Tufted Titmouse by Anne Middleton

I think that maybe it’s all of the above. If bird watching is part of your daily activity in the garden, you should join Cornell University in their Project FeederWatch bird count, one of their Citizen Science opportunities.

This is from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology: More than 13,000 people take part in Project FeederWatch, tracking birds at their feeders as often as once per week from November through early April. "There are about 128 people who have been with us from day one," says David Bonter, the Project Leader. "Without our citizen scientists there’s no way we’d be able to gather this much data for this long over the entire continent. There are some gaps though, so we hope new participants will join us this year. The more people participating, the more data we collect, the more we can learn about our favorite birds."

Red Bellied Woodpecker by Linda Williams

People of all ages and skill levels are welcome to participate. The 2008-09 season of Project FeederWatch gets underway November 8 and runs through April 3. Participants count the numbers and kinds of birds at their feeders each week and send the information to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. The project fee is $15 annually for U.S. participants. To learn more about Project FeederWatch or to register, log onto www.birds.cornell.edu/pfw or call the Lab toll-free at (800) 843-2473. In Canada, contact Bird Studies Canada at (888) 448–2473.

Anemone x hybrida 'Honorine Jobert'

While I was in Washington and Oregon last month, one of the bouncing flowers in most of the gardens was the large white Japanese windflower, ‘Honorine Jobert’ (Anemone x hybrida ‘Honorine Jobert’)

She holds her large, flat white blossoms with bright yellow centers at the ends of springy stems that jump about in the slightest breeze, adding motion as well as cool color to the shady border. Give her some room, plenty of moisture, and a shady spot and she will build a whole colony. USDA Zones 5-8

Bugbane

Light colors need something dark to play off so use this dark plant as a backdrop for your ‘Honorine Jobert’. The bonus will be drifts of fragrance floating in the shady air. USDA Zones 4-8.

Forget-me-nots are not just for spring blue flowers anymore. Brunnera ‘Jack Frost’ (Brunnera macrophylla 'Jack Frost' PP#13,859) is known for his silver leaves traced with green veining. It will show off a foot or taller and a little wider in front of the white anemone.

Now a variegated 'Jack Frost' has come along called ‘King’s Ransom’. Its frosty leaves start out with a yellow edge, giving it a variegated look. By fall, this edging has changed to cream.

Plant either of these Brunneras a foot and a half to two feet apart. They will make silver mounds of foliage, distinctive when separated by some shady soil. USDA Zones 3-7.

To intensify the feeling of cool shade, throw in some little ‘Blue Mouse Ears’ (the Hosta, not the little rodent) for a seldom seen bluish understatement at the front of your collection. Mouse Ears keeps its blue green leaf color through summer heat. Its tiny bundle of leaves is just 2 inches wide and not much longer, making it a first-class mounding ground cover. USDA Zones 3-8.

Color comes not just from flowers, but also from the foliage. The heavily cut dark leaves of the Bugbane highlight and help to blend the whites, silvers, and blues into a shady watercolor-like picture. Plan now for your next fall.

---Posted by Coach Anne, October 8, 2008---

Jackson & Perkins Roses

WINTER CARE OF ROSES

October and November:
Depending on where you live and how soon fall and winter comes, you'll want to start protecting your roses for the winter. Once you have had a few good frosts, leaves will start falling. Apply a dormant spray such as lime sulfur and/or spray oil. This will kill pests and fungal diseases that might try to overwinter on the plant or surrounding soil. It can also help nudge those final leaves off. Rake leaves from around your plants to prevent the spread of diseases. 

Zones 1-6 and some of Zone 7 should follow these additional winter protection guidelines:

For Hybrid Teas and Floribundas: Cover the crowns with a mound of soil about 6" high, then cover the plants and mound with straw. Don't prune your roses at this time, unless there is a concern that canes and branches could be broken when loaded with snow.

Tree Roses: In areas where winter temperatures are below 10°F., remove any stakes and gently dig away soil on one side. Bend your tree rose downward to the ground and cover it with straw first, then soil.

Climbing and Groundcover Roses: Cover the base of your climbers with soil. Tie the canes and wrap them in burlap. For severe-winter areas, anchor the canes to the ground and cover them with straw.

In Zones 7-8:
Protection is usually not necessary, but roses can benefit from applying mulch over the crown area if a cold winter is forecasted.

Alstromeria

Dear Coach Anne, Good morning, I noticed that the peruvian lilies are under the category of "potted plants". Can they be planted in the ground and can they survive thru the winter in Cleveland, Ohio or do I need to dig them up before the frost hits and put them in my basement until the next spring? Thank you for your help.

ANSWER:

You should dig them before a hard freeze. They can withstand some frost but I doubt they would survive a Cleveland winter. They are rated to USDA Zone 7 except for the new Peruvian Lily (Alstroemeria) 'Sweet Laura'. She is said to be hardier and is rated to USDA Zone 5. Thanks for visiting The Plant Coach!

Coach Anne.