Samhair

 

October 2024

Pickaway to Garden

 

Samhair

 

By Paul Hang

 

October is the first full month of fall. The ancient Celts celebrated Samhair at this time of year. They dressed in costumes of animal pelts and lit giant bonfires. At that night the gate between the living and the dead opened and ghosts were able to walk the earth. Christians appropriated the holiday and called it all Saints Day November 1 and the night before, All Hallowed Eve. We call it Halloween.

 

The idea of ghosts roaming the earth gave rise to the tradition of spooky, scary frightening things that go bump on that night. We added witches, black cats, bats, spiders and all number of ghouls and scary creatures and trick or treats. How about decorating with a garden or part of one, a group of houseplants or a centerpiece devoted to scary and creepy plants?

 

Here is my list of some of the best, minus the dangerous ones. I do not recommend that you eat any of them. There are plants with colors representing Halloween like orange and black: Black Elephant ears (Colocasia esculata,’Black Magic’); Black Mondo Grass (Ophiopogon planiscopus ‘Nigrescens’); Candy Corn Plant (Cuphea micropetala); Chinese Lanterns (Physalis alkekengi) poisonous.

 

There are plants with scary names, some resembling scary, bizarre or disgusting things. Bat Head Lily (Tacca chantrieri); Devil’s Claws, there are several variations of the name, (Proboscides parviflora) or (Parvaflora louisianica) are the two I would consider; Brain Cactus (Mammillaria cristata).

 

Some plants with repulsive looks or weird behavior: Begonia ferox (Begonia ferox); the seedpods of common Snapdragon resemble human skulls; Venus Fly Trap (Dionaea muscipula) the most common, there are many cultivars: Sensitive Plant (Mimosa pudica). These latter two are good for younger goblins.

 

Some plants smell bad: Voodoo lily (Amorphophallus ongsakuti) the smallest of this large genus. There are dangerous plants either toxic and poisonous or have thorns. Other plants with name connections to the holiday are: Pumpkin, Snake Plant, Spider Plant, Toad Lily, Broom Corn and Garlic. I have used the Latin names and cultivars because in many instances there are many varieties and many common names for several different plants. Do your research. Don’t be tricked. You will be surprised at how many plants can be found for Halloween. It’s almost scary.

 

Things to do in the garden:

 

For information on fall colors go to The Foliage Network and the Fall Color Map. For Periodic plant and animal life cycles see Natural Phenology Network and visit the Master Gardener Volunteer Phenology Garden at the park in Five Points

 

Hot caps and covers should be made handy in case a frost or freeze is forecast. The coldest temperature usually comes a little after sunrise. The earth radiates heat away and the sun hasn’t climbed high enough to begin heating us. Protect your plants now and a couple more weeks of warmth is likely to follow, with more vegetables and flowers to harvest. Average first frost for south central Ohio is October 23.

 

Bring in the houseplants. Make sure you don’t bring in any bugs with them; a good blast of water from your hose can wash most of them off. Bring the pots into a sheltered spot for a week or so to help the plants acclimate before shocking them with the warmer temperatures of your home. Look up how to overwinter geraniums, begonias, and coleus. Dahlias, glads, tuberous begonias and cannas should be dug and stored in a cool dry place. Most basements are too warm. Caladiums, on the other hand, should be stored at 65 - 70 degrees. Go to ohioline.osu.edu and bring up Factsheet HYG-1244-92 to get specific information on storing Summer Flowering Bulbs.

 

Even into early November, you can plant garlic and shallots. Cloves from store-bought garlic may not work as some are treated to delay sprouting. You can also order favorite varieties from seed catalogs. Separate the cloves and plant 4 inches apart. They will sprout a few inches and take off in spring.

 

 

You can still divide day lilies and iris. Cut back the iris leaves to four-inch fans. Stop feeding your roses but don’t stop giving them water. Consider cutting back your roses halfway if they stop blooming. If you have dormant roses you can still plant them. Spring bulbs can be planted as soon as you get them. Plant them at a depth three times their length; place some bulb food in the hole with them. For a better display plant them in odd numbered groups, not single file. For more impact, plant them in a triangular shaped group with a point facing the spot from where they will be viewed.

 

If you planted trees this year (it is still a good time, until the ground freezes) protect the trunks from gnawing rabbits and other varmints with hardware cloth or the plastic wrap made for this purpose. Older trees can also benefit from this. Research the variety you want to plant. Some trees including evergreens are best planted in the spring.

 

It is not too late to fertilize your lawn. Use a high nitrogen soluble product. You can still sow grass seed. Leave seed heads of native coneflowers and Black-eyed Susans for the birds. Also leave stems for overwintering insects. You can put off most cleanups (but not in the vegetable garden) until next spring! Add mulch around perennials after the ground freezes, if it does. Leave the leaves under trees and planting beds. Rake them off the lawn for mulch or the compost heap. Have your soil tested and apply the recommended amendments. They can be working their way into the soil before spring. Contact the OSU Extension office for instructions and bags for samples. The office can also be contacted with your gardening questions at 740-474-7534.