GGG Granville Gardeners

Gazette Promoting Education and Recreation through Gardening Activities

Oxford, North Carolina December 2019, Volume IX, No.12

Dogwood Camelllia sasanqua Reblooming Iris ‘Clarence”

At the December 3 Installation of Officers and Board Members, Brenda LaFayette was installed as President of the Granville Gardeners for 2020, along with continuing officers Virginia Clay in a memberapproved third term as Vice President, Jacalyn Thomas as Secretary, and Danny Devito as Treasurer. Two board members were installed for their first term of a 3-year rotation, Rob Thornton and Dodie Veres. Joyce Cifers was installed for the two years remaining in the rotation of Maria Kazmierski, who resigned due to job-related schedule conflicts. A warm fall ushered in a mild early December with some Camellia sasanquas still blooming along with reblooming iris ‘Clarence’ (and other rebloomers), and allowed the dogwood and other fall foliage to continue brightening our days. The late-summer/early fall drought was responsible for some damage to susceptible plants, but to what degree will not be apparent until spring arrives. Even then, it will be wise to wait until late May to determine whether anything has died. Winter gives such a good opportunity to look for places to add even one plant that will give us pleasure to look out the window and see it. It could be an evergreen pieris with fiery red new growth and flowers like strings of pearls. Or a Japanese flowering apricot with blossoms that scent the February/ March air – or a companion to it, an Edgeworthia, its flowers resembling huge honey-scented snowflakes. Or a lace-leaf Japanese maple with incredible leaf color in spring and fall and a weeping silhouette in winter. The view from our windows is a different show with each season, and we have time now to plan to put in that plant (or plants) that will lift our spirits just by being there.

By Marty Finkel Photos: Bing Images

PRESIDENT’S NOTES

Our year is coming to an end. We have had some great garden club events, speakers and general good times. Many have stepped up and taken an active part in the club. Our herb sale is just one example of excellent team work. Nominating committee chairman Dodie Veres’ diligent efforts brought an excellent slate of candidates for officers and the two new board members to replace those completing third and final terms. Finding someone to run for president is always difficult since most feel inadequate to take on this duty, but if I can do it, anyone can do it. I venture to guess that I am the least knowledgeable about gardening techniques and care. When I took on the presidency in 2018, I was very reluctant and felt unworthy, but I was assured that I would receive help from many veteran members. That was absolutely true and I am so grateful for the privilege of serving. I reiterate what Tom Jordan and Marty Finkel said in their emails to all of the club members: the club will support whoever steps up, no doubt. Our heartfelt thanks go to Brenda Lafayette for accepting the office of President for 2020. She will not be alone because good advice and support will always be just a call, text or email away. Our installation and awards banquet was an evening of good food, fun and camaraderie with fellow gardeners. Looking forward to another successful year of gardening and participation in the best garden club of all, I bid you adieu! Cindy Keith, President Granville Gardeners

Restoring an Old House and Landscaping Gardening with Dot and Tom Jordan

Number 5 in the Garden Series

We have always been involved in gardening in one way or another. Tom’s family had vegetable gardens when he was growing up, and he worked in tobacco fields during the summers as a teenager. My mother always gardened and my grandmother too. We both grew up enjoying gardening.

In 1988 we took on the job of reestablishing Dot’s grandparents’ home near Wilson, and little did we know what problems we were about to face. It was a large house with parts dating to the 1830’s, but mostly to the 1870’s and early 1900’s. It had been vacant for 12 years and any prior landscaping was completely overgrown.

We started by gutting the entire house down to the studs. We did that work ourselves. Then we hired contractors to complete the rest of the work. We began the huge task of reestablishing the landscaping around this beautiful old house. I have always envisioned landscaping as designing outdoor rooms. They should be places you would enjoy sitting in and communing with nature.

This past fall was extremely tough on our gardens with the lack of rain, and we hope our dogwoods and other plants survive. We will just have to wait and see.

We invite everyone to visit and tour the Seven Gables grounds, always in the process of changes and improvements.

One of the first mistakes we made in establishing the yard was planting Kwanzan cherry trees. We had never heard of nematodes, which damage tobacco plants and obviously loved our exotic cherries – ‘nuff said -- they died after 2 years.

The next big mistake was building a large goldfish pond with waterfall and all the other enhancements for a pond. Alas, after 3 years, along came the drought and, guess what, no water. Everything dried up, died, and we had to fill in the pond site -- all of this on one side of the house.

From the failed goldfish pond grew the rose garden, arbors (which Tom built) were added, and the sculpture Rebecca at the Fountain was placed. We transplanted nandinas and established a real shrub garden that is shown in the photos, one of the many rooms we have developed in the 6 acres we maintain.

Seven Gables

To-do List

• Run the lawnmower over fallen leaves to chop them, then use as mulch. If you have more leaves than needed to cover beds, pile them up and let them weather into compost for next year’s garden. Or alternate with “green stuff” to make lasagna compost (see November 2014 issue of the GGG)

• Continue to plant trees and shrubs this month. • Keep checking kale, cabbage, etc. for caterpillars even if the temperature has been in the low 20’s a

couple of times. Treat with BT or insecticidal soap. • Wait a couple of months before pruning (if any is needed). • Leave ornamental grasses standing for a couple more months for winter interest. • Cut stalks of perennials that have gone dormant – except perovskia (Russian sage), perennial salvias,

caryopteris (blue mist shrub), or any others that have hollow stems that will collect water, freeze, and kill the roots.

• If you didn’t get all the spring bulbs planted last month, be sure to do so now. • If certain perennials or shrubs didn’t do well for you over the past couple of years, take them out. • Walk through the yard and garden with pad and pen and make notes of where and what to plant on

nice days this month and in January. There will still be time for roots to become established before the heat of summer.

• Look at seed and plant catalogs as well as garden magazines and books for inspiration for combining colors, adding textural plants, etc.

• Order seeds so you will have them on hand when they need to be started early for transplants to set out around April 15. Vegetable seeds such as snow, snap, or green garden peas need to be in the ground in February.

• Trees and shrubs planted in Oct. and Nov. should be checked to be sure the soil they are planted in is not dry. If it’s dry, one deep watering is probably all the water they will need until the spring rains come.

By Marty Finkel Did You Know

Did you know that birds will appreciate these treats:

• If you have a straw base that is no longer useful for wreath-making, frost it with a mixture of 2

parts suet and 1 part peanut butter melted over low heat in a saucepan. Roll it in birdseed. Set it outside to dry, hang it and watch the birds enjoy.

• Give the birds kitchen leftovers of: crumbs at the bottom of a dog food or biscuit bag, crushed; uncooked oatmeal, cornmeal or grits; crushed unsalted tortilla chips; crushed unsalted nuts; unsweetened or lightly sweetened whole grain cereal crumbs.

• Birds appreciate using dryer lint and cat/dog hair combed out in grooming in nest building, so keep a mesh produce bag (the kind onions and potatoes come in) handy to put the lint and hair in. When it’s reasonably full, secure the other end and pull a little out through the mesh to get things started. Hang it near your bird feeder.

Did you know that there is a new theory about why earthworms come to the surface during a rain? It was generally believed that the reason they surface is to avoid drowning, but after soil scientists found that earthworms could survive for several days fully submerged in water, they came up with a new theory. It is that the worms can travel quicker across a wet soil surface than they can underground, so they surface to aid migration. Fishermen take note: Fishermen have long known that by causing a vibration over a soil similar to rainfall, earthworms can be fooled into surfacing. This sound can be made by running a piece of metal or a handsaw across a stake driven into the ground. (From the Nov. 2014 issue of The Avant Gardener)

Did you know that worm castings

1. improve soil structure and porosity – creating a better plant root environment

2. increase moisture infiltration and permeability, and reduces bulk density of heavy soils – improving moisture infiltration rates, reducing erosion and runoff

3. improve the moisture holding capacity of light soils – reducing water loss and nutrient leaching

4. improve the cation exchange capacity (CEC) of soils (this is a measure of the soil’s ability to hold and release various elements and compounds, for example: plant nutrients)

5. supply organic matter

6. aid the proliferation of soil microbes that benefit plant and flower growth

7. supply beneficial microorganisms to soils and growing media

8. encourage vigorous root growth

9. allow plants to more effectively utilize nutrients

10. enable soils to retain nutrients longer

11. contain humus – assisting in soil aggregation and making nutrients more available for plant uptake

12. and finally, high quality worm castings buffer soil pH since they tend to run pH neutral By Marty Finkel Worm castings information is from EarthWorm Technology online Photos are Bing images

Q&A

Q: Hydrangeas seem to have everything except fragrance. Are there any fragrant ones? A: Yes. You’re correct in that hydrangeas are not known for being fragrant, but the cultivar ‘MonLongShow,’ commonly sold under the trade name of Golden Crane, produces extremely fragrant flowers. It’s a white lace cap which ages to yellow in late spring. It’s the first of the hydrangeas to bloom (late spring) and continues to bloom throughout summer on new wood. It’s a compact shrub that typically grows 3’ tall and wide, and it has willow-like, narrow, deeply-toothed dark green leaves about 3-4” long. It blooms on both old and new wood and generally doesn’t need much pruning. Grow it in part shade in rich, well-drained soil that is moisture retentive – it tolerates full sun only if grown in consistently moist soil. This hydrangea was developed by Dan Hinkley from seed collected in southern China.

Golden Crane Runaway Bride Snow White

While we’re on the subject of hydrangeas, the winner of last year’s Chelsea Flower Show Plant of the Year was ‘Runaway Bride Snow White,’ with a unique blooming habit not usually seen on hydrangeas. It produces lace cap flowers along the length of its branches instead of at the ends of the shoots, and for this reason is also known as the garland hydrangea. ‘Runaway Bride’ produces up to 6 times more flowers than average and has a mounding to semi-trailing habit. Its size will get to 4’ x 4’ at maturity. The color isn’t affected by the pH of the soil – the flowers stay white, but they do take on a pink tint as they age. Fragrance was not mentioned in any descriptions, so presumably it isn’t. Well, we can’t have everything! Q: How do you know if you’re a red-neck gardener? A: Check “yes” to one or more:

You mow your lawn and find a wheelbarrow.

A half moon reminds you of your fat husband pulling weeds. You think a chain saw is a musical instrument. You move your refrigerator and the grass underneath it is yellow. Kudzu covers your arbor. You don't water your front yard rather than mow it. You know how many bags of fertilizer your car can hold. You've ever cleaned your house with a leaf blower. You empty the trash when you have enough to fill up the pickup. You can amuse yourself for more that an hour with a hose. You've been cited for reckless driving on a riding lawn mower. You move your weed-eater to take a bath. - Culled and Revised by Mike Garofalo

By Marty Finkel

Redneck flower pots

Officers and Board Members Installation Dinner December 3, 2019

We couldn't wait to share some of the photos from the Installation of Officers and Board Members and Awards dinner of Tuesday night. Look for the article about it in the January issue.

Decorations! Martha Stewart, eat your heart out! No one can touch the creativity of our members:

The hors d'oeuvres table tempted everyone.

The main course was a delicious buffet.

Conversations over dinner, followed by entertainment, awards presentations, raffle prize drawings, and official installation:

Presentation of Awards

Brenda Lafayette, 2020 President of the Granville Gardeners

New Officers and Board Members

From left to right: Brenda Lafayette, President; Jacalyn Thomas, Secretary; Danny Devito, treasurer; Dodie Veres, Board, Joyce Cifers, Board; Rob Thornton, Board; Jennie Clay, Vice President

Plant of the Month

Fragrant wintersweet Chimonanthus praecox

Fragrant Wintersweet is a multi-stemmed deciduous shrub with a shapely form and gracefully arching branches. Its relatively coarse texture can be used to stand it apart from other landscape plants with finer foliage. The shrub features dainty fragrant lemon yellow cup-shaped flowers with purple eyes along the branches in late winter before the leaves. It has forest green foliage throughout the season. This is a relatively low maintenance shrub, and is best pruned in late winter once the threat of extreme cold has passed. It will grow to be about 8 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 6 feet. It tends to be a little leggy, with a typical clearance of 2 feet from the ground. It grows at a slow rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for 50 years or more. This shrub does best in full sun to partial shade. It does best in average to evenly moist conditions, but will not tolerate standing water.

Also in Bloom This Month

Note that bloom times vary, depending on climatic and meteorological conditions, and many plants bloom several months in a row (and sometimes rebloom).

Autumn flowering crocus Camellia Late red hot poker Chinese tea-olive Magnolia cavaleriei Compact strawberry tree Mahonia Dwarf fragrant winterhazel Purple heart tradescantia Fatsia japonica Sempervivum Flowering quince Sweet box Grapeholly Viburnum Hellebores Winter flowering iris Japanese flowering apricot Winter honeysuckle

Photos of Some of the Plants in Bloom This Month

Autumn flowering crocus Japanese fatsia Dwarf fragrant winterhazel

Sempervivum ‘Red Heart’ Autumn flowering crocus

Hybrid flowering quince Winter flowering iris Winter honeysuckle

Grapeholly (hybrid) Late red hot poker Viburnum obovatum (dwarf)