Dave – Page 79 – Ramblin' through Dave's Garden

Too wet for too long

Suckering stems of one paperbush (Edgeworthia chrysantha) extend into ground saturated by weeks of rain. Following a recent inch and a quarter, and a couple inches more last night, leaves on the lower end of the shrub wilted. Though these have perked up, there are yellowing and a few dropping leaves. Most of the paperbush…

An off year

The relative absence of Tiger swallowtails this year has been noted, and with peak blooming of Joe Pye weeds, the scattered few are clear evidence of this downward pattern in comparison to recent years. From caterpillars to honeybees, and butterflies (probably Japanese beetles also), there are cycles beyond my comprehension, so even with only a…

Surviving the deluge, again

Hopefully, plants have been properly placed to withstand the week’s deluges. All survived our very rainy late spring, so I don’t expect problems, but several additions were made in recent weeks, so we’ll see. How tolerant one or the other is to constant dampness will be seen over weeks to follow. The problem area at…

Okay, if you can stand the heat

Predictably, with recent heat and humidity, powdery mildew has set into dogwoods (below). Regular spraying with a fungicide will prevent this for gardeners concerned with every little flaw, but there is no long term detriment, so why bother? Perfection is not a requirement in this garden. A seedling Bottlebrush buckeye is long established beneath a…

Back to nature

Edges of the koi pond are overgrown, both by unintended invaders and ones I planted that have grown more vigorously than expected. The invaders include a small area of cattails, seeded from the nearby wetlands, I expect, and yellow flag irises that were planted in the bog area of the pond (where they have nearly…

Progress with new plantings

A considerable number of plants were transplanted in late winter. Expanded planting beds in the rear garden, and cutting into the already small section of lawn irked my wife, though I believe that now she approves of the new plantings (of course, she refuses to admit it). All plants that were moved are doing well,…

For better and worse

In a diverse garden where no insecticides are used, the interconnections of every level of wildlife become more apparent. Or at least, I presume that interactions occur, and why wouldn’t they? There is no doubt that the number of birds has increased over the years as the density of trees and shrubs has increased, and…

Rough around the edges

As expected following a wet spring that promoted overly lush growth, the recent spell of heat (and no rain) has caused more than a few problems in the garden. None too drastic, but in sunny areas the look of summer has set in to stay. Most days, I’m certain I look a little ragged, as…

Attention deficit

I am, at least, partially aware of my weaknesses, and others are frequently pointed out by my wife. One that I am particularly conscious of is poor attentiveness. If I’m not constantly reminded, I’m likely to forget what’s planted where, so bulbs are in constant peril of damage as I enthusiastically fill a gap that’s…

Patience is a necessity

I can be patient, when there is no alternative and there are plentiful distractions. The vigorous Dutchman’s Pipe vine (Aristolochia macrophylla, below) winds through lower branches of ‘Ivory Silk’ lilac, but there are no pipes, no flowers. The foliage is pleasant enough, and I expect that someday, some part of the vine will reach that…

Early summer and heat’s on the way

Few daylilies remain from days when dozens were scattered through sunny parts of the garden. I fondly recall a large, white flowered variety, but not its name, or why I let a dozen cultivars fade and disappear. I now regret the lack of attention. Certainly, other plants have come and gone as the garden has…

Wrong timing, but it will probably work out

I can’t believe that I transplanted a division of ‘Sun King’ aralia (Aralia cordata ‘Sun King’, below) to the shady side garden in late June. A decent sized ball of roots was dug, but I would never recommend to anyone to transplant anything in early summer. Plants purchased from the garden center with a ball…