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Topics in this issue:
Perennials fail: Was it winter's fault?, pp. 1-3
Ligularia is so cool it's hot, pp. 3-4
Leave the leaves: A struggle continues, pp. 4-5
Organic fertilizer: Great in late fall, pp. 6-7
When slow is good: Understanding fertilizer, page 7
Early to spring, late to fall? Plants as calendar, pp. 6-8
Hum right through tough digging to divide big old perennial, page
9
Don't let that lilac be bored, pp.
9-10
Emerald ash borer alert:
Be prepared to fight, pp. 10-11
45mph garden sees yellow light: Sassafras! Page 11
Look out to fall color, bring indoor plants in, page 12
For those who have arrived here as the
result of a Search:
Heads up to the lilac
borer:
Did you arrive here as the
result of a Search?
Then the topic you sought is on this list of key words and topics
from this issue.
You should download the pdf to read this issue:
Acer rubrum, red maple bud swell defines early spring
Pg 8
Asclepias tuberosa, butterfly weed, full bloom defines
midsummer Pg 8
calendar, natural definitions of seasons Pg 6-7
Cercidiphyllum japonicum, katsura tree fall color
Pg 12
Chamaecyparis, fall foliage color change Pg
11
Clematis terniflora, sweet autumn Clematis,
bloom defines early fall Pg 8
Colchicum autumnale, fall crocus bloom defines early fall
Pg 8
containers, wrapped for winter Pg 1
Crocus minimus, snow crocus bloom defines early spring
Pg 8
design
color changes predictably in fall 12
container wrapped for winter Pg 1
match plants to site Pg 3
dividing
can be tough work Pg 9
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Eupatorium rugosum, rough Joe Pye
bloom defines early fall Pg 6
evergreens drop needles in fall Pg 11
fall, defined by plant development Pg 7-8
fertilizer
fertilizer in fall Pg 6-7
fertilizer for lawn Pg 8
fertilizer organic Pg 6-7
fertilizer slow release Pg 7
Forsythia bloom defines mid-spring Pg 8
Fothergilla gardenii dwarf fothergilla fall color
(above, right) Pg 12
grass, ornamental grass
Helictotrichon sempervirens, blue oat grass
grass for a dry site Pg 3
groundsel, golden groundsel, See Ligularia (below)
Hibiscus, winter kill Pg 2
Hosta plantaginea, old August lily
full bloom defines late summer Pg 8
houseplants
insecticide usually unnecessary in fall Pg Pg 12
summered out, returned in fall Pg 12
Hydrangea arborescens, snowball Hydrangea
green flower buds define early summer Pg 8
full bloom defines midsummer Pg 8
Hydrangea paniculata, panicle Hydrangea
full bloom defines late summer Pg 8
Ilex, holly fertilizer Pg 7
katsura, see Cercidiphyllum (above)
lawn good to fertilize in late fall Pg 8
leaves
fall leaves as mulch Pg 4-5
objections Pg 4
time required to decompose Pg 4
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Ligularia, leopard plant Pg 3-4
Ligularia dentata 'Desdemona' Pg 3
Ligularia stenocephala 'The Rocket' Pg 3
Ligularia grown from seed Pg 4
Below, right: Ligularia's big bold leaves complement
the small gray leaves of Russian sage (Perovskia) and the
blue of blue oat grass. However, there's a hidden drawback: In this
trio two plants like it sunny and dry, conditions that are not
ideal for the third, Ligularia.
Lobelia erinus, edging lobelia
edging lobelia prefers cool Pg 3
Magnolia bloom defines mid-spring Pg 8
Malus, apple/crabapple fading bloom defines late spring
Pg 8
Monarda, bee balm full bloom defines midsummer Pg
8
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mulch
fall leaves as mulch Pg 4-6
mulch for acid-loving plants Pg 7
winter protection with mulch Pg 1-2
Narcissus, daffodil, earliest blooms define mid-spring
Pg 8
Parthenocissus quinquefolia, Virginia creeper, fall color
defines early fall Pg 8
perennials
all perennial foliage killed defines early winter Pg 8
dividing old perennial can be tough work Pg 9
Below, right: After 90 minutes' battle Janet at last thought,
"I might beat this old sweet flag yet!"
hardiness in question Pg 1-3
match species to site Pg 3
winter losses Pg 1-3
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Perovskia, Russian sage
dry site Pg 3
pests
wood boring insects
emerald ash borer Pg 10-11
lilac borer Pg 9-10
Pinus, pine fall needle color change Pg 11
problems
understanding winter losses Pg 2
Pyrus calleryana,
callery pear fall color defines late fall Pg 8
quotes
absence of leaf litter meant... serfs or slaves Pg 4
ragwort, Chinese ragwort, See Ligularia (above)
raised bed
edges experience more cold Pg 1
insulation Pg
2
Below: Acorus or sweet flag. Don't leave it too long
in place without dividing.
It takes a sharp spade and determination to nibble away the edges
of a big old
clump and reduce it to manageable size.
regional differences in calendar
defining early fall, late summer, etc. Pg 7-8
renovating a garden
old perennial clumps tough to split Pg 9
Salix, willow
change in twig color defines late winter Pg 8
Sassafras albidum, sassafras tree
fall color Pg 11
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seasonal change
fall color Pg 11
defining nationwide season names Pg 7-8
plants as calendar Pg 7-8
seasons, defined by plant development Pg 7-8
soil
bed preparation Pg 9
drainage Pg 2
indicator, slippery mulch Pg 5
perched water table Pg 3
impoverished by leaf removal Pg 6
spring, defined by plant development Pg 7-8
Stewartia pseudocamellia, Korean stewartia
fall color Pg 12
summer, defined by plant development Pg 7-8
Syringa, lilac
borer damage Pg 9-10
fading bloom defines late spring Pg 8
temperature as site condition, perennials for cool sites Pg
3-4
Thuja, arborvitae fall foliage color change
Pg 11
Verbena prefers cool Pg 3
Virginia creeper, See Parthenocissus
Weigela bloom defines early summer Pg 8
wildlife
birds
return of migratory species defines late winter Pg 8
skunk
end of scent-free air defines late winter Pg 8
winter damage
drainage often involved Pg 2
healthier plants most hardy Pg 2
Right: Dwarf Fothergilla's late, warm glow and
Ligularia's big bold leaves are featured in this
issue.
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Below: Few plants are brighter or more reliable for fall
color than Sassafras albidum, the native sassafras
tree. A single tree often glows tri-color: red, orange and
yellow.
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