YIPPEE - AN ARRAY

Near the end of last month's piece I posed the following. A few Midwest hardy evergreen plants change color in the cold months, can you name one/any other than junipers (Juniperus)?

My answer: some cultivars and species of arborvitae (Thuja), as well as Atlantic white cedar 'Heatherbun' (Chamaecyparis thyoides), Oregon grape holly (Mahonia aquifolium), PJM rhodo (Rhododendron X), and boxwood (Buxus). The common boxwood is B. sempervirens -- the species means evergreen. Furthermore, some pines (Pinus), Korean firs (Abies koreana), oriental spruce (Abies orientalis), and yews (Taxus) as well as a few evergreen hollies (Ilex) can develop a yellow cast over winter. Notice that I did not specify "attractive" color change. The ubiquitous boxwoods turn a depressing rust stain -- referred to as bronzing. Most of the other examples are appealing. For example, the above pic is a PJM rhodo in late winter just emerging from its dusky coloration, some shade of mahogany. In autumn, due to water stress, some of the PJM leaves may turn bright red before transitioning. Some of those leaves are shed. Moreover, the new spring growth is light green to chartreuse -- sweet juxtaposed with the colored "evergreen" foliage. All the leaves are a rich green in the growing season. From the standpoint of lengthy and variation of impressive foliar display, there may not be better. And when the plant is enshrouded with pink flowers in mid spring, OH MY. Second place for me would be Mahonia 'Orange Flame,' although the associated sawfly caterpillar damage can spoil the display.

A sub-category are the marcescent taxa -- with these the leaves die but are retained through winter and dropped the following spring. Prominent among this group is American beech (Fagus grandifolia), and oaks (Quercus spp.) to a lesser degree. The shortcoming is the color, only some form of brown to tan. The beech's tan gives a special glow to the winter landscape.

In the same essay I stated that when it comes to weather and climate the media talking heads as well as almost the entire population are hung-up on averages and records. I address this issue commonly, noting why it is absurd, especially as regards gardening impact. And I used my central Indiana location as example. The mean/average date that air temp in Indianapolis has gotten to 32°F over the last 50-years has been Oct 20, but that it has happened only once on that date. I went on to explain why (Law of Independent Events) and speculated about what would happen this year. BTW that average date has backed up three days since I started monitoring in 2015. Yes, the climate is changing, it always has. Constancy, while wonderful in sports performance, does not apply to the climate. And, believe it or not, the difference (the reason for the change) is us. It's called reality. And the rate of change is more than troubling.

As it turns out the date this year was Oct 24, but it was a false positive. The air temp did get to 32°F but only briefly, and since there was a breeze (thus mixing of the atmosphere, no settling pockets) there was almost none of the expected effect on the super sensitive in-ground indicator plants in my garden (e.g., Solanaceae, catalpa and castor bean). I was surprised at the lack of damage given that the soil was dry. Another end of season indicator at my place is a special daylily my prof Wesley Whiteside bred ('Charleston Autumn Moonlight') which is still flowering, and has been since mid August. I suspect the real killing event is still weeks away -- last year it didn't happen until late November. But, as always, it is a guess, whether coming from me or the weather heads. I should point out that the switch-over to out of the growing season is usually gradual. It is rare for the first cold event to be a deep plunge into the 20s and for the first occurrence to be more than a few hours near dawn. The ground cooling is always delayed (lag effect) which means there is still plenty of time to lift and store nonhardy bubs like caladium.

The weather information I use is based on data collected by the National Weather Service (NOAA) at the Indianapolis International Airport. I also have a home monitoring station 20 miles away. The pic above is the display panel for the weather station I use -- gifted by my youngest daughter Caroline. Yes, she is Sweet :) The panel is linked to the gauge apparatus installed outside. I have tired of resetting the date, day and time (upper R) so I don't. I use it as a current and daily monitoring device.

Part three of this array relates to a late fall activity -- what we do after the fall color display is mostly finished. The above collage consists of pics I took one Sunday morning about a decade ago during a two-hour mission in early November. I entitled it THE COLORS OF AUTUMN and occasionally use it in talks. Just as with water, we have foolishly allowed ourselves to be misguided into thinking that the leaves are a waste produce that should quickly be trashed. That what is in the bags is garbage, litter, and useless. The leaves in those bags are better for bed dressing / mulching than the stuff you buy at the garden center, FACT, and free for the using. Leaves are what Mother Nature and in tune gardeners use. See also Chapter 38 & 39 in my Ranting book. Those of us who compost and use leaves as mulch think of it as a harvest. A very smart decision but I am certain many people will reject the idea. For the folks who bristle, who might say or think something like "that's not the way we do it." Not all of us are wise. Consider changing. Moreover, I prefer a natural feel rather than the sterile manicured look (i.e., meat ball shrubs, lollipop trees. a row or two of pedestrian spring performers, and a drug dependent rug). The naturalistic approach is also less work and promotes biodiversity, especially critter habitat.

As for harvest technique, simply adjust the mower cutting height to the high setting, install the bagging accessory and spread that condensed collection on your beds -- or forgo the bagger and shred them where they lie. I often use my by now vacated vegetable garden space as a staging area. See pic below, that trusty Toro now long gone. Gathering the leaves there, then make multiple passes with a mower before collecting the shred in a large plastic container and redistributing. The residue of this strategy also helps buildup the garden soil which the vegetables deplete. Don't worry about working into the soil, the critters (esp. worms) will do that for you as well as your various activities there. But forgo the tiller. Among other issues, tillers are worm killers and another gullible mistake -- thinking large scale agricultural practices should apply to the urban garden and that annual turning of the soil is a good practice.

No vegetable garden to use? No problem -- simply use the lawn area. And be advised that the collecting bag on the mower will fill quickly thus you will need to frequently interrupt the gathering to unload. After harvesting, leave the remainder on your lawn being careful not to let the shredded leaves accumulate in any one area. I use a rake or leaf blower to spread. Moreover, the harvest activity will essentially cancel out the time you would have spent going to a store to buy plastic bags (made from fossil fuel). The leaf filled bags mostly then get added to an ever-growing community garbage pile somewhere. It may help if you think of the spent leaves as fallen and dried organic solar panels, as well as soon to decay free natural fertilizer. The shredding helps speedup the decay process. By following my advice you will save money as well as time and be acting in a more environmentally responsible way. Alas, I am convinced most people DO NOT care, at least not enough to alter their ingrained corporate controlled behavior. SHEEPLE. If you take my advice, you also will decrease your neighborhood's artificial polychromatic display -- THE COLORS OF AUTUMN. BTW all the examples in the collage were within two miles of my residence and there were many other color combos found that morning. We can be better, please.