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Home My WebLink AboutThe Citizen, 1988-04-27, Page 24PAGE 24. THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 27, 1988. Home & Garden ’88 As a frequenter of garden sections at every kind of store it can be tempting to pick up a bargain bush. The temptation seems parti- cularly strong among would-be rose growers. Yet when I see the condition of the stock that has been indoors for a month or more, I realize most such bargain hunters are going to be disappointed, if not turned off growing roses entirely. Many seem to choose a packag ed plant because it has long shoots with leaves already out. In fact, the best bush is more likely to be the one with buds just swollen or starting to grow. Those long, spindly shoots and pale leaves will not stand up to outdoor conditions well, if at all. Yettheplanthas puta great deal of its stored energy into this growth. In other cases ever greens obviously held indoors for much too long (almost any time over a couple of day sis too long) have already sent out new shoots that now are drooping. And evergreens produce in these shoots the buds for next year’s growth. Iftheyalldietheplant may follow. OUTDOORSALES Most packaged plants start out healthy enough, so if you want some, choose from among those stored at an outdoor sales station and preferably in the shade. Among roses, look for dark green canes that appear plump or turgid; at least one of the canes and preferably two should be no smalleraroundthanan average man’s little finger. Green wax is often used to make canes look greener but also to retard evapora tion from the bark and help keep the plant in good condition longer. It does not have to be scraped off. If the cambium layer just under the bark is juicy and greenish in color, the plant probably is in good shape. Among evergreens, those with a good green color on older needles as well as plump new- growth buds are good signs. Treat all packaged plants as bare root when you plant, as indeed they are after you unwrap them (but the packing material inside the outer carton can be placed under the planting or as an addition to the compost pile). FINE ROOTS In most cases though, you’re better off buying container-grown plants - not just plants stuffed into containers this spring. Such plants will have fine roots permeating the soil in the contain er, holding it together in one ball when you remove them to plant. Thus few roots are lost in transplanting. Plants dug with a soil ball wrapped in burlap usually called B and B (balled and burlapped) are almost as good if you are sure they are freshly dug. Plant burlap and all, but then loosen the tie and fold down so soil covers it. Neither should be trate easily. The hole should be big enough to take all the roots without cramming but do not use a markedly different soil under or around them or the plant will have difficulty growing into your gar den. After planting, soak the area allowed to dry out before planting. Roses require deep planting to gain frost protection - the bud union or knob on the stem should be two inches below soil level. Other perennials, shrubs, ever greens and trees should be set no lower than they stood at the with a transplanter solution such nursery. A stain mark on the stem (s) will indicate this level for woody plants. Set perennials so the point at which the top arises is just at the soil level. Roots should not be exposed but neither should they be buried. TRANSPLANT SOLUTION Break up soil in the bottom of the planting hole soroots can pene- as that made up by dissolving a grade 10:52:10 or 10:45:15 powder in water: a heaping tablespoon to an imperial gallon, 5 mL per litre. Add more soil as necessary and soak once again. Thereafter water only during dry spells, or when the soil is dry an inch or so down. No more fertilizer should be required this year. - 1 I iI Garden beauty for a shady yard What if your property doesn’t get much sun? Well, that may be a blessing. Many people consider shade gardens to be the most delightful, especially in hot, sunny weather when the cool shelter of a lush shade garden can refresh both mind and body. Shade gardens offer many ad vantages over their sunny counter- parts. Clearly, physical labor is easier in the shade than in the sun. Also, flowers almost always last longer in a shade garden. Shade-loving plants also require less maintenance. You don’t have towater as often. Fertilizing can be but to once a month rather than the usual weekly application. Many people are surprised at the number of lovely plants suitable for shade. You can choose among annuals, perennials, hardy bulbs, tender bulbs, ground cov ers, vines, evergreens, deciduous flowering shrubs and small trees. However, the perennials and the annuals are the backbone of your shade garden. Some easily-found perennials that you can enjoy for years in your shady garden are bleeding heart, columbine, coralbells and hosta. Annuals you will find perfect for shade are begonia, coleus, impa- tiens and torenia. Three shrubs famous for their shady performances are azalea, hydrangea and rhododendron. Vines to consider for the shade are clematis and nasturtium. Specimen trees commonly used in a shady garden are flowering dogwood and Japanese maple. Among the many evergreens you can use in the shade, some of the better known are barberry, boxwood and camellia. For ground cover try forget-me- not, lily-of-the-vallev or sweet violet. 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