BS: The September/Fall Garden

Subject: BS: The September Garden
From: Janie
Date: 19 Sep 04 - 10:17 PM

So....whatcha got goin' and growin'?

My fall garden (Northern Hemisphere zone 7b) is fairly blowsy and chaotic. I vascillate between loving the verdant extravagance, and thinking that I really need to bring things under control. I have a lot of tall dahlias that have been knocked about a bit by the remnant winds from the hurricanes. They are in their peak bloom period. The salvias are enjoying a last flush. The "sunny border blue" veronica and some of the annual phlox are reblooming. The perennial sunflowers are about 6 feet tall now. By the time they bloom, in mid October, they will be 8 to 10 feet tall and doing dances behing the dahlias. In the slightly cooler weather, the color of my pink roses deepens, and the scent changes from spicy to fruity.

A friend gave me some single apricot chrysanthamums (sp)a couple of years ago. They are just setting buds. These are great garden plants that need no pinching or coddling---but the color is a little tough to coordinate.

Tuberoses and moonflower vine scent the night garden and glow in the moonlight, and the "autumn joy" sedum is at its peak.

One of my larger beds really is something of a mess, but right now tartarian aster, a wild (and rampant) goldenrod, and blue boneset, as well as some more "autumn joy" make it a wonderfully wild looking mess. An old red climbing rose decided to rebloom in the middle of it all.

The bird population is starting to change at the feeders.

The kale that I set out a few weeks ago is doing well. I sowed mesclun mix just before the rains from the hurricanes and tropical storms started. All the spicey greens and mustards germinated, but I think most of the lettuce seed rotted in the ground. Guess I'll reseed, though it is a little late to do so. When it is dry enough I'll put out onion bulbs for green onions. The garlic I mail ordered will arrive and be ready to plant in another couple of weeks.

I want to be out there digging, dividing and transplanting, but alas, our last tax extension is about to expire, so we are in bookkeeping purgatory right now.

A big clump of tick-seeded sunflowers sprung up from nowhere this year. A delightful fall surprise.

Janie

Subject: RE: BS: The September Garden
From: katlaughing
Date: 19 Sep 04 - 10:32 PM

We don't have much, as of yet...too much work on the inside to get to the outside yet, but I did notice a tiny, beautiful Quaking Asp(en) tree seeded itself in my pansies windowbox! So did a few little elms. We will nurture them through the winter and transplant them in the spring. We have a few potted tomatoes, plsu a few yellow roses still blooming, along with snapdragons, coral bells, and stocks...and a *volunteer* purple sage which comes up in the backyard every year with NO watering or coddling of any kind! That's saying something for this high desert climate!

Your garden sounds wonderful. I wish there was a way we could all have a plant exchange every year! I'd love to take some excess off your hands and send something in return.**bg**

kat

Subject: RE: BS: The September Garden
From: CarolC
Date: 19 Sep 04 - 11:14 PM

We're in peak tomato time right now, and also several different kinds of peppers. I'll probably be reseeding some different kinds of greens. I didn't have much success with greens during the hot months. We're still getting the occasional strawberry, much to my surprise. Basil, thyme, rosemary and parsley are doing well in the herb containers. Some lamb's quarters volunteered in a few of our containers, contributed, I think, by the potting soil company. I'm letting them grow and go to seed. They don't seem to be native to this area, and I like to have them around for wild greens. I hope to collect the seeds and plant them next year.

I'm discovering a lot of wildflower species that I've never keyed out before. That's always a lot of fun. In fact, a large percentage of the plant life that is native to this area is new to me.

We have some volunteer plants in the compost pile. One of them is some sort of squash... not sure which kind yet. There is also at least one potato plant growing in there.

I'm having a lot of fun with the different pepper varieties. I can't remember what they're all called right now. Yesterday I made some kick-ass salsa with fresh tomatoes and peppers from our garden. Not particularly hot, but quite tasty.

We still have a few months of our growing season left. And I'm still learning the rythms of the southern garden. It's a whole new way of thinking about when to do what than what I've experienced before.

Subject: RE: BS: The September Garden
From: Janie
Date: 20 Sep 04 - 12:02 AM

Peak tomato season, you say? I forget what zone you are in, Carol. 8 or 9? My tomatoes need pulled up now. Even if I had planted a second crop in early July, they wouldn't be doing really well now-not enough daylength. It IS amazing that you have had strawberries all season. Do you know if that is typical where you are? You may have said on another thread, but how did you fare with the storms?

Kat, I love looking at the photographs of arid gardens in my gardening magazines. So very different from what I know, and texturally so very splendid.

Wonder what is happening in the southern hemisphere....?

Janie

Subject: RE: BS: The September Garden
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 20 Sep 04 - 12:25 AM

Wonderful news of your gardens! I'm in Zone 8a, and this weekend I spent most of my time in the garden. Today I saw my first squirrel run across the powerline, pecan in mouth. I've been hearing the steady "plop, pop, plunk" of acorns falling from the red oaks across the street from me for two weeks. We had heavy wind and rain last night--I don't have any trees in front (of any size) yet I ended up with all of the big oak and mulberry leaves on my lawn. [sigh]

This summer was unusually mild and moist, just right for fireflies. I think there are more of then now than there were back in June. Just as the sun is over the trees and you can look at the dark parts of the yard next to hedges and under trees, and there they are with their bright green photochemical glow.

On Saturday I dug an extention of a front bed. The first part had filled with grass, but I dug a new area beside it (about twice as big) then dug the first part and transplanted some of the iris over to the new part. I was careful not to disturb one cluster of iris because there was a juvenile tarantula hanging out there. I probably dug up his hole, but at least he got away with his life (I hope! The rain might have washed the poor guy away). I'm going to pick up a flat of Asian jasmine to place among the iris. I don't want anything too tall out at the street, and I don't want to have to water often.

Out back today I dug up a patch for my winter onions (I still have a few onions in the fridge from last spring), and dug up where my garlic grew earlier this year. I found several big cloves underground getting ready to put out roots and shoots, so I arranged them back in the dirt, put some manure and compost over the top. I trimmed the viney tomato hedge, and it's down to a sedate row of plants in cages. Some of them may come back from the roots for a fall crop (I always try this first because they grow faster than new plants, with their established roots). If they don't start to grow again soon I'll bring in new plants. I've frozen a couple of gallons of cherry tomatoes and the larger slicing variety. I took the loppers to the grass around the peppers and eggplant and chard, and there is an old broccoli relic in the garden from last winter. I was just curious to see what it would do if I left it alone. It's pretty ugly, but it's alive.

Indoors there was one houseplant with a vine about 25' long, but U-G-L-Y with long bare stretches, so I lopped it off and cut it into bits and poked them into new pots. This summer I inherited several tender plants from a friend who moved out of state, so I'm going to have to make room for at last two five-gallon plants in the house come cold weather.

As Janie observed, we're seeing different birds now. More hummers lately (migrating?) and lots of butterflies. I have been tempted for weeks to rip out the volunteer "state fair" zinnias outside my kitchen window. They lean so far into the driveway and they're mildewy, but when I'm doing dishes I look out at the tops of these very tall flowers and watch them with a steady clientele of butterflies, hummingbirds, and little sparrow-like birds that tear up and eat the dried flowers. How can I resist those little visitors?

The tarantulas will start moving around more in daytime soon. I'm not sure where they go, or if they just swap holes with each other, but I'm beginning to see them peeking out of their holes during the day.

I guess I'd better quit there--that's more than enough. But thanks for asking! (This was longer, but I pruned it also--I hope it still makes sense!)

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: The September Garden
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 20 Sep 04 - 03:41 AM

Well mine looks like an explosion in a plant nursery.   The white buddliea has reached 15ft, as has the pittisporum (which the nursery said wouldn't get past 4ft.....hmmmmm), topped only by the bay tree at 17ft.

The bastard service tree is looking scruffy, but has it's usual red berries. The robena tree has white berries and the pyrocantha has decided to have yellow berries this year, so the birds will be happy. The blue tits that were here in the spring/early summer have departed for less cat infested climes, but the blackbirds are still around.

The japanese anaemone is in flower, the ivies are looking splendid and in need of tidying and the fuschia is positively rampant.

Mostly though, I have been growing orb spiders and their webs. The biggest (traditionally called Lucy, don't ask why!) was the size of a marble and her web was more than 2ft across, with tethers at 4ft. The enterprising one who spun her web across the front door got caught by the mailman.

It's been a bit windy this weekend, so they'll be out there later, repairing and resetting like crazy.... a more peaceful thing to do I can't think, just watching a spider make a beautiful web from its arse.

LTS

Subject: RE: BS: The September Garden
From: Rt Revd Sir jOhn from Hull
Date: 20 Sep 04 - 03:44 AM

My garden has got a busted up old bike, and 2 pallets of bricks in it, if i find out who put's all this junk in my garden there will be trubble!

Subject: RE: BS: The September Garden
From: Georgiansilver
Date: 20 Sep 04 - 03:48 AM

Having had the experience of separating from my wife last year I no longer have a garden to play with, so all I can grow is "Older"
Best wishes.

Subject: RE: BS: The September Garden
From: Joybell
Date: 20 Sep 04 - 08:28 PM

Everythings growing, blooming, smelling wonderful - It's Spring here in Australia. The sun is bright and warm. We had better rains this year and we have baby black swans on the flooded paddocks around us. I just picked up my first baby magpie for the season. I care for the overflow from the wildlife carers, under their supervision. It's so tiny, a nestling still. It's in a hanging basket-nest under the window preening its feathers in the sun. That's about like a human baby brushing its own hair at the age of about 2 weeks! Joy

Subject: RE: BS: The September Garden
From: Bobert
Date: 20 Sep 04 - 09:08 PM

6B here in the Blue Ridge Mountain of Wes Ginny but things are looking real nice.

Tho the temps are in the 40's at night, the tomatoes and peppers are still ripening. The pole bean are going crazy and probably will thru the 1st of Novemeber. They are tough. Heck. we're pickin' a pound a day and either eatin' 'um 'er freezin' 'um... Yummy... The eggplant is still doing as are the squash. The cukes gave it up and were a major disappointment this year...

As fir flowers. The white phlox (David) is still blooming, the cleome is still blooming, butterfly bush is grandeous... The cardinal flower all got mildew so we pulled it up but it had already re-seeded itself so we'll have plenty next year... The hyanchith is flowered (lavendar) and should start setting seed pods soon... There are a few coleopsis still hanging on to hteir blooms (both yellow "Moon Glow" and the Lavendar)....

The birds are busy. The gold finches are starting to loose their color. The humming birds either left today or will soon do so. I saw one last night but none today. The woodpeackers (downy, hairy) have started hitting the suet real good. The piliated is in the woods but not feeding... The robins are gone... My three danged crows which I don't have the heart to run off are hear all the time (pests, grrrr...)...

I have over 50 azaleas I've been raising from cuttings that need to come in soon for the winter and live in the cold, but not freezing basement, for the winter before getting planted next spring. Also, 10 young rhodos... Several evergreens will get moved next month as I cut around their roots last spring so they should be ready for the move...

Oh, the joy of Fall (not...)

Bobert

Subject: RE: BS: The September Garden
From: LilyFestre
Date: 20 Sep 04 - 09:42 PM

My fall garden consists of the same thing as my summer garden....chives, mint, rosemary and lettuce. Only 2 of my tomato plants had tomatoes...so they weren't so successful. I do have sunflowers that were planted very late, yet seem to have caught up with others and are blooming nicely. I am hoping that my pumpkins will continue growing for an October harvest.

:) I love fall.

Lily

Subject: RE: BS: The September Garden
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 20 Sep 04 - 11:39 PM

I found another volunteer canteloupe in the front lantana bed this evening. I think that makes about 10 total that one plant came up with through the summer, but it is the last, because the vine has completely died and almost disappeared. One fruit I picked a few days ago is as sweet as they ever get; this latest one was discovered at the last minute before all of the bugs moved in (a few had encroached on one end of it). It isn't as sweet as I expected, but it is almost fermented.

There are lots of baby geckos running around on the outside of the house.

Subject: RE: BS: The September Garden
From: dianavan
Date: 21 Sep 04 - 12:31 AM

Picking the last of the tomatoes and zuchinni. Still eating everbearing rasperries. Sunflowers are beginning to nod. Severely pruned my climbing rose because it was interferring with the downspout. Need to turn the compost and start anew. Will plant rye very soon. Not much colour. Pretty pink yarrow transplanted from the island. My garden puts me in a melancholy mood. Is Winter really only a couple of months away?

This year my garden was shared with my nephew's new bride. She had never had access to fresh vegetables and delighted in picking and eating all summer long. I think I have a convert. She's a great cook and is much more inventive in the kitchen than I am. We feasted for two months.

d

Subject: RE: BS: The September Garden
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 21 Sep 04 - 10:40 PM

I lopped off the guara out in the front yard today. It's an interesting plant, with small butterfly-shaped flowers on delicate stems, but it is an aphid magnet. I took out all of the dry stems; I think it is supposed to maybe come back some more now. We shall see.

This was just another way to "refresh" a thread on which I hope others will share their gardening adventures. Dianavan, where do you live that your raspberries are still producing?

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: The September Garden
From: dianavan
Date: 21 Sep 04 - 11:14 PM

I'm in vancouver, B.C. but its the variety not the climate. My friend gave me an everbearing variety (not as sweet and juicy) but it bears three sets of fruit. I often have berries in October. What a treat!

I also have everbearing strawberries. I ate some yesterday. I prefer the taste of the June varieties but for eating a handful fresh from the garden, the everbearing variety are just fine.

Subject: RE: BS: The September Garden
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 21 Sep 04 - 11:47 PM

Whatcom County, the northern-most county in Washington State, is the raspberry capital of the nation, perhaps the world right now. So you're awfully close to the perfect raspberry climate. A friend offered to send me some raspberry vines, but down here in Texas, I don't know how well they'd do. You skew the record with your three sets of fruit--you live in ecotopia. That's a far cry from North Texas!

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: The September Garden
From: dianavan
Date: 22 Sep 04 - 02:08 AM

Funny how you take some things for granted. I grew up in Washington and have always had lots of berries in my life. We actually have to prune heavily or the canes take over.

Picking berries is a tradition in my family. Its generational among our women. Its just part of our life.

I'm sure Texas has something that we do not. Do you have citrus fruits? If so, I envy you - expecially the fragrance of orange blossoms.

d

Subject: RE: BS: The September Garden
From: Peg
Date: 22 Sep 04 - 08:24 AM

I have a plot in a public garden in Boston but have done nothing in it since July because of my leg injury. I am hoping to get over there this coming weekend with a friend and do some much needed weeding, subdivide and transplant some peonies, and lay down some mulch. I am also expecting some bulbs I mail ordered so they will have to go in.
I only grow flowrs, I would love to grow berries or other edibles, but the idiots in the plot next to me break the rules and spray RoundUp on their weeds (killing my flowers in the process) so I don't want to eat anything with pesticide residue on it.

Last time I was over there in July the hollyhocks were ten feet high! Lots of different colors planted by ther plot's previous caretaker.Lots of peonies, irises and alliums, daffodils, roses. I also have two big lilac trees, a large wild rose hedge and some forsythia hedges.

I want to plant some tulips bulbs and also have a bunch of various hyacinths to plant this fall. Looking forwrad to getting back to it. Before my accident I was in there 10-15 hours a week, at least.

Subject: RE: BS: The September Garden
From: Bobert
Date: 22 Sep 04 - 08:46 AM

Speaking ot the hyacinths, we have a one that was hybridized supposedly by Thomas Jefferson and the seeds (beans) are sold at Monrecello. It is a wonderful viney plant with rich clusters if large ivy shaped leaves. In the late summer and ealy fall it blooms an almost irrodescent lavendar bloom and sets seed pods which are a deep rich purpleish burgandy. Each pod contains 2 or 3 seeds (bean) which are black with a little white stripe.

The nice thing about this plant is that it climbs and fills in so well that in the growing saeson, it can be used as a screen. It does a great job as a decorative sculptural plant and grows darned near anywhere.

If anyone would like a bean or two, PM me. They will be ready in just over a month. One plant yields about 50 new beans a year so once you have one good plant, you'll have beans for life...

Also forgot, the habiscis is also in bloom as well as the native wild flowers, such as Joe Pie weed, Fall Clematis, etc...

Bobert

Subject: RE: BS: The September Garden
From: muppett
Date: 22 Sep 04 - 09:38 AM

In my little garden in Brafud (or for those that don't speak the lingo, BRADFORD in West Yorkshire)My Gladioli are still blooming, my Sun Flowers are just starting to bloom and my popies and corn flowers are coming to the end of their blooms, though the recent winds have battered them.

Subject: RE: BS: The September Garden
From: Paco Rabanne
Date: 22 Sep 04 - 09:45 AM

My concrete yards are glistening in the hail.

Subject: RE: BS: The September Garden
From: Mary in Kentucky
Date: 22 Sep 04 - 09:48 AM

bobert, do you mean hyacinth bean vine -- if so, I'll PM you my addy. I'd love to have some seeds from Monticello. If those are what I think they are, the little seeds look like oreo cookies.

In my garden the zinnias, pumpkins, tomatoes, and peppers are still going. I planted a fall crop of turnip greens which are just up, maybe too late. My pumpkins peaked too early for jack-o-lanterns, but we've had a wet summer and everybody's grew fast. I scratched my granddaughter's initials on one and managed to keep it elevated off the ground so it wouldn't rot. The zinnia seeds were from a friend of a friend of a friend given out at a funeral in Connecticut. I also have a couple of cotton plants from seeds a friend gave me. They've been fun to fool people with.

Subject: RE: BS: The September Garden
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 22 Sep 04 - 09:56 AM

Bobert, what are the growing requirements for that hyacinth? Temperatures, wet or dry, soil type?

Dianavan, I grew up in Washington State, at various times in Seattle, Everett, and Bellingham, I know all about all of that fruit. I grazed through raspberry vines, apples, peaches, plums/prunes, and tons of blackberries every summer. I miss all of that. They have (I still don't claim Texas as my own) lots of stuff down here, certainly--in the very southern part of the state citrus is grown. In the areas with the right soil types there are some mighty tasty peaches. There are hot-weather variants of other things, like blueberries. I never can get used to those shrubs with the big leaves as producing blueberries--the native vaccinium plants in the Northwest are old friends from my mountain climbing days (very sturdy to grab if you need a handhold) and from my forestry days (out there in old clear-cuts eating berries and keeping an eye out for bears--I've shared a berry patch with black bears several times over the years).

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: The September Garden
From: Gedpipes
Date: 22 Sep 04 - 10:25 AM

Don't know what fall is but my shared back alley is full of dog deposits, used needles, glue bags and other assorted detritus. Nice day though.

Subject: RE: BS: The September Garden
From: Janie
Date: 22 Sep 04 - 09:52 PM

Bobert, will definitely pm you. Probably tommorrow.

Thanks for checking in Joybell. I really enjoy hearing about both your opposite season and your flora and fauna.

Actually, I really enjoy reading about everyone's gardens and observations. Thanks for refreshing this SRS.


Worked late tonight. Should now be working on closing out the books, but I'm just too fried. Went out a little while to stand in the garden. Sometimes I forget to really look at and enjoy my fall garden. As I look, I start planning changes for spring. So I put myself in the present and just looked.

A couple of blooms opened on the Nippon Daisies today. What great and carefree fall bloomers those little shrubs are. They cover themselves in white daisies with yellow eyes. Their only drawback, and it is a big one, is they have a strong and unpleasant odor. The larkspur, ammi, phlox drummondii, blue lace flower,nigella and bachelor buttons are all waiting to be sown. Where in the world am I going to squeeze more plants! This fall, I REALLY AM going to get all of the dahlias labelled so I can watch for sports.

Our elderly neighbor fell and broke her arm two weeks ago. Yesterday my 10 year old son and my spouse cut flowers and took them over to her. My son arranged the flowers and was so proud of them he took me over to the neighbor's house when I got home to see them. He had chosen his cuts carefully and had made a really lovely vase arrangement for her. His experience of both the garden and of wild areas had very clearly informed his eye. It evoked in me the power of the natural world in general, of digging in the dirt, and working with plants, observing the bugs, birds and small four-leggeds who make a garden their home.

Our family is very lucky to have such safe and bountiful lives. It is good to remember that.

Janie

Subject: RE: BS: The September Garden
From: Bobert
Date: 22 Sep 04 - 10:37 PM

Yeah, Mary, that is it and thank you for the PM... You'll be getting a couple two or three beans for next year...

Dianavan: Hey, these guys like light but aren't like danged tomatoes. They'll grow nicely with partical sun tho better with more sun. When they're getting established they like to be watered every three ot four days if it doesn't rain. After they get established, they just take care of themselves. They won't grow in marsh land, however, and will tolerate some drought...

Bloom in late summer and set bean pods soon afterwards...

Great plants. Once you've had 'um in yer garden you'll look forward to havin' 'um the next year even more... And they are trainable. I'd bet that if you had a 30 foot flag pole that in one season they'd climb to the top!

Bobert

Subject: RE: BS: The September Garden
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 22 Sep 04 - 10:47 PM

Upon request, I've given several of my neighbors some of the dried heads off of my State Fair zinnias. They came back as volunteers this year (every color except yellow, as they slowly head back to whatever the orignial color was, probably orange). So here and there in the neighborhood there are big patches of these very tall flowers, wherever they decided to broadcast the seeds. These do get mildew, but the birds and butterflies just love the things, and when they dry out, the sparrows eat the seed heads. They're not so elegant sounding as Bobert's flowers, and these came in a simple seed packet from the garden center. The leaves droop if they don't get watered almost every day, but if the foliage gets damp, that's when the mildew becomes a problem.

Subject: RE: BS: The September Garden
From: Auxiris
Date: 23 Sep 04 - 02:56 AM

Not much variety in my garden, just irises, irises and more tall bearded irises. . . but most of the crop of hybrids planted last fall and set out in the spring of this year will bloom for the first time next spring . Should be a good show.

cheers,

Aux

Subject: RE: BS: The September Garden
From: Janie
Date: 23 Sep 04 - 03:09 PM

SRS, State Fair is a nice, old variety, but I am partial to the big, dahlia type blooms of Benary Giant zinnias. Have you tried them?

One day some one is going to develop a truly mildew resistant cutting zinnia. Hope I'm still alive when it happens;).

Janie

Subject: RE: BS: The September Garden
From: LilyFestre
Date: 23 Sep 04 - 03:49 PM

I went out to pick some of my zinnias one day and whilst I was happily wandering back down to the house with a lovely bouquet of zinnias, I noticed there were bees sleeping between the flower petals on the head of the flower. I've never seen that before...anyone else? And if so, how do I go about discouraging such a thing?

Does the title of this thread bring a visual to anyone else of bright blue skies, an occassional big fluffy cloud, sunflowers and farm market stands? Just the name of this thread brings about happy thoughts!

Michelle

Subject: RE: BS: The September Garden
From: Joybell
Date: 23 Sep 04 - 07:51 PM

Fun to be back here on our garden thread.
We have Native Orchids on our roadsides now and Early Nancys - pretty little lillies shaped like stars. Chocolate lillies and bright yellow Bulbine lillies are just about to flower. The Chocolate lillies smell more like vanilla but another lily has that common name.
Our tiny baby magpie is doing well on a diet of puppy food, baby cereal and insect mix. He/she likes to sit on True-love's chest and preen his beard. Soon it will be his eyelashes if we allow it, and his curly hair. Birds just love curly hair. Magpies are sweet gentle creatures - at least with their human foster parents. You can trust them to probe your ears and nose. Funny because their actual parents don't have noses or visible ears.
There's a lot of chirping going on. Must go and feed the baby. Cheers Joy

Subject: RE: BS: The September Garden
From: Janie
Date: 23 Sep 04 - 08:12 PM

Labor Day weekend I returned home to find a covey of rusty steel quail had taken up residence in my garden. Things sometimes disappear from my garden, so it was a delightful surprise to see something had APPEARED this time. It seems I had been visited by a garden fairy named Dani.

Speaking of Dani, I'm headed to her house now for a good visit, and hopefully a song or two. The taxes are done. Dad and son are gone. Cutting flowers to take to Dani gave me a little time to enjoy the garden. I can clean house tomorrow after work. And this weekend, which should be gorgeous here (Oh my yes, those fall blue skies with the puffy clouds), I can garden all day if I chose:-)

Janie

Subject: RE: BS: The September Garden
From: Guy Wolff
Date: 23 Sep 04 - 08:44 PM

I spent the weekend at the wonderful Garden at Dupont's Estate in Deliware . Winterthur is very very beautiful at the moment . Even with the left overs of the huracane following us around . Now theres a fall garden worth having a look at. Longwood is spectacular at the moment as well I hear. !!
Ahh to see the beechs at Fountain's Abby again . I hear they are uncovering an Elizabethan garden there this year!! All the best , Guy

Subject: RE: BS: The September Garden
From: Bobert
Date: 23 Sep 04 - 09:11 PM

My wife, P-Vine, also went to Winterthur thia past weekend for their big show and sale but after getting rained out so badly on Saturday, getting drenched to the bone she decided aginst returning the following day and came home instead...

Bobert

Subject: RE: BS: The September Garden
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 24 Sep 04 - 05:08 PM

I'm biding my time until it cools enough to start transplanting some stuff that outgrew it's bounds during the summer. Our guru of organic and xeriscape gardening (http://www.dirtdoctor.com) advises that when the sap begins to shift and the leaves yellow is the best time to move stuff. I have my sharpshooter shovel at the ready for when that time comes!

Oh--a neighbor has the most marvelous cluster of cosmos around his mailbox--I have to get some of those for next year. I don't know if the flowers in this photo are the same variety as up the street, but what a great photo!

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: The September Garden
From: Janie
Date: 27 Sep 04 - 11:05 PM

Do any of you have any experience with crocosmia? I planted a lot of several varieties last year. I was really looking forward to a show this year. The bulbs multiplied and there was lots of good foliage, but the number and quality of the blooms were disappointing for all varieties. I am wondering if I over-fed them last year when I planted them. They were definitely not over-fed this year, but I assume they are like daffs so that bulb development this year determines next year's growth and bloom. Any thoughts? How many years would you leave them where they are to see if they will bloom well in that location?

The fall belongs to dahlia's in my front yard. All summer I find myself thinking they are too formal, to lady-like and take up too much room. Then every fall they get big and bushy and covered with dishevelled blooms. They tip over in their cages, and branches break and fold to the ground from the wind and the weight of all the blossoms. Luscious. A little over-blown and erotic. Mature, well-worn women, at ease with themselves and seductive in their grounded femaleness.

Jeez, Janie. Give it a break!

Janie:o)

Subject: RE: BS: The September Garden
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 27 Sep 04 - 11:43 PM

Mature women. . .toppling over in their cages. . .

Whew! Let me fan myself! ;->

I was watching a gardening program on Saturday, and realized that there are some simple things to do that turn parts of the yard from merely functional to "features." In this case, I was watching that guy P. Something Allen (?) on "Garden Rooms" and he was talking about the elements he considers important. And I realized that by plopping my birdbath down near the young baldcypress last year may have served the birds, but wasn't very elegant. So I dug up a couple of square yards of turf, added some sand for leveling, and rounded up some bricks (there are lots leftover around the yard, very handy!) to make a little pedestal, then put the birdbath on it. It looks like a piece of art when I treat it like one. Amazing! It's a simple concrete birdbath with a wide, shallow bowl. The birds probably don't care about the angle, and it didn't move more than a couple of feet. But it looks a lot nicer. I dug a bed around it, added compost, etc., and steel edging then put some small evergreens (blue rug junipers) that I bought last spring and never got around to putting out front. Didn't cost a thing!
SRS

Subject: RE: BS: The September Garden
From: Janie
Date: 28 Sep 04 - 08:36 AM

Maybe I should enter that last paragraph I posted in the Bad Writing Contest!

Janie

Subject: RE: BS: The September Garden
From: Bobert
Date: 28 Sep 04 - 09:36 AM

Janie,

Don't bother enter the bad writin' contest 'cause I've allready done so so 2nd is the best you can hope for...

Ahhh, the crocosmia! Our's didn't even bother to come back this year but it bloomed vibrant red goose neck shaped blooms last year. I think the culrivar is called "Lucifer" and we got it from the Dutch Bulb company, though I believe it is officially a "corm" rather than a "bulb"... I know there is also a yellow hybrid but I'm not keen on yellow flowers, except the yellow dicidious azaleas that I've scrounged from thre Carolina mountains...

The crocosmias are supposed to be hard in Zone 6 so I guess somethin' else may have gotten them... Voles, perhaps... I hate voles...

Also, just starting to bloom are the sasanquas which is a everygreen camillia looking plant that blooms in the fall. the flower, pink or white, resemble camillias as well except much smaller... about 2 1/2 inches across...

We have just cleaned up a lot of cleomi and cardinal flowers which gewt messy this time a year. We left several cleomi that are still in bloom to add a little color to the bed right behind the deck off our master bedroom...

SRS,

The placement of yer birdbath sounds perfect... Actually, birdbaths have that vertical sculptural quality which is needed for composition in any well planned garden. It also made me think of some of the plants that the P-Vine and I use to provide those vertical qualities and the green spire uranamous is a great one. And relatively cheap. Is evergreen and grows to 6 feet but oly about a foot wide. Its a little like sky pencil but wider and more intersting... Just thought I've throw that plant in in case anyone is looking for some verticle feature fir cheap... And if a branch gets broken of, stick it in root tone and, way..lay.... new plant.

Bobert

Subject: RE: BS: The September Garden
From: GUEST,Donuel
Date: 28 Sep 04 - 09:49 AM

Outside DC our 7 ft tall spider blooms are nearing their end. The garden runs 200 feet inside our fence and 3 smaller gardens outside.
The pungent honey suckle has flowered and turned to fluff. The jewel berry bushs have lavender purple berries. The 3 petal blue flowers (Trillium?) continue to appear in the morning or cloudy days. White Flox, strawberry plants and potted mums are around the hot tub.
I continue to find little garden statues that were grown over for the last 10 to 30 years. Several hanging accents have grown into the branches of the cherry and crab apple trees.
While digging I think I found a lightning strike of fused sand and earth. In the fathest darkest corner I made a rock garden with a sand beach with large 2-5 ft. antique sailing ships (coated with urethane) near a small hillside with ceramic houses.
I found a Maddona statue and put the South Park Jesus and Satan in her arms. The garden is not without a sense of humor or a variety of outdoor furniture of swinging benches, hammocks, an iron bench and assorted chairs. In the center of one patio I have my natural maple tree trunk table and black walnut bench. My wife is delighted to finally get these out of the house. I guess tree trunk furniture is a guy thing.

While most people see the pool in the center I see the garden, evergreens and shrubs that surrounds and overhangs much of the free form 45ft. swimming pool.

I have over a hundred bulbs to plant for spring. They are mostly blue and white hyacinths and other blue and white flowering bulbs. I think I'll put the black and white tulips on the west side of the house.
Black tulips have a very interesting history by the way.

Subject: RE: BS: The September Garden
From: Janie
Date: 28 Sep 04 - 12:01 PM

Donuel,

If you are talking wildflower the 3petaled blue flowers are probably asiatic day flowers. If you are talking cultivars with strappy, grass-like leaves, you're talking spider lily. Your garden sounds like a fun and exciting place.

Bobert,

I love those fall blooming camillas. When I begin to redesign for a lower maintenance garden in a few years (aka more shrubs and small trees and fewer perennials and annuals) I will most definitely be including at least one. While voles may have got your crocosmia, another possibility is they rotted. They require excellent drainage during winter dormancy according to the books I read.

Janie

Subject: RE: BS: The September Garden
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 28 Sep 04 - 12:08 PM

Don, we have a three petal blue flower here that blooms late in the year. It's a spiderwort. Trillium is usually early spring, and white (where I've seen it, in the pacific northwest). Spiderwort looks like a grass until the flowers pop out. I have a large slowy one in my garden that I dug up in the woods across the road from my yard a couple of years ago. It blooms big and long, all spring (I wish I could propagate it, but I seem to only have the one, no spreading from the roots so far, or whatever they do). The little ones are in the turf along the edge of the house, are volunteers, and are fall bloomers.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: The September Garden
From: GUEST
Date: 28 Sep 04 - 12:13 PM

Black tu;ips? Really black? I tried Queen of The Night once, but they were very dark red. Would love really black ones. What is their history please.

Subject: RE: BS: The September Garden
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 28 Sep 04 - 01:06 PM

Ah, darn, that should read "nice Showy" spiderwort. . .

Subject: RE: BS: The September Garden
From: Janie
Date: 28 Sep 04 - 03:15 PM

Uh yeh...Spiderwort. Thanks for catching that SRS. I was just thinking about how the spider lilies I planted didn't even send up leaves this spring, much less blooms this fall, and....you know the drill.

Guest, I believe that all "black" flowers are either very dark red or very dark purple. There is a viola that is so deep purple that you have to study it to see that it really isn't black, but I have never seen any flower that is true black. Has anyone else?

Janie

Subject: RE: BS: The September Garden
From: Chris Green
Date: 28 Sep 04 - 03:22 PM

I've got mushrooms growing in my sink!

Subject: RE: BS: The September Garden
From: Bobert
Date: 28 Sep 04 - 03:41 PM

The east coast native trilliums are mostly either a maroon or yellow, SRS, with white being very rare but not impossible to find... They come up with the rest of the spring wild flowers, love part shade and moist feet...

We have a hybridized white one that blooms well into the summer that we bought from a North Carolina grower that doesn't match any pictures in any book and the grower looked at a photo we took of it and couldn't even identify it! We're kinda crossing our fingures that it doesn't revert so that maybe we can get it registered...

Those fall camillias, according to the P-Vine, are called "saw-san-quas"... I prolly spelled it wrong... She corrects me all the time when I call them camilias since camillias, she says, bloom in the spring... Speaking of Camillias if anyone wants to grow them in Zone 6, son't let anyone tell you they won't grow. Some won't but many will. The trick is to build a cage for them out of fence and micorfoam for their first winter....

Bobert

Subject: RE: BS: The September Garden
From: Janie
Date: 28 Sep 04 - 04:15 PM

Bobert, is the white trillium you have solid white? Keep us posted on its development.

I thought they WERE a fall-blooming camillia. Learn sumpin new evra day.

I want to try to grow some trilliums here, in a shady nook in the back, but I have my doubts. We have a few blue and black cohoshes, bloodroot, and a wild mountain geranium that survive from year to year but do not thrive. Our goldenseal does really well. We have not yet gotten ginseng to grow, from seed or from 1st year roots, although it is native to this area. I also don't have much success with alums and foam flowers. Guess I can't have everything.

Janie

Subject: RE: BS: The September Garden
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 28 Sep 04 - 05:34 PM

Trillium ovatum actually occurs in the Northwest in both white and pink.

It's a low understory flower, one of the earliest in spring. Comes out pretty soon after Skunk Cabbage and Coltsfoot.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: The September Garden
From: Janie
Date: 28 Sep 04 - 05:58 PM

Don't you just love all the trout lilies behind that white trillium?

Janie

Subject: RE: BS: The September Garden
From: Bobert
Date: 28 Sep 04 - 08:44 PM

Janie,

The native trillium will grow in the same conditions as you bloodroot.

Our unusal one is white with tiny littel pink viens with stiff pedals that open upwards like a bloodroot bloom and the plant is close to 15 inched tall and holds its bloom for about sa month. We think it is a sport between ewo of the varieties that the grower has. Most of all, no one who we have shown our pictures to have ever seen it.

And, yes, trout lillies are a wonderful...

I know os a place along the Potamac River where the trout lillies grow along a shadelu road on a bank and are so tick that nuthin' else can grow. It's well over a 100 feet long and 8 tp 15 feet tall bank and nuthin but trout lillie... Down at the bottom of the road there is a hill covered in trillium, larkspur, dutchman's britches, twin leaf and blood root... It is a wild flower paradise...

Hurry up, Spring!

Bobert

Subject: RE: BS: The September Garden
From: pdq
Date: 28 Sep 04 - 08:58 PM

If you can't eat it, smoke it, or sit under it in the summer for shade, it ain't worth the fertilizer to grow it!

Subject: RE: BS: The September Garden
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 28 Sep 04 - 09:24 PM

go away, pdq, if that's all you have to offer in the way of gardening advice!

I plucked that photo off of the web, aware that it wasn't emanating from the Northwest. In fact, it comes from the UK. With that name, it should be the same flower, but who knows where the photo was taken. Probably some botanical garden somewhere. I don't know the trout lilies from where I grew up or live now.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: The September Garden
From: pdq
Date: 28 Sep 04 - 09:38 PM

SRS - As much fertilizer as you have, you should be able to grow a healthier sense of humor.

Subject: RE: BS: The September Garden
From: Janie
Date: 28 Sep 04 - 10:08 PM

Bobert, we have one bloodroot plant. It has returned for several years, but it has not spread at all. We have one small bed in an alcove up against the north side of the house where we can grow most of these plants. Some of them do well, and some just hang in there. I suppose there could be too much competition in the bed.

SRS, the trout-lilies occur in rich moist woods and alluvial places along creeks and streams throughout the East as far south as the Georgia mountains. I love 'em. The latin is erthronium americanum. I think they are native, but am not 100% sure. (Bobert or P-vine?) I think there may be at least one Western species. There are cultivars available through reputable nurseries, as well as nursery propogated species plants, if you are in the right climate.    They are a good edible, but should probably no longer be harvested in the wild. Another common name, according to my Peterson's, is dog-tooth violet. (What I call dogtooth violet is a very tiny violet or field pansy with deeply notched leaves)

Hey! here we all are pining over spring instead of enjoying our fall gardens. Tsk, tsk.

Janie

Subject: RE: BS: The September Garden
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 28 Sep 04 - 10:26 PM

So should you, pdq.

We had a erythronium in the northwest, the one I remember is glacier lily.

Subject: RE: BS: The September Garden
From: Janie
Date: 28 Sep 04 - 10:55 PM

Glacier lily, e. grandiflorum. Photo here.

Janie

Subject: RE: BS: The September Garden
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 28 Sep 04 - 11:24 PM

Yup. There were also some very nice orange tiger lilies, some chocolate liles (didn't turn up often but were very nice) and a whole bunch others. Then there were little gems like the dodecatheon (shooting star) and my absolute favorites to get down on my hands and knees with the closeup lens to photograph on the occasions when I found them--the pipsissewa and the elephant's head pedicularis. (Here's another pedicularis.)

It doesn't hurt to dwell on spring issues now--because this is when so many of those flowers need to be seeded or planted in order to come up next spring. I took a $7 bag of mixed daffodil bulbs (corms?) last year and poked them around the yard for wonderful results this spring and early summer. I need to see if I can split some of those this year and spread them a little more. They're all down there somewhere!

I'm planning an experiment to deal with those first weeds that take over the yard before the turf comes back. Last spring my organic guru said they've been testing the spraying of vinegar (10%) on the lawn here in North Texas between christmas and new years. It seems that spraying about then is enough to knock out the seeds or sprouts of those early plants without harming the lawn (which is dormant). Not that I'm in love with grass anyway, but this is what they said.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: The September Garden
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 29 Sep 04 - 10:56 PM

refresh (there's one more day in September!)

Subject: RE: BS: The September Garden
From: Janie
Date: 05 Oct 04 - 07:03 PM

I'll ask a j. clone to change this to The Fall Garden rather start another thread just because a page turned on the calendar.

Planted close to ten flats of pansies and violas this weekend, all in pots.

Bobert, I dug three wheelbarrow loads of violets out of my front garden beds this afternoon. I suspect I broadcast a lot of seed in the process. The seed isn't ripe yet tho' so maybe I did some good. I had let the violets go for a couple of years to see if they work as a ground cover--which they do---, but they crowd everything else out with their big clumpy roots and underground seed pods. (Just like everything I've ever read and everyone I've ever asked had told me they would. Imagine that.)

I would really like to lift and replant one large bed this fall, and where I live fall is the best time to divide and transplant most perennials. But it ain't likely to happen this year. I'd have to give up the Getaway to even get started on it, and I ain't about to do that!

Got lettuce reseeded after the first sowing rotted from too much rain.
The kale is of harvestable size now. I need to get crimson clover planted in the dormant veggie beds pretty soon.

The dahlias are absolutely breathtaking---so beautiful they hurt. The colors are particularly intense early and late in the day, in the clear fall sunlight. Soul food.

My son learned a lovely grace in pre-school that says it all, for me.

Earth who gives to us this food.
Sun who makes it ripe and good.
Dear Earth, Dear Sun
By you we live.
Our loving thanks to you we give.

Blessings on our meal.

Just received notice that the bulbs I ordered have been shipped. Glad they sent the e-mail, because I had forgotten that I had ordered them :0)

Janie

Subject: RE: BS: The September Garden
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 05 Oct 04 - 07:11 PM

My onions seeds, planted 11 days ago, are sprouting. Three rows of tiny little green threads poking out. I'll wait until they get larger then transplant the extras to another bed. Tomatoes are looking good out front, and I suspect the neighbors will harvest several while I'm out of town over the weekend.

I agree, switch the thread name over to "The Fall Garden." I have to separate more irises--I started a couple of weeks ago, but have several more beds to work on. The squirrels are planting nuts and acorns everywhere, so I'm bound to evict a few as I work, but soften up the soil for the planting of hundreds more before they finish. [sigh]

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: The September Garden
From: Bobert
Date: 05 Oct 04 - 07:52 PM

Oh, those violets can be so invasive and each one makes hundreds of seeds which blow around and next thing ya' know you have a major problem... It is by far out worse weed because it doesn't respond to pre-emergants 'er crongluton, er nuthin'... This year I just went after the larger arreas with round up and then reseeded grass...

There are lots of yery nice controlable groundcovers like mazus, 'er lucimakia, 'er ajuga, 'er, 'er... but violets are a pain...

I just tilled up a new bed which is going to be primarilly rhodos with the usual (and unusual) complimentary fillers...

Anyone using Monroe White lirope? It real nice and rather than the usual lavender/blue flowers it is white...

The sasanquias are blooming nicely (white and pink)....

Going down to 35 tonight so the houseplants are now in the house rather than out on the decks... Picked a few pole beans tonight and about 20 tomatoes just in case it freezes... Last year we ere picking pole beans right up until about November... Bell peppers should be okay... 'Sposed to get warmer as the week goes on...

Bobert

Subject: RE: BS: The September Garden
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 05 Oct 04 - 08:43 PM

Bobert,

Did you hear the Dubya monologue on A Prairie Home Companion last week, about staying the course in the garden and not picking the tomatoes until they're ripe? "Laura says to bring them in and let them ripen on the window sill. . ." Oct. 2, 2004 program. It was in the first segment of the show.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: The September/Fall Garden
From: Grab
Date: 06 Oct 04 - 08:49 AM

Night-scented stocks are finally dying off - haven't had any scent off them for 3-4 weeks now. Still flowering though. Not bad to get a 4-month flowering season off them! The caryopteris is doing its blue pom-pom bit (and attracting lots of bees) and the ceratostigma still has plenty of lovely blue flowers too. And the hawthorn and ribes are going lovely autumn colours.

The pink lilac which should flower again in late summer hasn't actually done anything - we think the late frosts confused it. Ah well.

Pruning needed though - need to tidy up the wisteria and forsythia before autumn gets its claws in too much.

Graham.

Subject: RE: BS: The September/Fall Garden
From: Janie
Date: 06 Oct 04 - 09:24 AM

Graham, Where do you garden? I love stock, but it doesn't do well here. I'm jealous.

Janie

Subject: RE: BS: The September/Fall Garden
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 06 Oct 04 - 08:37 PM

What are "night-scented stocks?"

I put some yard art out this evening. The Red/White/Blue variety that says "Kerry/Edwards." Let's see if it stays put!

I'm headed out of town for six days--and as any gardener knows, the place isn't going to stay put. I am crossing my fingers that the kids water what I've asked them to (or that we have regular gentle rains!) and I'm always curious to see what changes will happen while I'm away.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: The September/Fall Garden
From: Guy Wolff
Date: 06 Oct 04 - 09:00 PM

I have south western woods behind the pottery and there is a ton ( i mean hundreds if not thousands of one dark red almost purple trillium. Lots of poison ivy and burdock as well . I see the trillium in the spring and begining of the season but not in the fall to notice. The Poison ivy is always there along with the Jeuel Weed.
          Sory to have missed P-Vine and hubby at Winterthur . The water was memerable to say the least . I got an award for demonstrating in a down-pour !!!!  All the best , Guy

Subject: RE: BS: The September/Fall Garden
From: Janie
Date: 07 Oct 04 - 10:21 AM

It looks like I will be facilitating a sing around at the Getaway on nature/gardens etc. Do any of you have favorites that you might suggest for the sing around? I wish I thought I could get through Stephanie Davis' "Talkin' Harvest Time Blues." Some one turned me on to this on another of our gardening threads. Maybe it was Walking Eagle. I have neither the memory nor the wind for that one.

Fall is very gently easing in here, with gradual drops in temperature. It is getting a wee bit dry. A couple of decent rains before first frost would be nice. Here in the "southern part of heaven" we tend to have long, beautiful, gentle falls and springs. It is in these two seasons that we have those famous "Carolina Blue" skies. It is so different from the Appalachian plateau, in the part of West Virginia from where I come. There, clouds and moisture back up against the eastern and southern mountains, so it is often humid, cloudy and gray from late fall until early spring. When I get homesick, which I often do, even after almost 20 years here, I remind myself of those dank, dark winters.

Guy--you may know this already--the jewellweed is the antidote for poison ivy.

Janie

Subject: RE: BS: The September/Fall Garden
From: Joybell
Date: 07 Oct 04 - 05:56 PM

We've got the Spring. Must be the cuckoos that do it. Promise to send it back over the equator after we've enjoyed it for a while.
We'll have planted 1000 or so plants - trees, shrubs, grasses, sedges, wildflowers by the time Spring goes away. Made a start - only about 898 to go!! A very few remnant grassland plants are coming back by themselves, but so few. (sigh)
Sing a Spring song for me Janie. Or maybe the Kookaburra round.
We had a little boy who loved the "naughty" version:

Kookaburra sits on the telephone wire
Jumping up and down with his pants on fire
Help fireman! Help Fireman!
Put my undies out.   
                                                 Joy

Subject: RE: BS: The September/Fall Garden
From: Bobert
Date: 07 Oct 04 - 07:22 PM

Janie,

Are you familiar with Stephen Stills song "Johnnie's Garden"? It's a nice song and can played in just about any key...

I don't remember enough words to do it myself but usre could play along on it...

SRS,

Cta had my pudders tongue. Folks say that its a sound card but I don't know where the thing is... Gotta get it fixed... It ain't had nuthin' to say for months now...

Bobert

Subject: RE: BS: The September/Fall Garden
From: Janie
Date: 07 Oct 04 - 08:15 PM

Bobert    I'm not familiar with it. I just found the lyrics and really liked them, but no midi available. (Not that I can make much sense of midis anyway.)

Joybell I surely will. Bet your springs are lovely. Prayers for your backs and hands, and the good earth where you are doing all of that planting.

Janie

Subject: RE: BS: The September/Fall Garden
From: Janie
Date: 08 Oct 04 - 10:57 AM

I just took a look at the National Weather Center site. How long has it been since the USA warning map has been so clear across the entire country? Beautiful day in the East.

In the early morning light the garden looks magical now. The dew-covered webs of the many Golden Orb spiders sparkle like diamonds, and the Cape-and-Doily spiders have frosted all the boxwood with their intriguing webs.

In spite of a good selection of plants, I did not see nearly as many butterflies this year, but I had a somewhat larger variety of them. By mid-fall the bronze fennel usually have generous populations of Swallowtail catterpillars on them. This year I have only seen a few. We caught remnants from all of the hurricanes, and so had a series of weeks with very heavy rain. I wonder if eggs got washed off the fennel?

Who has had first frost?

Janie

Subject: RE: BS: The September/Fall Garden
From: Janie
Date: 22 Oct 04 - 10:45 AM

Two more boxes of bulbs arrived today that I forgot I had ordered. I usually order fall bulbs in Spring to get earlybird discounts. I guess I just lost track of myself. I distinctly remember deciding in August that I was not going to plant any more bulbs this year. It's a shame I didn't distinctly remember already ordering bulbs.

SRS, I'm thinking you are too far south to have much use for tulips, but if you do plant fall bulbs, Check out Johnny's Selected Seeds www.johnnyseeds.com, in Maine. They added some bulbs to their line this fall, and are offering a limited selection of organic tulip bulbs.

Have got the hellebores from Bobert tucked into their bed. Still trying to site the solomon seal. At the Getaway, Lynn T. suggested winter sowing of moonflower vine seeds, and I think I'll try it since I have plenty of seed pods ripening. The larkspur and ammi that self-sowed are just beginning to germinate, and I have more larkspur seed that I need to get planted. I may sow more phlox drummondi, but I suspect it did an adequate job of sowing itself. Either my oriental poppies are not going to break their summer dormancy, or I lost most of them to the early drought conditions before we started getting good rain again.

Joybell, are you in midspring now? What's happening in your part of the natural world?

Janie

Subject: RE: BS: The September/Fall Garden
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 22 Oct 04 - 11:13 AM

Janie,

We do have tulips down here, and daffodills and glads and such. But the hard thing is getting them into the ground at a time they'll be happy. You have to wait till very late in the year or the soil is too warm for planting. I think a lot of folks around here keep their bulbs in the fridge before planting.

Last year late in the fall I put out about 50 narcissus bulbs, and they all came up very nicely. This fall I'll move a few of them around, and divide any that look like they're up to it.

I agree--this time of year the yard looks magical in the early morning light. We've had some unusually warm temperatures this week, so we've all been hit by a heavy dose of fungus spores (allergies) and having to water more than we usually would now. The Bermuda grass is beginning to go dormant. Trouble is, mine is so full of other types of grasses than it never really dies down and some years I have to mow almost all year round. I did last year, with a really mild winter.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: The September/Fall Garden
From: Janie
Date: 22 Oct 04 - 01:29 PM

SRS I have the same issue with when to plant bulbs. It has become my tradition to plant all of them on New Years Day. I can never get the bulb companies to hold off shipping that late though, so maintaining them until planting time can be a problem. I have refrigerated tulip bulbs in the past, but the gases given off by the fruits and the veggies in the frig can keep the bulbs from storing well there. I should get a separate frig for them and also for forceing. (Plus hubby can get a little perturbed when there are several hundred bulbs in the refrigerator and no room for the milk:o) Now I just open the boxes so air can circulate, and leave them sitting on my front porch until after Christmas, covering them with straw or leaves if we get a really cold snap.

Had our first salad last night that was completely from the fall garden. Yum!

Janie