Lisa Bonassin's Garden

Sunday, November 20, 2022

Weekend at the Farm November 18 - 20, 2022

I was going to work on Friday from the farm, but I forgot my computer at work. I guess I walked off and left it on my desk. I didn't know it wasn't in my bag until I got to Burton. So I took the day as vacation.

We have already had a freeze, but it was a brief one because some plants are freeze damaged and some are still fine. I won't get any green beans this fall. I knew I planted them late, and if we had an early freeze I'd get no beans. And that's exactly what happened. The time got away from me, and I didn't plant them early enough.

I spent the whole day cutting back perennials and pulling up annuals in the Star Garden and the Rose Garden. I don't cut back the freeze-dead debris off of perennials that I really value. It helps insulate the plant from hard freezes. But for salvias, I won't miss them if I lose some (and I doubt I will). I pulled up almost all the gomphrena and cut a bunch of the seed heads off onto a cookie sheet to dry. That's not really necessary. I could just throw them into the flowerbeds and they would germinate in the spring. I still might do that.

I sowed seed in most of the places I cleared out. I sowed Johnny Jump Ups, Ox Eyes, California Poppies, a package of pom pom poppies, dill and parsley. Dill and parsley like cold weather, and they will be great larval food for butterflies in the spring. Everywhere I sow seeds I stick a bamboo stake in the ground, or I forget where I sowed seeds. That is a new idea, I have never marked my seed beds before, and it's a very good likelihood that, in the past, I have re-sown many seed beds.

All the Mexican sunflowers were killed by the freeze. I got so much enjoyment out of them this year. I spent time pulling some of them up. Many more to go. The trunks of Mexican sunflowers can get 3 fingers thick, so it's a chore.

Saturday. Cold and rainy all day. It never poured but it never stopped lightly raining all day.

I drove to the Antique Rose Emporium with my neighbor Amy. I bought a polyantha rose called Sweet Pea, 2 packets of larkspur and a packet of poppies. The man there said we had been the only customers all day - not surprising since we were shopping in the rain. Sweet Pea rose is perfect as a container rose which makes it perfect for me since I am only growing my new roses in feed buckets.

I did nothing else all day, too rainy to be fun. Sometimes I work in the rain, but the rain was too steady.

Sunday. The day started cold and sunny. I had Bert drill holes in the bottom of 2 feed buckets so that I could plant my new rose and move a few roses. I filled the buckets with potting soil, a bag of mushroom compost and some of my compost. I planted Sweet Pea rose in one of the buckets. My daughter in law, Amy, gave me 3 Kordes miniature roses a couple of years ago. I planted them in the Star Garden, but I planted them in a terrible spot. The Mexican Turks Cap, Mexican salvia and butterfly weed soon over-shadowed the poor things. So I dug all 3 up and planted them in one of the feed buckets. Not sure I did them any favors since I crammed them all together, but at least the will get some direct sun.

I raked pine needles in my good spot next to the Rose Garden and mulched Enchantress, Sweet Pea and a few of my other roses in pots.

I spent time cutting down the salvia in the Noisette bed and cleaning out around the Noisette. There is a certain weed that starts growing in the late fall around that rose, so I scraped it all away (which is easy when the weed is still small) and mulched around the rose with a thick layer of pine needles.

I used my little electric saw to cut down two thick Mexican Sunflower trunks and some old rose canes.

I roughed up the soil in the Noisette bed with a shovel and spread Johnny Jump Ups, California Poppies, blue Larkspur and some purple poppies.

I cleared out another area in the bed that encircles the old dead tree and spread some California Poppies and Johnny Jump Ups.

And I spread some Larkspur and Johnny Jump Ups in the Ducher bed.

I did a little raking in the Rose Garden, not much.

We caught 2 mice in traps in the laundry room. I left a door unlocked when I was here last, and it blew open while we were gone. It's possible the door was open for several days. Some mice got in - they chewed a hole through a bag of Lays potato chips. Gross. But I think that's all - no raccoons and hopefully no snakes since it was cold. We have set out more traps to see if there are more mice, but I have a feeling we got them all.

Cleaned up all my equipment and headed home.

Wednesday, November 9, 2022

Day at the Farm November 9, 2022

Duchess de Brabant.

Iceberg rose.

This is Valentine rose.

Drove up for the day and worked from the farm.

The roses are loaded with buds. Roses love this Texas fall weather.

I deadheaded Mexican sunflowers. They are extremely floriferous. So pretty. Staying on top of the deadheading has really helped them stay standing.

I stopped at Home Depot on the way to the farm and bought some bags of potting soil. I used the potting soil and some mushroom compost and planted 2 True Passion roses in feed buckets. They have deep orange blooms.

Watered in the Rose Garden. The water has been turned off since Saturday when I was here last.

I laid down ant poison in the back where there are well-worn ant trails weaving back and forth. And I put ant poison on some active entrances in the Orchard.

Sprayed the roses for blackspot.

White Butterfly Ginger November 9, 2022

My ginger is in full bloom, but it seems like the foliage is beginning its decline into dormancy. I cut some of the blooms, brought them inside and put them in a vase. They have a wonderful smell. One of my favorites.

Giant Mexican Turk's Cap November 9, 2022

Mexican Turk's Cap is a fall bloomer. The other varieties of Turk's Cap I have bloom all summer and through fall. The flowers are much bigger on the Mexican than on the other varieties. I have mine growing in an area where it gets a little protection from full sun, I'd call it part shade.

Red Fire Spike November 9, 2022

Fire Spike is a shade perennial. As soon as it finishes blooming I'm going to dig it up and move it. I bought a new camellia that will need a lot of room (someday - they are very slow growers). So I'm going to put my new Pink-a-Boo camellia in this spot.