Monthly To Do List: August 2008 (The End Is Near)

The end is near -- Calgary's Summer is almost to a close. Don't put off today, what can be done in the great summer sun we still have.

* Last chance to lift, divide and replant irises; take extras to the Fall Plant Exchange. http://calhort.org
* Keep up with weeding; place weeds gone to seed in garbage.
* Deadhead annuals and some perennials for continued bloom; leave some decorative seedheads.
* Continue to water on a regular schedule. A rain barrel might not be enough at this point though. (keep in mind)
* Continue to thoroughly water annual plantings and containers.
* Discontinue fertilizing trees, shrubs, and roses.
* Stop deadheading hardy roses in late August.
* Carefully remove mildewed or black-spotted foliage into plastic garbage bags for disposal.
* Take geranium cuttings, etc., before first frost.
* Acquire and plant spring bulbs as soon as possible. I'M TALKING TO YOU BOBBI -- GET READY FOR THE TULIPS!
* Keep containers going as long as possible by covering them or placing them indoors if frost is predicted.
* Assemble a supply of old towels, sheets, etc., for frost covers.
* Following overnight frosts, mist tender flowers with sprinkler before the sun touches them; you may save some of them.
* Cut flowers that preserve well and save them for winter containers (e.g. globe thistle, baby’s breath, nigella)
* If you still have tomatoes -- keep an eye on them. The frost can kill or stunt them -- if you have thick plastic create a little greenhouse, or be prepared to bring them in from the cold (they want the heat and humidity -- hopefully you have them in a ceramic pot (or what my mom used to do: An old concrete sink (that's another story))

Enjoy the rest of the summer -- fall is upon us!

From The Yard (08/08).1

Aquilegia is Columbine and comes from the latin meaning “dove”. The next time you see an aquilegia flower, turn it upside down and see if it doesn’t resemble a circle of doves sitting around drinking or like talons of an eagle?

This plant is a late spring or early summer bloomer for the full sun. It will take very light shade and continue to bloom throughout the summer in Calgary


Planting
The Columbines height varies from about three inches to over thirty inches and each variety will grow taller in the warmer of climates. If you have choices, plant the taller types twelve inches apart and the shorter varieties six inches apart and you’ll see blooms in shades of pink, blues, whites and yellows as well as combinations of them.

Columbine prefer a decent soil but certainly one that is well-drained. Sorry...no clay soils for this plant.

Propagation
This is one of the most promiscuous of flowers, producing large numbers of seed and if you have two distinct species in your garden, it will not take long to have hybrids.

And because they tend to be short lived plants, you need to keep new ones coming along from seed. This presents a small problem with the hybrid varieties as the offspring is not guaranteed to come true from seed - what's neat is that transplanted columbine which is purple, might come in yellow the next.

Work this to your advantage. Pick the plants you like and allow them to set seed. Pull out any you do not like and do not let them set seed. Eventually, you’ll wind up with some pretty good looking plants that are “all yours”.