What's it good for - ninebark

Ninebark (Physocarpus opulifolius) is a suckering shrub native to North America. It's easy to grow and maintain, produces pollinator-attracting flowers in the spring that give way to "inflated seed capsules" that many birds feed on. The mature branches exfoliate to reveal several layers of inner bark (hence the name); birds use strips of bark for nests. So it is not a useless beauty.

Except for mine.

While doing some research for this post, I discovered that while the cultivars of ninebark don't sucker as much as the straight species, they are not very hardy, nor are they as beneficial to wildlife. Oops!

I have tried my luck with 'Amber Jubilee' which has been mostly a failure (despite descriptions that say it should be easy to grow); there is still one standing (a replacement that didn't quite look like the others), but it looks a bit peaked. This past spring I replaced a couple of dead 'Amber Jubilee' specimens with 'Ginger Wine'; they are doing well... so far.

I chose ninebark primarily for its foliage, but 'Ginger Wine' also has better disease resistance. Maybe I will get lucky with its longevity. If those two shrubs are still thriving next spring, I may replace the sad-looking 'Amber Jubilee' with a third 'Ginger Wine'.

Going forward, I will have to pay attention to whether my ninebarks' blossoms attract pollinators, whether the birds eat the seeds, and whether the birds use the bark for nesting material. Sounds like an excuse to just sit and stare at some attractive bushes in the yard.

'Amber Jubilee' ninebark, spring

'Amber Jubilee' ninebark, blossoms

'Ginger Wine' ninebark, blossoms

'Ginger Wine' ninebark, spring

'Ginger Wine' ninebark, autumn

Frost on the rooftops

Looking back on previous October blog posts, I see why it seems like autumn events feel delayed - it is because they ARE! The leaves on trees don't seem to be turning but just drying up and dropping. Even my oak tree that usually clings tenaciously to its leaves until spring has dropped most its leaves. WTH?

Sometimes I get so busy with yard and garden maintenance that I forget to actually *look* at what is growing. Today I strolled around the yard, observing mostly how the weeds are winning again (still?) The new 'Fluffly' western arborvitae is looking good, though, better than its predecessor.

We've had a couple of frosty nights - not enough to damage the tomato plant but frost nonetheless - so maybe the plants will get the hint and act like the end is near.

The frost ain't on the pumpkin

The weather continues to confound. Here it is, almost halfway through October, and we are having 80+ degree days. The leaves on trees are just beginning to turn. One neighborhood I walk the dog through has iris blooming and a tree of some sort blossoming. Crazy.

It's been dry, so we took advantage of the weather and went for a walk in the woods. I like to look for mushrooms this time of year, not to pick but to admire. We spotted the usual culprits, but then near the end of our little hike we found these clusters of Jack o' Lantern mushrooms at the base of dead trees.

They are good for dyeing yarn, but I didn't pick any. For one thing, we were in a nature preserve where one takes only memories (and photographs). For another, these are highly poisonous and should be handled only with gloved hands.

I've been so busy lately that about the only thing I have done outside is mow. Hummingbirds still visit the pineapple sage, while bluebirds feast on the Virginia creeper berries. The seasons do change, just not as fast as they used to.

Soggy

We received more rain this week. Despite the rain garden, the backyard gets soggy, too soggy to comfortably mow. I'll give it a go tomorrow. Maybe. And/or mulch some more.

I've learned to not plant anything in the fall, as by now I'm losing interest in the yard and garden. So I'm happy to see the spring-planted annual pineapple sage start blooming in September. It's amazing how large it gets. The one on the left has a six-foot span, the one on the right is about four feet wide. (Dog for comparison.)

The goldenrod on the south side of the house is about done, while the shorter one on the north side is peaking. The insects *love* it. My SO dug up a clump of it for his yard and is having a similar experience.

The yellow jackets are loving my compost pile. Clio the dog sometimes sits out there, snapping at the flying insects. She has been stung before, but doesn't learn her lesson. I, on the other hand, know to add to the pile early in the day, before the activity starts. Yellow jackets get testy as their food sources die off in the fall.

(These posts get rather boring this time of year, but I don't want to get out of the habit of writing. So please bear with me as we enter the dormant season. Thanks!)