Saturday, January 01, 2011

January In The Garden

I know, you can't actually be in the garden in January especially if you are in zone 5 or below.  This is the month I actually use for planning, catalogs, seed ordering, rose bush and perennial ordering, etc.  I have already ordered a few hard-to-find bare root roses and all of my daylilies are ordered online
http://www.oakesdaylilies.com/ and http://www.daylilies-hostas.com/ deliver large scapes that flower the first year.


Myrtle Dart's Blue

After two days of above average temperatures, close to 60 degrees F yesterday, most of the snow is gone and underneath everything is green and lush.  But this won't be for long as it has dropped to 18 degrees F, browning and leaf drop will occur quickly.


I should have taken a photo of Heuchera Southern Comfort when the temperature was 60 instead of today where the frost is already beginning to predict its demise.


Becky Shasta Daisy


Even the cabbages look pretty good after coming out from under all that snow!


I will also be ordering some shade perennials because they are so expensive to buy locally.  I am referring to Brunnera and Hellebores.  I have had good luck with http://www.diggingdog.com/ because they ship deep planted perennials that become large even the first year.

January is also the month that I begin to draw out my plans for the new planting season, containers, borders and color schemes.  I mention color because I feel it is important to choose a color that will show off your home.  I have pretty neutral stone and brick so I can change colors on a yearly basis from the pinks to the oranges and they all pop against the background.






I am a big color person so I usually end up with every color once I get to the back garden beds, although I do find myself planning specific vignettes of certain colors, such as an orange theme on the patio.






I usually access http://www.provenwinners.com/ to see what's new in annuals and work in some new introductions in my container plans.

20 comments:

CanadianGardenJoy said...

Eileen girl !
Happy New Year : )
I am so far behind in blogging and reading blogs .. I have to apologize and get myself going again ! LOL
I love all of your ideas and pots bursting with colour.
We are also in a VERY strange state of affairs here in Kingston .. I went out in my tacky robe and took pictures of how GREEN aka NO SNOW it is here and it is also raining!!
I am afraid my Spring bulbs will get the wrong message.
I too want to draw up ambitious plans and day dream about how I can whip my garden into is former Eden status (OK .. in my mind it is Eden?) haha
Great post for the first day of 2011 !
Joy : )

Reading Tea Leaves said...

January is a great time for making plans and looking out for those elusive seeds and plants.

Goodness, its nice to see a splash of garden colour - I like your orange theme, I may go with some hotter colours in my pots this year.

Happy New Year Eileen and I wish you many happy and fruitful hours in your 2011 garden.

Jeanne
x

Gatsbys Gardens said...

Joy, I think we are in the same situation, looking out at green in January. But, I am concerned, everything looked so good under that blanket, what is going to happen when we don't have it?

Let's just keep planning for spring.

Eileen

Gatsbys Gardens said...

Jeanne, I am so looking forward to the warmer weather, but this winter has not left us yet!

Eileen

allanbecker-gardenguru said...

If I were to find your abstract-like image of Myrtle Dart's Blue at an art exhibit, I would immediately purchase it to hang in my living room or den. It's that magnificent.
I suppose that you might tell me you had no hand in creating it and that you merely came across it in the garden and captured it digitally. And, of course, I will beg to differ. As we have seen on many other garden blogging sites that focus on photography, selecting an aspect of nature to capture on camera is an enviable skill that some do better than others.

Gatsbys Gardens said...

Allan, thank you for your kind comments but as far as photography I am still a work in progress. Luckily, my camera is automatic rather than requiring multiple settings like years ago.

I wish I could do as well taking photos of people.

Eileen

The Tablescaper said...

Love your plans. I can't quite get myself into Spring planning quite yet, but in a few weeks, I'm sure I'll be there.

- The Tablescaper

Catherine@AGardenerinProgress said...

Thanks for the names of some reliable mail order nurseries. I have only ordered a few things ever, but am trying more this year. Do your daylilies bloom the first year? I planted quite a few last year and none bloomed.
This is a good month for planning! We have a layer of frozen snow here and I think it will stay that way for a few more days. At least the skies have been blue. Happy planning!

Gatsbys Gardens said...

Hi Catherine,

Both of the daylily companies send large plants, usually with two or three fans. They do bloom the first year and you usually get a free plant with your order.

The tops are trimmed and you just soak them in water overnight before planting, they grow new leaves very quickly. Both companies have tons of varieties that you can't buy at the nurseries.

Eileen

Gatsbys Gardens said...

Hi Tablescaper, you have had some pretty serious weather so I can understand if you are not thinking spring quite yet.

Eileen

Karen said...

Hi Eileen, your snow all melted? We had a melt-down here too, but there's still at least a foot on the ground in most spots. Now it's so cold, so we're glad of the cover. I just read through your posts that I missed and was enchanted by all the beautiful floral arrangements and your plans for spring.

Darla said...

I just believe I would enjoy seeing your gardens in person. Just lovely.

Gatsbys Gardens said...

Hi Karen, we are totally melted except for a small pile way back against the fence. Now, I am concerned about all of the green plants uncovered and if they will survive with such a shock.

Eileen

Gatsbys Gardens said...

Hi Darla, my garden without the snow cover will begin to shrivel and the shock may kill some of the usually hardy plants. I never appreciated the snow so much as this year when I saw how healthy everything looked from being insulated.

Eileen

Rosie Nixon Fluerty said...

I've frequented proven winners aswell many a time - it's always a good sign on a plant label when it's been listed as a proven winner.

I haven't even thought of colour yet for the containers for later in the year!

Your patio looks so beautiful especially with those orange colours in the planters.

Lona said...

Hi Eileen. You are way ahead of me on the planning stages. I am still figuring out what seeds I want to start. I will have to check out some of your buying sites. It is always good to know from other gardeners which places provide some of the large perennial starts. I have a couple of roses I want to order early because they were gone by the time I ordered them last summer. So thanks for your listing. Have a great week.

Gatsbys Gardens said...

Rosie, I do like the Proven Winners container plans. nn You don't have to follow them exactly but general plan is good.

Eileen

Gatsbys Gardens said...

Lona, I have ordered from all of these sites over the years. Digging Dog has high postage, but their plants are reasonable so it's a wash!

Eileen

Gatsbys Gardens said...

Hi Rose, I am so thrilled that I have been invited by a Proven Winners rep to a presentation on roses. I hope it is not a come on, but I have registered to go at a trade show on the 20th in Chicago.

Eileen

Jennifer@threedogsinagarden said...

Happy new year! I love the paperwhites in the header- so cheerful and as you know they are a favorite with me. I took awhile and scrolled down as I have not been visiting blogs for over a week. You have such lovely summer planters. I like the bright colors- they really pop against your neutral house. The Christmas arrangements are really lovely too.