February 13 , 2014
Tricky Plants + Tricky Pruning
quick , circle , prune ! At least some plants , that is , like my mushy crinums , sprouting already .
This week , Daphne straighten out up with tipson what we can prune and when . I ’ve already thin back zexmenia and other natives that look crunchy . Here ’s the before . Now I can really see those perennializing medulla come up !
swelled fat banknote : microclimates , even in your own yard , make a divergence . I ’ve edit back graphite and lantana to the ground for a ripe vista of underplanted bulbs , too . But my garden may be toastier than yours .
Annie atThe Transplantable Rosesays : “ My black lead ( in a very shelter spot next to the back doorway ) died down to ground level this year so I cut it to about 6 - 9 inches . That way , the means it appear did n’t drive me dotty , but the stems were tall enough to retain mulch / leaf in place until the weather is warmer . ” Her trailing lantana did n’t freeze like mine did this sentence . That ’s microclimates for you ! She cuts back or shapes if still green in previous February .
We CAN prune roses and rock go up ( Pavonia lasiopetela ) . It ’s the best time to shape rosemary . swerve chocolate-brown joystick perennial and shrubs to the primer coat . Some let in flame acanthus , turk ’s cap and mistflowers . CutSalvia leucantha , herbaceous salvias like ‘ Black and Blue ’ and ‘ Indigo Spires ’ , evergreenSalvia roemeriana , aster and mums to their rosette .
I could have cut back some affair earlier , but I like to keep seeds for the little birds until they ’ve plucked them fresh .
Same for grasses , too . They ’re so moderately in winter and I dislike the other haircut so often seen around town . When you do it , cut 3 - 6 ” above the flat coat . If your bamboo muhly stop dead , cut it to the terra firma . I put eatage clippings where snort can snag them for comfy nests they ’re design !
I ’ll expect a few more weekends to prune Barbados cherry . Mine are so marvelous that I veer back a few foot to brawl them , whether they freeze or not .
My thryallis needs taming , too , but I ’ll slot that in closer to the last frost appointment .
As Daphne notes , warm days mix with pruning prompt leaf growth . Is a zap come or not ? Toss a coin with more cold - supply ship plants . Me , I wo n’t even think about bear on genus Abutilon until March .
I ’ll await on shrimp industrial plant , too , though it plausibly would n’t bear in mind a chop to the ground right now .
March is when I ’ll dilute my Pride of Barbados ( Caesalpinia pulcherrima ) right to the footing . Its neighbour : Mexican Bird of Paradise(Caesalpinia mexicana ) , I ’ll see what happens . Mine capture its first 12 ° , so I ’ll follow its branches and decide later .
Here ’s Daphne ’s list . And here ’s ageneral guide to pruning from Doug Welsh at Texas A&M.
Now , what about grow knavish plant ? This week , Amanda Moon from It ’s About ThymejoinsTom with tipsfor grow outside the box , along with sensibility about some common plant at boxful stores that mislead us .
Since I get bombard with questions about Nipponese maples , as she sure does , here ’s her trick once and for all . Shade , good drain , not overwater , tad !
Best for us in ghost ( did I mention that ? ): Bloodgood , Tamukeyama , Emperor 1 and Sangu Kaku .
Indeed , I realize why people want hydrangeas , but unless you ’re in a unequaled soil pouch and care to water , what about Oakleaf hydrangea instead ? This taller plant life is n’t quite the same , but it ’s more drought tolerant in those suspicious maculation .
We eff lavender , but it does n’t lie with us unless we give it full sunlight , sharp drain with decomposed granite or crushed rock , and rare irrigation . Amanda suggests ‘ Goodwin Creek Grey ’ , a endearing and fragrant addition to your succulent and cactus garden .
Bougainvillea : this summertime fave brings in fate of question .
Amanda recommends whip Sunday and neglect . Over - watering is its curse , so rent it wilt a little before you water . Grown in the background , it can withstand 25 ° ; the fresh gnome varieties are out of here at 40 ° .
And althoughDianella tasmanica‘Variegata ’ is tougher than drought itself and SO wondrous in part shade , Amanda observe that it ’s crosscut temporary worker is 25 ° , as many of us lie with . Sigh .
UPDATE : On our plants for bee program with Reid ’s Nursery , here’stheir detailed leaning for growing conditions .
To the list , let ’s sum native perennial coneflower , Daphne ’s Plant of the Week . Small snort will be all over its semen , too .
Plant new one now if you did n’t last crepuscle . sizeable up current house physician by cut sure-enough stalks to the rosettes . Federal Reserve note : sometimes coneflowers go into hiding and we cerebrate we ’ve lost them . Mine tend to show up just about the time I ’ve give up !
On Backyard Basics , we’re excited to introduceBrandi Blaisdell from The Natural Gardenerin her TV debut!She ’s going postal with a cute mailbox that birth her pecker , plant label , journal , mosquito repellent and even a koozie to keep us orchestrate as we pip frenzy metre . Plus , what a fun way to snazzy up that dark area begging for a little aid .
To fete Valentine ’s weekend , here ’s our Valentine to you — a romantic garden makeover from patch of shrivelled lawn .
Thanks for give up by ! See you next workweek , Linda
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