Goodbye to summer plants

“The true gardener brushes over the ground ... to liberate space for some favourite plant.”

-- Freya Stark

“‘Tis the last rose of October, left blooming alone ... “

-- with apologies to Thomas Moore

October is the month for sprucing up your garden in anticipation of the coming holidays; the festivities now seem to begin with Halloween. This will be another year without a pumpkin, another year without much contact with our children. I’ll have to ask Catharine if the Christmas tree is staying outdoors this year.

It is providential that I maintain a semblance of being in shape (thanks to Mary Kate), because once I have decided to do a cleanup, I find it difficult to stop. Calmly and ruthlessly, I consigned to the compost pile the abutilon that I had previously nurtured with the tender care of a loving father. Emotional attachment to the plant was cast aside. I needed a something different, so off it went.

By the way, you did manage to fit in the time for some October questions for the Plant Man:

Q What should I be doing in my garden this month?

A We are in the midst of the season that is considered the best for planting. It is also cleanup month, the time to fasten trees and tall shrubs, prune the old tops of perennials and freshen flower beds. It’s not too late for bulbs. Remember to refrigerate the tulips and hyacinths for later planting. Finally, I would suggest mulching perennials and keeping an eye out for fall weeds.

Q What should I do with my tomato plant? Almost all of the leaves are gone, and there are only three tomatoes left.

A Your tomato has reached the end of its season. It’s time to remove it.

Q. What can I do in my garden to minimize the danger of fire?

A I would recommend that trees adjacent to your home be pruned away from the roof and eaves. Thin all plantings within 100 feet of your house and clear away dead vegetation. Finally, clean up dead leaves and litter that accumulated during the summer.

Q What kind of plants will give me berries for the holidays?

A Holly, especially the Chinese and English kinds, can be used as decorations as small plants and then planted in the garden. In succeeding years they may be carefully pruned to provide branches covered with berries. Firethorn (Pyracantha spp.) and Toyon (Heteromeles arbutifolia) are also useful plants with berried branches.

Q Could you please send us timing on when to prune roses in Tucson, Ariz.; there is only one rose left blooming.

A Tucson generally experiences mild winters, so you could probably prune your roses back in late December; however, a frost could damage tender new growth. You might wait until February to prune, but you would miss early blossoms. That is the reason why I generally recommend pruning in late January. I prune my own roses in nearly frost-free Laguna around Christmas.

Shortly after removing several more plants, I called it a day. I was exhausted from the emotional exertion. I departed with Catharine for a celebration of nothing at Zoolu’s. Fortunately, our garden remained mainly intact, as my fatherly instincts prevailed. The next day, I calmly planted a few bulbs and readied myself for another possible anniversary and beyond. See you next time.

* Steve Kawaratani is married to a local writer, Catharine Cooper, and has three cats. He can be reached at 497-2438 or plantman2@mac.com.

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