Last steps

I only have a few more projects left to finish up the season.  Just a couple more days of removing the last of the fallen leaves and trimming a few branches before the long winter sets in.  I am looking forward to the snow and colder temperatures!
I thought I would share a couple of the photos from my work these past few weeks...

This flowering kale I pulled while doing a fall clean-up was still showing some amazing color and seemed to ignore the few hard frosts we had recently.

Planting the last of the bulbs!  These crocus were part of a larger grouping I planted along with Chionodoxa (Glory of the Snow) and Galanthus (Snowdrops) and were a mix of purple and white varieties.  I always plant bulbs with a healthy sprinkling of Bulb-tone, a natural and organic 3-5-3 fertilizer made by Epsoma.

Signs of Fall

I'm not quite sure where the month has gone.  Time gets away from me this time of year as I hustle to prepare gardens for the long winter ahead.  We had our first frost this morning in the Portland area, which seems quite late.  Inland areas have had a few frosts at this point going back to several weeks ago.  I will spend the next couple of weeks continuing to cut perennials back, planting bulbs for next spring, wrapping shrubs, and pulling the last remaining weeds of the season.

Sweet Autumn Clematis

As fall sets in here in Maine there aren't too many shrubs and vines left flowering.  Yes, there are plenty of hydrangea blooms and some lingering Rose of Sharon (Hibiscus syriacus) around, but now is the time of year that the Sweet Autumn Clematis really shines.  The small white blooms exude a fantastic fragrance that even Monarch butterflies seem to love (one stopped by to sample some nectar right as I pulled my camera out). 

Clematis paniculata is a quick climber and can grow up to 30 feet.  It is best to plant is an area where it can spread freely, up a large trellis or arbor, along a fence, or even up a tree.

Rainy Day Field Trip

While we are in the midst of several wet and dreary days here in the northeast (the remnants of Tropical storm Lee), my friend and I decided it was the perfect weather for a field trip to a greenhouse.  We took a half hour drive north to New Gloucester, Maine to visit Wood Sprite Orchids.

This quaint little spot is a real hidden gem.  The very knowledgeable owner (who lives right next door to the greenhouse) has the largest collection of tropical orchids in Maine.  The blooms were fascinating and beautiful.

Besides the orchids he also had a few Staghorn Ferns growing and some wonderful specimen plants, like this large Jade (below on the right).

Wood Sprite Orchids is open year round at 43 Depot Rd. in New Gloucester.  Orchids from seedling to blooming size plants are for sale.  Their website is:   http://www.woodspriteorchids.com/enter02/

Irene's Damage

While most of the Casco Bay region of Maine didn’t experience much damage from Hurricane Irene, the plants at the Lobster Shack in Cape Elizabeth sure did!  The 40+ mile per hour winds combined with salt spray from the ocean created damage like I have never seen before.  

 

It was amazing to see how the plants (shrubs, perennials, and annuals alike) directly in the path of the strong southeast winds were brown and black while others seemed unscathed.

Can you tell which way the wind way blowing?

These Rosa rugosas were heavily damaged on the southeast side, while right around the corner they remained lush and green.

After cutting back all the dead leaves, branches, and flowers the gardens looked very sparse, almost like spring!  I am going to go back and fill in with some late bloomers like yarrow, crocosmia, asters, a few more mums, and some flowering kale.

Native Clethra

While on a canoe trip yesterday at Bunganut Pond in Lyman I saw quite a bit of Clethra alnifolia growing along the water’s edge.  I thought I would share a few pictures of it in its "wild" state, as I had just shared some photos of landscape specimens in my last blog entry.  This native variety forms dense patches and thrives in sandy, wet soils.  The smell was amazing!  After flowering, the dried fruiting capsules remain through the winter and make it easy to identify.

 

There were also several wild blueberry bushes growing right along the bank that were perfectly ripe, and delicious!

More Favorite Flowers...

 

Clethra alnifolia, commonly referred to as Sweet Pepperbush or Summersweet, is one of my favorite flowering shrubs.  The fragrant flower spikes are in full bloom here in Maine and are intoxicating!  This is a great shrub to use in shade to part-shade gardens and is available in white or pink shades.  The common variety can grow to 6 feet, while there are a few compact varieties for smaller spaces that get to about 3 feet.  Most varieties prefer moist soils and blooms last for about three weeks.

Annual Flowers

The sweet peas I started from seed are all starting to bloom over at the Lobster Shack.  I attached some bird netting (used to protect fruiting bushes, like blueberries) to the picket fence to help them climb.  It works great and from a few feet away you can barely notice it.  The mixed variety I planted has a nice blend of pink, purple, white and salmon blooms, they smell great too!

The calendula that volunteers every year is just starting to bloom as well.  Annual flowers like these are great to add constant color in the garden, as perennial flowers come and go.

Favorite Flowers

One of my favorite flowering trees is the Cornus kousa or Dogwood.  They are in full bloom here in Maine right now and they are spectacular!  This morning I was doing a little pruning on one at a client's house in Portland to separate it out from a Hydrangea tree it was starting to overtake.  I snagged a few branches before off-loading my truck at the dump and created a nice vase for my kitchen table.

Flowering Dogwoods do well in full sun, but I think they look best when used in partially shady areas.  Many nurseries around here will not guarantee them as certain varieties are not generally hardy here in Maine (especially inland areas).  Closer to the coast however you'll find some really nice specimens that do very well when planted in protected locations.

Plants in Pots

These window boxes of pansies that I planted back in May for a client in Cape Elizabeth have filled in nicely and add a bright spot to an otherwise shady backyard.

Whether it is a pot full of herbs right next to a kitchen window or a hanging basket of flowers on a porch, I love using plants in pots.   For me they are great because I have limited outdoor space at my apartment in Portland so I like to have a few pots filled with herbs, one for tomatoes, and another for annual flowers.

A few other benefits of plants in pots….

-Pots can be moved as needed.  To coincide with the trees filling out or the angle of the sun, you control how much sunlight and water your plants receive.

-You control the soil that goes in so if you are eating from your pots (herbs or veggies) you know it is safe and that Fido hasn’t relieved himself in it!

-When the temperatures drop you can moves your plants indoors to protect from frosts.  Some herbs do well all winter long (like rosemary) on a sunny window sill.

Have fun and experiment!  Containers, potting soil, and plants from your local nursery, farm stand, or farmers market are fairly inexpensive and can really add a lot to your outdoor space.

Wildflowers

This past weekend I met some friends in western Massachusetts to attend the Brimfield Antique Show, http://www.brimfieldshow.com/.  We walked around for about 7 hours and still didn’t see everything, it was huge!  My limited purchases included a hanging plant holder and a galvanized watering can, the latter of which I had been looking for, for a while.

We camped out about 15 miles away at Wells State Park in Sturbridge.  It was a nice lake front campground with plenty of privacy and plenty of mosquitoes!  There were also quite a few different kinds of wildflowers right at our camp site.  Spring wildflowers are always so nice to see, especially after the rough winter we had.  Here are some pictures…

The first was a Wood Anemone (Anemone quinquefolia), in the buttercup family.

Another was Jack-in the pulpit (Arisaema triphyllum) also called Indian Turnip as the corms (fleshy taproots) were gathered and eaten by natives.  I had never seen so many in one place.

Another site I had never seen before was a Solomon’s Seal (Polygonatum biflorum) growing right next to a False Solomon’s Seal (Smilacina racemosa).  The foliage is almost identical but the flowers are quite different.  The real Solomon’s Seal, in the foreground, has bell-like flowers hanging from the leaf axils, while the False Solomon’s Seal has a cluster of small white flowers at the tip of the stem (in the back)

Sprouts!

Last week while working in Cape Elizabeth I finally saw some real growth on the sweet pea plants that I started from seed.  They are almost 3 inches high now and should be climbing the fence in no time.  Here is a picture of the new sprouts:

The tulips are really starting to open up and show some great colors out there too (The Lobster Shack at the end of Two Lights Road).  The previous gardener here had a real love for bulbs (especially tulips) and planted an enormous amount.  It is really a stunning site and the crashing waves in the background aren’t so bad either. 

Starting Seeds

It is that time of year!  With many of the bulbs starting to bloom around here it is time to start thinking about planting some seeds.  A few days ago I planted some sweet pea (Lathyrus odoratus) seeds out at a coastal property in Cape Elizabeth I maintain.  These seeds have a tough coat and benefit from soaking overnight before planting as well as nicking the outside to hasten germination.  Few seeds can handle our chilly nighttime temperatures, but sweet peas thrive in cool weather and can handle light frosts.

If you are interested in starting your own seeds or just learning more about it I have a great book to recommend, The New Seed-Starters Handbook by Nancy Bubel.  Originally published in 1988, this gardening classic covers everything from starting seeds of all kinds to transplanting and saving seeds.

Happy planting!

Happy Spring!

Welcome to my new website, thanks for checking it out!

I created this site to share photos, projects, and gardening tips throughout the season.  Please feel free to leave a comment, suggestion, or question anytime.

My anticipation for spring and warmer weather are increasing daily, especially after yesterday’s April Fool’s Day snowstorm (although I am excited it gives me the opportunity to break out those snowshoes a couple more times).  Over the next few weeks my projects include several days of pruning, planting some seeds, and starting spring clean-ups.  With temperatures predicted to rise near normal later this week, I think we are well on our way towards seeing more beautiful spring colors.