Arts & Greens Holiday Artists Market
Musicians, Authors, Workshops, and more! Featuring Huron Valley Council for the Arts Saturday, Nov 17, 9am-5pm / Sunday, Nov 18, 10am-5pm
Visit us for all your holiday decorating needs:
Poinsettias, Roping, Wreaths, Fresh Greens, Memorial Blankets Decorated & Undecorated
6
Michigan Gardener | November/December 2012 | www.MichiganGardener.com
to-do list General Tasks • Take notes of what worked and what didn’t. Those notes will be helpful when planning for next year. • Winterize garden tools so they’re ready for next spring. Give them a good cleaning, sharpening and oiling. Don’t forget the lawn mower blade. • Store pesticides in a place they won’t freeze so you’ll be able to use them again next year.
Container Gardens
Auburn Oaks
• If possible, empty container gardens of soil and bring them into the garage. If that’s not possible, be sure to raise them off the ground so water flows through them easily. Cover with burlap and then plastic. Another option is to turn them upside down. The goal is to try to stop the soil from expanding when the water in it freezes, so the pots don’t crack. • Use the containers this winter and fill them with evergreen branches, lights and ornaments. It’s helpful to keep the soil in the container to use as a base for securing the branches and trim. • If you have a fountain, be sure to remove the pump so it doesn’t freeze. Empty the water, cover the fountain with burlap, then with a tarp. Plastic should not come in direct contact with the concrete. Moisture tends to build up at the contact points, and with a recurring freeze thaw cycle, you may have spots on the fountain that flake or break.
High quality plants & service for your garden success since 1964.
Roses
248-887-5101 1525 Bogie Lake Rd. / White Lake www.bogielakegreenhouses.com
Hours: Mon-Fri 8-5 Sat 9-5 Sun 11-3 Holiday Hours (starting Dec 1st) Mon-Fri 8-6 Sat 9-5 Sun 10-5
1-1/2 Miles S. of M-59 Across from Lakeland H.S.
GARDEN CENTER
Roping Gift Ideas Fresh-Cut Christmas Trees Auburn Oaks Handmade Memorial Blankets Fresh-made Evergreen Wreaths
$5.00 OFF
$2.00 OFF
$2.00 OFF
EXPIRES 12-16-12 / WITH COUPON / NO LIMIT
EXPIRES 12-16-12 / WITH COUPON / NO LIMIT
EXPIRES 12-16-12 / WITH COUPON / NO LIMIT
Full Size Memorial Blankets
$2.00 OFF Memorials
Fresh Evergreen Wreaths
$5.00 OFF
Cedar—White Pine Garland
20% OFF
Pillow or 1/2 blanket
Fresh Cut Christmas Trees (Reg. Price $25 and up)
Any One Regular Priced Holiday Item
EXPIRES 12-16-12 / WITH COUPON / NO LIMIT
EXPIRES 12-16-12 / WITH COUPON
EXPIRES 12-16-12 / WITH COUPON
3820 West Auburn Rd (2 blocks E of Adams) • Rochester Hills • 248-852-2310 www.auburnoaksnursery.com Mon-Sat 8-5:30 Sun 10-5
• Roses should be going dormant now, so wait to winterize them until it stays cold. Winterizing isn’t done to keep roses warm, but to help keep the soil temperatures consistent. Winterize too soon and roses may think it’s time to grow. Other parts of the country may prune their roses down now, but for us, it’s better to leave canes longer. Save hard pruning for the spring to remove any winter dieback. Roses die from the top down, so save as much on top as possible. • Do not prune climbers or old-fashioned garden roses until after their first flush in spring. • Remove any diseased foliage and discard it. Do not compost it or there could be a possible re-infection next year. Reduce fungus problems by using a late season application of fungicide on the plant and on the ground one foot out from the plant. • Rose cones and burlap are used to hold the protective mulch around plants over the winter. Cut the tops off rose cones and add quarter-sized air holes, so plants don’t overheat. Before using burlap, use a saw to cut the entire roll to the right height. Cutting the entire length to the right height with
Feature Task: Winterizing your garden Winterizing this fall will get your garden off to a good start in the spring. The most important step: Keeping plants watered until the ground freezes, usually mid-December. Leaves falling from the trees are often called “gardener’s gold.” They make terrific mulch for all plants. Keeping a layer of leaves on the beds will keep weeds down. Plus, as the leaves compost next spring, they’ll provide great nutrients for the soil. Mulch the leaves from oak and maple trees into the lawn to prevent weeds next spring. Fall is a great time to plant, including preparing beds for spring planting. Amend soil with organic material, cut new beds, and rototill the soil where required so it’s ready for spring planting. Annual and vegetable beds should be cleared out. Keep any perennial herbs intact. Most debris can be added to the compost pile, unless there was a problem with disease or insects. Perennials can be pruned down to 3 or 4 inches. Keep fall bloomers, like sedum, grasses and black-eyed Susan, intact to provide great winter interest. your scissors could be a pain in your hand. Then install stakes, staple gun the burlap to the stakes, and fill with compost, leaves or mulch to about 6 inches deep. Be sure to put the mulch down after the soil is cool.
Trees & Shrubs • Keep watering trees and shrubs until the ground freezes, usually until mid or late December. Through the winter, even if the soil is frozen above, plants can access water below the freeze. Be sure to disconnect the hose from the faucet each time you water, just in case there is a hard freeze. • Evergreens and broadleaf evergreens lose moisture to the wind throughout the winter. Apply an anti-desiccant to plants to keep them from drying out. Apply as late as possible, but while the temperature is still above 40 degrees. Re-apply in late winter, when we have a warm spell, because the product wears off in about six weeks. It is especially important to use on broadleaf evergreens to help reduce the stress from Michigan’s winter winds. A burlap tent is also helpful to cut the wind. If you have plants on the south or west side of the house that need protection, consider using both methods.