October: Make room for the new mopheads

BY GOTTI KELLEY Correspondent

Hydrangeas are regaining their popularityw ith gardeners. In my childhood days, white was the predominant color; now with the introduction of new varieties, the color range has greatly expanded.

The new Forever & Ever hydrangea varieties are so stunning. “Peppermint” is a bicolor hydrangea that blooms on old and new wood with gorgeous 10-inch blooms, brushed pink or blue (depending on acidity) in the center of each white petal. “Together” is made up of double blue or pink flowers progressing through a series of colors throughout the season. Blooms open with light green in early summer and mature to rich violet or red by season’s end. Blooming on both old and new wood, this variety is an intriguing plant for hydrangea enthusiasts.

Forever & Ever hydrangeas were first introduced in 2005 and vigorously thrive in our area.

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There is no denying the shortening of the days and the lengthening of the shadows. And there is only one thing that will console you when a gardening summer ends — the prospect of another year and the promise of growing new plants, maybe those that had been just wishful thinking over the years.

I am not fond of snakes, but there is a new tool called the Cobrahead — 13 inches long and 9 ounces in weight — it cultivates and digs ergonomically. One handheld tool takes the place of many and appeals to a busy gardener. You can battle weeds, go below surface and pop them right out. It is a precise cultivating tool, strong and very comfortable to use.

The folding pruning saw (8- or 12-inch size) is an awesome tool for trimming trees and shrubs. Both blade and handle are curved to allow for better handling of the saw and faster cutting, the teeth are very aggressive, and the saw pivots in the middle to allow the blade to fold and recess into the handle. This saw cuts through branches up to 4 inches in diameter like a hot knife cuts through butter. My shrubs and trees know I mean business when I approach them with the fastidiousness of a possessed gardener and armed with this uber-gizmo.

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I have come to admire and appreciate a new annual in my garden, a pretty little flower, blooming its heart out all summer. Gazania “Copper King” (African daisy) is a wonderfully robust plant with deep brilliant color.

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Garden housekeeping is now more important than ever. Inertia has fallen into step naturally during the hot summer months, and many of us, except for the most intrepid gardeners, have just left the whole housekeeping thing alone. Plants have multiplied, seed heads and weeds beg to be taken care of, browned stems and leaves are evident in increasing numbers. And as all illusion of control has broken down, what do you do now? Start by cutting offending dead leaves, pull the assertive, ever-present crabgrass and belwww. ligerent weeds before they takes over precious space, and trim back straggly annuals to stimulate renewed growth and continued flowering. Divide over-abundant perennials (your friends and neighbors will appreciate) and create some empty spots for springblooming

bulbs. **** A good time to plant spring bulbs in our area is during November. Now you have to keep in mind a few important considerations — pesky squirrels that dig up your bulbs as fast as you have planted them, hungry deer that devour tender tulip leaves as first course and then proceed to feast on their buds as entrée. You can fool squirrels (somewhat)

by adding a heavy layer of mulch over freshly planted tulips, and as you prune your shrubs and trees, layer branches over the beds to be removed in early spring. Daffodils, grape hyacinths, crocus, snowdrops, chinodoxa, allium star flower (Ipheion uniflorum), fritillaria and camassia have not been touched by deer or squirrels in my garden. I am sure that regular spraying of deer and rabbit repellent helped greatly in spoiling the appetite of a robust deer population.

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An environmental thought to remember: Data released by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency shows that somewhere between 500 billion and a trillion — 1,000,000,000,000 — plastic bags are consumed worldwide each year. Isn’t it time we start reducing this number by bringing our own cloth bags when grocery shopping?

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“Through laughing leaves, the sunlight comes, turning the green to gold”

Herbert Edwin Clarke

Gotti Kelley, past president of the Navesink Garden Club, also serves on the board of The Garden Club of New Jersey.