The Chelsea Chop
Is it a new dance move? Is it the Clinton’s daughter’s new show on the Food Network? Is it a haircut?
It actually is a type of haircut.
One you give your plants.
The Chelsea Chop is a method of pruning that is typically done around the time of the Chelsea Flower Show at the end of May (hence its name) although any time in late spring or early summer is fine. This type of pruning can extend flowering, and decrease the floppiness of many herbaceous perennials.
There are two ways of doing “the chop”.
The first is to cut the entire perennial clump back by 1/3 to ½ using shears. This will delay blooming and keep the plant more compact. This is especially nice on plants that can get leggy like asters and phlox. With this method, you may have more flowers but they tend to be smaller since they formed on side branches after the top shoots were removed.
The second option and one that might feel less drastic is to cut only ½ of the stems back by 1/3 to ½. This will actually extend a bloom season as there are more stems in different stages of growth.
Good candidates for the Chelsea Chop include: upright sedum, Shasta daisy, goldenrod, yarrow, Joe Pye weed, bee balm, coneflower, and black-eyed Susans. Do not try the chop on woody sub-shrubs like Russian Sage or Lavender. It’s also important to make sure the plant is healthy and robust before the chop. If not it is less likely to recover.
Got Garlic Mustard?
Now I am not asking because I am making a sandwich.
The garlic mustard I am talking about is not some artisan condiment; rather it is a noxious weed. Garlic mustard (Alliaria petiolate) is a biennial that grows a leafy rosette in its first year and flowers in its second. The leaves are alternate and somewhat heart-shaped.
Garlic mustard is so called because when its leaves are crushed they smell like…garlic. This helps identify this weed from look-alikes.
Garlic mustard grows in sun or shade. Its roots exude a chemical substance that inhibits the growth of nearby plants. And one plant can produce up to 5000 seeds that remain viable in the soil for up to 5 years. It’s easy to see why garlic mustard is such a problem to control. Large stands of garlic mustard can quickly take over a woodland, choking out natives and wildflowers.
The most effective way to control garlic mustard is by hand pulling as it is flowering – before it sets seed. It is important to grab from the base and remove the entire root; I find that weeding is best done after a rain as things are softer. What about large areas of the weed? Still, hand pulling seems like the right option. Although herbicides can also be used, just make sure that directions are followed. Herbicides will not kill garlic mustard seed which is why hand pulling even after an herbicide application is important. Any plants that are pulled should be bagged and put in the trash as they will continue to flower and set seed. Mowing will not work and can actually be counterproductive. Mowing between May-September can actually spread the ripening seed pods.
Last year I spoke with Ellen Zachos who is a forager and she turned me on to eating a good portion of my garden. You can do the same with garlic mustard. Here is a great link that shares many yummy options on “The Forager’s Feast”
The Best Thing To Plant in Your Containers Now
Would you laugh if I said “herbs”?
In my honest opinion, it is the best thing to plant in spring.
Add some beautiful curly parsley to your pansies and pussy willow. Add some purple sage or lemon thyme for pops of non-flowering color. Mint will do well in shadier locations. Rosemary is great in a drier situation. The beauty of these plants is their longevity. Like the Energizer Bunny they keep going and going and …. You may need to re-arrange them in your summer and fall containers but they will still be looking great. And at the end of the season (mid-September) perennial herbs can be planted in the garden. Talk about bang for the buck. Your $4.99 investment got you three seasons, plus an addition to the garden.
When using herbs in containers make sure their companions like the same growing conditions. And I do not mix basil with anything. I find it is happiest in its own pot; preferably terracotta since the roots do not like being wet.
Can you spot the herbs in these container gardens?
This year I encourage you to use herbs in your containers. Not only will you be rewarded with beautiful, long-lasting arrangements at the end you may even get to make some tabbouleh…or mojitos!
Seeing Red
Isn’t this a beautiful garden? It will certainly attract the attention of your friends and neighbors.
However if you are hoping to help pollinators like bees it will fall flat.
Bees will not give this garden a second glance.
Why?
Read More»What Winter?
I have noticed that it is getting dark later and on some days the temps are such that I only need a light coat. Spring is coming…sigh. But where was winter? Where were the freezing temperatures and colossal snowstorms that had school children crossing their fingers and meteorologists throwing around words like “bombogenesis”?
In years past, my brother and I would gleefully trade stories of the drifts in front of the doors that forced us to just stay inside for a while. Despite the crazy weather in the rest of the country New England, or at least Massachusetts, has gotten off easy. Up until February 12, 2019 we had received only a little over 2” FOR THE WHOLE WINTER.
Now it’s not that I love snow – although the first storm or two are pretty – it’s just that I have things to do!
Read More»Flower Show Season
It’s that time of year again. We winter weary gardeners can get a tease of spring and scratch the gardening itch with great area Flower Shows.
I am fortunate to be speaking at the Connecticut Flower Show on February 22.
I will have two talks: “Beauty and the Bees” which will discuss better ways of designing with pollinators in mind, and “Power Couples” where I will share some of my favorite perennial parings for gardens and containers.
I am also thrilled to be returning to the Philadelphia International Flower Show and will be speaking on perennials on March 7th.
Both of these shows are great and definitely bucket list worthy trips. If you are able to attend either, or both, I highly recommend it!
The Good Witch
One of my all-time favorite plants for the late winter/early spring garden is witch hazel (Hamamelis).
This is an easy going, low-maintenance shrub or small tree that is at home in any garden. The best part about witch hazel is that between January and March it covers itself with beautiful, dainty four-petaled strap-shaped flowers. I have planted one in the back garden where I can see it from every window. On those days when I feel that winter will just not end I glance outside and see the branches covered in yellow; I have hope.
Forget forsythia, as a harbinger of spring, witch hazel cannot be beat.
Read More»Spotted Lanternfly
Sounds like something a character out of a Dr. Seuss book might bring home as a pet, right?
Problem is, it is not fictional or friendly.
Spotted lanternfly (Lycorma delicatula), is neither a fly nor a moth but rather an invasive planthoppper that is native to Asia.
It was first discovered in Pennsylvania in September 2014. It has since been reported in Delaware and New York and recently in Connecticut. The adults and immatures of this species damage host plants by feeding on sap from stems, leaves, and the trunks of trees. Sap from the wounds where feeding has taken place can cause sooty mold and also attract bees, wasps and other insects that are attracted to the sugary sap. One of the favorite hosts for Spotted Lanternfly is Tree of Heaven (Ailanthus altissima) although it has been found on over 70 species of plants.
While the Spotted Lanternfly has not yet been spotted in Massachusetts it poses a significant threat to our state’s landscape. For more information, including identification, visit the UMass Center for Agriculture website. Report any suspicious findings to the Massachusetts Department Of Agricultural Resources via the Invasive Pest Reporting Form.
Meet the Crew.
I am the proud founder and owner of The Captured Garden but the success of the company depends on more than just me. I only have two hands and would never be able to handle all the clients that come my way.
Thankfully, I have a wonderful crew of women that make me look good.
Let me introduce them:
Read More»The Woman in the Bank
The other day I was at the bank. Sitting in the manager’s office waiting for some paperwork to be signed. There wasn’t much to do so I spent the time just watching people. One woman in particular grabbed my attention.
She was older and slightly hunched over but came through the doorway with such a sense of purpose. She marched up to the teller to conduct her business. After a few pleasantries I heard her ask about the teller. If it was her first time at the branch? Was she a floater? To which the teller replied yes. This woman then went on to say that she had been to just about all the branches and, “This branch is the best. The people here are so friendly and they really know what they are doing.”
Her compliments went on and on. I couldn’t help but smile as she lavished praise on this particular location.
As this woman left she passed a man at the ATM machine who was wearing an athletic jersey of some kind with a big W on the back. She walked by him she said “Does that W stand for Wonderful?” He smiled and said, “Yes.” She left the building, got into her car and drove off.
I was still waiting for my documents so I reflected on what I had seen.
This woman, with her kind and encouraging words, had just made the day better for two people. Three, if you include me.
The Bible says we should “encourage one another and build each other up”. (1 Thessalonians 5:11). That’s exactly what she had done. Our society is so quick to criticize and tear down; I contend we would all be a little happier if we followed the example of the woman in the bank. I am determined to try and do so.
I never did get her name, but as she left whistling, I wished I had.
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