Glad to be back!

Hello shade gardeners!

Bobbie here in Gloucester Ma.

I have been a member in lurking for almost a year now.  I belonged and
participated for a short time until I got a new computer and for some
reason, I could get messages but not contribute.  Because of a busy life, I
did nothing about it, until this past week when life (gardening) slowed
down.

So, although you may not know me, I feel as though I know you and your
gardens! (and I sometimes did private messages!)  I missed not being able to
contribute or ask questions.

Winter in New England has finally arrived- about a month late.  It is
snowing outside, and before this, I was, well, still am, worried about the
plants out there in my gardens and my clients new plantings.  When one
expects frozen ground and does not get it, or expects winter mulch and the
ground has tendencies to freeze and thaw, it is not good.

I do not understand these climatic changes.  It is hard living on the coast
of MA (north of Boston) anyway, but now, it might be harder on plants.  I
would rather a freezing ground that stays that way.  I think we loose a lot
of plants that might be tender due to the freeze/thaw factor.  What do you
think?

I enjoyed the latest comments on mosses  and followed up on the websites,
and on hydrangeas.  I have 6 major plants of the old mop head hydrangea that
are about 20 ft high and 100 years old. In a row, over a winter brook. They
were overgrown with multiflora rose (why did anyone intoduce that thug to
our area?) for the many years that the property was vacant (about 40 yrs).
I am slowly trying to bring them back.  The pruning thing is hard to
determine because the trunk and major limbs are so big that to cut back to
that would make them look very awkward. Suggestions?

I did a major planting under them this summer from stock culled from a
clients...of campanula takesmania. I love it, with its shiny heart shape
serrated edge leaves and flowers of cream with spots of lavender inside. Had
hundreds of root stock to plug in.  I hope that is the 'place' for this
invasive plant, and I hope it takes over and dwarfs the wild things there
that were.

So brings the question...how does one establish a planting in a wild area?
with a lot of weeding?

Glad to be back to communicate.  And thanks Bob A for helping me do this!

Bobbie
Bobbie Brooks,  MA    zone 6.5
Gardens In An Old Fashioned Way
http://daylily.net/gardens/bobbiebrooks.htm
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