October 1 Thursday. We had a little rain in the morning.
I moved some more iris over to the Water Garden. While I was in there, I cut back some stems of John Fanick phlox. The stem nodes looked pretty good, so I potted them up to see if they will root from the stem nodes. I've never tried that before. I put them in wet soil and placed them in the shade. I pulled Alamo Vine off my White Pillar Althea. Filled the water tank. It has been pretty breezy the last few days, so the water from the fountain flies past the edge of the tank.
After that, I worked in the Star Garden, the middle bed, the very first bed that I ever built in that garden. I pulled up all the Beggar's Tick. I dumped it in the fire pit because I don't want that spreading to the property.
Next, I cut down all the Shinner's Sunflower because it has all bloomed out. I have so much of that due to spreading. I don't want the seeds spreading as well. While I was working in there, I saw a Great Purple Hairstreak. I've never seen one of those before. I've seen hairstreaks before but only the grey ones. Very cool.
We had a very good rain in the late afternoon.
October 4 Sunday. I worked all morning in the Star Garden, in all the areas you can see from the front porch. I pulled weeds in all the beds. I cleared weeds out of the paths. I pulled up lots of Giant Blue Mistflower that had sprung up in wrong places. Some of them were pretty big, but I put my back into it and was able to pull them up. Cut back Salvias crowding paths. I cut away Wedelia that was stretching its insidious arms into the paths. Wedelia is a useful plant in certain locations where you want a groundcover but extremely difficult to pull up when you need to pull it up. And it is basically impossible to eradicate if you don't want it anymore.
I also cleared out wild petunia from the Dining Room bed where my Clyde Redmond iris are beginning their leaf growth. They always stay green during the summer, but they really put on a lot of growth during the winter. I also pulled up ageratum that wants to grow in that bed. More to do there because the Southern Wood Fern likes it in that bed, and it wants to take over. I don't want to just pull the fern up and toss it. I want to re-plant it in my Woodland Garden, so that takes some preparation that I was not prepared to do.
All the Schoolhouse Lilies have popped up due to the latest rains. They are the most vivid red you can imagine, particularly in the current cloudy weather we are experiencing.
During the early evening I took a stroll and stopped by the bed that runs along the Vegetable Garden fence. There are few unruly spots there, so I wanted to see what exactly would be be involved to clear them. So glad I did because I saw about 20 leaf cutter ant piles in there. I spread poison on all of them. I was imagining if they had gotten in to the Vegetable Garden and eaten all the plant sale plants. What a disaster that could have been!
Monday October 5. Up at 6:00, coffee on the porch in the darkness. The weather is cooling off slightly.
I went straight out to the border along the Vegetable Garden. I pulled up Horse Herb (another plant that is no picnic to pull up due to long roots), cleaned out debris and sticks. I cut down Giant Rudbeckia stalks.
Next I spent some time in the Vegetable Garden. I harvested some okra and pulled some weeds. I checked on the Rock Rose and Thryallis seeds that I sowed recently. No germination yet. I checked on my Bearded Iris that I potted up - I have 8 pots of iris in the garden.
After that, I took a walk through the Orchard. Pulled some weeds and deadheaded my zinnias. The goldenrod are almost about to burst into bloom. It should be pretty, albeit unruly, because I have about 100 in there.
Next I worked at the bottom of the Boardwalk Garden. I pulled up peppervine, grape vine and Virginia Creeper vine. I cut down all the Late Blooming Boneset. I cleared out basket grass. Pulled up some blackberry canes. Then I raked up 3 truckloads of pine straw and spread it in that area to prevent weed growth. It's dandelion season.
That was it for me in the morning, I think I pulled a muscle in my back.
I went out later and dug out some day flower around my irises in the Rose Garden. As I was doing that, I re-set the irises so that their backs are exposed.
I sprayed herbicide in the Orchard and the Rose Garden.
While I was out there, I once again was enchanted by the Schoolhouse Lilies. I just love the vivid red, and the pop of color that you can see from all the way on the other side of the property is so striking.
October 6 Tuesday. Out to the Orchard to stake some goldenrod. While I was there I did some weeding. I've learned a lot about goldenrod this year, and I now know that it can be pruned to be a very effective and short-statured addition to the garden. Fascinating. I can't wait for next year so that I can prune every single one of my goldenrod instead of just a few.
I sowed carrot and beet seed in the Vegetable Garden. I already prepped the beds a couple weeks ago, so it was a pretty quick exercise. I only had to turn the soil, crumble the few clods and sow the seeds. I also sowed some Bibb lettuce seed.
I dug a huge clump of Inland Sea Oats out of my Clyde Redmond bed.
October 13 Tuesday. The La Bahia Plant Sale is past us. I'm relieved. I did not like keeping all those plants alive for 3 weeks. I won't do that again. We had so many great varieties. I bought some Twist Leaf Yuccas, Ellen's Legacy Rock Rose, Leavenworth Carex, Liatris (can't remember which one at the moment), and Ivy Leaf Thoroughwort. I also bought an Eastern Black Cherry Tree.
I planted the 6 Carex (sedges) at the bottom of the Boardwalk Garden. They will get morning sun. While I was there I did some more clean out of vines and basket grass. I cut down ripe seedheads of Philippine Lilies and spread the seed over the soil that I had just loosened while planting the sedges.
Next I planted some of the Ivy Leaf Thoroughwort in the Rose Garden. They were horribly root bound (I could tell they were because I was needing to water them twice a day just to keep them from wilting while I was taking care of them before the sale, and the grower had planted them in 4 inch very shallow pots). I'm not sure they will even make it. Really unacceptable, so much so that I don't think I will buy from him next year. I filled each hole with water 3 times before I put them in the ground, then watered really well after that.
Next, I bumped up some of the plant sale plants. The 4 inchers that we got from one of the growers were in 4 inch wide but only 2 - 3 inches deep pots. Consequently, they were drying out twice a day. So I re-potted all the flat top goldenrod, all the Maximilian Sunflowers and some of the Ivy Leaf Thoroughwort. That took some time. Maybe someone will buy them for cost at the plant swap on October 31. Still more to do there.
October 14 Wednesday. Took a walk around the property with the dogs. I worked in the Vegetable Garden after that. I sowed parsnips, swiss chard (Fordhook Giant), cilantro, kale, and carrots. My beets and carrots that I sowed a week or so ago have emerged. Seeds are fascinating. I love sowing seeds. In the garden right now, I am also growing dill, radishes and arugula.
I spent more time bumping up plants from the sale from 4 inch to larger. Richard and Ann came over and took a bunch of them off my hands.
I finished planting the rest of my flat of Ivy Leaf Thoroughwort.
October 15 Thursday. Couldn't sleep, up at 4:00, out by 7:00. I planted 4 Blazing Star Liatris in a dry part of the Rose Garden. And I planted 2 Autumn Asters next to the one growing under the pink Vitex.
I put together a flat of 18 4 inchers of Gregg's Mistflower from seeds that I collected over the summer. Potting soil, fertilizer and perlite. Then I sprinkled seeds all over the top of the flat. I've never grown it from seed before, and it looks like fluff. I'm not sure how many seeds are in the fluff verses just dead flower fluff, so I just sprinkled it all over the pots and pressed it in. Hopefully there are seeds in each pot. I won't know until springtime.
I sowed another flat of 18 of Rough Leaf Coneflower. And a flat of 20 of Vervain.
Got cleaned up to head to Blake's house to watch the kids. Then Friday, babysit Jonah, Julia's grandfather passed away. And then on Saturday, back to Blake's to watch Sam's soccer game and take him birthday shopping, dinner and spend the night with me in Houston.
October 22, Thursday. 56 degrees outside in the morning which was fabulous. Sunny all day.
I worked in the Shade Garden most of the morning. It doesn't often need loving care but it needed some today. Most of my time was spent cutting down peppervine and grape vine and Greenbriar vine. I poisoned the cut of most of them, but I got a little tired toward the end and just started cutting them down. I raked all the paths and picked up sticks. I mowed along the driveway edge with my small weedeater. And cut away plants that were leaning into paths.
Next, to the Vegetable Garden. I harvested okra. I've gotten a a very good crop of okra this season which answers my question as to whether I sowed the seed too late in the season. The timing ended up being fine. I pulled up a few plants. I will pull up all the plants before I leave here on Sunday. I bought more compost, and I want to continue on with my fall / winter garden. I pulled up all but one of the basil plants. I pulled up a huge French Marigold plant in one of the beds, it was in full bloom, but I want the space for vegetables. I cut asparagus ferns away from paths where they were leaning in, and I did some weeding. Spread fertilizer in a couple beds. Added fertilizer and compost to the bed where I pulled up the marigold and sowed some parsnips. I just love parsnips!
I sowed some turnips seeds on Monday when I was here to meet the interior designer, and they have already popped up. That was fast!
The Almond Verbenas in the Long Border and the Star Garden are the stars of the show right now. Their scent fills the air. It is absolutely intoxicating. Even Bert mentioned it.
In the afternoon I mixed up my potting soil, fertilizer and perlite mix. I made 3 flats of 20 4 inch pots and sowed Ashy Sunflower, Heartleaf Skullcap, and Coneflower. I also sowed some Fragrant Mimosa shrubs in 2 one gallon pots.
After that I went down to the Orchard. Last week I saw that a lot of the branches of my Cow Pen Daisy had sheared off the trunk. I cut the whole thing down. except for one tiny branch so that I can collect seed from the flowers. I cut down a dozen or so goldenrod that had flopped over onto my blueberry shrubs. More work to do down there. My gorgeous Drummond aster is in full bloom under the apple tree. The flowers are pale blue / lavender. The Orchard is alive with bees, both native and nonnative. They love the goldenrod, zinnias, asters, and mist flowers that are blooming right now.
October 23, Friday. I worked in the Orchard all morning. I staked the Giant Blue Mistflower that was flopped over. I cleaned up the bed that the armadillos dig in: I pulled up all the Philippine Lily stalks and spread the seed, smoothed out the soil, pulled up Autumn Clematis seedlings growing in the wrong places and weeded.
I deadheaded zinnias. I re-staked some goldenrod that was leaning into paths. Cut back the white gaura and re-staked the Pringle Aster. I weeded under one of the blackberry beds and then I covered the area with pine straw that I raked up from my good pine straw spot. I fertilized the Ruby Red grapefruit tree and the Lemonade lemon tree. Poisoned some leaf cutter ant piles.
I felt good about all that. Bert repaired the gate that was leaning over. Everything looks good.
In the afternoon, I made 3 more flats of 20 four inchers: Ox Eye Daisies, Zexmenia, and Goldsturm Rudbeckia. I also made 3 one gallon pots with Fragrant Mimosa seeds. I spent some time sorting through my seeds and separating the seeds from the fluff.
For the last 2 weeks my Sterbergia bulbs have been blooming. They are bright yellow and pop up much the same as a crocus. Such happy-looking little fellows!
October 24, Saturday. I spent all morning and the early afternoon in the Vegetable Garden. I pulled up half a dozen or so of my okra in the long center bed. And I pulled up all the sunflowers and cosmos in one of 4 x 4 beds. Spread fertilizer and compost. I sowed dill, cilantro, beets, chard, lettuce, parsley, and arugula.
I made up some pots with potting soil, fertilizer and perlite and sowed parsley seed. This is just an experiment. I also sowed some parsley seed in the garden. I'm interested to see how they each fare.
I also made 20 4 inch pots of thyme. If they sprout, I will take the flat to Houston and baby them through the winter. That would save me a lot of money if I don't have to buy thyme next spring. I can't seem to keep thyme alive from season to season. I've never tried to grow if from seed before.
About 6:00 I went back outside and sprayed herbicide on the paths in every garden.
October 25, Sunday. I raked in the Greenhouse Gardens, the Medicine Garden, and the Water Garden. Lots of twigs and sticks and some leaves. I also cut away plants leaning into paths.
I planted my Halberd Leaf Hibiscus that I bought at the plant sale. I planted it in the Rose Garden next to the Shrubby Blue Sage.
I worked in the Star Garden for a while in the afternoon. I pulled up dead and half-dead Mexican Sunflowers. Cut down spent Late Boneset. I cut down low to the ground the buttonbush in front of the kitchen window. It's not really the right time for that, but it was blocking the view and bothering Bert. I trimmed salvia and Southern Wood Fern with my hedge trimmers. Watered a few beds while I worked.
October 26, Monday. These last several days during this stay here have been so beautiful. It's the kind of weather that caused me so much frustration in the past because I was sitting at my desk at work and missing all the gorgeous weather. Now, here I am, enjoying every minute of it with all the time in the world. I feel so lucky. The cool weather makes the color in the flowers very intense. The blues and yellows and reds are so deep, much more so than in the summer. I guess it's easier to be beautiful in the fall, the summer is a battle, spent struggling to endure. The trailing lantanas - the white in Mom's garden and the purple in Blake's garden are in full bloom. So pretty. The yellow blooms of the swamp sunflower in the Orchard can be seen from every vantage point around the house because they are so bright and the plants are so tall. And the scent of the Almond Verbena continues to be a delight.
I finally got around to planting the 3 Twist Leaf Yucca that I bought at the plant sale. I planted them next to the one that Verna Lammers gave me last year, at the edge of the Shade Garden where they will get morning sun. I dug the holes and filled them with water 3 times, then planted them. After that, good luck. They don't receive any irrigation there.
I dug the hole for the Eastern Black Cherry tree that I bought at the plant sale. I've been really struggling with where to plant it. It needs to be close enough to the house that I can give it some supplemental water occasionally, or it won't make it. It's a tiny little thing. I decided to plant it near the Greenhouse with plenty of room for Bert to get around the entire tree with the mower. The soil is solid sand, very compacted. I have been filling the hole with water again and again, but it drains very slowly. I will probably have to plant it next time I am here.
I also sowed 1,000 Larkspur in the Star Garden, which sounds like a lot, but I just basically threw them down into some soil that I scratched a bit to loosen.
October 30 Friday. Rainy and grey day, but those are great days to garden! I made up 2 flats of 4 inchers and one flat of 5 inchers: St. Andrews Cross, Hinckley Columbine, and Coneflower. The St. Andrews Cross is a real experiment. I've never seen it sold in a nursery, so I assume it is difficult to get the seeds to germinate. It grows on my property. It is a little sub-shrub with small yellow flowers in the shape of a cross. Only time will tell,it will be at least 3 months before I know if it successfully germinates. As I've written before, gardening is often playing the long game. I bought the Hinckley Columbine seeds on Etsy. They look a little puny. But I sowed them. I searched for Hinckley seeds in bulk, but no luck. I'd love to sow lots of flats of those!
I was looking at my bucket of dill this morning, and I saw that there must be 30 caterpillars, still very small, covering the plants. That's okay. I'm happy to help the butterflies. It will be fun watching them get bigger and fatter every day.
I cut down almost every stalk of goldenrod down in the Orchard. Their blooms were pretty much spent, and I have so many, I'm not interested in having them go to seed. I dumped them all in the Meadow in case any of them had seed that could fall down onto the Meadow ground.
October 31, Saturday. I pulled up the rest of the okra. Spread 7 bags of compost across the area and fertilized. Turned over the soil, smoothed it out and planted 4 mustards and 4 collards. Pulled some weeds while I was in there. I had to sprinkle some organic powder on all of them because they already have caterpillars chewing on them. Not the good butterfly kind of caterpillar, the bad moth kind. I know some people watch for infestations and hand-pick worms off their vegetables - good for them - I don't have the time for that.
I sowed 2 more flats of seeds: Coneflower and Gregg's Mist.
I cut my Hyacinth Bean vine off the White Pillar althea next to it. The vine wants to cover that poor shrub.
Spent the rest of the day at the La Bahia plant swap and then to Nancy's for a Halloween party.
Well, that's it. The last day of October. Another month gone.
