Goodbye to summer plants

o7”The true gardener brushes over the ground ... to liberate space

for some favourite plant.”

f7 -- Freya Stark

o7”’Tis the last rose of October, left blooming alone ... “f7

-- with apologies to Thomas Moore

October is the month for sprucing up your garden in anticipation

of the coming holidays; the festivities now seem to begin with

Halloween. This will be another year without a pumpkin, another year

without much contact with our children. I’ll have to ask Catharine if

the Christmas tree is staying outdoors this year.

It is providential that I maintain a semblance of being in shape

(thanks to Mary Kate), because once I have decided to do a cleanup, I

find it difficult to stop. Calmly and ruthlessly, I consigned to the

compost pile the abutilon that I had previously nurtured with the

tender care of a loving father. Emotional attachment to the plant was

cast aside. I needed a something different, so off it went.

By the way, you did manage to fit in the time for some October

questions for the Plant Man:

Q What should I be doing in my garden this month?

A We are in the midst of the season that is considered the best

for planting. It is also cleanup month, the time to fasten trees and

tall shrubs, prune the old tops of perennials and freshen flower

beds. It’s not too late for bulbs. Remember to refrigerate the tulips

and hyacinths for later planting. Finally, I would suggest mulching

perennials and keeping an eye out for fall weeds.

Q What should I do with my tomato plant? Almost all of the leaves

are gone, and there are only three tomatoes left.

A Your tomato has reached the end of its season. It’s time to

remove it.

Q. What can I do in my garden to minimize the danger of fire?

A I would recommend that trees adjacent to your home be pruned

away from the roof and eaves. Thin all plantings within 100 feet of

your house and clear away dead vegetation. Finally, clean up dead

leaves and litter that accumulated during the summer.

Q What kind of plants will give me berries for the holidays?

A Holly, especially the Chinese and English kinds, can be used as

decorations as small plants and then planted in the garden. In

succeeding years they may be carefully pruned to provide branches

covered with berries. Firethorn (o7Pyracantha spp.f7) and Toyon

(o7Heteromeles arbutifoliaf7) are also useful plants with berried

branches.

Q Could you please send us timing on when to prune roses in

Tucson, Ariz.; there is only one rose left blooming.

A Tucson generally experiences mild winters, so you could probably

prune your roses back in late December; however, a frost could damage

tender new growth. You might wait until February to prune, but you

would miss early blossoms. That is the reason why I generally

recommend pruning in late January. I prune my own roses in nearly

frost-free Laguna around Christmas.

Shortly after removing several more plants, I called it a day. I

was exhausted from the emotional exertion. I departed with Catharine

for a celebration of nothing at Zoolu’s. Fortunately, our garden

remained mainly intact, as my fatherly instincts prevailed. The next

day, I calmly planted a few bulbs and readied myself for another

possible anniversary and beyond. See you next time.

* Steve Kawaratani is married to a local writer, Catharine Cooper,

and has three cats. He can be reached at 497-2438 or

[email protected].

f7