Unsurprisingly, after being eaten to a nub by tiny caterpillars a few weeks ago, violets (Viola labradorica) growing beneath liriope (Liriope muscari ‘Variegata’) and ‘Chocolate’ Joe Pye weed (Eupatorium rugosum ‘Chocolate’, below) have recovered to fill in quickly. My wife complains that the violets grow into every crack in the driveway, which is true, though as…
Category: landscaping
Mysterious disappearances
This is hardly surprising, or disturbing, but very little seems to go exactly as planned in the garden. Perhaps this is why the gardener is so pleased when one thing or another goes right, which fortunately occurs with some regularity. On occasion, a perennial or bulb disappears from one year to the next, and I’m…
Fruits and berries
I’ve been known to sample just about any fruit or berry that I find in the garden or the neighboring woods that looks good enough to eat, so long as I’m confident it won’t kill me. I steer clear of pokeweed (below) and others that suspiciously look like they might be poisonous, but others must…
Foolish speculation
Years ago I realized the folly in speculating about natural cycles. I am continually amused that folks presume to forecast a winter’s cold or a dry summer, or that as a result of some weather event there will certainly be fewer mosquitoes, ticks, or whatever in the next season. If a scorecard were kept, perhaps…
Late summer blooms
The flowers of several cultivars of toad lilies (Tricyrtis) are too narrow for bumblebees to fit to sample the nectar that is protected beneath pollen laden anthers. So, the bee simply chews a hole near the base of the flower (above), and takes its fill. The bee’s shortcut undermines the toad lily’s natural mechanism designed…
While Tiger swallowtails (above) have reappeared in the garden after a notable absence earlier in summer, their numbers are not nearly as abundant as a year ago when I was astounded to see a dozen or more on one Joe Pye weed ((Eutrochium purpureum). More typical is to see a few at a time, and…
A stinging rebuke
I noticed recently that something was eating the redbuds (Cercis canadensis), both the red leafed ‘Forest Pansy’ and variegated ‘Silver Cloud’. First, I saw the webs, which I figured were the work of Fall webworms that are occasionally present in the garden, but rarely much of a problem. If I’m in the mood at the…
The small section of lawn at the back of the rear garden has been lost to nutgrass, though the loss is not exactly heartbreaking since I hardly care at all about the lawn. Certainly, the nutgrass is green, and perhaps it’s better than crabgrass. The only downside I see is that both weedy grasses seed…
One hydrangea overlaps another, then another. Poking out from this melange is a small clump of Pineapple lily (Eucomis comosa ‘Sparkling Burgundy’) and a soft wooded, variegated Blue mist shrub (Caropteris divaricata ‘Snow Fairy’) that struggled through the cold winter, and now is barely hanging on as an overly vigorous Oakleaf hydrangea (Hydrangea quercifolia) nearly overwhelms…
Beetles and bees, and a happy gardener
I realize that I am unhappy to see a flower in midsummer not occupied by a bee, butterfly, or pollinator of some sort. This fascination does not include Japanese beetles (below), which seem to be enjoying an extended stay in the garden, spoiling too many blooms. It seems a crime to lead a story with…
Weed control
I cannot exactly determine the cause, but the garden has been plagued by weeds through this year. The easy answer is to consider that I might be less motivated to keep after weeds when they’re small, which then go to seed to exacerbate the problem. And, who could blame me, even if this is true…
Almost recovered
Only recently have I moved beyond disappointment over damage done in the garden by the winter past, and already I’m distressed that autumn is close around the bend (with winter inevitably to follow). Though the garden has recovered substantially, constant reminders loom so long as I delay removing two evergreen magnolias (Magnolia grandiflora) that have died…
Ramblin' through Dave's Garden 