Category: Forsythia

Spring Blossoms

Spring Blossoms

Do you want to force a branch?

Coincidentally, late winter is the best time to prune deciduous trees and large shrubs. We usually head out into the yard with pruners in hand starting in late February or early March. We get a jump-start on our pruning along with an early gift of spring color inside our house. We prune our trees and shrubs for shape and to remove crossing branches and old or diseased wood. From the wood we have cut off the plant we can select branches for forcing that are less than 1/2 inch in diameter and cut them to the desired length.

Many ornamental trees and shrubs set their flower buds during the previous growing season. These buds will usually come out of dormancy after two to three weeks of being exposed to warmth and moisture.

 

 

Forsythia, pussy willow, quince, cherry, apple, peach, magnolia, are all good candidates.

 

Choose branches that have lots of buds and put them in water as you work. After bringing the branches inside, fill a sink with very warm water—as hot as you can stand it without scalding your hands. Very warm water is important because it contains the least amount of oxygen. If oxygen gets into the stems it can block water from being taken up, thus preventing hydration.

 

041083045-02_xlgHold the stems underwater and recut them at a severe angle an inch or two above the original cut. The stems will quickly absorb the water. Arrange the branches in your vase, which should be filled with warm water so the ends are submerged. Place in a cool room or if you want the process to go more quickly in a warmer room. At this time of year, it may take only a few days for pussy willow to bloom and look their best. Forsythia takes a few days more and the other varieties can take up to several weeks.

 

 

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It is very satisfying to sit and observe the daily progress of buds as they swell and burst open bringing a bit of spring blossom inside.

 

I Need My Garden More Than My Garden Needs Me

I Need My Garden More Than My Garden Needs Me

Contributed By Jocelyn Cameron

Some people say that having a garden is too much work. After all, you need to plant it, weed it, water it, and prune it. Who has time for that?

Well, to be honest, I do. In fact, I need to make time for it because of the benefits. How else could I know that spring is here? The crocuses tell me, the forsythia announces it with the quince trees to back them up. Before long, I know its mid-July as the ditch daylilies raise their heads and other cultivars display their ravishing colors. Who would want to miss that? As the mint creeps through the beds, my taste buds come to life. Ever had an outdoor shower with climbing roses scenting the air? Then fall dares to rival the summer’s displays as tri-color leaves wave in the cooling breezes.

I would be remiss not to mention the exercise my garden provides all season. If I don’t manage to get all the weeds in the spring, they greet me almost under every plant all summer. I must dive in and remedy the situation, my arms and legs thanking me for the stretches required. (Well, sometimes they do complain!) Without this activity, I must confess I would miss much of the beauty that lies hidden among the bushes. Never would I notice that anemone standing tall all alone or catch a rosebud about to open. Of course, you don’t want to miss the daylily blooms—you’ve only got a day to do it before they close up their glory in deference to another.

Ah, summer. Now I can create floral designs using my carefully selected (unless they happened to be on sale and could still work for me) garden plants as inspiration. Will I pair my cool greens with white Shasta daisies or should I match yellow and green limelight with my common yellow daylilies? Don’t forget to add some ribbon or zebra grass to help define the shape. I can rely on moss or creeping oregano to cover up the bald spots. If featuring burgundy, euphorbia makes an excellent filler. You see, the possibilities are stunning. And feeling the plant material through my fingers adds pleasure hard to define. Serendipitously at the finish, I may discover a perfect shape, that offers a whimsical finale to the whole design. Even in cleaning up, I get to “re-enjoy” the process as I toss unused bits into the compost. Now that’s what I call an pleasurable afternoon. You can, no doubt, imagine the buzz that comes from repeating this process all day in preparation for a flower show. Exhausting, but exhilarating at the same time.

Then, after garden chores, its time to find an Adirondack chair with its wide-open, comforting arms.

DSC_1377 - editRemember to get a glass of cool lemonade first, though, so that it can cool your insides as much as a shady spot cools the outside—a perfect time to give thanks for both garden and good health. Yes, I need that. In fact, I planned for it—much of the winter. Winter gives me time to anticipate next spring’s resurrection. Even in those short, dark days,

I can still take delight in those seedy-headed grasses that escaped fall pruning as they bow down in deference to the inevitable nor’easters.

Yes, my garden can take up much of my time. As you read between the lines of this article, however, did you catch the psychological benefits it has provided? Consider these: peace (nothing like solitude under the pines to make this happen); calm (the rustling grass sure trumps the sound of a cell phone); decompression (with bare hands, get those lumps out of the soil); confidence (that seedling finally sprouted roots or I guess I really can grow orchids); provides opportunities to make friends and share experiences (join a garden club); rest (drop into a garden swing when finished weeding that stubborn patch), satisfaction (you got rid of that goutweed!); gratification from not overspending (check out those spring plant sales), hope for the future (next year I’ll plant something different in those containers); anticipation (will that freshly planted annual survive?); appreciation of beauty (hard to beat the Stargazer lily); growth in patience (next year don’t plant pansies in a hot location), perseverance (so what if the deer got those bulbs, plant daffodils next time), faithfulness (water those containers!) and finally, confidence (my garden is ready for the garden-tour crowd. OK, that may be pushing it a little, but you get my point).

 

By now, you can see that I really do need my garden. And, it has always responded amiably to my attention, so I plan to continue seeking out its companionship. For me, garden time surpasses screen time like fresh flowers surpass silks. Best of all, perhaps, gardens require no apps—at least for now.

 

On the Inside Looking Out

On the Inside Looking Out

Finally, we’re into late February, and we’re longing for a touch of Spring.  Today, the view outside our window is one of snowy fields and leaden skies.  The sun visited for a few hours yesterday afternoon but soon disappeared behind the clouds despite heartfelt requests that it stay around. Even some of the indoor plants are refusing to cooperate.  An Amaryllis potted up with great expectations last fall has expended all its energy on long healthy leaves with nary a sign of a flower bud in the offing.

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A leggy heron contemplates a leggy Amaryllis

A few of the good old reliables are still providing colour, however,  even if those colours  come from bracts and not petals.  What about “Christmas poinsettias that last into spring” – a little riff on the Julie Andrews’ song.

poinsettia

We’re grateful for this brilliant splash of colour indoors.  The plant was bought as part of a fund-raiser for the Chester Playhouse in early December and is still brightening up the “indoor garden” in the last week of February.

Another carry-0ver from last fall is a Christmas cactus that put forth a full cascade of blooms in November but has come back for an encore in recent weeks.  The strange white “stems” seen behind the flowers are actually roots from an orchid that has been gradually expanding its territory by sending out shoots across several other plants thriving congenially in a window nook.  Perhaps a consultation with a Master Gardener is in order.

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A Christmas cactus re-blooming in February

With a little TLC and a lot of luck, a Cyclamen like the one below will carry over for several years despite the vagaries of central heating, vacationing owners and other hazards.

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An old favourite, the provenance of this Cyclamen is unknown

Forcing blooms is one of the age-old methods of hurrying spring along. The forsythia branches below,  cut about ten days ago, make a convincing statement about the forthcoming season.

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The graceful lines of Forsythia branches encircle a Balinese musician

Seen in close-up, the delicate forms of these “buttercup yellow” flowers on bare stems, are a reminder of nature’s promise of spring to come.

forsythia close-up

And for Chester gardeners who are eager to start planning this year’s garden, the NSAGC is offering extra Astilbe plants at an excellent price.  All members in each club belonging to the provincial body will be eligible for one free Astilbe at this year’s convention, but members may also order additional plants (in our Club, through Sandy D).  This fast-growing fragrant plant,  “Younique Carmine”,  bears beautiful fuchsia-red blooms.  It is an early heavy bloomer, deer and rabbit resistant, and is excellent for the flower border or for planters.  For more information, contact Sandy via chestergardenclub@hotmail.com

An Introduction to a Botanical Garden

An Introduction to a Botanical Garden

swelling buds of lilacs
The green buds of a lilac are getting fatter every day

For gardeners in Eastern Canada, the first signs of Spring are just appearing, as buds swell on flowering shrubs and bulbs push up toward the sun. At this time of year, in a sort of anticipation of what’s to come,  they get a vicarious pleasure from viewing colourful plants grown in more southern climes. Chester Garden Club is pleased, therefore, to welcome one of its own as the featured speaker at its April 16th meeting, when Sylvia McNeill will present a personal view of her experience at Naples Botanical Garden. 

Forsythia blossoms
Forsythia shrubs are already in bloom
star magnolia bud about to open
The fuzzy grey coating of a Star Magnolia bud opens for the emerging flower