"Must Dos" for back to school

We have 4 kids. While one is now working full time (Lynn is partners with her mother Mary at Mary's Yarns www.marysyarns.com) the other three are still in school.

When they head off to the institutions of higher learning, I know the feeling that parents have. More accurately, I know the 'multitude of feelings'. You are relieved (it has been a long summer of managing the kids and the schedules), you are happy (that they are finally off to school, where someone else is now in control), you are sad (cause you are going to miss them!).

But most of all you are forced into the next phase of your year. It is time to look around you and consider doing things that you previously (for 9 weeks, anyway) had no time for. Like the garden.

(Below, right: The late summer garden at the Toronto Botanical Garden www.torontobotanicalgarden.ca)

Herewith, my indispensable list of 'things to do around the garden when the kids go back to school'. Print it and post it on the fridge next to the drawings of 'what I did on my summer vacation' etc.:

1. I will start with the least desirable job of all, weed.

Truth is, your flowers, roses, shrubs and the veggie garden have been competing with the thistles, wild grasses (twitch grass is public enemy #1 around my place!) and the like and without an intervention by you, your plants are destined to lose this one.
You see, weeds are considered weeds because they serve no useful purpose in the garden. The plants that you put in the ground, on the other hand, are the 'desirables'.
Get out your long handled hoe and make sure that it is sharp (I recommend the new Mark's Choice hand held sharpener, but putting it on a grinding wheel does the job too).
Cut down weeds with your sharp hoe and if you can, pull the big ones. With all of the rain that we have received over the past few weeks in much of the country, pulling weeds is not such a tough job.

2. Cut back the finished blooms.

It is important to cut back the blooms of perennials and annuals that have matured: Shasta daisies, early flowering rudbeckias, finished hosta flowers, peonies, day lilies even lilacs. Why? Because the energy that a plant puts into producing seed, in its' effort to reproduce, would otherwise be used to produce new growth, to beef up the root system for better blooms next year and in some cases to produce more blossoms before the killing frost of late fall.

Many annuals need 'deadheading' as well. Petunias and snapdragons are the perfect example.

(Pictured, below: "Dahlia - enjoy while you can!!")

3. Fill in the holes.

Now that you have pulled/cut down weeds and cut back your perennials and annuals that are tired, it is time to pour yourself a coffee/tea or favourite beverage (this will depend on the time of day, now won't it?) and assess the possibilities.
You have created an opportunity to add interest to your garden with the addition of new plants. Naturally, you will consider going to your favourite garden retailer and look over their offerings, which may include: fall flowering, winter hardy (to zone 4) mums, hardier still (zone 3) New England Asters, rudbeckias, purple cone flower (Echinacea) and a host of ornamental grasses that just may blow your gardening socks off.

Don't forget to look over the frost hardy (as opposed to 'winter hardy') flowering kale, cabbage, ornamental millet, snapdragons (you read right) and dusty miller. These will provide reliable colour well past the first frost and in the case of the kale and cabbage will look their best after several frosts. Usually around the middle of November.

4. Fertilize your lawn.

If you haven't fertilized your lawn for more than 8 weeks, this is the time to do it again. Use the regular formulae offered by a reliable national brand for best results: So Green, C.I.L. Golfgreen and Green Earth (for organic gardeners) are all great. (Keep in mind that the most important application of lawn food is yet to come in late fall, at which time you will use a 'fall formula') more on that later.

5. Speaking of your lawn - this is the best time of year to overseed an established lawn to thicken it and to start a new lawn. Do not leave this job past the end of September or there will not be time enough for the new grass seed to put down roots before winter.

6. Holland Bulbs.

Yes, it is that time of year again and I will be talking about this more in upcoming weeks. Canadians have at least the next 6 weeks to get their tulips, daffodils and the like into the ground. However, this is the perfect time of year to buy your bulbs as the selection is at its' best at the beginning of the season.

Truth is, the boat comes over from the Netherlands loaded with the Canadian quota of bulbs once a year. That is just about it. So naturally the best and the rarest bulbs sell first. For fun, try buying some bulbs on line. I like the selection at Garden Import best of all: it is the widest of them all and Dugald Cameron (the owner who selects the varieties personally each season) offers many varieties that are not available at retailers. Go to www.gardenimport.com. McFaydens, the great Canadian 'mail order' company in Brandon Manitoba also provide an excellent selection of spring flowering bulbs. Go to www.mcfayden.com.

Wherever you buy your bulbs, this is the time to dream of the great garden that you are going to have next spring.

7. Network.

Many of the horticultural clubs that were more or less dormant during the summer months are now back up and running at full speed. Get in touch with your local horticultural club and find out when and where they meet. You will enjoy the opportunity to meet new people and to network over garden related conversations.
Besides, most of these clubs (and there are over 1,000 of them in Canada!) have a 'perennial exchange' in the early autumn, which is your best chance to acquire new plants for your garden for very little money or in exchange for a division or two from your own garden.

If you don't have a horticultural club in your community, consider starting one. Go to www.markcullen.com/news_events/gard_communities.htm.

8. Feed the birds.

Many of the most interesting birds - warblers, finches, hummingbirds etc. - are passing through our Canadian gardens now, on their way south. Interesting thing is, song birds do not make a bee-line for warmer climes. They generally zig zag their way southbound, looking for sources of food as they go. Right now we have the baby hummingbirds in our garden to beat the band. The mature males and females left for the south ahead of them, blazing the trail for the youngsters to follow.

Much like our kids, the new generation are feeling their way through life. Their grand journey to their winter home is just underway: it is up to us to savour their last visit with us 'til spring. When, of course, they will return for the summer just like your kids will.

This is your time to be selfish.
Indulge yourself by spending some quality time in the garden.

And keep your knees dirty!

Yours,

Mark

p.s. the winners of the www.livingwell.ca contest spent the day with me this past Sunday: we toured the great public gardens of Toronto including the Music Garden, the great gardens of High Park, Casa Loma and the Toronto Botanical Gardens. Cathy and Gerry Gartner, from Regina Saskatchewan were the perfect guests! We had a blast and ended the day with a great dinner prepared by Mary at our place... ahhh! Nice. Welcome back any time Cathy and Gerry! I will treasure the memory of our day together. For more info go to www.livingwell.ca.

 (Right: In the music garden - Toronto.)

Question of the Week

Q/ Can I prune my lilacs at this time of year?
A/ If you prune lilacs now you will be removing the flower buds for next year's blooms. It is best to prune lilacs immediately after they have finished blooming.