Gardening With Tony

UNITED STATES—This is extreme dormant pruning. Pollard and coppice pruning involve complete removal of all new growth. They typically involve growth from a previous season annually. A two-year cycle involves growth from two previous seasons, and so on. This repetitive pruning to the same origins stimulates distended callus growth there. It is as brutal as it sounds. This is why...

UNITED STATES—Bare root season begins as the year ends for a simple reason. That is when deciduous plants are dormant. They are unaware of the otherwise distressful process of relocation. This is also why winter is the season for dormant pruning. Such pruning would be very distressful at any other time of year. While dormant, deciduous plants are unaware...

  UNITED STATES—Christmas trees are extreme cut foliage. They stand alone, rather than as accessories to cut flowers. Most are a few feet tall, and some are much grander. Ultimately though, they are as disposable as cut flowers. Because they are so expensive, their disposal seems to be wasteful. Realistically though, they are more practical than living Christmas trees. Now that...

UNITED STATES—Christmas trees and associated items are no imposition for nurseries. They are seasonal while not much else is appealing to a retail market. They occupy retail area that summer and autumn commodities relinquished earlier. Then, they relinquish their same space as bareroot stock becomes seasonable. The chronology is very coincidentally very efficient. Bareroot season is not actually contingent on...

UNITED STATES—Except for flowers that bloom randomly throughout the year, most autumn bloom is done. Much of the formerly spectacular autumn foliar color succumbed to wintry rain and wind. Many colorful winter berries have already gone with migratory birds who consume them. Overwintering birds appreciate what lingers. Fortunately, some winter bloom continues. Cool season annuals likely provide most winter flowers...

UNITED STATES—Christmas trees are extreme cut foliage. They grow on farms like cut foliage that florists use, but are entire trees! Although most fit under household ceilings, some within public venues are famously grand. Nonetheless, they are ultimately as disposable as any other cut foliage. Eventually, after their Christmas season, they become common greenwaste. Other cut foliage is also popular...

UNITED STATES—Chill can be good. Frost can be bad. The difference is 13 degrees Fahrenheit. Chill is at or less than 45 degrees. Frost is at or less than 32 degrees. Chill helps some flora to maintain its seasonal schedule. Frost causes some flora to freeze. Both are limiting factors of home gardening. Both are weather patterns that are...

UNITED STATES—Some vegetation excels at exploitation of wildlife. All sorts of flowers use color and floral form to attract pollinators. Also, many flowers rely on fragrance or flavorful nectar for this same purpose. Furthermore, many flowers employ a combination of such techniques. After pollination, many species produce fruit to draw wildlife to disperse their seed. This includes winter berries. Just...

UNITED STATES—Dormancy is not exclusive to vegetation. Many animals are dormant while they hibernate through cold winter weather. Some animals are dormant while they aestivate through hot and dry weather. Fungi and bacteria can maintain dormancy for many years or centuries. Dormancy is a technique for avoiding unpleasant situations, such as cold or hot weather. Like some animals, fungi and...

UNITED STATES—Rain is at least as relevant as temperature is to the seasons here. Temperature does not change as much. The warmest of summer weather does not seem to be terribly hot. Low humidity helps. The coolest of winter weather is not too terribly cold. Some local climates lack frost. The difference between dry weather and rainy weather is...