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Gardening Tips: Not quite over yet!

Although we have had our first small snowfall already, this gardening season is not quite over yet! As I sit down to write this article, the sun is shining and that white stuff is quickly melting.

Although we have had our first small snowfall already, this gardening season is not quite over yet!

As I sit down to write this article, the sun is shining and that white stuff is quickly melting.

However, that is a wake-up call that final fall chore should be tackled as fall days are numbered.

I have had the first freezing temperatures at my house so I will be heading out later this morning to finally pull the annuals out of my containers.

Most of them looked great for the Thanksgiving weekend.

Once the pots are emptied, I will store the ones that won't take winter weather and get organized for Christmas pots in the ones that are fine outdoors year round.

This is also a good time to re-organize the garden shed too! All products that shouldn't freeze should be stored indoors.

Leftover potting soil and granular fertilizers can be closed up tightly so moisture doesn't get in.

Doing these tasks now will ensure that when spring arrives, you are all set to go.

While you are working on the final fall tasks, be sure to keep a notebook handy.

Jot down a list of items you will need so you are organized for your first trip to the garden centre next year.

While things are fresh in your mind, make note of the duds and studs from this season.

I loved the new Cuphea from Proven winners called Vermillionaire.

It was full of tubular shaped orange flowers that hummingbirds absolutely loved!

I used this annual as a filler in my full sun and part sun containers.

It was happy in both spots.

I also really love the Leycesteria 'Jealousy' (also called Himalayan Honeysuckle).

It has beautiful golden to chartreuse foliage with a very fine margin of maroon around the newest leaves.

It does flower late in the season but is best used for the beautiful foliage.

This is the second year I have tried Leycesteria so I decided to plant it in all light conditions.

It was o.k. as a background plant in my shade pot but absolutely stellar in the part shade pots and in the garden too.

It tended to need a little more moisture than I could give it in the full sun containers.

It will definitely be a staple in all my part shade areas from now on as I love the brightness that its chartreuse leaves add to the mix.

As an added bonus, the slugs didn't touch it!

One dud I did have this year was White Summerwing begonia, but its problem with powdery mildew was more due to weather conditions than a poor plant.

By the time I planted last year all that was left was white and they did great in my containers.

This season I planted white, orange and red begonias.

Only the white ones had to be pulled early as they were the first to get mildew.

I know some of you were extremely frustrated with the rampant powdery mildew this season.

The combination of cool nights in July and then hot humid weather later in summer made for a perfect storm for mildew spore growth.

It is a very hard disease to control and best prevented if possible.

You can start spraying susceptible plants with fungicide well ahead of the time powdery mildew typically starts.

Disease is easier to prevent than cure.

Other than notes on plant performance, now is also the perfect time to take measurements, photos and detailed notes for garden planning.

Use all the information you gather to get well organized for next season.

Those long winter nights can be put to good use looking up information on materials for construction and plants that will perfectly suit your area.

There is so much information available at your fingertips from the internet, in catalogues, books, garden magazines and from the library.

Happy planning and we will see you next spring!


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