Things to do in the March Garden

•    Prune winter flowering shrubs and vines after blooming
•    Plant summer and fall blooming bulbs
•    Spray for peach leaf curl, peach leaf blight and canker
•    Dormant spray fruit trees and roses if you haven’t already done so
•    Plant ground covers
•    Plant or repair lawns
•    Plant grasses
•    Plant roses
•    Plant fruit trees
•    Plant perennials
•    Plant shrubs, trees and vines
•    Plant warm season vegetables
•    Continue any clean up that may have been interrupted by cold weather
•    Start feeding your houseplants with an organic fertilizer
•    Start feeding your trees, shrubs, perennials and vines with an organic fertilizer
•    Look for interesting and unusual plants for your garden

It’s time to start back in the garden.  Getting some of these chores out of the way now will make for a much more enjoyable spring later.  You’ll have time to find those special plants you’ve been looking for and maybe join us for one of our garden tours.

Part of my garden right now.  It definitely needs a March cleanup.

Arisaema ringens

As many of you know I am an Arisaema addict.  It’s a good thing I have only 400 square feet for my garden otherwise I would be completely out of control.  I just find them a fascinating and truly striking plant family.  You can have Arisaema’s blooming from early spring to late summer with all the varieties out there.  One of the best and easiest Arisaema’s to grow is Arisaema Ringens.  Originally from Japan, Korea and China it is also one of the earlier of the Arisaema’s to bloom appearing in late March to early April. 

It prefers humus-rich soil that is consistently moist but well-drained and prefers part shade to full shade.  Each tuber produces a single stalk with two glossy, green leaves.  From the centre of the stalk the cobra-like flower emerges.  Each flower consists of a showy, green and purple striped spathe (to 4-6" tall) with a hood that covers the inner yellow to white flower spike known as the spadix.  The plant goes dormant in the summer after flowering.  It is hardy to Zone 6.  If you want to try growing an Arisaema for the first time Arisaema ringens is the one to choose. 

Perennial Plant of the Year 2013

Poloygonatum odoratum Variegatum

Each year the Perennial Plant Association comes out with its Perennial Plant of the Year.  The program began in 1990 to showcase a perennial that is a standout among its competitors. Perennials chosen are suitable for a wide range of growing climates, require low maintenance, have multiple-season interest, and are relatively pest/disease-free. If you are looking for an excellent perennial for your next landscape project or something reliable for your gardens, make sure to check out the Perennial Plant of the Year™ archive list.  Here is a link to the Perennial Plant Associations website: http://www.perennialplant.org

This years Plant of the Year is Polygonatum odoratum ‘Variegatum’ or Variegated Solomon Seal.  This is a much better behaved plant compared to its bigger brother regular Solomon Seal who happens to be a bit of a thug in the garden.  Polygonatum odoratum ‘Variegatum’ grows 18 to 24 inches tall and will spread by rhizomes to form colonies. The oval shaped leaves are carried on upright, arching and unbranched stems. The variegated leaves are a light green with white tips and margins. Leaves turn an attractive yellow in the autumn. Pairs of small, bell-shaped white flowers with green tips are borne on short pedicels from the leaf axils underneath the arching stems. The flowers are present in late spring and are sweetly fragrant. Bluish-black berries are sometimes present in the autumn.

Variegated Solomon’s seal is a classic beauty for the shady woodland garden or the part-shade to full shade border. It is a great companion plant to other shade lovers including hostas, ferns and astilbes. The sweetly fragrant flowers will enhance that walk along a pathway on a spring morning. Flower arrangers will find the variegated foliage to be an attribute for spring floral arrangements. And finally, this all season perennial offers yellow fall foliage colour.

It thrives in part to full shade, prefers moist, well-drained soil and is hardy to Zone 3.

January To Do List

Now that January has arrived you can sit back, relax and contemplate what you would like to do in your garden this year.  That's not to say there aren't things that need to be done in the garden in January here on the coast, it's just that there isn't a lot to do.  Here are a few things you may want to do in your garden now:

•    Spend some time going over the seed catalogues you ordered in December and order your seeds or        come by The Natural Gardener and pick up your favourite seeds there.
•    If your seeds arrive before the end of January you can sow them.
•    Plant fruit trees
•    Plant trees, shrubs and vines as long as the ground isn’t frozen.
•    Plant perennials.
•    Apply dormant spray to fruit trees.
•    Draw up a plan of your garden and mark on it any changes you would like to make, either plant wise or with your hardscaping.
•    Make a list of plants you would like this year.  You can pre-order with The Natural Gardener if you like.
•    Make sure that any leaves or broken branches are off the lawn.
•    Prune out any broken or damaged branches

Athyrium pictum 'Regal Red'

I have always loved the Athyrium pictum ferns (Japanese Painted Fern) and new cultivars are appearing all the time.  ‘Regal Red’ is a real stunner with the midribs highlighted in a rich burgundy-red.  The colour is a wonderful contrast to the silvery green foliage.  Like all Athyriums it prefers full to part shade and it likes the ground to be moist.  Do not let it dry out!  It is easy to grow if given the above conditions.  You can fertilize it a couple of times over the course of the spring and summer.  Because it is deciduous try planting it with epimediums or Arum italicum so you will have some green in the winter season.  It is also a great contrast plant when planted amongst Hostas.  'Regal Red' thrives down to Zone 6 and reaches a height and width of about 2 feet.

Helleborus Winter Jewels™ 'Berry Swirl'

The Winter Jewels™ Hellebores have been carefully hand-bred in Oregon from only the best plants collected from around the globe in order to produce a range of new and exciting flower forms and colours. These form a mound of leathery, evergreen foliage bearing upright stems of large, saucer-shaped, double flowers from late winter through spring.  The flowers come in a range of colours primarily in the reds and purples with some of the flowers having white centres. Like all hellebores Berry Swirl does best in part shade, preferable with morning sun and afternoon shade.  In late winter as you notice the flower buds starting to emerge cut off all the old, tired looking foliage from last year.  Not only will it tidy the plants up nicely, you will also be able to see the flowers at their best.

Zone: 5
Light: Part shade
Soil: Moist, well-drained, humus rich
Height: 14 inches (40cm)
Width: 2 feet (60cm)

Parahebe catarractae

The photo below is of a plant that should be used more in our gardens: Parahebe catarractae. Parahebe is originally from New Zealand, grows best in full sun (although mine did fine in part shade) and prefers moist but well-drained soil. Especially here on the coast make sure it never sits in water. It is an evergreen subshrub eventually reaching a height of .5 metres or 1.5 feet. The flowers first appear in early summer and it blooms for most of the summer. When it has finished flowering I cut off all the spent flower stems and after a bit of a rest it flowers again in the fall. The photo that I took was on November 7th and it is still blooming beautifully! It is growing in a pot with a clematis and a carex 'Olive' and has done very well there.  Now who wouldn't want a plant that is evergreen and still blooming in late fall.