The breeze picked up as the rain intensified, and leaves tumbled from the trees. The dry period from mid August through September has pushed many trees into dormancy earlier than is usual, and with a nudge from wind and rain many leaves have dropped. With another heavy rain forecast we’ll have to wait to see…
Month: September 2010
Rainy days and Monday
There will be dry spells when the garden’s soil turns to dust, and there is little to be done besides breaking out the hose to water the aucubas and hydrangeas that have wilted and look so miserable. It does no good to moan over the sorry state of the lawn, or to whine that the…
Walk on the wild side
The garden is bordered to the south by a sliver of mature poplars and maples, and to the west by a water retention area that was botched in construction, which resulted in a poorly drained swamp that is impossible to keep cleared of cattails and brambles. Over twenty years I have planted more of this…
Coarse, big, and beautiful
The hours of sunlight are noticeably shorter each week, and night temperatures are delightful, though a few warm days are forecast for the coming week. The geraniums and coleus in large pots on the deck and patios have rebounded, and with cool nights do not look so bedraggled as in August. The tropical elephant ears…
A splendid September stroll
Today I was roaming through the garden with no particular purpose, just wandering, reflecting, listening. I choose each footstep carefully to avoid any of the abundant frogs that flee in terror as I approach, and pause for a few moments to watch a striped garter snake glide through the dark water in the front pond….
A topsy turvy garden
The Franklin Tree (Franklinia alatamaha, below) will often bloom into late September when the leaves begin to turn to a beautiful orange-red. The contrast of colorful foliage and large white blooms with prominent yellow stamens is striking, but not this year. The last of the late summer blooms are fading, I see no more buds…
Delightful September days
In retrospect, I suppose that I was foolish to plant a handful of perennials and shrubs a few weeks back. Several cool days encouraged me, but they were followed by more of the same mid-nineties temperatures that have become too common in this long summer. Without a hint of rain for three weeks I’ve had…
Meadowlark Gardens
Today I visited Meadowlark Botanical Gardens in Vienna, Virginia while taking part in the ZNA Koi and Pond Expo. The beautiful, huge koi are worth the trip, but the ninety-five acre garden is a delightful spot to spend a September afternoon. Unfortunately, the summer’s heat and extended dry spell have made the garden a bit…
Obviously oblivious
It snuck up on me while I wasn’t paying attention. Well, that’s not quite true. I knew what would happen, but failed to do anything about it. After years of neglect the lawn is a wreck and something must be done, particularly with the partially shaded front that is pockmarked by bare soil. In this wretched…
The last of summer?
Today a cool breeze whistles through the sliver of forest that borders the garden, the tall poplars and maples sway in rhythm. The sun shines brightly, but this is an autumn sun, not the unmerciful sun of summer. The past week has been quite hot, with temperatures in the mid-nineties that have become so familiar…
Bugs and blooms in early September
On a warm day at the start of September there are swarms of butterflies and bumblebees, dragonsflies, moths, bees, and wasps that flutter and swoop through the garden. On the sunny side of the Seven Son Tree (and the caryopteris, below) there are hundreds of bumblebees, and dozens of butterflies, mostly Monarchs. I have barely a…
Ramblin' through Dave's Garden 