Scottish Rock Garden Club Forum
General Subjects => Flowers and Foliage Now => Topic started by: Mariette on October 14, 2022, 11:48:26 AM
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Thanks to 115 mm rainfall in September, the garden tends to look fresh again. :)
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Crocus are a delight now and self-seed in the garden. ´Zephyr´ is one I grow since many years, it produces seedlings looking alike, but also some looking like blue-flowered Crocus pulchellus, which I never planted.
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This large-flowered seedling is probably a hybrid of Crocus ´Zephyr´ with Crocus speciosus ´Albus´, somewhat showier than the latter.
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Many of the species do not approve of my heavy clay, but some seedlings of Crocus goulimyi, planted last fall, survived.
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The fragile beauty of the nerines looks especially refreshing at this time of the year.
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Thanks to 115 mm rainfall in September, the garden tends to look fresh again. :)
Beautiful Mariette. The rain was long awaited here, only recently started and now also Crocus is showing up.
But the main attraction in October is the fall coloration of the trees (and not only) in many parts of Canada. It was hard to select just a few pictures.
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I remember fall in Canada as being the most pleasant season, gone were the hot balmy days of summer, by cooler fall temperatures and spectacular autumnal colours.
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Mariette, the picture with Geranium and Cyclamen is beautiful. :)
Autumn in Canada looks wonderful!
Here most of the leaves have fallen now. Some Colchicums still flower, and also some asters, though they are not looking so good after last days rain.
Evergreen leaves of Helleborus are now looking good, and I hope these plants will flower again next spring (their buds were frozen and damaged last spring).
Also Rhododendrons are good now, and silver leaf Pulmonaria 'Majeste', as well as ferns.
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I remember fall in Canada as being the most pleasant season, gone were the hot balmy days of summer, by cooler fall temperatures and spectacular autumnal colours.
True that September and October are spectacular here Jeff. Then November can be put into the winter category, it is a horrible month usually.
So, I personally wouldn't call it the most pleasant season - spring still comes first!
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Autumn in Canada looks wonderful!
Here most of the leaves have fallen now. Some Colchicums still flower, and also some asters, though they are not looking so good after last days rain.
Evergreen leaves of Helleborus are now looking good, and I hope these plants will flower again next spring (their buds were frozen and damaged last spring).
Also Rhododendrons are good now, and silver leaf Pulmonaria 'Majeste', as well as ferns.
We are almost at the same 'fall level' Leena, just that it was very warm in September so most trees changed colors late and are still holding their leaves for a little while.
Soon we'll start to appreciate more/again the Helleborus, the ferns and all other evergreens from the garden.
Crocus speciosus only showed up recently.
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Beautiful shot with the yellowing foliage. :)
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Thank You for Your kind comment, Gabriela and Leena!
Indeed, the autumn colours in Gabriela´s garden are gorgeous! Indian Summer is definitely a great temptation for European tourists!
Crocus speciosus may flower any time between September and November, depending on weather and clone. ´September Rain´should be one of the first.
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´Cassiope´, to the left, and ´Oxonian´, to the right, usually flower in October.
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Persicaria microcephala ´Silver Brown´disappeared completely during the drought of summer, but popped up again now.
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My favourite Arum italicum is ´Chui´.
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A lot of things have been and are happening here, personally. At the end of the day there’s usually no energy left. (Busy is not the right word I think, Robert, occupied seems to fit better. )
Well, not much writing, but I did read and enjoyed the lovely pictures despite the bad conditions earlier. Lots of beautiful ones, I agree that Crocus specioses with the dying leaves is very good, Gabriela.
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A mix of fall and summer. Crocus kotschyanus both normal and ‘leucopharynx’ (Crocus specioses ‘oxanian’ in the back), Prospero autumnale, Sternbergia lutea, Allium callimischon var callimischon and unknown Escholzia made a lovely scene last week.
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Other containers are less abundant, a few Crocus and Colchicum are showing up. Crocus asumaniae looked good in the afternoon sun.
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In the park, the right kind of Crocus kotschyanus (the dutch ones I got in the beginning, never flowered) sort of exploded this year. Maybe more seedpods are ready when they start mowing now, which is considerably later (starting three or four years ago).
Despite the mild wheather, 15C and record +20C expected end of the week, the trees in the park are very colourful as well, exotic Liquidambar styraciflua (?) is not as ‘flaming’ as other years, yellow Carpinus betulus is one of my favourites.
Last thing about this season, the bees (and butterflies) have been missing here this season, at least at the usual spots. They visited my containers, but an interested neighbour and me missed them where we know them to come in big numbers.
Growing mostly bulbs, this period feels like starting a new season, just a few left to be planted late.
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The absence of bees is a huge concern, a gardening friend in Canada reported the same thing occurred in her garden.
Are there any bee keepers with hives near you? They would be the best source of info on the state of bee populations in your area and may be able to explain the absence of bees.
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Are there any bee keepers with hives near you? They would be the best source of info on the state of bee populations in your area and may be able to explain the absence of bees.
Good idea, thanks, I think I know one close enough. Hope he knows about the bumble bees as well.
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Neonicotinoid insecticides are highly toxic to bees, here they have been withdrawn from a sale to home gardeners for some years now. However the same does not apply to commercial users. The logic that was applied to this decision was that home gardeners use chemical sprays indiscriminately. Do you have any spray access restrictions? Effective control of aphids using contact insecticide sprays is a challenge.
Varroa mites infect hives and kill large numbers of bees which x can also lead to a reduction in bee numbers.
I grow hellebores and this gives bees access to a pollen source at a time of year when other sources are unavailable, the only down side is that they compete with my pollinating brush but this is a battle I am prepared to accept.
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As far as I know most, if not all, insecticides have been banned here for private use. Never bothered to find out about the details as I’m not going to use them anyway, I admit this is a lot easier if just gardening in containers.
Starting this spring I noticed less bees on my own early bulb species, maybe they were not so hungry, the first fine spring days didn’t have a real winter week shortly before. Apart from other observations, most convincing for me was the lack of bumble bees in part of the university garden nearby late in the season, I’m afraid the garden isn’t very interesting, the buzz was. As professionals do the gardening there is a possibilty of insecticides, except that I never noticed dying or ‘drunk’ bees and given the previous years, it looks as if they selected the plants for bees.
Flowering was of course less because of the dry summer, but still a good amount left.
Back to the bee-keeper.
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I've planted a number of bee friendly trees ( Evodia) now known as Tetradium.
Also only used organic materials for pest control. Spinosad, Neem and other new materials based on bacteria and fungus for pest control.
There's a new one out using the Australian funnel web spider venom. Spear-T.
I live in an urban area just 6miles outside NYC.
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Was not aware of Spear T, not available here but its use seems to be targeted for closed green houses rather than open gardens.
Will keep and eye out for it
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A correction, I do use a little bit of soap and water on aphids if rinsing them off with water isn’t possible. Slugs don’t seem to like containers, we don’t have poisonous spiders and beating the ants to the seedpods can be done. I use some metal netting to keep away rats/mice and breeding ducks. But who knows what other pests will show up later.
Today Crocus lycius opened up, a new one and even more lovely than I expected.
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Like Akke, I [we] have been very busy. Providing winter protection and planting leguminous cover crops is currently occupying most of my schedule. [Birds, mine]
This photograph was taken yesterday, 27 October, at our Placerville property.
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For me, well-grown crops are a sight of beauty.
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A spring crop of multi-colored lettuces.
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Even other salad greens are beautiful.
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This is part of our pest control program.
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I have been farming and gardening for over 50 years. I have never sprayed poisons to control pests. Even organic and natural pesticides and insect deterrents have adverse consequences to other creatures, and the entire ecology and food chain—for example, Bt to kill pest caterpillars also kills the caterpillars of desired species such as butterflies. Birds, lizards, frogs, parasitic wasps, and other beneficial insects are encouraged to thrive as part of a holistic, self-managing system. Occasionally we get some minor insect damage. Our philosophy is the feed to soil with farm generated compost, leguminous green-manure crops, and the occasional application of rock powders. Healthy soil grows healthy crops and other plants.
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My wife working the compost piles.
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We also control pests by breeding our own plants that are well adapted to our gardens. Pictured is a seed crop of Ethiopian Two-rowed Barley. I use the 20% rule when selecting seed for saving.
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I use the same 20% rule with our Ethiopian Blue-tinge Wheat.
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All sorts of autumn blooming bulbs are looking good in our garden. This Sternbergia is one example.
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Robert
I would be interested to know if you have aphids and if so how have you developed systems to control this ever present pest?
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Hello Jeff
I think that you ask a very important question. The long answer to your question would involve writing a detailed essay of my integrated growing practices. The basic growing principles I follow are very similar to those expressed by Eliot Coleman in his books “The New Organic Grower”, and "The Winter Harvest Handbook”. The books are about small-scale agriculture; however I have found that most of the principles discussed in the books can be applied to ornamental plants. Also, his information applies specifically to his Maine farm. Adjustments are often necessary in different climatic situations or when using different cultural practices, such as container growing. Maybe these books are available at a public library in your area? Lately, I have been giving thought to how best to share my gardening experience and practices with others. Maybe I should write a book about such things? I am not sure this is the right time.
Anyway, the short answer to your question is, yes I sometimes have small populations of aphids in our gardens. For example, I currently have some pepper plants that have a few aphids on them. It is the end of their season, and encroaching shade, poor air circulation, cool temperatures, and declining day length stress the plants. Aphids or no aphids, the plants were scheduled to come out of the ground within the next few days and the area replanted with autumn-winter crops. At no time during the growing season did they have aphids, and I have never had aphids on peppers during their growing season in over 50 years of gardening farming. Needless to say I am not concerned about the situation. Basically I keep all my plants healthy, including ornamental species, by using a preventative, “plant positive” approach. I never spray synthetic or “natural” pesticides. Sometimes I have sprayed aphids with water, but this is very rarely necessary. I have founded that healthy, unstressed plants do not get pests. Consistently, I have found that plants grown in healthy soil are far more resistant to environmental stresses and pests than plants grown in unhealthy, unbalanced, depleted soil. If one has access to Eliot Coleman’s books they can read about his preventative, “plant positive” approach to farming. The general ideas also work with ornamental species.
Without having to write a great deal, I hope this has answered your question.
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Hi Robert
Thx for your answer to my question.
With my hellebores, aphid infestation develops on the underside of the leaves which makes spray ting with contact insecticides difficult. That is why a systemic approach makes for an easier and complete control.
I now use Neem Oil, a natural insecticide, as the main control for aphids, the aphids appear as the hellebore flowers set seed and within a short time can become very prolific. Neem Oil is relatively successful but to achieve full wetting on the underside of each leaf is a challenge. Any misses and the populations continue to explode. Due to space my plants are grown close together which of course does lead to a quick hop over from an infected plant. Due to space limitations plant spacing cannot be increased.
Neem Oil works well on roses where the aphids seem to be on the flower buds which can easily be sprayed. I am trialling using cat mint, Nepeta, as an aphid deterrent. This has been reported as being successful so currently have many cuttings which hopefully will root and then transplanted.
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Like Akke, I [we] have been very busy. Providing winter protection and planting leguminous cover crops is currently occupying most of my schedule. [Birds, mine]
This photograph was taken yesterday, 27 October, at our Placerville property.
Robert,
How effective are the hoop tunnels? and what fabric do you us?
Marc