Tending the phlox

Creeping phlox in bloom at my house, April 2011

Leggy creeping phlox with brown areas

Gently pull on dead leggy sections

A little "hair cut" may be necessary for lush growth

So today it was a bit raw out, but spring was in the air, and I could see that some of my creeping phlox was beginning to show signs of buds awakening.   The prospect of my phlox budding was enough incentive for me to ignore the chill and get busy working in the garden.  And as always, there is tons of work to be done!

Part of today's job was to tend the phlox and get it ready for it's springtime show.  Tending the phlox sounds kind of biblical, doesn't it?



Well the bright blooms that grace my yard, are definitely gifts from God to be sure, and I look forward to the brilliant colors every year. 

My beautiful creeping phlox comes in several colors, light pink, hot pink, light purple, and medium purple and for me it is the highlight of my spring garden.  It's very hardy, and spreads easily via rhizomes or runners, and I usually try to break off some pieces and relocate it to other areas of the garden (gotta love rhizomes and perennials!)


Today the phlox needed some tending so that it would look it's showiest in the next few weeks. There are sections that drape over our timber retaining wall, and those sections sometimes get "leggy", or kinda gangly with brown patches.  I assume that parts of it get leggy as it flows over the wall because the rhizomes aren't in contact with the ground, and therefore can't put out roots into the soil to soak up nutrients.   

Trimmed and ready for the spring show!

Showy springtime creeping phlox 2011

Although some of the leggy parts are brownish and look dead, I've noticed that sometimes the ends of it are still perfectly green, and when I give it a "hair cut", the thin leggy pieces are still green inside the rhizome.  These brownish somewhat greenish leggy castoffs are often the perfect pieces to try to save since it's still alive.  I take the castoff cuttings to another section where I'd like to grow phlox, and pull back some dirt or mulch, pat it down, replaced the dirt and mulch and give it a drink.   If it takes great!  And if not, it was worth a try, and with the mulch in place you can barely tell.  In my experience, the odds are good that it will take, and next spring you'll have even more of this showy springtime wonder gracing your wall, border, or rock garden.  Happy tending and Happy Spring!

Green Gardening

Ahhh spring, and gardening...I love to spend time in my gardens, both my flower gardens and vegetable garden.  I get such pleasure from looking at the flowers, and later on, eating the fresh, organically grown veggies.  But as any gardener will tell you, weeds also come with the territory.  I spend a lot of time weeding instead of pouring toxic chemicals on my lawn and flower beds.  One of my favorite tools is my weeder, and that's just how I get the dandelions :)  One at a time, a few a day, green babysteps!  Try it!!  Weeding can actually be therapeutic if you think of it that way instead of drudgery...it's a time to reflect and listen to the birds, and the wind, and savor being outside in nature :)   http://www.amazon.com/Ames-True-Temper-Weeder-1983800/dp/B00004S1ZK/ref=sr_1_15?ie=UTF8&s=garden&qid=1272338528&sr=1-15

Spring

Spring is finally here, and April is poetry month :)


Enjoy this little spring poem

The little caterpillar creeps
Awhile before in silk it sleeps,
It sleeps awhile before it flies,
And flies awhile before it dies,
And that's the end of three good tries.
 

by David McCord