Gardeners, it’s time to feed your lawns and enjoy your mums and asters
The beginning of September is a second spring in Western Washington as cooler nights and shorter days encourage the blooms of asters and mums and fall color can be refreshed in container gardeners.
Once the rain returns, the most important job for lawn care is to apply a fall and winter lawn food to your lawn. In our climate, a fall feeding is more important than a spring lawn food application, especially if you are only going to fertilize once a year.
Fertilizing with a slow-release fall and winter lawn food means the winter rains will wash the plant food down to the grass roots for a quick spring start of grass growth. This is what helps to block out late spring weeds.
Q. I have heard there is a new hydrangea plant that stays pink even in our acid soil. Have you heard of this new plant? I have plenty of blue hydrangeas and do not want to bother adding lime to my soil to try and turn my hydrangeas pink. Thanks in advance for your answer. — C.V., Enumclaw
A. Yes, the type of hydrangea called the smooth hydrangea or ‘Anabelle’ type of hydrangea is a family of hydrangeas that can handle full sun. Many of the Annabelle hydrangeas start out white and age to pink but the variety Invincibelle Spirit and Invincibelle Mini Mauvette (both from Proven Winners) will stay pink no matter what your soil chemistry. These hydrangeas need at least six hours of sun for maximum bloom but will also flower in the shade. They are very cold hardy and make an excellent cut flower.
In my garden the Invincibelle series of hydrangeas have been outstanding performers and don’t wilt in the hot sun like the more traditional big leaf hydrangeas. (Note: One dollar of each Invincibelle Spirit hydrangea sold is donated to Breast Cancer Research Foundation – so think pink.)
Q. I want a low shrub to use as a hedging plant that has some color. The problem is, it must be deer proof and we go away for weeks in the summer so I don’t want to worry about watering. Any suggestions? — A.G., Olympia
A. You had me at deer proof. One of the most deer resistant shrubs is barberry and the Sunjoy Gold Pillar barberry makes a tidy, narrow and upright specimen or hedge in the landscape with the bonus of being drought resistant. If it is color you want, this shrub is an electric yellow in the spring with new growth, then it stays golden all summer until fall when autumn tones appear at the end of the season.
Barberries come in many forms, sizes and foliage colors. September is a good month to check them out at your local nursery or garden center. Some barberry have deep, wine colored foliage (Sunjoy Syrah) some have bright orange leaves (Tangelo) and the tiny ‘Gold Beret’ barberry is perfect for a spot of bright gold in a container or rock garden.
Q. I cut back my sedum ‘Autumn Joy’ in May as you recommended. I must say my husband thought I was crazy to lose all that fresh new growth. But now my plants are well budded, compact and for the first time not sprawling out from the center in a messy spray. So my question is: Must I cut them back in the fall, and if so, when do I prune them? — B.H., Kent
A. No need to get snippy with your sedums this fall. Enjoy the pink, then rust-colored blooms for the next few months as they host the many pollinators that drink from the flat flower heads. Then either cut the blooms for drying and use indoors or just leave the stems and flower heads to stay on the plants all winter. The seeds will feed the birds.
In spring when you see new growth from the base of the blackened stems, you can cut off the old stems and blooms. Let this perennial grow until it is 6 to 8 inches tall until you cut it back by at least half in May. Think Mother’s Day when good mothers know discipline is needed for offspring that will support themselves later in life. In our mild climate, sedum ‘Autumn Joy’ and many similar perennials stay more compact with a late spring pruning.
Win a visit to the Binetti Garden plus free plants!
Marianne is hosting a fundraiser for the nonprofit Master Gardeners of Thurston County but it is open to everyone who wants to learn about gardening or visit her garden. Sign up at http://www.mgftc.org/fall-fundraiser
Listen to Marianne share “Garden Trivia, Tips and Tricks” with images of her garden and some of the best gardens from around the world. Prizes given out during the lecture will include tools, books and fertilizer plus a grand prize of a visit to the Binetti Garden for you and a group of friends. Marianne will share plants in her garden with the winners.
Learn tips for growing clematis, hydrangeas and hellebore plus garden design and low-water use ideas from Spain, Italy and Egypt.
The event is live at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept 10, but space is limited to first 100 that sign up.
Marianne Binetti has a degree in horticulture from Washington State University and is the author of several books. Reach her at binettigarden.com.