March 2015 Issue - Master Gardeners of Bergen County

From the Potting Shed
March 2015
Master Gardeners of Bergen County
SAVE THE DATE!
Sat., March 21
Water, Water, Everywhere!
Speaker: Arnie Friedman
Owner, Landscapes by Design, LLC
Master Gardener, Class of 2003
March 24
County Administration Building
1 Bergen Plaza, Hackensack, 1st Floor Meeting Room
(Home of the County Extension Office)
Refreshments at 7pm; Announcements at 7:20pm
Have you ever heard the expression, "when it rains,
it drains!" How about "nothing but rain in our
drain." Storm water, you can do your part! Join
your fellow Master Gardeners to learn about the
impact of storm water on our homes and parks,
ponds and rivers, excess run off and storm water
pollution. Don't let the culprits win. As gardeners,
there are best practice tips to manage your yard
responsibly and prevent storm water pollution.
Learn about rain gardens, water filtering systems,
and storm water harvesting options to employ.
Arnie Friedman, a Master Gardener and landscape
designer with certificates in design and horticulture
from the New York Botanical Garden, will present
practical options for the home gardener to protect
our future. Arnie owns a small landscape design
and construction company, Landscapes By Design,
LLC. Additionally Arnie enjoys teaching, lecturing
and writing articles on design, sustainability issues
and water design and management. Arnie is
president of the Association of Landscape
Designers, New York Chapter, a member of the
Upper Saddle River Planning Board, and past
president of the Bergen County Master Gardeners.
Gardeners School
The program provides a variety of seminars to expand
your knowledge of a variety of topics. Sessions will fill
up quickly, so register as soon as possible. The
program is held on the campus in New Brunswick.
Info and registration at
www.cpe.rutgers.edu/courses/current/ah0201ca.html
Register NOW! Sessions are filling up.
Fri., March 6
8:15–2:45pm
School Garden Conference
Sponsored by Rutgers Master Gardeners of
Monmouth County
Monmouth County Agriculture Building
4000 Kozloski Road Freehold, NJ 07728
Program and registration form are attached to this
mailing.
Cans for Community: Master Gardeners Helping
our Neighbors in Need!
Please help your neighbors who are in need during this
long, cold winter. Every act of generosity and kindness
matters to local families or individuals who are faced with
the daily struggle of putting food on their tables and a
roof over their heads.
You can help by bringing non-perishable food items
(Cans of food including soups, pasta/sauce, rice,
crackers, etc.) to monthly meetings. Personal hygiene
paper products are encouraged (for adults and children).
Donations of gift cards or financial contributions (checks
payable to the Center for Food Action) are welcomed.
Table of Contents
Meeting Dates in 2015:
Mar. 24, Apr. 28, and May 19
39th Annual Rutgers Home
Page
Save the Date
1
MG of BC News
2
Membership News
3
Volunteers Needed/Site News
4
Site of the Month
5
Trips and Tours
6
Horticulture News
7/8/9
Garden Club Grapevine
10
Links are clickable and are noted in blue.
1
MG of BC News
Time to Renew your MG Membership
Membership renewals are overdue.
Please complete your renewal, making any necessary
changes to the information that differs from last year.
Then send it with your check for $20 payable to the
Master Gardeners of Bergen County to:
John Walters
6 Valley Road
Glen Rock, NJ 07452
NJBG – Special Skylands Manor Tours –March 1
From the President’s Desk
As you may know, volunteering can take several forms
of activity including administrative service to our
organization. We currently have openings in the
following committees; Archivist, Finance, and Sunshine.
If you, or someone you know, would like to learn more,
please give me a call to discuss how you can help us
continue our 30 years of service to Bergen County.
Also, if you have a talent you think we could use, let us
know. We would love to hear from you.
Our gift to you! As a special ‘thank you,’ NJBG members
are invited to enjoy a complimentary tour of historic
Skylands Manor at the New Jersey State Botanical
Garden on Sunday, March 1, from 11am to 3pm. Nonmembers are invited, too, with special BOGO tickets for
non-members to celebrate the day.
We send a special thank you to Donna Faustini from the
class of 2012. She has accepted the position of
Programs Committee Chairperson, and was confirmed
unanimously by the Master Gardeners of Bergen County
Board. I look forward to working with her committee in
expanding into workshops, programs, and other events
for the future!
Tours of the ground floor of historic Skylands Manor will
be available, and visitors are invited to enjoy
complimentary light refreshments in the Carriage House
Visitor Center throughout the afternoon. An active
snowstorm cancels.
I would also like to make a request for anyone interested
in being our equipment manager for our public address
system, and hopefully a computer and projector in the
future as well. If you attend our meeting and can lift 25
pounds, you qualify!
This event is FREE for NJBG members (Individual,
senior and student members receive 1 free ticket. Family
and other member categories receive 2 free tickets).
Non-members: Buy one, get one free. The suggested
donations for Manor House tours are: $7 for adults; $5
for seniors and students aged 13-18; $3 for children
aged 6-12; and free for children under age 6.
Be Well 
Joseph Cooper
March 12-15
Springfest Garden Show
All lectures and workshops count towards master
gardeners educational requirements (shopping does not
count). Details and links can be found on our website.
Info: www.springfestgardenshow.org/
Bergen County Rutgers Cooperative Extension Office
Joel Flagler
Agricultural/Resources Management
Agent & County Extension Dept. Head 201-336-6780
Dail Reid Horticulture Consultant 201-336-6788
Cooperating Agencies: Rutgers, the State University of NJ,
US Department of Agriculture, and Bergen County Board of Chosen
Freeholders. Rutgers Cooperative Extension educational programs
are offered to all without regard to race, religion, color, age, national
origin, gender, sexual orientation or disability. Rutgers Cooperative
Extension is an Equal Opportunity Employer
2
MEMBERSHIP NEWS
woods, meadows and fields with old and new
friends…identifying things.”
Meet Edith Wallace, MG Class of 1998
New Rutgers Smartphone APP
by Barb Johansson [email protected]
If one looks up “gadfly” in the dictionary, Edith’s
description of herself is most appropriate, as she often
acts as “a constructively provocative stimulus” to get
people to think outside the box. Born at a time when
parents often guided their children toward a pre-selected
profession, her father took her as a three year old for
walks where he identified trees as a foundation of a
lifelong favorite activity. At age 16, she met her
husband, Gordon, at a dance her first week at Montclair
State. She’s sure he was most impressed with her ease
at handling snakes rather than her dancing ability!
Graduating from Montclair when high school teachers
were wanted, then from Rutgers when college teachers
were needed, she never had to search for a job. Edith
began her teaching career at Westwood H.S. She then
taught at Englewood Hospital School of Nursing. With a
Ph.D. in zoology from Rutgers, she taught Biology for 29
years at William Paterson College. In retirement she
took horticulture classes at Bergen Community College
and earned certificates in Botany and Horticulture at
NYBG.
Now retired from classroom teaching, this woman
juggles jobs in so many organizations, it’s amazing! She
has her own website for information about her scheduled
walks, talks and presentations, some given at Skylands
where she oversees the care of their lilac collection and
is on their Advisory Board. Edith is Skylands’
representative to the Garden State Gardens Consortium.
An Audubon member (since high school), she is their
plant support person on walks, and will present at the
March meeting of the NJ Native Plant Society. She’s
often at meetings of the Fyke Nature Association. With
master gardener Nancy Bristow, Edith wrote Identifying
Woody Plants at the Celery Farm Natural Area.
Asked for her opinion of the finest public garden in the
east, she readily cites “Longwood” with NYBG a close
second. She is most happy to work with members of
MGofBC, a wonderful group of individuals.
Rutgers Office of Communications is pleased to
announce the NJAES mobile smartphone app. This app
will allow our stakeholders to stay connected with the
Rutgers New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station,
home of Rutgers Cooperative Extension via their mobile
smartphone. Users will be able to access our
publications including all Fact Sheets, news, events,
county office locations, and more. It is very worthwhile.
Users can find the closest RCE office, view NJAES
events, browse the Newsroom, view the NJ Weed
Gallery, and search publications.
The app is available through iTunes. Feedback can be
sent to [email protected] Please visit the site
for download details http://njaes.rutgers.edu/app/
Archivist Wanted
Attention “senior” MGs. If you’re no longer able to do
physical work (think weeding), but you want to keep up
your certification hours, this job may be for you.
The MG’s need a new ARCHIVIST. The job includes
creating an index and scanning documents on to a disk
to create an archive and answering questions from the
Board as requested. If interested, e-mail Joseph
Cooper, [email protected], ASAP.
Thank You
The residents of long-term care at Bergen Regional
Medical Center benefit from the expertise, creativity,
caring and time given through the volunteer time Bergen
County Master Gardeners give to the horticultural
therapy program. Anne Meore and I would like to join
them in a THANK YOU for your generosity and great
spirit. We enjoy your company. Katherine Sabatino
Edith looks back on her long career with the comment,
“If, as an adult, you can do what you liked best to do as
a child, you are most fortunate. It is astounding to be
recognized for what I like to do best: taking walks in the
3
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED/SITE NEWS
Washington Spring Garden
by Suzanne Danzig
[email protected]
It won’t be long before the sun is a bit higher in the sky
and the days become a bit warmer. I know it is hard to
believe as the temps continue to remain well below
freezing. With this in mind, I would like to remind you
that we are always looking for volunteers to assist with
spring clean-up at the Washington Spring Garden in Van
Saun Park. We meet on Thursday mornings from 8:3012pm or anytime that your schedule permits. Provided
Mother Nature cooperates, we hope to resume our
garden care on or around April 2nd. The park provides
rakes, barrels, and a dump truck, so please bring gloves,
any of your favorite tools as well as something to quench
your thirst. Please contact with any questions: Suzanne
Danzig, [email protected], or cell 201-218-4093.
Flat Rock Brook Nature Center, Englewood
Garretson Farm News
Garretson Farm is pleased to announce the opening of a
Community Seed Bank, the first of its kind in the
Northern New Jersey Area. It will stock open pollinated
seeds, many of which are heirlooms. Members may
obtain small packages of seeds, and agree to grow
them, collect the seeds at harvest, and return a like
package of seeds to the seed bank, if successful. We
will be asking for the help of many master gardeners to
get this new and exciting venture up and running.
Seeds are free to members of Garretson Farm. The
membership fee is $15 annually and all are welcome to
join. Did you know that Garretson Forge and Farm is a
Bergen County historical site and is the oldest
continuously farmed homestead in Bergen County?
For more information, please contact Liz Scholl at
[email protected]
Gardening at Flat Rock Brook will begin April 1st.
Volunteers will meet every Wednesday from 9-11am
Butterfly and Native Garden at Overpeck, Leonia
Garretson Farm- Volunteers Needed
Garretson Farm, 4-02 River Road, Fair Lawn, will be
starting the Spring schedule with its annual Pea Day
planting on Sunday, March 22, from 1–4pm. After that,
regular Master Gardener volunteer hours will take place
every Thursday, from 10am to 2pm, beginning March
th
26 . Volunteers also will be meeting on the second and
fourth Sunday of each month from 1–4pm.
Bring gloves and small hand tools (pruners and trowels),
Garretson has the rest. The group meets rain or shine,
no need to call ahead. There is much to do to get the
gardens ready for planting and many hands are needed.
We look forward to meeting new class members and
seeing old friends, as well.
Thanks to the Master Gardeners of Bergen County, the
Bergen Audubon Overpeck Preserve Butterfly Garden
has grown by leaps and bounds. This Spring we will be
adding new native plants for our butterflies and
pollinators. Hope you all can come out and join us.
Don Torino-President Bergen County Audubon Society
When the weather gets warmer and the snow melts
(whenever that will be), we usually meet Tuesdays from
~ 9:30am- 1:30pm. If you live close by or have an
interest in native plants and need volunteer hours, this
could be the place to do it. This site is dedicated to
reestablishing native plants for butterflies and pollinators.
Help is needed to rid the site of invasives as well as
maintaining and planting native plants.
Any questions, contact: MG Site Coordinator,
Email Lida Gellman at [email protected] with any
questions and check out our website.
www.garretsonfarm.org
Pat Knight, [email protected] or
[email protected] or 201-848-0069
4
SITE OF THE MONTH
THE HERMITAGE
by Monica Buesser [email protected]
The Garden Tour will be held in conjunction with a house
tour. Tea will be served with light refreshments in the
newly reopened summer kitchen. Master Gardener
docents will be needed to lead the garden tours.
We still need donations of Tea pots and cups (the
prettier the better). We could also use foldable round
tables, table cloths, and 3 tiered serving platters. If you
have any of these cluttering your closet, please email me
[email protected]. I will come to pick them up!
The Hermitage is a National Historic Landmark, State
Park, and house museum.
Ranlett’s landscape plan for The Hermitage grounds:
This year we plan to start a demonstration vegetable
garden, a new rose garden, more grape vines, a
woodland naturalization project and more! Email
[email protected] to get on our mailing list. Check
our link on the BCMG volunteer site page for more
information about other things happening at the
Hermitage!
More info on the site, see
http://www.mgofbc.org/programsflyers/Hermitage.pdfmgofbc.org
The relationship of a country house to its natural setting
th
was an important part of picturesque mid-19 -century
domestic architecture. Ranlett published a landscape
plan for the Hermitage grounds in The Architect in 1848.
The plan was never fully implemented. The curving
paths and roads so typical of country villas were
constructed. Together with the many handsome trees
and sturdy stone walls along Franklin Turnpike (at the
bottom of plan), these paths and roads provided an
appropriately picturesque setting for the Gothic Revival
home. This plan is a useful guide for future plantings.
The Hermitage CURRENT SCHEDULE
March Work starts weather permitting
Tues 9:30, Wed 9:30, other days by arrangement
Contact Monica Buesser [email protected] to get
on the mailing list for weekly update
April
Garden Docent Training
Garden Tours led by Master Gardener docents will
highlight the herbs and their uses. Tea will be served
utilizing fresh herbs from the Kitchen Garden. If you
would like to be a docent or help with the teas please
contact me ([email protected]).
June
Garden Tour & Tea
July 28
Play Day
Master Gardeners will participate in Play Day. Activities
will be centered on the Children’s Sensory Garden. We
will host educational and fun plant crafts and games for
children (and adults).
The Kitchen Herb Garden researched, restored and
tended by Master Gardeners, has become part of the
historical landscape at the Hermitage. The herbs in the
garden are typical of herbs found in Victorian era homes.
These herbs had various uses from teas, to medicine,
and even bug repellant. Master Gardeners work
planting, transplanting, trimming, tending, collecting and
drying these herbs. In the past year we have expanded
the planting areas for herbs. Garden Tours & Teas will
use herbs from the kitchen garden.
Aug. 15
Craft Show
The Craft Show is another opportunity for the Master
Gardeners to educate the public about our gardens.
December
Victorian Christmas
Master Gardeners utilize natural plant materials to make
outside decorations
5
TRIPS AND TOURS
Josie Ko has planned several great tours for Spring:
March 14 Tour of Teaneck Greenhouse 11-1pm
located next to #296 Lindbergh Blvd., Teaneck
The Garden Club of Teaneck began in 1932, with the
intent of beautification of city areas and the objective of
stimulating interest in and spreading the knowledge of
gardening. Its annual plant sale generates the funds for
the maintenance of the greenhouse, outreach programs,
town plantings, and scholarship. Members propagate
approximately 17,000 plants using no pesticides or
herbicides. They control whitefly and aphids with the
introduction of parasitoids. It is an interesting process
which requires coordination and cooperation amongst
the membership. They conduct seminars during the sale
and do a lot of point of purchase educational pieces.
The Greenhouse is one of only three municipal
greenhouses in NJ; the others are in Maplewood and
Belmar. It was refurbished in 1953/4 using the obsolete
Vandelinda Sewerage Treatment Plant, including
covering the concrete vats, repairing the roof, installing a
heating system, and replacement of the sides and
windows.
Join us for this fascinating tour. Refreshments will be
served after the tour. RSVP to [email protected]
or call her at 201-307-0774. Directions see:
http://www.gardenclubofteaneck.org/index.html
April 21- The Hay Honey Farm Tour
The Hay Honey Farm, 130 Stevens Lane, Far Hills
Garden areas created near the house include a dwarf
conifer/spring bulb garden, a large walled perennial
border, hosta garden, native meadow, and a large
kitchen garden, which is backed by a laburnum, rose,
and clematis trellis. A year-round natural stream flows
through the rhododendron garden, which includes
woodland companion plants of all types. A flowering
shrub walk on the opposite bank of the stream has more
sun-loving favorites, such as lilacs, weigelas, and
viburnum, while woodland and field walks highlight
collections of unusual maples, firs and other hardy trees
and shrubs.
May 6- Brandywine Cottage Tour
http://p.nytimes.com/email/re?location=InCMR7g4BCKC
2wiZPkcVUkqeGT8quQkm&user_id=b6884d492213825
1e178dd86de1ff3ff&email_type=eta&task_id=14205817
81600873&regi_id=0
Brandywine Cottages is David Culp's beloved 2-acre
Pennsylvania garden where he mastered the design
technique of layering — interplanting many different
species in the same area so that as one plant passes its
peak, another takes over. The result is a nonstop
parade of color that begins with a tapestry of heirloom
daffodils and hellebores in spring and ends with a jewellike blend of Asian wildflowers at the onset of winter.
The Layered Garden by David
Culp has been selected by the
Garden Writers Association as
2013 Best Overall Book
June 9- Jardin De Buis Tour
http://www.ajfdesign.com/art/location_3/jardindebuis_ev
ent_rental_v2_Ssm.pdf
Explore the private gardens at The Hay Honey Farm in
Far Hills.
6
HORTICULTURE NEWS
A Bee in My Bonnet:
Part IV - Mi Casa Su Casa
by Daphne Boss Ayalon [email protected]
Declining health and fragmentation of natural habitats,
removal of forested areas, and changing weather
patterns put downward pressure on bee populations.
Our indignation against weeds and fondness for quick,
synthetic solutions to every problem in the garden don’t
help either. We’re also told that urban sprawl and
countless acres of paved surfaces are the culprit for the
rapid decrease in pollinators.
Truth is, you can make a big impact on the health of
bees just by creating a nourishing environment in your
backyard or patio garden. It’s all about conditions. And
conditions translate to shelter, food, and water, the
basics required by all living creatures. Gaining access to
basic habitat requirements is important; and, in that vein,
urban settings, where flight paths are short and green
areas can hold a variety of different flowering plants, are
more likely to draw bees to sample the goods than the
agrarian countryside devoted to endless acres of single
crops.
Traditional honey is, after all, a blend of nectars from
many flower types. Varietal honey such as lavender or
goldenrod honey, although delicious and fun, is made
from nectar of only one flower species and is a modern
concept enabled by monoculture.
Plant variety secures shelter and offers food sources,
but that doesn’t mean you need an English cottage
garden to attract bees. There are enough flowering
trees and shrubs to attract bees, and if you decide to
add an ornamental tree to your garden, why not plant
something that will benefit bees? Even a vegetable
patch has room for some flowers. And sunny areas
don’t have to be large. A few areas in your garden
combined with some in your neighbors’ yards, and
several areas down the street are enough to create a
thriving environment for bees, where contrasting parts
complement each other.
sometimes sterile, or are low on pollen and nectar and of
little use to bees.
If you’re a nature conservationist at heart and believe in
native flora, kudos to you; I’m also a great believer.
Native open-pollinated flowers and local heirlooms are
the prescription. Just let me remind you that honeybees
are not a native species on our shores. As for the
emerging discussion among naturalists, designers, and
public taste about designing with native flowers, our local
bee species welcome weeds and exotic plants almost as
much as they do native plants. The linden tree (Tilia
cordata), butterfly bush (Buddlleja davidii), borage
(Borago officinalis), German chamomile (Matricaria
recutita), lavender (Lavandula spp.), and the common
dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) are just a few
examples of exotic plants that induce a real buzz in
bees. We might prefer natives over exotics because
they also attract other beneficial insects, butterflies, and
birds. Also, natives may be easier to maintain since
they’ve adapted to local conditions and pests over time.
But contrary to many current native plant advocates,
they’re not a prerequisite for drawing bees.
When the time comes to plant, don’t just scatter flowers
among existing vegetation. Rather, plant flowers of a
single species in clumps, so bees are more likely to find
them. Most advocates refer to a magic square of 4’ x 4’
per species. I use several flower species mixed together
wherever I find a sunny spot and I see bees everywhere.
The last ingredient you want to supply is water. Bees
not only drink water like other insects, they use it to
dilute the honey fed to the brood and they smear it on
the honey combs to cool the hive through evaporation.
A bird bath or a shallow dish placed in the garden is a
good start, but you’ll have to add dry landing pads in the
form of rocks or pebbles. Better leave shiny, slippery
objects like glass pebbles for some other project,
because bees prefer a firm, secure grip. And watch that
water level, adding when low and refreshing often.
Then keep your garden free of pesticides… and watch.
Honeybees are our best ecological monitor to a healthy
environment. And where bees go, other pollinators
follow. Now, what about that endless clipped yew hedge
of yours?
Like us, bees are attracted to color; it is after all the
reason why flowers are so showy. Blue, purple, violet,
white, yellow, and orange flowers fit that bill. On the
other hand, hybridized flowers, bred for size and
complexity, are intended to wow our senses, but are
7
The Writers Bureau is Looking for Volunteers
by Daphne Boss Ayalon [email protected]
Hope you noticed a change in the last few issues of the
Potting Shed. We’ve started adding content, believing
that our volunteers are always hungry for gardening
information, advice, how-tos, and tips. We’re looking for
Master Gardeners who have the writer’s itch, like to
meet fellow Master Gardeners, and are willing to supply
content about gardening and horticulture to the Potting
Shed. Many NJ Master Gardeners’ sites in NJ and
across the country have an active writers’ base and we
recognize that MGofBC has much to offer.
If you’re interested in joining the Writers Bureau
committee or just want to write occasionally, please
contact Daphne Boss Ayalon:
[email protected] or call 845-676-3309.
From The Green Side: Spring Pruning and
Preparing for the Growing Season
By Arnie Friedman [email protected]
It's hard to imagine sitting here in late February, with
single digit temperatures and deep snow covering the
garden, that spring will ever come. However, I am itchy
to get out and start my gardening and I know that
inevitably the snow will melt and temperatures will
moderate. Spring pruning is first on my list of chores.
Right now during the cold winter all the woody trees and
shrubs are dormant. Dormancy is the best time to do
renovation pruning on most trees. Commercial fruit
trees are pruned back hard in January to keep them low
for picking and producing large fruit. For most of us,
esthetics is most important. We prune for good
structure, plant health, and flower production. So let's
see how this translates into practice.
The first question to ask before pruning is which woody
and semi woody shrubs and trees flower on new
growth? What this means is that these plants push out
new buds in spring on newly growing branches. All of
these can take a good pruning in spring without
compromising flower production this coming season.
These plants include Rose of Sharon, roses, hydrangea
paniculatum, crepe myrtle, etc. These are the first plants
I prune in March. First look for broken or dead branches
and remove them. Look at the shape and stature of the
plant. Next try to remove branches that are crossing or
rubbing or growing out at an odd angle. Next see the
size of the shrub or tree and ask at what height I want
the flowers. Most trees and shrubs in this group have
their flower heads at the tops of the plant at the ends of
the branches. As they grow taller without pruning, the
flowers get higher and higher and are often above our
eyes, so I want to keep these plants lower where their
flowers are part of the view. Most plants in this category
take very well to being cut back hard. You will see that
growth that is put on after last spring’s cutting is very
vigorous. Often branches grow several feet in one
season. Hydrangea standards and Rose of Sharon can
be cut hard, leaving only two branch buds on each.
From these buds new shoots will come out and produce
flowers. Reducing the number of buds generally means
bigger flowers and the tree is smaller and rounder.
Most roses especially the Knock Out, Carpet, and Drift
series, love to be cut back severely. See where the bud
points are and look to cut just above a branch bud that
will grow in the right direction. I make a slanted cut to
make rain water run off. Usually I leave the top bud
pointing towards the outside. This helps make the shrub
vase shaped. I don't want the top bud pointing inward
because that new branch will be crossing and rubbing
other branches toward the plant center. We don't cut
the climbers and ramblers as severely unless they have
gotten out of hand and are unruly. We want these
usually to keep growing as long as they can.
I prune back vines like clematis and honey suckle to
keep them under control removing dead growth and
strangling masses. For wisteria and lilacs, I wait to
touch until after they flower because they set their flower
buds last summer.
Trees and shrubs, like cherry, apple, pears, lilac,
magnolia, azalea, hydrangea macrophyla, etc., flower
with buds that were set last summer. Pruning them now
will remove these buds. Either wait to prune them after
they flower, or prune them now to reshape and resize
them knowing that we will not get much flowering this
season. Many of these plants do need eventual
renovation. Rule of thumb, no matter if you prune now
or wait till after flowering, is that we can safely take out a
third of all branches without harming the plant. This is
especially true of the big snowball hydrangea. These
Macrophyla set buds last summer so we generally only
take out dead or overly large branches in spring.
However, last and this year have been extremely cold. It
may not matter if we prune this spring because the buds
have gotten burned so badly by the cold that the buds
and branch tops have died. Last spring we cut all
hydrangeas back to remove all the dead branches and
the plants eventually regenerated from their bases.
Just to confuse us are those plants that flower on both
new growth and old growth. Good examples are the
hydrangea like Annabelle and Everlasting which grows
great in shady areas. If we prune now, they can be kept
under control, and if we reduce the number of branches,
we can get less flowers that are bigger. I like to cut
Annabelle and related hydrangea hard because it
encourages branching. Each new branch will flower so I
get a plant that is smaller, but very wide and full.
I like to prune non-flowering trees during dormancy. I
especially like to prune my Japanese Maples in spring
and then again mid-year. I try to keep these plants from
becoming too dense. I like to see sunlight penetrate into
the inner branches and leaves, and I like to see the
interesting branching structure of the tree. When left
8
unpruned, a lot of the Japanese maples become so
dense that the inner branches die off and then look like
big red domes. When thinned and the ends lifted off the
ground, they are much more interesting to look at. This
is also true of the weeping cherries that are so popular.
Remember, with all the cherries, you can remove dead
wood now, but you should be conscious that if you prune
heavy now you will remove a lot of the flowering. I do
prune mine early and I bring the cut branches inside and
put them in water. Then the pink cherry blossoms get
forced to bloom in the house.
Evergreens like the conifers can be pruned pretty much
any time. White pines, Arborvitae, etc. need to have
weak and broken branches removed at the end of
winter. Think about pruning conifers to allow the sun to
penetrate into the plant. Otherwise these trees lose their
inner needles and look bare inside. Weak arborvitaes
need to be trimmed back to encourage strong shorter
branches. When they are left unpruned, they grow long
weak branches that easily bend in heavy snows.
Broadleaf evergreens like Cherry Laurel and hollies can
be pruned almost anytime. Start after the end of winter
by removing branches that turned black by winter
dieback or where winter desiccation has burned off all
the leaves.
At the end of winter, ornamental grasses that were left
tall for winter interest get sheared low. Plants like
Hakonachloa and Lariope that keep their leaves most
winters get cut back if the foliage looks bad or was
burned by the winter. Also look at your ornamental
grasses after they are cut. If the center of the clump is
dead and the plant looks ring shaped, it's time to divide
it. Take a shovel and cut the plant in half or even four
pieces. The pieces will soon regenerate into multiple
large plants.
In terms of preparing the garden for spring, almost less
is more. Walking on wet and soggy lawn and beds will
compact the soil making it less able to hold gasses and
water. So try not to walk here needlessly. No need to
turn soil. You really don't want to break up the soil
structure and turning soil brings buried weed seed to the
surface where they will sprout from the increased sun
light and gases. Remember adding a layer of compost
or mulch is good practice. As this top dressing breaks
down, it will add nutrients to the soil, keep moisture in
during warmer weather, and reduce weed growth.
Bergen Save the
Watershed Action Network
Thursday, March 5
7:30-9:30pm at the Haworth
Water Treatment Plant on Lakeshore Drive
Topic: Landscaping for the Watershed:
Planting for Pollinators, Wildlife, and Streams
Featuring Evelyn Hadden, author of "Beautiful No-Mow
Yards: 50 Amazing Lawn Alternatives", this part one of
three workshops will center on using native plants in
your garden to benefit wildlife and our watershed.
An intermission will feature refreshments and information
tables. For the 2nd part of the program, Ms. Hadden will
show slides of inspirational ecologically beneficial
gardens. The event will close with a two-way Q & A
session with a panel of four local botanists, naturalists,
and watershed experts.
The program is sponsored by Bergen SWAN, the Nature
Program Cooperative, PSE&G, the Bergen-Passaic
Chapter of the Native Plant Society of New Jersey, and
United Water New Jersey, which is hosting the program
at its Haworth Water Treatment Plant on Lakeshore
Drive. Cost is $10 per participant, and pre-registration is
required.
Proceeds benefit the watershed protection group,
Bergen SWAN.
Info/Registration: [email protected], subject
Watershed Landscaping Talk, or call 201-666-1877.
Info:
www.bergenswan.org
Happy Spring!
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The March Garden Club Grapevine
Mar. 2
7pm Sun Dial Garden Club, Meadowbrook Elementary School, 50 Piermont Rd., Hillsdale
Topic: New Plants for your Garden; speaker: Chris Rubino
Mar. 5
7:30pm Harrington Park Garden Club, Harrington Park Library, 10 Herring St.
Topic: A Garden for the Senses: Sight, Smell, Taste, Touching, and Hearing; speaker: Gerri Gibney
Info: Gerri Gibney at 201-768-2615 or http://www.gardenclubofharringtonpark.com
Mar. 6
2pm Demarest Garden Club, United Methodist Church -109 Hardenburgh Ave., Demarest
Topic: The Deliciousness of Weeds; speaker: Tama Matsuoka
Mar. 7
11am FLOW Green Fair, Ramapo High School cafeteria, 331 George Street, Franklin Lakes
Demonstrations of the benefits of sustainability. Audubon Society’s Lorrimer Sanctuary, the Hackensack
Riverkeeper, the NY/NJ Trail Conference, and Princeton Hydro provide demos. Becton Dickinson will talk
about their conversion from electricity to gas. The Shade Tree Commissions from all three towns will also
be there. Demos will illustrate ways bees help the environment and how to enrich your garden soil.
Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Bergen County will help you understand the value of rain water
gardens.
Mar. 9
7:30pm Bergenfield Garden Club, 42 West Church Street, Bergenfield
Topic: Native Plants in the gardens of the Garden State Gardens Consortium; speaker: Edith Wallace
Mar. 10
7pm Ramsey Area Garden Club, Lutheran Church of the Redeemer, 55 Wyckoff Ave., Ramsey
Topic: Butterfly Gardening; speaker: Don Torino
Mar. 11
9:30am Garden Clubs of Wyckoff and Oakland, McFaul Wildlife Center
Topic: Art and Design in the Small Garden; speaker: Janet Schulz
Think your garden area is too small to look like those in the magazines? Think again! Janet will show bold
and elegant plants and garden elements to enhance even the smallest garden.
Mar. 12
7:30pm Garden Club of Teaneck, Richard Rodda Center (2nd floor, 250 Colonial Court)
Topic: Using the excess in people's garden plots to improve fresh food access at thousands of food
pantries nationwide and to cut down on wasted food; speaker: Gary Oppenheimer, founder and director
of Ample Harvest
Mar. 17
7pm Ho-Ho-Kus Garden Club and Saddle River Garden Club, Bishop House, E. Saddle River Rd.,
Saddle River
Topic: Longwood Gardens History and Hidden Gems; speaker: Marty Oostveen
Mar. 17
7:45pm Glen Rock Garden Club, 678 Maple Ave.
Topic; Fairy Rings and Other Elfin Plants", a beginner's guide to Mosses, Lichens, Ferns and their
relatives; speaker: Dorothy Smullen, For further information, call 201 447-6099.
Mar. 17
7pm Backyard Garden Club, Library, 412 Riverdale Rd., Rivervale
Topic: Garden Spring Cleaning and Preparation Info: Loretta Carter, 201-391-5402
Mar. 19
7pm Bergen-Passaic Chapter of Native Plant Society of NJ, Bergen Regional Medical Center., 230 E.
Ridgewood Ave., Paramus
Topic: Some of the new pests affecting our native trees and shrubs; speaker Sue Gruben
Mar. 19
7pm Ramapo Orchid Society, Flat Rock Brook Nature Center, Van Nostrand Ave., Englewood
Topic: How to go about mining the internet for Orchid information; speaker: Carrie Buchman.
Info: Birgitha at 201-768-1272 or ramapoorchid.org
Please contact our liaison, Lucy Malka, at [email protected] or 201-791-3562, to supply information for the Garden
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Clubs Grapevine. Publications deadlines are no later than the 25 of the prior month. As a reminder, the Master
Gardeners of Bergen County does not share or sell its mailing list to non-members. We keep all membership information
confidential and for use by members only. If you receive email from other organizations, we did not give permission for
their use of our membership list. We would appreciate it if our members would not share our list with non-members or use
it for any unauthorized purposes as it is for official MG use only.
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