Tofino Gardening in September 2003

by Trina Mattson

Has anyone seen summer this year? I just got comfy on my hammock with a good book, and now it seems it is time to get started at cleaning up the gardens and getting ready for the dormant season.

So on the work front:

Fall is an ideal time to divide perennials to increase your stock and retire those that may not be living up to their promised glory. Dividing them at this time of year, ensures that they are not going to be stressed by the summers heat, and will get them going on good root formation before the onset of winter.

Keep your rose beds clean, prune out infected leaves and destroy them, this will help to help minimise the carrying over of disease through the winter.

Rake any fallen leaves off the lawn, to prevent winter injury. A pile of leaves is an excellent source for the compost.

Evergreen hedges will be putting on some new growth in the fall, so take this opportunity to do some light trimming for both size control and shaping, don‚t trim too far back or into old brown wood as these will not grow new green growth.

For instant added colour to failing bedding plants and balding areas in the garden, check out mums, winter pansies, and kales, that are now in garden centres, also check out the Fall colour of maples, ginkgo, dogwoods and cercidiphyllums and other deciduous trees and shrubs, some clematis will also still be blooming, or into their second flush of flowers and some roses will have a second flush of flowers at this time.

A winterising fertiliser for your lawn can be used at this time; this will help promote strong root growth for next year's growth, and aid in disease resistance and stress tolerance.

Cleaning up your pond of decaying debris, and dividing marginal pond plants is no light task, but the benefits from this chore is quite rewarding, and also will provide a healthy environment for your fish to over winter in.

The birds are going to be migrating soon and would probably appreciate some seed and winter feed.

Fall is also a great time to transplant any houseplants that need to be done. With renewed soil and a larger clean pot they should stay healthy and vigorous.

Indoor gardening is a great way to keep your thumb green over the winter, and we now have a variety of indoor plants from tropicals to cactus and aloe in stock at the garden centre, in addition to some of the outdoor plants that grow well indoors, including culinary herbs, that can be used all winter.

And don't forget to get into your local garden centre early for the best selection of spring flowering bulbs!

Happy Gardening!

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Trina Mattson runs the OCN Garden Center in Tofino. You can reach her by phone at (250) 725-4450.