Weekend at the Farm September 21 - 22, 2013

These are white 4 o'clocks.  They are prolific reseeders.  The root is a fleshy tuber, so they are very drought tolerant.  4 o'clock flower blooms open up about 8 pm and close in the morning.  I used to call them my happy hour flowers because they opened when the cocktail hour started, but who am I kidding?  I start drinking way before 8.
Etoile on Friday night with the whole family to celebrate Mom and Dad's 54th wedding anniversary.  To the farm after that.  Two and a half inches of rain in the rain gauge when we got there!

• Cleaned up the kitchen herb garden which mostly means pulling up mint.  Cut back marjoram and sage,  Pulled weeds.  
• Planted 4 chive plants.  The voles ate the roots of all my chive plants.  Only the tops were left last weekend when we got there.  So I had to replace them.  Also planted 3 lemon verbena plants.  Lemon verbena is a tender perennial.  May not last through the winter, but I love it.
• Transplanted lots of Nicotiana seedlings that were growing in the paths.  Moved them to the Medicine Garden.
• Sowed some Microgreen seeds in the Star Garden.
• Planted 2 Snow Storm Beautyberry shrubs in Max's Garden.  They are variegated Beautyberry shrubs.  My husband thought I was crazy for buying beautyberry plants - they grow wild everywhere on our place.  But these are unusual.  
• Pulled up some tuber vervaine in the Bulb Bed and turned the soil over.
• Moved a clump of Pineapple Lilies.  The main bulb had been almost completely eaten by voles which is why they didn't bloom at all this summer.  I'm going to move them all to the Circle Drive.  The voles can't get to those flower beds.
• Cleaned the vent hood, the inside and top of the fridge, vacuumed the house, cleaned the bedroom, cleaned sinks and toilets, and changed the sheets.