JW: It is time to batten down the hatches, and also to take advantage of some nice days to get outside and get the garden ready for winter--and again for spring. Let's make a “to-do” list. I'm Judy Wagley, this is “From the Ground Up!” I'm at Barker Creek Nursery in Williamsburg, Michigan with Terry Bertrand, who, along with Gordon Coy, has owned this really scenic spot for 30 years. Thanks for joining me today Terry, from Barker Creek, where you have a stunning view of Elk Lake and Skegemog Lake.
TB: We do. And when you say 30 years, it starts to make me feel old!
JW: Well-- you're doing great, it's beautiful here! Now I mentioned a to- do list for fall. What should we be doing now?
TB: Well, the first thing I tell my clients is, “Don't panic.” You've got lots of time, you know, and I see you smile, because we all kind of panic, you know. We know the window in northern Michigan closes early, and you cover a lot of counties. So it's going to vary. But the first thing you should do is, is definitely work with the ground up, just like your show. And I like to do a little composting, I like to get in and kind of aerate the ground --because we know the snow is coming. And that's going to mean some hard packing, and that can be harmful for some plants. And then take a keen eye and observation of what things are dying back-- like your perennials are going to seed-- like your grasses. And it's really up to the gardener if you want to leave the thistle from your coneflower for the birds, or some of the plumes of your grasses for the birds. But you can start cutting those things back now.
JW: But you don't have to? You can leave some of those things?
TB: You know, especially for the cottage-dwellers, they might leave a little early--just leave them for spring. But just know in the spring you want to get a lot of that dead kind of fungus-bearing leaves out of the garden and put them in a nice compost pile or get him off site. But definitely, you know, there's some things that maybe are more important than others.
JW: So we want to take care of that soil and then cut back some of the perennials. Are there some that we should cut back and some that we definitely should not?
TB: What I tell my clients is a lot of perennials can be evergreen, so if they're not dying back consistent with the other perennials, then probably not--they don't require pruning. So like coral bells: I clean the bottom kind of layer of foliage because I know that that's gonna get suffocated when the rest of the plant is squished on top of it. Foxglove-- I leave that alone. But things like hostas, once they get frosted, they look like lettuce that came out of a freezer. You know, that's a very good indication. Your coneflowers, the leaves start turning a black, good indication. But if something's still green and fresh, like lobelia, maybe trim it back slightly. But you don't have to go drastic to the ground.
JW: What about shrubs?
TB: Shrubs--kind of the same way--anything that flowered in the fall is flowering typically from new growth. So you can shape things like rose of Sharon, you know any of your perennial hibiscus and such—spirea. But when it comes to things that flower in the spring, you really shouldn't touch them. Unless you have to-- say they've overgrown, they've got really kind of weird, funky branches going places. Maybe something's been injured. But forsythia, your lilacs-- you know things that flower in the spring, just leave them alone. Their buds are set. They're ready for spring. And other than maybe gathering them together, if you think snow plowing snow coming off a roof is a danger, you really don't do much.
JW: What about the leaves that fall? Should we clean those up? Or should we leave them just sit there?
TB: Okay, now that's great question because there's two things. In the vegetable gardens or in the perennial gardens, it's good to leave a layer. I don't like it too thick, because I think that creates fungal layers. And unless we're in a shade garden, most of our sun perennials, they want a more bacterial-rich soil. Okay, so that's a catch 22. Leave a nice light layer to help insulate things. But in the spring be mindful if you've got plants like phlox or bee balm, that might be victim to powdery mildews and such. Get those out of the garden, and again, work that soil up, get a lot of oxygen and air in that soil. That helps eliminate a lot of your kind of overwintering things. But another thing I've learned this fall is a lot of our overwintering insects-- by larva or even by just sleeping--, they overwinter in our leaves and in our needles. So instead of burning them, what I would suggest is removing them off the site, you put them in a big pile or rake them into the woods, because all those good beneficial insects, and even some that we don't like but other insects like, are going to overwinter in all that thatch. So no burning your leaves if you can avoid it.
JW: That's really interesting. I had never heard that before.
TB: Well, you know, Judy, in 30 years, I still learn, and I love learning! And I think that's what gardening is all about. Generally just being open to all the possibilities and seeking advice from a variety of people never hurts.
JW: Terry, that's great advice. Thank you so much for helping us with our fall to-do list. Terry Bertrand from Barker Creek Nursery in Williamsburg. Thanks for joining me for “From the Ground Up!”
TB: Judy, it's been a pleasure!
