With all the Millenium hype and the lack of holidays during the first part of this Canadian year, winter has been drearily dragging on and on and on.. But, I know spring is really here when the huge magnolia trees are ready to burst.
Magnolia stellata (Zone 4-9) has already peaked, but M. kobus (Zone 4-8), and M. soulangiana (Zone 4-9) are just getting ready to do their thing. My favorite of all though, has to be M. grandiflora the Southern or Evergreen Magnolia (Zone 6,7-9). It’s a massive tree growing as tall as 60-80′ and 30-50′ wide. It’s flowers are described as perfect, creamy white, beautifully fragrant and better than the best perfume.
Here in Zone 7 it can be successfully grown in a very sheltered microclimate that may be considered Zone 7 1/2 - 8. In the southern states like Georgia they thrive like our common firs and cedars. How lucky we are in our Zone 7 climate where many of these incredible trees share their beauty, although in a cold winter much damage can be done as we’ve seen in recent years at the botanical gardens. Shelter these babies.
One thing I can never remember at this time of year is all the planting lore that correlates with the phases of the moon. I want to remember it - it makes so much sense and, hey if the farmers go by it, there must be something to it. Those people make their living from what comes out of the ground, they aren’t growing flowers for fun and decorating. So here it goes.
The best time to plant annuals (flowers or vegetables) that produce their yield above the ground is during the light of the Moon; that is, between the day the Moon is new to the day it is full. This is also called the waxing of the moon.
An annual is a plant that completes its entire life cycle within one growing season, and has to be seeded each year.. A basic explanation being that at this time the sap of the plant is said to flow upward due to gravitational forces of the moon filling the plant with vitality.
Plant biennials, perennials, bulb and root plants (potatoes, carrots and beets) during the dark of the Moon; that is, from the day after it is full to the day before it is new again. This is called the waning of the moon. Biennials include crops that are planted one season to winter over and produce crops the next. Perennials, bulb and root plants include all plants that grow from the same root year after year. It is explained in the Farmer’s Almanac that during this period, the plant is oriented toward the root and its sap is rushing downward (also a good time for transplanting).
Interestingly enough, it is believed that the Fourth Quarter (decreasing from half-full to New Moon) is the best time for cultivation, pulling weeds; and destroying pests of all kinds, turning sod, etc. Especially when the moon is one of the barren signs. Now as you read more and more on the topic, you will find all sorts of exceptions to the rule, but the above are the basics.
Here’s a little ditty that will help you remember when to plant peas.
Sow peasen and beans in the wane of the moon
Who soweth them sooner he soweth too soone
That they with the planet may rest and arise,
And flourish with bearing most plentiful wise.
Thomas Tusser, Farmer & writer Elizabethan era 1558-1603
A very happy gardener am I - Just found a seed packet given to me last fall by gardener extraordinaire Joanne Baskerville who gardens in BC’s interior. In her garden, I spotted some very oddly colored Foxglove in a yummy yellow-apricot. Loving foxglove, but hating pink and purple which is what I’m used to seeing around, I hinted at some seed sharing. Turns out they are a hardy perennial (bonus) by the name of Digitalis lantana x tetra, ‘Johnson’s Tetra.’ A bit late, but better than never, I started these little gems indoors an await germination. I’ll keep you posted on the results.
Now, my neighbor is already on top of his weeding (he’s a rose gardener, can’t you tell!) He came by the other day to say hi (ya sure!) and started eyeing my lovely ‘bed ‘o Weeds.’ “Oh,” he says. “Here it comes,” I thought. “I see you have a lot of the exploding kind. They’re more troublesome than people think,” he says bending down to begin clearing a little area of the culprits. Once again he is correct. Wavy and Hairy Bittercress, also known as Jumping Cress are plants that produce seed whenever the weather is not too cold. We had an extremely mild winter here, so you can guess the population explosion - literally. The seed pods explode up to 80cm from the plant in all directions when touched or ripe enough, disperse potentially hundreds of new little plants. If that isn’t bad enough, when wet, the seeds become sticky and attach themselves to boots and tools spreading them around even further. Forget about Magnolias and Cherry blossoms, when the weeds show their nagging leaves, spring is really here! Indoor Design Tip: The Mini Moss Garden - Use instead of a flower arrangement on your dinner table.
1 Choose a Japanese tea bowl or similar vessel with an Asian feel.
2 Fill bowl with stones almost to the lip of the bowl and add enough water to just cover stones.
3 Cover stones with pieces of moss from shady areas of your garden or nearby park (look in the cracks of concrete that is shaded for most of the day) until you have a mini lawn.
4 From your garden cut one or two small flowers like crocus or vibrant periwinkle
5 Cut two small flowering branches like quince or cherry. Bamboo looks great too.
6 Insert your selected materials into the moss deep enough so that the materials stay in place.
Go as minimalist as you like - a little goes a long way!
Just as many early to mid summer plants start to look a bit tired, the lavender bushes send up their beautiful blue spires with their unmistakable old-fashioned fragrance to lift the whole garden out of the doldrums. What a treat this plant is, easy care and totally reliable, it is also extremely drought tolerant which seems to be what everyone is talking about these days.
Divide the crops you will be growing into two different categories : cool weather and warm weather crops. Crops that do well in cool weather include: beets, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, celery, kohlrabi, lettuce, parsnips, peas, radish, spinach, mustard greens, kale, turnips and swiss chard. Plant these varieties as early in the growing season as possible for your area of the country. After you have harvested these varieties from the garden, follow up by planting your warm weather vegetables. 
Warm weather vegetables include: beans, corn, cucumbers, eggplant, melons, okra, peppers, pumpkins, squash, tomatoes and watermelons. In a few areas of the country, a third planting of the cool weather crops can be planted again in the fall. Below are some examples of succession planting.
Lone Pine Publishing
