January 8 , 2009
From the producer: 2 January 2025
If you ’ve ever been to a reformist dinner , you get laid what pruning is like for the next six weeks or so . I lead off in later December and will finish by late February , as if “ finale ” is a word in garden vocabulary ! Like a reform-minded dinner , the estimable matter about our pruning tactics is that we do n’t have to digest the whole garden in one sitting .
Already I ’ve cut back some of the icy woodies , like the flaming acanthus ( Anisacanthus wrightii ) With woodies like that , just hack them to stubs . They ’ll return with new vigor before you ’ve lack them too much .
And , theHamelia patens(Firebush , Hummingbird bush ) . Spiderworts liven things up in the interim . This is where you could also fill in with wintertime annuals or sow seeds . In many places , I “ understory ” with oxalis or bulbs . Just have n’t made it to that plane section yet !
I cut the inland sea oats to the ground , but will leave the other grasses until February . For one thing , I like the style they count . Also , last winter Jane Tillman and Cathy Nordstrom from theNational Wildlife Federationtold CTG that they harbor overwintering butterflies .
Before
After
I cut the herbaceous Salvia ‘ Indigo Spires ’ to the ground a few week ago , and it ’s already fluffed up .
Ditto some of the ‘ Country Girl ’ mums . Many were still flowering , so I ’ll do another pass to crop the rest of them . In the next few hebdomad , you may also divide these and other perennial . Just keep them irrigate , in case of freeze , but it ’s a lot easier now than once it warm up for keeps .
Next up will be the Salvia guaraniticas and aster . In layer I be after to revise this spring , I ’ve left a few matter so I call up how large a space they fill .
This is the meter of year to shape up rosemary . And if you need to move one , Madalene Hill ( Southern Herb Growing)once told me to do it on the inhuman sidereal day in January .
I pruned back some freeze - damaged graphite to open thing up for bulbs . So much of it is still green that I give the relief for now .
I gently trimmed the silver gray germander ( Teucrium fruticans ) to address their unruly way .
I ’ve also been pruning back ‘ Powis Castle ’ artemesia . I ’m not doing it all at once , in case some horrible frost is around the box , but I wanted to clear away some of their floppiness . With the warm Day , the cut stalks are already leafing out . In a few weeks , I ’ll give them all a beneficial manicure . I know that a lot of people get churn up with the germander and artemesias , but a little whacking is all they need .
There ’s also a argument about when to cut lantanas and standardised herbaceous plants . Some gardeners forget them longer for spare insulation ; others need a pristine look right aside . In our temperature , it unremarkably does n’t matter , unless we get the killer whale freeze after 24-hour interval of leaf - encouraging warmth . But in my case , they have to expect their go in my weekend progress . Also , many are still blossom .
Last Saturday when we attain the 80s , butterflies zeroed in on them , as well as on the thistles I have rosiness for that very purpose ( a few bee bear witness up , too ) . I normalize my zealous clean - up inclinations with respect for wintertime wildlife dining .
rose , the Mexican oregano , the shrimp plant , and many others get their chance in mid - February .
saltation pratfall wait , though I do n’t mind sacrificing a few blossom if I need to neaten up profuse growth .
The only matter that just must be done now is to prune and paint oak tree that are susceptibleto oak wilt disease . It ’s also a good time to prune your other trees while you may intelligibly see the construction .
See how John Dromgoole and Lyda Guz fromThe Natural Gardenerprune a few thing for CTG ’s camera .
This hebdomad on CTG , get your garden off to a good scratch in 2009 with tips from Dick Pierce from the Austin Permaculture Guild . His techniques promise a healthy , sustainable garden that stands up to Texas torture . Check them out , too , for classes , workshops , and special events . Once you “ cope with ” Dick , you ’ll desire more , I assure !
On positioning , if you miss its first broadcast , I ’m repeating the green garden redevelopment designed and set up by localAdams KirkpatrickandRussell Womackfor This Old House . Their ideas are well worth seeing again .
Until next workweek , Linda
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