Tinkerbelle's Tips
In just a few weeks it will be Thanksgiving.  Tinkerbelle would like to tell you what she is most thankful for:

First and foremost she is thankful for treats- in the morning when the crew arrives and in the evening when the crew leaves (and any other time!)
Second she is thankful for all the wonderful customers that shop at Hughes! Your many years of loyalty are greatly appreciated!

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November Newsletter
Volume 1, Issue 10

Hardy Banana: Winterize & Spring Start Up

Winterize

There are two ways to prepare your hardy bananas for winter. The first method involves removing most of the leaves, allowing only 1 or 2 central shoots per trunk.  This greatly reduces the mush that accumulates after the first frosts and freezes.  Next wrap trunks up to the 6’ level for a new start at that height the following spring.  One wrapping option is to layer bubble wrap 2” thick. The other is to wrap the trunks with insulation (4”), then burlap and finally with plastic shrink wrap. After the wrapping is complete, surround the area with some 4-6’ high wire fencing, then fill up that enclosed area with fallen tree leaves to create a 6-12” buffer around the entire clump.

The second method to prepare your banana for winter is to simply cut the trunk down to a 2’ level and insulate with compost or leaf mulch. They will return quite well with this technique, but you will not get the dramatic height and growth as with the first method.

Spring Start Up

In early spring, when the tops begin to grow, it is time to remove the fencing material and leaves. Then, a couple weeks later, take off the remaining wrapping.

To really jump start your banana clump, apply 6” of organic matter (compost) mixed with slow release fertilizer to the area around the trunks. This is also a good time to place a soaker hose around the clump and, with a timer, water for 3-4 hours a day, 2-3 times a week throughout the summer. This makes growing-season care fairly minimal.

 
Plants for Winter Interest

In the cold months of winter, once irises, cattails, and other perennials have gone dormant and tender tropical and semitropical plants have been moved indoors, the pond can begin to look bare and lifeless.  By choosing evergreen plants such as rushes, sedges, and sweet flag, as well as winter-blooming varieties like Water Hawthorne, you can enjoy a fully planted pond year-round.

Rushes 

Available in a range of colors and forms, rushes can be planted along the margins of a pond to soften the transition from water to land.  Blue Spreading Rush (Juncus patens), with its blue-green coloring and tall, needle-like foliage, is one of the most popular varieties.  It can be grown in up to 6 inches of water and can reach a height of 20 inches.  Soft rush (Juncus effusus) is a deeper green, taller member of the same genus.  With thicker foliage and a height close to 30 inches, it makes a striking accent at the pond margin.  ‘Unicorn Rush’(Juncus effusus ‘Unicorn’) stands out in any setting with its thick, shiny green leaves that grow in a corkscrew form.  This variety will grow up to 15 inches tall and can be grown in water up to 3 inches over the crown of the plant. A blue version of the corkscrew rush is also available.  Known as Blue Medusa Rush (Juncus inflexus ‘Afro’), it grows to the same height as ‘Unicorn’ but the curly foliage is less tightly curled.

Sedges

Other plants that can be used to camouflage the pond margins and add winter interest are evergreen sedges.  Black Flowering Sedge (Carex nigra) is a low growing variety with steel blue tufts of grass-like foliage.  It can be grown in water up to 4 inches over the crown of the plant and will only grow 6-9 inches tall.  The black “flowers”, which are actually seed heads, sport soft white downy hairs, giving a rich furry appearance in late spring.  Slough Sedge (Carex obnupta) is a taller variety with arching grass-like leaves and dark brown drooping seed heads.  Native to the Pacific Northwest, this species can grow over 3 feet tall and can tolerate up to 8 inches of water over the crown of the plant.

Sweet Flag 

For a splash of bright color in the winter, Sweet Flag or Japanese Rush varieties (Acorus), make ideal additions to the pond edge.  Acorus gramineus ‘Ogon’ is a grass-like plant with glowing green and yellow striped leaves.  This variety grows to about 12 inches tall and can be placed in water up to 1 inch over the pot.  Another cultivar, Acorus gramineus ‘Variegatus’ exhibits the same compact growth habit and grass-like foliage, but has green and cream striping on the leaves.  For a more subdued effect, the plain species Acorus gramineus can be planted for its glossy green leaves.  It grows slightly taller than the variegated forms and can also be placed in water up to 1 inch deep.  Acorus gramineus ‘Pusillus’ is a dwarf form of the same plant that grows no more than 5 inches tall.  This variety makes a wonderful ground cover and can be used at the base of taller evergreens such as the rushes and sedges to accent their height.  Due to its petite size it should be placed in very shallow water less than one inch over the crown.

Water Hawthorne 

In contrast to the marginal plants we have been discussing, the Water Hawthorne thrives in water up to 3 feet deep.  Water Hawthorne is a submerged floating-leaved plant. With the onset of fall and winter, hardy waterlilies go into dormancy, losing their flowers and foliage.  This is the best time to plant Water Hawthorne, a winter-blooming perennial with narrow paddle-shaped green leaves and lovely white flower bracts that give off a warm vanilla scent.  This plant thrives in the fall and winter months and then dies back in the heat of summer, when waterlilies are at their peak.  By growing both Water Hawthorne and Waterlilies, you can ensure that you have coverage of the pond surface throughout the year, which provides protection for fish from predators as well as visual beauty and interest throughout the year.

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