Enjoy fall planting
By Joel Patton

Well we all arrived back from Northern Ireland safe and well, and good news to add to our successful trip to get our I94 stamped for a further two years. My eldest son, Jonathan chose his trip back to Ulster to get engaged to his girlfriend Roxanne from Richmond. He proposed to her from the beautiful vantage point of Belfast castle, which overlooks the city of Belfast and the broad sweep of Belfast Lough. Who said romance was dead. So with Ruth due to marry Dustin next August and Jonathan hoping to wed in March 2009 we are certainly consolidating our roots as a family here in Virginia.

The weather
Northern Ireland had just experienced one of the worst summers in 150 years when we arrived. They had only three days where the temperature exceeded 70° from May until the end of August and I don’t think they had three days in a row where it stayed dry. While our farmers in eastern U.S were losing their crops due to drought, Ulster farmers were losing theirs because of the excessively wet weather.
However, wouldn’t you know it, the weather picked up when we arrived on September 2nd and we had a really pleasant few days with temperatures averaging 67°. Back at our Garden center in Williamsburg everyone had to contend with temperatures in the low 90s.
During our trip back to our former home we remarked on how well baskets and containers looked in spite of the wet summer. We
stayed at a wonderful wee B&B in our home town which was owned by a friend. She had baskets and pots overflowing with huge double begonias with the minimal amount of effort.
Fall was a long time in coming this year as summer extended through September and into October. With the exception of some heavy showers on the night of September 14th we have been struggling through the severe drought which has gripped the southeast United States. Temperatures have remained abnormally high for the time of year and all in all it has been a really tough time for gardeners.

How have plants fared in these unseasonable conditions?
Well, there have been a lot of casualties and lots of people have reported plant deaths in some cases shrubs and trees that have been growing in gardens for a number of years. However, this is to be expected. I am amazed at how nature has held its breath and endured quite awful conditions this summer and early Fall. Many customers ask me about trees and shrubs with discolored, damaged or diseased leaves, but I tell them not to get to alarmed. Hopefully when the rain returns many of those plants will recover their luster. Don’t be too hasty, there will be time enough to treat fungal diseases in the spring.
I am pleased to say that more and more folk are coming round to the idea of fall planting. Remember there is absolutely no reason why you can’t plant trees and shrubs right up to Christmas and into the New Year providing the ground is not frozen.
Fall is also an excellent time to plant perennials but unfortunately lack of availability is a big factor. Many growers just don’t produce perennials for the fall market and I have been told this is because the gardening public prefer to plant in the spring. I don’t really buy this explanation and put it down to big store mentality!
Next year hopefully we will be able to produce some of our own fall perennials.
The warm weather has also affected a lot of traditional fall plants. Mums seemed to last no time this autumn. Customers expect to get 5 or 6 weeks out of these popular fall plants, but this year they were lucky to get four. Pansies also suffered badly early on in the season. Those people who bought their plants late August - early September were disappointed with the sad leggy plants that have struggled in the hot weather. Pansies and violas don’t like heat. It is much better to plant them in cooler weather. At our Garden center we will have pansies and violas right up until Christmas and into early Spring.
Last year violas were easily our best performable plant and I’m advising people not to worry about cooler weather as we approach winter; those small flowered members of the pansy family will flower right up to June with only a brief respite.
Winter containers
Last week I gave a talk on the theme of ‘Winter Containers’ at First Colony Garden Club and this is something I would like to promote in the coming years. People not only have the mums and pansies to plant in pots for fall and winter but there are lots of perennials, evergreen ferns, groundcover plants and small shrubs with winter color which all contribute to make interesting and unusual winter containers.
Remember winter containers can also make a wonderful Christmas gift. They are easier to look after in the cooler weather and with a little care will last for several years.


“Our Plant of the Month”
The Camellia

A long lived evergreen, the Camellia plant is a beloved Southern shrub with graceful blooms that have been enjoyed by gardeners for years. Camellias are well suited for part shade. More than just stunning flowers and evergreen foliage the camellia has a lot to offer gardeners including cold hardiness.
Camellias are generally hardy to zero degrees (zone 7) but a few are hardy even to zone 6
Camellias often bloom during the cool season; blooms vary according to the species. Winter blooms are common and flowers may appear anytime from October through March. There are many different colors to choose from.
They prefer slightly acidic soils (Ph 6.0-6.5) and well drained but moist soil. If your garden soil doesn’t currently support the growth of camellias consider planting them in a large pot so you can still enjoy the graceful charm of the camellia without the extra work
Prune camellias after blooms fade. Fertilize sparingly when new growth appears as camellias are slow growers – over fertilizing can decrease the number of blooms.
Thick mulch 2-3" is helpful as well because camellias are not drought tolerant
Camellia Japonica blooms in the spring, Camellia Sansanqua tends to flower in the fall & Camellia Reticulate & Oleifera bloom late winter.

Ulster-American Homestead Garden Center is located at 4191 Rochambeau Drive, Williamsburg • 757-566-0404