Autumn Enchantments

I just can't get over this season - it is one of my favorites. How can you not love the changing, breathtaking scenery?

These are some of the more beautiful trees in my neighborhood. (Unfortunately, the Sycamore in the front yard is not a bastion of fall color. Boo.)

This Maple is on the boulevard closest to our house. The HOA planted it at some point, and it was one of the first trees in the neighborhood to show off its beautiful foliage.

This golden hued tree is in my neighbor's backyard. You can just see it from the windows in our house, so I get to enjoy it despite its location outside my own landscape.

Is there a tree in your neighborhood that you have been enjoying lately? E-mail it to tara patty at ryan lawn dot com.

Dead Limbs in Your Trees?

If it has been awhile since you have had your trees pruned, have a professional arborist out to look them over before winter.

An arborist can recommend pruning to keep your home safe from falling and/or breaking limbs during winter storms.

When it comes to large tree pruning, it is better to be proactive than to react to an emergency down the line.

Visit Trees Are Good to find a certified arborist in your area. You can also request an estimate from Ryan Lawn & Tree.

Leaves Falling Down

Leaves are starting to fall and gather on our lawns - don't forget to rake them up to protect your grass (allowing leaves to sit in piles on the grass will smother the grass causing portions to die out).

If you are hitting a dead end about how to make the project go faster, try this - rake the leaves onto a tarp and THEN bag or mulch them.

Do any of you have leaf-raking tips? Send them to tara patty at ryan lawn dot com.

Pumpkin Patch

Halloween is coming up in a few weeks - the weather sure feels about right. Over the weekend I ventured over to a pumpkin patch to pick out my pumpkins for the big day.




One of my pumpkins was warty, like the one pictured above. The variety is called "Knucklehead" according the helpful patch personnel. I think it has character. You do have to be careful not knock the warts off, however.

In honor of pumpkins, I decided to make some pumpkin dip this weekend. I mixed about a cup of canned pumpkin with a block of cream cheese and a half a cup of brown sugar. Then, I added 2 teaspoons of maple syrup, some cinnamon, nutmeg and a little vanilla. My friend Lauren recommended it to use as a dip for apples. I thought it was quite tasty with graham crackers as well. FALL IS HERE!

Shrub Pruning How To Day 3

Finally, prune for height. Prune top growth by cutting the stem back to a leaflet or stem. (This prevents “stubs” which make the plant look funny.) The goal is for the top growth to be pruned to essentially the same height. Step back frequently to make sure the shrub looks the way you want it.

The first shrub you prune may not look perfect, but after two or three pruning cycles, you will get the hang of it. Hand pruning may be more tedious than the hedge pruners we talked about, but the overall result and health of the plant will be much improved by taking a little extra time to do the job right.

Day 1 Day 2

Shrub Pruning How To Day 2

The first step to pruning is to evaluate the shrub. Are you pruning it just because it is getting too big for the space, or do you have other concerns (unhealthy stems, thick, crowded growth at the base)?

The first cuts are to remove any dead branches. Cut these at the point where they are attached to the rest of the plant. Next, prune branches that are too close to the ground (any that are laying on or touching the ground). Again, prune these where they attach to the rest of the shrub, deep in the plant. Also remove any irregular branches.

Take a step back and see how the shrub looks at this point. Remember, a properly pruned shrub is one you can’t tell you’ve pruned.

Day 1

Shrub Pruning How To Day 1

Photo from Mid City Nursery

This week, I thought I would go over some shrub pruning tips. Pruning can be an art – it takes a lot and time and effort to prune a plant in to a chess piece or loveable animal – but for us mere mortals, a few basic steps in the right direction is all we need.

Let’s start with shrub pruning. Shrubs, usually, are pruned more often than large trees and, with a few guidelines; most homeowners will learn the knack without much effort. Bear in mind, when shrubs are pruned well, they look like they haven’t been pruned at all.

You won’t need a lot of different tools to prune shrubs effectively. A pair of hand pruners (I prefer Felco hand pruners) will cut any branch up to 3/4 inches in diameter.

Leaning Tree

I noticed the other day that a witch hazel we planted last year has started to lean severely. We are going to have to stake it. In general, you only want to leave a tree staked for a year, otherwise, the tree starts to grow into the guide wires and it is really quite a mess.

However, this little guy is struggling, and I think a stake will help straighten him out.

Roses!

If you haven't heard enough about my knock-out roses this season, let me give you one more post. The bushes are still blooming and the flowers are so delicate and breathtaking. (Mostly breathtaking due to the minimal amount of care they take to look fabulous.)

They have also had a surge in growth over the last few weeks.

Seeing them looking so good kind of has me sad for fall.

Dig Up Caladiums

My caladiums are starting to look a little worse for wear.

Like cannas, caladiums need to be dug up in the fall and replanted in the spring. However, unlike cannas, it is better to dig up the caladiums before the first frost.

If possible, allow the leaves to dry up and fall off naturally. This will ensure the bulbs have time to absorb nutrients.

Ideally, caladiums should be stored at 70 degrees or warmer, so avoid storing them in an unheated garage or in the basement. (Cannas should be stored in a cool, dark place.)

Apple Picking

My parents come to visit over the weekend. Before they arrived, they stopped at an apple orchard to pick apples. There were only two varieties left to pick, as the season is coming to a close, but they had a good time.

They left some apples for me to enjoy:


I can't wait to give them a try!

What to Do With Cannas

If you have cannas in your landscape, you need to dig them up after the first frost to enjoy them again next spring/summer.

After frost kills the foliage, trim the plant off short to about four inches. Dig it up in the next week or two, any time before the ground freezes.

Use a garden fork or spade to dig up the root. Be careful not to damage it. The root will have grown over the season, so start digging a foot or more away from the stem. If pieces break off, save them, too.

Gently brush off excess soil. Rinse clean with a garden hose if you wish. Air dry at room temperature for a few days before storing.

Every year you will have more cannas to plant the following spring!

Mums in Bloom

The mums we planted a few weeks ago are in full bloom.

So pretty.

A Different Approach to Planting Trees

When most people plant a tree, they plant one tree, singular, in its own space. The tree may be planted for shade, or just to add interest to the landscape. Most of the time, the tree is a lone reed.

Why do we do this? (I have done this, in fact, a previous homeowner planted a singular Sycamore tree in the front yard, that is now HUGE. It may even predate the house, which was built around it.)

If you visit a forest, what do you see? Trees of all shapes and sizes growing right next to each other. Sure, they are competing for nutrients, water and other elements to survive, but they are tightly knit.

If this is how trees grow in nature, why do we plant a new tree far from any other tree in our urban landscapes?

This fall, experiment. Try planting two or three trees in a group in a corner of your yard--a mini-forest if you will. Just have fun with it!*

*And send me a picture of the results!