Weekend at the Farm September 16 - 17, 2016

This is Pringle Aster.  One of my favorites.

Arrived Friday evening.  Left on Sunday morning to babysit Zelda and Henry in Houston.

• It was the Harvest Moon on Friday night.  We drove out to the cul de sac to look at it.  Amazingly beautiful.  There were lightening bugs everywhere, more that I've ever seen.  We drove around the property in the dark and watched their little lights pop up all over the place.  We could see lights deep in the woods, next to us, and ahead in the trails.  Really a memorable experience.
• Saturday.  I spent the entire morning digging up Hurricane Lilies in the original bed where I planted the first ones I ever got for this place.  This year I didn't get very many flowers, and I know the bulbs are crowded.  Do I forked them up and separated the clumps.  I stopped counting after I dropped 100 into my bucket.  I re-planted some of each clump and put the rest in my bucket to plant in other places.  I had so many that I called my neighbor, Debra, to see if she wanted any.  She did, they cost about $3 each, so getting free ones is great.  I planted them in so many spots that I can't remember everywhere I planted them.  I planted a bunch around an oak tree that has landscape edging around it.  I planted some in the Greenhouse Garden, the Star Garden, and the Rose Garden.
• Cut away Hojo Santo in the Star Garden that was crowding the paths.  
• I staked an amaranth in the Orchard that was leaning over.
• I put on my rose gloves and went down to the Orchard to cut away blackberry vines that were stretching into the red cannas at the front of the Orchard.  I had to crawl in there to do it, watching for snakes all the while.
• Swam in the pool, the water is really cool.
• I bought a Mrs B.R. Cant and a Beverly rose at the Arbor Gate on Thursday.  I planted them in the Rose Garden.  I planted the Beverly in the spot where Bailey Red was, and I planted Cant where the old Cant had been.
• I planted a Country Girl mum that I bought at Arbor Gate next to Madame Joseph Schwartz rose.  Country Girl is an old fashioned mum.  It spreads by underground runners.  It's a fall bloomer, pink flowers.  I'm very excited about it.  I've seen these growing at the Antique Rose Emporium in the fall, very beautiful.
• Moved the sprinklers around in the Rose Garden.
• Debra and Ray came over to get the bulbs and stayed for about an hour.
• After they left I sprayed a little herbicide and planted a Lindleyana Buddleia between two La Marne roses.
• I gathered up all my tools, threw some weeds in the burn pile and called it a day about 6:00.