Don't let those leafless shrubs & trees fool you! Tops may be going dormant,

but root systems are still seeking moisture to get through winter. Water

until the soil freezes, especially newly planted trees, shrubs, conifers.

Don't depend upon fall rains to do the job. My sandy-based soil is dry, dry,

dry. Save some mulching material for the new plantings, apply about two

inches deep after ground freezes. Leave at least three inches clear of mulch

around base to avoid crown rot.

A week ago, a garden article in The Detroit News lauded the merits of the

ubiquitous Ladybug. And rightly so. Ladybugs eat aphids, mealybugs, spider

mites, scale, and lots of other plant pests. There are various species. They

can be white, yellow, orange, red, black. Back spots vary is shape and

numbers; some Ladybugs have no back spots at all. But be aware! There is a

Ladybug impostor out there! It's the Mexican bean beetle. These guys are

fatter and rounder in shape than Ladybugs, yellowish-brown to coppery

colored, and always have 16 dots on their backs. Count 'em. Superficial

research shows bean is the only host plant, both for larvae & adults. If your

bean leaves look like lace, this is the culprit. Handpick the beetles, or the

spiny yellow grubs, encourage toad populations with shady, moist hiding spots.

Clean, sharpen, oil tools; cut back perennials; feed lawn mid-November if you

didn't do this last month; disconnect biological pond filters; stop feeding

fish until spring when water warms up; leave netting over pond to protect

them from predators; stop feeding houseplants until spring; give them a daily

misting over winter or set pots on trays with moist pebbles. Pot up

paperwhite narcissus biweekly from mid-November to end of December.

To avoid garden catalog pileup, resolve to deal with catalogs that start

piling in next month. Either order immediately, or dispose of them

immediately, or pass along to a friend whom you know will not toss them out

in case you decide to order in June at which time the item will be "sold

out." As a habitual January lister & June orderer, I speak from experience.

If any member needs to receive more garden catalogs, I have a list. The

designation "SSP" means the seed company has taken the "Safe Seed Pledge"

promising not to sell seed of genetically modified varieties.

Start a garden journal. Buy a leather ring binder, it'll keep better in case

your book becomes a family heirloom. Recount the past season's successes,

failures, new plants, techniques, and plans for 2001. If you've given up

those ugly zinc plant markers, a journal is invaluable for noting, or

diagramming, what you've planted & where. It's a good idea to index your

listings, by plants, plot, month, season, whatever works for you. My journal

is not indexed & dates back to 1982. Thumbing through 18 years of garden

notes to find out what's what or where is time consuming, big time.

Michigan Gardener's November/December issue is the last until next April.

Article on what promises to be our next "designer tree:" Parrotia persica.

Eric Grant, manager at Telly's in Brighton, tells all about it. I need this

tree. It is gorgeous year-around. Neat web site:

Our largest island bed of primarily hosta is getting a covering of ground-up

leaves at this very moment. We are not waiting until the ground freezes due

to lack of storage space or predilection. We are covering every inch of soil,

but not tilling them into soil. I worry about crown rot come spring, but look

forward to earthworms at the same time. Stay tuned.

Grinding Along,

Linda Meadors

Horticulture Chair