This winter, as in other winters when I need a blossom boost, I enjoy the fragrance of the paper-white narcissi that I planted in tall glass vases. I surrounded the bulbs with seashells from White Sand Beach here in Old Lyme and kept them in a dark cool area, ensuring the shells and the bulbs were moist as the roots developed. 

When the bulb foliage reached about six inches, I moved the bulbs in their vases into indirect light, which encourages the blooms to open. Each morning on entering my lounge, I am met with the fragrance of these beautiful bulbs and, feeling refreshed, I am ready for my day. 

I keep extra bulbs in a brown paper bag in the vegetable keeper in the refrigerator. I plant these bulbs when the first blooms have gone by and with this method, I have a succession of blooms and fragrance permeating my home into spring. 

Before you know it, spring will be upon us together with the anticipation that resides in all of us gardeners, which is to get outdoors and plunge our hands into the soil. 

That being said, there is so much to look forward to and I feel I must once again stress the importance for all of us to garden organically. 

In this country and around the world, the results of pollution and chemicals are just some of the factors that are causing climate change. We are in a crisis, with invaders that have already battened down the gates and invaded our gardens. These invaders are destroying Mother Nature and your health in the form of poisonous pesticides and herbicides.

The main producers of these poisons are Monsanto, Bayer and other biological monsters, who have been decimating our planet, our soil, human health and committing all those egregious crimes purely for selfish profit.

Bees, for example, have been killed in the millions, because the EPA under the Trump administration allowed the spraying of over 14 million acres of land, with poisonous chemicals. Please note folks, that bees pollinate 70 percent of the world’s food and their demise is our demise. 

Last year was recorded as the hottest year on record. Drought in the west of this country, resulted in dry tinder conditions, causing devastating fires that brought death and destruction to people in California, Oregon and Colorado. This extreme weather pattern continues here, bringing tornadoes and extreme flooding, followed by even stronger hurricanes due to the rise of our oceans, which is the result of warming water.

Across the world, extreme weather patterns have also had a tragic effect on extreme drought in Africa causing famine and death to that region and terrible earthquakes as we have seen in Turkey, Northern Syria, Japan and China. I am glad that the government in this country had begun to seriously address the Climate Crisis, but much more needs to be done … Editor’s Note: Sadly, the current administration does not seem willing to address the Climate Crisis seriously.

As gardeners, it is our task to help counteract these negative changes by using only organic methods of gardening on our own plots of land; what we do in our own gardens contributes to healing the planet. Over the span of 25 years on my radio show WRCH 100.5 FM and through my Garden Earth lectures, I received a commitment from thousands of people to discard all poisonous herbicides and pesticides and to garden organically. The response had been tremendously positive in the production of organic gardens grown in healthy soil. 

It begins with what you put into the soil for the growth of the plants, and this is accomplished by adding liberal doses of my favorite stuff–Aged Manure, which you may procure, either from the farm or in bags from the garden center.   

The following, is a paragraph from a book I am writing on gardening and the vital importance of the humus component to our gardens.

In 1937 Franklin D Roosevelt said that ‘the nation that destroys its soil destroys itself’

America has not heeded that warning. Precious soils in this country and around the world are being destroyed by dangerous practices in industrialized agriculture and poisonous chemicals, which completely disrupts our eco system and poisons all living things.

In your own garden you can build and retain a rich growing environment by building the Humus component. We are all carbon-based creatures as is all life on earth. Not only humans but also our soil microbes need carbon to flourish. And to attract carbon from the atmosphere into your soil you need to build the humus component. 

HOW TO BUILD THE HUMUS COMPONENT:

Do not till soil – tilling breaks up soil structure.

First step – Add composted manure three times each season –beginning in spring when the soil has reached a temperature of 50 degrees.  If the soil has not reached that temperature the soil organisms are not able to work with the bacteria in the manure to produce nutrients for the roots of the plants.  Purchase a soil thermometer to check the soil’s temperature. This year, following deep frosts, the soil temperature may reach 50 degrees by the end of April to early May. Add the manure again in July to continue to nourish your growing plants and again in October to protect and nourish the roots of your plants through the winter. Manure is not a fertilizer; it builds soil structure and works with all the soil animals to keep a healthy disease-free growing environment.  

Second step – Add wood chips in the form of brown fine bark mulch or wood chips that you produce from your garden of aged wood chips with a combo of leaves, twigs and branches. 

These two major steps build the humus component. If you do this in your garden – not only, will you help to heal the planet but also produce the healthiest of gardens. 

A question I am often asked is ‘Can I put manure over mulch, for example, on my mid-summer garden in July?’ The answer is ‘yes’ – the manure together with nature’s moisture and your own irrigation enables the manure to find its way easily into the soil and the roots of your plants.     

WHAT EXACTLY DOES HUMUS DO?

Humus acts like a sponge and can hold 90% of its weight in water.

Because of its negative charge – plant nutrients stick to humus for nitrogen, calcium, phosphorus and other elements, which prevents these from washing away and acts as nature’s slow- release fertilizer throughout the year.

Humus improves soil structure making it loose and friable, which helps plants root in the soil with better access to nutrients, water and oxygen.

Humus also helps to filter’ toxic chemicals from the soil, much like carbon-based water filtration systems that filter toxins from your water. 

We cannot control industrialized agricultural practices, however, in your own garden you can make a difference.   Feed the soil, and it will feed the plants. 

This week I spoke with my friend Ann, who lives in Cheshire, in England, which is next door to my home county of Shropshire. Ann is an avid gardener and she told me that her daffodils are well above the soil and last week she started to plant seeds in the greenhouse. I was so envious, when Ann told me of her garden bloom, but our time will soon come. 

PLANTING SEEDS:

February 20 to March 20 is the time for serious indoor seed planting here. Check which garden centers are stocking organic seeds or go online for the organic varieties – one company that I use is “Botanical Interests”. Do not go overboard when buying packs of seeds as there are about 500 seeds in each packet.  If you do purchase too many – have a seed sharing party with gardening friends.  

Equipment to have on hand for seed planting are cheap envelopes (you probably have envelopes you discard from your mail) fresh sterilized potting soil mix, and sphagnum moss. Also seed trays, egg cartons and cardboard milk containers that are cut down also work well.  Make sure all containers are scrupulously clean. Sphagnum moss works well as a planting medium as the moss can prevent a soil born fungus that causes “damping off” which causes seeds to rot before germination.  I have, together with many gardening friends, used this method for years and have not lost  seeds  to “damping off”. 

For tiny seeds, I use the moss as the planting mix and for larger seeds, I install a topsoil base and a layer of the moss on top of the soil. I mix fine seeds with sand before I sow; this method helps to loosen them up. Soak the seeds overnight before planting and just before planting spray them with warm water, never cold as cold water can delay germination. When they have germinated, water gently. 

The best method of watering seedlings is to water from the bottom. But, if you feel you must top water, just mist with a fine sprayer, otherwise you will drown the delicate seeds, washing them out of the planting mix. Use new sterilized soil when seeding and do not use any leftover soil from last season, Leftover soil from the previous year can develop disease, which can ruin your seedling crops.  If you are growing seedlings on a windowsill, place them on a south or west-facing sill; seedlings need light, not heat to thrive. 

WINTER CARE OF HOUSEPLANTS

I love my houseplants year round but in winter the blooming ones in particular lift my spirits.  I talk to my plants enjoying my cyclamen and my blooming cacti, and the different foliage on the ivy, philodendron and spaphyllum which also clean the air in a stuffy home environment. 

Keep your houseplants away from draughts and direct heat. If you are able, place humidifiers and air purifiers in the rooms of your home, which will benefit not only the plants but also your own health. Place pebble trays under the plants and keep the pebbles moist for additional humidity. 

Spray houseplants every few days with lukewarm water and once every couple of weeks, put the plants in a sink or bathtub and allow lukewarm water to run freely over the plant to remove dust from the leaves and clean salt residue from the soil. The exception to the spray or soak rule is African violets, as African violets do not do well with wet leaves. 

Aphids and white fly thrive indoors in winter and an organic sulphur solution called Safer works well to clean the soil of insect eggs and from the foliage. Perhaps you are fortunate like me to have Ladybugs in your home in winter; if so, allow these useful creatures to roam freely; the ladybug menu is aphids and white flies.  

The best time to repot houseplants is from April through June but if a plant has become root bound with no visible soil, then you can repot them in February. Water the plant to loosen the roots from the soil, turn it sideways on a newspaper and gently slide it from the pot.  

Cut away any dead roots and repot in fresh potting soil in a clean pot that is only two inches larger than the original.  With the plant firmly in place and the soil one inch from the rim, water it gently and do not fertilize with an organic fertilizer until April.  Plants need this dormant period to recharge. 

A few suggestions for trouble-free foliage plants in the home are Rubber Plants, Spider plants, Ivy, Philodendron, Monstera and Spaphyllum. If you have a sunny window Aloes, Succulents and Cacti do great and are a trouble- free variety.   

Blooming plants sitting side by side with foliage plants, enjoying one another’s company, give one an impression of a miniature garden.

A few suggestions of house plants that bloom are Cyclamen, African Violets, Kalanchoe, Primulas and Paper white narcissus. To prevent pets from chewing on the plants, add some cayenne pepper to the water when watering.  I also enjoy my herbal plants, which sit in a sunny window. My favorites are Rosemary, Basil and Parsley which are great additions to any recipe.             

POWER TOOLS:

Check any power tools that require maintenance or repair. February or March is the time to get them into the repair shop, because as soon as the weather breaks the shops get busy and you may not get your lawn mower back until August.  

Check all tools and implements in the garage or shed. If you did not clean them off at the end of last season, plunge the shovels and spades into a bucket of sand; sand is an abrasive and will clean off any leftover soil and manure residue.  Oil the wooden handles of tools with Linseed oil or some inexpensive vegetable oil; oil feeds the wood and keeps the handles splinter free. At the same time, check your hoses and fittings that may have sprung leaks since last year.

Make a shopping list of new tools that are needed – there are lots of sales in late winter for you to get a good deal.  However, I suggest that you buy only quality tools and hoses; as the saying goes, “you get what you pay for”. Also check that there is enough twine, bamboo rods, wire ties or nails and peat on hand. 

In March or early April when soil and manure are available purchase bags of composted manure from the garden center. On the other hand, if you have a farm close in your local area, that sells aged manure, acquire a small truck to acquire a load.  If you decide on that method, ask the farmer for manure from the bottom of the pile – aged stuff.  Manure needs to be at least six months old before applying to your soil, as fresh manure will burn your plants.    

Check the paintwork on your wooden fences, arbors, decks and any other outdoor wooden structures. Then, purchase paint supplies so that on a dry day in March for painting, everything will be on hand.  

Don’t forget to put paintbrushes on your list – I have a feeling you forgot to clean your old brushes last season, which means they are stiff as a poker, also remember sandpaper, brush cleaner and if  possible, buy eco conscious paint.  If you are painting benches and garden seats on a dry day, put them under cover before sundown. 

White walls in the greenhouse reflect light so any areas that need retouching, use white paint. It’s so rewarding to see how much lighter and brighter the greenhouse is after a touch of paint and the glass is cleaned.  However meticulously clean and tidy your greenhouse, you may find that white fly, greenfly and scale insects have found their way inside the greenhouse for warmth and so it may be necessary to spray with an organic spray. I mix an organic spray of orange peels in white vinegar and allow it to sit for two weeks before spraying – this works well and is very economical.   

Walking around a garden that looks good and feels good in mid-winter is a real pick me up. Patterns emerge created by paths, walls and hedges. As you walk, enjoy the shapes of shrubs, the shadows of evergreens and the strong silhouettes of tree trunks and enjoy their shape and bark without foliage.  

Keep the bird feeders full. I love to watch the birds in their quick flights across the garden to alight on the feeders, and their sudden bursts of song when the sun peaks through. It is so much fun to watch the “pecking” order and see the blue jays, who can be bullies and red cardinals, who like the blue jays can be rather territorial.  Bringing up the rear, come the finches and house sparrows. And sometimes a bird appears that I do not recognize and out comes my binoculars and Peterson bird book. 

If you notice squirrels swarming the bird feeders, add some cayenne pepper to the birdseed; if that occurs do not be concerned as the heat from the cayenne does not affect birds.  And you may, choose a spot away from the feeders to sprinkle cayenne free birdseed on the ground so the squirrels can also enjoy a meal. 

Winter has its own distinctive fragrance, the fog, in the morning when the air is very heavy, thick and damp – a damp even more bone chilling than rain.  I can deal with that for a while and know that in about six weeks I will be inhaling the healthy nose clearing fragrance of the soil, rich and brown, well manured or covered with wood mulch, shredded leaves or salt hay. Winter fragrances are a potpourri, one moment sharp and cold like the north wind, whereas spring’s flavors are light and sweet.

If you find you have spent year after year throwing good money after bad, then it may be time to get a professional design. If that is so, don’t hesitate; if you want work to begin in the spring, a design takes time to complete. You may want to contact my son Ian, whose company LlanscapesbyIan.com shows his lovely natural landscape creations and Ian will work with you and your budget. 

Have a great month and I’ll see you in your garden in late March. If you have any gardening questions, feel free to email me. MaureenHaseleyJones@gmail.com

About the author: Maureen Haseley-Jones is a member of a family of renowned horticultural artisans, whose landscaping heritage dates back to the 17th century. She is one of the founders, together with her son Ian, of, The English Lady Landscape and Home Company. Maureen and Ian are landscape designers and garden experts, who believe that everyone deserves to live in an eco-conscious environment and enjoy the pleasure that it brings. Maureen learned her design skills from both her mother and grandmother, and honed her horticultural and construction skills while working in the family nursery and landscape business in the U.K. Her formal horticultural training was undertaken at the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew in Surrey.

“The thinnest yellow light of November is more warming and exhilarating than any wine they tell of.” Henry David Thoreau

Over the next few weeks, with the soil remaining above 40 degrees, it is an ideal time to divide summer blooming perennials, which have been in the ground for three years or more. Dividing perennials gives them a new lease on life and encourages more prolific bloom next season and the rule on transplanting also covers dividing.  

Early spring blooming perennials such as Iris can be divided while the soil is still quite warm and, with adequate moisture, there will be enough root growth to anchor these divisions before frost heave becomes a problem. 

Welcome to Fall everyone! I love the cool breezes and soft sunshine and the soil is still warm for you to plant through mid-November. 

When dividing Iris cover the horizontal root divisions (the rhizomes) with just enough soil so they do not topple over, any deeper and they will not flower, and add composted manure around them when planted.

PLANTING AND TRANSPLANTING PLANTS

When planting a tree or shrub, dig a hole at least one and a half times as wide, not deep, as the root ball.  An important rule to remember when planting and transplanting is not to plant the tree or shrub any deeper than it is in the container or wrapped in burlap. Or when transplanting any plant, tree, shrub and perennial is not to plant any of these plants any deeper than it was originally in the soil; planting too deep can be the death of plants. 

If you are unable to dig to any depth for a plant in the case of ledge in your garden, berm up the soil on the ledge and plant so that part of the root ball is above the soil grade, mounding soil around it.  

Handle your tree or shrub by its root ball, not by the trunk or branches.  After planting and transplanting add composted manure with one part compost to three parts manure. If you do not have compost, manure is excellent.  Water deeply, slowly and thoroughly when planting and at least twice a week through the fall until the first hard frost, which in this area of New England is usually about the second week of November.

The following trees are not good candidates for fall planting: 
Birches, Larches, Gingko, Oaks, Magnolia, and all flowering fruit and flowering trees as well as the Eastern Red Cedar.  These trees have fleshy roots and their feeder roots are not large when young and therefore take time to establish and are susceptible to frost heave.

Perennials that do not like to be planted in fall are:
Artemisia, Lambs Ears, Foxglove, Penstemon, Anemone, Campanula, Kniphofia, Lupines, Scabiosa, Ferns and Grasses. 

Plant garlic this fall – garlic is the antibiotic of the garden. Plant it under fruit trees to avoid scab and root disease, near to ponds or standing water to control mosquito larvae or pour garlic water into ponds, bird baths and fountains to deter adult mosquitoes. 

WORDS OF WISDOM

At this point I want to reiterate what Franklin D Roosevelt said in 1937; ‘The nation that destroys its soil destroys itself’. America has not heeded that warning. Precious soils in this country and around the world are being destroyed by dangerous practices in industrialized agriculture and poisonous chemicals, which completely disrupts our ecosystem and poisons all living things.

HUMUS

The Humus component – good news for organic gardeners – in your own garden you can build and retain a rich, growing environment by building the Humus component. We are all carbon-based creatures as is all life on earth. Not only humans but also our soil microbes need carbon to flourish.  Attracting carbon from the atmosphere is necessary to build the humus component. 

To begin the process of humus – add composted manure three times through the year  – early May, July and now in October/November. Manure builds soil structure and provides a rich planting environment for the following season by encouraging the millions of soil animals down below to manufacture nutrients for the roots of the plants. 

Plus add mulch in the form of natural brown fine bark mulch or wood chips that you produce from your garden – aged wood chips with a combination of leaves, twigs and branches. 

With manure and fine bark mulch, you are building the humus component.  The manure and mulch attract carbon from the air, which builds the richest organic planting environment – the humus component. 

Mulching the garden and in particular any plants planted, divided or transplanted this fall with two inches of fine bark mulch, when the ground to cools in late October, will keep warmth and moisture in the soil and protect the roots of your plants through the winter.

You are probably asking what are the benefits of humus? Here are the reasons:

• Humus acts like a sponge and holds 90 percent of its weight in water.
• Because of its negative charge – plant nutrients stick to humus with nitrogen, calcium, phosphorus and other elements, which prevents these from washing away, and acts as nature’s slow- release fertilizer.
• Humus improves soil structure making it loose and friable, which helps plant roots in the soil and makes for better access to nutrients, water and oxygen.
• Humus also helps filter’ toxic chemicals from the soil, much like carbon-based water filtration systems that filter toxins from your water. 

We cannot control industrialized agricultural practices – but in your own garden you can make a difference.   Grow the soil and the soil will grow the plants. 

Mulch and peat, which provides acidity, and is particularly important for any newly planted broadleaf evergreens installed in September. As mentioned previously, evergreens are shallow-rooted, and can heave above ground in hard frosts.  I suggest that you store a few bags of topsoil and mulch in the shed or garage.  When you see exposed roots after frost heave, cover them with the soil and mulch until the plant can be resettled next spring.       

Now let’s look at what should be done now in the vegetable garden focusing first on cover crops.  Last week I cut down the finished crops and dug them lightly into the soil. 

This year, my choice for a cover crop in one area of the vegetable garden, is Alfalfa, which has 3.4 percent nitrogen content, and on the opposite side of the garden I will plant Buckwheat, which has 1.4 percent nitrogen content, which provides nectar for beneficial insects. I will then cover the seeds with organic, composted manure. There are many cover crops to choose from; I use white clover and rye grass in alternate years.  In spring, when the earth is workable not too wet or cold, the cover crop is turned into the earth as ‘green manure’.  

There is nothing better than your own homegrown organic vegetables – good for you and for the environment. 

The less hectic pace of fall provides an opportunity to rethink your gardens. The garden’s pre-winter grooming can wait for a few weeks.  You may feel that you would like a professional design, having thrown good money after bad and nothing looks right. 

If that is so then contact someone that you trust to work with you to create a plan in the fall and winter, which can be phased in beginning next spring.  Engage someone who will listen to your wants and stays within your budget.  My son, Ian of Landscapes by Ian.com, always says, ‘It is not what you do in the garden, but how it makes you feel’. 

SPRING BULBS 

Early November is the time to plant spring bulbs. When purchasing Daffodils,  choose early, mid-season and late blooming Daffodils, by doing so you will have a succession of bloom.  Be adventurous this year and go for masses of a single color for the greatest impact. No matter how small your planting area, it is the intensity that counts, with two or three dozen red Tulips or a hundred Daffodils planted on your woodland edge. 

Buying daffodils in large numbers is less expensive, it’s true the bulbs are usually smaller but that is not a problem because daffodil bulbs grow larger each year they are in the ground. Even though many say that the bulbs should be spaced six inches apart, there is no reason they cannot touch. 

Apply some composted manure or bulb food on the soil where bulbs are planted.  Wear gloves when you plant bulbs as they contain a skin irritant, which may cause a rash. 

The general rule is to plant bulbs about three times as deep as the bulb is tall and with the pointed end up.  This method is appropriate for most bulbs, although tulips should be planted about 12 inches down if you want to produce bloom for a second year. Daffodils should be planted no less than nine inches down, which is below the frost line.  I suggest that you do not plant the bulbs singly for the most colorful impact, but plant in groups of odd numbers, 5,7 or 9 bulbs as odd numbers are harmonious in nature. 

Small bulbs like crocus, can be tossed gently into a shallow trench with composted manure on the bottom of the trench, about three inches deep and plant them where they land, pointed side up. For larger bulbs like tulips and daffodils dig a trench about nine inches deep and three or four feet long with  composted manure as the base and scatter these larger bulbs in the trench, also with the pointed end of the bulb faces up! 

Personally, I treat Tulips as annuals because their first year’s bloom is the best, after that first year the bloom is never as full and vibrant; the only exception to this is the parrot tulip, which I find, flourishes for years.  

 A word of caution -Tulips are the ‘caviar’ of the bulb family. The best method to prevent them from becoming a tasty item on the rodent’s menu is to soak them in an organic deer-repellent, which also repels rodents. Allow the tulip bulbs to dry before planting. 

If you are unable to plant your bulbs immediately when purchased, keep them in a cool, dry place in paper bags.  The best time to plant spring bulbs in the Northeast is in mid-November.

Observe Mother Nature; plants in nature do not grow in straight lines but in gentle curves that connect harmoniously with the earth.  

TREE WORK

Choose a licensed arborist. This work is much less expensive to have done in the fall after the foliage has fallen, then the arborist is able to see more clearly what needs to be done and the work goes faster – meaning less labor time and therefore, it is less expensive. 

If you have deep shade and want more sunlight in an area, ask the arborist to thin out the tree’s canopy and prune lower branches to make for a sunnier area, this will give you more choice of plants, that grow in dappled rather than deep shade.  

If you have a badly-damaged tree, meaning over 50 percent damaged or diseased, then have it removed, which may allow for a sun garden or perhaps the vegetable garden you have always wanted.  

I do not cut down my spent perennials in fall, leaving them up so that I am able to enjoy the browns, grays, and yellows and faded greens, which blend gently with winter’s muted landscape. The seed heads of the perennials are wonderful snacks for the birds and in the dead of winter, what better sight than a red cardinal on the Winterberry bush in the snow.  

Also wait until next April to cut down ornamental grasses; their graceful foliage is lovely to enjoy with the icicles on them shining in the pale winter sun. 

Any spent perennials that show disease should be cut down but if the plant is more than one third diseased it should be dug up and discarded. Then throw the diseased material in the garbage not in the compost. Clean up any fallen plant debris from the soil and ONLY if it is disease- and weed-free, can it be added to the compost pile.

PEONIES

In November, after the first hard frost, cut down peonies to within six inches from the ground and add some composted manure around the base of the plant.

SIGNS OF FROST

You can foretell a hard frost when you notice the afternoon temperature falling fast under a clear sky.  Assess the wind by taking a long strip of plastic, like a shopping bag from the supermarket, and hang it from a tree branch. If the bag flutters about a foot in either direction, you do not have to worry about frost, but if it blows vigorously then frost is on the way.  If you still have plants in the garden that are of concern, cover them with salt hay, newspapers or light weight old quilts and put a brown paper bag from the grocery store over smaller plants like herbs, anchored down with rocks.      

Your houseplants should be indoors by now. After their summer sojourn outdoors, then wash the pots thoroughly and add fresh potting soil.  Then replant the plant at the same depth it was at originally and into the sink or shower and allow water to wash the foliage and water the plant well.  If the plant has outgrown its pot, transplant it to the next size clean pot, only one and a half inches larger.

Enjoy the pleasant Fall weather and if you have any gardening questions, feel free to email me at MaureenHaseleyJones@gmail.com  and I will see you in your garden in November. 

About the author: Maureen Haseley-Jones is a member of a family of renowned horticultural artisans, whose landscaping heritage dates back to the 17th century. She is one of the founders, together with her son Ian, of, The English Lady Landscape and Home Company. Maureen and Ian are landscape designers and garden experts, who believe that everyone deserves to live in an eco-conscious environment and enjoy the pleasure that it brings. Maureen learned her design skills from both her mother and grandmother, and honed her horticultural and construction skills while working in the family nursery and landscape business in the U.K. Her formal horticultural training was undertaken at the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew in Surrey.

Watering is so important during the heat of summer. If you planted trees or shrubs this spring, particularly evergreens, these plants require extra moisture to establish a strong root system. We have had an abundant amount of rain this spring and into the summer, however it is important to keep an eye on the weather.  

Here in New England, plants require at least an inch of water per week.  If you are using a regular hose, you lose 40 percent of moisture to evaporation. However, a hose is necessary for thorough watering when a plant goes into the ground and daily watering for containers.

Soaker hoses in your borders are the best method of watering, attached to a house spigot with a timer. By using this method of irrigation, moisture goes to the roots of plants where it is needed and not on the foliage, which can cause diseases such as black spot and powdery mildew. Soaker hoses attached to a timer can be used efficiently not only in the borders of the garden but also in the vegetable garden, where annual vegetables require a lot of water to produce a good crop. 

In addition, composted manure, when added to the containers together with copious amounts to the vegetable garden, helps to retain a good amount of moisture. Manure, used as mulch for the vegetable garden, adds more nutrition and manure used as mulch does not cap or form a hard crust, so water goes directly to the roots where it is needed. 

LAWNS

Water the lawn only when the green glow begins to fade.  An established lawn will bounce back following dry hot spells. 

I want to emphasize the importance of soil and soil health, which has been severely neglected and abused with poisonous chemicals for years. Soil is the most important element of plant growth; it is not an inert medium that merely holds the plants erect, it is a living organism that needs to be replenished with nutrients.

The nutrient is composted manure, manure builds soil structure and together with its bacteria joins the millions of microbes below the surface to produce nutrients for the roots of the plants. If you have not already done so, I strongly suggest that you carefully discard all chemical fertilizers, herbicides and pesticides.

The addition of composted manure to your soil in spring, early summer and in early fall, together with natural brown bark mulch, builds the carbon compound or humus component in the soil.  We are all carbon-based creatures, as is every living element; carbon is our lifeblood and the lifeblood of the soil in our gardens.

As we build the humus component by adding composted manure and fine-bark mulch, we are producing the healthiest possible growing environment and the strongest disease-resistant plants.  As we add the composted manure and natural fine bark mulch season after season, the humus component continues to build in the soil, continuously extracting carbon from the atmosphere into the soil. 

ROSES

These stunning bushes flourish beautifully with the addition of composted manure and mulch, which should be applied on the soil about two feet away from the base of the plant. Roses also require deep watering once a week. Now, in July add another light layer of composted manure around the roses. Manure is food for the roots of the roses and no other products are necessary for growth and bloom. Stop adding manure to the roses in mid-August, so that they can gradually move into a slow dormancy through late summer and early fall, which is a natural part of their growth cycle.    

If you are a first time rose-grower or adding to your rose collection, David Austin English roses are my personal preference.  The David Austin nursery is only 21 miles from my hometown in Shropshire in England. Visiting the rose nursery in June was a fragrant and exhilarating pleasure that overwhelmed my senses. 

David Austin roses are more trouble-free than many other roses and with the fact that they are repeat bloomers, with beautiful colors and fragrances extends our enjoyment of this lovely shrub throughout the summer months.    

Some of my favorite David Austin roses are:

• A Shropshire Lad, a peachy pink
• Abraham Darby, soft shades of apricot and yellow
• Evelyn (my favorite) produces giant apricot hued flowers
• Fair Bianca, a pure white
• Heritage, a soft blush pink
• Carding Mill Valley begins as a peachy orange double flower, changing to an apricot-pink

A lovely combination is climbing roses and clematis planted together; both enjoy the same planting environment with their heads in the sun and their feet (roots) cool, with the added nutrition of manure and mulch. This combination looks great, climbing over a fence, wall or arbor. The combination I enjoyed on a trellis on the chimney breast on the west side of my farmhouse was a purple clematis and a pink climbing rose 

MULCH

Please do not use artificially-colored red mulch, rubber mulch or cocoa mulch; use only natural brown bark mulch.  Do not mulch right up to the base of the plants, as this invites rodents to nest and gnaw on the stems or trunks of the plants.

Note regarding why you should NOT use Cocoa mulch: Cocoa mulch, produced by Hershey,  has a Thorazine compound and other poisons, which are hazardous to pets who are attracted by the chocolate odor. Ingestion of this chocolate mulch can cause seizures and death within hours.  

HYDRANGEAS

Plant Hydrangeas in a sunny area if you live near the coast, which allows them to enjoy gentle seas breezes. Away from the coast, plant Hydrangeas in part-sun on the west or east aspect of the garden. Plant them in organically-rich soil with composted manure and add extra composted manure this month around the base. 

If you have the blue macrophylla Hydrangea, add some peat or aged oak bark around the base—the acidity in the peat or oak bark encourages a deeper blue color.   Hydrangeas are a wetland plant and require plenty of water throughout the summer. We had a late spring and with all the spring and early summer rain and good sunshine, the foliage and bloom of the hydrangeas are performing well.

Watch out for powdery mildew and spray with the following powdery mildew recipe you can mix yourself:
Recipe for powdery mildew –Two tablespoons baking soda, one dessert spoon of vegetable oil, a squirt of dish soap with a gallon of water in a sprayer.  For any recipe spray you make at home, spray only in the morning when there is no wind and when the temperature and humidity added together do not go above 180. 

PRUNING HYDRANGEAS

Prune Hydrangeas immediately after they finish blooming in late August or early September but no later, as Hydrangeas set their buds for the next season by mid-September. If you prune after September, you will lose next season’s bloom.   When you prune, cut out some of the old wood and the weakest of the new shoots.  In October, put more composted manure and brown mulch around the base to nourish and protect the roots through the winter. 

GARLIC

(The following recipes are from a garden book I am writing):
Did you know that garlic is the antibiotic of the garden. I love using garlic in my recipes. Garlic is an important anti-fungal element to protect your plants and I suggest plant more garlic in early fall. 

To avoid fungal diseases plant garlic around strawberries, tomatoes and raspberries to avoid fungal diseases. 

Plant garlic around mildew-prone plants to prevent mildew on such plants as summer phlox and bee balm.

Plant garlic under fruit trees to avoid scab and root disease.

Plant garlic next to ponds or standing water to control mosquito larvae or pour garlic water into the water to deter adult mosquitoes. 

Where you notice marauders have been munching, like insects or animals make a garlic spray to apply on the plants including vegetables. 

GARLIC SPRAY RECIPE

4 large, crushed garlic cloves, unpeeled
2 teaspoons of vegetable oil
1 squirt of mild dish detergent

Put all ingredients in 2 cups of hot water in the blender, blend, then leave overnight, then put in a gallon sprayer with cold water and spray in the early morning when there is no wind, observing the rule of 180.  Observing the rule of 180 is when the temperature and humidity when added together do not go above 180.

HOT PEPPER SPRAY

To deter squirrels and chipmunks, try a hot pepper spray using either 4 hot chilies or one cup of cayenne pepper in 2 cups of hot water, in the blender, blend and leave overnight then put in a gallon sprayer with cold water and spray the problem areas in the early morning.

This pepper spray works well to deter squirrels, chipmunks, deer as well as dogs and cats that may be leaving their deposits in the garden. 

HANDS

Gardener’s hands are their tools of the trade so it’s important to take care of them. My hands remain healthy by indulging in a hot cream treatment once a week before bed. 

 HAND CREAM RECIPE

Combine Calendula cream with honey and essential oil of lavender heated in the microwave, apply generously and put on white cotton gloves for sleep. When I wake up my hands are soft and smooth as a baby’s bottom. Wear gloves, when working in soil that contains manure or when spreading manure. Manure is an organic product that contains bacteria; bacteria is great for the soil but like many bacteria not healthy for you. The garden gloves I prefer are the soft leather farmer’s gloves that are washable.  

FLAVORED OILS

Many herbs are at their peak right now and are ideal for using in flavored oils.  The oil I use as a base is organic olive oil. I harvest basil, parsley, sage, tarragon and oregano in the morning, rinse them well, pat them dry with a paper towel and then make the recipe. Then choose an herb you are using that day, and add to two cups of organic oil.  

For thyme and lavender, I use only the flowers with one cup of oil to a handful of blossoms.  

Puree the herb mixture in a blender and store covered in a wide mouthed jar for three days, shake at least three times a day for the first two days and on the third day let the mixture settle to the bottom, then strain it through a paper coffee filter or cheese cloth into a clean jar.  You will now have a tinted but clear mixture.  

Refrigerate each mixture and use within two to three weeks.  The herb oils I choose to make are rosemary, lavender, lemon, garlic, shallots and basil with olive oil as the base – these are my favorites and are great brushed on vegetables and meats for grilling.  The Lavender oil is great with desserts. Rosemary and lemon oil taste excellent on salads. 

MOLES

I know I have given you a few mole remedies in the past; but I have not given you the Exlax method for a while. I can attest to the fact that I have used this method as have many of my fellow gardeners for years, as it works so well.  Buy Exlax, the main ingredient of Exlax is Senna, a natural herb. Insert Exlax into the mole holes, the moles and voles eat it, then die of dehydration.  

If you have dogs and cats, do not use the chocolate Exlax but rather only the plain Exlax as chocolate is dangerous to pets.  

In early April of next year, apply organic grub control, which means less grubs for the moles to feed on, and without their supply of grubs, the moles will go elsewhere for food. In addition, the white grubs of Japanese beetles are largely diminished with the grub control.  

Japanese beetles love our plants and here is a method to deal with them naturally. In the early morning, the Japanese beetles are drowsy and can be captured.  Lay a drop cloth under the plant or plants where you see them and gently shake the plant; the drowsy beetles will drop onto the cloth, which should be gathered up and then drop them in a garbage bag and discard.   

Many of us are committed to organic gardening without chemicals, which has enabled the earthworm population to once again increase; earthworms are a great boon to the garden soil as their castings add 50 percent nutrition to the soil together with eleven trace minerals.  

SUMMER PHLOX

I just love my summer phlox and to keep the mildew problems at bay I use the natural baking soda mix I mentioned above. 

I have found that white Phlox Miss Lingard or white Phlox David are more resistant to mildew than other summer phlox.  

Monarda, commonly known, as Bee Balm and Hydrangeas are also prone to the problem of powdery mildew, and this is where the baking soda recipe once again can be used to excellent effect.  

For a second bloom on the Summer Phlox, prune off ten to twenty inches of the flower stems after the first bloom has gone by and within a few weeks you will experience a new bloom. 

KEEP YOUR GARDEN CLEAN

A healthy garden is a clean garden. Do not put any diseased items into your compost. 

Deadhead all annuals and perennials for a second bloom and clean up all spend blossoms.  

When Coreopsis and Spirea have bloomed, use garden shears to shear off dead flowers and they too will rebloom.

CONTAINERS

Make sure you have composted manure and fine bark mulch applied on top of the soil in your containers and water them daily. In hot weather the containers will need to be watered twice daily, morning and evening watering is the best. If you do not have time in the morning before you leave for work or errands, empty your ice cube trays on the containers; this provides slow -release watering until you can get to them later.  

Enjoy being in the garden, stay hydrated, continue to stretch and take time to ‘smell the Roses’.

If you have any gardening questions, please email me at MaureenHaseleyJones@gmail.com and I’ll see you in your garden later in August. If you would like a garden consult, let me give my son Ian a plug—he has a brilliant gardening mind. Contact him at LandscapesbyIan.com.

About the author: Maureen Haseley-Jones is a member of a family of renowned horticultural artisans, whose landscaping heritage dates back to the 17th century. She is one of the founders, together with her son Ian, of, The English Lady Landscape and Home Company. Maureen and Ian are landscape designers and garden experts, who believe that everyone deserves to live in an eco-conscious environment and enjoy the pleasure that it brings.

Maureen learned her design skills from both her mother and grandmother, and honed her horticultural and construction skills while working in the family nursery and landscape business in the U.K. Her formal horticultural training was undertaken at the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew in Surrey.