Maid To Garden

In The Garden Of Good Living - November 2009: Winter Preparations For The Eastern Shore Garden
by Pat Hendrickson

Here we are in the midst of the beautiful autumn months where weather is uncertain and changes abound. Annuals are giving up to mums, asters, golden rod and ornamental grasses, while trees are starting to show their amazing colors and birds begin their migration to places south.

I have some wonderful fall blooming flowers: Beautyberry bush (callicarpa Americana), Hardy Ageratum (eupatorium coelestinum), and Obedient plant (physostegia virginiana) that survived the blow from those little Nor'easters we've had in the past couple of months, but the two deciduous trees we have will not be treating us to the surprise of fall colors. What leaves have been left behind are torn to shreds.

Fortunately, the buds on the Magnolia 'Anne' have set, but I'm not sure about the Redbud we planted this past spring to mark the new gravesite of our sweet dog Rudy. Because the Redbud is new to the neighborhood, I'll worry until spring about whether it will survive.

The best I can do is put down a generous layer of Leafgro and pine needles to protect the roots from extreme temperature fluctuations that cause damage through constant thaw and freeze cycles. Whether using pine needles, wood chip, or mulch, 3 to 4 inches around the base of the tree or shrub should get them through a long, cold winter. Be sure to keep the mulch/chip from touching the base of the tree or shrub. This can very easily cause fungus to grow, and eventually creep underneath the bark.

Because the thaw and freeze cycle can also cause young bark to split, I will be dressing my Redbud with burlap to protect it from the possibility of extreme weather temperatures and severe winds. The bark and cambium heat up and expand during the warm, sunny hours of the day and contract with the drop in temperature at night, which can cause the tissue in young trees to split. To avoid this, buy a roll of tree wrap or burlap and, starting from the base of the tree, wrap the material around the trunk, overlapping by a half inch or more, until you reach the lower branches of your sapling. To keep the material in place, use loose twine.

Gardeners seem to have a soft spot for birds, and are always willing to help them along their way south, or to help those that stay through the winter. For homemade birdfeeders, visit:
http://www.essortment.com/all/homemadebirdfe_rtbv.htm
http://familyfun.go.com/crafts/make-recycled-bird-feeder-710474/
http://www.motherearthnews.com/Nature-Community/2006-03-01/Make-a-Homemade-Bird-Feeder.aspx

You get the idea. I know there are two sides to the argument about putting out bird feeders when there are pet cats around. But I've been told by birders and bird rescuers alike that if you put the feeder up high, the birds should be safe. It's the seed that drops on the ground that can prove to be the bird's final meal. So, a wire mesh barrier below the feeder will help to keep the predator away from the bird, as suggested in the following article, Bird Feeding Basics, at http://www.umext.maine.edu/onlinepubs/htmpubs/7124.htm

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