What's Happening

October 2007

October Gardening Guide

• Harvest winter squash before a hard frost
• Visit a state park to view fall foliage
• Plant spring flowering bulbs
• Compost tree leaves
• Dig up dahlias and cannas for indoor storage
• Apply broadleaf herbicide to control dandelion and other broadleaf weeds
• Remove dead garden debris and add to the compost pile
• Leave ornamental grass foliage over the winter
• Plant deciduous trees and shrubs
• Buy a pumpkin from a local pumpkin patch
• Stop fertilizing houseplants
• Water newly planted trees, shrubs, and perennials as needed

Additional Tips:

• Winterize your garden tools as you use them the last time this fall
• Clean flower pots and other containers before storing for winter
• Continue to mow grass until it stops growing
• Store leftover garden seeds in an airtight containers in the refrigerator
• Leave asparagus foliage for the winter

(Iowa State University / University Extension Calendar 2007)

Marilyn Van Wyk's Foliage Garden

Container Gardens 2007

October Newsletter - 'At the Garden Gate' (pdf file)
Mahaska County ISU Extension Service
Oskaloosa, IA

'At the Garden Gate'
October 2007 - Inside this Issue

Garden Calendar Available
Kidtoberfest
Forcing Daffodil Bulbs Inside
ISU Extension Publications of Interest
Gardening Guide
Fall for Ornamental Grasses
Fall Fun & Safety Workshop
Junior Master Gardeners
Upcoming Events

Gardening Tips - October 2007

Farmers' Almanac Timely Tip:

Order bare-root trees: Rather than buying burlap covered, balled nursery trees, opt for the less expensive bare-root trees available through mail-order catalogs. Bare-root trees are just what the name implies; trees preserved in dormancy with no heavy root ball. They are often one-third the cost of a similar nursery tree, and quickly catch up to the size and growing rate of a nursery tree. But there are two catches: Bare-root trees must be planted in the late fall or early spring, and must be stakes for support through the winter.

Farm Superstitions:

While early Mid-Atlantic farmers were known for progressive farming practices, such as manuring and crop rotation, tradition and superstition largely guided agricultural methods up to the middle of the 19th century.

Here is a sampling of the old beliefs:

When a farmer sold a good cow, he kept a bunch of her hair so that good luck wouldn't leave the farm with the cow.

And then there was the best way to make good vinegar: during its preparation, the names of the three most sour-tempered people in the neighborhood were spoken into the bunghole of the cider barrel.

Cold Temperatures...Learn the Different Types of Frost:

Frost: Damage depends upon length of frost duration.

Light Frost: 29 degrees F to 32 degrees F. Tender plants killed with little destructive effect on other vegetation.

Moderate Freeze: 25 degrees F to 28 degrees F. Wide destruction on most vegetation with heavy damage to fruit blossoms and tender semi-hardy plants.

Sever Freeze: 24 degrees and colder. Heavy damage to most plants.

'2006 Almanac Publishing Company'
www.farmersalmanac.com

It's the time to get our gardens cleaned up and ready for Iowa winter. I disassembled my container garden up on the deck (bed #39) a couple weeks ago after a couple colder nights. Several containers got moved down under the deck (bed #14). They were just too pretty & fun yet, to be dumped! I have plans to take cuttings of the scented geranium but it may, or may not get done. Iowa is waiting for hard frost to do the deed.

I haven't even thought about digging my calla lilies yet, let alone my cannas. I didn't have many cannas this year. They are just now beginning to blossom. I didn't get them into the ground until the first of June or so. I was really slow this year.

Several plants have all ready been brought indoors for safe keeping over-winter. Every year I say I'm not going to bring any plants indoors to keep from freezing, but every year I do. Actually, it seems to get worse every year. There are plants every where in this house from the kitchen counters, to the lighted plant racks in the family room, and the sewing room, to plants in front of every window in the house, plus 2 giant hanging plants over the stairway under the skylights.

The definition of addiction:

1. Being abnormally dependent on something that is psychologically or physically habit-forming.
2. An abnormally strong craving.

See the following link / September 2006 WHP - Guidelines to Seasonal Chores / Garden Tips from Remain Gardens @ Iowa State University

Also see: Autumn 2005

Apples are an integral part of Iowa Harvest.

Oh, my, is there anything more tantalizing to the taste buds than a crispy, crunchy Jonathan apple? The smell is so sweet, sour, juicy, autumn spice. I have olfactory / oral hallucinations (slobbering) just thinking about them.

I bought a bag of fresh-off the tree, Jonathan apples at a pumpkin patch to make my family's favorite APPLE PIE CAKE for a pot luck. I had a bag of black walnuts (bought at a garage sale) in the freezer too. I couldn't wait to taste test the cake. I had to have a piece almost as soon as it was out of the oven.

I only used 1/2 the bag of apples for the pot luck so I had to make cake #2 to share at work. Everyone wanted the recipe.

Ooh, it's soooo.... GOOD!

Marvelous Marlys' - APPLE PIE CAKE

1/2 cup shortening
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp salt
5 cups diced or sliced apples (peeled & cored)
2 cups flour
2 tsp soda
2 tsp nutmeg
2 tsp cinnamon
4 Tbsp hot water
1 cup chopped walnuts

Cream shortening and sugar together.
Stir in eggs and vanilla.
Sift together flour, soda, nutmeg, cinnamon and salt
Stir 1/2 flour mixture into shortening mixture.
Beat in 2 Tbsp hot water
Stir in remaining flour mixture, then remaining hot water, beating after each addition.
Stir in apples and nuts
Spread in 2 greased (floured) 9 x 9 pans (9 x 13 pan works good for me)
Bake @ 350 degrees for 45-50 minutes.
Makes 24 servings??? - Not the way I cut cake

Sometimes I just take a spoon and eat it straight out of the pan! That's when no one is watching! There's no calories then either. You can eat the whole thing! And a big tub of cool whip really makes it wonderful! It's like - the BEST!

Fall Means Apple Time

Scarecrows: "Margaret & Melvin" created by Marvelous Marlys & Ron

October 13, 2007
Knoxville Federated Garden Club
First Annual Scarecrow Contest
Held in conjunction / Pearce's Pumpkin Patch
Pumpkin Festival

The weather wasn't the best, very cool, muddy, wet, overcast sky but folks came out to get their Halloween pumpkins, visit the vendor tents, & eat good food. There was food & fun for everyone. My garden club's scarecrow contest was only a small part of fun things to do. They even had pony rides for little kids. It was a great family event.

The best part of the day for me, was my grandson, Reece (now 14) went with me for the entire day. He drank 3 Mountain Dews, ate a Carmel apple, & a hot dog all before lunch time. We had homemade ice cream later in the day too.

Reece & I had made scarecrow necklaces out of candies beforehand. That was fun too. We gave them to little kids at the pumpkin patch.

Make your own Scarecrow Candy Necklace. (pdf)

The scarecrow contest went well despite the mud. There were 13 entries with 3 cash & ribbon awards, plus 2 honorable mentions. But the best part was being with friends, having a good time, & I must admit, the hot coffee was sure a plus in the cold morning.

How to make a Tin Can Man. (pdf)

Host your own Scarecrow Making Party. (pdf)

See Slide Show: Scarecrow Contest - October 13, 2007 to see more of Marvelous Marlys & Ron's scarecrows.

'Scarecrow in Blue'

Secret Gardens are fun to discover. My friend, Connie & I drive down alleys to see, what we can see hidden in back yards. On one of our alley-expeditions we discovered a fun little back yard garden where this simple lady scarecrow lived. We knocked on the back door of the house but no one was home to give us a tour. I just couldn't resist snapping a picture of the 'Scarecrow in Blue'. Seeing little Miss Blue convinced me I needed a scarecrow in my gardens. She was just so cute! - MM

Containers from the deck had migrated to below the deck awaiting their turn to be moved into the house before frost. Our second light frost came during the night October 22 - 2007. I moved everybody indoors that evening after work. Our first light frost was in mid-September. Neither did noticeable plant damage.

Fall Clean-Up Wallashuck Campgrounds / Lake Red Rock- Oct. 30-2007

Every few weeks this past growing season I've driven over to checkout (weed) the 2 flower beds my daughter & I planted in May as part of my Master Gardener volunteer - service hours. I was so pleased with the beds this year. They were both fun and so pretty for such a long time. I couldn't believe how nice the west bed still is going into November. The east facing bed was filled with tall Flamingo flowers which were past their prime so that bed got cleaned out good but the west bed I just couldn't clean out or cut back plants yet.

Perilla Fantasy / Nepeta 'Walker's Low' (cat mint) / Autumn Joy type Sedum

October 30-2007

Mother Nature gets by with color combinations none of the rest of us would dare to wear. Looks good on her.

More campground flowerbed October 30-2007.

Lavender has always been intriguing to me. I don't know why. I think it might have something to do with fond memories of my grandma and Lavender water.

I tried many times to grow lavender without any success. I finally figured out that you stick it in the ground & say, "Live or Die". Of course, full sun and well drained sandy-type soil helps. It was exciting that this Lavender specimen did so well in the campground bed. It made my heart smile.

A twist in time trains vines

Fall is a good time to finally get those little garden chores done & over with. You know how every time you walked by that clematis this summer, you thought; "I should get that thing tied up better." I found this article from Garden Gate Magazine of interest. I just think it would be important to not secure the tender tendrils too tightly. Helpful, work saving / time savings gardening tips are always a plus.

Training Vines (pdf file)