Counting down to the wedding! Days away. I worked from Burton on Wednesday and took vacation on Thursday and Friday.
Thursday, up before daylight, out at dawn. I began in the Vegetable Garden. I weeded every bed in that garden except for a small area in the newest bed. It was so sunny by the time I got to that point, that I gave up. I sowed several packets of red lettuce in one bed. And in all the rest of the beds I sowed rye grass. There are arugula and sunflowers already in some of the beds, so of course I left them there. The rye grass is a green manure. I will fork it under the soil sometime this winter. Before it gets too tall. It enriches the soil, and deters nematodes. There is a nice size birdhouse gourd vine growing on the fence, but no gourds yet. I raked the paths and generally cleaned up. It looks really good in there.
Next I worked in the Long Border. I cut away peppervine that was growing up my Almond Verbena. I pulled up peppervine wherever I saw it. I watered as I went, the sprinkler was always one section ahead of me. I pulled weeds in the moist soil because it's easier. There is a little wild aster-like plant with white flowers that tries to get a foothold in the Long Border. I pulled it all out. I got all of the Long Border done except for a small section where the sun was really bearing down. I carried armfuls of debris over to the erosion nearby. What I did looks good, nice and clean.
I stopped about 2:00 and went inside for a rest.
The new fountain looks fantastic in Mom's garden. I love it. I watered in there a bit.
Rested then went back outside.
I planted the 4 variegated lantana in the back bed. There are some bare spots in there. My black and blue sage have really been diminished. Whole clumps were dug up by the armadillos, and I should have been right there re-burying them. But it was so hot outside. I fertilized them a couple of weeks ago. They will fill back in, I'm confident. I weeded in there for a long time. It wasn't too bad because I weeded it out pretty good a couple of weeks ago. But, around the house I'm aiming for weed-free perfection.
Next, I weeded basket grass out of the bed in front of the Greenhouse. I dug dead leaves out of the bed. Trimmed white Turks Cap away from the path. It got too dark to work so I stopped there.
Friday. Outside early. I sowed some Ox Eye, Moss Verbena and Johnny Jump Up seed in the Rose Garden.
I started raking in the Greenhouse Gardens then realized they stay shady, and my time was better spent in places where it would get sunny soon. I finished clearing out the remaining space in the Vegetable Garden and seeded it with rye grass. Watered it in.
Next I went to the Rose Garden to finish weeding the Long Border.
I spent a little bit of time in the Shade Garden pulling up this thin vine that snakes along the ground. I did a pretty good job clearing out the Shade Garden a week or so ago, so I didn't need to do much. Raked a bit in there. I also pulled two dead Japanese Acuba out of the ground.
I spread some gravel in the Shade garden. I weeded and raked as I went along.
I spent several hours raking up pine needles in my good spot, weeding the althea bed (mostly basket grass), and spreading the pine straw. That whole bed is covered in pine straw now, and I think it looks nice. I watered in there as well. The spicebush shrubs look pretty peaked. There must be 10 Diane altheas in there. I assume they are coming up from seed. Pretty neat.
I put a half dozen Mexican sedum in pots in the Star Garden.
I planted another Eastern Blue Star next to the other 2 that I planted last weekend.
I planted a giant milkweed in the Rose Garden. There was a large stand of giant milkweed at the Arbor Gate that I admired last time I was there. Really spectacular - and useful.
I cut down a morning glory vine that had sprung up in the driveway garden. I was wrapped around some half dead sweetspire and beautyberry. I raked, cut away greenbriar and peppervine and generally cleared out the area. There is not much there anymore. It used to be real pretty. Nothing lasts forever. I think I will throw beautyberry seed down there this winter and hope something happens (which it probably will). Also, I pulled Virginia Creeper off the tree and let it fall to the ground. I'm hoping to create a groundcover with it since it roots at all its joints. I pulled up lots of the creeping vine with the little watermelon-like fruits. It looks a lot cleaner in there.
Saturday. Outside early. I watered the pots by the pool. While I was there I cut back the yellow lantana by the pool. I am going to try and root some of it. So I spent time trimming 12 or so branches, dipping them in root hormone, and potting them up in soil and vermiculite. I had one Mexican sedum left. I cut it in half and put the pieces in 2 little pots in the Medicine Garden.
Next, I finally messed with the False Indigo along the Boardwalk. Both trees had fallen over. I collected lots of seed and spread it here and there. I cut one of them down to the ground and took the tallest branch off the other.
I spent several hours cleaning up the Boardwalk. I cut away Mexicali Rose and Turks Cap and Kiowa blackberry to make it pleasant to walk down. I pulled out lots of dead branches from the Sweetspire. Did a little weeding. Cut down dead and spent gingers. I pulled out some peppervine and wild grape vine. The Turks cap is in full bloom right now. I have pink, white and red varieties. All gorgeous right now!
I spent some time in the Medicine Garden. I spot watered. I pulled up basket grass.
Next, I moved on to the Greenhouse Gardens. There are two matching flowerbeds on either side of the faux door of the Greenhouse. A camellia and then my Bears Breeches died in one of the beds. I decided it was too hard keeping both of those beds watered. So, I pulled up the granite edging of the empty one, smoothed down the soil and then spread gravel over the area. I wish I had a little wreath to put on the door. That would be cute. Maybe I have something at home I can use. Inside for a rest.
Back outside in the evening. I finished clearing the bed by the pool. Basket grass.
I used the rocks over by the arbor that I pulled up by the Greenhouse. I lined the edge of the bed where a green metal strip used to be - long rusted away.
I sprayed herbicide around the pool, all the back walkways, the Medicine Garden, the Greenhouse Gardens, the Water Garden, and the Vegetable Garden. That was important from a timing perspective or weeds won't be "disappeared" by the wedding. Tomorrow I will spray the rest of the gardens.
Sunday. Vacation is over already! It's truly been a lovely time messing about in decent weather. Yes, I have gotten really sweaty, but it's such an improvement over working in 105 degree weather.
I worked in the Rose Garden. I staked a tall wilding (can't remember the name) but wished I'd just cut it down to the ground. I cut away all the dead limbs on my Zepherine Drouhin climbing rose. Cut away salvia and basil blocking paths. Spot watered. Weeded. Raked.
I began raking the path alongside the Long Border, but I didn't quite finish.
I raked and straightened up in the Greenhouse Gardens.
Sprayed herbicide in the Rose Garden and the Star Garden.
Moved some empty pots from the Star Garden to the Greenhouse. I'm not planting anything else before the wedding.
Bert and I spent the night on Sunday, he left to play golf in the morning. I worked from here and left at 5:00. It was a great 4 days.
