| Posted on Friday, August 29, 2003 - 11:30 am: |   |
Thursday was hot and sunny. The lawn is starting to dry and turn brown. The feel of autumn is in the air--nights are cooling off and days are growing shorter.
After work and dinner yesterday, I wandered around the garden, squishing little green worms on hibiscus leaves and green sawfly worms on rose leaves. And something is damaging the growing tips on roses, preventing them from forming flower buds. I love bugs, but there are millions of them and I have only one garden. It's my 'organic' method of keeping the population just a little lower!
I plan to mulch newer plantings tomorrow. We've had some rain this week, so the soil is moist and I'd like to help hold that in. I seem to get side tracked--starting one job, seeing another that needs taken care of and switching to that, and on and on! I need to be more focused. Perhaps I have too many garden beds to care for them properly...I'll have to think about that. I HAVE been a bit obsessive about acquiring plants the last couple years.
I want to take photos of various beds to look over during the long winter, to think about them and plan for changes in the spring.
For me, the excitement of gardening is waning a bit this season--I guess it's a good thing the growing season is almost over! But I know I'll be ready to start all over again next spring. I have a new greenhouse, which will be an adventure in itself. It is unheated but I think that perhaps I can start using it in late February/early March. |
| Posted on Saturday, August 30, 2003 - 10:16 am: | |
Mother Nature isn't working with me today--rained much of the night and into the morning, so the mulching I planned to do today hasn't been started yet. Instead I'm working in the house, making potato salad and brownies for a family get-together on Sunday. I hope we have less rain tomorrow!
Yesterday I took photos of various flower beds to look over. I have some very messy areas that need tamed. The lemon balm has re-seeded itself everywhere! Centaurea montana self seeds too well, also. And campanula glomerata and yellow Missouri primrose help themselves to large areas of real estate. In what was once an herb bed, hyssop has taken over, along with catnip, lemon balm and weeds. Likewise, in the pond pickeral reed has itself a nice little colony. Soon the fish will have nowhere to swim! So much to do--it is almost overwhelming to think about it!
I really like dark purple petunias and planted a six-pack this spring. They did extremely well-- flowering no matter if it was hot, wet, dry, etc. Their fragrance reminds me of my childhood, especially after a rain. I'll have to buy more of those next year. One of my blue flax plants seems to have died. I really liked it in the garden, so will have to look for it again next year. Maybe it self seeded--I'll have to watch that area next year for seedlings, if I can recognize them! I dug out rose Barone Prevost last week. I'm afraid it had rose rosette disease. Because it always lost all its leaves every summer to blackspot, I'm not going to miss it too much. I planted a hibiscus moscheutos in its place.
One plant that was a dud for me was four o'clocks. While it seemed to have lots of blossoms, they were never open when I looked at them. Perhaps they are open for 10 minutes a day and I never looked at the right time!
The sun decided to come out briefly. Perhaps I can get a little mulching done after lunch today after all! |
| Posted on Monday, September 01, 2003 - 10:40 am: | |
Monday, Labor Day, September 1
Wow, it's September already! Where did the summer months go?! I did not get mulching done on Saturday after all. Got too busy with food preparation.
Sunday--got together with sisters, Mom and families to eat and talk--and eat I did! I should try to compensate today by eating less, but haven't so far!
The rain started last evening and is continuing on and off today--so no mulching will get done this day. I just don't feel like donning clothes to work in the rain. And pushing a wheelbarrow up and down a wet, slippery, grassy slope would be courting disaster. Maybe tomorrow if the weather is drier I might take a vacation day to work on mulching. The third time's the charm! |
| Posted on Tuesday, September 02, 2003 - 07:01 am: | |
Tuesday, September 2
Since rain is still threatening, I decided to go to work today. The mulching will keep. I WILL NOT feel guilty for spending my days off in a lazy way instead of industriously working in the garden!! (It's so easy to feel guilty--I have to keep reminding myself that gardening is supposed to be a pleasurable, stress-free pastime that should give me joy, not make me feel miserable.) I do have one plant in a pot that needs planted soon--a viburnum. Bought with no place in mind to plant--always a bad thing to do!
I finally got my screwed up website fixed. How embarrassing to have those dang popup windows inflict themselves on anyone trying to view photos I've posted! #*!%@! |
| Posted on Wednesday, September 03, 2003 - 06:57 am: | |
I will likely not do anything in the garden until next weekend. Going away this weekend to attend BIL/SIL's 50th wedding anniversary party. I have 3 rooted rose cuttings that I should transplant into larger pots. Maybe I'll do that tonight. I forgot about the 5 clematis I have in gallon pots waiting to be planted! I need to get them into the ground soon! |
| Posted on Thursday, September 04, 2003 - 04:06 pm: | |
Thursday, Sept. 4
I did get three rose cuttings transplanted into 2 gallon pots--it was almost too dark to see when I remembered to do it, but it's done. I want to winter these over in the garage--first time to try such a thing. If I lose them, so be it, but they're small plants and it's too late to plant them out in the garden now.
It rained again today, so everything is soaked once more. I collected a few open pollinated daylily seeds to try to plant next spring. They are not drying well because it is raining every other day, if not every day! Some of the open pollinated rose hips are beginning to rot. I want to collect a few as they ripen and store them in the refrigerator to start in the spring too. I also want to collect open pollinated clematis seeds for the same purpose. It will give me something to do in early spring when I'm itching to garden, but the weather is still too cold and unpredictable! |
| Posted on Monday, September 08, 2003 - 06:13 pm: | |
Monday, Sept. 8
Away for the weekend, so did nothing in the garden. It was a beautiful weekend--sunny and not too hot. Then had to grocery shop after work today. Perhaps if we have no rain tomorrow I can start putting some mulch where it's needed.
A rabbit must have gotten inside my chainlink garden fence and cut down a new hibiscus moscheutos and a tiny summersweet shrub--the stems are cut on a slant. I hope the plants survive, but won't be surprised if they don't! Darn rascally rabbits! This is the first time this year I've had any rabbit damage. I did see the spot where something dug under the fence and I forgot to block the space--must remember to do that tomorrow! |
| Posted on Thursday, September 11, 2003 - 01:11 pm: | |
Thursday, Sept. 11
A day to remember what happened two years ago. Surprising that my workplace did not have a gathering, as they have for the past 2 years. Perhaps they feel it should be a personal or religious observance now.
We've had beautiful weather several days this week--sunny, warm, low humidity and cloudless blue skies. If only this weather would stay around a few more months!
Did nothing in the garden this week. This weekend I'm planning on finally planting a viburnum that I got cheap a few weeks ago, bringing in my houseplants--before we have a frost--and doing whatever mulching I can get done. Have 5 clematis to plant--not sure if I'll take them out of their pots, or leave them potted and bury them. I also have a tropical hibiscus that I need to re-pot to bring in for the winter. This is my first tropical hibiscus, so I'm not sure what to expect of it over winter. Just keeping it alive should be a challenge, since I am not great with 'demanding' houseplants.
I'm seeing a lot of new red growth on roses. Because I've dug out two roses this summer that were infected with rose rosette disease, the new growth makes me feel anxious--reddish growth that does not change to normal-looking green leaves can be one symptom of the disease. I'll keep watching them for any other signs of the disease. My roses did not bloom well in late summer. Something is killing the growing tips, leading to canes with no blooms. I wish I knew what to do about that! |
| Posted on Friday, September 12, 2003 - 05:29 pm: | |
Friday, Sept. 12
I'm 99% sure that at least 4 roses in my gardens have RRD--trying to convince myself they don't won't change a thing! It is so saddening, not to mention what a waste of money it's been to spend $20/rose, then dig them up after 2 or fewer years in the ground. I'm almost certain there will be more to follow. It's hard to care about or find joy in the garden right now. I must let this be a lesson to me--try to control obsessions in the garden. Did I really need to buy/plant 50 roses? This experience has definitely cooled my ardor for acquiring roses. |
| Posted on Sunday, September 14, 2003 - 06:00 pm: | |
Sunday, Sept. 14
Yesterday I planted my 'Pink Beauty' viburnum near our deck. Was glad to get it out of the pot and into the ground. I put wire fencing around it to protect it from deer sampling.
Today I planted my last 6 clematis waiting in pots. I planted Venosa Violacea and Huldine together under a copper obelisk. Duchess of Edinburgh had been on the obelisk, but I provided her with a smaller trellis and relocated the obelisk. Westerplatte went next to a Kolkwitzia shrub, a tiny one I put in this fall. I hope it grows quickly. I planted Prince Charles next to a summersweet shrub and Jackmanni Superba next to the chainlink fence behind an Iceberg rose (that may have RRD) and Lilac 'Miss Canada.' And the second Venosa Violacea went next to Sweet Autumn clematis. I also bought a few Star Gazer lily bulbs, a few tulip bulbs--a red peony type, and a few red asiatic lily bulbs. I put them in the basement--hope I don't forget to plant them later this fall! |
| Posted on Tuesday, September 16, 2003 - 06:01 am: | |
Tuesday, Sept. 16
It rained yesterday, so I'm glad I got my potted plants in the ground. Temps are cooler this morning--about 50F, while yesterday morning it was 68F. Hurricane Isabel may drop more rain in our area later this week. I want to move my houseplants from the deck to inside by Wednesday, just in case we do get heavy rains and winds.
Did nothing in the garden yesterday. DH said he will build me a small storage building. I have collected too many gardening tools, supplies, pots, etc., and they are everywhere! |
| Posted on Thursday, September 18, 2003 - 07:33 pm: | |
Thursday, Sept. 18
Yesterday I tied and staked two hibiscus moscheutos to help them get through any heavy wind and rain from Isabel. Predictions are that the worst of the storm is supposed to move into this area after 10 p.m. tonight and move out by noon tomorrow.
I carried houseplants (that spent the summer on the deck) into the house and repotted a couple. The ficus is soon going to be unmovable--now in an 18" pot. |
| Posted on Monday, September 22, 2003 - 01:29 pm: | |
Monday, Sept. 22
Isabel missed us completely--only some wind and drizzle, lucky us! Still, I'm glad to get the houseplants moved inside. I moved the tropical hibiscus back outside to keep it blooming and will bring it in when night temps start falling too low.
Had a beautiful weekend, but had son and DIL visit, so didn't do anything in the garden. My enthusiasm for gardening has really waned! I do want to do some clean up, mulching and bed edging before really cold weather starts.
Raining again this afternoon. First day of fall tomorrow--where did the summer go?! |
| Posted on Saturday, September 27, 2003 - 04:25 pm: | |
Saturday, Sept.27
On Thursday I received some trumpet vine, honeysuckle, and sea oats from a fellow gardener and planted them. Hope they grow. I love the fragrance of honeysuckle and managed to kill mine this spring.
Rain threatened again today, but about 11 a.m. I decided to get outside and see what I could get done. I spread some mulch (shredded wood/bark) but only got about 20% done before I got distracted! I moved a little concrete Japanese lantern to another spot, dug up some weeds (really have to get the beds edged!), spread around some composted grass clippings, dug out a bunch of unwanted hollyhock seedlings and plants that were taking over. There are more hollyhocks I want to dig up, too. For me they've been noxious weeds with rust infected leaves that bugs loved to chew and roots to China! I admire the plants though, just not so many of them where I don't want them!
I need to transplant a small rose of sharon, but don't know where to plant it. They can get large and it is too crowded where it is.
I think I have too much garden--so hard to get it all in shape. Some of the beds are a mess--creeping sedum growing everywhere, raspberry cane suckers coming up in garden beds where they're not welcome, thug volunteers taking over! Arrgh!! What was I thinking when I started so many beds?!! And they are a mish-mash--no theme or planning--just buy what I like and find an empty spot! Now, how to remedy this mess??? I guess I need to do some planning over the winter and tackle most of it in spring. Perhaps I'll just do 'damage control' for now--removing some of the thugs: lamb's ear, sedum acre, lemon balm, campanula glomerata, yarrow, hollyhock, catnip, evening primrose.
Rain started again at 3, so that was the end of 'gardening' for today. Maybe I'll do some more tomorrow, weather permitting. |
| Posted on Sunday, September 28, 2003 - 05:12 pm: | |
Sunday, Sept. 28
It was cool today and threatened rain until about 4:30 when the sun decided to come out! Bought two mums and planted them. Removed some more hollyhocks. Transplanted some red hot pokers--I wasn't too impressed with their performance this year and they take up so much room the rest of the season with their huge bunch of leaves. Still have two left where they were originally planted. I'll see if the transplants take before deciding what to do with the rest next spring. Dug up some iris that had been decimated with a rotting disease. Don't know if I'll bother to replant--they are tiny leaves and not much rhizome left that isn't rotted. What a shame. I need to have a better draining bed for iris.
Transplanted the rose of sharon, although I don't know if it is any better of a location. Did a tiny bit of tidying up--cutting down dead stalks and such--and then it was time for dinner. Hope we get some nice weekends--I still need to spread mulch and edge beds!! |
