In The Garden

In the Garden

Ralph Purkhiser, Purdue University Master Gardener

Dear Santa,

     I have truly tried to be good this year, but I always seem to fall short.  Still, I am sending my Christmas list, just in case.  You may at least get some ideas for the good gardeners on your list.

     As always, the first item on my list is rocks.  I need some gravel for paths and would love some large flagstones.  I would also like a large boulder with “Sandhill Gardens” carved on it.  You could just leave that down at the end of the driveway, where I plan to display it.  I would also like some large rocks to form terraces on some steep banks.

     Of course, all of this stone work would require some help.  Perhaps you could spare some elves after the Christmas rush at the North Pole.  Like many gardeners my age, I find that I need a little help lifting heavy objects.

     There are a lot of plants at Sandhill Gardens, but there are still some things I would like to add.  I especially would like to have some more evergreen trees, especially those with interesting forms.  I realize that the weather at this time is not conducive to plant transportation, so I am suggesting that you bring gift cards for my favorite local garden centers.  I think most gardeners would appreciate such cards, so they could buy spring plants, tools and other garden needs.

     My beloved French climbing roses are getting heavy and need a better trellis.  I really would like a custom-made steel trellis that will not bend with the weight of the roses.  Again, I will need help installing the trellis and getting the rose canes trained on it.

     Years ago, I designed a fountain for someone that looked like an antique truck was leaking from the radiator.  The bed of the truck was planted with cutting flowers.  I would like to do that again here at Sandhill Gardens.  For that, I need an old truck shell, a good heavy container for the water and a good pump system.  Once again, helpers for the installation would be great.

     I could also use some grow lights for my indoor plants.  I really like the kind that are on stakes that may be placed in individual pots, but I could also use some that would cover a larger area.  Some more heat mats would help with seed starting and plant propagation.

     Last summer was hard on my pots.  I managed to break several pots, so I need to get replacements.  I prefer glazed pots, with my favorites being cobalt blue.  I also need terra cotta pots for my cactus and succulent collection.

     I love music in the garden.  I have several wind chimes, but I would like some with deep sounds.  I also would like a wind harp.  I would like to get a series of outdoor speakers and connect them to a sound system in the house, so I could play music that would be soothing while I am out working in the garden.

     I have found that cordless electric garden tools make many garden jobs easier.  However, I find that I run out of battery power before I get finished.  Therefore, please bring me some extra batteries.  I have also seen a wall rack with the chargers hanging on it.  I would like a battery-powered pole saw, so I do not have to run extension cords when I need to do some trimming.

      If, as usual, I am going to get coal, I would ask that you make it charcoal this year.  That way, I could at least use it to cook hamburgers.

Merry Christmas,

Ralph

In the Garden

Ralph Purkhiser, Purdue University Master Gardener

     As I was driving down the highway last week, I came up behind a truck loaded with wrapped evergreen trees.  I found myself wondering where these trees had been grown and how long it had been since they had been cut.  I am sure they were heading to some store in the area, where they would be sold as Christmas trees.  In this day of warning labels ad nauseam, I wondered if they had a label to explain the dangers of buying such a tree to display in a home.

     While many people refer to such trees as “live” trees (as opposed to artificial trees) they are definitely NOT alive.  They died when they were cut from their root systems.  At that time, they began to dry and lose vigor.  They became fire hazards and sources for needles to litter the floors of many houses.  If they are expected to remain in the home until at least Christmas Day, they will have been cut for over a month!

     Picking a Christmas tree should be about much more than finding the perfect size, shape and fullness.  The freshness of the tree is of utmost importance.  Of course, the best way to ensure your tree is fresh is to cut it yourself, or at least choose one at an area tree farm.  This brings back fond memories of walks around my family’s property to pick the best tree to become our Christmas tree.  For us, that meant our Christmas tree was always an Eastern red cedar, as that was the only conifer that grew wild on the property.  I remember, also, the hurt I felt when a college acquaintance visited me at my family home and laughed that we used a native juniper (Yes, red cedars are really junipers.) as a Christmas tree.  The tree was never actually in the house.  Our small home had only four rooms (with the restroom located about a hundred yards west of the house), so there was never room for a Christmas tree indoors.  Instead, the tree sat on the front porch and was visible in the living room through a window.  Even with the tree outside, we were careful to only turn the lights on when we were home and to shut them off when we went to bed.  The lights used in those days could become hot and the now-dead tree would be tinder for a fire.

     Today’s LED lights are much safer, but one should still take precautions to prevent fires.  If you must buy a tree at a store, pull at the needles to check for freshness.  If the needles come off easily, the tree is too dry and will continue to dry when you take it home.  Once you get the tree home, cut off about an inch of the trunk.  This will expose some fresh wood that will take up water more readily.  The newly-cut stem should be put into water immediately, and the tree should be secured in a stand that has a generous water reservoir.  Check that reservoir frequently and keep it filled with fresh water.  There is no need to purchase any of the products that claim to keep a tree fresh.  Purdue University studies show that these products actually do very little to make the tree remain fresh.  They also discourage using any of the homemade alternatives, such as sugar, aspirin or lemon-lime soda.

     There are also other alternatives to using a cut tree.  Potted and balled-and-burlapped trees are actually living trees that may be planted in your yard after the holidays.  There are still some draw-backs.  These trees will break dormancy and the warmer temperatures in your home may cause them to begin to put on new growth.  That growth will not have time to adapt to the winter conditions when taken back outside, causing damage to the tree.  The live trees will still need to be watered while inside, and will continue to need irrigation when planted outside, as long as the ground is not frozen. 

     The Christmas tree is a big part of most Christmas celebrations, but I urge you to consider your safety.  It is, of course, acceptable to use an artificial tree, but do not expect me to like a tacky silver tree with a color wheel.

In the Garden

Ralph Purkhiser, Purdue University Master Gardener

     As the gardening season draws swiftly to an end, I look back at this year and count my blessings.  I have much for which to be thankful.

     As regular readers are well aware, this year was an important milestone for Sandhill Gardens.  I had worked hard to get the gardens in good shape for a celebration of the 100^th anniversary of my family’s gardens here in Northwest Township of Orange County.  While the weather dampened the planned celebration, I am truly thankful that I continue to garden where my ancestors began planting beautiful flowering shrubs and perennials.  I am thankful for the many plants that still survive in the gardens and for the heritage of gardening.  I am thankful that my grandmother and my parents taught me the joy of gardening and instilled in me a love of nature. 

     I received several gifts this year to mark this anniversary.  I thank my gardening friends for the plants, flower pots and garden décor I have received.  Several items were handcrafted, and they will be treasured reminders of the blessing of having wonderful and talented friends.

     I am thankful that my health, while not perfect, still allows me to work in the gardens.  I may require some help with heavy lifting and some difficult chores, but I still do most of the gardening myself.  I am also thankful for the help of a wonderful handyman.  He would not want me to name him here, but he has been a blessing, helping with cutting up large limbs and cutting some small trees.  Despite his busy schedule, he always seems to work me in when I need him.

     This year saw the completion of a long-time dream.  The concrete hand chairs are now in place at the top of the cliff.  I am thankful for my nephew and great nephew who wrestled those heavy chairs into place, where they will like be long after I am gone.  They make a wonderful place to sit and watch the sunsets.

     It was not the best year for gardens.  Like many, my garden did not produce well early in the season.  However, I had planted a little late, and when the vegetables did begin to come on, they produced well.  I had plenty for me and to share, and am still getting some salad greens from the raised beds.  For this, I am thankful.

     Lastly, I am thankful for everyone who shared my garden with me this year.  I love to show visitors around, and many of you have stopped by to see Sandhill Gardens.  I hope you were not disappointed, and I hope the plant starts than many of you received have thrived.  Gardens are meant to be shared.

In the Garden

Ralph Purkhiser, Purdue University Master Gardener

     The rains during the past week have brought down most of the leaves, and the remaining leaves will likely be falling soon.  These November rains are a blessing.   While drought conditions plagued southern Indiana for most of October, November has brought some much-needed moisture.  This is important, since plants need to have adequate moisture to prepare for the coming winter.  Even though the tops of trees, shrubs and perennials may seem to be sleeping, there is still active growth in the root system, and this will continue until the ground freezes.  This is especially true of recently-planted plants.  The moisture is needed to allow them to produce a good root system, which will anchor them through the winter.  One of the greatest challenges for plants in an Indiana winter is heaving, caused by the freeze-thaw cycles that typically occur.  This heaving will actually cause the root system to be lifted out of the ground.  If the root system is not extensive, the whole root ball may be lifted, and if this is not corrected, the plant may be killed during the next freeze.  That is the reason one should wait until a freeze, and then apply a layer of organic mulch, to insulate the ground and keep it frozen.  That will prevent heaving.

     This heaving is also one of the reasons that gardeners should inspect their gardens regularly in the winter, especially any time there is no snow cover.  If one finds plants that have been heaved out of the soil, they need to be pressed back down in the soil.  Mark them and apply mulch during the next freeze.

     Those fallen leaves are a source of much controversy in the gardening and naturalist world.  To be truly natural, the leaves should be left to decay in place, enriching the soil and providing organic material.  However, heavy leaf cover may smother grass and other plants.  The leaves also provide shelter for many insects.

     You have many options for leaves, and I leave it to each person to choose what works best in his or her situation.  I use different methods in the various parts of my garden.  In the wilder areas near the woods, I usually just leave the leaves.  However, wet leaves can become a problem in areas where I will be walking during the winter.  I choose to use a leaf-vac to clean walkways and the leaves that blow onto decks and porches.  This device shreds the leaves as it picks them up, and that will likely kill the insects in them.  Still, these shredded leaves are put to good use.  I will apply them to my raised garden beds, where they will decompose over the winter and add organic material to the beds.  In the grassy areas of the garden, I usually pass over the leaves with the lawn mower.  This shreds the leaves and the resulting leaf cover is usually not heavy enough to kill the lawn.  In other areas, I rake the leaves into the many perennial beds, using them as mulch.  I also have to remove leaves from the drainage ditch along the county road.  These leaves are often wet and matted together.  I make a pile for them in an area at the edge of the woods.  By spring, they will have become a wonderful leaf mold that I can use as mulch in the gardens.  There are two common leaf-removal options that I do not recommend.  In some areas, it may be necessary to bag leaves, but I find that to be a great waste of organic matter.  Most landfills no longer allow bagged leaves and yard waste.  Some municipalities require that leaves be bagged in paper bags that will break down and add to the organic material.  The worst leaf-disposal option is burning.  This will kill all sorts of insects and add to air pollution.  It also is a terrible waste of good organic material that will feed the soil.

     If there are children who play in your yard, please rake at least one big pile of leaves and let them jump in them.  Every child needs to experience the joy of leaf diving.