Weekend at the Farm December 11 - 14, 2014

This is Archduke Charles rose, one of my newest.  It starts out as a pink blend, light pink centers and dark pink outer petals, then it darkens to red.

Took Thursday and Friday as vacation.  Arrived Thursday afternoon.

• Spent some time shredding leaves on Thursday afternoon.  I put some of them in the front beds where I planted the Ox Eyes last weekend.  I put the rest in the compost pile.
• Thursday I raked pine straw into piles on the trail next to the Long Border.
• Friday morning I raked pine straw on the trails and piled it into the cub. 
• I spent most of Friday morning cleaning out the flowerbed next to the house - pulled up Four O'Clocks that died from the cold, pulled weeds, repaired a spot where the dogs dig, and covered the area with pine straw.
• Raked leaves in the Star Garden Friday morning as well.  Piled most of them around the trees that are outside of the landscaped part of the side yard.  I don't like to get rid of leaves or burn them because they break down and help improved the soil. My husband likes to burn them, says they look messy.  Yes, they can look messy, but that's why I moved out to the middle of nowhere with no neighbors!  I can do what makes sense in my yard, not what looks right in my yard.
• Cleaned out the bed where the Pink Vitex is growing and mulched with pine straw.
• Vacuumed the whole house.
• Weeded, weeded, weeded.
• There are seedlings everywhere, spring should be beautiful.  
• Friday evening I turned over the soil in the lower section of the back flowerbed and surrounded the perennials with leaf mulch.  I will seed that bed with some of the remaining wildflower seeds I have.
• Went to JW's for dinner.
• Saturday morning up early.  Spread seed in the back bed.
• Raked and shredded leaves for a long while.  Turned off the machine to eat lunch and couldn't get it started again.  Boo.
• Started creating another path in Max's Garden.
• It was a warm day so I decided to spray herbicide, you never know how many more warm days we will have and herbicide doesn't work in cold weather.   Sprayed in the Rose Garden, the Orchard, the Star Garden, and the driveway.  
• I spent some time making paths in Max's Garden.  All the soil I shoveled out of the paths, I moved to some flowerbeds that my husband lined with cedar last summer. 
• Raked in the Vegetable Garden for a while Saturday evening.
• Sunday morning I shredded leaves.  I quit when it shut off due to a stick that got wedged in between the blade and the side of the machine.  I might pick it up later.  I got three, maybe four, truckloads dumped into the compost pile before I quit.
• My husband made another flowerbed space for me with cedar logs because I am working on breaking up a huge flowerbed in Max's Garden, and I need some place to put the soil.  As I create paths in this raised flowerbed I end up with a lot of good soil. 
• Dug dirt for a long time.  Dumped it in the beds I'm building. Hard work.  Made several new paths and transplanted several Autumn Sage and a Pink Muhly that were in the way.
• Fertilized the plants in the Vegetable Garden - celery, onions, garlic, broccoli, mustard, arugula, calendulas.
• Worked in the Vegetable Garden for a long time.  I moved all the tomato cages and stakes so I could rake behind them.  I cut back all the asparagus, spread fertilizer, and covered the beds with leaf mulch.  I had a lot of weeding to do in the big asparagus bed.  I really let that get away from me this summer.  I moved a half dozen Goldsturm Rudbeckia that had sprung up uninvited in the asparagus bed and moved them to the front flower bed.  Also fertilized the garlic and onions and mulched them.  I moved some Purple Phacelia that sprang up on its own in the Vegetable Garden last spring.  It was such a pretty plant, very low-growing (sprawling) pretty leaves, and very pretty little purple and white flowers that I didn't pull it up, I let it go to seed.  When autumn got here it was popping up everywhere!  So I dug a bunch of clumps up and moved them to various places in the Star Garden.  Hopefully they will survive their rough treatment - I find wild flowers do not tend to transplant well.
• Watered all the Ox Eyes I moved last weekend.
• Whew! I earned my keep this trip! Sunday evening - I'm beat. 

White By The Gate Camellia Blooms December 13, 2014

These flowers are so gorgeous!  They are the purest, most pristine white flowers - I am transfixed by their loveliness.

Before and After December 12, 2014

I cleaned out the flowerbed next to the house on Friday morning.  I pulled up all the Four O'Clocks that died back from the cold, pulled weeds, repaired an area that the dogs dig around in, and covered the whole area with pine straw that I raked up yesterday and early Friday morning.

Day at the Farm December 7, 2014

 This is White By The Gate camellia.

This is Debutante camellia.

My mother in law went into the hospital the day we returned from Disney World.  She died on Wednesday, December 3.  She will be greatly missed.  She was a Christian Scientist, so we only had a small service for her at our home.  Family on both sides were in attendance. 

• We drove to Burton on Saturday evening, we hadn't been there in two weeks.  All the leaves have fallen, the trees are bare.
• I shredded leaves on Sunday morning and filled the back of the cub cadet with the leaves.  I mulched with the shreds in the Rose Garden.
• The shredder stopped running after that.  We weren't able to get it started.  And all of a sudden it has a gasoline leak.  We loaded in on the trailer to haul it into the shop on Monday.  No more shredding for the rest of the day.
• I drove over to one of the trails we lined with left over rocks from the house construction.  I picked them up and loaded them on the cub cadet.  I used them to line the flowerbeds at the front of the house. 
• I spent a lot of time digging up Ox Eye Daisies in the Rose Garden paths and planted them in the front flower beds.  It should be pretty in the spring, and since they remain green all year long, it will be an improvement in those beds.
• I started the project of breaking the large flowerbed in Max's Garden into smaller sections with paths.  I dug a path, and I used the soil to fill in a bed that my husband outlined with cedar last summer.  It remained empty all summer, I never filled it with soil.  Finally finished it!  And I planted three clumps of Ox Eye Daisies on one side of it.  Not sure what else I will put in it, but I'm considering red Firespike.  I have pink Firespike in the Shade Garden that I grew from cuttings that I took from my Houston Garden.  I also have the red variety growing in my Houston garden, so I could get some cuttings from it.  That is a cheap option.

Day at the Farm November 23, 2014

 This is my Yuletide Camellia.  I have two of them, growing on either side of the faux door of the greenhouse.  Very pretty.  They are not prolific bloomers, particularly the one on the left, they probably need a little more indirect light than they are receiving.  I'm pretty good about fertilization, so I'm not sure about why they don't bloom more.  I also have a couple of White By The Gate Camellias and one Debutante Camellia. 

Came up on Sunday morning.  Saturday evening we went to Josh and Amy's house to meet my future in laws and her brother Eric.  Mom, Dad, Mark, and Jere were there as well.  Very nice evening and lovely meal.  Her folks are very nice people.

• Bought a set of red onions and some sweet pea seeds at a nursery near the house in Houston.  
• Turned over one of the beds in the Vegetable Garden, added some fertilizer, and planted the onions.
• Soaked the sweet peas and planted some of them in the barrel that I planted the lily bulbs in last week.  That's probably not a good idea, but I did it anyway.
• Planted the rest of them on a trellis in the Star Garden near the path so the wonderful scent can be enjoyed close up.  Surrounded the trellis with chicken wire - rabbits love sweet pea seedlings.
• I decided to surround the Orchard with chicken wire because I can't abide the rabbit activity down there.  They ate all my fall green beans, and I've had it with the little bastards.  I bought an electric staple gun  on Saturday, dragged the extension cord all the way down the hill and started stapling the chicken wire to the back side of the fence.  I used most of the chicken wire I had on hand.  Due to the length of the extension cord, the stapler's power was not 100%.  There is something wrong with the outlet down by the pool so I had to use one of the outlets at the back porch.  Not sure what to do about that, need to get an electrician out here I guess.  I got one side of the Orchard finished today.  I can't reach the back fence with the amount of extension cord I have, but if I use more extension cord the power of the stapler gets even weaker.  Conundrum.
• Raked pine straw that was on one of the trails and mulched my Lady Banks rose, under the butterfly bush, and under the Harlequin Glorybower.
• Spread grass clippings around my Sassafrass tree.  The crinums I got from Janine, which are planted next the tree, are really spreading.  There are half a dozen tiny ones coming up.
• It was a beautiful day - sunny and cool.  Such a great day. 
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Weekend at the Farm Nov 14 - 16, 2014

 We finally broke into the mead that my son and I made.  It has a lovely, floral bouquet, and it tastes pretty darn good (an acquired taste I'll admit, but not bad).  Pretty high alcohol content, too.  Making mead was a fun experiment, and a great memory with my son, Josh.

Took Friday as vacation and drove to the farm on Thursday evening after work.   Cold and rainy most of the weekend.

• It dipped below freezing Friday night and all the tender morning glory vines froze.  That's okay, it was just a matter of time.  I would have been dismayed if I was having the whole family over for Thanksgiving, but this year we will all be in Disney World.
• Friday morning I turned over the soil in the last two sections of the Long Border, pulled weeds, pulled up zinnias and perennial ageratum, and sowed almost all of the last of the wildflower seeds - mostly poppies.  I saved back some of the seeds to fill in empty spots.
• I dug up Ox Eye Daisies in the paths of the Rose Garden and transplanted them in several spots of the Long Border.
• I will move some more Ox Eyes tomorrow.  I need to move some into the Circle Drive flower beds.  Amy and Josh are thinking about getting married there with the guests in the driveway facing the wooded area we recently cleared.  That's fine, but in the early spring there is nothing growing in those beds.  The gingers break dormancy after the wedding has come and gone. And all the bulbs in those beds are fall bloomers.
• I collected lots of Hyacinth Bean pods from the trellis in the Long Border and put them in the house to dry out.
• Raked up some pine straw and mulched one of the Madame Antoine Mari roses in the Long Border.
• I received a few bulbs that I ordered from Old House Gardens - Double Tiger Lilies and Freesias.  I planted them in a plastic tub that I got from Albert Meyers (his cow feed gets delivered in them) and filled with potting soil.
• My husband rented a log splitter on Friday, and I helped him split the logs that he has been collecting all summer.  I loaded the cub cadet with wood, drove it to the house, and stacked it on the back porch, did that twice, helped for another twenty minutes or so then drifted off. 
• Saturday morning I cleaned the house - vacuumed, mopped, cleaned bathrooms.
• Will, Kim, Zelda, and Henry came for a visit on Saturday and spent the night.  The kids are so cute, we had a nice time - went for a walk around the place, and Zelda and I wandered round and round the gardens.
• After the kids left on Sunday morning I pulled up all the salvias in the Star Garden.  The light freeze on Saturday morning killed all of it.  I'm planning to break up the large flower bed in Max's garden into four beds, maybe five.  I will start that project when it gets a little colder and all the perennial plants are in full dormancy.  I'll have to dig up some of my Copper Canyon Daisy, Autumn Sage , and Pink Muhly Grass.  It will look a lot better, and I will be able maintain it more easily.  When everything was in full summer throttle, I did not like to walk into that huge bed and pull weeds.  A little creepy.  Anyway, I'll take all the soil that is in the spots where the new paths will be, and I will fill all the beds that have been set up.  My husband made 3 beds for me in the Star Garden out of cedar logs last summer, but I have never filled them because I had no soil.
• I moved Ox Eye daisy plants growing in paths to various spots throughout the Star Garden and Circle Drive.  I transplanted about 10 clumps of daisies to several beds in the Circle Drive.  I moved a lot of clumps to various places in the Star Garden - everywhere I saw a blank spot and envisioned beautiful white flowers blooming, I planted some. I have a lot more not go, not only are there still lots of daisies growing in paths, there are lots of plants growing under my rose shrubs.  They are too close, and they will block the beauty of the springtime roses.  The new beds I'm going to build will be good spots for them. 

Visit to the Farm November 2, 2014

Pretty rye grass coming up in the back yard.

• I expanded a bed with one green landscape strip along the back walk that leads to the Boardwalk.  I used the last of my compost - perfect timing, just before the leaves start to fall and I can make more.   Planted two Banana Shrubs.  Banana Shrubs bloom in the late summer.  The blooms are about two inches across, beige in color.  The remarkable thing about the flowers is the scent. - just like ripe bananas.  I planted them right next to the walkway so that the scent can be enjoyed.
• I spread Philippine Lily seeds in the new bed around the shrubs.  It is a partially shady area, perfect for the lilies.  I also spread seeds in several of the beds in the Circle Drive, some in the Ehrlicheer bed, and some in the Janine bulb bed. 
• I pulled up spent zinnias and salvias in the Orchard, turned over the soil, and spread wildflower seeds - California Poppies, Corn Poppies, Flanders Poppies, Drummond Phlox, and Bluebonnets.
• Raked up pine needles along the trail.  Mulched in the salvia bed along the back of the house.
• Watered all my new roses.  
• Kim stopped by with the babies for a moment on her way back to Austin- bathroom break.
• It was a gorgeous Autumn day.  Really lovely.  Stopped at Blake's on the way home to see Sammy.

Introducing Sam Hamilton Born October 28, 2014

Since I am a fan of nicknames, I am sure that Sam will eventually  answer to:
Ham Samilton
Sam I Ham
Sammy Hammy
And the list goes on.

Weekend at the Farm October 25 - October 26, 2014

Our newly stained deck.
Arrived at the farm about 3:30.  Beautiful drive.  All the grasses have gone to seed along the highway, their fluffy heads are so pretty in white and beige.  The grasses undulate like waves in the ocean - green, tan, and pink.

• The wild onion seeds that I planted two weeks ago have begun to sprout.  And the wildflower seeds that I planted last weekend have begun to sprout.  In gardening, there is a clear relationship between hard work and success.  I love that part about this hobby!
• Saturday morning I cleared out two beds - one of the plum beds and one of the apple beds.  I seeded the apple bed with Drummond Phlox, Bluebonnets, and corn poppies.  I seeded the other with California poppies, red poppies, and Catchfly.  The soil was pretty dry, so I turned on the sprinkler for about 30 minutes before I continued on.  I had turned it off in order to discourage the gross fungus growing on the gravel down there.
• Gathered Philippine Lily seeds from the seed heads that have dried out.
• Saturday midday my husband and I went to the Rose Emporium and I bought 5 rose shrubs:  Marie van Houtte (introduced in 1871, it is a yellow and pink blend), Madame Wagram (introduced in 1894, a tea rose with particularly large flowers), Madame Joseph Schwartz (introduced in 1880, it is a white sport of Duchess de Brabant), Louis Philippe (introduced in 1834, this is a red china rose), and La Vesuve (introduced in 1825, it is a pink China rose that is a more robust version of the famous rose Old Blush ).  I also bought 3 Blackfoot Daisyies.  Blackfoots are drought tolerant.  I have a sunny, dry spot that I'm going to plant the daisies and one of my rose shrubs. 
• Stopped at Home Depot and bought a sack of rye grass seed and some stain.  I'm going to stain the deck that my husband built this summer.  And I'm going to seed the back yard.  Last April the back yard was bare dirt when we had the Crawfish Boil in April.  We might have Josh's wedding here next year on April 19, so I'm planning ahead - no bare dirt yard.
• Saturday afternoon I partially cleared the Mayhaw bed and seeded it with wildflower seed.  Cleared the Mexican plum bed and seeded it.  Partially cleared and seeded the three-in-one apple tree bed.  I'll tackle at least one more tomorrow, but I don't want to pull up all the salvias and zinnias yet.  The butterflies are thick out there.
• Late Saturday afternoon I spread rye grass seed in the backyard with my fertilizer spreader.
• Sunday morning I planted all my roses with fertilizer and leaf mulch.  Surrounded each of them with chicken wire to keep the rabbits at bay until they harden off a bit.
• Madame Wagram and Madame Joseph Schwartz where Pearlie Mae and Honey Sweet used to be.  Dug up Pearlie and Honey and put them in a shady spot to see if my neighbor wants them.
• Marie van Houtte at the far end of the Long Border, and I planted the Blackfoot Daisies near her.  It's dry in that spot, but I think I can keep the rose alive with a little vigilance, and the daisies are drought tolerant.
• La Vesuve - in the inside bed at the entrance to the Rose Garden.
• Louis Philippe in the bed with the two Dame de Couer roses
• Dug up some Tropical Sunrise cannas that had showed up in one of the rose beds in the Rose Garden.  They had become a huge clump and were totally crowding out my Star of the Republic rose.
• Planted the main clump in the Star Garden, and put some in the shade to see if my neighbor wants them.
• Transplanted Ox Eye Daisies from paths to various spots throughout the gardens.
• Sprinkled sevin dust on my brussels sprouts.
• Mulched Antoine Mari rose, a weedy place in the Star Garden, around Archduke Charles, and several other places.
• Pulled up spent salvia in the Morninglory Tree bed.  Big ant pile, got lots of stings.  Put down ant poison in several spots.
• Sprayed herbicide in the Rose Garden.
• Fertilized my brussles sprounts, mustard green, and collards.
• Spent some time training my Fortune's Double along the front fence.
• Pruned the shrubs along the front of the house.  October isn't really a good time for that, but I did it anyway.

Snakeroot October 25, 2014

 Snakeroot blooms in the fall.  It looks particularly pretty with these white Moonlight Caladiums that I planted in the spring. 

Grandmother

Grandmother has a hymn book with great silver clasps, and she often reads in that book;
In the middle of the book lies the rose, quite flat and dry;
It is not as pretty as the roses she has standing in the glass;
And yet she smiles at it most pleasantly of all;
And tears even come into her eyes.
I wonder why Grandmother looks at the withered flower in the old book that way?
     - Hans Christian Anderson

La Marne Roses October 19, 2014

 This is one of my favorite views of the house.  My son told me today that he wants to get married here.  What a compliment.  He is thinking April 19.   

Blush Noisette October 19, 2014

 The noisette roses were developed and introduced in the south.  They are truly southern roses, suitable for our hot humid climate.  These roses send out long canes that are perfect for wrapping around pillars .  I have mine growing as a waterfall.  The canes just extend out and  droop to the ground.  Noisettes have a very sweet smell, and the flowers grow in clusters.

Weekend at the Farm October 18 - 19, 2014

Friday night went to dinner at Artista and the musical Anything Goes at the Hobby Center with my husband and mom and dad.  Very nice evening.  Drove to Burton Saturday morning.

• Stopped at the Arbor Gate and bought a Mutabalis rose for the center spot in my original flower bed - the first one I ever made all those many years ago.  I had a Marie can Houtte planted there that I put in last spring.  But one thing after another befell it.  First rabbits kept eating all the leaves off it, and then Obedient plant surrounded and smothered it.  It finally gave up the ghost.  I decided to try Mutabalis.  This rose can grow as tall as 10 feet.  Its nickname is the butterfly rose because the single flowers can be dark pink, coral, and yellow.  It is very colorful.  I've considered planting one over the years, but they get so big it isn't easy to find a good spot for it.  And I am not really a fan of singles.  Why have single blooms when you have doubles?  But I finally gave in.
• I also bought some vegetable plants while I was there which I kind of regret.  They are spindly things, they don't even look like they are going to make it.  Gunter was there with some of their plants selling them onsite.  My enthusiasm got the better of me. I bought three broccoli, three cauliflower, two celery, and mustard.  I also picked up three garlic bulbs to plant, a packet of cilantro, four rosemary plants, four chives, and three pot marigolds.
• Planted the Mutabalis in the center bed, pulled up lots of Obedient plant that was growing near it.
• Prepared the vegetable beds with fertilizer and chitin.  Planted the veggie plants I bought, spread the cilantro seed in various places.  Broke apart the garlic bulbs and planted the cloves.  Planted the pot marigolds with the garlic. 
• Pruned the tomato branches that were growing beyond the cages.  One of the Mexican sunflowers had fallen over and knocked a bunch of stuff all over the place.  I picked all that up - tomato cages, metal stakes, and wire frames.
• Baked a carrot cake to take to the Sandtown Wildlife Association meeting on Saturday evening.
• Attended the Wildlife Association meeting.  I'm hoping one day that I can find someone that will walk with me through  the woods on our property and tell me what some of the trees and vegetation are.  I know what the names of some things are such as Beautyberry, Poke Salad, many of the wildflowers.  But there are so many plants that I'm curious about, especially the trees.  Met some good people at the meeting.  The speaker was the deputy sheriff of Washington County.  He talked about the whole set up of the department, how many people work in the sheriff's office, how they interact with the state police and other nearby departments like Blinn.  He talked about the crime that happens in Washington County.  Very interesting.
• Sunday, up at 7.
• Planted 160 bulbs, 60 Ice Follies and 100 Double Campernelles.  Planted the sixty Ice Follies daffodils in groups of 5 - 6 in the border next to the Rose Garden.  Planted about 30 double Campernelles in the bed with Fortunes Double rose, ten or so in the Star Garden in the ginger bed and the red canna bed.  The rest of the Double Campernelles I planted in a row along the Rose Garden fence.   That will create a double row of double daffodils because I planted a row of 100 last year.  Should be pretty.
• Turned over the soil in one section of the Long Border and seeded it with California Poppies and Catchfly.  This area is dry, so I'm hoping the California Poppies will do well, they can take some drought.  I've never grown Catchfly, so who knows.  Each year I like to grow a few wildflowers that I've never grown to see if I like them.  That didn't work out too well for me last year...  The Dames Rocket I planted made huge green plants that never bloomed.  They are perennials, so maybe next spring I'll get some results.  I planted chicory last year, it never bloomed because the rabbits loved the tasty leaves.
• Turned over the soil in a few beds of the Rose Garden and seeded them with California Poppies and Catchfly.  
• Transplanted some Ox Eye Daisy that was growing in the paths of the Rose Garden and under some of the rose shrubs and planted in various places.  
• Deadheaded the roses.  The Rose Garden looks good.  Rolf Fiedler Ipheion bulbs, Hoop Petticoats, Blue Bottles, and Leeks have sprouted.  Black Eyed Susan and Bluebonnet seedlings have sprouted.
• Turned over the soil, pulled up mint, cut away dead vegetation and planted 4 chive plants in the Kitchen Herb Garden.  Surrounded them with chicken wire to protect them from the rabbits.
• Planted a rosemary plant in the Long Border.  Planted another one in the Medicine Garden.  Planted one in Kitchen Herb Garden.  I planted another one somewhere, but I forgot where I planted it.
• Sprayed herbicide in the Rose Garden.  Lots of Blackeyed Susans have sprouted in the paths.
• Planted some African Hostas that I picked up last weekend.  They were on top of the soil (which they seem to do naturally) in the Shade Garden.  I planted them in the bed with my Debutante Camellia.
• Harvested some of the Hyacinth Bean vine pods that have dried out.
• Cut some of the Philippine Lily seed pods that had opened up and spread them at the end of the La Marne Hedge, around the tree where the Ehrlicheers are planted, and several other beds that in partial shade.  I just love Philippine Lilies.  One day I hope to have hundreds of plants blooming at once.
• I am sore and tired.  Good weekend.

Cannas October 12, 2014

 It would be a hard decision, but if I could only have one plant for my garden, it very likely might be the canna.  Pretty, tropical leaves, long blooming season, and gorgeous flowers.

Weekend at the Farm October 11 - 12, 2014

This is Banana Shrub. The flowers are about 2 inches, maybe less, across.  They have a very strong scent of ripe bananas.  The scent floats through the air, and you can smell it when you walk near the shrub, but it's not a strong scent when you put your nose to the bloom and breathe in.  Some flowers are strange like that, they smell so strong from a distance and hardly at all close up.  Nicotiana is like that to me as well.

Arrived Friday afternoon.  Napped for two hours.

• Friday night we put some sleeping bags in the back of the cub cadet , poured ourselves a nightcap, drove out to the road, and laid in the back and watched the stars for about an hour.  Really beautiful evening, a nice breeze and a clear sky.
• It was raining when we woke up on Saturday morning.  Laid in bed and listened to the rain on the roof.
• My Banana Shrub is blooming!  I am so excited about it.  This is the first time it has bloomed since I planted it.
• Since it was supposed to rain all day and all day tomorrow I decided to seed the long bed next to the Rose Garden with wild flowers.  I threw down seed of Blue Bonnets, Drummond Phlox, Flanders Poppy, Corn Poppy, and the rest of the Scarlet Flax left over from last year.  The rain will beat them down so they make good contact with the soil.
• Threw down organic fertilizer on all the gingers in the Circle Drive, the Medicine Garden, and the Shade Garden, the Bridal Wreath Shrubs, the Giant Ligularias in the Shade Garden, and the Debutante Camellia.
• I cut most of the seed heads of my wild Onion from my Houston house and spread them in various places in the Rose Garden.  Spread a lot of them around the Archduke Charles rose that is in front of the air conditioners.  Texas Wild Onion (as I refer to it, I don't know what the real name is) is an evergreen, onion-y smelling plant that has pretty white umbels in the spring and fall.  It is useful because it is evergreen and only gets about a foot tall (unless it is blooming).  Good front of the border plant.
• Sat on the front porch and then the back porch and watched the rain for a long time.
• Mopped the kitchen and vacuumed the whole house.
• Cut away salvia from the paths.  Cleared the paths as best I could.  
• Cleaned out the back bed in preparation for wildflower seeding.
• Cut back Indigo Spires so that the path wasn't blocked. 
• Cut away Hojo Santo so that the paths weren't blocked.  I was going to transplant some of the plantlets that had sprung up in the paths and build a new bed at the back of the house, but I decided no way! - this stuff is too invasive.  I don't want more.  I have it growing in two places in the Medicine Garden, and two places in the Star Garden.  That's enough.
• Spread leaf mulch in several places in the Star Garden.
• Threaded American Beauty Rose  branches through the rungs of its support.  
• Saturday evening I walked around and around and around with my husband talking about things we love, things we want to do, etc., wine glasses in hand.
• I noticed some hops growing on one of the hops vines my son gave me for Christmas.  Only two of the four vines survived the long, hot summer.  Hops are perennials, so hopefully the two I have will be in place for many years to come.
• Sunday morning drove into town  to meet the whole family for brunch at Brennan's to celebrate the October birthday girls.  Dove back to the farm afterwards.
• Sprayed herbicide on the fungus in the Orchard and the Vegetable Garden.  Sprayed a little in the Rose Garden until I ran out of spray. This fungus is disturbing me greatly.  I don't know how to eradicate it.  I am really stressed out about it.

Roses October 12, 2014

 Above, this is Soncy rose.  The flowers do not often look good.  White roses are tricky in the south.  But Soncy is having a good hair day today.

 Above, Belinda's Dream.  Probably the best rose to grow if you are only going to have one.  Scent, shrub shape, flower shape and bloom frequency.  Belinda's Dream has it all.

 Above, Chorale.  Beautiful shell pink color.

 Above, Heritage.  A classic rose.

 Above, I think this is Dame de Coeur, but I took so many pictures that I'm not sure. 

 Above, Monsieur  Tillier.

 More pictures of Chorale - so pretty.

 Above and below, Belinda's Dream.

 Above, Dame De Coeur.

 Above, Iceberg.

 Above, Bailey Red, one of the few singles I grow.

 Above, Chorale.

 Above, Ducher.

Above, Belinda's Dream.