I can't keep up

It has been almost a month since I last posted. Not a lot worth noting happens in the yard in August - bean picking, a bit of watering, mowing - but by September things are starting to fade, including me. Already I can feel myself shifting to indoor hobbies.

The rudbeckia is just about finished for the season.

The heads on the hydrangea are so HUGE this year, they droop.

'Limelight'

The Rose of Sharon is the last to bloom in the spring and one of the last to stop in the fall.

Hibiscus syriacus 'Aphrodite'

I was afraid I had inadvertently pulled up all the volunteer goldenrod, but some persists.

The marigolds are putting on a late show.

Zinnias are one flower you can depend on, all summer long.

'Red Scarlet'

The sunflowers are at various stages, from bloom to droop.

Despite the dogs rampaging through the south bed, some asters are still standing.

This sweet alyssum made a late showing, to provide a lovely contrast to the coleus.

Sedum is another dependable provider of fall color.

'Autumn Joy'

I added some anonymous hardy mums to the big pots. If I had realized how low they would sit, I would have left them in their pots.

The dahlias, planted as a source of dye, continue to pop out one or two blossoms at a time.

'Black Satin'

It's almost time for fall cleanup. It's also almost time for a post mortem, to rehash what went right and what went wrong this year. I'll wait a few months before starting to plan for next year, as that's a good mid-winter project.

Newbies (and some controversy)

This year I have been surprisingly resistant to making purchases for the yard and garden beyond bales of peat, bags of compost, and a bit of this and that. However, there were a few holes to fill, so some plants followed me home the other day. (Sorry for the quality of the photos - the light was not ideal.)

I am crazy for Coreopsis, but most cultivars crap out after a couple of years, so I have been replacing them with other loves. Somewhere along the line, the Penstemon disappeared from the yard, so I added some into the bed by the front walk, to fill the spots absented by some Coreopsis. This variety is 'Red Riding Hood', purchased at Arbor Farms. I hope the hummingbirds like it.

I am also a sucker for Sedum. While visiting a new-to-me nursery north of Auburn (Garden Gate), I saw some new-to-me Stonecrop, 'Blue Spruce'. Thinking I had no room for it, I passed, only to succumb when I saw it later at Home Depot. It too is now in the front bed.

I have also added some calendula and white alyssum, with the hopes they will self-seed next year. At any rate, I think this bed now is as full as it can be (until something else dies off).

Another full bed is the hosta bed on the north side of the garage. That did not stop me from picking up another Heuchera, this one 'Zipper', to contrast with the darker two in this bed.

I'd also like to add something tall, maybe Ostrich Fern, maybe even replacing the hostas in the back as they are an older variety that is susceptible to slug damage, but that idea will have to wait for another year.

No photos, but I added three Purple Coneflower plants to the south side of the house, all 'Magnus'. This is the bed that contains the Catmint that is spreading every which way. Maybe if I fence it in, it will stay put?

When I started seeds for the vegetable garden this year, I aimed to produce the exact number of plants needed. Unfortunately, this did not allow for the fact that some transplants would not survive. Something has eliminated a few marigolds and 'Roma' tomato plants, so I purchased replacements.

Now for a controversial topic: Neonicotinoids. Some of the plants I purchased from Home Depot came with the following tags, tags I noticed only after I pulled the plants from their pots for transplanting.

My first inclination was to return the plants to the store. But after reading HD's policy online (their suppliers must include these tags for plants that have been treated), I realized that while I now *know* these plants had been treated, I have no idea if any of the other plants I have purchased now or in the past from wherever have also been treated. I could ask, but I would be surprised if many of the local nurseries even know whether their suppliers use Neonicotinoids. And if they do know and the answer is yes, do I stop buying from them even though they are local businesses, which I try to support? It's a bit of a quandary. What would YOU do in my place?

Signs of September

The impatiens on the front porch finally look lush.



The red sedum is starting to blush.



The berries on the cotoneasters are fat and juicy.



Nothing says autumn like chrysanthemums!



The late blooming hostas are blooming lately.



Pokeberries!



Starting to put the garden to bed for the winter.



Fall planting of snap peas.



The marigolds have recovered from August.



Serrano peppers looking hot!



Sky candy.



The coneflowers have gone to seed.



What does September look like where you are?

Inside out(side)

First, the floor is done.



I forgot to take a "before" picture, but basically what was there was neutral wall-to-wall carpeting. My daughter and I were concerned that the fireplace would clash, but decided it is okay. Daughter is also trying to persuade me to get a round table for the room, one about the size of that there card table. I'm seriously weighing that idea.



Meanwhile, I now have an acre of Durastone to mop.

The story with the upside down tomatoes is, one had a broken stem, which is why it looked parched even though it was supposedly well watered. I broke it off completely, stripped the lower leaves, and stuck it into a pot to see if it will take root and recover. I have not had this problem before, but it only makes sense because, even though the plants are upside down, they are trying to grow rightside up.

The heat and humidity have done in some of the bloomers - the clematis by the front door dropped its petals faster than a streaker in January - while forcing others out of their buds.

Dragon's Blood sedum:



It never looks as good as the photos in the catalogs, but it does well in dry conditions.

A red lily of some variety:



This one does not last long once it blooms.

Shasta daisy:



I finally figured out that deadheading this plant severely limits how well it comes back the following year. I thought it regrew from the roots, but actually it reseeds itself.

Some yellow daylily that was part of a collection:



I keep meaning to do something new with all the different lilies and daylilies I have scattered around the yard, but have yet to get around to it. It's not like they are going anywhere.

This is a small-flowered clematis - I can't find its name right now - that I think blooms most of the summer.



It has been moved and abused so often I'm surprised it is still alive, let alone blooming.

No vegetable garden is complete without marigolds:



Usually I select a mahogany-colored variety, but now I'm favoring orange.

This hosta gets a lot of sun, but doesn't seem to mind:



Behind it are Stella d' Oro daylilies.

I know the name of this tickseed:



Coreoptis Grandiflora 'Early Sunrise'.

And, now that the privet is done blooming, the volunteer milkweeds are serving as aromatic replacements:



Every year I let a few of these go, and sometimes monarchs visit, but I never find any eggs, let alone caterpillars, on the plants. Maybe this year.

I keep trying to capture just how lovely the barberry looks with its new growth. This is the best I can do.



It's even better in real life. Trust me.

And because no entry this year would be complete without a bunny pic:

I Have a Theory

While rambling about the yard, I have frequently noticed that the local fauna seem to prefer weeds to our precious cultivars. Here is some evidence:



Notice the Japanese beetle damage on the weed. The tiger lily leaves remain unscathed. I've seen rabbits munching contentedly on the white clover and dandelion stems in the lawn. Today I tried (unsuccessfully) to snap a pic of a butterfly that was enjoying the nettles growing right next to the 3B garden where there are daisies, yarrow, bee balm, coneflower, etc.

My theory is that monoculture and weed-free gardens invite trouble and disappointment. If the Japanese beetles have no weeds, they will eat your roses. If the rabbits have no clover or dandelions, they will eat your lettuce. And the best way to attract butterflies is with native species. If I had more room and more time, I would conduct some quasi-scientific experiments to test my theory out. In the meantime, I'll not stress about weeding.

We are enjoying a third day (in a row!) of lovely weather. While poking around in the front yard, I spotted my neighbor. We exchanged the usual pleasantries about the weather, to which he addended, "We need to find something more fun to do besides yard work!" Huh? Oh. That's right. Most people don't like yard work. Oh, well.

At that moment, I was digging up the blueberry at the corner of the house. This is the third year for this little guy, and he continues to just sit there. Doesn't die. Doesn't grow. Just sits there. I planted some forget-me-nots nearby last year, and they just sat there, too. So today I moved the blueberry to a pot where I can give it more individual attention.



In its place went purple fountain grass, surrounded by marigolds. Maybe they will like this location better than the blueberry did.



Most plants from a nursery arrive with their Latin name. Not these marigolds. They are just plain old yellow marigolds. The purple fountain grass is Pennisetum setaceum 'Rubrum'. I wonder how you pronounce that?



When it comes to fungi, the only mushrooms I can recognise with any confidence are morels. But I know these are not flowers.



This year a small cluster of these have periodically appeared near my back door. Blue-gray, about the size of an aster blossom. Easy to miss.

Not so easy to miss (but hard to see in this photo) are the dry leaf tips on my lace leaf Japanese maple.



These things need a lot of water. The more the leaves are cut, the more water. My dad leaves his hose trickling on his all the time. I'm not so willing to run water like that, but I have been trying to remember to soak it everyday.

Now, tell me my dog is not spoiled. She has graduated from Rimadyl to prednisone for her back. I live in a ranch, but getting outside requires a big step. Instead of trying to lift her up and down (which I think was making her back worse and mine questionable), I made an extra step to ease her way.



Say thank you, Betsy!