Trees with Winter Interest

In the next issue of the Horticultural Society's Newsletter, there will be an article focussing on Winter Interest gardening using some notes prepared by Kim Ball.

Yesterday, as I was crossing through the Parking lot at Freeport Hospital, heading toward the front door, I stopped to have a better look at a tree that has always been of interest to me - the American Sycamore (Platanus occidentalis). It is not what I might consider to be a pretty tree in the Summer, but I find it really attractive in the Winter. The tree is much too large to be considered for the average city lot, but on the Hospital grounds, it has the perfect location. It's the bark that attracts me in the Winter. The bark is patchy, peels and as it falls off it gives the tree a rather mottled look.

Yesterday however, it wasn't the bark that caught my attention so much but the branching system. It made me think of the Internet and its connected office and home networks. You'll see what I mean when I can get a picture of the tree that I was looking at. Yesterday the sun was shining but today the snow is falling and I will have to wait for another day when I can get back to take a photo.

There are many other trees and shrubs that can add to the look of your Winter garden that are much more suitable to the average City lot. An obvious choice is the Birch. While the Paper Birch can grow quite tall, there are varieties such as the Himalayan Birch or Whitebark that are much shorter. Another tree that I quite like is the Paperbark Maple (Acer griseum). And don't forget the crabapple and dogwood varieties.

Watering Plants

Do you ever have Hmmmmm moments?

As I traipse between the basement and the main floor of the house to water my plants, I'm having one. I began to think of the water I'm using. We have four types of water that are accessible in our house: hard water, soft water, reverse osmosis water and water from the furnace. Over the years, I have used all but the reverse osmosis water for plants.

What do we know? Well we know that plants require various amounts of carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, phosphorous, potassium. That wasn't all that surprising was it. We also know that they need trace amounts of calcium, magnesium, sulfur, iron and a few others. We know that excessive amounts of these and other minerals such as sodium, potassium, chlorine and fluorine are bad for plants.

We know too that really hard water contains lots of calcium and magnesium; that softening the water replaces some of the calcium and magnesium with sodium or potassium; that reverse osmosis water has some of these minerals removed; and that furnace water has sulfur which causes the water to be more acidic.

Knowing all this, what water then is best for our plants. We seem to know intuitively that rain water is best for outdoor plants. When we do a quick search of the literature, it is difficult to find someone who will say definitively which water is best but there are some additional things that we are told. Plants take up nutrients best when the water is room temperature and that the best pH is between 5.5 and 6.5.

So now what? I guess that given all of the above, the best water I have available to water the plants is the reverse osmosis water, that has been left to warm up a little, because that is effectively rain water. The next best is the hard water as I believe ours is not excessively hard. Many garden writers seem to agree with this approach. And finally, for plants that need slightly acidic water (azaleas), the furnace water might be OK.

Back to my traipsing

Year round gardening

I frequently hear people lamenting that they can't garden year round.

For me it is quite the contrary. I find that seldom does a day pass that I am not doing something that involves gardening or horticulture. I may not be spending time in the garden but I am spending time on gardening issues whether it involves activities around the two Groups that I'm a member of (Horticultural Society or Master Gardeners) or tending to plants that are growing under lights in the basement, answering questions from colleagues and friends, reading newly received magazines, studying catalogues, planning changes to my garden (winter or summer garden), writing articles or planning horticultural therapy sessions.

This coming week for example, I have 2 horticultural therapy sessions planned and a Master Gardener meeting to attend. These three activities will require some research and planning that can be spread out over several days. There are 2 catalogues and 2 websites to check for new plants for this summer.

So if you are still lamenting the fact that Spring is still a few months off, look for related options to pursue your gardening passion.