November 18, 1999 will be a date to remember for Canadian garden enthusiasts. On that day the Land Conservancy of British Columbia (TLC) negotiated an option to purchase the Abkhazi Garden in Victoria, Canada’s “City of Gardens.” Only a few months earlier neighbours had learned of a developer’s plans to destroy the world renowned garden of just over one acre and build twelve townhouses. The TLC, bolstered by local volunteers, embarked on a fundraising campaign. This represented a relatively new venture for TLC to protect cultural and heritage sites as well as areas of scientific or scenic interest. They received an unprecedented number of inquiries and donations from private donors, Greater Victoria gardening societies, and others across Canada, in Britain and the U.S. The Garden Conservancy based in New York endorsed the project, their first outside the United States, and recently featured the story on the cover of their latest newsletter.

TLC’s offer to purchase the Abkhazi Garden addressed the Victoria community’s compelling desire to honor and preserve a superb example of its history, culture and landscape heritage. The late Prince Nicholas, from Abkhazia in the republic of Georgia, first met and fell in love with Marjorie (Peggy) Pemberton-Carter while both were studying in Paris in the 1920s. During WWII he fought for France before becoming a prisoner of war. With her adoptive mother, Peggy had returned to Shanghai, her birthplace, and also survived more than two years in an internment camp. Her secret diary was later published as A Curious Cage (1981) in Victoria. After the war Peggy came to British Columbia and bought property in Victoria, her chosen refuge and sanctuary, where she married her Prince in 1946. They began a new adventure together – building a home and creating the extraordinary garden that she referred to as “their child.”

Cyril Hume, garden historian and designer, volunteered in the campaign and wrote the following description for the TLC’s website (www.conservancy.bc.ca). The site of the Abkhazi Garden, characteristic of the unique Victoria landscape dominated by native Garry Oak (Quercus garryana), is given shape and topography by dramatic outcroppings of glaciated rock. The garden plays up a contrast between the rock and the treed areas of deeper soil. Parts of the rock are deliberately bare; others are planted with rock and alpine plants, and ornamental evergreens. Some of the deepest pockets in the rocks are carefully dammed to create pools frequented by native Mallard ducks and to provide reflections of the plantings. The lower portion of the property, treed with oaks, was developed into a rhododendron copse or woodland garden. A flowing lawn, bordered by heather and a paved path skirts the point where the rock plunges into the ground. The original garden shed/summerhouse, designed by the owners, provides a focal point at the end of this long view, and a vantage point from which to appreciate the vista in the opposite direction. Paved paths meander past the summerhouse and up to the higher, rocky site of the house from where a stunning view is enjoyed, not just over the garden below, but outwards over the larger Victoria landscape, the Strait of Juan de Fuca and the Olympic Mountains of neighbouring Washington state.

There are notable specimens of both hybrid and species rhododendrons and azaleas in the garden. Some of these were gifts to the Abkhazis from an earlier generation of Victoria area nurserymen who sought a good home for some of their more significant specimens. There are also examples of some of the hybridizing efforts of local rhododendron growers such as R.X Prince Abkhazi and R.X Peggy Abkhazi, this latter plant registered internationally with the Royal Horticultural Society 1989. That same year Peggy was honoured by the American Rhododendron Society when they held their conference in Victoria and a tour of the Abkhazi Garden was a conference highlight. There are also rock and alpine plants, naturalized bulbs, and good examples of Japanese Maples and weeping conifers, notable for the careful pruning and training received over the past fifty years.

Canada does not yet have an established tradition of evaluating the historic significance of its cultural landscapes. The US Secretary of the Interior’s recent publication (1996) Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties with guidelines for the Treatment of Cultural Landscapes would provide some means of historic evaluation. The following considerations applied to the Abkhazi garden would lead to a positive evaluation:
· The site’s artistic integrity;
· Its example of a response to the unique landscape;
· Its lifetime association with its owners/creators;
· Its historic example of a regional gardening style;
· Its relatively good state of preservation;
· The interesting interpretive story attached to the garden’s creation and its creators’ lives.

Over the years starting with the first public garden tour in 1949, many hundreds and thousands of visitors had the opportunity to view and be inspired by the Abkhazis’ efforts. Many thousands more had the opportunity to “visit” the garden by means of film and photographs and such publications as Western Living magazine, Saturday Night, House and Garden (US), City and Country Home, and Journal of the American Rhododendron Society. Nicole Eaton and Hilary Weston featured the garden in In A Canadian Garden with photographs by Canada’s eminent photographer Freeman Patterson. Mr. Patterson has already gone on record advocating the preservation of this garden he likens to heaven. He has kindly loaned some of his remarkable images (included in TLC’s website) of the garden to help us in our campaign to preserve this internationally significant example of Victoria’s horticultural heritage.

Considerable public interest and support is evident for this project, locally, regionally, and in the US. On-going fundraising and creation of an endowment fund will finance the mortgage and enable the long-term conservation of the Abkhazi garden. The Garden Conservancy is not only endorsing the project but also offering technical expertise to properly plan the garden’s long-term feasibility, public access and conservation. TLC will manage the public’s access to the Garden in an appropriate and responsible manner. Area residents and associations will be encouraged to stay involved in the management and maintenance of the Abkhazi Garden. This pioneering project could be a model for future projects of garden conservation locally and across Canada.

UPDATE: January 30/00:
Bill Turner of TLC removed the condition of sale today (Sunday) on the agreement with Graeme Lee to purchase the property for $1,375,000. We have raised over $900,000 in mortgage investment pledges from individuals in less than a week and are fully confident of closing the deal on February 17. Fundraising will be ongoing to pay down the mortgage. Donations can be sent to TLC, 5793 Old West Saanich Road, Victoria, BC V8X 3X3, or phoned in to (250) 479-8053.Today’s Times Colonist reported on the vandalism that occurred in the last three or four days. Someone using a very sharp saw cut through some branches on the largest two or three rhodos. Experts were there yesterday doing remedial work and are very optimistic that the rhodos will survive.

All photos by Freeman Patterson.

February Garden Action Items:

Posted on February 5, 2000 in General Posts, How to: Garden Maintenance, Month 02: February

There are already many signs of the approaching spring season – make sure you take the time to notice them now, while you are out in the garden – early spring bulbs such as aconites, snowdrops, crocus, iris reticulata will already be peeking through, the lovely scented winter jasmine and witch hazel, and later this month, magnolias and forsythia bloom in this area and the fat buds are almost ready to go!

1. General Clean-up of Beds
February is probably the best time of year for a really thorough garden clean up. Carefully go through all your beds and borders and remove any unwanted plants (weeds or more desirables). Put the weeds on the compost heap, and either move the others to a better location, or share them with your friends. Remove all old vegetation that has died back before it starts to rot, this includes any remaining stems of perennials, piles of leaves, etc.

2. Prune and tidy perennials
Cut back all of last years growth on herbaceous perennials this month, before fresh new growth makes this job much harder and more time-consuming. In milder areas such as the West Coast of Canada and the south of England, this can be done immediately. In cooler areas, wait until the end of this month, so that the old growth can provide that last bit of extra protection from the elements.

3. Winter Mulching
Now that the borders are relatively clear, it is an excellent time to add a thick layer of mulch and/or compost material to them. Carefully sprinkle this material around the plants, taking care not to bury the crowns of perennials too deeply, only add a thin layer over the tops. Several inches spread evenly works best. If you are really careful, the material can be gently forked into the top few inches of the soil, or you can just leave it and it will work its way down during the next few months all by itself.

4.Wildlife in the Garden
Overwintering pests can be removed if you find them now – groups of snails will often hide together in sheltered corners of the garden. Choose your favourite disposal method (try to do better than throwing them over your fence into your neighbours garden – he’ll probably be doing the same thing to you anyway, so you’ll both just end up with a fresh set!). Do be careful not to disturb friendly animals hibernating in these quiet corners, such as hedgehogs in Europe, and racoons in North America. Keep the bird feeders clean and well-stocked, and don’t forget their water sources.

5. Prune deciduous hedges and shrubs
Late winter is an excellent time to rejuvenate deciduous shrubs and hedges with some careful pruning. Remove overly thick branches to let in light and air and encourage fresh, strong growth from the base in spring. Prune for shape as desired, since the outline of the bush is clearly visible.

6. Clean Greenhouses and Cold Frames
Thoroughly scrub out and wash greenhouses and cold frames to prepare them for the early seedlings and cutting soon to be filling them. By keeping them scrupulously clean, you cut down greatly on disease and pests of all manners. Sweep out the corners and wash the glass to let in as much light as possible.

7. Move Snowdrops “in the green”
Much ado is made about this mysterious practice of moving snowdrops in the green, but I think it really boils down to convenience – do it now while you can see them clearly and know where they are!! Lift blooming clumps carefully with a spade and relocate around the garden to spread. If you do not wish them to self-seed, remember to deadhead them once their flowers are over, though why anyone wouldn’t want more of these lovely flowers is beyond me! A real treat is to put a few into a nice container and bring indoors to enjoy – they have a delicate honey-like fragrance that isn’t usually noticeable outside but you can enjoy it on your dining room table or desk. If this takes too long, they also last a surprisingly long time as cut flowers, and make delightful tiny bouquets – put them in a shooter glass or other small container for best effect.

8. Plant bare-root shrubs
Fruit trees, roses and soft fruit can all be planted now. Soak them for a few hours in tepid water if they look really dried out. Plant to the correct level, just above the base of the canes, and add a thick mulch around to protect it from the last cold days and prevent drying out. They should be off to a good start shortly, and provide fruit and flowers in the first year.

9. Layer Rhodos
Some shrubs such as rhododendrons and azaleas respond well to layering and this is an inexpensive way to increase your stock of these expensive plants. Pull downwards a low-growing branch and peg it to the soil. A slight wound on the bottom will encourage rooting. Leave the peg and branch in place until next year, when it can be severed from the parent plant and moved on.

10. Order Seeds
Make sure to get the seed varieties you need for your garden soon – many new or really desirable ones will already be sold out for the season, but no matter, there are lots of lovely plants left. Beginner gardeners should try simple seeds first to gain experience and confidence in the process, and there is absolutely nothing wrong with these basic garden staples!! Almost completely failsafe are annuals such as cosmos, lavatera, baby’s breath, bachelor buttons, sweet alyssum and many more. No matter how good a gardener you are, and how long you’ve been at it, no garden is really complete without these simple comfortable old friends cheering you up.

That should be lots of work to keep everyone busy outside, especially since this is a short month. Why not take the “bonus” day of February 29 as a holiday with your family, and spend it in the garden? Either at home, or visit a local Botanical Garden or open estate, and enjoy what early spring has to offer.

Beneficial Insects – Think Before you Squish

Posted on February 5, 2000 in General Posts, How to: Garden Maintenance

by Sharon Hanna

Everyone’s favourite “BI” – the ladybird

For years, well-meaning gardeners routinely maimed, swatted, sprayed and squished every bug they could get their hands on. However careful observation of nature and the move to organic practices have shown that encouraging “good” bugs, or beneficial insects (the politically correct name) is one way to give Mother Nature a hand. She was doing a fine job, however the use of pesticides, combined with overzealous tidiness resulted in loss of normal bio-diversity in our gardens.

Just as when you take antibiotics, and your doctor advises yogurt to normalize the flora within your body, the attraction of beneficials back to your garden can restore balance and harmony in your back yard.

Think before you squish – make this your mantra for the new Millennium. Remember that you may not always know why this creature is climbing the clematis, lurking on the lobelia, or sniffing your snapdragons.

Everyone’s least favourite garden pest, aphids, seen here smothering rose buds.

It is generally agreed that aphids are “bad”. They spread disease, and cause problems throughout the garden. However, aphids need to be present on your rose bush for a week or two before the beneficial insects will show up. Recent studies show that injured plant tissue sends out distress signals (!) attracting appropriate predators. Be patient, and keep your spray trigger finger occupied with something else, like knitting.

In general, beneficial insects are attracted to plants from families including compositae (daisy family); the mint family (all kinds of mints, lemon balm, and more); umbelliferae (carrot family, which includes anything which makes an umbel, or umbrella-like shape in the flower head: parsley, fennel, for instance); and the brassica family, a huge family which includes cabbages, cauliflower (all the “stinky when overcooked” vegetables) oriental greens, arugula, radish and more. These produce flowers containing the type of nectar which beneficial insects use as fuel for flight and movement, just as humans use carbohydrates, and “bad” bugs are the protein course.

Daisies, mints and cabbages/cauliflowers are among the plants that attract beneficial insects.

Now a look at three common beneficials, and how to attract them to your garden:

1. Beetles.

You undoubtedly know these large, fast moving, shiny metallic-blue-black beetles! Their full title is predacious ground beetles. I am always dismayed to see one crushed on the sidewalk, the victim of a shoe whose owner may have had good, but misdirected, intentions.

Beetles are attracted to deep, loose humusy mulch, like the bouncy kind found in the woods, where leaves, coniferous needles, etc., have formed a soft carpet on the ground. They snooze underneath pieces of rotten logs and stones and are nocturnal, dining ravenously after dark upon cutworms, root maggots, and slug eggs, miscellaneous larvae and pupae of undesirables, flea beetles, and leaf hoppers.

To attract more beetles, imitate nature. Along a shady edge, away from foot traffic, dig a ditch three to six inches deep, and a foot wide. Plant mint, or lemon balm, or even red or white clover, along the inside edges to prevent erosion and to provide low ground cover. Drop shovels of peat moss, leaf mulch, coniferous needles, whatever, here and there along the slopes, then place a couple of big, flat rocks in the ditch. The beetles will hide under the rocks in the daytime. Beetles are supposed to be attracted to the nectar of evening primrose.

2. Syrphid Flies AKA “hover flies”.

Hoverflies hover like hummingbirds and perform important pollination and predatory functions in the garden.

So named because they can hover in one place, resemble slender black and yellow bees. Syrphids are important pollinators, but there is another reason to attract them: their larvae prey on many ‘bad’ bugs, but aphids are their favourite. If you look closely you may see eggs on the undersides of leaves near aphid colonies, arranged symmetrically, laid by the female a hundred at a time.

Left, the hoverfly larvae is a ferocious predator; right, a close-up look at the beautiful markings on an adult hoverfly

Once hatched, the larvae decimate aphid families in a hurry. The 1/2 inch creature is often mistaken for a “bad” worm or slug, so if you come across a legless, see-through greenish-beige creature, slightly pointy at one end, do not kill him, but wish him ‘bon appetit’!

To attract syrphids, choose plants of the umbelliferae family: fennel, dill, caraway, parsley, coriander, yarrow, or allow carrots to winter over. All produce beautifully symmetrical seed-heads called umbels, attracting a host of beneficials.

Typical umbrella heads of members of the Umbelliferaceae family – this large group includes many vegetables, herbs and ornamental flowers.

Buckwheat, usually planted as a cover crop, can be sporadically seeded anywhere in the garden, and not only does it enrich the soil when turned in, but according to a recent Oregon State University study, is extremely attractive to syrphids. Some people even consume buckwheat “greens” as food – check it out.

They also like cornflowers (bachelor buttons), marigolds, chamomile, coreopsis, and feverfew.

(L-R) Cornflowers, marigolds, chamomile and coreopsis

3. Lady Beetles

Also known as “ladybugs”, they too feed heavily on aphids. If you think about purchasing them, remember… in most cases, the ladybugs go into dormancy or diapause when packaged, and when they are set free their natural instinct is to fly away. Don’t waste your money, instead attract ladybugs by your choices of plant materials.

This unusual creature is a ladybird larvae!!

Become familiar with the ladybug in the larval stage. It looks a bit evil, like an elongated grey-black dragon with many little legs, and orange to red markings. The larvae fix themselves onto leaves, trees, or wood surfaces then pupate for about a week, emerging as the familiar round ladybug of our childhood.

The more familiar adult stage

All stages of ladybugs from larva to adult feed on aphids. Ladybugs are attracted to cosmos, especially white, and to goldenrod, coreopsis, fennel, yarrow and other umbelliferae. All are easily grown from seed. Lady beetles and other beneficials including the spider (yes, he is beneficial) like to lay their eggs amongst the long grass, so try to leave a strip un-mowed if you can.

Also it is good manners to provide your insect guests with a drink, in this case water, to wash down the aphids. This can be achieved simply: placing a plastic tray or any kind of pan in your garden and fill it with water. Put rocks in the water for them to stand on.

Next month, Beneficial Insects, Part II: Nectar for bumblebees, and the best ways to attract lacewings and more. Plus, why you should like spiders…

Don’t be in a Hurry with your Seeds!

Posted on February 5, 2000 in General Posts, How to: Plant Care, Month 02: February

“Don’t be in a Hurry with your Seeds!” by David Tarrant

February is often the month when we get carried away and start to sow annual seeds too early for the season ahead. The key factor to think about when sowing seeds is to count how many weeks it will be before it is safe to plant them outside. In climates such as ours on the west coast this is usually around the third week of May, while in cooler areas it may not be until the first week of June.

Usually twelve to fourteen weeks growing time is just right for the average bedding plant. However, it must be stressed that having the correct conditions is vital for success. All seedlings respond well to being sown in a temperature around 18-20 Celsius. But once germinated, they need much cooler temperatures: around 12 by day and down to 8 or 10 degrees at night. During the day, supplemental light for thirteen hours is a great help. It can be as simple as two fluorescent tubes, one warm white and the other cool white, mounted in a moveable holder so that they can be adjusted to be 30 to 40 cm from the seedlings – this will prevent stretched growth. Good air circulation is essential at all times to prevent fungus attacks and damping off.

Rather than being too hasty to sow seeds this month, concentrate on preparing a room – either a spare room or in your basement. Better yet, get your cool greenhouse ready for a mass sowing next month.

Welcome to the New Year

Posted on January 4, 2000 in General Posts, Thoughts

Final Thoughts:
“Welcome to the New Year” by Mala Gunadasa-Rohling

I hope everyone had a great Christmas and New Year celebrations. It was truly amazing watching and waiting for the Millennium, sharing it with everyone around the world on TV. As planned, we stayed home with all my family and some relatives, quiet and cosy and perfect, amid the anticipated chaos. Thank goodness nothing happened! What a sense of relief as 2000 struck around the globe, country by country, and everything was exactly just like it was before…almost anticlimactic for those who expected (and maybe even hoped for) a disaster, but by far the majority of us just glad for a night of peaceful celebration.

Of course, us gardeners never expected anything else really. Why else would we have planted all those little bulbs a few weeks ago in hopes of spring blooms? Or ordered seeds to sow this February? Or packed away our precious tools so carefully for next season? We know how little Nature cares about our pathetic little crises and self-inflicted problems! Y2K bugs, millennium madness, second comings, power goings, etc.are strictly for people completely out of touch with the real world, not us. We knew everything would be just fine…all the plants would keep growing or waiting patiently dormant for warmer weather, the birds flying around and eating the last of the autumn berries, and the sun shining the next day. And so here we are, on the other side, ready for yet another year in our beloved gardens just like before.

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We didn’t get any snow here for Christmas, which is always a little disappointing, for the kids and the adults too. We did, however, get a good thick blanket of fog which is almost as good for moody atmosphere in the garden (and you don’t need to shovel it….) What fog does is remind you of some of the basic tenants of good garden design: remember the fore, mid and background views across the area. Fog enhances the sense of perspective as things further away disappear much quicker than they normally do in clear situations. You appreciate having a small feature tree or shrub halfway across the garden that you can partially see while the further reaches are completely obscured, and the foreground is sharp and clear. It is simple to do in any size garden, and in all weather conditions will add interest and depth to your garden space.

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It was a real treat walking through the woods behind our house on the day before Christmas Eve, collecting branches of holly, cedar, fir, pyracantha, ferns, mahonia, and other evergreens to decorate the house for our anticipated Christmas guests (they never showed up due to a last minute case of the flu!). Never mind, that day was really special, the thick fog making it seem like I was a million miles away, even though I was just beyond the end of the garden. I made a mental note to make sure I have some of these plants in my own garden so I don’t have to raid the lot next door for my seasonal greenery.

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Holly berry substitutes can include Viburnum sp. (left) or Skimmia (right). Others that work well are rose hips, crab apples, cotoneaster, etc.

Everyone must have some holly, Chrismas just isn’t the same without it. Turns out that all the many bushes around our place must be all male since there was plenty of shiny spiny leaves but narry a berry in sight! Conversely, maybe they were all female without a male, how would I know… anyway, no real holly berries, so I had to do a quick substitution with pyracantha. It worked really well, and no-one seemed to notice. So this is a must for my holiday garden as well – I’d plant it even if the birds didn’t enjoy them as much as I did, but I’m glad they do, as there is always lots to share.

Ivy, well, we’ve got that almost rampant around the garden, so no worries there. As for the most famous holiday plant, mistletoe, none around here! I did find a wild berry bush with little white berries which I used instead. I don’t know what it is called, I’ll find out for next time and let you know. And of course, evergreens of every shape and colour are essential. Forest green cedars, mid-green firs and pines, blue spruce, yews so dark they are almost black, etc. Don’t forget the broadleaf evergreens also such as laurel, privet, rhododendrons, and many others They all look great at any time of the year, and give structure and form to the winter garden.

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Beautiful and varied colours of “evergreens” include blue Picea (left), yellow Abies (centre) and green Junipers (right).

It is almost time already to start thinking about the witch hazels coming out, and the lovely snowdrops and early crocuses. At this darkest time of the year, these make for shining little beacons in the night, soon to draw us out into the light.

Happy Gardening in 2000.

Trees that live for 1,000 years astound scientists

Posted on January 4, 2000 in Garden Gossip, General Posts

Horticulture News from Around the World:

Trees that live for 1,000 years astound scientists

By Nick Nuttall, Environment Correspondent, The Times

SOME trees in the Amazon rainforests are hundreds of years older than previously thought, researchers say.

The rapid cycles of growth and decay in the forests had led most experts to estimate that the trees were no more than 300 years old. But scientists using sophisticated radio-carbon dating have found that at least four species can achieve ages of well over 1,000 years. The findings emerged from a study by Anna Lewington and Edward Parker, who trawled the globe for ancient, millennial trees.

Mr Parker, a photographer and environmentalist, said yesterday that while in Brazil they heard of scientists following in the footsteps of logging companies. The scientists, led by Dr Jeffrey Chambers of the University of California, and Dr Niro Higuchi of the National Institute for Amazon Research, tested the age of trees from 13 Amazon species. “We tracked them down near the Amazonian city of Manuas, where we learnt of their extraordinary findings,” Mr Parker said. Ages were found to range from 200 to 1,400 years, with an average of 500 to 600 years.

Ms Lewington, a botanist, said: “Four species of Amazonian trees were shown definitely to live to over 1,000 years old. These are the castanha de macaco, or monkeynut tree; the cumaru; the angelim da mata; and the macaraanduba.”

The couple have spent a year visting 15 countries, including Lebanon, South Africa, Namibia, Chile, China and New Zealand. Their findings have been recorded in Ancient Trees: Trees That Live for a Thousand Years. Mr Parker said: “At the beginning of this project we were hoping to include some 24 species of trees that live to over 1,000 years. However, we discovered more and more examples of ancient trees. The number of candidates has risen now to nearly 100 species, and the list is still growing.”

It is believed that the oldest living tree may be a yew in a church yard in Perthshire, Scotland. A small-leaved lime, growing at Westonbirt Aboretum, Gloucestershire, is estimated at 6,000 years old.

Mandela’s garden gets a TV makeover

Posted on January 4, 2000 in Garden Gossip, General Posts

Gardeners In The News:

Mandela’s garden gets a TV makeover

By Paul McCann, Media Correspondent, The Times

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Down the garden path: Mr Mandela returned home to find Alan Titchmarsh, Charlie Dimmock and, right, Tommy Walsh from Ground Force. Photograph: BBC

THEY are the famous team of surprise visitors who like to sneak in and rearrange gardens while the owners are away. But the latest target of the BBC’s Ground Force was a little beyond their usual patch. He was one Nelson Mandela, of the Eastern Cape.

When the statesman returned home last weekend and was confronted with the garden they had created, he had no idea who Charlie Dimmock and Alan Titchmarsh were. But South Africa’s former President courteously remarked that the famously bra-less Ms Dimmock looked like one of the Spice Girls. In the past, Mr Mandela has said that meeting the Spice Girls was one of the greatest days of his life.

It had taken the BBC six months of talks with Mr Mandela’s security detail and his wife, Graça Machel, to be allowed access to the garden at his retirement home in Qunu. Ms Machel was sent videos of other Ground Force exploits.

The idea of a make-over on Mr Mandela’s garden came from a South African-born producer working on the programme. “We were asked by the BBC to find someone really special for the millennium show,” said Carol Haslam, executive producer. “The problem is that if you did any kind of well-heeled star, viewers might think, ‘Why are they getting all this work done for free – they can afford their own garden designers?’ We knew we would not have that problem with Nelson Mandela.”

While Mr Mandela, 81, was on a trip to New York at the weekend, the gardening team installed a pergola, a water feature, slate paving and bedding plants in a small patch of garden overlooked by his private study. When Mr Mandela saw the new garden, he professed himself delighted.

Mr Titchmarsh, who designed the new garden, said yesterday: “Nelson Mandela is one of the world’s most inspirational figures. His struggle has been a lesson to us all, and I was particularly struck reading in his memoirs how important gardening became during his imprisonment.”

When Mr Mandela was imprisoned on Robben Island one of his few pleasures was tending his own small garden in the prison yard where he grew tomatoes and vegetables. It was, he has said, one of the few things in prison that he could control.

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“The sense of being the custodian of this small patch of earth offered a small taste of freedom,” Mr Mandela wrote in his memoirs. “I saw the garden as a metaphor for certain aspects of my life. A leader must also tend his garden; he, too, sows seeds, and then watches, cultivates and harvests the result.”

Mr Mandela’s garden features in the millennium episode of Ground Force on January 2. During the programme, the team see the prison garden he created on Robben Island.

The garden that the team took on was bare turf round a new home that the former African National Congress leader has just had built. Mr Mandela invited his television gardeners to stay for tea after seeing his garden and read to them the passage on gardening from his book. “He seemed delighted,” added Mr Titchmarsh. “But rather poignantly, he said that he just hoped that he had enough time to enjoy it.”

The programme-makers were assisted in setting up the secret transformation by one of Mr Mandela’s closest friends, Ahmed Kathrada, who was a political prisoner with Mr Mandela during the apartheid era and knew of his love of gardening from their prison days.

Mr Mandela was surprised at his wife’s involvement in the secrecy. When he saw the garden, he said to her: “We’re not supposed to have any secrets.”

NOTE: If you are lucky enough to live in England, watch for the special episode of Ground Force on BBC in January.