There was an amazing response to the seed saving videotapes last week and Mayo tells me she really only has a handfull left in the closet.

So this week will be the last time these tapes will be available in the newsletter.

If you want to get a great deal on learning the nitty gritty of saving flower and vegetable seed – if you need a super present for Christmas for the gardener on your list. You can’t go wrong with this price or product.

Here’s the urls one last time.

Click on this link to save money saving flower seed.

Click on this link to get your own copy of the saving vegetable seed video

And click here for amazing savings on both tapes for somebody you care about this Christmas.

If you’re in the Kingston area – you will want to check out this musical by well-known garden author Jennifer Bennett.

Jennifer – a former gardening editor at Harrowsmith magazine (She bought my very first gardening magazine article – so its partially her fault I write for a living!) and now a composer/writer (a very talented lady!) is showcasing a work titled “Delia's Hereafter Society”

Jennifer has had choral music published by Treble Clef and performed by several Kingston choirs, including Aurora, Melos and Polyhymnia. The musical is based upon Bennett's experience with a bereavement support group. The four female characters, all of whom have lost a significant other, meet in a rustic cottage where they are visited by some unusual companions. Grappling with each other, their emotions and two days in the woods presents the characters with moments both touching and hilarious.

I’ll be there. I hope you will as well.

The premiere performances will be held in the Octave Theatre, 711 Dalton Avenue, Kingston, just south of the 401 on the Sir John A. Macdonald exit, at 7:30pm on November 24, 25 and 26.

Tickets, $15 and $12 are available from the Grand Theatre box office, 530-2050.

Proceeds to Breast Cancer Action Kingston.

New Articles for You

I've been on a tear lately and writing several articles a day (I can't garden so its time to write about it) You'll see lots of new stuff up there - here's a sampling:

Is the tomato a fruit or vegetable?
http://www.vegetable-gardening-tips.com/tomato-a-fruit.html

Growing tall garden phlox
http://www.gardening-tips-perennials.com/growing-phlox.html

The basics of growing iris
http://www.gardening-tips-perennials.com/growing-iris.html

Controlling spider mites organically
http://www.organic-gardening-tips.com/spider-mites.html

The meaning of rose colors
http://www.learn-rose-gardening.com/meaning-of-rose-colors.html

Growing long stem roses
http://www.learn-rose-gardening.com/growing-long-stem-roses.html

Growing Anemone blanda
http://www.flower-garden-bulbs.com/anemone-blanda.html

Growing Anemone coronaria
http://www.flower-garden-bulbs.com/anemone-coronaria.html

Three season garden
http://www.simplegiftsfarm.com/threeseasongarden.html

Damping off control
http://www.beginner-gardening.com/damping-off.html

Ultraviolet light control of algae in the pond
http://www.water-gardens-information.com/uvpondfilter.html

Want to ask a question? Click here to ask a gardening question.www.gardening-tips-perennials.com/askagardeningquestion.html

Your Questions Answered

*** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** *** * **

In the fall season do you trim the creeping phlox that turns a sort of gray color? If you do trim it is it better to do it in the fall or early spring. If trimming how far back do you trim it.If it starts to bloom in May when is the latest you can trim?

A: You’re probably referring to the dead growth that sometimes happens with Phlox subulata in late spring or even with winter damage. Let me suggest you leave it alone now until right after it has bloomed next spring. Then prune out the damaged parts, add some compost to fill in the holes and allow the good parts to fill back in.

Pruning now isn’t going to help anything as it won’t do any more growth and you might pull up some roots by accident. Or, you’ll stimulate late growth that will certainly die over the winter.

That dead section is sometimes caused by botrytis fungal infections that come on very early and an early spring spray is sometimes effective in preventing further growth. Recipes for control are up on my sites.

*** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** *** * **

I have a Monkshood that flowers in the fall (Sept-Nov). In the Spring it grows very well but by the mid summer the bottom leaves are turning brown and are dying off. By the time the flowers are open there are no leaves left. Is this common to fall blooming Monkshood. I do not know the type of Monshood I have. I planted it about 4 years ago. If you could help me with this I'd be most greatful.

A: Sounds like you’re letting it dry out a bit too much during the summer. It also can get botrytis on the lower leaves if they are shaded out (common). Combining these two means the Aconitum carmichaelii you have is a sorry looking plant by fall.

Do give it enough room to grow so those lower leaves aren’t shaded and do ensure it gets consistent watering.

*** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** *** * **

I had many cannas in my garden this year, they grew really big but I got no flowers at all. Some were in sun others in shade with the same results. I have dug them up and they are now in a cardboard box in the garage any suggestions would be welcome.

A: Well the first suggestion is to ensure they don’t freeze out in that garage or you won’t have flowers for sure next year.

There’s an article up on the sites about plants that don’t flower.

http://www.beginner-gardening.com/whydoesmyplantnotflower.html

With a canna – I’d say one of two reasons. Either they’re brand new divisions you just purchased (cheaply) and they are too small to bloom. Or you fed the devil out of them with too much nitrogen and all they produced were leaves.

The good news is that they should next year if they produced a lot of leaves this year (and you store them properly) – see the sites for storage info as I don’t want to repeat it here.

*** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** *** * **

I thought now would be a good time to ask this question as I know you will be swamped with questions next Spring. I like to plan ahead ;-) Could you please give me some pointers on pruning Spruce Trees.... specifically a Fat Albert Blue Spruce. I planted this tree 3 years ago and it is growing "up" nicely, but the bottom foot or so is looking a little pathetic. It does not have the nice cone shape it should, looks a little sparce, and I am afraid to prune it as I don't really understand the consequences of pruning this type of tree. I talked to the Nursery where I purchased it and they said it would eventually fill out, but will it? I've seen much nicer specimens at other nurseries and am afraid I've purchased a less than perfect tree. If I nip off a bit at the top next spring, will this cause the whole tree to become more dense? Or do I have to prune the side shoots as well? I don't want to make things worse. I should also mention that this tree is in full sun, but the side facing north (lower limbs) does not have as much new growth as the south facing side. I've been keeping it well edged and adding compost. Is there hope that this tree will start to fill out soon? Help????? P.S. I'm in Zone 5a, just south of Ottawa, and I love your newsletter.

Thanks, Peggy

A:OK – I have a great rule about pruning Blue Spruce. Don’t. (darn but I love it when gardening is simple) :)

Now a ‘Fat Albert’ is going to grow to 15 feet tall and 7 feet wide so it really doesn’t qualify as a “real” Blue Spruce tree in my books – this is an ornamental imposter. :-)

1) There’s a book on pruning in the works that will be available before next summer (I hope)

2) The basic rule of thumb is that there are only two pruning cuts you can make. The first is a heading cut and the second a thinning cut.

A thinning cut takes off the branch where it started as a bud. Nothing will grow from this point again – that’s why we call it a thinning cut.

A heading cut takes off the branch anywhere before where it started as a bud. This kind of pruning cut stimulates growth.

So lets look at your situation. If you prune off the central leader (the growing tip) – that will stop this from growing but because it is a heading cut – it will stimulate growth of the side branches. But your tree/bush will not get too much taller – it will get wider as the side branches grow. (Note that one of the side branches will try to become the leader and grow upwards)

If you use a heading cut and trim off the living or growing tips of the side branches, you’ll do the same thing. You’ll thicken up the growth.

THE ONLY PROBLEM you have to understand is that evergreen plants tend to “mature” fast. This means that the dormant buds produced along the branch go dead and will not grow. (with the exception of yew – they never mature so you can cut a yew right back to the trunk and it will resprout) So if you cut back into the tree past where the buds are alive – you’ll simply open up the tree and have a bunch of dead branches staring you in the face. This is why when you cut back a cedar hedge too far – it will not regrow. Your spruce is the same.

Bottom line. I might cut off the new candles (young growth) by half (cut in half) next spring on the sides and this will thicken up the sides. But not cut off the top at all.

Keep up the compost and water.

*** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** *** * **

my zucchini flopped. I only got one gorgeous one and was shocked until I began grating it and it was incredibly watery .. only thing I could "figure" was I watered them too much. We did have perfect rains for gardening purposes down here (zone 7a) but I probably shouldn't have done additional watering .. is that it ? "Sog City" ;-(

A: Those of us who are not squash fans might ask, “What’s the problem?” :-) But for those who actually like to eat these plants (I tolerate them in summer stir fries) – here’s the deal.

Environmental stress! Yes, fluctuations in soil moisture, rapid growth followed by extended dry weather, excess rain which kills roots or a salt build up in the soil caused by overfeeding will all lead to this problem.

For me – it’s a good reason to overwater – and overfeed my miniscule squash patch. But you may want to hold back on the watering can next season. :-)

*** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** *** * **

From My Garden To Yours

I was going to write a diatribe in this space this week about raking leaves but then a funny thing happened on the way to the leaf pile. I started to enjoy the activity. It was a glorious Saturday this past weekend and I was spending the weekend at a Muskoka cottage. As luck would have it, the leaves had fallen and as houseguests we were expected to do our part in their collection. My normal job for the cottage weekend is to hold the dock down and ensure it doesn’t go anywhere but as that had been accomplished this past summer, my task this weekend was to rake leaves along with the rest of the guests and friends.

The cottage several lots over had not one, but two leaf blowers whining away and five young men heaving and hauling tarps and leaves. Our cottage had five of us with leaf rakes and an old wheezing lawn tractor to haul the massive piles to the compost pile. The collective whines from both the machines and young men from down the bay was enough to drive you crazy on a still, sunny day as we raked and chatted. It was a pleasant enough way to spend a few hours. And I must say that we were finished raking and cleaning up our larger lawns before the younger and more mechanized group had completed theirs. We then sat on the dock, ate lunch with appropriate refreshments and heckled those other still-struggling workers as they tried to tame Mother Nature. It was a fine moment in cottage life.

I did have a question this past week on the website about whether it was better to rake leaves or chop them up with a lawn mower. It turns out that the “wife” wanted them raked and the “guy” wanted them blown. My answer was that it was his “wife” and not mine. I have said in the past that I’m a great fan of chopping them up with a lawn mower and leaving them on the lawn if there are not too many of them. The worms will get them next spring and use them to enrich the lawn and recycle nutrients back to the trees. The problem obviously comes if there are too many of them. This then requires raking and removal of this layer. Otherwise, the grass under the leaves will be smothered.

If you want to remove leaves from the lawn, I also believe quite seriously in using the lawn mower to blow the leaves into windrows. Not only does this move them easily but it also chops them up nicely so they break down quite quickly in the compost pile. Having spent a few pleasant hours with a leaf rake didn’t change my mind about this but I will say the leaf rake is far neater and leaves far less rubble on the lawn. You’ll get a neater, cleaner “look” to your lawn with a rake than you will with a mower. So if neatness now is important to you, by all means take those rakes to work.

Do you remember being a kid with a leaf pile? Do you remember the response from the adults to your leaf pile? Let me assure you the effect some fifty years later is still the same when I see a huge pile of leaves. I want to jump into it. I want to scatter those leaves around and have leaf fights. If there were anybody there who was slower than I was, they might even have wound up with a few leaves stuffed down the back of their shirts. It was amazing how fast on their feet my friends all became. A leaf pile is indeed a thing of beauty.

Next spring’s garden will also be a thing of beauty when those composted leaves hit the ground. You won’t believe the effect they will have on garden soil and the growth of your plants. Use the half-composted leaves as mulch and watch the worms make great soil from it. If the leaves last past the end of July, your worms are lazy or you don’t have enough of them. I’ve seen a well-establish worm population take three to four inches of leaf compost and make it disappear into the soil by the end of July. If you haven’t been feeding your worms, it may take a year or two to get the population up to the numbers to eat all your leaves but give them a few years and they’ll do wonders for your soil.

I know the gardens in the town house I rented this past year have had a tremendous increase in worm populations over the summer. Having mulched with leaves last fall, dug in copious amounts of organic matter last spring, and sprayed with compost tea several times over the course of the summer to get the right bacteria and fungi growing, the worms must have felt at home. When I dug the perennials all up there were hundreds of worms in the soil as a result and all the leaves from last fall had almost been consumed. Whoever gets this ground next year will inherit a living environment rather than a lifeless soil.

So now my challenge is to start a new garden next year again and I can assure you the very first thing I’ll be doing is dealing with the leaves on the ground when I move in. My lawn tractor will slice, dice and blow them into the gardens. But next year, with a little more time and preparation, I might be convinced to get out those quiet leaf rakes and spend a sunny afternoon in pleasant contemplation of the season’s end and next year’s beginnings.