Sunday was a beautiful morning with sun breaking through the early fog and a bit less chill than the preceding days. My wife and I sipped coffee, read the newspaper, and while discussing the sad state of affairs that is today’s world I noticed a small deer on the slate patio just below our kitchen…
Fruits and berries in October
A year ago there were abundant juicy red fruits on the Chinese dogwood (Cornus kousa) along the southern border of the garden, but this year there are none. Four other Chinese dogwoods have never had a single fruit, two because they are heavily shaded (I suppose), and the others for whatever reason that is beyond…
Just won’t quit
Several of the crapemyrtles in the garden have become more shaded by taller neighbors through the years so that they begin to flower several weeks later than in nearby sunny gardens. This year there were only a few scattered blooms on Natchez in late June, and the normally later flowering Sioux began to bloom only…
On the warpath
Occasionally, my wife becomes “disturbed” about one thing or the other in the garden, usually that plants are flopping over and obstructing the stone paths that wander through the garden. I learned long ago that telling her not to come outside doesn’t work, and after a period of inaction on my part she usually threatens…
A cold and gray October day
Today is cold, not an early October chill, but November cold, still in the forties at midday! The sky is gray and scattered raindrops are carried on blustery winds. The gardener is tempted to believe that the season is past, but a brief stroll reveals many blooms, some just beginning. Large pots of tropicals are…
Toad-like blooms?
The common names of plants can be aptly descriptive, or absolutely puzzling. The mostly spotted blooms of toad lilies (Tricyrtis) are exquisite, and indeed it is difficult to imagine that the flowers bear any resemblance to toads, so do not be dissuaded by such an unpleasant moniker. Toad lilies are pest free and easy to grow,…
Late September
The crinum (below) has finally come into bloom, a bit later than normal to my recollection. Though it is marginally cold hardy I planted it in a pot, and each October I lug it indoors to spend the winter in the basement along with elephant ears and assorted other tropicals. No more! In the next…
Anytime but September
In recent years the pink Japanese windflower (Anemone x hybrida ‘September Charm’, below) has flowered in August, or October, but not September. I suppose that in most years out of ten ‘September Charm’ will flower sometime in September, and this year it began to bloom with the turn of the calendar page. I learned long ago…
A cool September afternoon
The orbicular blooms of Aralia ‘Sun King’ (below) are a bit unusual, appearing much like small satellites attached to thin wires for a homemade science project. Rarely are the flowers shown in perennial catalogs or references, mostly because the bright yellow foliage is the aralia’s foremost attribute, but also because the blooms are not showy…
Blooming in mid September
I realize that by happenstance I’ve begun to assemble quite a collection of hummingbird mints (Agastache ‘Blue Fortune’, below). With little planning I’ve added a few from the garden center, and one or two that sounded too good to pass up were purchased by mail order. In similar fashion I’ve purchased enough coral bells and…
Unintended fruit in mid September
I took a leisurely stroll through the garden Saturday morning for the first time since the heavy rains ended, and with a bit of sun the lawn has firmed up so that I can walk without turning my gardening sandals to a muddy mess. An abbreviated tour a day earlier had shown no damage from…
Okay, enough!
With one hundred degree temperatures and parched ground only a few weeks ago, I’ve no doubt that many area gardeners were praying for rain, and sho’ nuff, here it is. In my garden I’ve had nearly ten inches this week, on top of several inches from the hurricane and assorted storms a week earlier, and…
Ramblin' through Dave's Garden 