One Bed Ready

It appears that we plan to garden here next year.  Some areas are not in horrible shape while others are nightmares.  The weed-free perfect looking bed  was a horrible mess just a few days ago.  Serious weed removal was followed by an application of screened aged Black Angus manure.  Well aged compost from the garden by the woods completed our preparation.  Soil near the woods contains a decent amount of clay so this compost will improve moisture retention here.  Of course several years of continued application would be needed to make a difference but all we can do is try now.

The iris at bed's end are a family treasure.  Becky's maternal grandmother grew these at her home in Gatchellville, Pa.  Every time Becky's mother moved, these plants went with her.  Time in Pennsylvania was followed by living in Georgia then New York.  The pictured plants were divided and replanted this summer.  They have sent out healthy new growth so we expect to see impressive flowers come summer.

This bed clearly needs attention.  Stone paths between planting beds clean up quickly but the beds will take longer.  Next year's growth will include many weeds since these were allowed to go to seed.  I can no longer work outside in the heat so little time was spent in the garden.  Recent temperatures have been more reasonable so time working in the garden is now possible.  Perhaps we will check back after this bed has received some attention.

On occasion help comes from unexpected sources.  This in-the-ground bee's nest is directly adjacent to where I mow but the bees' presence remained a secret.  The digging was done by a skunk in search of what must have been a tasty meal.  How they endure the stinging bees while eating both bees and their honey is completely unimaginable.  Some bees remained but they were in no mood to attack me when these pictures were snapped.  Sifting this compost will definitely wait for another day.  Hopefully I will remember then that bees may still live here.

  

This self planted Grandpa Ott's morning glory is beyond impressive.  The center of that flower looks like it contains an electric light.  We have grown this aggressive weed for years but these are self planted in a rich garden bed.  Never before have we seen such large flowers and leaves.  Our weed will hold this ground until frost ends its growth.  Here again the dropped seed load will be huge but if caught early new plants are easily removed.
 

Thyme For Hard Frost

Jack Frost was back this morning and this time his icy breath was a killer!  When I first awoke and looked out the window the world outside was white.  It was still dark, so I snuggled back under the covers but I knew what would be waiting in the garden when it was daylight.  The frosted thyme on the patio at the west end of the house resembled silver edge thyme.  It looked quite beautiful.

Red creeping thyme was originally planted here.  Thyme that grows wild has mixed with it and I have given up trying to weed thyme from the thyme.  Both plants are extremely tough and went right back to green when the frost was gone.

At first glance the basil planted right outside my kitchen door doesn't look so bad.  It has the same silver edges as the thyme.  A closer look shows more.   Basil is tender and with the temperature below freezing,  Jack's icy frozen breath was the kiss of death!

When the sun hit this plant the frosted cells in the leaves exploded and turned to slime.  It was great to have fresh basil this late, but it's all over now.  Only the clean-up remains.

A close look at this Grandpa Ott morning glory leaf shows Jack's icy breath on the entire leaf.  It's location on top of the porch railing did not protect it.

This plant looks a little better than the basil, but it is just as dead.  Next year basil will be back because we will plant it.   Grandpa Ott seeds unfazed by the cold will return when the ground warms.   I still love a four season garden.  You need and end to have that wonderful new beginning!

An October Walk In The Garden, Photos By Amy

The garden is winding down, but yesterday was a beautiful autumn day.  I watched two Monarch butterflies sail past me, flying over the roof of the house heading south.  Amy and I took advantage of the beautiful day to walk around in the garden and I gave her the camera as I often do.  Here are some of the things she saw.  An American copper  butterfly  could still find a Clara Curtis mum to drink a little nectar.

The summer sweet has turned a brilliant yellow.  A Grandpa Ott morning glory  is wound around its branches. The colors are gorgeous.  I never thought morning glories would winter over here. This one self seeds with abandon!  This clinging vine no matter how lovely has nearly achieved weed status!

The shapes, colors and textures of the top of Ed's stone wall make an interesting picture.  All too soon the plants will fade into the background and the walls will be the dominant feature in our garden.

It was surprising to see this woolly bear caterpillar atop a Chinese forget-me-not plant.  I wonder if those sticky seed pods will stick to him like they do to me?  These rust and black caterpillars bring back fond childhood memories for all of us.  It's always a delight to catch sight of one and this fall there have been many.

This spring the toad lily got frosted hard. I really wondered if it would be back, but here it is blooming in October.  It's flowers may be small, but they make up for it with their intricate pattern and lovely colors so perfect for a close up!

A stroll over to the hazelnut bush caused me to squeal with delight and surprise.  In all the years since we planted the hazelnuts we have picked at most 5  tiny nuts.  This year the bush is  covered with the intriguing papery husks that contain the hazelnuts inside.  You can see next year's catkins are already in place.

We got a basket and picked the nuts that we could easily reach. There are even more still on the bush.

It was wonderful fun to harvest this unexpected treasure.  Beautiful weather, flowers, stones, butterflies, fall colors and hazelnuts.  Who could ask for more than that!

A Few More Flowers and So Many Seeds

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! "