This is weekend of mixed emotions. It is time to empty the container gardens that have been adorning our gardens for the last five months. The physical act of emptying the containers onto the compost pile saddens me as it confirms the end of another growing season, the end of summer. On the other hand, there is a part of me that is relieved as the daily watering and deadheading, and the weekly fertilizing, will no longer be demanding my time.
What seeds can be collected will be, and stored in (labelled) envelopes until spring seeding time. Tubers will be brushed clean and set aside in the greenhouse to dry for a few days before they are placed in onion bags and hung in a cool, dark shed for the winter. Some plants, such as geraniums, rosemary, abutilon and eucalyptus, will be cut right back, then placed in a lighted plant stand. With diligent care, these plants can be maintained throughout the winter. Sometime in March, I will attempt to bring them on so they can be potted up into container gardens next year.
What I don’t salvage, is, as mentioned, added to the compost pile. Rather than simply tossing the plants and soil balls onto the pile intact, the foliage and flowers will be cut off at soil level. They are then added to the compost. If plants are large, they will be cut up with my handy, dandy pruners so they will decompose more quickly. The soil and root balls will be chopped up with a sharp shovel and spread over the pile.
Cleaning the containers is next. Warm soapy water, and a tiny bit of bleach will be enough to wash the containers. If needed, a plastic pot scrubber and some elbow grease will take care of stubborn bits. Once they are completely dry, the containers will be stored upside down on pallets or shelves. Since we do not have a garage, and our shed is full to bursting, the pots will spend the winter in the unheated greenhouse.
Then, we wait for the seed catalogues to arrive. With them will come fresh ideas for next year’s container gardens, and dreams of warm sunny days, gentle breezes that fill the yard with the fragrance of the flowers and colours that provoke smiles and sighs of delight.
What seeds can be collected will be, and stored in (labelled) envelopes until spring seeding time. Tubers will be brushed clean and set aside in the greenhouse to dry for a few days before they are placed in onion bags and hung in a cool, dark shed for the winter. Some plants, such as geraniums, rosemary, abutilon and eucalyptus, will be cut right back, then placed in a lighted plant stand. With diligent care, these plants can be maintained throughout the winter. Sometime in March, I will attempt to bring them on so they can be potted up into container gardens next year.
What I don’t salvage, is, as mentioned, added to the compost pile. Rather than simply tossing the plants and soil balls onto the pile intact, the foliage and flowers will be cut off at soil level. They are then added to the compost. If plants are large, they will be cut up with my handy, dandy pruners so they will decompose more quickly. The soil and root balls will be chopped up with a sharp shovel and spread over the pile.
Cleaning the containers is next. Warm soapy water, and a tiny bit of bleach will be enough to wash the containers. If needed, a plastic pot scrubber and some elbow grease will take care of stubborn bits. Once they are completely dry, the containers will be stored upside down on pallets or shelves. Since we do not have a garage, and our shed is full to bursting, the pots will spend the winter in the unheated greenhouse.
Then, we wait for the seed catalogues to arrive. With them will come fresh ideas for next year’s container gardens, and dreams of warm sunny days, gentle breezes that fill the yard with the fragrance of the flowers and colours that provoke smiles and sighs of delight.
2 comments:
Being an aussie, I find the thought of a eucalypt being used as container plant being brought in and out of the house to be a little disconcerting.....
To me a eucalypt is a tree out in the garden or the bush......lol.
There are times when I truly envy gardeners who live in warmer climates! Living in an area that is snow bound for several months of the year, it is difficult to picture a eucalyptus as a "tree", although I once had one that grew to six feet, and that was considered a giant here.
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