Wild Pacific Trail, Tofino, BC. Photo by Amanda Jarrett

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The Garden Website for January

New: The International Rose Test Garden in Portland
 January Introduction -  January Plant Combo - Amanda's Garden Blog - January Garden Chores 
January Garden Stars - Plant Police 
Houseplants 101 - Winter Pruning - Pruning Grapes
January Arrangement - Need Help? - For the Tropical Gardener - Plant of the Month: Himalayan Sweet Box

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Male Japanese skimmia blossoms.

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January ​Intro

Happy New Year and congratulations for making it through 2018!
January the perfect time to make plans for the upcoming gardening year as gardening takes a back seat this month. Seed and plant catalogues become my favorite reading material as I dream of purchasing new plant introductions and jaw-dropping lovelies. I enjoy imagining the possibilities and taking note of plants that strike my fancy. If only I have a larger garden, more sun and a bigger budget-oh my....

There’s lots of things I have in mind for 2019, including a new garden in the back yard. It was supposed to get done last year, but alas, I ran out of time.  In my defense, 2018 went by way too fast; it's 2019 already. What the? 

I hope that wherever you live, your gardening year is a good one with more successes than failures. 
​All the best to you for 2019 and happy gardening.
Cheers,
Amanda

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Roses Galore!

I took lots of pictures when I visited Portland's International Rose Test Garden. I highly recommend this beautiful and educational garden, for more click here. 

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Prune Shrubs into trees

Check out my blog or make an appointment to learn how, click here. 

Before

After

Amanda's Garden Blog

• Pruning Shrubs into Trees
• Portland's International Rose Test Garden
• 10 Steps to Festive Planter
• Christmas Tree Selection 
• Collecting & Saving Seeds
• Heritage Vancouver 6th Garden Tour
• The Dunbar Garden Tour 2018
• Easy Roses Do Exist.. Really!
• Dart's Hill, A Garden Park
• VanDusen Botanical Gardens Visit
• Tall Kale Tales
• Northwest Flower & Garden Show, Seattle
• Pruning in Winter
• Pruning & Training Grape Vines in Winter
• Insects & Diseases Control with Dormant Spray
• Why Christmas cactus Don't Blossom
• A Quickie Festive Swag
• Putting the Garden to Bed
• How to Drain Soggy Soil
• A Visit to the Arizona - Sonora Desert
• Banana, Palm Tree Winter Protection
• Lasagna Gardening, Sheet Mulching
• Saving Geraniums, Coleus, Bougainvilleas & Other Tender Plants 
• Spiders Everywhere - Oh My!
• Tomato Troubles & Soil Solarization
• Trees That Drip That Sticky Stuff
• Balcony Bliss
• One Huge Beetle! 
• A Summer's Day Harvest
• The Dunbar Garden Club Private Tour
• Leaky Birdbaths and Slug Free Strawberries
• Easy Roses
• Oops... Wrong Plant, Wrong Place
• I Had An Ugly Lawn...

To subscribe to my blog click here. 

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Winter pansies tolerate below freezing temperatures and don't mind snow.

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Garden SEMINARS At Lee Valley Tools, Vancouver

Pruning Trees & Shrubs

• Thursday, January 31, 12:30 to 3:30
• Learn how to prune trees and shrubs properly at this informative seminar. Seating is limited. Fee $45.00. For more info click here. Please register early to avoid disappointment. To purchase tickets  call 604-261-2262 ​

​Lazy Gardening: Low Maintenance Techniques for Gardeners

• Friday, February 1, 12:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.
• Learn how to make gardening easier and more efficient with professional tips and tricks. Seating is limited. Fee: $30.00. For more info click here. Please register early to avoid disappointment. To purchase tickets  call 604-261-2262 ​

​Lawn Care for a Healthy Lawn 

• Saturday, February 16, 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
• Say good bye to lawn grubs and grow a healthy lawn by using effective techniques and proper lawn maintenance. Seating is limited. Fee: $25.00. For more info click here. Please register early to avoid disappointment. To purchase tickets  call 604-261-2262 ​

Gardening for Curb Appeal

• Saturday, February 16, 1:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
• Are you selling your house or are you not happy with how the house and garden looks? Learn how to improve its appearance without breaking the bank. Seating is limited. Fee: $30.00. For more info click here. Please register early to avoid disappointment. To purchase tickets  call 604-261-2262 ​

​​Gardening in the Spring

• Saturday, March 16, 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
• Amanda will guide you through the spring garden chores such as seed starting, cleaning up beds, fertilizers, soil health, making new beds and lots more. Seating is limited. Fee $30.00. For more info click here. Please register early to avoid disappointment. To purchase tickets  call 604-261-2262 ​

 Garden Design Tips & Techniques

• Saturday, March 16, 1:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
• Learn design principles, plant selection, creating a garden plan, how to make garden rooms and much more. Seating is limited. Fee: $45.00. For more info click here. Please register early to avoid disappointment. To purchase tickets  call 604-261-2262 ​

How to Grow Your Own Food Naturally

• Thursday April 25,12:00 p.m. to 4:00
• Discover techniques for pest management, fertilizing, composting and watering, all without chemicals. Seating is limited. Fee: $40.00. For more info click here.​ Please register early to avoid disappointment. To purchase tickets  call 604-261-2262 ​​

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Prune your Garden ​with Amanda

Amanda will takes the guesswork out of pruning your garden when shows you how. Take the fear and uncertainty out of pruning and gain confidence. Your plants will thank you. For more information and to register click here.

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January ​Garden Stars

Japanese skimmia, Skimmia japonica, broadleaf evergreen, 3-4ft x 4-5ft. Fragrant flowers in winter and spring. Female plants bear red berries. Need a male plant to produce berries. Part to full shade. Zones 6 to 8.

Chinese witch hazel, Hamamelis mollis, 10 - 15ft tall & wide, fragrant blooms Jan to March, sun to part shade. Zones 5 to 8.

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Hellebore, lenten rose, 18 -24" x 24". Partial shade, blooms Feb to May, herbaceous perennial. Zones 4 to 9.

Winter heath, Erica carnea, 1ft x 2ft, flowers, Dec to April, sun to light shade, broadleaf evergreen, ground cover, Zones 5 to 8.

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Oso Happy Smoothie landscape rose hips, deciduous shrub, full sun, 2ft x 2ft, Zones 4 to 9.

Winter jasmine, Jasminium nudiflorum, deciduous vine, 10 to 15ft, sun to shade, Zones 6 to 10.

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Dawn viburnum, V. x bodnantense 'Dawn', deciduous shrub, 8 to 10ft x 4 to 6ft, full sun, part shade. Zones 5 to 7.

Rainbow dog hobble, Leucothoe fontanesiana 'Rainbow', broadleaf evergreen, 3 to 5ft x 1.5ft, part sun. Zones 5 to 9.

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January ​ PLANT COMBO

Fragrant olive (Osmanthus fragrans), Himalayan Sweet Box (Sarcococca hookeriana var. humilis), Chinese witch hazel (Hamamelis mollis), lily of the Valley shrub (Pieris japonica).

A fragrant combination in Bear Creek Park, Surrey, B.C looks good all year long, even in the depths of winter. All are broadleaf evergreens except for the Chinese witch hazel, the vase shaped plant with yellow flowers on the right. The ground cover is Himalayan sweet box. To the left is fragrant olive, and behind it is lily-of-the-valley shrub. 

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plant police

Ouch!

This tree, identity unknown, was topped. It is obvious that the perpetrator of the heinous crime had no idea what they were doing. If this tree's branches were hitting the house, a better idea would have been to remove those offending branches. Cutting all the limbs off a tree results in erroneous growth called suckers.

Suckers look weird compared to regular branches as they grow upright with little or no branches and rarely produce flowers or fruit. This lush and vigorous growth does not come from a tree's core like normal branches; they arise from just under the bark. Because they are not firmly attached to a tree's core, this errant growth is easily torn from the tree making topped trees extremely unsafe. This specimen has been cut back way too far so it's best to dig it up. Before doing so, I think it would be a good idea to confiscate the pruning tools from whomever butchered this poor tree. For more on pruning click here.

This tree has been topped. Suckers have replaced the branches, which are easily dislodged.

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houseplants 101

Success with houseplants depends on providing them with correct light and water for the type of plant.

• Happy houseplants need the appropriate light and water. To find out their care, you need to know the name; preferably the botanical name (keep those name tags). Research how much light and water they require on the internet and/or use reference books. If you don't know a plant's botanical name, it's common name may work, but check the images to make sure you have the right one. 
• If your houseplants are pale, leggy and lack vigor, they probably need more light. Not only are the daylight hours shorter this time of year, the sun is weak and lacks intensity. Place plants in front of your sunniest window and if that isn’t good enough, use grow lights or 2 fluorescent light bulbs: one cool and one warm in the same unit. Use a timer and keep it on for 12 hours, 2 to 6 inches away from the plants.
• Inspect plants often, especially if they are losing leaves, yellowing and looking sad. Look under the foliage for tiny insects that look like dust, teeny white flies, small webbing and/or tiny black droppings. When pests are detected spray with a solution of dish-washing liquid and lukewarm water. Just add enough soap to make it sudsy. Another option for total coverage is to dip small plants upside down in a sink full of warm soapy water. For large houseplants, give them a soapy sponge bath. Don’t worry about getting soap on the soil as it will also kill any surface insects. Repeat in 7 days until the insects are no longer present. 
• Houseplants are more prone to insects and disease when they are not receiving correct care. For example, spider mites appear with inadequate water and rot occurs with too much. 
• Water houseplants when the soil is dry to the touch about ½ in depth. Use lukewarm water, not cold nor hot, to cover the entire soil surface. For cacti and succulents, water when the soil is dry, but not bone dry so the soil has shrunk away from the pot. It’s a good idea to check on all your houseplants at least once a week.
• Plants that need watering daily or every other day have outgrown their pots and need to be re-potted into a larger pot. Select a container 1 or 2 inches larger, no more. This prevents over-watering and root rot.
• A nice misting is a treat for all houseplants, especially orchids and bromeliads as they naturally grow in humid environments.
• Close the drapes or just keep houseplants away from frozen windows when temperatures exceed minus 5 degrees.
• Dusty plants appreciate a wipe down with a damp cloth. A little dish-washing liquid doesn’t hurt, but isn’t necessary. Avoid using yogurt, mayonnaise and commercial leaf cleaning solutions as they clog plant pores and attract even more dust. 

Spider mites create a mottled appearance on the foliage. Look for their fine cobwebs under the foliage and in nooks and crannies.

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Winter Pruning 

Remove suckers and watersprouts. They are easy to spot as they grow vertically. Cut them off at their base.

Learn How to Prune in Your Garden!
If pruning your own plants seems a bit daunting, and you don't know where to start, Amanda will show you how. Take the fear and uncertainty out of pruning and gain confidence. Your garden will thank you. For more information and to register click here.

This is the perfect time to remove errant and unhealthy growth on trees and shrubs. Choose a mild and dry day. Keep in mind that pruning should not be used to decrease a tree’s size, but to improve its health. To restrict growth and lessen suckers, prune in summer.

Before breaking out the pruning gear think about what you want to achieve. Winter pruning promotes lots of new shoots in spring, so it is not a good idea to cut plants back if want to encourage a new growth. If a plant is too big for its britches, remove obnoxious branches or consider removing it.  Replace it with something more suitable in early spring or fall.
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If you are contemplating cutting back all the limbs from a tree because it is too big – please don't. This insidious and heinous act is referred to as ‘topping’. Tall trees have huge root systems that extend far beyond their canopy so don’t worry they will fall down. Nature is too smart for that. Do remove branches if they are in the way of pedestrians or touching the house. Either remove the entire branch or back to a side branch. A properly pruned tree should look as though it wasn't pruned at all - really and truly, honest. 

If you want to shorten a branch, cut it back to another branch or remove it entirely.

• To improve a plant’s health, remove dead, diseased, crossing and broken branches as well as suckers, water sprouts, weak, spindly and old growth.
• On shrubs cut branches at a node, the point at which one branch or twig attaches to another.
• For trees cut back branches where a branch attaches to another or remove the branch at the trunk, just above the branch collar. 
• Prune summer and fall flowering plants if needed. Clematis: Group B: midseason flowering clematis, Virginia creeper, Boston ivy and winter flowering jasmine (Jasminum nudiflorum) once flowers have faded.
• Cut back the stems of butterfly bush by 2/3rds and remove old, non-coloured stems of red and green twigged dogwoods so new colourful ones can take their place.
• Prune the side shoots of wisteria, grapes, fruit trees to 2 to 3 buds to promote for flowering (and fruit).
• The best time to prune most plants is right after they have finished blooming. Do NOT prune any spring flowering plants during the winter, as you will be removing their flowers: forsythia, camellia, rhododendron, azalea, ornamental cherries, magnolias, lilacs, alpine currants, quince, crab apples, kerria, beautybush, bridal wreath spirea, hawthorn, mountain laurel (Kalmia sp.), mock orange. 
• Trees that bleed: refrain from pruning trees that are disease prone and ones that produce copious amounts of sap when cut in the winter: Japanese ornamental cherry trees, Japanese maples, elms, birches. They are best pruned during the summer. 
• Roses that bloom only once a year. Pruning them now will remove their flowers for the year: ramblers, damask, moss roses. A good rule to follow is to prune roses right after they finish flowering.  
• For more on Winter Pruning click here.

Wait until summer to prune ornamental cherries as they are prone to bacterial blight, which leads to their demise.

Pruning Grapes

Cut back side shoots to a few buds (nodes).

Prune back grape plants now, while they are dormant. To train grape plants, prune off the lower branches so the grape vines have one main trunk. From that main stem, keep just a couple of lateral branches, one on each side of the trunk. Tie each of the side branches along a fence, wire or other form of a lateral, horizontal support. Along these lateral branches are other stems. Cut back each of these stems to two to four buds. You'll be left with a scrawny plant when you are finished, but along each one of those stems that you cut back to a few buds, flowers will form, which will develop into grapes. For more on pruning grapes click here.

This diagram shows how to prune a grape vine when it is dormant.

January ​Garden Chores

Spray dormant oil/lime sulfur on bare trees & shrubs, including fruit trees, prone to insects and diseases on deciduous trees and shrubs

Click on any green items below to be redirected to a relevant page for more information. 

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• Kill Overwintering Pest & Diseases: Apply dormant oil and lime sulfur to kill overwintering pests and diseases on ornamental cherries, roses, fruit trees and other deciduous (lose leaves in fall) trees and shrubs. Conditions must be dry with no rain, snow or frost predicted for 2 days with temperatures at least 5 degrees Celsius. That means you have to wait just before spring. Here in the Southwest BC, late January to early February is ideal because our climate is temperate. For the rest of Canada apply in February or March. Ask your local garden centre for the right time for your area. Read more…
• Prune: It is time to prune dormant plants before they start to sprout, but only if they need it. Pruning should not be used to decrease a tree’s size, but to improve its health. If a plant is too big for its space, then remove it and replace it with something more suitable in early spring or fall.
• Prune: wisteria, grapes and apple trees by cutting back side shoots to a few buds.

When branches cross and rub, remove all or one of the offending branches.

• After a Winter Storm: Tour the garden. Be on the lookout for broken branches, ones too close to power lines and overhead cables, clogged storm drains, downed trees, tossed furniture and the like. Call the power company if power lines are down asap and do stay clear of them. 
• Soggy soils, flooding: Make note of flooded areas and where puddles fail to drain after 24 hours. Try to determine where the water is flowering from and where it’s settling so you can install a French drain when conditions improve.  Read more..

When soggy soil is an issue, installing a French drain is a viable and easy option.

• Snow: Snow is a great insulator and protects plants from the cold – so there is no need to remove it from plants unless it is heavy and threatens to break branches.
• Heavy Snow: Be armed with a long handled broom to remove snow from evergreens. Heavy snow bends and breaks conifer branches and broadleaf evergreens. Evergreen magnolias, Magnolia grandiflora, are prone to breakage as their branches are brittle and easily snap off under the weight of heavy snow. Snow also distorts and destroys pyramidal and round shaped evergreens so wrap them with twine to preserve their pristine shapes. 
• Ice: Don’t try to remove or melt ice from plants as this ends up breaking branches causing even more damage. Don’t use salt on frozen driveways and sidewalks; it will damage surrounding plants. Use sand, organic kitty litter, or sawdust.
• Lawns: Remember not to walk or drive on frozen lawns. 

Walking on frosty lawns causes irreparable damage.

• Wash dirty pots: Get ready for sowing seeds by cleaning all plant pots, cell packs, starter packs, drainage trays and the like. Soak in soapy water with some bleach.
• Catalogues: Order seeds, plants and plant supplies so you’ll be set for sowing seeds and planting.
• Outside Planters: Make sure outside containers get a drink if they are under eaves and away from rain. For containers in the open, make sure they are not flooded, and move to a more sheltered location if needed. Don’t worry about snow as it is a great insulator, but do brush it off if it’s squishing the plants underneath.
• Winter Pansies: They are tough, but cover them with old sheets, cloth or even newspapers if temperatures dip to -1 Celsius (30 F) for more than 10 nights.

Protect new trees and evergreens from animals with wire mesh, tree wrap or burlap.

• Animal Damage: It’s tough out there for wildlife during the winter so don’t be surprised if they nibble at tree bark and evergreen foliage. Protect plants with wire fencing, chicken wire, tree wrap or burlap. Don’t forget to remove protection in spring.
• Down South: In warmer zones, watch out from surprise frosts by keeping an eye on the temperature, especially on cloudless nights. Use tablecloths, old sheets and other breathable fabric to cover your favorite frost tender plants.
• Birdies: They need our help during the winter as their food supply is scarce. Keep bird feeders, including suet well stocked and don’t forget the humming bird feeders.

These boxwood cuttings will be ready to pot into individual pots in late spring.

• Take Cuttings: ​Take hardwood cuttings of most shrubs and vines. If you are not sure which ones are suitable, experiment and see what happens; you might get lucky. 
• Dahlias, Glads etc: Check dahlias and other stored bulbs. Discard any rotten ones. Mist them if they are too dry and shriveling.
• Thawing: Warm temperatures fool plants into thinking it is spring so they start to grow. Their new tender foliage is killed when the cold weather ultimately returns. These temperature fluctuations causes the soil to expand and contract, which dislodges plant roots. If this happens, firm dislodged plants back into the ground and add a few inches of a winter mulch over top the plant and surrounding soil.

Seattle's Northwest Flower and Garden Show is one of the many garden conventions held in the off season.

• Gardening Shows & Conventions: February is a big month for the horticulture industry to showcase their best and brightest. Go online for anything that interests you and reserve your tickets asap. To check out my blog on the Northwest Flower & Garden Show in Seattle click here. 
• Winter interest: Visit your local nursery and check out what is looking good: dwarf pines, spruce, junipers and other evergreen conifers, azaleas, heathers and other broadleaf evergreens, red twig dogwood, paperbark maples and other plants with attractive stems and bark.

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January Arrangement

Chinese witch hazel, sweet box, Pink Dawn viburnum, Japanese skimmia, lily-of-the-valley shrub, winter heath, winter jasmine, heavenly bamboo, stinking hellebore, silver dollar seed heads.

Click here for more floral arrangements.

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Plant of the month
Himalayan Sweet Box, Sarcococca hookeriana  

The white fragrant dwarf Himalayan sweet box flowers and their shiny black fruit.

Mature, non-dwarf Himalayan sweet box often reach 5ft x 6ft.

Dwarf Himalayan sweet box grows to 2 feet x 4 feet and makes a perfect ground cover for shade.

Birds like the showy and shiny black berries.

Their simple foliage is shiny, deep green and leathery.

A tree becomes more important when surrounded by dwarf Himalayan sweet box at the Shadbolt Centre of the Arts, Burnaby, BC.

​Common Name:  Himalayan sweet box
Botanical Name: Sarcococca hookeriana
Form:   vase
Family: Buxaceae
Genus: Sarcococca
Species: hookeriana
Plant Type:  broadleaf evergreen
Mature Size: 2 to 5 feet x 2 to 6 feet
Growth: medium
Origin: Himalayas, China
Hardiness Zone: 6 to 8
Foliage: 3 1/2" long x to 3/4" wide, deep green, leathery and evergreen with a pointed tip. 
Flowers: ½ inch long, white tubular fragrant flowers in leaf axils in winter into April. Monoecious, male and female flowers on the same plant.
Fruit: red berries that ripen into 1/3 inch shiny black fruit
Stems: green
Exposure: partial shade to shade
Soil: moist
Uses: groundcover, woodlands, fragrant gardens, shrub border, low hedge, naturalizing, shady slopes, winter interest, foundation planting, erosion control, dry shade, massing.   
Propagation:  underground runners, semi-hardwood cuttings in late summer
Pruning: after flowers to keep plants compact
​Problems:  none
Cultivars: Dwarf sweet box, S. hookeriana var. humilis, is low growing and compact, 1-2 feet tall x 2 to 4 feet.
Comments: This versatile shade loving broadleaf evergreen shrub looks good all year long. It’s small, white tubular fragrant flowers blossom start flowering in the beginning of the year and into the spring. Their showy, shiny black berries are attractive and linger on the plants. Plants slowly spread through underground suckers, but not considered invasive. Does well in moist soil and benefits from being mulched. Water in extreme heat.

Sweet box don't like full sun as this pale, bleached out specimen can attest to.

Clusters of fragrant white tubular flowers form at the leaf axils.

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Need Help?

Need help figuring what to do in your garden? Make an appointment for Amanda to come to your garden to show you how to grow food, sow seeds, prune, design beds etc.  Need help trying to figure out how to get the garden ready for spring? Get Amanda to teach you the ropes by making an appointment here. 

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Job Postings 

​For landscapers looking for work and landscape companies looking to hire.
If you are looking for work or if you wish to post a position please go to Job Postings.​

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THE GARDEN WEBSITE INDEX

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​About & Services ​                        Contact ​                         Job Postings ​              Ask Amanda                     Classes & Workshops

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Learn How to Garden Introduction 

• Planting Know How
• Soil Building
• Cover Crops
• Composting
• Compost Tea

 ​ Growing Food Introduction

• Crop Succession, Crop Rotation, Companion Planting

​Pruning
Lawns

Container Growing 101

• Choosing a Container

Monthly Flower Arrangements
Growing Roses Introduction 

• Types of Roses
• Climbing Roses
• Rose Insects & Diseases
• Pruning Roses

Mulching & Types Introduction

• Living Mulches – Groundcovers​

Fertilizing & Feeding Plants Introduction

• Fertilizers & Ratios
• Nutritional Deficiencies & Toxicities
• Organic Plant Food

Propagation Introduction

• Growing Seed Outdoors
• Growing Seed Indoors
• Taking Cuttings

​Amanda’s Blog
Plant of the Month

for the tropical Gardener

While working in Florida as horticultural consultant, it became apparent that there was a need for a book on tropical shrubs. There are so many wonderful shrubs to choose from, so I wrote a reference book to make the selections easier. Ornamental Tropical Shrubs includes pictures in full colour and information about the plants in point form. So if you live in the tropics and subtropics and need a reference book on tropical shrubs, or you just want to have a look-see click here. 

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Love plants, love to garden. ​
​Amanda's Garden Company
The Garden Website ​

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