First of all, some garden housekeeping notes: you still have a few weeks to buy lovely fresh produce at the Yorkton Gardener’s market, which continues on Saturdays from 9 a.m. till noon until September 23. The market is at Prairie Harvest Christian Life Centre, Melrose Avenue and Simpson Street in Yorkton. To register as a seller call Glen at (306) 783-7040.
And of course you’re invited to the first fall meeting of the Yorkton and District Horticultural Society on Wednesday, September 20 at 7 p.m. in the SIGN building on North Street in Yorkton. Our special guest speaker will be John Tropin, talking to us about “Water Plants and Fish Ponds”. Whether you already have a pond or you are wondering how to get started, John will have great information for us about how to start or maintain this project. With changing weather just around the corner, this is a timely topic to prepare your ponds and plants for winter, so don’t miss it! And remember, you don’t have to be a member to attend the meetings, everyone is welcome.
One more thing: the hort society will be holding our Fall Plant and Bulb Sale on Friday, September 22 from 9:30 a.m. till 5 p.m. at the Parkland Mall, Yorkton. This sale is a great chance to get some very nice perennials to add to your collection. There will be gardeners on hand at the sale to answer your questions, so hope to see you there! I was chatting with a fellow gardener today, and she mentioned looking for certain plants. My advice is always this: be there when the sale begins at 9:30 for best selection, especially if you are looking for a certain plant.
It seems like we barely planted our gardens, and now we are thinking about fall gardening tasks. How can that be possible? The garden is a joy from the time we first get out there, but I enjoy the fall, too, getting everything ready for a rest.
We have cleaned up some of our planters: the heat took a toll on many of them, and since they were drying up, we pulled them out. Some plants received a haircut that will hopefully rejuvenate them for a while. And until we get a frost, maybe they can keep on impressing us with more blooms!
Cleaning up our gardens properly is important for their overall health. When you pull out garden plants, be sure to clean up any leaves or stems. If they had any pests or diseases you want to be sure they are not languishing on the garden and leaving behind worries for next year. Do not throw any infected plants onto your compost pile. Into the garbage!
As the perennials fade, the question comes up of whether to cut them back or not. We always cut the irises and daylilies because it is so much neater when spring comes, but don’t cut them now until the weather really turns. They are still absorbing the sun and making food to be strong for the winter. But when it comes to perennials with seed heads, we always leave those over the winter. Not only do they add winter interest to the garden, but they also provide food for birds.
(When we were cleaning up some plants a few days ago, we saw many ladybugs hiding among the leaves. Do they know something we don’t know?)
It is not too early to make labels for your perennials; it’s good to know where plants are in the spring! This is especially helpful for plants that are slower to come up, like hostas.
But let’s enjoy the garden for a while yet! Visit us at www.yorktonhort.ca and have a good week!
