Plants and Stones

The Fine Art of Crunching Ice Puddles

2012-01-29T09:00:00.000-05:00

This morning when Ed returned from the mailbox he told me it was cold outside. After yesterday's warm weather and rain, my first question to him was, "Are there any good ice puddles?" His answer in the affirmative sent me for my coat and the camera. Crunching ice puddles is one of my favorite winter activities. The satisfying crunching sound that a stepped on ice puddle makes was music to my ears as a child and it will always remain so. When a shallow puddle freezes the thin lacy layer of ice has no water underneath. This is a prime crunching puddle.

Your foot can tap dance all over a puddle like this one making that lovely crunching noise until the puddle is completely shattered. This never gets old, it's like I'm a kid again!

Here we have a more exciting and more dangerous ice puddle. This one is deeper and while it has a thin coat of ice covering it, there is water underneath.

The trick here is to step on the puddle only where there is air trapped under the ice. This procedure must be done carefully. The chance of getting wet feet is rather high.

This is a small puddle, so the risk is worth it. Unless I slip and fall all I will get is wet feet. The sound here is more of a cracking noise. I much prefer the crunching noise of the other puddles, but the added element of danger makes this more exciting!

Crunching ice puddles being one of my favorite thing it was only natural that I would pass this joy onto my children. Many puddles were crunched as they walked to school on cold mornings. There was however a rather large drainage ditch in one place along their route. Sometimes the thin layer of ice would have a large airspace under it. Such an ice puddle emits a much louder cracking noise as the crack moves along the ice from the spot where it first breaks. Unfortunately there was also quite a lot of very cold, very dirty water in the bottom of that ditch. Once one of the children fell in that water and had to return home cold wet and dirty for a bath and a complete change of clothes. Crunching ice puddles is not an accepted reason for being late to school, but perhaps it should be!

While this is an incredibly enjoyable activity, it should be said that small shallow puddles are relatively safe. Large deep puddles are not. Under no circumstances should thin ice on ponds, streams or rivers be considered for crunching activity.

Dreams of Perfection

2012-01-28T08:31:00.000-05:00

Earlier this month these three plant catalogs arrived at our mail box on the same day. Each is from a favored supplier and each will receive an order from us this year. Richters is located in Canada and has the most extensive herb seed and plant list ever seen here. They supply us with three new lemon verbena plants each year. Additional plants will fill out the order. McClure and Zimmerman are an excellent source for native rootstocks. Roots and Rhizomes have an extensive list of day lilies and Siberian iris. Rough draft orders have been made and revised. Why we do this is a puzzle of sorts.

Our garden already exceeds our ability to properly care for it. Despite our full understanding of this reality, we continue to open new planting beds. Illustrations in the plant catalogs may influence this madness. Pictures of perfect plants fill the pages of these catalogs. Those perfect plants represent the goal of every gardener. In reality what we grow seldom lives in a perfect world. Late frost, insufficient or excessive rain, pest explosions or disease, intrusions by wild animals or the neighbor's damn cat in some combination challenge our plants' mission to grow and flower. Persistence drives us to try again. This year is less than one full month old and our plants are already stressed by unfavorable weather. Yesterday the temperature climbed above 50 F degrees. Excessive rains filled the streams with raging muddy water as more topsoil moves toward the ocean. Perennial plant crowns have been exposed to repeated freeze thaw cycles devoid of any protective snow cover.

Plant catalogs really sell hope for the future. Hope that this may be the year when the weather is stable and we manage to stay just slightly ahead of the weeds. For me, time spent with my hands in the soil is curative both spiritually and physically. Perfect flowers and sweet scents are just a bonus. Once again we will trade money for plants and start the cycle once more.

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Gone Again

2012-01-24T17:07:00.000-05:00

Once again warm, for January, rain has dissolved our thin snow cover. Daytime temperatures climbed into the 40s F today and I walked to the back to check on my garlic. Only two plants have pushed new growth above the still frozen ground but we really need some lasting snow cover. The amount of stone on the surface surprised me. There was no time to sift out the stones last fall but I picked and raked stone for hours before planting the garlic. Only the big stones are gone. Small broken pieces litter the ground. That each stone is a reservoir of moisture will aid the growing plants this summer but any garlic directly under a stone will have to work to reach the surface.

A recent solar flare may create northern lights visible in our part of New York State tonight. In our three score plus years we remember seeing northern lights on three different occasions. One of those sightings happened while we were living here in the country. There are no electric lights near us so our night sky is really dark. Any cloudless night features a sky filled with stars and planets. Stars are so numerous that it is difficult to find the constellations. Add northern lights to our already impressive celestial display and the experience is unforgettable. We were ready to be dazzled again tonight but as is so often the case all we will see is cloud bottoms. Still the optimist in us will send us to the windows to look for a hole in the cloud cover. There is always a chance that the sky will clear.

Through the evening we looked to the north hoping to see something. There was kind of an unusual pink glow to the thick cloud cover, but I think perhaps it was wishful thinking on our part.

Repaired Stone Walls

2012-01-22T16:34:00.000-05:00

This first snow of 2012 was long overdue and most welcome. With both vehicles shoveled out and the driveway clear, it was time to walk in the snowy woods. My destination was the area described in an earlier post, Stone Detective. Just a few days ago the ground was soft and muddy as the frost had been warmed out again. About the only place to putter was the fallen end of this wall. Brush was levered out and carried away and the fallen end stones of this wall were again piled. No attempt was made to lay the stones in a well tied together wall. I was simply curious about the shape,size and number of fallen stones. Proper building will wait until spring but these moss covered stones have an ancient appearance.

Nature has strongly reclaimed this area. It will require considerable effort to clear around the wall. The barbed wire fence is on my side of the property line and it will disappear in stages. The strands of wire will be removed first. By rolling a two post section of wire into a loop, it can be unrolled and refastened should my neighbor object. Four separate loops of barbed wire hanging from a fence post may look strange but they will mark a work in progress. With the wire and brush out of the way, the wall can be built again.

Another earlier post, Tumbled Down Wall, described the repair made here. The fresh repair was easy to spot as the patina of the two sections were not a match. A short period of time has made the difference softer. We will watch to see how long it takes the repair to match the old wall.

There is little question that these are fox tracks. Most four footed animals make two parallel tracks when they walk. A fox places its hind foot in the same spot just occupied by its front foot. The resulting linear tracks have a unique appearance. Ed had two separate fox sightings yesterday. Both involved a fox working for its dinner alongside of the road. One fox appeared much bushier than the other so they may have been a mated pair. Several years ago we watched foxes mate in the snow on our front lawn. Perhaps the two seen yesterday were starting to spend time together. Winter seems new with a long wait until spring but preparations for the next growing season will be soon underway.

Finally Enough Snow to Blow

2012-01-21T17:58:00.000-05:00

Ed's new tractor and snow blower have been sitting idle in the shed since before Christmas. By noon today we had about 4 inches of snow. It was a nice quiet snowfall with no freezing rain, no ice and no raging wind. This is the kind of winter weather we are used to having. Finally there was just enough snow in the driveway to give the "big" machine a try. It sure looked to me like Ed was having fun.

Now the garden has a nice snow white cover. Business is booming at the bird feeders. Ed made tracks in the pristine white snow to fill them with seed. If the skies clear it will get cold tonight. It's country dark here and we have a great view of the starry sky. Whenever I read about solar flares I look for Northern lights if the skies are clear. We are really too far south, but if you don't look you will never see. I've seen them twice and if they are visible here I don't want to miss them.

Tomorrow we should still have the snow. Monday's forecast indicates rain and it might be gone again!

Magic In The Air

2012-01-19T14:40:00.000-05:00

Our winter remains essentially snowless. This morning's wake up temperature hovered just above 0F. Both the ground and calm stretches of the Unadilla River are now frozen. An unusual light on the eastern horizon interrupted sleep early today. It was a crescent moon rising ahead of the sun. The bright spot of light that ended my sleep quickly became the moon as it climbed above the ridge. We frequently watch the full moon rise as that happens early in the evening. This may have been the first time ever that we witnessed the moon rise just before dawn. Window placement in our bedroom allows us to view the rising orbs without leaving the warmth under the covers. This time of year it is usually the sun that wakes us but today it was the moon.

Hard frost coated every surface this morning. Light from the low rising sun caused the frosty coating to glow. We stood transfixed watching the sunlight dance on the trees when we noticed tiny flecks of frost falling from the air. Their diamond like sparkle is truly magical, so much so that it can't be photographed at least by me. It seems that water vapor suspended in the air was changing its state from liquid to solid right before our eyes. Exactly how this differs from ordinary snowflake formation is unknown to us but what was taking place this morning was amazing. We had the good fortune to see this as it happened.

This Garden is For the Birds!

2012-01-16T14:01:00.000-05:00

It's white and cold in the Stone Wall Garden. The layer of snow is thin, just enough to get some bird footprints. This afternoon I ventured out to take some pictures. While I was out there I managed to see woodpeckers, blue jays, slate gray juncos, the ever present black capped chickadees and what appears to be goldfinches. I wasn't sure about them at first. I don't think that the goldfinches have ever stayed through the winter since we have been here. To be honest the chickadees don't seem so happy to have them here. There is a whole lot of squabbling going on around the bird feeder.

There is a lot of bird traffic under the plants that have gone to seed. The birds are welcome to all the seeds they can eat. I'm sure there will be plenty of dropped seeds left to come up in the garden beds.

Earlier in the day I watched a group of mourning doves in the garden and under the bird feeder. Several doves sat on top of Ed's walls. One was high atop the wire support for the Grandpa Ott morning glories. I sure hope those seeds are on the menu. It will mean fewer plants for me to pull out in the spring. Mourning doves need all the energy they can muster here. As I watched out the window one of them flew across the garden from east to west at terrific speed with the Marsh hawk right on his tail. They flew out of view. If the mourning dove was too slow he will flying as fast as a Marsh hawk soon, but perhaps he escaped this time.

Earlier this morning the crows were in the garden. A different hawk had landed in the top of a white pine in the trees opposite the garden. One crow sat above the hawk in an adjacent tree. The other crows took turns flying as close as they could to the hawk. One crow did a speed dive and came so close he nearly touched the hawk. The hawk never flinched. Eventually when the he had had enough of the crows harassment, he flew off and out of sight.

I have seen no sign of the pair of cardinals that usually spend the winter here. I miss the bright red color against the snow. Still the activity of the birds adds a great deal to our winter garden. If I want really bright color I can always visit Sunita's Garden. Right now it is very HOT!

Tree Killers

2012-01-14T08:56:00.001-05:00

Retirement planning had focused on establishing a lifestyle in close harmony with nature. Our years here have centered on our house, located on a ridge out of sight of the highway, and the more remote land at the base of an uninhabited ridge. An area between the gravel pit and the road was largely ignored. Working near the intrusion of road traffic interested us little. We were vaguely aware that stone cleared from the field had been dumped along what is now our property line but the area was largely ignored. The snowless but frozen garden was now off limits so Ed explored this area while looking for outside activity.

He found wild grape vines claiming the tree line. Their unusual structure and growth habit make them interesting plants but they kill the trees that they climb. Found early, the vines can be pulled from the tree and removed. These mature wild grapes out muscle us. We are no match for their massive presence high up in a host tree. Some sort of tool will be required if these vines are to be removed. Perhaps a cable winch can supply the mechanical advantage needed on this job.

In our youth I'm sure this vine might have served as a swing. Now the idea of getting dumped onto a stone pile prevents us from attempting that. How these vines grow is a mystery to us. Great distance separates the point of emergence from the ground and the supporting tree. Anchoring growth high up in the tree is thin and wildly branched while the thick vine near the ground floats freely. I cannot find any understanding of the mechanics of wild grape vine growth but I find them interesting.

This white pine grows along side of the stone pile at fields edge. A wild grape vine was pulled from this tree two years ago but nothing could be done about the barbed wire fastened to the tree. Over the years the tree has grown around the wire. We hope that the new growth is solid and that the tree remains alive and well. In our time here most of the barbed wire fences have been removed. They remain only along the perimeter of our land or in places difficult to access. Crawling through or under barbed wire fences is for kids.

No Footprints, But Other Signs

2012-01-12T23:59:00.000-05:00

With no snow there are no animal tracks to follow. Still the critters abound around here. I just have to think that some little forest creature lives in the hole between these beautiful moss covered rocks. It looks as inviting as an ivy covered cottage.

Something has been eating my arbutus leaves. The culprit is unknown to me, but I would rather they picked some other plant for their munching. We first noticed the damage several weeks ago. Feeding caterpillars sometimes leave a similar munch pattern. Fortunately flower buds were not on the menu. Next fall we shall try to look and identify the culprit.

The top of stone walls is a popular place for animals to leave scat to make their presence known. They like to leave those special markers where they will surely be noticed. Fox are notorious for marking territory with nose high deposits. We enjoy seeing a fox but could really do without these markers.

I have to call this one the streak. I don't know for sure, but I suspect this strafing run was made by one of the group of crows that hang around the garden like gang members on a street corner. No less than a foot in length, this stripe was laid down at high speed by a bird flying really low to the ground. With no nest to tend, crows eat at the bird feeder then spend the afternoon chasing each other and generally fooling around. Of course there is always a possibility that the streak could have been made by a hawk. Our garden is large and the odds are in our favor. So far neither of us have been hit by aerial bombardment.

Capstones

2012-01-11T07:22:00.000-05:00

Winter snow has yet to find us this year. Frost enters and leaves the ground frequently and our plants are fully exposed to temperature extremes and drying wind. Clearing brush and moving large stones provide outside activity now. A single stone, with its long axis nearly vertical, lay nearly buried at the base of a tree. A wedge shaped stone and the pry bar working together exposed the end of the monster. Hammer and chisel opened existing cracks. Soon one stone became six and the pieces were moved out of their woodland hole.

Only one of the newly separated pieces was small enough to be safely picked up. This piece showing its exposed and weathered top surface is too large to carry. It can be moved by rocking it from side to side while walking it forward. Some day it will be placed at the top of a stone wall. Its flat mass will tie a section of wall together creating a stable section of wall. Rain will wash the surface clean. A natural seat will invite visitors to sit and explore the natural history written on the surface of this stone.

Newly exposed interior surfaces have a story of their own. Man's prying eyes and the light of day are finding the interior of this stone for the first time. Layering speaks to the sedimentary origin of this stone but the differences in its color point out the complexity of creating stone from water born deposits. Exposed to the elements this fresh surface will soften. Rain water will dissolve minerals in the stone and lichens will find an anchorage slowly covering its surface.

More time and effort will be required to move these new stones to a wall. A rocking walk or an end over end roll will move them to wood's edge. From there they can be placed in the dump box of my lawn mower trailer. A field stone loading ramp will get them up into the pickup truck. Then they will easily move onto the top of a new wall. All of this effort may explain why the pioneer farmers put the large stones at the bottom of the wall at field's edge.

Unseen Enemies Revealed

2012-01-07T15:26:00.000-05:00

The snow cover on the garden is gone. It has pretty much all melted, but the ground remains frozen. Now the pernicious weeds that usually lurk under the snow are in plain sight. Sheep sorrel might be welcome in some places. I know I have seen seed for sale, but here it is plant non gratis big time. In our garden dreams we find a way to eradicate this plant without using herbicides. In truth spring and plenty of hard work will be needed to make a dent in its numbers.

They say you should know your enemy and in this case I don't. All I know is that this weed is also on our most unwanted list. These tiny plants have significant root growth. I can't do anything now, but I know where they live and I'll be back!

Chickweed can be a helpful plant. It's supposed to be good in salads, but I don't like it. It's juice has been known to cure skin rashes. In this case we just have way too much of it. I'm not interested in a green carpet of chickweed as a ground cover in my garden beds.With the ground frozen all we can do is wait and make plans to uproot these huge plants in the spring.

A big white breasted hawk was sitting in a tree this afternoon. I really wanted a picture. Ed volunteered to sneak out and try to take it, but at the sound of the kitchen door closing the big bird was gone. Perhaps he will be back!

Glaciers And Bulldozers

2012-01-03T15:07:00.002-05:00

Contrast is a word that describes visible land forms left behind by retreating glaciers. Our hummocky gravel bank exists in sharp contrast to the level fertile farmland visible in the left background. One was deposited under water and one formed the dam that created the glacial lake. Our 36 acres are so twisted that there is no place where one can stand and see all of the land. Exactly how the glacier created this landscape remains some what of a mystery but a plausible explanation for the gravel bank aprons has been found.

I could never understand why so much gravel was pushed away from the pit. The flat area formed by this fill is much larger than ever would be needed to mine gravel. Successful farmers tend to be thrifty and I could find no reason for creating this broad flat area. During the 1950's the barn was struck by lightning and burned. I knew that the remains of the burned barn were buried on land we now own but I did not know where. This large area of fill may well cover the charred remains of the old barn.

This picture shows the length of the fill pushed from the gravel bank by bulldozer. Here the fill is shallow as the natural contour shows in the foreground. The gravel bank is a considerable distance away.

We have encountered blackened soil while digging in the garden. These areas were campfire sized and may have been made by Native Americans. An eel weir survives in the river very close to our land. This vee shaped stone assemblage in the river forces the eels to all swim through a single narrow opening where they were caught in great numbers. Native Americans are credited with building the weir. An encampment nearby would have been necessary during eel season. This may explain the small dark areas of soil we found in the garden or they may mark the spot where the farm children roasted wieners.

As I make my own marks on this piece of land, it's fun to consider what might have happened here in the past. I'm sure we are leaving intriguing puzzles for future owners to try to solve.

Welcome Snow !

2012-01-02T16:12:00.001-05:00

Now this is more like the way a garden should look in Upstate New York in January. With today's cold chill and even colder forecast, a white blanket of snow on the garden is a welcome sight. The quick drop in temperature that takes plants in the garden from the forties down to the teens with zero wind chills is like a fast drop in an express elevator, a little sickening. At least now the plants have some protection from the coming bitter cold.

Ed spent the late morning and early afternoon outside in the swirling white. Like a kid off from school on a snow day, he was very late coming back inside for lunch. He was having too much fun to notice the time. The Japanese honeysuckle were twisting easily from the ground. Frost has firmed the soil then left it a muddy mess many times in December. Today it was easy to pull the invasive shrubs from the ground. Now there is a walking path along side of the fallen stone wall that is a property line. My guess is that Ed will set this wall right.

The beautiful white snow brings with it some challenges. Travel can be complicated. The driveway has to be cleared and walkways shoveled. This cold snap will make the driveway hard. Perhaps tomorrow even more snow will be added. Ed has his snow blower ready. This big kid still loves to play in the snow only now his toys are a bit larger. I am encouraged. Maybe, if we are very lucky, 2012 will be a little bit more normal.

Fracked ?

2012-01-01T21:20:00.003-05:00

Despite New York State's temporary moratorium on gas well drilling, we have a new well about to be developed not far from our home. Stuck in the political quagmire surrounding the potential of these wells, this driller hit upon a novel solution. A permit for a traditional nonfracked well was obtained. A blue truck cab can be seen on the fresh light brown scrape that will be the site of the new well overlooking the Unadilla River. If the well is to be fracked, additional permits will be required.

The farm road to the upper field has been gated and upgraded to handle heavy truck traffic necessary for a gas well. Posted signs and a lock secure the gate.

The permit to drill expires June 1, 2012 unless drilling has commenced by that date. A post office box is the only address shown for the corporate entity that will develop this well.

This well will likely pass through the underground lake that is our water supply. We have paid $825.00 for a prewell water test that will profile the chemical components of our drinking water. Post well water tests are less expensive unless new contamination is found. If new contamination is found then we really will be fracked.

In my opinion New York State should license and tax these wells. Any environmental damage should be mitigated by New York State using money that has already been collected from the drillers and the well operators. As an individual I have no chance against a corporate entity located in a postal box. The gas is here. It will be developed and there will be environmental damage. Corporations disappear into the mist leaving their damage behind. Only New York State can protect its residents and their environment.

Garden Fever

2011-12-31T16:03:00.000-05:00

Our last day of 2011 was warm enough to allow garden work while in shirtsleeves. Granted they are insulated shirtsleeves but this is the end of December. Autumn Joy sedum are getting cut back for the winter. New growth is normal and it looks promising. The weeds get to stay since the ground shaded by the sedum remains frozen. Still we had a chance to complete this one job ahead of the arrival of winter.

Winter has our pond firmly in its grip. Daylong shade from the wooded ridge blocks sunlight from warming this area. That one step from the bright sunlight into the seasonal shade is like walking into a refrigerator. The temperature difference will be noticeable all winter. Cold seasonal stability characterizes this area. Plants here will be the last to break dormancy.

Some animal had what must have been a scary walk across the newly forming ice. Its path was continuous to shore so a cold dunking was avoided. My luck has held there also. For reasons completely lacking all reason or logic, I always have to step onto the ice to see if it will support me. So far that move has never been early but I know that cold wet feet are in my future.

Another clump of trees have been thrown by the wind. Come spring some of this muck will be shoveled out of the pond and readied for use in the garden. Its fine grain will improve moisture retention in our sandy soil. Muck must be nutrient rich it is so dark in color.

On the last day of this year we had a chance to work in the garden this morning. That made the day a great one. Afternoon clouds brought a seasonal chill and we are now indoors. More marks will appear in the seed catalog as we move toward 2012.

Happy to Start a New Year!!!

2011-12-30T17:10:00.000-05:00

December in the garden has been warm and cold. What little snow we have had has not lasted long. The garden has been experiencing freezing temperatures at night in the twenties or sometimes in the teens. During the day the sunlight melts the snow and softens the ground. White remains only in shaded locations. The plants in the garden have to deal with the constant change of freeze and thaw. It looks like a pretty snow covered garden photograph will not appear this year.

My focus has shifted to indoors and my "lush" house plants. I have never been really terrific at caring for house plants. I am usually content to get the plants through the winter . Most years things go pretty well. There are always a few dead plants to compost, but most of the plants get by fine. This year it has been a battle. The enemies have been spider mites and scale . My plants have been getting their soap and vodka spray. They are running up a considerable bar tab. These are definitely not the kind of lush plants I would like to have. For now the spider mites seem to be gone. You can see from the shiny leaf on my bay tree that the scale is still with us.

My curry leaf plant still has scale too. If you compare it an earlier photograph, you can see it is losing more of its leaves and the battle. I'm thinking one more shot of alcohol for New Year's Eve, but when 2012 gets here this curry leaf plant may find itself out in the cold. The sweet bays will surely get a reprieve. They seem to be holding their own and waist high bay trees are not as easily replaced.

Stone Detective

2011-12-28T17:17:00.000-05:00

Our land was originally part of a 130 acre triangular shaped farm. Roughly half of the land was quality bottom land well suited to farming bordering the Unadilla River. Twisted lumpy glacial deposits covered the higher ground. 1887 is the oldest date on deeds we have covering this land. It was settled prior to the coming of the railroad in the 1860s. The first deeded owner, Ezekiel W. Batterson, operated an inn on the primitive wagon road from Sidney to Gilbertsville. Today's pictures were taken where the flat bottom land graded into the area of sloped gravel deposits. Picture one looks at a primitive borrow pit. Hand tools removed gravel from here to be used elsewhere on the farm. Our machine opened gravel pit is adjacent to this primitive dig.

This break in the stone wall lies in line with the borrow pit. Horse and wagon likely hauled gravel through this break in the wall to the stage road. Spring road maintenance was the responsibility of the landowner early in our country's history. Today this stone wall marks a property line separating our lumpy sloped ground from the rich bottom land.

Here we see two different methods of handling the stone picked from the field. My guess is that the wall was built first as stone was unloaded from a horse powered stone boat. Placing the stone in a stack kept the ground open for the next load. The stone in the heap was likely thrown from a wagon. If the stone was on a wagon, heaving it would be less work than placing it in a wall.

This is the the newest stone pile along our property line. Lack of covering vegetation easily shows the relative youth of this pile. The last farmer left this ground 24 years ago. This stone pile must be older that that. The height of this pile suggests that it was dumped from a tractor bucket. The stones in this pile are also smaller than the stones in the wall. Every year the frost sends a new crop of stone to the surface. The new crop contains smaller but more numerous stones. There is never a crop failure with the stone.

All of the stone shown in these photos lies on the neighbor's land except the wall that forms the actual property line. I have permission to use the neighbor's stone to rebuild our common wall. That task is far down on the to do list since this ground is far removed from our house and gardens. No one would see the restored wall by any means other than photographs.

December Weeding

2011-12-21T12:18:00.002-05:00

This wet bleak December day may not look like a prime gardening day but it does present a rare opportunity to air out the lemon verbenas, Aloysia triphylla, that are over wintering in the basement. Hardy to zone 8, a day in the light rain with temperatures in the mid 40s should be good for these plants. A little wet breeze may end some white flies and improve the overall condition of the leaves.
We will have to keep a weather eye open since the temperature may not remain above freezing for long. The risk of cold damage is slight as zone 8 lows are in the 10 to 20 degree range.

The usual weeds, catnip, Johnny jump ups and chickweed, were cleared from the pots. No serious informed gardener would bring unsterilized garden soil inside but we prefer a natural route. Chemical fertilizer and soil less mixtures are of no interest to us so we deal with bugs and weeds.

Our patchouli plant hit the compost pile today. We thought that it had a good year here. Planted in the shade garden, the plant grew. It survived the move into the house but went downhill after that. We keep our house too cool for this plant. Between the chill the spider mites and the scale, it was pretty much dead. I was surprised to find very little new root growth. As a mail order plant, it arrived in a small plastic pot that was filled with a soil less mixture. Swishing the plant in a bucket of water before transplanting removed much of this chemical laden soil but some remained. The plant roots never really ventured beyond the limits of the original pot. Others must experience similar problems with nursery plants. Has anyone found a method of transplanting that results in vigorous root growth? There must be a better way and we would like to know what it is.

Why I Bought a Seed Catalog ????

2011-12-17T14:02:00.002-05:00

We receive a huge number of seed catalogs here. They have only just begun to arrive and they will continue well into 2012. We get more catalogs than we could possibly order from even if space, time and money were no object. Why then would I pay for a seed catalog to be sent to me? Ed asked me that question and it is a good one. I shall try to explain. The catalog in question is from the D. Landreth Seed Company, the oldest seed house in America, purveyors of fine seed since 1784. I was definitely intrigued by the idea that this company sold seeds to George Washington and Thomas Jefferson. The catalog was created by an American graphic artist and printed in York, PA by American workers. It combines nostalgic graphics with up to date color photos of heirloom varieties of vegetables and flowers. Those are all reasons why this seed catalog might be worth buying. Finally this seed company is located in New Freedom, PA. I lived in New Freedom for several years as a child. I still have relatives who live there. That personal connection is what really made me do it. There it sits on the top of the stack. Whether we will order from it or not is hard to say. It's early,we are still just looking.

Meanwhile outside after a few days of rain our garden's snow cover has melted. Now it is cold again with a few snow flakes in the air. Ed still braves the cold to work outside. I took a quick walk around the garden and found these Johnny Jump Ups that have been blooming under the snow. The cold sends me back inside very quickly. I have a warm heart and very cold hands. It's the promise of spring and next year's garden that has my attention.

Winter Walk

2011-12-13T17:17:00.000-05:00

With the garden frozen hard and covered with snow, Ed gets his required time outside by walking the perimeter of our thirty-six acres. This moss covered glacial erratic lies near a neighbor's field. Its companion tree is a black birch that is now large enough to tap. Making birch syrup has long held a fascination for us. We have reduced maple sap to syrup by boiling but have never tried the same process with birch trees. An outdoors man friend of my father reported several unsuccessful attempts to tap birch trees. He could never get the sap to run. I have since read that the time to tap birch trees is after the taps are pulled from the maples. Birch sap does not start to run as early as maple sap. One tree does not a sap line make so this tree is likely safe from the tapping drill.

This rock always reminds me of Scott Nearing. He built a woodland study atop a similar rock. My rock is not large enough to support an office. Peeling off the rough surface could be easily done but what would I do with the birch tree. This tree will never see the rock cutting chisel attack its anchorage.

We have lost several trees that grew on the edge of our field adjacent to the bedrock ledge. Here the trees roots were restricted to a few inches of soil overlaying the rock ledge. Abundant water moving above the ledge also kept the tree roots shallow. A strong wind has little difficulty throwing such trees to the ground. Mother nature will have to clean up this mess. We have neither the necessary tools nor the will to tackle a job of this proportion.

Here is a recent picture taken from almost the same location as the first picture in the last post. When we first obtained the land I had serious reservations about placing our new house so that it looked into the raw edge of this glacial terrace. Time without grazing livestock has allowed trees to grow here. Now our house faces a wooded slope. Some selective cutting would improve the developing structure of these trees. Cutting some of these trees would make a decent winter task.

Post 1,000: A Look Back

2011-12-10T11:46:00.001-05:00

Google identifies this as our one thousandth post. We thought a look back would be appropriate. In 1994 Ed marked his 50 th birthday by purchasing the last piece of an abandoned farm. This photo was taken when we walked the land prior to buying it. We loved this place at first sight. Ed was looking to reshape our lives as hand tillers of the soil. A life in close harmony with nature was the goal. What was once an open field is now the home of our house and garden.

A stone square was planned to anchor the garden. Nearby stone was moved to the wall site by wheelbarrow. Stone from the back of the property was moved in the pickup truck. Special water worn stones were brought here from Jane's stream. Batter boards and stakes defined both the location and height of the planned walls.

Raising all four walls at the same time would have been easier but we had no experience. One at a time, each corner wall grew.

Four walls are done and work shifts to preparing planting beds. We expected to scratch and plant in the rich old fields. What we found was gravel just under the surface. A thin layer of plow broken stone mixed with some soil covered the gravel. Old hay bales, leaves, sod and weeds build compost behind the walls.

The red level helps adjust the masonite strips that separate the soil and the path. Removing those curved strips was the most difficult part of the job. Time has made changes. Plants, particularly thyme, have grown into the stone paths muting the fine dividing lines seen here.

A more simple lifestyle in tune with nature seems to suit the two of us. Many years later, the old bench needs rebuilding and we move a little slower. Some hand tools have been replaced with motorized ones but the smiles remain. We still love it here together!

First Snowfall

2011-12-08T08:46:00.000-05:00

Winter storm warnings were the main feature of yesterday's weather stations as a large system worked its way northward along the Atlantic coast. Wet heavy snow is delivered here by storms that come from the south. We were lucky as the accumulation was small with no wind. The electric power remained on and all that we really need do is enjoy the views from our windows. In the first picture the view from the living room window is to the southeast. The snow covered garden is on its own now.

Here we are looking northeast from the kitchen door. Our driveway crosses from left to right and curves inside of the line of trees. Normally this scene would feature furious activity of Ed clearing the road of snow. Today we will leave the snow as it fell.

Looking west is one of our favorite views. The pines were planted decades ago by the farmer's son as a 4-H project. The ground is steeply sloped here and of little use in farming. These trees create an incredible view and insulate us from highway noise from state route 8 across the valley.

Solar warmth held by the stone patio has already melted some of the snow. The ground is wet from recent rainfall and remains unfrozen. Temperatures in the 40's are predicted for Sunday so all of this snow should have melted by then. Our gravel driveway is also soft from warm rain so our choice is to leave it alone. Any attempt to plow would remove surface gravel along with snow. A trip out today will mean driving on the snowy driveway. We have 4 wheel drive transportation here for a reason. The Town road is likely to be snow covered. It usually spends the winter that way, but after a mile of winter driving practice we will arrive at Route 8 and can expect the road to be clear . The most exciting part of the trip will be getting back up the driveway. It will add a bit of excitement our day!

Heartless Landlords Evict Tenants

2011-12-06T18:56:00.001-05:00

Once the rain stopped it was another nice day here with temperatures well above freezing. Ed was finishing up the ditch work for the new generator. As I was standing there watching him work, I thought I saw movement through the entrance hole of the bluebird box. Thinking perhaps it was my imagination, I asked Ed and he saw it too. This nest box has a handy side panel that opens and so we went to investigate. This is the sight that greeted us when we opened the box. Years of cleaning out Bluebird houses spring and fall have taught us that this nest does not belong to birds. When we first saw this kind of nest we thought it was made from insulation taken from the trailer we lived in before we built the house. We have since learned that the white material is chewed up balls of milkweed fluff. Ed whisked the contents of the birdhouse onto the ground.

The remains of the nest are on the ground. The evicted tenant, a white footed mouse, escaped .

Later in the afternoon I went back with the camera to take another peek. The mouse had returned. Apparently the accommodations were so tempting that even giant humans bent on nest destruction didn't keep this beady eyed furry little creature from returning. Momentarily frozen by fright,I was able to get a picture, but the mouse soon recovered and escaped. In most years mice like these nest under the snow taking advantage of the blanket of snow and the warmth of the ground. I guess this year the bluebird house seemed cozy. The heartless landlords here are stubborn. This mouse must move on or face the consequences.

December Sunset

2011-12-04T20:32:00.007-05:00

At the end of the day, what could be better than a beautiful December sunset in the Stone Wall Garden?

Got Prickers?

2011-12-04T10:25:00.001-05:00

I remember a quote or at least the beginning of it. "Now is the winter of our discontent..." With the days getting shorter for almost another three weeks and then 3 weeks more to get back to where we are now, Ed has some discontent. Actually, like a kid stuck indoors after a week of rain, he is downright grumpy. What could that possibly have to do with prickers? This morning prickers made us both laugh out loud. We were positively giddy with tear filled eyes! Prickers don't look funny, they look painful. It was the sound of the word. If you write prickers on the blackboard in any classroom, I guarantee giggles will breakout. Both of us call these prickers even though our childhood's were spent in different states. Blackberry canes is a more proper term. Briers is another word used for these plants. Imagine the literary plea,"please don't throw me in the pricker patch". So how widespread is the use of the word prickers? What do you call them?

I realize that there are lots of city gardeners who never see prickers. We have lots of prickers here. There are big patches where the rabbits hide and the birds nest. Prickers provide them with protection and food. If you find yourself stuck in the middle of a pricker patch, it's not quite so funny. Perhaps prickers are only funny when you are outside the patch looking in. All this frivolity about prickers was brought up when Ed looked out the window and discovered that his blue tarp had blown off the tractor and landed in the pricker patch.

In my mind I pictured the blue tarp stuck in the middle of the prickers, but when Ed returned with the pictures for my pricker post, I discovered that really the prickers saved the tarp from blowing far away. Blue tarps can be funny too, but that another story.

Thyme for a Touch of Snow

2011-12-03T15:04:00.001-05:00

This morning we awoke to find a thin layer of snow covering the landscape. Everything was cold and white. The morning sun shown brightly off the white surface making a picture from inside the house impossible. Up until this morning anything that landed on the garden's planting beds has melted immediately or very early in the morning. Today was different. The ground is colder. It was cold enough that anyplace shaded from the sun still has a light trace of snow in the afternoon. This thyme is shaded by the stone wall. Because it is out of the sun's reach, the snow remains. The temperature has begun to drop. It will not melt now.

This morning the entire top of the stone square has a thin frosting of white. Anywhere the sunlight could reach on the wall the snow disappeared. Not even moisture remains on most of the stones. This particular stone is tilted ever so slightly away from the south. That and the shade from the Baptisia kept the snow on this stone from melting. It is a perfect example of the cooling power of shade and the incredible warming power of the winter sun.

It's Onion Time Again

2011-11-30T10:01:00.001-05:00

I just placed our onion order for 2012. This is the earliest I have ever done that. For some years we have been ordering onion plants from Dixondale Farms in Texas. Given the drought conditions there this summer , I wanted to make sure to get my order in early. In spite of the nasty weather here this year, we had a nice onion crop. This braid of red marble cippolinis is still looking good. I ordered yellow Spanish, Redwing, Copras and red marble cippolinis this year.

My copras were beautiful and large. Onion plants work out well for us. Unfortunately, this year we had to harvest them wet. Some of them have spoiled, but we still have good onions to use. This braid is definitely getting down to its end. Hanging them in the basement in braids helps to keep them at their best. Some years I never have to buy onions in the store. I love it when that happens!

A November to Remember

2011-11-28T16:37:00.001-05:00

After the summer we have had this year, November has been the gardening month to remember. It has been cold at night and frosty in the morning, and the days are short. By 5:00 it is dark. But in the middle of the day it has been very pleasant to be outside and without all the biting bugs. Ed has been working with stone. Today was overcast but in the middle of the day it was nearly warm as inside the house. It was a perfect day for me to spend some time in the garden. The foxgloves hold promise for flowers next year. These low rosettes are built to survive even under snow, but this picture looks more like spring.

I searched for blossoms in the garden and there were very few. This single chickweed flower was on a huge plant.

I found a dandelion too. Blooming on the shortest of stems, it's taking advantage of the warm days and trying to protect itself from the cold nights by hugging the ground.

The red creeping thyme has turned from green to burgundy on the stone patio.

This stone that I found intriguing fit so nicely in an indentation of a wall top stone. I picked it up today and disturbed a tiny gray larva underneath. I replaced the stone, but I may have ruined the larva's chances for survival.

I can't say there was a lot of buzzing in the garden today, but it was warm enough for some activity. Here we have the backside of a Johnny Jump Up complete with the backside of a bee.

We're not the only ones eating Thanksgiving leftovers. These two bees seem to find our composting sweet potato peels and apple peels to be a perfectly acceptable substitute for flowers.

I was delighted to see a woolly bear on the stone path. They have been a favorite of mine since childhood. Those who consider these little guys weather forecasters might say that all the brown on this one means that we will have a mild winter. Certainly November has been terrific, but the worm can turn any time and I wouldn't bet on it any more than I would on the forecast of the Weather Channel. This is still Upstate New York and we are still in zone 4. December could be a bear!

Frost Images

2011-11-28T09:00:00.001-05:00

Certain problems accompany the desire to get great frost pictures. Leaving the warm house just after sunrise is not an easy way to start the day. Inertia and a cup of hot tea hold me inside. I did venture out this morning but it was to late to get crisp pictures. Warmth from the sun had started to soften the frost by the time I finally went outside. Great frost pictures will have to wait for another day. These are worth a look.

First year strawberry plants were thinned from the bed several weeks ago. Trashing them seemed wrong so they were placed in a dish pan. Pushed together in a clump without soil, they still look to be in great condition. Bright red leaf color keeps them out of the trash.

Extreme cold finds the roof of the car. The thin metal surface at some distance from the warmth of the ground is the coldest surface around. Sunlight may have degraded these frost crystals prior to the photo. Feathery frost formations will have to be recorded just after sunrise. That has not happened yet.

Wood betony and weeds are the subjects here. Quack grass is a formidable enemy. Reducing its numbers is an ongoing quest. We have given up hope of ever eradicating it here.

These deep fossils are a favorite subject. It's amazing how the frost brings out the details.

The hens and chicks are on top of a stone wall near the house. Residual warmth limited frost growth here. Delicate white frost outlines each leaf making the plant structure an interesting subject.

Tumbled Down Wall

2011-11-26T18:47:00.000-05:00

A section of our road divides cultivated fields. Old stone walls line both sides of the road for quite a distance. Time, trees, weather and thieves have left these walls in quiet disrepair. We have been driving this road for nearly half a century and I always felt that these walls deserved repair. My initial conversation with the owners of this land was with the farmer's wife. I offered to work on fixing some of the holes in the walls.

Repairing a fallen wall is a new experience for me. While I was clearing the hole a fair sized section of standing wall collapsed. The scope of the task had increased by at least a factor of two. Doubt filled my mind about my ability to set this right when the farmer appeared. Someone had called to alert him that a thief was stealing stone. During our conversation it became clear to me that he and his wife had not reached a meeting of the minds on allowing me to work on his walls. Now the pressure on me to fix my mess was great.

A short time later another huge pickup truck pulled up. The young man that climbed down out of the cab was enormous. His muscular frame built by a lifetime of hard physical work blocked much of the horizon. His arms were pushed out to the side rather than hanging straight down by his massive upper body. He was certain that he had caught a thief red handed. There was stone in the bed of my small truck. I had brought some of my leftovers to help fill the hole. We reached an uneasy understanding. He had a difficult time believing that anyone would repair another person's wall.

Much to my surprise by late afternoon the hole was filled. Tomorrow we will see if the monster rock on the ground can be safely walked up a ramp to the top of the wall. The vertical seam between the original wall and the repaired section concerns me. This weak area may allow the wall to fall again . For now we will wait and see if our neighbor will give me permission to do another repair. My work must pass his inspection.

Finished Stone Wall

2011-11-25T17:46:00.000-05:00

Six days ago none of these stones were here. There was a loose pile of stones nearby. Now the wall is done. The setting sun still strikes the distant hill but the wall is in shadow. From this vantage point none of the left over stone are visible and it really looks like the wall is completed.

This picture shows a more honest view of the actual situation. Every stone project always leaves a pile of unused stone. Some of these leftovers are misshapen difficult to use stones that went unchosen for good reason. When they appear at the site of the next project they will likely get passed over again. Eventually the leftover pile contains quite a collection of difficult to use stone. At some point they really need to be dumped over a bank. Perhaps some of them will find a new home tomorrow.

Wall Stone Run

2011-11-24T19:22:00.000-05:00

Stone cleared from the fields is dumped on ground not suitable for cultivation. Walking here is a real challenge as the ground is unevenly littered with weed covered stones. One must test for secure footing before putting full weight on the foot. The resulting halting gait looks really strange but it is necessary to cross uneven ground. Avoiding blackberry cane scratches adds to the task. There is enough good wall stone here to make the effort worthwhile.

Avoiding injury is an absolute if wall building is to continue. Any large stone has the potential to be a career ender. Walking large stones up a ramp allows harvesting of beauties that never could be safely lifted. Splitting large flat stones into pieces is another technique frequently used. This stone being walked up the ramp was previously split from a real monster.

This stone shows its history of interaction with farm machinery. All of these plow strikes failed to break the stone. I wonder if the plow remained unbroken. The marked surface will be on top of the wall when this stone finds its next resting place. This piece of farm machinery sculpture will likely be used as a seat.

The strings have been moved to the top of the wall and leveled. Filling the center gap is time consuming fussy work but the job is almost finished. The large out of place stones on top of the wall were moved there from the bed of the pickup truck. No need to lift them to the wall's top. A stress test was applied to the wall when I stood on its unfinished top surface to move these monsters from the truck to the wall. My footing was rock solid.

Stone Gift

2011-11-22T14:51:00.001-05:00

Breaking into the old boy farmers' network is not an easy thing to do. That I taught school did not work in my favor in that regard. Our neighbor has spent his lifetime working two farms on either side of us. We would wave and smile as he passed by our place but I remained that little known stranger that gardened out of sight up the hill. This new stone wall is the first time he has seen me work. It must have impressed him as he offered me access to a stone dump on his lower farm. Here is my first load of his stone. Less than one mile separates our lands but his stone is different from mine. A different part of the glacier dumped his stone in soil. My stone was dumped with gravel. It is indeed an honor that his stone is now mine.

The wall now has its second end. The space between the wall faces is first filled with small misshapen broken stone. Taking out the wobble from the interior of the wall means the wedges cannot fall out. Screened gravel is shoveled onto the filler stones. The next layer of wall will rest upon a smooth forgiving surface. Weather will settle this fill into the voids.

The second wall end will be finished next. Then the work will proceed to the center. By working alternately from both ends, the uneven seam where the halves come together will be largely invisible. A level string will have to be stretched at the top of the wall to define the correct height of the second end.

My four foot level made its first appearance on the job today. I have been working by sight alone. Unevenness in the ground had me questioning the levelness of the cap stones. There are Irish in my family tree. Perhaps they are the source of the skill and passion in laying stone.

Stone Pile or Stone Wall?

2011-11-20T16:10:00.021-05:00

In our neighborhood, on this incredibly gorgeous warm November day, many men are out looking for deer to shoot. For them that is the reason for the season. Ed spent the day outside too. Even though he is working down by the road, he wears a fluorescent orange "I am not a deer hat". Ed is working on his latest stone wall. As he works the stone pile is getting smaller and the stone wall larger. It's interesting that at this point they are both about the same size. The wall grows faster than the pile diminishes since every trip down the hill brings more stone.

Standing by itself the stone pile looked good, but now that the finished wall is in the picture it's rough appearance is obvious. When Ed is in wall building mode the stones fall into place like the pieces of a jigsaw puzzle. He has a real talent for it and if he is in the groove it takes considerable effort to drag him away even for lunch. As long as the stones cooperate he will work there, but sometimes as he tires the muse leaves him and nothing seems to fit together. When that happens he goes and looks for more wall stones to add to the pile. It's nearly 5:00 and darkness is falling. He is still out there. He will come in soon tired and smelly but happy. He spent this unbelievably beautiful November day doing something he truly loves.

Wall Season

2011-11-19T17:15:00.001-05:00

Any stone pile, whether random or organized, is home to a wide variety of creatures. Some of them sting while others bite and those that slither sometimes cause me to dance and shriek. Late fall finds these insects and animals asleep for the winter. My solitary ownership of the stones now makes this wall building season. Many areas of the garden need work but the pull of the stones grabs and holds my attention.

Grass clippings were piled here this summer to kill the pasture grass. Once again the stone fork was the tool of choice. Pulling the clippings and what little remained of the dead plants to the next area to be cleared, left the soil ready to plant. Our narrow strip of river bottom land is free of stones. Top soil is deep here. Usually we find gravel just under the surface. We will for the first time build a wall in rich dirt. The stones may stay where placed or they may move around in response to frost action.

Large stones with at least one nearly flat surface form the first course of the wall. Custom holes are dug under each stone to accommodate wobble knobs. The flat face needs to be nearly horizontal. Any tip is in the direction of the wall's center. Rubble fills the voids and fine gravel seals the interior. My goal is to have the interior of the wall filled so that no critters can find space for a home. One experience of weeding plants next to a wall while hornets moved in and out of their home above me taught me to fill the voids.

Frost had firmed the ground this morning. A tap from the hammer loosens the stones but screening frozen gravel is impossible. Three pails of gravel are in the basement. They will get the building started tomorrow while the sun warms the frozen ground.

Chilled Garden Close Ups

2011-11-19T13:56:00.002-05:00

Things are cooling off in the garden. If out thermometer is correct it went down to 10 degrees last night. Obviously this sedum plant has reacted to the cold, but the hens and chicks are still looking good.

An even closer look shows us that as gross as this sedum looks it still has has tiny new growth at its base ready for next spring.

Right now this English lavender plant couldn't look more beautiful. It's not the cold but moisture that lavender despises.

Yes! This is a dead stick. I was captivated by the white fungus growing on it. Its white color and coral like texture captured my imagination.

During the sunny part of the day Ed is working with stones now, getting ready to build a wall. He found this fossil. It was fascinating enough to place on top of the shade garden wall where we can look at it whenever we wish. This small stone may have the deepest fossil imprint we have found here.

Saved by a White Knight on a 1948 Ford 8N Tractor

2011-11-16T15:26:00.001-05:00

It was early this morning when we heard the truck arrive with gravel for the top surface of the driveway. It takes a talented driver and master of the rolling dump to spread the gravel on our lane. Not only is it a steep hill, but the curve at the top that goes under a huge wild cherry tree is a real challenge. When the truck left the driveway looked like this. Disappointed, Ed was not looking forward to spreading all this gravel by himself, but the driver promised to come back to help to smooth it out.

This afternoon he was back with his 1948 Ford 8N tractor. What a beautiful machine! In what seemed like no time at all he used his scraper blade to smooth out the gravel in the driveway.

It's amazing what a talented driver can do with the right equipment. A job that could have taken Ed days to finish was accomplished very quickly.

It was a joy to stand and watch this experienced man and his classic machine make short work of a difficult job. Incredibly he did all this and refused payment for his extra special service. It's fantastic to know that there are still a few white knights around to save you when you need help. What started out as a rather gray and dismal day turned into a day to look back on with pleasure!

Precious November Days

2011-11-14T07:14:00.001-05:00

These November days when the temperature warms in the middle of the day you can work outside comfortably unmolested by mosquitoes and other biters. Later in the late afternoon towards dark a few of them are still around taking advantage of their last chances for that free meal.
These fleeting days are precious. Ed spends some time cleaning up garden beds. Those he doesn't get to will wait till spring. Here the debate whether to clean the garden of all debris or leave it alone for the wildlife is settled by Mother Nature. She decides how much remains untouched.

Late fall always brings on Ed's stone wall fever. Once you find out you love to build stone walls there is always a new place to put one. Here the pile of wall stone grows at the site of the next project. Usually Ed's wall building is a solitary process, but based on the last few days it looks like building this wall will include a lot of socializing with our neighbors and others. In this area stone walls are plentiful but many of them are falling down. People are intrigued to see one being built.

With most of the garden looking brown black or gray in response to our freezing nights, I am amazed to see this butterfly bush still looking green. Planted on the south side of the stone wall is apparently a perfect location for it.

The garden appears to be finished with flowers except for Johnny jump ups. These little purple and yellow flowers are spread all through the garden. I have a weakness for these hardy flowers. I guess you could say they grow here as a cover crop. In some places they are weeds and have to be pulled. In other places I let them stay. Some winters I see them blooming under the snow. I can't imagine the garden without them and I won't have to. They are as sure to come up as the sun in the east.

Gone to Seed

2011-11-11T16:33:00.001-05:00

The garden is filled with interesting seeds and seed pods. Here Chinese forget me not seeds have captured milkweed seeds. I'm afraid this is one plant we will wish we had deadheaded. If we brush up against them the little round seeds are so sticky that Ed and I have to take turns picking them off each others clothes . These seeds are made to stick to any critter that passes by.

New England asters have pretty soft brown seeds.

All of the poppy seeds are long gone. Some eaten by birds and some planted by the wind. I know when the ground warms next spring my pink poppies will return.

I really can't see that there are any seeds left in this bee balm seed head. It still makes an interesting picture.

These sumac seeds will attract birds to the garden this winter.

Most of the hollyhock seeds are gone. They have been either eaten or planted.

I would not want to have to count the tiny seeds on the stinging nettles. Some might think that allowing stinging nettles to grow here is foolish, but Ed and I both recognize the plant when we see it and it is the food plant for Red Admiral butterflies and others.

The sunflowers have been stripped clean by the birds, but birds are messy eaters and I'm sure the sunflowers will be back too.

For the first time in my memory every black locust tree you see here has seed pods this year. With all the rain the pods seem to have a black mold on them even as they remain attached to the tree.

Ed has been clearing the beds preparing them for spring planting. No seeds are visible here, but I know they are there waiting for spring and their chance germinate.

Focus on Stones

2011-11-09T16:25:00.001-05:00

The last couple of days here the focus has been on stones more than plants. Ed is working on the driveway and his new wall project. Stones hold a certain fascination for both of us. Today the weather has been glorious, sunny and warm. It drew us outside like a magnet. I did some garden work and took the opportunity to walk around with the camera. I headed down to the gravel bank to check on Ed's progress. These stone closeups were taken there. The tiny lichens that grow on stones are amazing to me.

This one molds to the shape of the rock like a lacy shawl.

These tiny lichens and mosses are growing on the vertical side of a stone in a wall. The sedimentary rocks develop cracks once exposed to the elements and this one also has fossils. Growth gets a foothold in these places.

Here tiny green mosses grow on the small horizontal surface in the gap between two wall stones and in the ridges of the fossils.

This large rock is destined to be a top stone on Ed's new wall. The fossils, lichens, and intriguing texture of this stone will be lost on those who quickly pass by. All they will see is Ed's nice stone wall. But those who take the time to linger and look more closely will get to see so much more.

Old Stone Dump

2011-11-07T21:47:00.003-05:00

With the first snowfall our attention shifted to preparing for winter. This section of the lane was difficult to plow since the bank prevented the plow from discharging its snow to the side. A long ruffle would build up in front of the plow until the ridge was passed. Removing the bank would solve that problem. Pry bar, stone fork and shovel began their attack on the bank.

Stones littered the surface of this hedgerow at fields edge but the true nature of this piece of ground had gone unnoticed. Sizeable trees grew there in fair numbers. I was surprised to discover that a mound was actually an old stone dump formed when the field was cleared many decades ago. Stone of all sizes had been hand picked from the field and dumped here. Neglected for many years, spent vegetation had fallen on the stone. The combination of stone, leaves, water and time produces a finely grained black compost that we call duff. It is our favorite natural soil amendment but it is difficult to come by.

Cutting back the bank became mining duff. The stone fork was used first to pull stones from the ground. Large stones were piled at the side. The large mesh wire screen was used to sift out smaller stone. These stones were placed in the shallow trench dug alongside the lane. Screened duff was moved up the hill and piled near the garden. The wheelbarrow pictured is filled with finely screened duff. Compare its color with the new soil in the shade garden.

These larger stones from the dump have been moved to the site of our next stone wall. Passersby question the placement of the wall in the middle of the mown area. They are surprised to learn that this is a temporary stone pile. The planned wall will be built nearby. It is no more work to pile the stone than it is to throw the stone in a heap. Working from the neat stack will be easier than picking stone from a jumbled mess.

Our original task was to improve our driveway. This section of that job is nearing completion. If winter holds off for a while, there will be time to begin to build this wall near the highway that will identify the location of Stone Wall Garden. Now few know what lies at the top of the hill.

Now I'm really Bugged!

2011-11-06T14:16:00.001-05:00

This is neat picture if you are studying bugs, but not if you are trying to keep a tuberose alive over the winter. It was interesting to watch these bugs move in the sunlight like dust in the air. I guess they are spider mites. This web and its inhabitants are going out to the cold compost bin. Obviously one plant ICU is insufficient here. I cleaned away the dead plant material and watered the plants in this area. I remembered getting some advice before, and I searched my blog to find it. My search took me back to this article. I'm mixing up spray today of 50% water, 50% alcohol and a couple of drops of dish washing soap. I'm just using vodka instead of rubbing alcohol. Since I eat some of my plants, I hope my plants will be happy with that and that the bugs will die instead of have a party. Next it's showers for everybody even me. All these little bugs make my skin crawl!

My Poor Curry Leaf Tree

2011-11-05T15:02:00.000-04:00

Last winter my curry leaf tree came through the winter with flying colors. It even had pretty white fragrant flowers. This year things are not so rosy. I really love it when my plants are healthy. When they are not I don't have the knowledge or the patience to deal with it. My curry leaf tree is currently residing in the bathroom. I knew when I found it with sticky leaves that it was in trouble. Now the poor thing is isolated from its friends and being treated to my version of intensive care. I wasn't feeling too awful about how spindly the tree had become until I read Garden Rant and saw a picture of healthy happy curry leaf trees.

My plant nursing skill is sadly lacking but I do know one thing. Here are the real villains. It's scale! These disgusting tiny little suckers cling to the leaves like grim death and they multiply faster than rabbits! I'm giving the plant showers, scraping the scale that I can see off with my fingernails, using detergent mixed in water. Today I read that full fat yogurt mixed in water fed to a curry leaf plant will perk it right up. Perhaps I'll try that too. Secretly my plant probably wishes it could just hop a plane to Mumbai for the winter, but I'm afraid it's stuck here in upstate New York with me. Six months of intensive care in my bathroom nursery could turn out to be a life sentence or maybe the yogurt will turn the trick and give the plant the will to live and I will find the perfect solution to kill the scale.

Elusive Frost

2011-11-02T10:31:00.000-04:00

This morning found the valley filled with fog and the grass coated white. Desperate for frost pictures, I went out in the knuckle numbing cold. The temperature was just above freezing. If frost did form overnight the morning fog transformed it to frozen water droplets. Light lacy frost crystal pictures will wait for another day.

Bluets in flower are treasured here any day. November flowers are extra special as out of season rarities. Two years ago these clumps were moved here. It appears that they have established themselves.

A wild Golden Alexanders seed cluster resembles a fireworks star burst. The granular nature of the frozen moisture is clear on both the plant and the spider web.

Wild blackberry leaves are an under rated source of fall color. Spiders are everywhere!

High bush blueberries display a unique fall color. No fruit has appeared on these bushes for two consecutive years. Drought caused the plants to drop their fruit this year. A good survival strategy for the plant but no berries for us again. Last year a late hard freeze took the blossoms. Next year could be a good berry year.

Coral bells are the only non native plant pictured today. The varied nature of the ice deposits made this a must use photo.

A hard frost will happen sometime soon. Hopefully clear pictures of feathery frost sculptures will follow.

Arbutus In November

2011-11-01T07:00:00.003-04:00

In terms of survival it seems that arbutus, Epigea repens, is risking a lot by forming its flower buds before winter. So much can go wrong between now and May flowers. These plants were placed at the base of a northwest facing slope. A north slope is supposed to shed its leaf cover to winter wind helping arbutus avoid smothering. Sunlight reaches the ground here only in late afternoon. That should preserve snow cover. I have been removing some of the fallen white pine needles to keep light striking these evergreen leaves. For now, we can only hope and wait.

These plants were moved here this spring. That story was told in a previous post. We are not claiming success yet. Several years survival will be required first. As these transplanted roots venture out into our soil they must find some mysterious soil microbe if the plant is to survive. For now we are delighted at the likely prospect of arbutus flowers next spring.

The arbutus cuttings did not do as well. Of the forty cuttings taken only four show any signs of life now. These will be placed in the ground near the mature plants soon. I expect to see no signs of life from these next spring but I must give them a chance. A new sandy mix will be tried next year. This year all of the cuttings included a heel of the stem. Next year we may try some straight stem cuttings as well.

Beauty Without the Beast

2011-10-30T10:53:00.001-04:00

When I awoke at 6:00 AM, it was still dark outside. The sky was clear and I could see the stars. Fog or clouds have blocked their view all summer. I've missed them so I went around the house doing a bit of stargazing out every window. When the sun did come up beautiful snowy winter scenes replaced the stars.

The sun reaches the far hill before it shines on us. The ridge to the east blocks the early morning light here. A blue cast to the snow may be no more than reflected sky color but it always catches my eye.

Snow coats the garden sticking to everything. All we had was gently falling snow. We escaped the winds and the power outages. The beastly part of the storm stayed east of us.

I know before winter is over I will tire of this snowy garden scene, but this morning all I can see is the beauty.

We didn't get a lot of snow here. The shapes of the stones atop the stone walls are clearly visible and the stone path into the basement is almost clear of snow. I watched as every movement of the birds in the trees caused snow to drop to the ground. Now with the sunlight the snow is dropping quickly. Soon the trees will have lost their beautiful coat of white. Later today I'm sure most of the snow will be gone and that's great. A brief winter preview is lovely, but I'm not ready for the full length feature to begin. I like snow for Christmas, but not so much for Halloween.

October Snow

2011-10-28T14:55:00.000-04:00

Yesterday we watched the rain change to snow. It fell all afternoon before the ground surface cooled enough for the snow to stick. Overnight the temperature dropped into the twenties. Forget frost. The garden got a real freeze. This morning the garden had a thin white covering of snow. It was not a big surprise. In 2009 we had an even earlier October snow and it was much heavier than this one.

This afternoon most of the snow is gone. Just a thin layer remains in places that are shaded from the warmth of the sun. Mother Nature has given us reminder of things to come. Garden tools will soon be replaced with snow shovels . The garden tractor will swap its lawnmower for a snow plow. We hope for more gardening time, but tomorrow another storm approaches. It could be rain. It could be sleet. It could be snow. It could be all three. October weather in zone 4 can be just a little spooky!

Biggest Rock Ever

2011-10-26T19:05:00.001-04:00

After hurricane Irene had nearly safely passed by us, a rather small branch fell across the supply wires shutting down our electrical power. With so many others without power, we waited for nearly four days for repairs. Only 49 customers are served by our line. We have a small pull start generator but Ed has lost some of his power to pull. We will not be without electric power again. The stone pad is preparation for a self starting, propane powered, automatic transfer generator. Our gravel bank is providing the fill to secure the pad.

When a small load of gravel was pulled uphill by our small lawn tractor, Ed excitedly announced that he had uncovered the largest rock ever. Since we discovered that our abandoned farmland contained too many rocks to be farmed, our fear has been that a unearthing a rock larger than we can move would stop a project. So far we have been able to handle all that have come our way.

Gravity rolled the undermined rock out where we could see it. Glacial deposition had broken this rock. The other half may be far away. Cracks showed where to place the chisel. A few well placed blows from the hand sledge hammer caused the rock to create an audible crack. One rock became two. Two became four.

On occasion the newly revealed surface is smooth enough to be used as a sidewalk stone. That was not the case with this monster. These pieces will likely be used in the next stone wall project. We usually build with much smaller stone since small stone is what we have in abundance. Long flat chunks could make the wall visually interesting. They will wait at the gravel bank till we want to use them. One thing we have here is plenty of rocks!

Composting NOT Recommended

2011-10-26T08:03:00.000-04:00

Here you see my very favorite pair of pruners. Ed found them when he harvested compost to add to his newly weeded garden beds. It's not hard to guess how they got there. They were simply mixed in with whatever I was pruning at the time and I didn't notice . This is what my pruners look like after a year of composting. The handles really look pretty good.

The metal parts seem to have suffered some during the composting process. I would have thought they would be fused together for good.

Ed cleaned them off to get a better look. With silicone spray he managed to get them so that they would open and close.They will even cut if you have his hand strength. I don't!

Once again a new pair of pruners goes on my Christmas list. I like to head out to the garden in the spring with a nice new pair of pruners fresh out of the package. You might notice that these pruners have a lifetime warranty, but losing them in the compost them for a year certainly must void it. Anyway I would be way too embarrassed to send these back to the company, after I had treated them so badly. Really nice try Ed , but I want yet another shiny new pair of pruners.

Frost Or Frozen Dew

2011-10-24T23:23:00.001-04:00

2011 has been a year of unusual weather. October is nearly gone and we are still waiting for our first frost. Today found a bluebird giving a nest box a solid look. Neither of these events are what we would normally expect this late.

We awoke to find white grass and valley fog. Our immediate question was did it frost? Fog would seem to indicate no frost. We definitely had a freeze.

That we had an overnight freeze was obvious. The granular deposits on this Gloriosa daisy are ice crystals not frost. Ice formed when the dew on the flower froze. Frost forms when water vapor moves directly from a gas to a solid. Here the vapor condensed to a liquid then froze.

Patterns on the catnip leaf immediately grab the attention of the eye but look to the blades of grass to see frozen water droplets.

Beads of ice coat the web. Finding a spider web coated with water droplets is a common summer experience. Seeing those droplets frozen is not so common. Just click on the picture to get a better look. Most of the day that followed was sunny and clear. Cleaning some the planting beds of all vegetation was a pleasant task. While we were doing this a mature female marsh hawk flew two lazy low circles overhead. This is what October days are supposed to look like. Then the rain came.

October Garden Walk, Photos by Amy

2011-10-23T17:55:00.000-04:00

Blue skies and sunshine made this a delightful day to spend time in the garden. Ed spent most of the day outside. Amy spent some time weeding one of the stone patios. It's one of the hardest weeding assignments in the garden and one I have difficulty doing. It was sweet of her to tackle it. After that hard work, I gave her the camera to have some fun. She captured the Black swallowtail caterpillars eating the dill as fast as they can. It was just over a week ago that they looked so different. Here's how they looked on October 13.

The second one isn't quite as big, but he looks like a familiar Black swallowtail caterpillar too. I love the gray of the lavender in the background here.

Never before have there been so many Large Milkweed Bugs, Onocopeltus fasciatus in the garden. Before this year I have never seen more than a few adults. Their bright orange and black coloring would catch any one's eye. These all look like adults.

Here is a single adult and small immature bugs. I have read that adults overwinter. I can't help but wonder how many of these will be around in the spring. It's a lucky thing we have plenty of milkweed here for everybody!

This terrific picture shows immature bugs inside the milkweed pod. Much of the milkweed fluff has had its seeds consumed. I guess those will never get to dance on the wind without the cargo they are made to carry. These orange and black bugs have been chowing down on the seeds. I first noticed these amazing garden inhabitants on October 5 when I wrote a post for Beautiful Wildlife Gardens.

Looking very much like a couple of flowers in the grass, these mushrooms are striking in their beauty. Not bad for a fungus.

Today was a gorgeous October day to be outside in the garden made perfect because we enjoyed it together.

It Ain't Over Till It's Over!

2011-10-21T19:17:00.000-04:00

Looking from a distance, it appears that the garden season is over. I headed out with the camera to look for a few remaining flowers to photograph. This still green vine caught my immediate attention. Sheltered by the stone wall, this determined moon flower clings to life even though it's already way too late for it here. The frost that has visited here has been light. The stream of cold that pours downhill across our garden is deflected by the stone wall. Warmth radiated by the wall has kept these leaves from freezing. The vine above the wall was frozen dead some weeks ago.

Of the plants that are usually gone by now many still have one or two flowers blooming. I chose this photograph of a somewhat less than perfect 'Stardust' chrysanthemum to represent the group. Some of them like the evening scented stock or rose campion have a single flower on plants that have pretty much gone to seed. Meadow sage, dianthus, gloriosa daisies, catchfly, goldenrod, and even a pathetic pink poppy are giving it one more try. I even saw a couple of yellow nasturtiums flowers peeking out of the compost pile where the plants have been already been tossed.

This sedum is normally one of the late bloomers in the garden. This year it has been gorgeous for a long time. These slow moving bumblebees have been on this plant for days. I don't think they even leave to go home at night. Every time I pass by they are there and I take their picture again. If you can find a flower without a bee, and you get your nose really close, you can still enjoy the delicate fragrance of these pink flowers.

This pink Emperor of China chrysanthemum is usually the last plant to flower here. It is really hardy. Even after a frost turns the leaves to burgundy, pink flowers continue to open. With the foliage still green this plant looks like it is just getting started.

But the real surprise are the plants who seem to think it is still summer. Planted this spring and stalled until now, this Jackmani clematis is blooming like the summer is just beginning. It has plenty of buds still ready to open.

This Gaillardia 'Arizona Sun' plant is also working on new flowers. The catalog said " blooms June to October", but I'm still amazed! The freezing night temperatures that we are so accustomed have not happened. Normally a beautiful clear blue sky day is followed by plummeting temperatures . What we have been getting this year is a little sunshine early in the day, followed by clouds and rain or just rain. Instead of a quick frozen death, the garden is slowly ebbing away. It is not what we are accustomed to, but flowers in late October are a nice extra innings bonus!

New Garlic Bed

2011-10-19T18:42:00.000-04:00

It is unclear if Ed could garden at all without his 2 X 4 inch welded wire fence. Here two pieces are placed at a right angle to each other forming a 2inch by 2 inch grid. Rows of evenly spaced parallel planting holes are rather quickly made. The 5 ft. by 13 ft. beds are also defined.

Garlic may grow better in evenly spaced parallel rows or the gardener here may just be excessively fussy. The cloves are spaced six inches apart in both directions. This close spacing makes weeding difficult. I have developed a concern that dirt that falls on a garlic plant lodges where the leaf grows from the stem. Nasty soil micro organisms then have a route to the interior of the plant causing mold and rot. Not weeding solves this problem so the close spacing is a plus.

The fence that marked the bed now serves a more traditional role. The third section of this planting area will be developed in the spring. Grass clippings were used to kill the pasture grass but some still grew. Rotted grass clippings in contact with the somewhat clear topsoil underneath make a great start for a new planting area. The top slimy mess of grass clippings waits in heaps while we look for a way to use it.

Garlic has a special appeal because it is fall planted. While the bulk of our plants are becoming dormant or just plain dying, garlic is beginning its growth cycle. The actual act of planting a food crop now is uplifting. All of the hopes and dreams of next year's garden came alive as each clove of garlic went into the ground. Not bad for a dreary fall day.

Eastern Coyote Visitor

2011-10-18T08:36:00.003-04:00

During the morning blur that surrounds our morning coffee, Becky sprang to the window shouting fox. It was the coyote moving near the garden. The motion in the window caused the visitor to change direction moving away from the house. Its pause near the tall weeds gave me time to get the camera. Becky directed me to the west end of the house where the coyote was passing close by. Again the motion in the window resulted in a change of direction. A pause for its portrait was followed by its disappearance into the pines.

We rarely see an adult coyote near the house. They own the more remote area of our thirty-six acres with a den placed among some glacial erratics in nearby woods. In my relative youth, I would walk in these woods. I never saw an animal but I sometimes felt that I was not alone. Now the woods are outside of my comfort range. This morning's encounter left me impressed with the size of this magnificent animal. Totally aware of its surroundings, it moved with a quick confident quiet grace. Clearly, the coyote is master of its space.

Two days without rain has placed garlic planting on today's list. I have to venture back into the coyotes domain to work in the wilderness garden. Some fear will be with me there today. In our rural location, coyotes shun man so I need not be afraid. The coyote will be aware of my presence and move away from me. I hope it has read the playbook that describes his expected actions. My opposable thumbs and skill solving quadratic equations would be outmatched by the coyotes agile quickness.

An Uninvited Guest

2011-10-17T17:46:00.001-04:00

I must confess that Ed and I have never adopted the conventional wisdom of using sterilized potting soil for our indoor plants. Ed likes to mix his own soil anyway. In the distant past we tried to sterilize soil in my oven. I forget how long it was to be baked or at what temperature. What I do remember and will never forget is the disgusting smell of baked worms and dirt. That was definitely a once and done project. Now a quick spray with insecticidal soap as the plants come inside is our line of defense. Since the weather has cooled the scented geraniums are on a table in front of the south facing bedroom window. It didn't take me long to notice the droppings on the table. We had an uninvited guest living in our bedroom.

I took me considerable time to locate our green friend. His color match to the scented geranium was flawless. He sticks up those black pointy legs up when disturbed.

I'm not familiar with this caterpillar, but I think he is headed down in this picture. The closest picture for any kind of identification I could find was a sphinx. They throw their head back and stick their front legs out when disturbed. The hummingbird moth that I find so fascinating is a sphinx.

Here he is curled up in a ball just like a woolly bear or a cutworm. Ed was patient enough to get these great pictures. He also gave the caterpillar a ride outside to enjoy this beautiful day. It will have to find another plant to chow down on. Rose geraniums are from South Africa and definitely not his usual food source. Perhaps he'll do fine. He's obviously not a picky eater. If he is to have any chance at all to continue his life cycle, he needs to be outside. Anyway, no one with toenails that sharp gets to stay in my bedroom!!!

Garlic Planting Time, Part Two

2011-10-16T16:13:00.003-04:00

Good weather means a day working on the garlic bed to prepare it for planting. Yesterday when the rain finally drove me front to dry off, I left things as you see them here. Today sunshine sent me back to continue on the garlic project. When I arrived at the wilderness garden I discovered that my ball of garden twine was unwound trailing up the path. Since I pull the twine from the center of the ball, all my playful canine had to do was put the ball in its mouth and run off. The twine unwound until the ball was exhausted. I followed the twine trail across the lawn, up the path then down into the woods. I returned back up the trail winding twine as I walked. A flat stone now holds my twine ball where I want it to remain.

A neighbor has placed a hunting blind on the high meadow overlooking the wilderness garden. I have given serious thought to spending an evening sitting in the blind. If I did that, I might get to see and perhaps photograph my coyote. But then the biting insects sent me front today by 4:30 pm.

Garlic Planting Time

2011-10-15T18:30:00.000-04:00

The calender says it is time to plant the garlic here in zone 4, but recent heavy rains have left the soil unworkable. Its present moisture content would be better suited to brick making than clove planting. Path development seemed a better choice today. Keeping field grass out of the planting beds is the purpose of the path. Last fall landscape fabric was placed around the outside of the garden and covered with grass clippings. That worked reasonably well but the mower would dislodge the clippings.

The planting bed is the darker L shaped area. It too was covered with grass clippings for more than a year. Dead sod and stones have been pulled away using a mattock and a stone fork. Several loads of compost have been turned in resulting in the darker soil. Pasture grass has grown here for decades and now the soil is ready for a planted crop.

Dead sod and some topsoil have been removed from the path to lower the level of the fabric. Bark mulch from a nearby hardwood lumber operation will form the path surface. The bark mulch will rot down creating excellent compost. We can count on yearly replenishment of the bark mulch in the path.

This garden is far from the house hidden from view by the high meadow. When I reported for work here this morning, the green Butternut squash left at garden's edge was gone. Canine footprints covered one corner of my carefully prepared planting bed. The squash was found some distance away. Deep teeth marks pointed to its use as a chew toy by a fairly large animal.

Nearby neighbors do have two dogs. One of them is large and they have been know to roam. The fresh scat points more toward coyote. Examination of the photo shows that both corn and apples were on the menu. I have read that as life forms disappear from this planet as a result of our destruction of our home, coyotes may be the last mammal alive. Among their wily ways is their ability to eat almost anything. Since my new garlic bed is part of their playground, a fence will be needed to keep them away from my plants.

Autumn Metamorphosis

2011-10-13T08:46:00.000-04:00

Sunny Days and the and the changing of the leaves have made this an incredibly beautiful place to be. Amy always likes to be here for peak fall color and to snap a few pictures. Who can blame her. I have been other places during the autumn and I always feel this spectacle is most beautiful here at home.

This year the colors are beautiful, but our wild weather has left its mark. In some areas the trees are bare. The winds and rain stripped them . In other places the trees have their color, but many of the leaves are gone giving them a slightly transparent ghostly look. The overall effect is still breathtakingly beautiful.

It's always a wonderful surprise to find something new in the garden. I had slipped out to get some fresh dill for the salmon that we were having for dinner. As I was cutting my dill, I noticed two black caterpillars. One was small and the other tiny. It was too dark to get a good look , but the next morning I got my picture. I searched to find the identity of this unknown caterpillar. What I discovered was that metamorphosis is a longer and more complicated process than I ever imagined. This is the first instar of the Black swallowtail butterfly, one of several that completes the process from egg to butterfly. I always thought that this butterfly went from this caterpillar into a chrysalis and emerged as this butterfly. So I didn't see a new caterpillar at all, but one of the different forms of my old friend the Black swallowtail butterfly. I hope he didn't mind sharing the dill!

Potatoes Planted At Harvest

2011-10-11T18:25:00.000-04:00

Our crop rotation scheme has peas planted where potatoes grew the previous year. We always have volunteer potato plants growing among the peas. Seeing a chance to try something different, four small potatoes were planted at harvest time. These seeds went right back into the ground while the potatoes were being dug.

We usually plant potatoes mid May. Early green shoots are easily covered with dirt when late frost threatens. My harvest time planted potatoes did not emerge from the ground until mid June. They knew more about when the time was right to begin growth. Four were planted and all four grew.

This harvest might not look like much, but considering that the early drought killed my spring planted potatoes before they produced much I am pleased with these edible tubers. Harvest is late since squash overran the potatoes denying me access. Frost took out the squash and I harvested potatoes.

Caribe is the name of this variety. Snow white flesh lies beneath the purple skin. Both the appearance and the taste make this a favorite here. Our supplier depleted his supply before he shipped our order. These twelve potatoes represent our entire crop this year. A mosquito is shown in the picture. Our first frost only served to heighten their purpose so bites are the order of the day. Now we are really looking for a hard freeze so that no mosquitoes are part of our outside time.

Sod Lily House

2011-10-10T14:00:00.003-04:00

Our fascination with lilies has been tempered with failure after failure. Despite catalog descriptions of plants hardy to zone 3, most of our newly purchased bulbs would die. The problem was not mid winter sub zero temperatures but spring frosts. Early frost would blacken newly emerged green shoots while late frost would kill the flower buds. Covering the plants when frost threatened was possible only if the cover would fit between other plants. Otherwise the choice was to protect the lilies while smashing their neighbors. Then the issue was the sheer number of required covering cans. There had to be a better way.

This is version two of a system to protect the lilies. Three gallon plastic pots were purchased to hold single transplanted lily bulbs. Buried up to their rims, these pots will winter over in a protected spot. Shaded from low winter sun, this area should be late in building spring soil warmth. That should delay emergence of the lilies for a few days. If the snow cover is scant, we can shovel extra snow on top of the lilies. When spring does come, the entire lily bed can be covered with a tarp if frost threatens. As a last line of defense, the pots can be pulled from the ground and carried to the basement.

We had a first version of this system last year. The new sod walls on three sides are intended to make it easier to place the tarp. These walls need to be higher in order to cover the taller lilies in late May but that can wait until spring. For now we must get ready to plant the garlic by week's end. Then we can finish bedding the lilies down for the winter.

A Few More Flowers and So Many Seeds

2011-10-09T11:09:00.000-04:00

There are still a few more flowers blooming in the garden. This is one of the last golden glows shining in the sunlight. Opportunities for nectar and pollen are getting to be few and far between. A late migrating Monarch butterfly was seen trying to feed on a fallen brown leaf yesterday.

This Sedum sieboldi that is planted on the top of Ed's stone wall is just beginning to bloom. It has always been a late bloomer here.

Another division of the same plant which grows in the garden instead of on top of the wall has not yet begun to open. If these beautiful sunny fall days continue it will get its chance to bloom too.

There is by no means a shortage of seeds in the garden. Some of them are welcome. They will provide food for the birds and other wildlife over the coming winter and plants I love will return again. Some of them are weeds always destined for removal. These seeds are from Grandpa Ott morning glories. Last year the plants purchased from Select Seeds were gorgeous. Reported to be the flower that started the Seed Saver Exchange I actually saved seed for Ed to plant. This spring Ed started some of these seeds in the basement. I even gave some of these heirloom seeds to friends. It has been my experience that morning glory seeds here are annual. That is when the cold comes the plants and the seeds are dead a door nail. I was not pleased this spring when ~~hundreds~~ thousands of morning glory plants popped up all around the area where the Grandpa Otts were planted. They climbed and wound around any plant nearby like nasty little pythons choking the life out of its victim. I have been pulling them all summer. I'm pulling more now. I'm trying to gather and get rid of all the seeds I can find, but I know I have not seen the last of Grandpa Ott. To my friends who received these seeds from me as a gift I have to say, " Sorry, I had no idea! "

Fogged In

2011-10-06T18:47:00.000-04:00

The exact weather events of last night remain a mystery. We awoke to find the garden all wrapped in fog with temperatures in the 30's. Precisely where in the 30's the temperature was would have required a trip out onto the cold wet deck since the thermometer cannot be seen from inside of the house. Whether we had freeze or frost during the night will not be known. Neither of us wanted to know bad enough to venture outside.

Cold damaged plants were common. These pole bean leaves show some damage while some leaves remain green and alive. Under or behind other leaves was a safe location. Frost is more strongly forecast for tonight so all of the cold sensitive plants should be dead tomorrow.

Last night's cold kept the mosquitoes in hiding until late afternoon. Those flying about seemed to lack a clear purpose. They were easy to capture in midair. With any luck tonight's cold will diminish their numbers even more.

These October Skies asters were a new purchase this year. The catalog photo shows a lighter brighter blue coloration. Last night's cold had no effect on them at all. They remain a bright spot in the garden.

Dear Jack, Where's my Frost ?

2011-10-05T17:13:00.001-04:00

First frost is usually a grim time here. We are never ready to say goodbye to our summer garden. This year is different. With more than a month of regular daily rain the mosquitoes are winning. If tonight's frost is hard enough, there will be fewer biting flying insects tomorrow. Indian summer can begin and that is one of our favorite times to work outside. Crisp clear air and no mosquitoes make for pleasant time outside. We can then shed some of our layers of protection.

Ed is wearing a Solumbra long sleeved shirt and a helmet drape. His only exposed skin is part of his face. It is still possible to inhale a flying insect via either nose or mouth but they can access neither his ears nor the back of his neck. With only a small area of exposed skin, his kill to bite ratio is way up.

Becky is completely covered in white. Her trip to the ER to have a deer tick removed prompted these precautions. As anyone concerned with Lyme disease prevention knows, the pants tucked into the socks are a must. Purple gardening gloves do add just a touch of flair.

Now it is time to compost the still living basil and peppers. If we wait until after the frost, pleasant smelling plants will be transformed to slimy disgusting smelly mush. The sky is cloudless and blue perfect for a nice cold starry night. Come on Jack! Let's have that hard frost or even a freeze. These *@!*# mosquitoes are just asking for it.

House Arrest

2011-10-04T21:31:00.001-04:00

It is time to accept reality and move our tender plants indoors. This location inside of the entry door that we never use has proven to be our best location for over wintering plants. We have other locations with better light but the moving air currents are stronger here. A high ceiling combined with heaters on both sides of the landing really move the air. Since this is the best location, only the most favored plants get to spend the cold seasons here.

Three rosemarys line the left wall. For some reason I thought obtaining a golden rosemary was a good idea. Golden leaves look like dying leaves so this plant always looks like it is on its way out. It's walking a thin line, because any plant that begins to look unwell loses this prime location. Two sweet bays, a tuberose, the patchouli and two lemon grass plants complete the group. Here in zone 4, tender plants get a six month sentence indoors. There is a slight chance for early parole if we get good weather in the spring. At some point these tender plants will again become the "In and Out Gang."

Wild Asters and Butterflies

2011-09-30T18:27:00.000-04:00

All we need is a little sun and newly hatched Monarchs head for the asters as soon as they can fly.
These white asters are wild and self seeded in the garden. We did not plant them.

The New England asters are wild too, but we did plant these. The bright purple flowers are a favorite and we encourage them by placing them in the planting beds.

We were very close to home when we drove by patches of New England asters that were covered with bright yellow butterflies. Even on a fast drive by the sight was impressive. It made such an impact on us that Becky grabbed the camera and drove back to try for a picture. Just stopping the car made some of the butterflies leave, but she managed to capture seven.

Here just two butterflies remain and they left right after the camera snapped. You can tell this picture was not taken at the Stone Wall Garden. Becky would never allow a ragweed plant to reach that size at home.

Unusual Sights in the Stone Wall Garden

2011-09-27T17:46:00.000-04:00

This is not a place where mushrooms and fungi usually flourish. Normally it's too dry and well drained. The bright orange texture of this unknown fungus really got my attention.

I thought for sure by this time the nasturtiums would have turned to slime. They look and taste fantastic right now. Perhaps the slime will come on the weekend. Today it is warm and we are expecting, what else but rain.

Early this morning Canada geese flew low over the high meadow. They are working on their formations. This afternoon a dark phase marsh hawk flew by my living room window low enough so that I could clearly see its distinctive white rump patch . The cinnamon colored bird was either a female or an immature. Most of the time we only get to see the underside of these birds.

We planted filberts in 1998. Finally this year, it has quite a few of these . Now rain and lightning has started up. There's nothing unusual about that, but three moon flowers are opening in the rain. The big white flowers can be seen from inside the house even on this dark rainy night.

Potted Lemon Verbena

2011-09-25T18:10:00.000-04:00

Lemon verbena, Aloysia triphylla is a favorite here. Chopped leaves added to fresh fruit salad create a flavor that is special beyond description. Tea made with lemon verbena, lemon grass and lemon balm leaves is also excellent. For several years we had difficulty finding plants at local nurseries as friends that had eaten our fruit salad depleted the limited supply. Our only plants those years were ones that we had wintered over. Now we buy three plants mail order from Richters each spring. Still we must try to carry lemon verbenas through the winter someplace inside of the house.

Zones 8 to 10 are the natural range of lemon verbena. There it grows to a good sized shrub and produces many tiny white sweet lemon scented blossoms. To say that this plant resents root disturbance is a wild understatement. This year the first plant potted lost all of the dirt around the root ball when it was removed from the garden. Potting up continued anyway and the plants were thoroughly soaked and placed in the basement. All of the leaves withered and the stem tips drooped. The plants remained in that wilted condition for days. It did not look promising. The threat of frost passed and the plants were moved outside. Then the rains came. Several days of rain brought these plants back to life. These three are the best that we have ever had at this point. White flies and suddenly dropped leaves are likely in their future but for now things are looking good.

Maybe A Nice Hard Freeze Would Be A Good Thing!

2011-09-24T16:08:00.001-04:00

Here we are at the end of September and a sunny day with a hard frost seems far off. Ordinarily I would be thrilled. It means more time to enjoy the flowers and vegetables in the garden, but we keep getting more rain and we don't need more rain! I took the chance when the rain subsided to take some pictures of asters in the garden. They are so pretty and a fall favorite of mine. I started with a purple New England aster . These grow wild here and we encourage them. We love them as do the deer in the neighborhood.

Next I stopped by a big clump of white asters. These are wild too, but I don't know their name. There are so many kinds of wild white asters here.

By the time I got to the "Lady in Black" asters that Ed planted in the garden, I had completely lost my focus. A big cloud of mosquitoes surrounded me. No more standing still to focus the camera. I needed to be a moving target.

I did get just two more shots. One of this mosquito that landed on my hand and a second one taken after I squashed him flat. He was just one of the horde but it felt so good to put him out of my misery!

A nice thin layer of ice on all the standing water everywhere would take care of these nasty little buggers, but it looks like more rain and warm temperatures for awhile. Isn't it amazing that something I usually want to avoid can seem so appealing under different circumstances?

Chrysanthemums, Moon flowers and Monarchs

2011-09-22T08:20:00.000-04:00

Fall is arriving with great splendor. Yesterday was gorgeous! The Clara Curtis mums are magnificent and buzzing with activity. Atop the stone wall is a moon flower.

Rain the evening before left the blossom a little floppy, but a moon flower is a moon flower and here in zone 4 a cause for celebration.

The chrysanthemums, asters and goldenrod are here just waiting for the newly hatched monarchs. It's a real pleasure to watch them glide over the house to make a brief stop in the garden before they make their way south. It's a delightful scene repeated over and over again. The garden is a beautiful place to be. The only fly in the ointment is mosquitoes. Unimpressed by repellents they are really out for blood. I so hate being on the bottom of the food chain. I'll cover every bit of skin I can, but It's too beautiful to stay out of the garden.

After The Storm, Photos by Amy

2011-09-20T17:45:00.000-04:00

Long after Hurricane Irene visited here, Amy and I walked on closed roads to see the local impact of this storm. Prentice Gorge Road climbs from the river valley to a century old farm. For the first mile the road climbs the ridge following the stream. The road is steep and the gorge is narrow. Our first picture was taken near the bottom of the hill where the vertical separation between the stream and the road is small. This washout is repairable.

The next two pictures were taken farther up the hill. Here the distance from the road to the stream bed is great and the gorge is very narrow. Some might question why a road was ever built here. Repairing this washout will certainly present challenges. For now the Town Highway Department plans to leave this section of Prentice Gorge Road closed.

County Route 3 climbs the same ridge as Prentice Gorge Road some three miles away. It follows Shaw Brook. The stream bed was at the far side of the new gravel deposit along the tree line. An earlier locally heavy storm moved the stream bed to the middle of the gravel deposit. Since the culvert handled the earlier storm water, nothing was done to move the stream back to its former location.

Hurricane Irene dropped enough water here to move the stream to the road. Again the culvert handled the volume of water but the roaring stream undercut the road fill. There may be another washout uphill from here. The road is closed in both directions and the walk to the second site is longer than we are willing to tackle.

By comparison, our driveway that also makes a short climb out of the river valley required no repair after the storm. The main difference is that our lane was not placed next to a stream. It will be interesting to watch how the road repair unfolds. County Route 3 carries substantial traffic and provides access to many homes. It should be repaired soon. Prentice Gorge Road is precariously perched and is lightly traveled. It may be closed for good.

Critter Clues

2011-09-18T14:53:00.000-04:00

Ed has been using grass clippings to make new garden space back in the wilderness garden. It works really well although there is a slight aroma while the grass clippings dry out. The other day Ed drove his tractor back to the wilderness garden and discovered interesting holes in the somewhat firm surface.

Divots were scattered in the grass. It made Ed think back to the day last fall when he came eye to eye with a coyote. He thought perhaps coyote or even fox pups were having fun tossing the clumps of grass in the air in harmless play. Several days went by and both of us forgot about these clues left by our wild visitors.

Once again it's time to ready the wilderness garden to plant next year's garlic. Ed arrived at the wilderness garden to find it had been disturbed again. This time the clues of wild visitors were a little more grizzly. Pieces of meat were found hidden in the grass mulch. Clearly we have a dispute about just who the owner of this space is. Ed moved the meat cache out of the way. As far as he is concerned that garden space is reserved for his garlic. As Ed spends more time preparing the soil to plant his garlic in the garden, I expect the critters will back away. It's not because of the garlic, although it is supposed to keep werewolves at bay. I think Ed's presence will be enough to send our visitors to another part of their range.

These fresh footprints in the recently turned soil look large enough to have been made by a coyote. Clumps of sod were strewn about as the animal retrieved its stored meat. Ed usually leaves a kill site as the coyotes may be near by and ownership of the kill is clear. But this is his garden. A meeting of the minds will be reached and the fence will keep the coyotes out. Coyotes may be clever but Ed is stubborn. He will stay out of the woods near their den in case coyotes are vindictive.

No Overnight Frost

2011-09-17T13:51:00.000-04:00

Our favorite local weatherman has been warning all week of an overnight low temperature for last night in the high twenties. Yesterday he softened his prediction and we awoke this morning to find no white grass anywhere in sight. As we were sitting looking out on our still alive garden, a large hawk approached the lawn. With every wing and tail feather spread and erect, the majestic bird silently and rapidly fell toward the ground. Light from the low rising sun illuminated the underside of the hawk. This light phase red tail displayed a golden glow in the morning light. Our motion inside the window might have spooked the hawk as it shifted from its motionless descent to active flight and flew to a perch in a nearby tree.

Seeing a hawk in its dive for prey is something I have always wanted to see. I imagined the bird diving like a bullet with its wings tucked tightly by its side snatching prey as it opened its wings and rocketed skyward. What we saw this morning was nothing like what I expected to see. Wings and tail were motionless but fully spread as the hawk quickly dropped toward the ground. Prey snatch did not happen since we distracted the hawk. We did get to see details in color and markings illuminated by long low morning light. This was likely the best hawk sighting that we will ever experience.

Trying to grow moon flowers, Ipomoea alba, here in zone 4 is a piece of gardening foolishness that we try year after year. Had last night's predicted frost occurred we would have had nothing but dead vine. As it is, our first moon flower buds will likely open. A noisy, to alert feeding skunks of our presence, trip into the garden long after dark will be rewarded with the sight and scent of a newly opened moon flower blossom. Near full moon light tonight will add greatly to this experience.

Growing Plants Outside Their Comfort Zone

2011-09-14T20:10:00.000-04:00

What is it about a gardener that makes them push that zone envelope? Today we savored the sweet success that such behavior can bring. Yes, this Sugar Baby watermelon is tiny, about the size of a softball. We enjoyed it with a relish that only another gardener would understand. Buying a shipped in watermelon would make more sense. Sense has nothing to do with it.

In all we had a total of three small watermelons. Amy got to have the pleasure of eating the first one. The third one is still in the garden. Its stem is not yet brown. We will snatch it from the garden at the very last minute before it gets frosted.

The potting of the tender plants has begun. Even if the forecast of frost proves to be wrong, it gave us the necessary motivation to get these plants into pots. Plants like lemon grass, stevia, lemon verbena, patchouli,tuberose, sweet bay, rosemary and scented geraniums all need to be moved inside before the cold hits. Room in the house for plants is at a premium so hard choices have to be made. The chosen will find a place in the house. The others will have to take their chances with the cold.

A Sea of Goldenrod

2011-09-11T21:50:00.002-04:00

We have been so intent on the rain and the river, along with our loss of electricity, that we hardly noticed the meadow turning the brilliant yellow of fall. With all the rain the golden rod is tall and spilling over into Ed's walking paths. The beautiful fields of yellow are misunderstood by some. They think the goldenrod is the source of their allergy problems. Goldenrod pollen is heavy and not easily blown by the wind. Ragweed is the real culprit. Ever since I have lived here I have made it a goal of mine to eliminate ragweed . This fall I haven't seen one around anywhere to use for a photo op. I'm sure it's not gone for good. I'll still yank it out by its roots whenever I see it.

We have several varieties of goldenrod growing here. Today I managed to find three.

Each one has beautiful yellow flowers loved by the bees and butterflies.

But their shape and growth habit are different. In 1993 using an article from The Herb Companion, I found five different types of goldenrod growing here. I have forgotten their names, but they combine to make a beautiful yellow tapestry. I love fall. I just can't believe that it is goldenrod and aster season already. Worse I actually saw the f_ _ _ _ word in Thursday's weather forecast!

Sun Follows Lee

2011-09-09T22:16:00.000-04:00

Wisdom is reported to accompany age. Perhaps age forces us to work smarter because we have a new found difficulty working harder. Developing planting areas in our former pasture used to start with cutting out and removing sod blocks. That is strenuous work. We have recently discovered that grass clippings and time will kill the sod in place. Raking grass clippings is also hard work. Today brought the arrival here of a lawn sweeper. Sweeping clippings is more like play than work. With all of the recent rains the grass is growing at an alarming rate making abundant hay. Today also featured brief periods of sunshine. Storm aftermath makes travel impossible in three directions as the roads are simply gone in places. We are here, so we might as well rake hay.

Cardinal flower, lobelia cardinalis, is a favorite here. This plant survived without our intervention. Its four stalks show that we did not divide this second year plant. Now each stalk is making up to six daughter plants. Crowded does not begin to describe the situation here. Experience has taught us that none of these plants will survive winter if we divide them now. As winter approaches we will loosely cover this cluster with the dead stalks. Division will wait until early spring. Without intervention these daughter plants will crowd each other out with none surviving.

Hardy chrysanthemum, Clara Curtis, looks great next to the stone wall. Its appearance now is a not so subtle announcement that we are in the third season of the year. A single purchased plant has undergone countless divisions. We have them widely planted hoping that some will see spring. These are indeed a treasure.

Leeve Us Please

2011-09-08T16:23:00.000-04:00

We don't have a high tech rain gauge in the garden. There were a few assorted containers left outside collecting water from all this rain. All of the others including a ten quart bucket overflowed, but this five gallon bucket still had room for a little bit more. I stuck a yardstick in the bucket and the water measured just over eleven inches. That's too much rain!

See what happens to red tomatoes when they get too much water. Their skins crack open . They can't take the pressure. The garden is drenched. Roads in the area are closed to all except emergency vehicles. We are for the moment stuck at home.

With the garden way too wet to work in, Ed chose today to put wet gravel from the gravel bank down at the end of the driveway. He will pack it down while it is wet and it will make a hard surface to drive on. The driveway needs more gravel in numerous places but remains passable. Considering the volume of water that ran down the lane, it is in excellent condition.

This is the scene just a short walk down River Road from our driveway. The Unadilla River is still rising. When the river is in its banks, it flows unseen on the other side of the far treeline. Now its fast current can be seen in the distance, and the water is rising moving in our direction. Areas that are usually dry when the river floods are now underwater. The muddy water is menacing and it has an aroma best described as a stench. In one spot it smells like you could light it with a match. It's times like this that we are grateful we chose to place our house and garden up the hill.

Interesting When Wet , Photos by Amy

2011-09-05T17:45:00.000-04:00

This Mammoth Pink Chrysanthemum looks fresh as a daisy!

Asparagus Berries hold on to those water droplets.

The end of the pink poppies and the beginning flowering 'Autumn Joy' sedum are a sure sign of fall.

Our new great lobelia flowers are a beautiful shade of blue except for the plant that turned out to be white.

The red hibiscus may be blown over, but it still blooms on.

'Stardust' chrysanthemum's fluted petals hold many water droplets.

A fossil on top of the wall shines neatly when wet.

Could be lichens or perhaps some fungus, but this stone is almost completely covered with growth.

No wet garden post is complete without a picture of lady's mantle.

A bumblebee takes advantage of the lull in the rain to visit mullein flowers. It's good Amy went out to visit the garden when she did. We are back to rain again.

Last 2011 Lily

2011-09-04T09:46:00.000-04:00

Life here has been difficult for this fragrant heirloom lily, L. speciosum rubrum. Purchased in the fall of 2008, it has twice been frozen to the ground just after it emerged. Promising bright green early growth was turned slippery brown by late hard freezes. Later in the summer a single short green leaf nourished each bulb. We had given them up as lost expecting to see nothing from them this year.

Of the five bulbs purchased, three made an appearance this year. One withered to brown early never showing even a hint of bud. The remaining two hung on producing three flowers between them. In order to improve their survival chances, these bulbs will be potted up and moved to a protected garden location for the winter. By moving all of the newly potted lily bulbs to a single place, they can all be protected from late spring cold with a single tarp. Pulling the pots from the ground and moving them into the basement is a workable option if severe cold threatens. Preparing the lily house is near the top of the list of projects requiring immediate attention.

Don't Know My Eggs From my Aphids

2011-09-02T21:10:00.001-04:00

Almost without notice, our activities have shifted toward getting ready for next year's garden. While clearing out the residue from the second planting of peas, a young milkweed plant was pulled and placed in the weed bucket. A large number of golden eggs caught my eye but I placed the entire plant in the bucket. The chance that I may have inadvertently trashed monarch butterfly eggs haunted me. Monarchs are described as laying their eggs thinly on many different plants. What I saw on the milkweed stem was a large number of eggs. Finally the milkweed stem was removed from the weed bucket and tied to a standing milkweed plant. I had to give the eggs a chance to hatch.

A picture seemed appropriate to record my actions. While taking the picture I had noticed ants working the eggs. I figured that some of the eggs would be eaten by the ants. Examination of the picture revealed that the eggs were actually aphids. The camera sees much more than my old eyes. It plainly shows the length I went to in order to save aphids and ants from the indignity of the compost bucket. We have never claimed to actually know what we are doing.

A Push From Irene?

2011-09-01T10:23:00.000-04:00

We have never done anything to change the plant growth down by the road. It is so wild that Ed is hard to find in this picture. The wildness was mostly on purpose. We liked the idea of having our secret garden hidden at the end of an old farm road. Sumac trees have been growing along the edge of the property line. Not sure of the exact location of the property line, Ed thought the sumac trees would have to go. I was hoping they would get to stay. Irene settled that question for us. Apparently Irene didn't like it that way and the Sumac trees were wind thrown by the storm. The mowed area in the background belongs to our newest neighbors. They actually gave us a bigger push to do something with this area before Irene even got here. Where there used to be an old rusty barbed wire fence, the neighbors want to put in a post and rail fence.

Ed has already been planning and working on this latest project. He has been clearing more of the wild space making it safe to mow. Piling the clippings will kill the plant growth in preparation for spring planting. Ahead of the brown area just behind the beautiful electric pole, (Yes our power is back on today!!!! ) he plans to build a short low stone wall. A low maintenance perennial border will be placed on our side of the fence line. Janet, a friend with years of experience at the NYBG, will help us choose low maintenance plants, and help us plan their spacing and placement.

Since Irene uprooted the trees, it will be easier to clear them away and we will work on that soon!

Irene's Garden Visit

2011-08-31T15:43:00.002-04:00

Irene's visit here was too wet, too windy and entirely too long. We were fortunate, but some of the plants were a bit tangled. Here the golden glows blew down onto the Gloriosa daisies and the anise hyssop.

The buckwheat plants were well stirred.

This Rudabeckia trilobia was really flattened.

The big red hibiscus didn't stand up to the wind. It flattened the flax.

Blown by a strong gust of wind from the north, it toppled onto of the lemon verbena

Ed's tomato bed looked perfectly normal and when we went to bed that night we thought we had been very lucky and that life would be back to normal. Well, we were very lucky! We had no serious damage, but during the night while we were sleeping Irene left us with a not so nice parting gift. When we awoke in the morning we had no power. The Stone Wall Garden is out in the country. We have our own well so without power we have no water.

Ed dragged our 12 year old generator out of its shed and we began our days of trying to keep the food in the freezers from spoiling and pumping just enough water to meet our needs. Things were humming along until the generator wouldn't start . We loaded it into Ed's truck with little hope, but our friends at Norwich Implement said they would try to fix our dinosaur even though old generator parts are impossible to find. Ed backed the truck up to the shop. Four mechanics looked at the generator shaking their heads.'It's old." " It's rusty". were some of the remarks I heard. But one guy said "Maybe you'll be lucky and its just that your balls are stuck!" He went to get a big hammer. He whomped it twice with the hammer and it started on the second pull. That was yesterday and it is still humming today. Today I saw NYSEG and Aspeludh trucks in the neighborhood. At my age I never thought guys in trucks could make my heart beat so fast. It doesn't look like it will happen today, but maybe , maybe tomorrow our power will be back on. I write this now from the library in town. I know one thing I missed the blog!

Really Glad for 46 Years

2011-08-27T12:06:00.000-04:00

Now I ask you , what could make a woman happier than a beautiful bouquet of flowers for her 46th anniversary? These are not flowers from a florist hurriedly purchased at the last minute, but gladiolas that grew from bulbs that Ed planted. He weeded the plants, cut the flowers and arranged them himself. The flowers will last for awhile, but the feelings behind them are forever.

Butteflies, So Relaxing to Watch...

2011-08-24T09:26:00.001-04:00

What could be more relaxing than sitting on the garden bench after spending time working in the garden. Butterflies float from flower to flower. They are so delicate, so restful, unless you have your camera with you. Then the picture changes. As soon as I got up the butterfly headed to the phlox on the other side of the wall. Not to be denied I followed the black swallowtail who now seems to have shifted into overdrive. He flitted from the phlox to the sunflowers to the catch fly to the butterfly bush, and finally to the zinnias. I followed my quarry. Finally I got my picture.

Of course I had to try to take more. What if the focus wasn't perfect. Perhaps I could do better. This picture on the catch fly was my last attempt. That butterfly's wings were moving so fast they are a blur. I got my pictures, but the next time I sit on the bench to watch the butterflies, I'll get a glass of iced tea and leave the camera in the house.

Way Too Much of a Good Thing

2011-08-22T19:31:00.000-04:00

After four years with us, our first Iris ensata needed to be divided. Flowers were few in number this year and the center of the plant featured a hole. At a cooperative extension presentation on propagating perennials, the speaker described needing an axe to divide an Iris ensata. We knew that we needed the big tools. The pry bar and a fulcrum rock lifted the plant easily.

The two spade trick separated the root mass. One spade was solidly stuck in the plant on first division. It was quite a tussle to free the spade. No injury was sustained be either the spade puller nor the plant and the rest of the divisions were made easily.

We stopped at five pieces. New to this process, we have no idea what size pieces are best for replanting. A medium sized piece took the place of the original plant but the question of what to do with the remaining plant material needed an answer. Going commercial was out of the question as was junking these beautiful plants. The four remaining plants were taken back to the pond. There we are trying to replace the goldenrod with some of our favorite plants. These iris look tough enough to take on the goldenrod.

The surplus issue still looms. Here are the iris that grew from seed collected last summer. These plants will likely winter over where they are presently growing but a more permanent solution must soon be found. Perhaps with more experience we will be able to cast off surplus plants without giving them a second thought. For now we are beginning to sink under the weight of all of these new plants.

Planting Serendipity

2011-08-22T08:33:00.000-04:00

This beautiful fragrant day lily is 'Princton Silky'. It was described as a mid to late bloomer. Most of our day lilies finished blooming weeks ago, but this is the first flower for this first year plant. It is fragrant, and gorgeous like its catalog photograph.

We planted it next to the 'Stardust' chrysanthemums and are quite delighted with the color combination. It's like going out somewhere special having your dress match your shoes. This rarely happens to us and I'm sure it's serendipity or just plain luck. I wonder if there is even a small chance the this day lily, once established, will bloom late enough to be seen with the mums. Even if it never happen again, it certainly added a smile to the gardeners' faces this year!

Arbutus In August

2011-08-20T13:03:00.000-04:00

Since moving these arbutus, Epigea repens, earlier this year, daily maintenance has been done. A sprinkler can of water was applied every rainless day. Weeds have been pulled as they first appeared. Two violet plants escaped weeding because they resembled arbutus leaves. Reason replaced wishing and the violets were removed. As is so often the case, the violet was growing right in the crown of the desired plant. Both violets were removed with no apparent damage to the arbutus. The flowers on these violets are a bright light purple and these weeds were moved to another place where we hope they grow.

We had read that arbutus forms flower buds in the fall and carries them through the winter. It is still summer but there are numerous plant signs that fall is here early this year. Several clusters of buds were spotted giving us strong hope that we will have arbutus flowers early next spring. Our apparent success with transplanting these notoriously difficult plants is due in part to the fact that we found small plants growing well away from other larger arbutus. We were able to lever out these remote plants with their entire root mass intact. There was no root connection to the larger clumps. We plan to try for more next spring if we can secure the landowner's permission.

Failure comes close by success. Rain knocked this arbutus cutting out of the soil. There is no root development at the wound site. How this leaf has supplied itself with water and nutrients is a mystery to me. With no roots nor crown this plant will be dead at snow melt. Other cuttings remained in the ground after the storm so we do not know if all of the cuttings are rootless. Soon they will be uprooted to see if there is any point in potting any of them up in preparation for winter. We plan to try taking cuttings again next year. Sand will be added to our soil mix to provide some drainage. Perhaps if the moisture is harder to come by, the cuttings will send out some roots.

After the Chase, a Perfect Pose

2011-08-19T23:16:00.000-04:00

It was a beautiful cool evening, just perfect for a walk around the garden. This female humming bird darted from flower to flower on the trumpet vine daring Amy to take her picture. She buzzed and hummed alluringly, then another hummingbird swooped in and the two flew high into the air at top speed. They zipped around the garden, but Amy was patient and it paid when the female stopped to perch. There are still flowers for the hummers in the garden, but the cool weather tonight is a reminder that soon they will be speeding south instead of humming around here.

Dew Drops in the Garden

2011-08-17T13:26:00.000-04:00

With the valley fog this morning, the garden was wet with dew. A spider web in the lemon lilies caught my eye. Without the drops of dew it would be nearly invisible.

The dew on the balloon flower bud reminds me of a tiny blue umbrella caught out in the rain.

This dewy fragrant gladiola looks especially lovely this morning. Ed potted up the bulbs to give them an early start and then transplanted them in the garden. I love the look and delicate fragrance of this plant If we just plant them out here they frequently flower so late we don't get to enjoy them. We will dig the bulbs after frost and store them in the basement. Ed will pot them up early in the spring. This plant is totally worth the trouble!

She Could Be Charlotte, But We Call Her Marge

2011-08-14T12:26:00.000-04:00

Yesterday we discovered an old friend living on a lavender plant. It's not that we are fond of spiders, but this one's markings are unique. That must be a portrait of TV character Marge Simpson on the spiders back. Arigope aurantia is the proper name of this creature but for us it is a Marge Simpson spider. I believe that this one still has some growing to do. We have seen much larger specimens later in the fall.

A picture of the underside reveals the spider's dental equipment. Two large fangs are ready to seize and hold prey. We have read that this spider eats its web every night spinning a new one each morning. It is not our habit to go out peering about after dark with a flashlight searching for spiders so no verification of the web eating habit will be forthcoming here. The zipper in the web is another special feature of this spider.

Several years 's ago we found an Arigope aurantia living in the tall weeds that always seem to border our garden. A description of the insect was shared with a science teacher. He was killing and mounting bugs at the time and was interested in adding this spider to his collection. Armed with an old mayonnaise jar, he surveyed his prey from a safe distance. Both the size and color of the spider prompted a comment. Screwing up all of his courage, Mr. Science moved on the spider. In a flash the spider dropped safely to the ground and the teacher flew from the tall weeds. It is amazing how far a man can move without touching the ground given sufficient motivation. This spider is safe. We will move through the garden respecting its present home. A sweet scented lavender plant is such a nice place to raise a family.

Pull Some Anthers

2011-08-13T13:03:00.000-04:00

I really have to marvel at the size, number, and beauty of the Simplon lilies this year. Standing taller than me, 5' 4", and with stems more than an inch thick, they are a sight to behold. Ed has been carefully removing the anthers keeping the fragrant white flowers pristine and pure. Since we have no plans to grow lilies from seed there's no reason not to have the blooms the way Ed prefers them. The bees can find pollen elsewhere. Two daughter plants are growing near the base of these giants. We will likely lift the new bulbs this fall. Given the size of the parent plants, we will have to find a way to provide frost protection where they are. Perhaps I can stitch a custom tarp that will ease right down over the wire cage.

There's no need to remove the anthers on the Stargazer lily. With all that bright pink color and all those spots a little pollen would never be noticed here. These lilies also possess a wonderful fragrance. It's nice to have blossoms from this one. Cold has nipped Stargazer in the bud for several years in a row.

These Turk's cap lilies were a gift from Janet and Jane. I'm not sure how many years they have been in our garden, but up till now we have never had flowers. One year an orphaned fawn bit off the bud cluster then spat it on the ground. Other years the lilies were content to produce black bulbils. I just love the way the flower petals curl back and let it all hang out. Pollen would have to go against gravity to fall on these petals. Blooming beautifully like this for days, these lilies have been a real treat, definitely worth the wait. These three mark the end of our lily season. All things considered, we have had a great lily display.

Valley Fog Revisited

2011-08-12T08:15:00.000-04:00

Overnight the temperature dropped 30 degrees from yesterday afternoon's high. The air could no longer carry its humid moisture load so valley fog formed. We live in the north south valley of the Unadilla River. Close to us is an east west section of the Susquehanna River. In the above photo, the two distant puddles of fog are in the Susquehanna Valley. Most of modern man's marks on the land are in the bottom of the valleys. If you look past the paved road in the foreground and the farmer's field, what you see is this valley as it was when the Native Americans lived here.

Close to the left center of this picture, a near ridge is peeking out of the fog. Stone Wall Garden is located deep in the valley between that ridge and the long distant ridge. Our valley is so deep that we cannot see the location from which this picture was taken. Fog brings into sharp focus the actual lay of the land.

Here we are dropping back into the river valley. Fog is all around us. The woods are dark and the road is wet. Soon all of the fog will have burned off and we will have a clear blue sky day to enjoy. For now both our shoes and socks are wet from walking on the wet grass.