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.

What Happens Next?

Well, this is a question we all ask this time of year.  The answer is we are going to THINK!  We are going to think about what worked, what didn't, what are we going to do differently next year.

I already know, there will be no dahlias in my garden, but there will be phlox and more phlox, gaura, clematis, daylilies, lilies, grasses, sedums, certain coneflowers, the roses will be back but they had a difficult summer.

The dahlias just never took off in the heat, had to redo this hayrack mid summer.

Clematis Fireworks and Bee's Jubilee, both type 2

Phlox Blue Paradise

Gaura, impatiens and coleus

Orienpet Lily Lavon and Tiger Lily Halloween

Chicago Rosy

Coneflower Magnus with Panicum Northwind grass in background

My favorite annuals were impatiens, coleus and some petunias, like Bubblegum.  Pretty Much Picasso was a dud and should not come back again unless in another form.  My Dura Cage was a failure, breaking and falling over when the tomatoes became large.  The metal color coated cages from Gardeners Supply held up as usual.

Supertunia Bubblegum

Pretty Much Picasso just never did fill out, pulled it out mid-summer and replaced with another Supertunia.

The Dura Cage is in the middle and just did not hold up as the Beefsteak tomato grew taller.

.
The ferns, hostas, astilbies, solomon's seal all did great in the heat this year.  My dianthus Firewitch did not.  The Gailldaria did great but it grew totally out of bounds on the south side of my house, I had to move it.

Astilbe Maggie Daley

Hosta Frances Williams

Japanese Painted Fern, Heucheras and impatiens

Gailldaria Arizona Sun

Seed Starting

My husband decided to get rid of my shop lights that I hadn't used in many years.  I had two forty-eight inch lights that I hung on chains above a long bench in my old old home and my last home.  For many years I started seeds in my basement under these lights, veggies, geraniums, impatiens, petunias, salvia, etc.  I had great fun every year scanning the catalogs and choosing unusual seeds for plants I could not find at the nurseries.

I had a routine, watering each day before I went to work and raising the lights as the plants grew a little higher.  It is important to keep the lights low in the beginning, almost down to the soil, so that they stay short and fat, not tall and spindly. 

This is a nice one with plenty of planting space for me, but it is quite long and I am not sure it will fit in the space I have.

Well, guess what, I have developed a new passion for wanting to grow seeds again, but in a more high tech manner.  While teaching, I used a tiered plant growing system which worked very well with the trays and timer and the ability to move the trays up and down - no chains.

This would probably be the most practical for the space I have.

I think this will be my after Christmas present because they are quite expensive.  Stay tuned, Gardener's Supply has free shipping so this may be my choice.  I just don't know whether to order the one, two or three tier system!

Around The Christmas Garden

The paperwhites are lovely this year.  I did have to hold them in the garage for a few days to suspend full bloom.

Fresh white pine worked in amongst the faux garland, fresh flowers in florist tubes on both sides.

When the lower leaves begin to fall from the poinsettias work in some fresh evergreen cuttings to fill in.  A local florist gave me this tip to make the plants look better for a longer period of time.

Simple arrangement of white pine and mums, McCoy pottery

Depression glass flower holder

Holiday Containers

Ceramic and cast iron by front door

Concrete planters in front

Concrete planters by garage

Hayracks on the shed

Brown Ceramic Planter in front

I can't see much of the containers now since they are covered with snow and ice, so I am glad I have these photos to remember what they look like!