Selecting a Container for Fall Arrangements
Fall
is a great time to look around your gardens and pick dried plant material for
arrangements - and it’s free!
We
have called containers in the past “vases,” however now the term of
“containers” is used. A container can be
anything that holds your flowers, foliage or dried plant material.
When
choosing a container, a beginner designer may pick a color of green, black or
brown since these are basic colors and one usually finds plant material in
those colors. It is always a good idea
to carry some color of the container (with the use of sticks, flowers or
greens) up into the flower portion of the arrangement.
First,
look at the space where your design will go and decide about how large it
should be. Choose a container that will
be about 1/3rd the size of the whole arrangement. Consider what type of mechanics (methods of
supporting your flowers or dried material such as water, oasis or foam) is
needed.
Do
you need a traditional or contemporary container for the setting? Look around your home and you will find many
items used for other things that can hold dried material or fresh flowers. Just make sure container is tested for water
leakage. Have fun, sit back and enjoy
YOUR creation.
Deer Resistant
Bulbs
There
really is no such thing as "deer proof" plants. Young deer will nibble at anything (just like
a human baby), especially if it is a new plant being introduced into your
garden. And when their source of food is
limited, deer will nibble at or eat whatever is available, including plants
that may kill them such as pine needles.
There
are, however, many "deer resistant" bulbs that will keep your garden
blooming from late winter through early Fall. They vary in size from a mere 4 inches to over
4 feet tall so they can be placed just about anywhere in the flower bed, not
just in the border. There are hundreds
of varieties of daffodils, narcissus and jonquils, as well as alliums available
for purchase. Some other deer resistant varieties
you may consider interesting are crocus (Spring and Fall), snowdrops, Grecian
windflowers, Dutch iris bulbs (Oriental Beauty), hyacinth, grape and English
wood hyacinth, fritillaria, scilla, anemone, leucojum (they look like giant
lily of the valley), camassia, winter aconite, ipheron, chionodoxa, eremurus
(foxtail lily) and trout lily.
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| Fritillaria |
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| Camassia |
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| Daffodil |
Bulbs
should be planted early in the Fall as they need autumn and winter temperatures
to provide natural refrigeration. If you
have problems with squirrels digging up and eating the bulbs, place a piece of
chicken wire (with 3/4 to 1 inch wide spacing) over the top of the soil where
you have just planted the bulbs. This
will allow the plant leaves to grow through the wire, but prevent the critters
from getting at the bulbs.
When placing
the bulbs in the ground, if you are uncertain as to which way is up, place the
bulbs on their sides. They will
naturally reach for the warmth and rays of the sun as they grow.
There
are many catalogs and web sites where bulbs are sold. Many are on sale right now, so this is the
perfect time to purchase. Who doesn't
love a bargain?
Fall Garden Chores
Fall Care for
Tuberous Plants - Dahlias
Dahlias arise from
thickened roots called tubers which generally don't survive our winters in the
Hudson Valley. Although a few light
frosts won't damage the underground parts of the plants, they must be lifted
and stored before a hard freeze occurs.
When the leaves turn yellowish and droop, it is a good idea to label
each plant’s color and height. If you
don't identify each plant with a tag, in the spring when it is time to replant
you will have only a box of very similar looking brown tubers, and you will
have to take a chance on how they will fit in your garden. You can tie a label on the uprooted tubers
with some wire and a stiff paper tag.
In the northeast,
early to late October is the ideal time for harvesting the dahlia tuber. With sharp snips cut off the stems just above
the soil level at a node. A node is a point on the stem where it is solid,
between the hollow parts. It is best to
use a spading fork about 8 to 10 inches from the center stem to lift the
developed dahlia tubers. They will be quite large by summer's end.
Washing the tuber is not recommended because
a light coating of soil will prevent dehydration. You can spread the tubers out on a porch or
garage floor for a few days to dry.
Place the tubers, stems up, in boxes with peat moss, perlite or sand in
a cool dry place (40-45 degrees F) where they won't be exposed to extreme
temperature fluctuations. Throughout the
winter you may want to check them periodically. If you detect any rotting ones, you would want
to remove them.
In the spring when
the chance of frost has passed bring them out and replant. They multiply well so you can separate the
clumps of tubers prior to planting to share with friends or expand into new
garden territories.
Fall Care for
Rhizomes - Cannas
Cannas will not survive
a winter outdoors in our area. It is
necessary to dig up the rhizome in the fall.
After the early frost, cut them back to 4 to 6 inches from the
ground. Dig up the clump with a spading
fork.
You may allow them dry for a few
hours before packing in boxes, crates, or paper bags for storage. Similar to dahlias, you may store them at 40
to 50 dgrees F. in a dry location until spring. The large clumps can be divided
before planting in the spring.
With the recovery
and storage effort you make in the fall for most tubers and rhizomes (remember
gladioli and tuberous begonias too) you will be well rewarded in the spring.
