WHAT'S IN BLOOM NOW (Nothing much from now till May! Lets just leave the fall bloomers posted here, to remember how warm the sun's going to get this spring!!)

Sneezeweed (Helenium vars.)

Despite its considerable height, sneezeweed (Helenium) has such rigid angular stems that it too needs little staking. Exceeding a meter in height, it is best massed with lower perennials in front of it to hide the rather leggy stems. The warmth of the yellows, oranges, and rusts in the fall garden is a joy to behold. And what a wonderful cutflower too. The shape is rather unique, with the globular central cone seeming to push the rather small petals down and away (perhaps for better bee access). That large central globe goes through a range of looks (some like eyeballs!) through the month or more of blooming and development.

Black-eyed Susan ('Goldsturm')

The most solid mass of brilliant yellow comes from the classic coneflower, black-eyed Susan, this compact and prolific performer being Rudbeckia fulgida 'Goldsturm'. Its tight dark brown cones dot the mass of yellow boldly. Unlike some Rudbeckias that are short-lived in the garden, 'Goldsturm' is a true perennial, lasting and growing larger in one spot for years. Staking is seldom necessary with this variety.

Bigleaf Ligularia (Ligularia dentata var.)

Ligularia dentata (Bigleaf Ligularia or Elephant Ears) is worth having just for the spectacular large, toothed leaves with their purplish backs and stems. Then, later in the summer, stems full of large, golden orange daisy-like flowers rise above the mass of foliage, making a perfect colour contrast within the plant itself. Note the loose clump of florets in the centre, more open than the coneflowers, giving a casual air. Hopefully you can see the spider (lower right on the petals) stalking unwary pollinators.

BUGS 'N' THINGS

The best defence against bugs and disease is healthy plants. That starts with a good volume of organic topsoil. Proper sunshine and drainage are key. Exposure and hardiness of the plant for that zone are important too. Adequate moisture and nutrients complete the picture. With healthy plants, the occurences of damage are less frequent, and usually minor enough you don't have to do anything.

Warning: Borers are common in Flowering Crab, Fruit Apple Trees, Mountain Ash, and Peking Cotoneaster. They can kill. Look for weak growth and holes near the ground in the trunks...

Borers are beetles that lay eggs in tree trunks. The larvae bore their way around under the bark, eating bark and wood tissue until they mature and leave via a round, pencil-sized hole. Several larvae feeding on one small tree may kill it during one or two seasons. Symptoms are first noticed as reduced vigour of the tree. The exit holes with 'sawdust' in them are a sure sign. In our area, borers attack flowering crabs, peking cotoneaster, and mountain ash. Look for the holes within 6" of the ground. Rotenone dusted onto the trunk bases is one organic control. Or spraying Safer's Trounce into the holes may kill them. Poking a wire up the holes may work. Trees can recover from moderate damage ok.

GARDENING TIPS

Gardening Tip #1 The Dwarf Alberta Spruce came through the winter of 2007 with fair browning . The brown is from dehydration that happens in cold winters when the root system is in solid frozen ground, and can't keep the foliage supplied with moisture. Although the foliage is dormant, it still releases a small amount of moisture every day, and in sunny windy weather, that adds up.The good news is that during June's flush of new growth, the brown will get replaced by new green needles in most cases.

	Gardening Tip #2 This beautiful chiffon yellow lily finally produced its first flower in my pond this summer, after being planted for over a year, maybe two (I can't remember!) My point is, you have to be patient with lilies, like many other plants, to wait for them to establish a fair sized root system and bulk before they can attempt to make flowers. I strongly suggest permanently planting water lilies onto the rubber liner on the bottom, then covering the root mass with beach stone. The roots will then creep over the liner under the stones, getting nourishment from the sediment.
	Gardening Tip #3 If the deer grazing your tulips becomes unbearable, don't forget the other main bulb that they don't even touch- Daffodils. These cheery yellow flowers also multiply and last for years, which tulips generally don't do. If you really want to have tulips in the deer zone, try mixing them in with daffodils. That makes it a little less desirable for the deer. Blood meal sprinkled on the ground around them helps too. Plantskydd is the new product you spray on with the strong smell of blood to keep deer away. Use it weekly in heavy deer areas.
	Gardening Tip #4 Remember to plant natural groupings of perennials, rather than just singles of everything. The group looks more relaxed, and shows up from a distance. If groups of 3, 4, 5, or more are generally used, instead of a hodgepodge of mixed singles, the bed will have a calmer, more appealing look. It also makes life a little easier for the gardener. It's easy to make these groupings or 'drifts' of perennials this time of year when you are dividing large clumps anyway.
	Gardening Tip #5 Don't use inflexible materials to tie around tree trunks and branches, as when the trunks thicken as they grow, they will cut off their own circulation, and eventually die above the tie!
	Gardening Tip #6 This little guy showed up in the small pond outside my back door in early Oct., maybe looking for a place to spend the winter. He could do worse, as I keep it gently heated so it doesn't ice over for the gold fish. A pond can be kept open if during construction you place a gutter heater cable under the rubber liner, keeping the thermostat above the pond out in the open. Make sure the cable doesnt cross itself. I have had luck with 400 watt models on small ponds.