Gertrude's Flower Garden Weekly Diary

11/13/09 - I am not able to do as much fall cleaning in the garden as I would like to do or was able to do a year ago. (I read my "Diary" for this date last year and was astonished at what I was able to accomplish--my arthritis must have gotten much worse.) I did try to cut down some of the flower stalks in the Sun bed, and cut back a non-wanted tree that persists in pushing up new shoots each year--I should dig up the root, but that would be more than I could manage and will arrange for one of my garden men to do. We had some lovely autumn weather this week with mid-September temperatures, but the forecast is for chiller weather ahead.
My California daughter was visiting me this weekend, and I had her help me to clean up the containers on the driveway edge between the terrace and the garage. I had taken care of the containers on the terrace when I moved the Geraniums into the glass room. The driveway containers were mostly planted with White and Yellow Star Zinnias and a few Browallias and dwarf French Marigolds. Before we pulled up and discarded these annuals I collected some seeds. I am going to buy most of my plants this coming spring, but I wanted some seeds in case I decided to grow some annuals in the basement. One of the containers had three Dianthus that I grew from seeds last year and which bloomed very nicely this summer. We dug these up and moved them into the flowerbed in front of the fence where they will have a better chance of surviving than in a container where the soil freezes in the winter.
In last week's "Diary" I wrote about the Shamocks that I "barbered" when I brought them from the shady side of the terrace into the glass room. I though that you might like to see what they looked like now; therefore, I made them the subject of this week's picture. I wish that I had taken a picture of them after I had cut them back so that you could have seen how they have re-grown so quickly. I did some research on Shamrocks so that I could accompany this picture with some information about them, but, unfortunately, I could find anything definitive. It seems that a number of flowers are sold under the name of "Shamrocks." Growers want to take advantage of the connection of the flower with Saint Patrick and Irish folklore, and therefore we find that a number of three-leaf clover type flowers on the market that are called "Shamrocks." Listing the real of the names of these flowers would only add to the confusion, because there does not seem to be any agreement as to the exact species that was referred to as "Shamrock" in Irish folklore. So continue to call the pretty plant with three clover-like leaves and delicate white flowers a "Shamrock" and Saint Patrick will forgive if you are mistaken. But don't forget the advice given last week about trimming plants if you want to keep them happy and pretty.

ntgates@worldnet.att.net