Sunday, September 28, 2014

still going.....

here we are at nearly the first of October, and the garden is still going......
The clearance options are fizzling out a bit though. I did manage to find a couple this week from a nursery that is closing for the season.....Coming home with me, a little hosta called "mouse ears", two white gaura, a couple of half price hostas, and an anemone.

I also scored some 25cent irises at the farmers market, as well as some Jerusalem artichokes to plant for next year.

Next week, the garlic goes in, as well as nearly 300 daffodils and whatever else is out there hiding in the garage.





Sunday, September 21, 2014

takes a lickin' and......

you know the rest.

We seem to be through most of the hot weather, at least after today. The garden is looking a bit worse for the wear. I just got tired of constantly watering. A couple of things gave up, but not much, and they'll be just fine next year.

Some of the daylilies are still going strong. Gotta love those daylilies!


Up to this point, the focus on the garden has been filling the space. The goal for next year is to re-arrange where necessary and really focus on fragrance and re-bloomers. Both the daylilies and the iris have re bloomers in their ranks (these are some of the daylilies), and they really do extend the season.

 
I also got tired of the icky looking squash vines (they all had powdery mildew), so yesterday I decided to harvest the bulk of the squash and pumpkins. I'd have to say the acorns were quite successful this year, and the bon bons were right behind. There were only 2 spaghetti's, and I'll be hoarding those, thankyouverymuch.
 
 
There's still some pumpkins out there. I'll give them another week or two, but some of them are pretty good size right now.

 
 
Next year, I'll try to get these guys up off the ground for better air flow, and hopefully the mildew won't take over.....Same with the tomatoes. Although we have a bumper crop, it could be better if they were supported better. The slugs would leave them alone, and the rain wouldn't affect them so much....live and learn.
 

Sunday, September 14, 2014

ok, really, we're ready for fall

It was nice when it rained for a day, it really was, but now the weather is back to nearly 90 degrees again, and that's just not making the garden happy. I thought I was done with watering......

This week, not much on the clearance front....a nice rudebeckia from home depot and a corepsis and a pineapple lily from the clearance rack at safeway. I did get a couple of packages of daffs (too early to plant), and some more iris from someone who was giving away some named varieties for just the cost of shipping. I can hardly wait until next spring to see what the iris row looks like!

I'm working on saving a bunch of seeds, too. Some sunflowers and some of the coneflowers, not to mention the poppies. 

Some pics from the garden.....
nicotiana "chocolate smoke".
 
colchium (I think giganteum)
 
An artichoke that went to bloom.....

and the bananas are going crazy!
 
I SO want one to bloom......maybe next year...

So, onward and upward....Already making a wish list for next year and a project list for the winter. We'll just see how that goes!

Sunday, September 7, 2014

slim pickin's this week

Yes, it's getting to be fall. The bulbs are coming out and the nurseries are getting empty, even though the weather is still 80 degrees.

This week, we built a fence.......no, it won't stop the deer, but we hope it'll at least make them have to think. See, the problem is not  only that the eat everything, but also that whatever they don't eat, they step on. It's an exercise in frustration.

so, we put up this fence with the idea of re-routing them a bit. They won't jump where they can't land easily, so they'll at least have to walk around. If it works, maybe we'll continue it across the front, although I kind of like it open, like it is now.

In the clearance rack......3 nice pink Echinacea from lowes, another Echinacea, coconut lime (been looking for this one), and a huchera, snow angel, for the white garden. I also scored a couple more $3 daylilies (they're a mystery), and a crocrosmia Limpopo for the back garden. Another bag of Costco bulbs came home, (some drumstick alliums this time), and some fancy daffs, again from lowes.



I'm also waiting for some fall bulb orders to arrive, some placed last spring. The discount was just too much to resist.

This week, some maintenance, a trip to bloomin' bingo and the market, and who knows?


Also starting on the wishlist for next year....it will definitely include more cosmos.

And you just can't have too many irises.....