Dear Helen: My Barbara Jackman clematis flowered beautifully late in the spring, but now it seems to be dying back. Should I have pruned the plant after it flowered? The weather this summer has been hard on many plantings in the garden.
J.E.
Most types of clematis will flag a bit in a hot summer unless their roots are kept cool and moist. Some gardeners plant annuals or perennials around the bases of the vines to shade the soil. A generous mulching with a nourishing compost as the weather warms in the spring is helpful.
Barbara Jackman blooms in late spring on the previous season鈥檚 growth and again in late summer on the current season's growth. The spring flowering period is usually the more prolific one.
Twice-blooming clematis varieties are among the more complex to manage. For general maintenance, prune the vine lightly in February or early March to remove weak, dead growth and one or two of the oldest (thickest) stems. A further, optional renovation measure would be to prune the stems back by a third, after the first flowering, on only half of the plant. Do the same to the other half the following year.
Dear Helen: Leaves on my east-facing oakleaf hydrangeas have brown, dry spots and blotches. I鈥檝e been told this may be a fungus problem. What should I do? Will the plants die?
W.S.
Leaf spots are not uncommon on hydrangeas, especially when they are watered overhead. Strong morning sun hitting wet parts of the leaves can cause sunscald, which looks like scorched areas. Fungal infections sometimes set in on the injured parts.
Sunscald on plants has been a prominent issue in gardens this summer as a long stretch of dry, hot and sunny weather put plants under stress.
It is unlikely that the plants will die. Consider watering the root areas deeply and then applying a nourishing compost mulch. If you water overhead, do it in the morning so that the foliage is dry in the evening.
Oakleaf hydrangeas are recommended for sun or shade in gardens. They grow wild in dense woodlands of the Appalachian slopes in the southeastern United States.
Dear Helen: The foliage of my bulb onions has begun to turn brown and fall over. What should I do now?
D.L.
Stop watering, and leave the plants for around two weeks. By that time, the top growth should have fully withered. Then lift the bulbs carefully with a digging fork. Do this on a dry day. Place the onions single-layered, with their necks facing downward, in newspaper-lined shallow boxes placed in a dry, warm spot.
Leave them, turning them several times, for 10 to 14 days or until the onions make a rustling sound when you pass a hand lightly over them.
Before storing the bulbs, remove any soft, damaged, or thick-necked bulbs. Clean the rest of any clinging debris and store them in freshly lined, clean shallow boxes in a dry, dark, cool place. Over the winter, a temperature close to and not below freezing is ideal.
Garden events
View Royal meeting. The View Royal Garden Club will meet tonight at 7:30 in Wheeley Hall, 500 Admirals Rd. in Esquimalt. Joshua Wagner from Edible Landscapes Design will speak about permaculture design, food forestry, and creating an edible landscape garden. A judged mini show will feature exhibits from members' gardens and there will be a sale of plants and garden items. Visitors are welcome. Drop-in fee is $5.
In-garden art and music. The Horticulture Centre of the Pacific, 505 Quayle Rd. In Saanich, is hosting its annual Arts & Music in the Gardens on Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 25 and 26, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The event will include live music, a plant sale with master gardeners available to answer questions, a used book sale, food, and family activities. Floral creations by Victoria Floral Artists Guild will be on display around the gardens. Admission $12 adults, seniors and students $10, HCP members and children under 16 free. Parking available in field on Beaver Rd.
Government House nursery. The plant nursery at Government House, 1401 Rockland Ave. in Victoria, is open for public sales from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays through to Aug. 30. The nursery is located opposite the Tea Room. Plants for sale include perennials and grasses at great prices.
