Garden Tip: September – Plant trees and shrubs
by Leslie Cox; Monday; September 7, 2020
September is an excellent time to plant new trees and shrubs in your garden. The worst of the summer heat is behind us so the new plants will not stress too badly. But more importantly, the autumn rains should start soon which will help to keep the new introductions well hydrated as they settle their roots into their new locations.
Apple ‘Jonagold’
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Malus domestica ‘Jonagold’ Family: Rosaceae (jow-nuh-GOWLD) Common name: ‘Jonagold’ apple Zone: 4 – 9 Origin: New York State Agricultural Experiment Station of Cornell University‘s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Parents: Jonathan (1820s) x Golden Delicious (pre-1914) Introduced: 1953 Harvest: September |
Description: Fruit is decently large. Skin is greenish-yellow background and a rosy-crimson blush overtone. Taste echoes its parentage…sweet tartness of the ‘Jonathan’ and complementary aromatic honey-flavouring of the ‘Golden Delicious’.
Susceptibility is high for scab, cedar rust and fire blight; low for powdery mildew.
However, the rhubarb plants situated right in front of the espalier apple tree can throw quite a decent amount of shade. I do try to keep the rhubarb picked on that side bit sometimes the large rhubarb stalks with their huge leaves get away on me.
Posted on September 2, 2020 |
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Garden Tip: Unique herb drying method
by Leslie Cox; Monday; August 31, 2020
Want a quick way to dry your herbs? Lay a couple of sheets of newspaper on the seat of your car, or in the back of your SUV or van. Arrange your cut herbs in a single layer on the newspaper, then roll up the windows and close the doors. Your herbs will dry nicely and…as an added bonus…your car will smell great.
Leycesteria formosa
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Leycesteria formosa Family: Caprifoliaceae (ley-ses-TER-ee-uh for-MOH-suh) Common name: pheasant berry; Himalayan honeysuckle; Himalayan nutmeg; flowering nutmeg |
 Description: Deciduous shrub with hollow, bamboo-like, gracefully arching, light green stems adorned with opposite medium-green, ovate, tapering leaves. Pendant racemes of deep red bracts above mildly-scented white flowers appear in summer. Reddish-purple berries start to appear in late summer, maturing to a deep maroon colour in fall. Ripe, soft berries are edible with a caramel-like taste.
Special Notes: Native to forested regions of the Himalayas and southwestern China. This shrub is tolerant of average or clay soils, although it will do better in moist, fertile soil. Relatively drought tolerant once established. In colder regions where temperatures dip to -9.5 °C (15 °F) it is advisable to apply a layer of mulch to protect the roots. Cut branches back to 10 – 12 inches (25 – 30 cm) above soil level in early spring. Flowers on new growth. Pest and disease resistant. Resistant to slug and snail damage. Propagate by fresh seed sown in pots in fall and placed in a cold frame over winter; by division in spring; by softwood cuttings in summer.
The berries of Leycesteria formosa are edible, but I am not sure about other Leycesteria species. I find they taste like burnt caramel which I happen to like. However, the taste may not be to everyone’s liking as our taste buds are indeed unique.
Awards: Great Plant Pick 2012
Posted on August 26, 2020 |
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Garden Tip: Saving seeds
by Leslie Cox; Monday; August 24, 2020
Start collecting seeds you want to save for next year. Make sure the plants you are collecting seeds from are open-pollinated.
F1, or hybrid plants are bred from two different parents to produce a unique “offspring”. Seeds from these F1 offspring will not grow true, but will revert back to one or other of the parents.
Seeds from open-pollinated plants, on the other hand, will grow to be true replicas of the plants they were collected from.
