Turn Yard Wastes into Black Gold

Compost tumbler

Leaf raking is a major chore in October and November. You may rake by hand or attach a mulching blade to your lawn. Most folks opt to using leaf blowers and push leaves to curbside. Protect your ears with plugs or headphones.

Compost is often called "black gold". It is a smart move to gather up leaf litter and twigs. Much of the debris from the vegetable and flower garden can be thrown into the compost pile. Leaves, grass clippings and green table scraps can be processed into rich humus. Never add diseased plant materials or meat scraps.

Compost heaps appear in many shapes and sizes. The simplest and most common is a back corner of the yard out of sight, a collection of several years of garden refuse. Homemade reinforced wire bins are common, a large receptacle of garden waste. Home and garden centers sell composters of various sizes including tumblers that will speed decomposition. You can also purchase special packets of microorganisms that hasten the decaying process.

At Ijams Nature Center in Knoxville, Tennessee are displays of several methods of composting garden refuse. It is not true that rodents such as rats, voles and moles may make their homes in compost piles unless proper sanitation measures are followed.

Gardeners can turn garden debris into black compost in as little as 6 weeks with adequate moisture, aeration and nutrition; or simply pile up your garden waste and wait 2-3 years for compost.

Inkberry Holly A Worthy Substitute For Boxwood

Ilex glabra 'Densa'

Inkberry holly (Ilex glabra), also called gallberry, is a slow-growing broadleaf evergreen shrub (USDA hardiness zones 4-9). Inkberry grows to 5-8 feet tall and, if not pruned, may spread by root suckers to form colonies. 

Inkberry is native  from eastern Canada to Florida, west to Louisiana.  The dark green glossy leaves (to 1.5” long) have smooth margins and are spineless. Foliage stays attractive in winter unless temperatures dip below 0 °F. Greenish white flowers appear in spring, but are mostly inconspicuous.

Inkberry grows in average, medium to wet, acidic soils and in full sun to partial shade. It is one of few holly species that tolerates wet soils. Inkberries are dioecious (separate male and female plants). Female plants need a male pollinator to produce black,  3/8 inch diameter, berry-like (drupe) fruits that mature in early fall and persist throughout late winter into early spring unless consumed by birds and other wildlife.

Inkberry holly is a popular hedging shrub that tends to grow faster than a boxwood. Prune in early spring before new growth begins. Plants generally need minimal pruning unless used as a hedge. Remove root suckers as they form. Many landscape cultivars do not root sucker as badly as species. 
Leading cultivars are 'Densa', 'Shamrock', and 'Nordic'

No serious insect or disease problems trouble inkberry hollies. Leaf spotting occurs in wet summers. Spider mites may appear, especially during dry spells. In high pH (alkaline) soils, foliar chlorosis (yellowing) may happen.

Mass or group several inkberry hollies as a shrub border, a low foundation planting. Species inkberries will naturalize in moist woodland gardens or near streams or ponds.

Honey derived from inkberry flowers is a highly-rated. It is locally marketed in certain parts of the southeastern U.S. Dried and roasted inkberry leaves were first used by Native Americans to brew "Appalachian tea" a black tea-like drink.

Planting Peonies

Peonies are popular perennials because of their magnificent flowers in spring and early summer and their leaves that remain attractive throughout the season. These instructions apply to herbaceous peonies (USDA Zones 3–8), which die completely to the ground in winter. Tree peonies, shrublike plants with woody stems that remain visible all year (Zones 4–9), have slightly different requirements.
It’s best to plant herbaceous peonies in fall, when they are dormant. Spring-planted peonies may fail to flower for several years, and may even die if they put out new shoots before their roots become established. Mail-order and local nurseries offer bare-root divisions in the fall. A bare-root peony division is a section of rooted crown with several dark red growth buds called eyes. Each bud gives rise to a stem in the spring. The more eyes a division has, the fuller it will appear, so look for a division with at least 3 to 5 eyes.
To plant a bare-root herbaceous peony in the fall:
1. Choose a site with well-drained soil away from the competing roots of trees and shrubs. Give each plant an area about three feet in diameter. Avoid windy areas or provide a windbreak, since peony stems are vulnerable to breakage when heavy with buds and flowers. In most regions a site in full sun is best. If your spring tends to be hot and dry, choose a site with afternoon shade.
2. Prepare the soil. Peonies bloom most prolifically if left to grow undisturbed in the same location for many years, so planting in well-prepared and enriched soil is important. Dig a planting hole about 2 feet across and 18 inches deep. Mix several shovels of compost or well-rotted manure into the bottom of the hole. Fill the hole halfway with topsoil mixed with more compost and a cup of bonemeal. If your soil is acidic, also mix in about a cup of ground limestone. Peonies like a pH of between 6 and 7.
3. Plant the peony. Setting the division too deep prevents flowering; the eyes should be covered by no more than 1.5 to 2 inches of soil. If you garden in a mild-winter climate, position the eyes so they will be only .5 to 1 inch below the soil surface, thus exposing the roots to as much winter cold as possible. Once you’ve positioned the peony in the hole, fill the soil carefully but firmly around the roots. Make sure there are no air spaces that could allow the plant to settle too deeply.
4. Water the plant in with a gentle stream from a hose. Then surround it with a light mulch, such as chopped leaves or evergreen branches, to help reduce competition from weeds and regulate soil temperature and moisture. Remove the mulch in winter so that the plant gets properly chilled. The peony may not bloom its first year, but by the third year it should reach top form.

Fall Spectacular Golden Larch Tree

Golden larch (Pseudolarix amabilis) deserves to be planted more in U.S. landscapes. A native to eastern China, this deciduous conifer is not a true larch (Larix spp.).  Golden larch appears to prosper where summer weather is warm and humid (USDA hardiness zones 4-7).

Pseudolarix amabilis in mid-October

Golden larch should be planted in full sun to light shade. It thrives in organically rich, moist, well-drained soil. A mature tree eventually reaches 50 to 60 feet in height and 30 to 40 feet in spread. A new tree tends to start out slowly, and grows at a moderate pace after 2 years. Tree form is weakly pyramidal with layered horizontal branches.

Needles range from 1 ½ to 2 ½ inches in length and are slightly curved. Spring foliage starts out light green, turns medium green in summer, and finishes golden yellow in early fall before dropping in mid-October, the time when earns its name. 

Cones are 2 to 3 inches in length, 1 ½ to 2 ½ inches wide, green during the summer, and golden brown in fall. Young trees exhibit a reddish brown bark which age to grayish brown with some ridges and furrows.

Golden larch ages to a large beautiful tree. Utilize it as a specimen tree on large properties such as golf courses, public parks, and college campuses. Disease and pest problems are as rare as finding this tree in U.S. commerce. It is listed by a few specialty on-line nurseries.