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ain't got no mor' money.
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It's the way you came in.
In article
> Winter is the perfect time to plan for spring planting and for the
> many years ahead. The bare branches allow you to see the ³skeleton² of
> your landscape and where you need to flesh it out with new plants or
> perform a little surgery with pruning shears or shovel.
>
> Get outside and do a little landscape maintenance, picking up fallen
> tree limbs for instance, and at the same time you can look for any
> damage to arbors, trellises or fencing that you might not have noticed
> when they were hidden by abundant foliage.
>
> During winter, specific problems can become apparent, as this chilly
> reader discovered:
>
> QUESTION: ³Today the temperature is 7 degrees and winds were 50 mph.
> We have a new home in rural northwest OH and I'm looking for ideas for
> trees and shrubs that can withstand that wind. Thanks for any help you
> can provide.² Carolyn
>
> ANSWER: You might want to look at creating a windbreak, which
> generally consists of two to three layers of trees planted to
> literally break the wind away from the house and other structures.
>
> Generally, there is a row of evergreen trees (firs, junipers, pines,
> spruces) and up to two rows of deciduous trees and shrubs. For the
> deciduous trees, consider fast growers such as green ash, tulip
> poplar, sycamore and elms.
>
> Here is a link from the NRCS which used to be referred to as the
> Conservation District Office.
> http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/TECHNICAL/ECS/forest/wind/windbreaks.html
> This describes the benefits and how to go about planting a windbreak
> on your property. As it is a long address, you can click on a direct
> link when you find this column at my Web site www.landsteward.org
>
> The fast growing hybrid willow and hybrid poplar trees are great and
> will gain a lot of height quickly. However, they should not be
> considered as long term trees where there are constantly heavy winds.
> Their lifespan is generally limited to about 10 to 18 years in such
> areas.
>
> By the way, Carolynıs question and the response (by my wife Cheryl)
> first appeared in our free weekly e-mailed newsletter. If youıd like
> to join the mailing list, drop me a line at steve@landsteward.org
>
> QUESTION ³I have a problem: a postage-stamp sized garden plot behind
> my apartment with crappy, gooey clay soil and about 3-4 hours of
> morning sunlight, half filtered by large growth deciduous trees.
>
> ³I have a good start on a decent garden with some hostas, sedums and
> lamb's ear. Columbines, spiderwort, lilies-of-the-valley and vincas
> give me a little color, but are there any other shade-loving plants
> that actually bloom?
>
> ³How about some variegated foliage plants to add interest? (Coleus
> seems quite unhappy here). Since I rent, I won't be building any
> raised beds. Last year, I added some peat moss, sand and soil
> conditioner to the ground. We'll see if that helped. There's no room
> to compost. Any other enrichments that you recommend?² Bridget
>
> ANSWER: As for soil enrichments, I would recommend a product called
> Soft Soil. It breaks down the ionization of the soil to keep it from
> running together. You might also use pine bark mulch. It will add
> organic matter into your soil and break it up a bit. You may want to
> till it into the soil to start then use more as a dressing around your
> plants.
>
> As far as what to plant in the wet shady areas, look at variegated
> hostas, ferns and astilbes.
>
> When it comes to trees: Dogwoods like semi-shade. Low growing trees
> such as redbud, Japanese maples, flowering cherries. You could add
> ornamental grasses in different heights for background and even for
> specimen planting.
>
> You say you are renting your home. Iım guessing this is a long-term
> rental based on your planting plans. However, consider some plants in
> large pots for a container garden that can go with you if you move.
> Beautiful gardens can be framed and accented with plants used in
> attractive pots.
>
> Similarly, portable fountains, glass gazing balls, concrete formed
> items will add interest and texture to your garden and can be loaded
> on to a moving truck in the future.
>
> The Plant Man is here to help. Send your questions about trees, shrubs
> and landscaping to steve@landsteward.org and for resources and
> additional information, including archived columns, visit www.landsteward.org
--
³When you give food to the poor, they call you a saint. When you ask why the
poor have no food, they call you a communist.²
-Archbishop Helder Camara
http://tinyurl.com/o63ruj
http://countercurrents.org/roberts020709.htm
XML site map
> many years ahead. The bare branches allow you to see the ³skeleton² of
> your landscape and where you need to flesh it out with new plants or
> perform a little surgery with pruning shears or shovel.
>
> Get outside and do a little landscape maintenance, picking up fallen
> tree limbs for instance, and at the same time you can look for any
> damage to arbors, trellises or fencing that you might not have noticed
> when they were hidden by abundant foliage.
>
> During winter, specific problems can become apparent, as this chilly
> reader discovered:
>
> QUESTION: ³Today the temperature is 7 degrees and winds were 50 mph.
> We have a new home in rural northwest OH and I'm looking for ideas for
> trees and shrubs that can withstand that wind. Thanks for any help you
> can provide.² Carolyn
>
> ANSWER: You might want to look at creating a windbreak, which
> generally consists of two to three layers of trees planted to
> literally break the wind away from the house and other structures.
>
> Generally, there is a row of evergreen trees (firs, junipers, pines,
> spruces) and up to two rows of deciduous trees and shrubs. For the
> deciduous trees, consider fast growers such as green ash, tulip
> poplar, sycamore and elms.
>
> Here is a link from the NRCS which used to be referred to as the
> Conservation District Office.
> http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/TECHNICAL/ECS/forest/wind/windbreaks.html
> This describes the benefits and how to go about planting a windbreak
> on your property. As it is a long address, you can click on a direct
> link when you find this column at my Web site www.landsteward.org
>
> The fast growing hybrid willow and hybrid poplar trees are great and
> will gain a lot of height quickly. However, they should not be
> considered as long term trees where there are constantly heavy winds.
> Their lifespan is generally limited to about 10 to 18 years in such
> areas.
>
> By the way, Carolynıs question and the response (by my wife Cheryl)
> first appeared in our free weekly e-mailed newsletter. If youıd like
> to join the mailing list, drop me a line at steve@landsteward.org
>
> QUESTION ³I have a problem: a postage-stamp sized garden plot behind
> my apartment with crappy, gooey clay soil and about 3-4 hours of
> morning sunlight, half filtered by large growth deciduous trees.
>
> ³I have a good start on a decent garden with some hostas, sedums and
> lamb's ear. Columbines, spiderwort, lilies-of-the-valley and vincas
> give me a little color, but are there any other shade-loving plants
> that actually bloom?
>
> ³How about some variegated foliage plants to add interest? (Coleus
> seems quite unhappy here). Since I rent, I won't be building any
> raised beds. Last year, I added some peat moss, sand and soil
> conditioner to the ground. We'll see if that helped. There's no room
> to compost. Any other enrichments that you recommend?² Bridget
>
> ANSWER: As for soil enrichments, I would recommend a product called
> Soft Soil. It breaks down the ionization of the soil to keep it from
> running together. You might also use pine bark mulch. It will add
> organic matter into your soil and break it up a bit. You may want to
> till it into the soil to start then use more as a dressing around your
> plants.
>
> As far as what to plant in the wet shady areas, look at variegated
> hostas, ferns and astilbes.
>
> When it comes to trees: Dogwoods like semi-shade. Low growing trees
> such as redbud, Japanese maples, flowering cherries. You could add
> ornamental grasses in different heights for background and even for
> specimen planting.
>
> You say you are renting your home. Iım guessing this is a long-term
> rental based on your planting plans. However, consider some plants in
> large pots for a container garden that can go with you if you move.
> Beautiful gardens can be framed and accented with plants used in
> attractive pots.
>
> Similarly, portable fountains, glass gazing balls, concrete formed
> items will add interest and texture to your garden and can be loaded
> on to a moving truck in the future.
>
> The Plant Man is here to help. Send your questions about trees, shrubs
> and landscaping to steve@landsteward.org and for resources and
> additional information, including archived columns, visit www.landsteward.org
--