An Altruistic Gardener

As I grow older I have begun to be a little more altruistic as regards to sharing my garden. After all, most of the plants, animals, insects and weather were here long before I was and will be here long after I am contributing to the garden. The beautiful deer are a pleasure to watch, never mind about the nibbling. They have paths near our home that were established long before we plopped our house near their traditional routes.

The beautiful Cecropia moth has a somewhat less appealing look in its larval stage as a big ugly, green voracious tomato hornworm. The cute little cabbage worms that move by humping their backs and then sticking their neck out are fascinating to watch. I never cease to be fascinated by their antics. Robins one of the early harbinger’s of spring and also love my cherries and blueberries. They loudly complain while I am picking what they consider theirs. It will have to be a trade off between cherries and songs and beauty of robins. Rabbits carry on their family duties when they help themselves to my shrubs and tomato plants. Oh well, Peter Cottontail has to live too.

Some of the plants that share the garden with the ones I planted are often as colorful as the ones I bought. If a plant volunteers and isn't doing any harm I say "Live and let live." Such volunteers include chicory, sunflowers, cockscomb, violets, tomatoes, raspberries and potatoes missed from digging last year. There is garlic growing here and there and everywhere and it tastes just as good as those in nice rows. Every once in a while an onion will appear from one missed and it doesn't know it is out of place so it grows just as well. Peach seeds from some discards sprout where they were buried and produce trees that in three or four years have delicious fruit. The wild blackberries and wild purple raspberries produce better fruit for syrup and jelly than any cultivated varieties. They have the added advantage of being inexpensive and are adapted to the conditions rather than trying to force a variety to adapt.

Most of us do not have the expansive backyard necessary to recreate an ecosystem that was prevalent in western Pennsylvania before Europeans came. But we all have some space available in the garden or yard to show off a few of the native flowers or "forbs" and even some of the grasses that are native to our region.

Using native plants in your home garden has many advantages: they are attractive and they generally bring an entirely new look to the garden; they are well adapted to the local environment and once established need less care and maintenance, which includes less water, fertilizer, and pesticides; they often attract beneficial insects that prey on pests; and they attract native songbirds and butterflies.

Some native plants that attract butterflies include all species of aster, as well as Joe-Pye weed, Butterfly milkweed, Purple coneflower, Wild bergamot and Goldenrod. Hummingbirds are attracted to Common columbine, Cardinal flower, as well as Butterfly weed.

Understanding the growing conditions in your yard is crucial to the success of a native garden. These conditions make up the "habitat" of your property and define the plant community that will thrive there. Much of the area was wooded with some open meadows plants, which thrive in full sun with both dry and moist soil. Species such as Goldenrod, Aster, Coneflower and Black-eyed Susan do well in these conditions. But your backyard could also be similar to woodland and even wetland habitats; other species grow more successfully under these conditions.

A well-known myth of planting native plants is that it makes the yard look like a weed patch. But native plants are amazingly diverse and beautiful and can be used in many ways. They can be an important component of a border area, butterfly garden, shade garden or any landscape style you desire.

Another myth is that native plants aggravate allergies, but non-native plants such as Kentucky bluegrass, Bermuda grass, Orchard grass and Timothy grass cause most allergies. Many native flowers, such as asters, goldenrods and milkweeds, are insect-pollinated, not wind-pollinated, and do not cause allergies. It is the pollen in the air that triggers allergic reactions.

Native plants are disappearing from much of our environment and as they disappear so do the birds and insects that depend on them. By using natives in our garden we not only extend the availability of these plants, but also increase the wildlife habitat available for our small mammals, birds and insects.

And don't forget to add the human touch like bird feeders and baths, as well as benches are nice touches that invite people into your garden to sit down relax and enjoy the environment.

I recently met a lively old parrot, which is known to be over a hundred years old. Great longevity, whether it is gardener or beast, or fish or fowl only seems astonishing like the elephant and man may live a century or more; parrots, geese, ravens as long or longer; carp to 150; the tortoise and pike to 200. But what is the meaning of years? Age is impressive, however for me, it’s the usefulness that is important.

While driving to the next garden talk, I occasionally come upon an old cemetery. These are wonderful places to look for old varieties of plants, view a type of gardening architectural landscaping and study as an art form, old head stones. We’ve all noted in old cemeteries how very long, some members of a family lived even a hundred years ago and how briefly others. These head stones are comparatively ancient some prior to the Revolution. Today the average life expectancy is about twice that of Revolutionary times. Thanks to modern medical research most of us will live full lives, more useful, healthier and wiser.

To some degree so will the plants. One in particular the peony will in most cases out live the original gardener who planted it and probable several more. May be the great grandchildren will be picking a bouquet and placing the flowers around my headstone. However the key to their longevity is the care you take in establishing them.

I've found the ideal time to plant bare rooted peony tubers is in the fall; just as the first leaves begin to turn yellow. After a few frosts the plant is now going dormant. Now the term bare rooted means that all the soil was removed from around the tuber when the plant was dug from the field. I prefer planting bare root peonies because they are less expensive than container grown plants and by planting them in the fall they will have time to develop a strong root system, ready for robust growth next spring.

You can purchase your bare rooted peonies from a local garden center, nursery, box store or through a mail order source. The first thing you want to do when you open the package is check that the plant is healthy. The tubers should be fleshy, firm and mold free. Sometimes bare rooted plants can dry out during transit so it is a good idea to soak them in a bucket of water for several hours in a dark, cool spot to rehydrate them before planting.

If you cannot plant the tubers right away keep them in their packing material in a cool, dry place, such as a garage, or basement. Warmth and moisture will signal the tubers to start growing so check on them occasionally to be sure they aren't getting moldy or soft. They can be kept this way for several days.

Choose an area that is in full sun with well-drained, slightly acidic soil. And bear in mind that peonies do not respond well to transplanting once they have become established, so select an area where they can remain undisturbed.

Peonies should be planted with the eyes pointing up and just beneath the surface of the soil. Now here is an important fact to remember. Peonies that are planted too deep will not bloom. In northern gardens plant the tubers no deeper than 2 inches. In the mid-South plant them about a half-inch deep. This allows for the mulch spread over the planting bed to keep weeds down and help conserve moisture. Once planted, water well and keep the area consistently moist until the ground freezes. In the deep-south peonies don’t survive. The heat does them in and to bloom peonies need several hundred hours of temperatures on or around freezing in the winter.

Next spring your plants will produce foliage, but it may take a few growing seasons for it to put on a big display of flowers. But your patience will be rewarded. Peonies are plants that are geared for long lives and their blooms improve with age.

The large, heavy flowers of many of the old fashioned varieties such as ‘Sarah Bernhardt’ and ‘Festiva Maxima’ have a tendency to flop over. One of the most effective ways to avoid this is to cage them in the early spring soon after the stems emerge from the ground with an old tomato cage; or you can just use a piece of wire fencing to encircle the plant.

Another great attribute about peonies is their fragrance, but to insure lots of bloom the following year, it's important to remove the seedpods and fertilize each plant in late spring/early summer after deadheading the faded flowers. You can use a blend of 5-10-5 sprinkled around the base and water the fertilizer in thoroughly. About a handful per plant is enough. This is the only time you need to feed them.

Happy Gardening!!

Gardening Angel