Mulching Beds All Part Of Garden Protection
November highlights garden cleanup for the meticulous gardener; winter protection for water-lilies; planting lilies and hardy spring-flowering bulbs; harvesting rhubarb in late winter.
The garden is about ready to be put to bed. And doubtless you will be urged to clean up the flower beds, cutting back the perennials and mulching the beds with hay, straw or leaves. I, being a lazy man, prefer to let nature do the mulching; then in the spring I shear back the perennials.
You see, a good portion of tree leaves, blown hither and yon by fall gales, are caught in the stems of the perennials; they provide the protective mulch for the plants. For the past three or four years I have followed this lazy man’s practice and have had good results.
Garden cleanup for the meticulous gardener – If you are the meticulous gardener who cannot endure my lazy man’s method or the sight of bedraggled plants, you have my admiration. But you’ll have to be orthodox and proceed according to Hoyle, cutting off the dead tops of plants and mulching the beds with salt hay, straw, cranberry tops or a similar non-matting material that you can obtain from your local nursery.
Winter protection for water-lilies Small pools can be protected with a covering of boards topped with a thick layer of straw or leaves. If the pool is too large for a board covering to be practical, draw off the water and cover the water-lilies with leaves. If the water-lilies are growing in deep water that usually does not freeze to the bottom, they will need no protection. Tropical varieties, of course, must be wintered indoors.
Planting lilies and hardy spring- flowering bulbs – The bulbs of some of the true lilies (those of the genus lilium) do not become available until late fall; often they are not received until after the ground has frozen. If you have some lilies on order, make some provision now for getting them into the soil soon. after they arrive, for they cannot be allowed to dry out. Cover the planting site with hay or leaves to keep it from freezing.
If outdoor planting is impractical, perhaps you can bring in enough soil or the best potting soil mix now so you can plant the bulbs in boxes or pots. These should be stored in a cool place such as a garage or coldframe; it need not be frost-free. Then, as soon as frost is out of the ground in the spring, move the bulbs to their permanent locations in the garden.
The hardy spring-flowering bulbs such as tulips and narcissus should be planted as soon as possible.
Harvesting rhubarb in late winter – Those who enjoy eating rhubarb can provide now for a crop early in the year. Dig up a clump or two and plant each in a half-bushel basket. Leave the clumps outdoors in the coldest spot available until about the beginning of February, then move them to a dark corner of the cellar or garage where it is about 60. Water the clumps when necessary. The leaf stalks, blanched by lack of light, will be milder than those grown outdoors.
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