Green Thumb Momma

Absence makes the heart grow fonder. Heard that expression? My husband proposed to me after I took a week long trip out of the country. He couldn't stand my being away! I feel that way right now.

It seems to me like it's been a pretty cold Fall and Winter this year. I have to admit that I truly hate the cold and wet weather that seems so prevalent this year in particular. Weren't there a few days last winter that reached the high 60s and low 70s? I could get outside, do a few chores, and let the sun warm my face.

I must suffer from some sort of seasonal depression. It reminds of the old tv show, Northern Exposure, I used to watch in college. Did you ever watch it? The episode where the residents of the small Alaskan town put on head lamps during the winter when the sun never showed itself. Hilarity ensued. So funny. I need to get one of those lamps. I miss the bright sunshine that doesn't hit you behind your sunglasses at the wrong angle. I miss the sunshine that is bright and orange, not dull and gray. Will Winter last forever? Feels like it.

As a result of the colder weather, most of my Fall cleanup chores have been neglected. There are leaves all over my beds, I never dug up my calla lilies (which are sure to have died this year), the stems of annuals I never pulled up still poke out of the ground by my sidewalk, containers have not been cleaned out . . . you get the idea. My garden has been orphaned, poor thing!

But there is some hope. I see little green daffodil leaves poking up through the oak leaves. And I've got a stack of seed catalogues on my desk that's ready for an extended browsing during the little one's naptime. I got a gift card from Christmas to my favorite nursery that's ready the minute that the spring sales begin. The sun is setting later and later everyday.

I'm not the first to feel this way, not the last either. But for an avid gardener, the winter seems endless. My heart misses gardening . . . the dirty hands, the creativity, the long strolls down the nursery aisles looking for a good deal on astilbes . . . ahh. I love her - my garden. (I think of her as a female on the whole. Individual plants do vary in gender though.) I can't wait until she comes home again. Just a little longer . . .

There are several things I've been working on this fall.

1. I'm removing all the plants from the bed closest to the house . . . to start a veggie garden. I've interplanted some vegetables there, but have decided to clear the whole thing out for vegetables.  I've transplanted some perennials, and dug up callas and gladiolas. I have several varieties of lavender and sage that I will move in the springtime to strategic places within the bed to use an animal deterrents. I've still got to dig up cannas, japanese anemones, an agastache, a climbing rose, and a type 2 clematis.

2. I've cleaned out all the terracotta (and other temperature sensitive) containers. The annuals have petered out from the colder weather, so I tossed them in the compost pile. The pots have been cleaned and stored in the garage.

3. Just this week we've had the sprinkler system guys come out to winterize (or blow the water out of the pipes) the system. The folks we use are wonderful - always on time, return calls promptly, professional, reasonably priced, and capable. If you live in the Richmond, VA area and need the name of a sprinker company, I'd be happy to recommend these folks to you. Just let me know. 

4. I've sprayed once for winter growing annual weeds, but I will have to continue this battle all during the colder seasons. I'll use hand pulling, Preen, and sprays (but only on warmer days). Some weed sprays only work at a minimum temperature of 70 degrees - check your labels!

5. The leaves haven't started falling in any serious way, but the acorns are downright dangerous. A walk to the mailbox requires a hard hat! I'll get the blower out this weekend. I have to say that oaks are my least favorite trees - lots of deadwood, the leaves drop all winter long (extending the clean up season), and the acorns cause Daughter to slip on the driveway and sidewalks.

Soon the leaves will be down, so I'll have to rake up. The hard frosts will kill the perennials which will have to be cleaned up. The tools will need cleaning and sharpening. And the mowers will have to be winterized also. Lots to do still. . . I'm grinning. It's all good!

I have a love/hate relationship with the weeds in my garden . . . reminds me it's election season. (It's that a random connection or what?)

I hate them . . . they are unkind and make my yard look unkempt. But, at least they don't sling the mud.

Weeds steal, the little thieves, taking nutrients from my plants. They are the illegal aliens of my garden . . . sneaking over the border from my neighbor's yard (who apparently don't like to garden.)

Weeds are like politicians and entitlements. When they are brand new they deceive me into thinking they are something else. . . so I elect it . . . hoping for some unforseen treasure. Then, wham. It's too big, and out of control . . . I wonder whether I'll ever rid myself of it . . .  and it has the nerve to act like it's entitled to be there.

Weeds multiply incredibly fast . . . like taxes. There are taxes on everything. Weeds grow in every area of my yard: shade, sun, dry, moist . . . dependable, but in a BAD way.

What I like most about weeds is removing them. There's great satisfaction in clearing a bed of bad weeds. It's a very zen-like experience (except that Buddist's value all life . . . Okay, so it's not Zen-like, but rather contemplative.) It's dirt therapy at it's best.

I hope I don't get as disenchanted with weeding as I have with politics. I don't have a whole lot of hope that politics will change come January 2009; no matter who is elected today. I'm not naive enough to think that the weeds won't come back . . . just like all the problems in our government. It's too hard to figure out what the root of the problem is, let alone eradicate it!

But, I'm complaining too much. I still live in the greatest country in the world. I still think there are good people out there trying to do good for others. I still think there are folks who enter into service for their country with the best of intentions. I guess what they say about weeds is true of politics . . . a weed is any plant in the wrong place. A politician is a statesman in the wrong office.

Arum italicum 'marmoratum' (commonly named "Lords and Ladies") is by far the strangest plant in my garden. It's backwards, and beautiful.

arum italicum 'marmoratum'

My arums are growing in full to part shade on the north side of my zone 7 home. The soil is fairly dry as it is lives under the eaves of the house. It has rhizome-like roots, buried very deep in the soil. It's height and spread: about 12" tall and forms large clumps with time. It's leaves resemble caladiums or elephant ears in appearance (heart-shaped and attractive) . . . but, they aren't as colorful; only green with light green veins. The leaves produce paper-thin white spathes which both die back. The leaves are followed by rattle-like green spikes lined with green berries. The berries turn blaze-orange with time.

Pretty plant, but why is it backwards and strange? Timing. The leaves appear in early fall and stay green all winter long. The white spathes appear in spring and the orange berries in late spring. The plant dies with the beginning of summer.

Different and wonderful. Try it out in your garden for winter interest. By the way, I plant summer shade annuals (like impatiens and coleus) over the arum for the summer.

[Two words of warning here. 1. If you leave the orange berries to die back the plant will multiply and spread. 2. Removing the orange berries requires care - the plant "juices" are very irritating/burning to the skin. Wear gloves. Wash hands and arms immediately after handling the plant.]