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Penny Carnathan
Penny’s a Nurture And Hold (NAH): Nah, I won’t pull that out yet, it’s still got a green shoot. She likes dragonflies, lady bugs and new stuff only after weeding, pruning and fertilizing.
Kim Franke-Folstad
Kim’s a Want It Now (WIN): Everything pretty, everything now. She will resort to full-spectrum insecticides in desperate situations, and believes it’s her duty and right to buy new plants every weekend.
Both advocate Plant Choice (SOMEthing besides crotons. Please!), lots of color and low maintenance. We don’t agree on everything, but we’re smart enough to learn from each other - and from you.
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Delaying my date with the pruners
Posted Jan 29, 2010 by Kim Franke-Folstad
Updated Jan 29, 2010 at 04:51 PM
As we gardeners work through the many stages of freeze recovery – denial, grief, rage, guilt, etc. – many of us are getting to the last, and most difficult level:
Delay.
It is so hard to keep one’s pruners away from all the brown!
Already I’ve trimmed a little and pulled out the clearly dead. But I’m aching to get out there and get rid of all signs of destruction. And that’s just not smart. Many of my plants – the bougainvilleas, for instance – don’t need pruning at all; they just need time to shed their dead leaves. And the new shoots bravely poking out of the arecas and tis may need the protection of their battered forebears for a while longer.
So how does one nip the need to carve away the carnage? Here are some things I’m trying:
Go away for the weekend. Don’t sit there and stare at your wrecked plants. It’s depressing! Get those visits to friends and family out of the way now so you’ll be free to garden when the time is right.
Go shopping for your garden. Buy a birdhouse or some bright-colored trinket that will add a little oomph while you’re waiting for your blooms to return.
Weed. My lantana and plumbagos were so thick, it was difficult to get to the weeds and grass that grow up in those beds. Now is the time to get in there and get rid of them.
Draw up a plan. I’m dying to put in new, happy plants, but I’m worried about another freeze. Instead I’m going to reassess my garden’s randomness and work on a design to pull it together a little more.
Start – and finish – a craft project. A few months ago, I wrote about crafting some cute garden art – a fish made from painted clay pots. I never got around to it. Now, I will.
Clean old pots. I’m really lazy about this, but never before have so many of my pots been empty at the same time. It’ll be easier to do them in a bunch. (While I’m at it, I’ll check again to be sure they all have good drainage holes.)
Start a compost pile. There will be plenty to throw on there when you do start trimming.
Sharpen your gardening tools. When it’s time to prune, you’ll be glad your tools are up to the job.
Lay down fresh mulch. Once your plants have finished dropping their leaves, you’ll want to freshen up the ground around them. New mulch always makes the garden look better.
Read and COMMENT on The Dirt. It’s a good place to vent your freeze frustration.
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Reader Comments
Posted by (Chip) on January 30, 2010
I just could not wait I have trimmed and pruned up a storm. But I have good reason for it. I am clearing up so I can paint my house. I got a good look at my house after the freeze and I had place’s that were not painted as well as it should and as long as I have the chance to paint the house without fighting through my bougainvillea’s I am taking it…..“Chip”
Posted by (Chip) on January 30, 2010
Now that’s one nice looking pair of pruning sheers how much do they cost? , Fiskars make good scissors how are the pruners? I need a new pair mine are not worth using anymore these last few weeks finished them off for good. I know what you mean Penny a mulcher would be nice it sure would have got a workout maybe my poor old pruning shears would still be working…“Chip”
Posted by (Susan Gillespie) on January 31, 2010
I know what you mean, Kim, about wanting to get out there. I don’t trust February not to hurt some new little sprout so I am waiting as much as I can. I’ve trimmed a few things just to see if there is some green to look forward to but have refrained from a full on prune fest. I guess February doesn’t have to be a gardening limbo. Thanks for the great ideas.
I just got my Feb/ Mar edition of Florida Gardening to keep me company with a list of some of the nurseries, books and garden happenings to put on my spring to-do list.
Posted by (Iluvpumpkins) on January 31, 2010
I got new pruners for Christmas and have used them so much they need to be sharpened already.
Penny, Mr Grumpy put up several feet of new privacy fence some right behind my new swing and it looks boring to me, so I am going to have my neighbor Bean paint a garden scene on the new fence. I will send in a photo when he gets it painted. Pumpkin
Posted by (Chip) on January 31, 2010
I got all my prep work done now I need a few sunny days so I can paint! I hated to prune back my bougainvillea’s and I hate painting but once I seen what the house looked like behind them I knew what I needed to do. And now I have a reason to buy a new set of pruners any excuse to buy a new tool!
....“Chip”
Posted by (Iluvpumpkins) on January 31, 2010
Chip, Send us a picture of the new paint job. The one good thing about cutting back Bougainvillea is they bloom on new growth, so when they start blooming will have lots of new blooms. Pumpkin
Posted by (RickBrown) on February 02, 2010
I am done with the pruning cleanup. It took us 2 weekends but I am getting used to the bare sticks. My 20 year old azaleas and camellias are blooming and I have planted some color so I a ready for spring. Not much left to cover if we do get another frost.
Posted by (Kim Franke-Folstad) on February 02, 2010
I saw a pruner at Target (when I bought the bird above) that had a great cushy handle. Tempting! Didn’t get it yet, though; that new piece of garden art blew my budget. But anything that makes it easy on my poor arthritic hands is welcome in my tool shed.
Posted by (smcaveety) on February 21, 2010
Hi Penny,
Just read your article, “Read it and reap.” Enjoyed it very much.
If someone hasn’t already asked, can you send me “One Magic Square”? The other books looked interesting as well.
Thanks and please let me know if the book is still available.
Susan McAveety
New Tampa
Posted by (Pinky) on February 21, 2010
Kim and Penny:
I appreciate your gardening tips and look forward to reading them. I would enjoy receiving a copy of Garden Bouquets and Beyond by Bales that was shown in your book collection in the Sunday photo.
Thanks for sharing your gardening experience!
Posted by (gardenguy) on February 21, 2010
Hi Penny,
I would like to request Succulent Garden Containers. I love succulents and am constantly looking for new and inovative combinations and cultivars!
Love your articles! Keep up the good work.
Posted by (Kim Franke-Folstad) on February 22, 2010
Thanks, Garden Guy.
I love succulents—have since I was a kid. And (like orchids) they’re much easier to grow than most people think.
Keep commenting! We love the company!