Westerville Garden Club

September 2011 newsletter

                                                       September To-Do List

* Root cuttings from annual bedding plants such as begonias, coleus, geraniums and impatiens can be overwintered in a sunny window and provide plants for next year's garden.

*  It is time to divide peonies.  Make sure the crowns are buried ONLY 1  1/2 inches below ground level.

*  Allow plants to finish the summer growth cycle in a normal manner.  Do not encourage growth with heavy applications of fertilizer or by pruning. 

*  Do not wait for frost warnings to move your plants indoors.  Temp. of 45 degrees F.or lower can damage the tropical house plants.

*  Pot up chives, parsley and other herbs to extend the growing season in the house.

*  Save seeds from favortite annual flowers such as marigolds, zinnias by allowing the flower heads to mature.  Lay seeds on newspaper and turn them often to dry.   Store in a glass jar or envelope in a cool, dry, that have red fall color are flowering dogwood, red maple, sugar maple, Norway maple, red oak and scarlet oak. Shrubs with red foliage are viburnum, euonyuus and barberry.

*  Some perennials to divide this fall are lily-on-the=valley, and phlox.  They should be divided every 3 or 4 years.  Divide big clumps into thirds and transplant them.

                                                      September Program                  Tuesday, Sept. 13       6:45 pm

Michael Leach- gardening consultant and garden reporter for The Columbus Dispatch 1991 thru 2005.  He will speak on The Greener Garden.