Perennials: Finish cleanup, including pulling weeds that are still growing. Cut back late-blooming mums. Leave the ornamental grasses for winter interest. Cut back perennials to 4 to to five inches. Spread fertilizer such as 5-10-5-on perennial beds. It will work into the soil during winter. Continue planting bulbs as long as weather permits. To keep voles away from tulips, add a handful of crushed gravel to the hole.

Fruits and vegetables: Clean up fallen leaves under fruit trees to prevent overwintering diseases. Protect tree trunks from mouse and vole damage with wire mesh trunk guards. Incorporate lime and fertilizer into the vegetable garden.

Flowers: Continue potting up bulbs for spring forcing. Start paperwhites and amaryllis.

Trees and shrubs: Spray broad-leaved evergreens with an antidessicant to prevent moisture loss. Apply when temperatures are above 40 degrees. Make a note of shrubs and trees that hold onto colorful leaves until late fall. They are pleasing to the eye as the sky turns gray.

Lawns: The last mowing of the season should be short. Prepare for fertilizing around Thanksgiving weekend.

Houseplants: Keep amaryllis in a bright light. Water sparingly until foliage emerges and more often when flowering stalks appear.

Susan Henry

Nov. 18
Chappaqua: The Taconic Garden Club. Topic: “Provocative Perennials.” Speaker: Ellen Zachos. Discover some of the best varieties for form, color and texture, and learn which plants do best in sun and shade. Free. 7:30 p.m. Chappaqua Public Library, 195 S. Greeley Ave. 914-238-4779.

Nov. 19
Spring Valley: Become Acquainted with Rockland County’s Water Birds. Speaker: Lorrie Pallant of the Rockland Audubon Society. Free. 7 p.m. Finkelstein Memorial Library, 24 Chestnut St. 845-352-5700.

Nov. 21
Hopewell Junction: Hopewell Garden Club Meeting. Lynn Eriksen, perennial manager at Sabellico Greenhouse and Florist, will lead a workshop on forcing bulbs. Participants will receive a kit for forcing paperwhites.  There will be tulip and extra paperwhite bulbs available for purchase. Reservations. $7. 10 a.m. East Fishkill Community Library, 348 Route 376. 845-221-9943.

A note from Barbara Cohen:

“Sunday, November 15, 2009
3:30pm – 4:30pm
Location:
Petals and Stems FLorist, 77 Rt. 59, Monsey, NY

The Flower Morah

Petals and Stems announces Flower design classes for children 10-16

By popular demand, Floral Design instructor, Barbara Cohen will be teaching the carnation flower cube at Petals and Stems on Sunday, November 15 at 3:30 PM-4:30 PM. Each child will make their own arrangement that they can re-create weekly for holidays and gift giving. Give your child a lifetime of enjoyment and knowledge.

All materials and supplies are included. Price is $18.00 per child. Discount for multiple children.

Call 845-426-0200 to reserve your space or email Barbara@PetalsandStemsFlorist.com

From Katherine Powis at NYBG:

Tuesday, November 10
Farm City: The Education
of an Urban Farmer
Reading, Slides and Signing

Novella Carpenter grows fruit and vegetables on a vacant lot and shares them with her neighbors. She also raises (and dispatches) chicken, ducks and rabbits. Meet Novella and hear her gritty, sometimes brutal, tale of farm life on the mean streets of Oakland.

Her memoir, by turns joyous and sad, is refreshingly honest. A few of her Brooklyn farming friends will be on hand to talk about their projects too. Read more about Novella in a recent New York Times interview.

6pm at The HSNY Library
$10 at the door, waived with book purchase
RSVP or call (212) 757-0915×100

While you’re here, sign up for a meet and greet session for a new Hort Library Reading Club!

We’ll be reading an eclectic selection of memoirs, history, engaging instruction, and essays. From time to time local writers and growers will visit us to talk about what they’re doing. Meeting dates to be announced.

Contact Katherine Powis at (212) 757-0915×109 for more information.
———————————————————————————————The Horticultural Society of New York
148 West 37th Street, 13th Floor | New York, NY 10018 | (212) 757-0915

From Nick Leshi at NYBG:

“Celebrate Veterans’ Day at The New York Botanical Garden

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Enjoy Family Programming, Free Grounds Admission, and Veterans’ Discount

On November 11, experience fall events, beautiful exhibitions, and family activities at The New York Botanical Garden.
Grounds admission is free for all visitors throughout the day and United States Veterans receive $5 off the All-Garden Pass purchased on-site with proof of military service.*

Some of the offerings at the Garden on November 11 include:
Kiku in the Japanese Autumn Garden, the third and final year of the Botanical Garden’s amazing exhibition, features awe-inspiring chrysanthemum “sculptures,” meticulously trained and grown using traditional Japanese methods, rarely seen anywhere outside Japan on this great a scale.  This year the Botanical Garden has grown 5,000 chrysanthemums for the exhibition, presenting more mums than ever, showcased among the splendor and diversity of Japanese garden plants.
Ex Libris: Treasures from the LuEsther T. Mertz Library highlights some rarely seen books, botanical art, and original manuscripts that demonstrate the extraordinary beauty and depth of the Library’s collections. About 80 percent of the items displayed in Ex Libris have never before been exhibited to the public.
Japanese Autumn Adventures in the Everett Children’s Adventure Garden provides fun, hands-on family activities, allowing kids to investigate a variety of exotic Japanese tea leaves, learn how to create fish prints, discover how maple tree fruit spins, and more.
Tours of the landmark Enid A. Haupt Conservatory and the historic 50-acre Forest
Demonstrations of Saori Hand Weaving and Origami
Performances of the Japanese Flower Hat Dance and an audience-participation Workshop for families
The final Wednesday GreenMarket at the Botanical Garden with fresh, seasonal, locally-grown produce for sale as well as musical entertainment, Cider Pressing and Tasting, Cooking Demonstrations, and much more.
Free Career Information Sessions (Click here to pre-register http://conted.nybg.org/career.php ); at 6 p.m. in the Arthur and Janet Ross Lecture Hall.
For more information, click here: http://www.nybg.org/press_releases/VeteransDay.pdf

• The Veterans Discount applies to on-site ticket sales of the All-Garden Pass only.  Proof of military service includes either a Veterans Identification Card (VIC) or a copy of Form DD-214.

  The best way to enjoy the Garden is with the All-Garden Pass, which includes admission to the grounds as well as to seasonal gardens, exhibitions, and attractions such as the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory, Everett Children’s Adventure Garden, Rock and Native Plant Gardens, and Tram Tour: $20 for adults, $18 for seniors and students with ID, $8 for children ages 2–12, children under 2 are free. A Grounds-Only Pass is available: $6 for adults, $5 for adult Bronx Residents; $3 for seniors, $2 for students with ID, $1 for children ages 2–12, children under 2 are free.

  For more information, please call 718.817.8700 or visit www.nybg.org

At this time of year, the dietary habits of your hungry deer are beginning to change. For winter, they move away from grasses and green stuff toward woodier plants, like trees and shrubs.

It’s a good time of year to respray these kinds of plants with deer repellents. Many of these commercial sprays have cold-temperature restrictions (read the label), so take advantage of this great weather to do it today or tomorrow.

Here’s a new comment on a blog post on deer repellents from the folks at deer-departed.com:

“At deer-departed.com we are trying to provide the most information possible to help people control the deer in their landscape.  We have over 21 deer repellent recipes you can make yourself. We also suggest http://www.repellentreviews.com where you can go to the deer category and read repellent product reviews.”

A note from Sandy Morrissey, a great birder (and gardener) in Hartsdale; her photos:

“Hi Bill,
I, too, am enjoying many blooming plants in my fall garden – even now in November.

A favorite – and one that many may not have – is pineapple sage (Salvia elegans). It does not bloom until late October but it is well worth waiting for. It can continue to bloom until December if there is no severe frost. At maturity, a single plant is almost 5 feet tall and 6 feet wide. It has spikes of tubular, red flowers. From my kitchen window, I see just the airy blooms swaying in the breeze and images of 4th of July fireworks are evoked.

Pineapple Sage (Salvia elegans)

10” spikes of tubular red flowers open in late October

Like all my favorite salvias, this plant is a tender perennial and you might have to buy it each year. However, I have had it come back twice, so it has a better record than my beloved Salvia guaranitica. All the plants in my gardens have to make-do with part-shade light because I have so many mature trees, and the pineapple sage does well with its dose of afternoon sun.

I got this plant because I heard it attracted a rufus hummingbird to Lenoir Preserve in Yonkers. We only have the ruby-throated hummingbird in the East, but occasionally the rufus, which is a Western species, will stray off its range during migration. Here is a link to the story about the rufus at Lenoir Preserve in 2001: http://www.birds.cornell.edu/crows/rufous_hummingbird.htm. You can also find reports of it returning to Lenoir in 2002 and 2006 on the web.

As you know, I am a big hummingbird fan, so I added this to my collection of plants I have for the main purpose of attracting hummingbirds. Sorry to say, the rufus hasn’t arrived in my garden – as far as I know – but if it does, it will not only have the pineapple sage to sip, it will have several other blooming salvias. It must be a trait of salvias that they continue to do well in cold temperatures.

Near the pineapple sage, I also have planted Salvia coccinea ‘Lady in Red,’ Salvia farinacea ‘Victoria Blue’ and Salvia guaranitica ‘Black & Blue.’ Any hummingbird that shows up will be well fed.

Salvia guaranitica ‘Black & Blue’:

Four salvias: Pineapple sage, Lady in Red, Victoria Blue, Salvia Guaranitica Black & Blue

I do keep records of when birds are in my yard, and I usually see my last ruby-throated hummingbird around Oct. 15. A November visit from a rufus hummingbird would be quite a Thanksgiving feast!

Best blooms to you,
Sandy”

Thanks Sandy! All of my hummingbirds took off by mid-September this year.

From Helle Raheem and the Bedford Audubon Society:

“Nature Hike at Hunt-Parker Sanctuary With Tait Johansson
Tuesday, November 10, 8 a.m.–10 a.m. Meet at Bylane Farm, 35 Todd Road, Goldens Bridge.
Join Bedford Audubon naturalist Tait Johansson for a walk through the sanctuary’s meadows and woods. This walk will focus on identification of trees and shrubs. Bring binoculars; we may still spot some birds. Level of difficulty: Easy
Please register with Joan E. Becker at jebecker@bedfordaudubon.org or by telephone at (914) 232-4806.
Website: www.bedfordaudubon.org

Field Trip to Franklin Mountain Hawkwatch, Delaware-Otsego Audubon Society Sanctuary, Oneonta, NY With Arthur Green
Wednesday, November 11, 10 a.m. (Carpool from Bylane Farm, 35 Todd Road, Goldens Bridge at 6:30 a.m.) Estimated return: 6 p.m.
Driving directions: http://tinyurl.com/franklinmt .
The Franklin Mountain Hawkwatch, located at the Delaware-Otsego Audubon Society Sanctuary overlooking Oneonta, NY, is particularly noted for late fall season flights of Red-tailed Hawks and Golden Eagles. Franklin Mountain provides a panoramic view of the Susquehanna River Valley and surrounding hills of Otsego and Delaware Counties. In addition to the hawkwatch, the Audubon Sanctuary provides marked hiking trails through a variety of habitats. Level of difficulty: Easy to Moderate.
Register with Joan E. Becker at jebecker@bedfordaudubon.org   or by telephone at (914) 232-4806.
Website: www.bedfordaudubon.org

Ask the master gardeners

Q: I have never had a problem with deer, but now they occasionally come into my garden. With all the deer repellents available on the market, I am not sure which one to use.

A: The deer population has reached an all-time high. These attractive creatures are invading suburban areas at a fast rate and can destroy a garden very quickly.

Many gardeners seek the help of deer repellents, which discourage deer from feeding by giving the plants in your garden a foul taste or odor. Repellents vary in effectiveness, so it is best to alternate a few varieties.

Deer will almost always stay away from plants that offend two or more senses. In addition, they would stay away from a property where they sense the presence of danger (some repellents contain coyote or bobcat urine, two of their natural predators).

Using two deer deterrents together, one that offends the sense of taste in conjunction with one that offends the sense of smell, and alternating different brands, gives the best results. Several brands of commercial repellents, both in concentrate and ready-to-use form, are available in garden and home centers.

Look for the active ingredients listed on the label. Deterrents are usually applied as a spray and should be applied when rain is not forecast for 24 hours. You should cover all portions of the plants in your garden, making sure you reapply to new growth and after it rains.

No matter what you choose to use, the effectiveness of repellents depends on the number of deer in your area, their feeding habits and weather conditions. If the deer are very hungry due to limited food supplies (particularly in late winter and early spring), the repellents may not work.

Fencing the garden may not be part of your plan, but it remains the most effective defense against these hungry creatures.
— Lonna Panatelli, Tuxedo master gardener, Cornell Cooperative Extension of Rockland

Perennials: Continue planting bulbs. Mulch loosely with leaves or straw. Protect from squirrel foraging with plastic fruit boxes, screening or soak them in a deer repellent. A scattering of mothballs might help, too. It is too soon to mulch beds, but collect fallen oak leaves and pine needles to use later, after the ground freezes.

Flowers: Clean out patio planters, tubs and window boxes. Clay containers should be stored in a dry place where they won’t be subject to freezing. Start paperwhites indoors for holiday blooming.

Vegetables and fruits: Cleanup in the vegetable garden should be complete. Continue harvesting carrots, parsnips, leeks and Brussels sprouts. Trim broken branches on fruit trees. Finish cutting raspberry canes if weather permits. Sawdust makes a good mulch for blueberries.

Trees and shrubs: When planting trees and shrubs, the root ball should sit in the hole on undisturbed ground with the crown of the plant at ground level or slightly above. If the hole yields a lot of stones replace with topsoil from elsewhere on your property, not compost or peat moss, so that the new plant will accommodate to your conditions. Unless a newly planted tree is very exposed to winds, do not stake. Do not prune or fertilize. Water regularly, depending on rainfall, for two years. Make sure to keep mulch away from the flare of the trunk.

Lawns: If the lawn showed signs of snow mold last spring, treat it now with a fungicide before snow covers the ground. The last mowing of the lawn should be very short to avoid the grass matting down.

Houseplants: Some houseplants are thirsty year-round and thrive on regular watering — African violets, begonias, Swedish ivies, spider plants and most ferns. However, other popular plants, such as cacti and succulents, go into a winter slump and prefer to be left alone. They should be watered sparingly. Sow seeds of parsley in a pot, moisten the soil and cover with plastic until they sprout. Keep in a sunny spot with houseplants.

General: Store and cover outdoor furniture, picnic tables and garden ornaments. Replace screens with storm windows.

Susan Henry