Just prior to dark this evening, as clouds neared that will bring rain tonight and perhaps a deluge tomorrow, I noticed again that the sweet autumn clematis, which I considered so troublesome in recent years, is missing. Again, I say, since I now recall pulling the dead vine out of the threadbranch cypress some time…
Category: Native plants
Gardening with nature
For years my wife and I have discussed clearing a section of the forest that borders the garden. When I say that we’ve discussed this project, my wife envisions a splendid shady spot to lounge on a sweltering summer afternoon, and I imagine the additional labor required to clear and maintain this space. So, along…
A few September flowers
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
Two weeks away
I have just returned from two weeks away. The garden is pretty much as I left it, though more weeds have invaded and the bamboo that was chopped out a few years ago is sprouting with vigor. Several hours labor will be required to get things back in order. I am least concerned while traveling…
Until a few weeks ago there was every reason to suspect that the Indian pinks (Spigelia marilandica, below) had disappeared along with so many others as a result of the winter’s cold. Some casualties can be blamed on excess moisture that has plagued the lower part of the rear garden for the past few years,…
Unanticipated treasures
I readily admit that many of the garden’s successes are more a result of complete accident rather than efforts on my part. Certainly, some benefit is derived from good planning. Occasionally, combinations of colors and textures work out just as envisioned, but more satisfying are unanticipated pleasures that have nothing at all to do with…
More trees
After a brief shower (and minutes before the arrival of a storm that dumped several inches of rain overnight), the mix of dark clouds and streaming sunlight cast a glow as I strolled through the garden, hoping to catch a glimpse of a few blooms before the impending storm blew them to the heavens. The…
A tree centered garden
There is little doubt that there are more exceptional trees than can be fit into a one acre garden, no matter how hard I might wish to include more. By complete accident, the design of this garden is now dominated by Japanese maples and flowering trees, with a few larger trees fit in along the…
Ramblin' through Dave's Garden 