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Gardening

Time to add mums, weed and prune

By MARY COLLISTER
Published October 13, 2006

Lately we've had a few days that have been comfortable for outdoor chores. The lessening of the humidity makes a big difference and the cooler temperature makes it appealing to be outside. The evenings are shorter but there is still enough time after work to enjoy the yard. While you enjoy it, take your hand clippers with you and a small container in which to place weeds. Pull those weeds and prune anything that has gotten out of bounds.

If you want some fall color, mums are now lining the shelves of the garden centers. They are an excellent plant to incorporate into the fall garden. The flowers vary from yellow, to purple, red and orange - a virtual cornucopia of fall colors. Whether you use a big pot of these splashy flowers as a centerpiece on your table, or in a pot as a welcome at the front door, you will enjoy their color for many months.

Mums are one of those plants that some gardeners have a lot of luck with and others insist they just can't grow. If you are going to plant them in your garden, they will do best in an area shaded from the afternoon sun. Plan on trimming them back after they flower. Fertilizer a few times a year will also help.

I just removed two mums from my front garden that had been there for three or four years and had provided abundant color at least twice a year. They had gotten a little scraggly so I pulled them up last weekend. I have a big pot of mums by the front door, and later in the season will plunk them into the garden.

An ongoing project in my yard continues to be a challenge. I have been trying to strengthen the "trunk" of the bougainvillea I am training into a standard. One evening last week, I noticed that the tree was lying over in the bed. The ties to the bamboo stake had broken free and apparently the stem is still not strong enough to hold up the head I have been shaping. I pounded another stake into the ground and tied the stem to them both. I pruned about a third of the length from each branch. With all the pruning, of course, I am not getting any flowers. I may be able to squeeze in one more trimming before this winter. I don't want to trim it too late in the season because of the possibility of cold damage to the new growth. This is definitely a long-term project.

A few weeks ago I explained that one of my favorite summer-into-fall plants had actually also become a weed. My portulaca and purslane seeds have found their way into the grass. It hasn't bothered me much as they are easy to pull out and are a great color addition to the plant beds. This is the first year I remember this being a concern.

Another plant in my yard has turned against me and is reseeding itself much too frequently. The Queen Anne palm in my back yard has made itself too much at home. This palm is really not one of my favorite trees because eventually you end up with only trunk being readily visible. If you want to see the fronds you must turn your head up at a 90 degree angle.

The seeds are dropping to the ground and it certainly seems like there is a 100 percent germination rate. They are hard to kill with herbicide, requiring two or three applications, and pulling them from the ground has gotten tedious. I think they're a problem now because the seed pods have gotten too high for me to trim off. Once again it has crossed my mind to have the tree removed but I am concerned that two peach trees, one on either side of the palm, will be damaged.

Also, the pods and even the boots (where fronds attach to the trunk) are heavy and if they should hit someone would certainly inflict some major damage. I have been in the area when a boot has fallen and it lands with quite a thud.

As the new home construction slows down you may have more luck finding contractors willing to complete those renovation projects around your yard. Perhaps walkways, patios or other garden projects that have been on the back burner can now get under way. Make your list, ask friends for references and plan on proceeding this winter.

The perfect weather for gardening is just around the corner and I am looking forward to many fall hours in the garden.

Mary Collister can be reached via North of Tampa, 14358-B N Dale Mabry Highway, Tampa, FL 33618.

[Last modified October 12, 2006, 08:54:57]