Slowly, I gain knowledge about what does best, and where, and conditions in this garden where plants fail to thrive or survive. I can imagine your head shaking, “well, of course, after twenty-nine years in the garden, he should know a thing or two.” And, probably I do, but understanding the garden is a moving…
Category: My Garden
More summer rain
Undoubtedly, rain this summer has been more than is necessary, and more than is desirable for dogwoods and paperbushes (Edgeworthia chrysantha) in lower lying areas of the garden. Two paperbushes droop and shed leaves in saturated ground, then perk up in the too brief drier periods. A woody tree peony, that made it through the…
A natural succession
I fear that a Japanese maple (Acer palmatum ‘Oridono Nishiki’) at the corner of the driveway is dying. In late August, all leaves have dropped, which is concerning, though some falling leaves are not too unusual in late summer. Tips of branches, far too tall to reach, are curled, telling me that this is not…
Seedlings, for better and worse
Typically, I’m overjoyed by plants that seed about the garden, even Japanese maples, toad lilies, and hellebores that proliferate with such abundance that many must be discarded. While space for these has run short, room remains for sporelings of Japanese Painted and Sensitive ferns that thrive in deeper shade and regularly appear beneath shrubs and…
Late August garden update
Yellow wax bells (Kirengeshoma palmata, below) have several flowers this week, though not nearly the number from peak years when there were a dozen or more. Still, this is much better than a year ago, when fleshy stems went limp in a period of summer drought, and all flower buds were lost. In the single…
Better late than never
The garden stinks, according to my wife, who is likely referring to the application of deer repellent yesterday, but who has also been known to make critical remarks about my pride and joy. Regarding my wife’s remarks as the more obvious, it is clear that spraying of the repellent was long overdue, though of interest…
An August wildlife update
If Tiger swallowtails are a bit scarce in this year’s garden, hummingbirds are not, though typically only one is seen at a time, so taking a count is difficult. A tropical Firecracker plant (Cuphea) in a pot on the deck just outside the kitchen window is a hummingbird magnet, but I often see hummingbirds on…
Digging to drain the swamp
Several puddles remain in the lower garden, and that’s before the thunderstorm that’s passing through this evening. Another storm, probably more severe, is forecast for tomorrow, and chances for more are expected early in the week. This afternoon was occupied digging in the lower garden, clearing trenches along planting bed edges that have clogged with…
Crying wolf
Happily, I admit to prematurely reporting the demise of two passionflower vines, which appeared shortly after publishing my sob story, though the long term fate of one remains in doubt. Passionflower vines are known for late arrivals after extended winters, and this year there was no sign of the purple flowered vine (Passiflora incarnata) into…
Wrong plant? Right place
Seedlings of ‘Espresso’ geranium would be considerably improved if foliage had been cut to the ground in late June. But, they weren’t. Ones in part shade have fared better, though flowering is improved with more sun. So, for part of the year the geranium’s placement is ideal, but less so at other times. Also in…
Better judgment. Who, me?
Better judgment, no matter that it is in short supply, dictates that further planting should be delayed into September. Weeks of rain have revived much of the garden that had slipped into its usual summer slump, tempting an early August start. Late plantings in June have fared well despite an ill timed, but typical turn…
Covering ground
I am surprised, and pleased, that a small patch of spring planted Allegheny spurge (Pachysandra procumbens) survived several weeks of heat when this seemed in question, and now appears to be growing after weeks of flooding rains. The native spurge is unexciting, but in recent years I’ve been inspired to cover every small area of…
Ramblin' through Dave's Garden 