| Posted on Saturday, October 04, 2003 - 09:38 am: |   |
Saturday, Oct. 4
Well, Autumn has arrived for sure--had our first frost overnight on Oct. 2. Tomatoes and cucumbers are zapped and will need cleaned up. Unfortunately, it is raining AGAIN today! I guess I'll spend part of the day surfing the web  . Even if the rain stops it will be too wet to do much of anything outside. Perhaps tomorrow will be a better day for outdoor work.
I need to remove tomatoes and then move bog plants from side of pond to plant in their place for the winter--Siberian iris, dwarf sweet flag, and cardinal plant.
I also want to gather clematis seeds, if any are ripe and have survived the wet weather, and rose hips for growing in the spring.
I took some cuttings from two coleus, an orange-red flowering begonia, and a pale pink double flowered impatiens growing in planters at my workplace. The coleus has rooted so I need to pot it up and try to keep it alive over the winter. Don't know if I'll have luck rooting the other two or not.
I am expecting some brugmansia cuttings from GB Karmahappytoes this week. That will be a whole new experience for me! Hope I can get some of them to grow. I've admired the plants, but never tried to grow them before.
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| Posted on Thursday, October 09, 2003 - 05:48 pm: | |
Thursday, Oct. 9
Got the brug cuttings on Monday and am trying the easy way--rooting them in water. One already has little white 'nubbies.' Should be an interesting experience!
On Sunday I planted some tulip bulbs, a few Stargazer lily and a couple red asiatic lily bulbs.
I gathered a few garlic chive seeds, a few clematis seeds and rose hips on Sunday. I'm watching some other rose hips and clem seeds. There are hips on roses Lafter, Pat Austin, Knock Out, Livin' Easy, Heritage, Abe Darby, Gabriel Noyelle, Prairie Sunrise and Orange Ruffels I want to collect before the weather turns nasty. The few seeds on clem Ernest Markham that look like they are pollinated are taking their own good time ripening.
I have a dozen more tulips to plant. I was going to do them this afternoon--came home a few hours early from work, since the weather has been beautiful this week. But I decided I really needed to do some cleanup in the goldfish pond. I pulled out tons of pickeral reed and parrot feather. It was bursting through pots and growing on the floor of the plastic pond. My hands and fingernails are purple from the PR! I also repotted some hardy waterlilies that were forming woody centers. The pond looked awful when I was done--muddy and brown. I changed the filter and hope the goldfish survive the mess. They are descendants of a dozen feeder goldfish put in the pond about 4 years ago. I'll check it in the morning before I go to work.
I hope to get the tulip bulbs in the ground this weekend, before the weather changes for the worst again! |
| Posted on Saturday, October 11, 2003 - 07:19 pm: | |
Saturday, Oct. 11
It was a beautiful, sunny autumn day today. I got several jobs accomplished in the yard. Hope to do a little more tomorrow--supposed to have another nice day.
I discovered the filter hose in the pond was aimed at the net I put over the pond to keep falling leaves out. Half the water in the pond dripped out along the wooden frame between Thursday afternoon and this morning! I fixed that problem and refilled the pond. Hope the fish survive this cleaning fiasco.
On Friday I brought home a tree peony (either pink or red since it had two tags on it, but it was not named)
and a Silver Scrolls heuchera.
They were 30% off--not a big discount, but I decided to buy them anyway. I'm hoping the peony isn't a dud! I dug a really big hole today and planted the peony, planted some tulips around it, moved a rose 'Paul Ricault' that was not getting enough sun, planted the heuchera in that spot, pulled out some more dead tomato and cucumber plants, and did a tiny bit of weeding. I'm bushed! Time for bed |
| Posted on Monday, October 13, 2003 - 04:44 pm: | |
Monday, Oct. 13
Uh-oh, stopped at Lowe's on Sunday, where they had their plants at 50% off--came home with this!
Corylus avellana 'Contorta.' I'd better not stop at any more nurseries this fall. I dug a big hole for it yesterday. Do they have a support group for compulsive plant buyers? In my own defense, this is one plant I've wanted for a while (along with a cutleaf Japanese maple and a weeping cherry), so I decided to get this one while it was on clearance.
I also finished removing dead tomato plants and planted my marginal pond plants in the garden on Saturday.
Apparently a bear came through our yard on Friday night. He left a large spoor sample and leveled both of my wood mulch piles--spreading them over a 20 square foot area. I heard neighborhood dogs barking but didn't actually see the critter. That's just as well! Luckily, he didn't try to get inside our chainlink fenced property where most of my gardening is done! |
| Posted on Wednesday, October 15, 2003 - 07:23 pm: | |
Wed., Oct. 15
We had strong wind and rain storms overnight. I was so happy to see that the tree peony and contorta were both still in one piece! Very windy all day long as well. No gardening done since Sunday. I'm hoping to do some mulching on the weekend. Weather is to be colder, but no rain is currently being forecasted. We can hope! |
| Posted on Monday, October 20, 2003 - 12:08 pm: | |
Mon., Oct. 20
I was able to spread some mulch around the garden beds on Saturday. The weather was partly sunny and cool. Sunday I made the big mistake of stopping at a garden center--I left with a 50% off Yoshino cherry tree in a 5 gallon pot for $9.50. It was labeled Yoshino and has cherry-type leaves, but has a very weeping habit so I'm not really sure what kind of cherry it is. If it survives the winter I'll have a better chance of identifying it next spring. I spent 4 hours digging one hole that filled with water, then digging a second hole in another spot, planting the tree, and mulching, and caging against deer predation. I should have been mulching the rest of the existing plants instead of planting something new, but I can't resist a bargain--and I had planned to look for a weeping-type cherry tree in the spring. Now, if only the garden center would put their grasses on sale for 75% off, I have a spot for a tall grass!
In a book about flowering trees and shrubs I borrowed from the library (Trees and Shrubs for Flowers by Glyn Church) I saw a beautiful photo of the maple 'Trompenburg' with an orange azalea. The combination was stunning! I'm starting to think about where I might plant a similar duo and considering adding it to my spring buying list! I've always wanted a deciduous azalea anyway! |
| Posted on Monday, October 20, 2003 - 04:02 pm: | |
P.S. to previous post: I took another look at the cherry tree I planted and it is apparently less 'weeping' than I originally thought. I guess I saw what I wanted to see! The branches are more horizontal than upright. Still, for $9.50, if the thing grows and flowers in the spring, I'll be satisfied, even if it isn't a weeping variety. I did plant it in a place with lots of room. |
| Posted on Monday, October 20, 2003 - 06:34 pm: | |
PPS: The book with the azalea/maple photo was actually Trees and Shrubs for Fragrance by the same author--I had borrowed both books from the library and some information is duplicated in each book. Lovely photos and informative text. I think there are other books in the same series. |
| Posted on Saturday, November 01, 2003 - 04:30 pm: | |
Sat., Nov. 1
A new month--winter isn't far behind. Last weekend I spread some mulch around roses, collected some rose hips and a few clematis seeds. I removed some sedum acre--it is the worst pest, taking over lots of area. I'm going to need to cover and re-mulch some areas in the spring where it has spread so badly, hoping to smother it. I have so much more to remove. In the spring I hope to clean up other thugs such as lemon balm, evening primrose, and lamb's ears.
Yesterday was a beautiful day--sunny and warm. Unfortunately, I had to work all day! Today was in the 60s, but cloudy and a drizzle over night. This morning I bought a Ninebark 'Diablo' for $5 and planted it. I hope it has enough time to settle in before really cold weather arrives. Gardenbug's comments on the plant helped me to decide to buy it.
Most of the leaves on the trees are gone, except for the oaks and some birches. Here are views looking up and down our driveway. I love the spruce trees and the tunnel-effect they make.
Another item for the spring garden list: re-do the bed in the front of the house!
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| Posted on Sunday, November 09, 2003 - 09:01 am: | |
Sun., Nov. 9
Saturday was partly sunny and in the 40s. I collected a few more rose hips and clematis seeds. I also transplanted a peony that had done nothing for the last few years. I know it's late for this kind of thing but I felt like doing it, so I did. If I lose it, it won't be any great loss. I had no idea peony roots were big, fat rhizomes! No wonder it's suggested not to disturb established plants.
Watched part of the lunar eclipse. It was 32F at 8 p.m.
This morning at 8 a.m. it was 22F. Concrete bird baths were frozen to the bottom. Time to clean them out now and put them away. The freezing temperature turned the last two tomato plants I had in the unheated greenhouse to mush, so I cut them down. I should have brought one of the plants into the house for the next few days, because I think our weather is going to get a little warmer again. Oh, well!
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| Posted on Sunday, November 23, 2003 - 02:19 pm: | |
Sun., Nov. 23
Hadn't done much in the garden for the last couple of weeks. But we had two beautiful days this weekend, sunny and in the 60s. I puttered around for a few hours, spreading mulch, pulling up a few weeds, just enjoying the warm, sunny weather, 'cause I know it won't last! I felt like planting more bulbs, but the local home improvement store was out.  I wouldn't mind too much if our winter was similarly warmer than normal. |
| Posted on Monday, December 01, 2003 - 07:23 am: | |
Mon., Dec. 1
Wow, another month gone already--how time flies. I hope the winter flies by just as quickly!
Had a nice Thanksgiving with family members. Older DS and DIL visited from NJ (just married in July) and it was nice to have them.
We had snow on Friday/Saturday. I didn't do anything in the garden, but Sunday was a sunny but cold and windy day. I went into my little greenhouse and enjoyed the warmth there (no plants in it now) and sorted through plant markers and tags that I had thrown here and there. I have a stack of tags for plants I no longer have and a larger one of plants I still grow. Sometime I should organize them better :) |
| Posted on Saturday, December 06, 2003 - 11:06 am: | |
Sat., Dec. 6
It looks like winter here--12 inches of white stuff on the ground :) I'm feeling extremely lazy today, but I should be baking cookies or something!
I walked down and spent a couple minutes in my greenhouse. It is unheated and no plants inside, but because the sun is shining it's cozy and warm. I'm looking forward to spring. I plan to do some winter sowing, but won't do it until after the holidays, unless I feel the need to play in some dirt! |
| Posted on Wednesday, December 17, 2003 - 10:47 am: | |
Wed., Dec. 17
I've done nothing in the garden lately, but the seed catalogs have started arriving. I have some seed I collected from plants in my garden and I'm making a list to order some. I am going to try winter sowing them after the holidays. It will give me a chance to play in the dirt and try a new way of starting plants.
I've developed new respect for annuals, especially self seeding ones. I always thought it would be so much trouble to try starting them indoors before it warmed up enough outside, and I hated paying $$ for plants that would only grow for one season and not return for the next! I'm too cheap, I guess, and I wanted to spend money on plants that would return year after year. But I never really understood that some annuals will readily self sow and others can be started by collecting seed and broadcasting it on the ground or winter sowing them in containers. So this will open a whole new window on gardening for me.
On Monday I bought myself a small garden statue, a gift that 'Santa' is going to give me for Christmas. It's a bit silly but I liked it.  I'll post a photo after it is unwrapped. One hint is that I grew up reading fairy tales and fantasy novels. |
| Posted on Sunday, December 21, 2003 - 07:02 pm: | |
Monday, Dec. 21
Solstice! The shortest day of the year, but now the days will start growing longer and spring is around the corner! It's good to think about it that way as I deal with the worst months of winter still ahead of us.
The sun was shining today and the sky was blue. My greenhouse was solar heated enough that I didn't need to wear a coat inside it. I solstice sowed 4 containers today--white hibiscus moscheutos, hollyhocks, 'Black Beauty,' seeds from a weeping crabapple tree, and old zinnia seeds, packed for 1997! Now to see what comes up!
I have many more seeds I want to plant including clematis and rose seeds, but I'm waiting until after the busyness of the holidays is over and I can do it in a more leisurely (and pleasurable) way. I don't enjoy being rushed.
Spent 5 hours this afternoon seeing 'Return of the King' and going out for a late dinner. Monday will be a day for Christmas baking, as will Tuesday. Wednesday will be Christmas eve dinner at one sister's home. Thursday, Christmas day lunch at same sister's. Then I'll have more spare time for 'playing' (with seeds, dirt, etc!). |
