Garden Siren Call

(Top photo) Ornamental C. Karl Foerster grass got really big after not being divided for decades; (middle) the grass is nearly completely removed using sharp shovel and hand saw; (above) A smaller replacement to the grass dubbed Goliath. The ornamental grass from Hell stood before us as a wall of grass. "Take me on!" It seemed to scream. And so we did, last week, on a grass dubbed Goliath. Many gardener experts consider dividing ornamentals as "not for the faint of heart," and that's the truth. Two of us tackled the C. Karl Foerster grass gone wild. It had been almost 20 years (2001 or so) since the pricey grass was purchased and planted in a new garden at the time. A ton of good black dirt covered the clay soil of the new garden plot, and the plant was in a sunny location. It thrived. Since it was planted, husband Steve was not allowed to trim it in the autumn; it has been left to the critters who live here in rural Scott County. One year, for ...

Implements used to divide overgrown Zebra grass A wheelbarrow load of what was removed The much smaller Zebra grass is replanted About a week ago the blog author blithely reminded readers it was time to divide perennials. Springtime is the best time to do this, of course, because the soil tends to be easy to work. Rainfall is expected on a regular basis. Dividing perennials also means the plants will remain healthy and at a usable height. So what happens when an ornamental grass has not been divided in many years? It becomes dead in the middle, and overgrown on the edges. Unsightly. Dividing such plants is "not for the faint of heart," advises garden experts on YouTube, among other sites. Try an Internet search of "divide Miscanthus," and a number of suggestions will appear. The use of reciprocating saws, DeWalt pavement breaker hammers, are among the implements cited as useful. In Scott County, Iowa, one determined gardener set up the radio n...

Shasta daisies are coming up; this patch is about 12 feet long and five feet wide; it needs to be divided this spring. The ornamental grass (at left) will also be divided. The message from one of Iowa's top gardeners contained some dreaded news: The best time to divide ornamental grasses, and perennials like Shasta daisies, is in the early spring. Dreaded, because the note arrived in late July, when this homeowner had some extra time to divide the items in question. Springtime is busy enough, without facing a bank of flowers that really should be divided. How to accomplish this? After some thought, it was decided to shovel a path through the Shasta daisies, just as they are emerging from the earth. This patch was first planted about 15 years ago and has grown to be about 12 feet long and six feet wide. It has never, ever, been divided. Richard Juaron, professor, Iowa State University, is an expert on gardening in Iowa, often quoted in newspapers and as a guest on publi...