Early December - the leaves on the oaks still have not fallen. There are some on the ground, but the big drop still hasn't happened. I have a lot of places where I want to lay down leaves, particularly in the Daffodil Border. It got pretty weedy last summer. I finally had Bert mow everything down in order to get it under control. A thick layer of leaves this winter will help.
The White By The Gate camellias along the Boardwalk are loaded with buds. They are so beautiful, and very cold tolerant. I highly recommend the variety. They are sited within a few feet of each other, but one of them is almost twice the size of the other. I have always found that to be a curious thing, that such a similar environment could produce such different results. Is it their environment, or are they weaker in some way that prevents them from flourishing?
My paperwhite Italicus are popping up in Mom's Garden. Their late winter floral display is, unfortunately, always hit and miss because they are vulnerable to late, hard freezes. But when they bloom, it's a thrill. I look forward with anticipation every year to see if I will get blooms.
Little Jonah was born on December 3rd. He is a beautiful little boy.
I dug up a clump of white butterfly ginger down by the Orchard that had spread right up next to the boardwalk. I re-planted it a few feet away.
I weeded in that same area, then spread pine needles over it. It got pretty weedy last summer, so I had to put something down that will really suppress the weeds.
I planted 4 of my coneflower seedlings in Mom's garden. I was going to wait until late winter to plant them, but I got excited. Then I sowed some more seed in those pots.
In the Rose Garden, I dug out some clumps of Duehlberg in one of the beds. I planted a tiny Anacua tree in that bed a couple of weekends ago. And I've never thought that little bed looked good. Once the salvia was gone, I planted 6 or so of my conefower seedlings. And I spread some Ox Eye seeds. If I had bought those coneflowers in a nursery, I would have spent $50. Plants have gotten so expensive. So! good on me.
I re-seeded the pots that I emptied when I planted my conefowers. I sowed coneflower and Ox Eyes in the empty pots.
Bert and I moved the lemon tree and the Ruby Red grapefruit out of the Vegetable Garden over to the front porch. It's going to get cold next week, although not cold enough to harm them. But really cold weather is coming, and they can easily be moved from the porch into the bedroom when it happens.
I spread fragrant white mistflower seeds in lots of places, wherever I felt like I needed something to grow in a large bare spot.
I cut back giant blue mistflower in the Star Garden. I don't want that to go to seed.
Pulled weeds in the front beds. I see lots of Red Gaillardia seedlings have popped up. Beautiful and kind of rare, they are nevertheless lanky and bossy. I will have to pull some out eventually.
Mid December - I have been counting my Heartleaf Skullcap seedlings. They are popping up in two places, a bed in the Rose Garden and a bed in the Star Garden. What I have learned so far from this plant, is that you can make an amazing display forever if you just plant one flat in your garden - one - time. That's how well this plant reseeds. I saw a lovely display at a garden tour in Brenham with the NPSOT folks. It was very prettily blooming as a solid ground cover with the silvery cast of the foliage and the pale purple of the flowers.
It was another day of peering at the soil in the most absorbed way, seeing each seedling as a tiny baby that I will nurse through the winter.
The leaves have finally turned colors - to the extent that central Texas gets fall color, this is the time. Yellows and oranges. It won't be long before the big leaf drop.
I worked for a couple hours in the Rose Garden. I pulled up turnera, cut away dead rose branches, cut the purple trailing lantana away from the path, weeded. I finally dug out a dead althea and got rid of that. I dug up a clump of Duehlberg because there was one daylily in the middle of the clump trying to stay alive. I planted it away from anything that would crowd it. I expect a flower in the spring now that it is no longer struggling. I raked the whole garden. It looks much neater in there. I even got a compliment from Bert.
I worked in the Orchard for several hours. I cut down all the goldenrod stalks. I had already harvested all the seeds from them. I cut back the Texas Orange Lantana to the ground. If I have a lot of a certain plant, I will cut it back right away because I don't want to look at it all winter. But if I only have a few, I will let the dead debris stay in place until spring. It helps insulate the plant from cold and provides insects with protection. I pulled up 30 or so tall blue mistflower seedlings that were popping up everywhere in paths. Weeded. I am determined to eradicate the chickweed in that bed.
Week 3 of December. Bert and I drove up for the day on a Sunday. He blew leaves into drifts, then I came along after him and raked them up into my wheelbarrow. I dumped a dozen or more wheelbarrows full of oak leaves into the Daffodil Border. I covered an area 30 x 15 with a foot deep layer of leaves. The daffodils will make their way upward, but the weeds struggle. Once the speed of the weeds is slowed, I have time to get rid of them before they take over. The daffs are already popping up, and I was walking all over them crushing them unfortunately. My spring daffodil display is incredible even if I do say so myself. So pretty. They are all Sweetness daffodils. I wanted them all to be the same variety so they would all bloom at the same time in one, fabulous show.
Filled the fountain in Mom's Garden with water. I cut away white trailing lantana that was reaching into the path. I pulled up some with roots and stuck them into some dirt in a pot. If they make it, that will save me some money because, come spring, I want to plant some in a round, flat pot I have and place the pot on a tree stump in the Star Garden. I saw a similar, very pretty display of trailing white lantana at the Brenham library entrance. Drought tolerant and pretty.
I worked in the Vegetable Garden for an hour or so. I spread French Marigold seeds in all the beds as I pulled up the plants. I dug Oxalis out of one of the beds. I was startled to see how it had taken over. I see good stands of dill and cilantro that came back from seed. That's always handy. I don't find parsley to be very cooperative. I rarely see it come back.
I made a start of cutting back the small asparagus bed. It really needs fertilizer. As soon as Christmas is over I'm getting 10 yards of compost and go to work in every garden.
December 27, I came up without Bert. He just didn't feel like making the drive. But this place rejuvenates me, I had to come regardless of being alone.
The irrigation systems have not been on for many weeks. I decided to give the Rose Garden a watering, just to encourage my seedlings.
I pulled up chickweed in the Orchard.
I poisoned leaf cutter ants in the Star Garden.
Raked leaves and dumped them in the Daffodil Border. I'm about 2/3 finished
I finished clearing out the dead debris from the small asparagus bed and the big one.
