Current Conditions
78°F - M/SUNNY
(199) (168) (128) (88) (61)Start right. Before ordering, think about your space, your sunlight and the time you want to devote to a garden. Get a soil test now so you know how to amend for your garden. Do some research on university Web sites (www.extension.psu.edu). And think about if you want a crop to mature all-at-once for preserving or throughout the season for fresh eating.
Avoid pitfalls; choose wisely. When making your selections, we can't stress enough the importance of choosing those that are bred for disease resistance. Planting a resistant variety will save many headaches later in the season. If you prefer to plant heirloom varieties that will be more susceptible to diseases, be sure to practice crop rotation to stem any problems.
Dream big; order small. Keep in mind the limitations of your site. Make sure that you have enough sun for sun-loving plants, as well as enough room for plants that like to sprawl. Once you have these perimeters in mind, you may also want to look through a list of prize-winning varieties to ensure greater garden success. And get your orders in early; many selections sell out.
Winners circle. Four new plants have been chosen as All-American Selections for the year 2009, judged superior in their class based on test garden performance.
The ornamental viola hybrid "Rain Blue and Purple" was selected for its color-changing capabilities and spreading pool of flowers.
The vegetable winners were: the early white eggplant "Gretel," with its rapid maturity, sweet white fruit, and suitability to container gardening; the flavorful melon "Lambkin," which is also an early producer; and the "Honey Bear" acorn squash, which was bred specifically for cutting in half and baking for a sweet treat.
Great grass. For those who like prize-winning plants with staying power, showing up and multiplying for seasons to come, consider the Perennial Plant Association's choice of the ornamental golden hakone grass, Hakonechloa macra "Aureola," which features a graceful flowing form that cascades at the edge of a garden bed or softly fills the space between perennials and evergreens. While carrying a golden hue, the color will change depending on where it is planted, from shades of yellow and green, to chartreuse, to reddish pink.
Oldies but goodies. Past winners, which remain good choices for a perennial garden, are: "Rozanne" hardy geranium, "Walker's Low" catmint, "Firewitch" dianthus, "Hybridus" helleborus, "Pictum" painted fern, "Becky" Shasta daisy, "David" phlox, "Karl Foerster" calamagrostis, "Butterfly Blue" scabiosa, "Goldsturm" rudbeckia, "Magnus" echinacea, "Mainacht" salvia, "Husker Red" digitalis, Russian sage, "Sprite" astilbe, "Sunny Border Blue" veronica, "Moonbeam" coreopsis, "Palace Purple" heuchera, and phlox stolonifer.
Splish, splash. When the temperatures allow, take time to clean your birdbath to prevent diseases. Use a heater to keep water in your birdbath melted. Otherwise, consider pouring warm water in it each morning. Taking care of your birds now will keep them around in the summer, when they will reward you by eating plenty of garden pests.
Shake snow. Let ice melt. As eventual winter storms bow over the branches of your shrubbery, you can gently shake off any heavy snow, but if the branches are coated after an ice storm let them melt free rather than risk damaging them. If branches were broken, remove them so they don't further damage the plant. But save any real pruning until spring.
Keep the greens. When you're all done with the Christmas tree, reuse those branches by laying them on your garden beds for extra winter protection. You can also turn the tree into winter cover for your birds, putting it out near the birdfeeder. Just be sure you've removed all the tinsel first.
Shedding houseplants. Yes, they seem to go through the winter doldrums as well. Leaf drop is a common condition this time of year in response to shorter days as well as dry indoor conditions. If possible, increase the humidity around your plant, cut out dead material and move to a spot with more light (but not necessarily full sun). Just when the promise of spring perks you back up, they should come around as well.
For answers to your gardening questions, call the county extension office at 394-6851 and ask to speak with a Penn State Master Gardener. They are available Monday and Thursday mornings from 9 a.m. to noon.
Editor's note: This gardening column is written by Daina Savage, Intelligencer Journal correspondent, and Tim Elkner, Lancaster County Horticulture extension agent.
