Readers of this page will find it unsurprising that my wife and I will occasionally disagree about one thing or the other in the garden. In this instance (and in others), I believe it is quite clear that she is misinformed and that I am correct. Perhaps she is only obstinate, knows that I am…
Month: August 2015
Evidently, I’ve failed. In recent years a a nice patch of butterfly weeds (Asclepias tuberosa, above) has flourished on the dry slope on the back side of the koi pond. Here, it grows and flowers splendidly, but the purpose for planting this patch was to attract butterflies, and there are none. In fact, there’s also hardly even…
A single thunderstorm will not relieve the dryness of several weeks without rainfall. But, who am I to complain? If I had not gotten the itch to plant a few things a week ago I wouldn’t be concerned at all by the lack of soil moisture. This garden has survived spells much drier than this,…
Late summer favorites
The gardener is likely to assert that he has only a few favorites; many plants that he is particularly fond of, but only a few that are truly treasured. But, as steadfast as one might insist himself to be, inevitably favorites will change through the seasons. After too many years claiming one plant or another…
Bug week was last week
The past week was devoted to caterpillars and beetles, and to damage to the garden from these beasts. Today, we return to the beauty of the garden, and hope to forget injury to foliage and flowers. Readers looking to witness the carnage, or to match destruction to damage in their own garden should scroll further….
Beetles, caterpillars, and other trifles
The gardener demanding unblemished foliage in the garden is likely to be satisfied only by spraying poisons potent enough to kill every beetle (and earthworm) within a country mile (or a city block). A more disagreeable gardener might suggest artificial foliage to address complaints. There are no such high standards in this garden (Japanese beetles…
No turtles
For no particular reason, my wife and I are disappointed by the lack of turtles in the garden. Only once has one been seen. He lingered in the depths of the koi pond for a few days, the koi ignored him, and then he was gone. Several years ago, a large snapping turtle was seen just…
A summer for hydrangeas
In a world where new hydrangeas are seemingly introduced every third week, ‘Tardiva’ (Hydrangea paniculata ‘Tardiva’, above) is a dinosaur. While new, and arguably improved panicled hydrangeas (‘Limelight’, ‘Fire and Ice’, and ‘Little Lime’, below) have been relegated to the far reaches of the garden, ‘Tardiva’ was planted before these newcomers were seedlings in a…
In the shade
Through trial and error the gardener slowly determines successes and failures. In a sunny garden, answers come more quickly than in shade, and in dry shade successes might not be settled until years after planting. Survival through one, or a few years, does not assure that a plant will tolerate root competition for a longer…
Ramblin' through Dave's Garden 