Plectranthus

Today at the Horticultural Therapy program at Winston Park, I had the members of the gardening group repot a bunch of Plectranthus cuttings that I had saved from the Fall. The one we potted up today is a hybrid called Mona Lavender.

I first was introduced to Plectranthus when a speaker came to speak about easy annuals to grow and he gave me a piece of Plectranthus forsteri (Swedish Ivy or Forsters Mintleaf). It's easy to grow he said "just take the cutting, put it in some soil and it will take off." And take off it did. Within a short period of time, I had several of the plants to use in containers and share with others. This Swedish Ivy is an upright shruby version of the madagascariensis that many of us are familiar with. In full sun, the white edge of the green leaf would get purple spots that made it that much more attractive in a container with bronze or purple foliage plants.

Now most of these plants are savoured for their foliage but the Mona Lavender plant has purple almost snapdragon like flowers that bloom in Summer to late Summer that are quite attractive too.

The Plectranthus has quickly become a favourite of mine and I am always looking for new varieties to use in my containers

Winter pursuits

I'm often asked what I do in Winter with all of the time that I would normally be spending in the garden were it not Winter.

In the last issue of the Newsletter, I suggested that subscriptions to one of two magazines that I subscribe to might be a great idea as a Christmas gift. Shortly after writing that article, I received the February issue of Fine Gardening. From time to time I’ve heard the criticism that Fine Gardening is an American magazine and there is little of interest in it for the Canadian gardener. Looking at the Feb issue, I’m convinced that this couldn’t be further from the truth. If the subscription price is too much or you are just not interested in subscribing to another magazine, the Kitchener Public Library (Main Branch) subscribes to it. You could also check it out at the cash of your favourite grocery store.

Several columns and articles caught my attention in the latest issue. For example, the publishers of the magazine sponsor a website for subscribers FineGardening.com that includes thousands of garden photos; a plant guide and thousands of free ‘How To’ articles and videos. And then there was a new section on edible plants with correspondents from various sectors of the United States recommending favourite plants—some of which I have grown successfully here.

This is just one of the avenues I follow to occupy my 'gardening time'. In addition to reading my gardening magazines, there are also the catalogues that have begun to arrive. First come the seed catalogues and they are quickly followed by a plethora of others. And then there are the seminars and workshops and ... What do you do with your time indeed!

Hiatus/Dry spell

As you may have noticed, I've gone through a dry spell with respect to writing the blog but here's hoping the funk is gone and I once again have some energy to do some writing.