Almost Missed It
October 24, 2011 – 10:10 amI almost missed bulb-buying season.
We have had a beautiful fall this year. The leaves have actually had time to change colour, as compared to recent fall seasons where leaves were frozen green.
I’ve posted before about not having any success wintering over bulbs in the alpine troughs on the balcony, much to my disappointment. But I always like to go for a little shop, have a look and at least buy some paper whites. This year I decided to force some bulbs, so was really caught be surprise when I finally went shopping and found out that all the bulbs were on sale and the selection was very limited.
I did find paper whites and picked up from the sales table some crocus and snowdrops. I bought Snow Crocus, Snowbunting, a pretty little white crocus with a yellow throat and a bag of mixed Snow Crocus – white, pale purple, dark purple and gold. Crocus will top off at about 10 cm (4 inches) high. Of similar stature are Snowdrops – I bought the last two packages of Galanthus, Perce de Neiges.
So the bulbs are now in the fridge for about 12 weeeks. I’ll check them every week or so to make sure that they aren’t drying out (or going moldy) and look forward to the new year when they will be planted.
Fall Clean Up
October 17, 2011 – 10:10 amWell, the clean up on the balcony garden continues. I’m always a little surprised just how many containers are on the deck – the number becomes clearer when I get to move each one.
So step by step.
The ponds get emptied first. But they don’t get moved – too heavy. The firewood gets moved closer to the patio doors. The large clay troughs that I used for the veg crops don’t get moved at all, ditto the pea trellis. The soil in the big troughs gets dug through, to clear out any large root clumps that may have established themselves during the growing season. And then containers get stacked in the troughs, to help keep the soil from blowing around.
The pots get brushed out once the soil has been removed. The Adirondack chairs get moved over to the east side of the deck, where they get stacked on each other. The BBQ gets moved over closer to the patio doors as does the table and chairs. The container trays get washed and stacked – and checked to make sure any cracked or damage ones get tossed out.
This simple approach to container and tray maintenance helps get everything ready for the cold winter ahead (knock on wood, I haven’t had any clay containers break due to frost or the cold) and ensures a literally clean start in the spring.
Because I’ve had success in wintering over my small clematis in the alpine troughs, I’ve decided to try to also winter-over the big one. It’s not in a really big container so it fits inside my pepper pot. I’ve nestled it into the larger clay pot and will fill it up with soil. Probably just delaying the inevitable, but we’ll see if ‘The President’ lives to see the spring.
The alpine troughs, which are on rollers, have been moved to the east side of the balcony. There they are out of the direct sun, so don’t get so dried out and they also will get covered by snow when it comes, as it collects and drifts on that side of the deck. This part of the clean-up is super easy since we got the metal roller platforms for the troughs. Point and gently push them into position. I’ll keep watering everything for a few more weeks until we start to get some serious frost.
Balcony gardening season almost done.
Flipping the Switch
October 11, 2011 – 10:10 amI love this time of year – like many gardeners. But I also like to get out of town on the weekend. There’s nothing better than a trip to the mountains to clear out the little grey cells. The vistas at this time of year can be pretty spectacular – that pre-winter flush of fresh white is always both an awesome and slightly threatening image.
Living in the heart of the city can sometimes disconnect you from the inevitable impact the local climate will have on you – and your balcony garden. By this time of the year, the gusty winds are nothing more than an occasional nuisance. The driving rain, refreshing. And the hail, if you are lucky enough to have a protected balcony like mine, nothing more than a brief bit of excitement.
Our unusually warm fall has also helped defer thoughts of winter.
Snow. It’s an all too distant memory. We’ve had a couple of frost warnings, but I mostly ignore the first ones – 11 floors up is not a low-lying area. Granted the recent morning walks to the office have been brisk. There are hints of weather to come which I am choosing to ignore.
I’m always reluctant to clean out those last few pots on the balcony. Even the plants that are marked to come to the office still are out on the deck, moved in front of the sliding glass windows, so I don’t forget to water. Maybe next weekend I’ll haul them.
So I admit I was startled when we drove up to the top of the Highwood Pass this past weekend. With about 46 cm (a foot and a half) of snow in the parking lot, the reality of things to come hit home. Luckily it was a sunny day, so the cold wind in the valley was countered slightly. And it was beautiful in it’s own right. Most of the larch have dropped their needles, but a few pale gold patches could still be seen. But winter has started to arrive up there already, the switch has been flipped.
Also, a bear closure is posted for the Ptarmigan Cirque hiking trail and basin. Grizzly sow and 2 cubs in the area – a note that shouldn’t be ignored although the path into the basin is packed down.
I don’t know. Last time we hiked up to the alpine meadow we met a few mountain sheep on the trail that were large enough to not only get our attention but encourage us to give way. Would not want to meet mom and her 2 cubs on the narrow, closed in trail.
I’ll be finishing up the fall balcony clean up this week. Nothing like a little taste of winter to help you focus on the task at hand. Soon enough gardening gloves will turn into mitts.
What’s Up, Doc?
October 10, 2011 – 10:10 am
My goal this year was to grow carrots that numbered more than a handful and were big enough to warrant more than a wipe with a gardening glove before popping them into my mouth.
Goal accomplished. This is two handfuls. Plump, juicy and sweet, these little carrots were planted on May 17 and harvested just over 4 months later. When I dug them out, the soil was full of fibrous white rootlets, so I understand better why they wanted water every day.
The east facing clay trough that the carrots were thinly seeded into seemed to work well, daily watering was an easy routine and the thinning challenge was a patience-testing exercise that I finally figured out this year.
Grow carrots again next year? I think I will.
And Repeat
October 4, 2011 – 10:10 amAnd four months later ‘The President’ blooms again. Kinda unusual to have a new flower showing off so late in the season. It had made promises of a repeat performance, but I really didn’t believe it was going to happen. Faith in Mother Nature restored.
