Fall Clean-up

Tami Gillespie and Nicolas Gleba

Friday, Oct 19, 2012

            A cool and windy morning greeted us Friday as we began out weekend practical. Upon arriving at the greenhouse we were informed that the tractor and trailer were going in for repair and servicing therefore the all important fall mulching would be put off for another weekend. Instead we were tasked with cleaning up and weeding the Louise Weeks garden, with some minor work in the Woodland Garden.

Ribes Hedge

            We started by cleaning up an overgrown Ribes odoratum hedge. The Ribes hedge at the Fanshawe College Gardens can be found bordering a sidewalk near a parking lot outside K Building. Grown as an informal hedge, it is uses a transition plant between the parking lot and the Woodland gardens. Suckers are a troublesome problem with Ribes they send up multitudes of shoots through their expansive root system. Using a spade we dug/cut out numerous of these suckers, found growing inside or some distance away from the original planting line. Due to its location our hedge had become sort of garbage trap. Not only did we spend all afternoon fishing out garbage, but dead plant material, and of course leaves. Using loppers and secretors tasked with the awkward trimming of the over grown hedge. Doing our best to make our cuts invisible to the pedestrians, as well making all sections of the hedge the same length we pruned the hedge back.  

Finished Hedge

Saturday Oct 20, 2012

            We woke to a wet morning, and another daunting task. The Louise Weeks Garden, comprise, of deciduous and coniferous trees, broadleaved evergreens and many different varieties of herbaceous perennials required major work. While Nick attacked a garden bed filled with bindweed, I took on the project of cleaning up a group of Cirsium diacanthum (Ivory Thistle). This self seeding perennial is slightly invasive due to its habit of spreading through seeds and rhizomes, it's sharp, thorns makes it a slightly problematic plant to deal with. Nick continued to rage war against the bindweed, discovering even with garden forks and shovels it was hard work removing every last bit of it. While many perennials weren't looking their best a few unique things were happening around the garden. A Hamaelis virginiana (Witch-Hazel) was in full bloom, its unique blooms contrasting against the dark bricks. The perennial grasses were in full bloom, billowing in the wind and giving interest to the otherwise empty beds.

Flowering Hamaelis virginiana      

Cirsium diacanthum (Ivory Thistle)

Sunday Oct 21. 2012

            On our last day, the priority remained on digging up, diving, and replanting a Miscanthus grass, and more weeding, raking and cutting back of the perennial beds. The task of digging up and dividing is harder than it sounds. Division of perennials is an old way of plant propagation. For perennial grasses, it is the best way to get true to type plants. Using a spade and shovel, this task was accomplished. Suckers continued to be the biggest weed within the garden. Even the Hamaelis and the Sumac sent up tiny shoots through the mulch. Cutting the larger suckers, and hand ripping the smaller ones became the most efficient way of eradicating every bit of the plant. We ended our day, by raking up any left over debris and leaf blowing the side walk clean.

Divided grass