Seems So Long Ago...The Flower Garden in September

One of these days I will catch up with these garden summaries. Now if I can just remember what was happening way back in September. I actually WISH it was September right now instead of the bitter, cold, windy day we have had today.

Ah yes, September was the month of getting stuff done before my class started. One of the many projects I accomplished was painting the back porch railing and replacing the back porch steps (Brian helped with the steps). We were tired of ending up with splitting or rotting stairs each year so we replaced the wood ones with Trex, which are made of 95% recycled materials. Not only is it earth-friendly to use, they also claim to have “ground-breaking green processes.” I like the sound of that, and I like the sound of not having to replace one or more of the steps each year anymore. The freshly painted railing and new steps look so much more attractive now and help show off my potted plants.

It also makes it feel a lot safer stepping out to snip fresh herbs for dinner.

From afar, the flower garden wasn’t looking too shabby in September, at least in parts. My favorite rose bush was still blooming and the yellow annual Melampodium was looking pretty great, as it usually does in the late summer.

The bit of lavender you see in the middle is Obedient plant, which blooms late in the summer.

Here is a closer look at the Obedient Plant (or False Dragonhead). I have to say, I would like to meet the person who named it the Obedient Plant because it is NOT very obedient. It likes to spread. However, it does add a splash of color in the garden at a time of the year when you need it the most.

An annual that added bright, red color to the garden is Summer Jewel Red Salvia. It started off kind of spindly in the spring, but filled out more in the summer.

This anemone is a hidden gem that you have to go hunting for to find. It is in the area I refer to as my Secret Garden, which is along the side of the greenhouse. If memory serves me right, this is Anemone tomentosa Robustissima. It isn’t the best spot for it because it doesn’t really get enough sun, plus it can’t be appreciated in the corner like this. No one puts baby in the corner! If I could find a better spot for it I would consider moving it. Anemone has a sort of whimsy to it that I love and I always get a little giddy when I see it starting to bloom each year. It really deserves a place of importance.

One thing that does NOT look pretty in September are the purple coneflowers. I can’t bring myself to cut them back because the goldfinches love the seeds. I did cut some back, but made sure to leave enough for the birds.

The side opposite my large flower garden has been filling in well. This was an overgrown mess a few years ago. My neighbor’s cat, BJ aka Stubby, photo-bombed this shot, which isn’t unusual. The low-growing, red foliage plants are a type of coleus that likes full sun. I think it is Solenostemon scutellarioides 'Stained Glass Copper', but I really need to double check that. It is described as being brick red in the spring and then turns a coppery color. Mine looked fabulous all season long and didn’t turn a coppery color until the end of September or beginning of October. They still looked pretty good up until our first killing frost, which was just recently. It can really stand the heat, too. I think I only watered these babies twice all season. Seriously. Not many annuals that you can say that about.

I mean really, look at that pop of color! Note to self: I have decided I want to plant more of these here and there throughout the garden next year.

That appears to be all I have to share in regards to the flower garden in September. Looking through my October photos, they really aren’t great. I took them on a bright sunny day with lots of contrasting shadows, which don’t make for good photos. I will see about getting some posted, though...hopefully before the end of NOVEMBER!!! Sheesh, it’s November.

The Squirrel That Tested the Theory of Gravity

The night before Labor Day we had a bad storm with heavy winds and strong downpours. During the storm, I heard what I first thought was a squeaky toy noise. Seemed strange during a storm. After awhile I was convinced it was some sort of animal in distress. I was worried because we had seen a very young possum recently and I thought it might be that the possum was stuck somewhere or hurt. I was home alone, which is when all weird things tend to happen. I got out my umbrella and flashlight and went out into the storm in search of an animal in distress. I never found anything.

The next morning, while I was home alone again, I still kept hearing the squeaky noise off and on and started to think it must be some sort of bird. I was doing yard work and had walked through the garden gate by the shed several times when I spotted my neighbor’s cat, BJ (aka Stubby), sitting there staring at something. (See my recent post about Stubby and the rest of his cat family.) What was he staring at? This tiny baby squirrel. So young, it couldn’t even open its eyes yet.

The baby squirrel had flies buzzing all around him and he kept moving around as if he was trying to get comfortable or trying to find a way to get warm. I realized this must have been what I had heard during the storm. I looked up and saw the squirrel nest high up in the tree. Poor little guy was either testing the theory of gravity or was knocked from the nest by the heavy winds and/or rain. I’m guessing it was probably the latter, but I decided to name him Newt after Isaac Newton anyway. It was 9pm the night before that I had heard that call of distress and here it was about 2pm the next day. He had been out there all that time.

I got nervous because Stubby was still hanging around. He had made a move towards the squirrel and I told him no and snapped my fingers at him. He looked at me and then laid down. I told him he had to leave, that I had to take care of this baby squirrel. I sure hope the neighbors didn’t hear me talking to the cat and to the squirrel, who I was trying to reassure that he would be safe now. Much to my surprise, Stubby listened to me and walked away. It was as if he understood. It made me like and respect Stubby even more.

From my reading I found that it is best to try to reunite a fallen baby squirrel with its mother. That can take time, though. You can put it in a box with a towel or t-shirt and tie the box to the tree and when the mother squirrel thinks it is safe she should reclaim it, unless it is dead, injured, sick...or cold. If it is cold, she will leave it thinking it is dead or sick. It was pretty obvious this squirrel baby was cold. I didn’t think I had time, his little life could be in danger.

I called Woodford Cedar Run Wildlife Refuge and Hospital, the same place I had taken an injured bird in July of last year (See my post about Tippy, the bird). They said the first thing to do is try to reunite him with his mom, but when I said I thought he had been out there since 9pm the night before, they said to bring him in. I put on my garden gloves and it took me about 20 minutes to get up the courage to pick him up and put him in a box. I could almost hear him breathe a sigh of relief to have a warmer spot to rest his weary little head.

When I put him in the car he made one last squeaky call to his mom, who obviously had abandoned him, thinking him injured or dead. It was definitely the same sound I had heard the night before.

When I got him to Cedar Run, they said he was cold and frightened and put him under a heat lamp. They said they would examine him as soon as he calmed down and warmed up. I sure hope he survived and that he didn’t have brain damage or internal injuries or anything like that. I wish I could call to check on his progress, but they ask you not to do that.

Newt was such a cute little thing. Of course he will grow up to be an adult squirrel, like the ones that dig up my flower pots and dig holes in my garden. But that’s ok, because as I have mentioned several times recently, our gardens should be living landscapes. Our yards and gardens aren’t just for us, they are for all the living creatures, from the worms to the birds...and to the squirrels.

As much as I hated to take Newt away from his home, he is in the care of experts now and I know the folks at Cedar Run will do the best they can for him. Oh and I must add, thank you, Cedar Run, for being open on Labor Day! Dear little Newt, I hope you survived and I hope you live a long, happy life.

To learn more about Woodford Cedar Run Wildlife Refuge and Hospital, or to make a donation, check out their website.

Woolly Bear is King of the Moss

I have been talking a lot about creatures of the garden lately. It just goes to confirm that our gardens are “living landscapes.” A couple of weeks ago I spotted this Woolly Bear caterpillar hanging out on this piece of moss by the shed. I found it kind of funny because it’s the only piece of moss right in that area. I guess the caterpillar thought it made for a cozy bed.

I was a little worried that it might actually be dead and contemplated poking it with a stick. Then I decided that wasn’t a good idea because I wouldn’t want someone poking me with a stick when I was napping. I decided to wait and see if he moved the next day...and indeed he did. By only about a couple of feet, though. Then the next day he was gone. I hope he wasn’t eaten by anything.

I named him Henry VIII. Mainly because he seemed like he ruled this little piece of moss.

I don’t know a whole lot about Woolly caterpillars except that I seem to see quite a few of them each year. Last year I saw more than ever. According to Wikipedia, the “Woolly Bear larva emerges from the egg in the fall and overwinters in its caterpillar form, when it literally freezes solid. It survives being frozen by producing a cryoprotectant in its tissues. In the spring it thaws out and emerges to pupate. Once it emerges from its pupa as a moth (the Isabella Tiger Moth) it has only days to find a mate.” Fascinating.

According to folklore, “the relative amounts of brown and black on the skin of a Woolly Bear caterpillar (commonly abundant in the fall) are an indication of the severity of the coming winter. It is believed that if a Woolly Bear caterpillar’s brown stripe is thick, the winter weather will be mild and if the brown strip is narrow, the winter will be severe. In reality, hatchlings from the same clutch of eggs can display considerable variation in their color distribution, and the brown band tends to grow with age; if there is any truth to the tale, it is highly speculative.”

To read more and to see photos of it in moth form, go to Wikipedia.

Belated Post of the Garden in May

Just got back from a ten-day vacation in Michigan and a week before that spent a long weekend in Virginia, so that has put me a bit behind. Just a bit. And by a bit, I mean kinda a lot. Here was what was going on in the gardens in May.

The Flower Garden in May

Mid-May saw the azaleas. And yes, that is one of the neighbor’s cats again. They keep photo-bombing my garden pictures.

There was a lot of green in the flower garden, but not a lot of color in mid-May. The purple Columbine and the Pass The Wine Iris were about all that were blooming at this point.

I feel like I didn’t have as much of the purple Columbine this year as usual. Will have to spread more seed once it goes to seed this year.

There is also this other purple Columbine that has been popping up the past few years that looks nothing like the other one. I’m not quite sure how this one came about, but I love it.

 
The Pass The Wine Iris (which I still say doesn’t look at all like it was supposed to) was not as full this year either. Not sure if it had to do with the long, cold, snowy winter or if I need to divide it.

The other side of the yard, which was planted just two years ago, was filling in nicely. A highlight for awhile on this side was the Sugar and Spice Foamflowers that I planted last year (seen in the bottom right of this photo).

One thing that look spectacular this year was the Clematis on the shed. It flowered like crazy. This was blooming later in the month of May.

Also later in May, the Siberian Irises went to town. I think these are trying to take over part of the flower garden.

The garden arbor always looks its best in May with the Climbing Hydrangea blooming, as well as the purple Clematis and the pink climbing rose. Obviously, I needed to tie up my rose here.

The arbor again and the flower garden. The purple is the Catmint. That must be why the neighbor’s cats love my yard so much.

The chives were blooming mid-May by the back door.

This Calla Lily was blooming in a pot on the back steps at the same time.

I planted this Creeping Thyme last year in the newer bed (the one that I created about two years ago). It seems very happy in this sunny spot.

The Minuet Mountain Laurel is also new as of last year, in the newer flower bed. I absolutely love both the flowers and the buds on this shrub. Look at all of those buds! Looks like it survived being buried by at least three feet of snow in the winter.

The Mountain Laurel is in between the Dogwood and the tree Wisteria.

On the tree that is at the back end of this same newer flower bed, I hung this pot with a Maidenhair fern. The pot holder is from Kinsman Garden Company. You would think I could have used this same kind of pot hanger for the ferns on the old fence (see previous post), however, the top hanger part was too small and would not have fit over the top of the fence, hence using wire and plate-hangers instead.

I moved this metal panel to a spot where it was more visible in the secret garden area. I like it there. That, along with the votive lamp and the blue, iron table, make it look like a little sitting room.

The Kitchen Garden in May

I had some successes and some failures in the kitchen garden when it came to my seeds, as usual. Some of the seeds that were leftover from last year didn’t germinate.

I had planted basil plants in the u-shaped beds and they are not doing well at all this year. Incredibly disappointing because fresh basil is my absolute FAVORITE fresh herb, by a long shot. I tried to find more in the local nurseries, but none looked good. Most seemed to have that downy mildew, which I noticed as a problem in our area last year. I was thinking of trying some more from seed in the greenhouse if I have time.

I kind of cut off my bed of greens in this picture, but you can see the Arugula at least. The greens did so incredibly well last year, but this year not all of them germinated – again, I think it was because some was seed leftover from last year. Plus, a squirrel managed to take my protective row cover off of half of this bed not long after I first planted it. I’m thinking that helped the birds get to the seed.

Things that seem to be coming along well right now are the radishes, turnips, cucumbers, yellow squash, acorn squash, nasturtiums, and string beans. I don’t think the lima beans are doing anything. The tomato plants are doing ok. I think I should fertilize them to help them along (organic fertilizer, of course).

So that was pretty much the story for May. Late posting about it, though. But seems to often be the case for me during the growing season.

What’s on the gardening agenda next? Well, weeding, and lots of it. That’s what happens when you go on vacation.

It’s All in the Details

I love adding details to the garden that you might not notice at first glance. I started putting out my garden decorations, potted plants, and miniature worlds last weekend. Here is what I have going on so far.

This is a new idea I had this year: A little gnome garden. I used moss that I had in the secret garden area and growing on the cedar trashcan shed, added rocks, a small piece of driftwood, some small plants, and a cute little gnome and mushrooms. Isn’t it adorable?! This is on the wrought iron table that is in the secret garden area by the greenhouse. 

 This votive lantern is hanging from the wisteria that grows on the greenhouse.

Also new this year is a little Buddha garden I made using an old broken pot, little stones, more moss, a Buddha figurine that I had, and an incense burner that looks Indian-ish. I have this amongst the hostas that grow under the wisteria tree, hence the purple petals on the ground.

I have mentioned my fairy garden before. Still have it and my sister still thinks I’m a dork for having it.

And what’s a fairy garden without fairy sheep? Come on, humor me here. Everyone knows I love little lambies, so it makes sense to find some in my fairy garden.

Looks like some fairies were here, too.

How did a drunken gnome get in my garden? Oh, he is next to the shed where Brian does his homebrewing. I get it now. He must have found his way in there.

This gnome is much more civilized and guards these hostas quite well.

I built this impromptu miniature house out of stones and a shell in the Kitchen Garden as I was cleaning things up. Maybe a fairy or gnome will move in.

I tend to put shells here and there throughout the garden. Most of these came from a trip we took to Oregon a few years ago. There are few less shells than last year – the squirrels seem to like to steal them and bury them. I keep finding them here and there.

You may find things hanging from tree branches here and there, such as this windchime made of small, tin buckets and watering cans.

Mr. Wiggles has come out of hibernation in the greenhouse and now protects the entrance to the Kitchen Garden.

New this year are my hanging terra cotta pots with ferns. This corner fence is on the front and side of the yard and you enter through the gate to get to the garden. The top part of one panel of the fence fell apart a few years ago. I finally came up with an idea to dress up our dilapidated fence. I slipped the pots into plate hangers, then wrapped wire around the hooks and up over the beam. I had actually seen something similar on Pinterest, which is where I got the basic idea. Originally I wanted to build simple, wood frames to hang with each one to make the pots look like pictures, but I’m not sure I left enough room at the top to make that idea work.

Speaking of pots, I have two little pots in this little crate thing in the Kitchen Garden. Need to get a plant for the second pot.

All of these potted plants are ones from last year that overwintered in my greenhouse. Some are a few years old. The wire container with the faucet and bird is new.

This is a type of agave that I have on the screened-in back porch. I had a larger one last year that isn’t looking too healthy. Couldn’t resist another one. Dangerous looking, but oh so cool. Helpful tip: Definitely wear gloves when potting these babies.

Also on the screened-in back porch is this pretty little Maidenhair fern I planted in a Ball jar. I love the really dark stems and the shapes of the leaves.

Another fern on the back porch, along with my Nepenthes (monkey cups / hanging pitcher plant – no pitchers on it right now). The Pitcher is a carnivorous bog plant. I re-potted this recently, so I hope it likes its new home. It was overwintering in the greenhouse.

Why such a big clock, you might ask. So I can peak in through the door when outside gardening to see what time it is, of course.

I have ideas for other little projects, but of course little projects require little time, or sometimes more than a little time. Just never seems to be enough free time. Such is life.