Bert and I drove up together on Thursday evening after work. I spent a little time in Mom's Garden pulling up Louisiana artemisia and weeding. I haven't spent any time in that garden for a long time. I didn't water it one time the whole summer until I seeded it last week. But it looks pretty good.
Friday morning before work I went back out to Mom's Garden. I filled up the water tank and fixed the fountain apparatus. It's working again, and looks fine, not sure why it stopped working. I finished weeding and I trimmed the Mdm Alfred Carierre rose. I watered.
Cleared out some basketgrass in the Greenhouse Garden. Did some watering in the Greenhouse Garden. While I was in there, I found the fourth Ninebark I bought at the beginning of the summer. I planted it, and then I couldn't remember where I planted it. I looked and looked. I finally decided it must have died. But there it is tucked under a sweetshrub. Mystery solved at last.
After work I raked the Greenhouse Garden and Mom's Garden. And I did some raking in the Rose Garden. I walked along the elderberry trail and cut away elderberry and Turks Cap so that one can walk freely without brushing against anything
Saturday. Up before daylight.
Nelly went to the vet on Friday and was finally spayed. She was still feeling punky on Saturday, poor thing.
I cleared paths in the Star Garden so they are mostly walkable now. Pulled weeds. Staked a few things.
I checked on the Orchard, pulled a few weeds while I was there. The little salvia are blooming pink and red, so pretty in the early morning. But they wither away by the time the sun comes out hard.
Everything looks pretty good.
Did some cooking and prep work for my NPSOT volunteers. We worked on plant sale activities from 1:00 - 5:00. Signage, plant tags and laminating plant signs.
Sunday. Up before daylight.
I planted 2 Bushy Lippia in the Rose Garden and one in the Orchard. I bought them from Ann about a month ago, and I finally got around to planting them. I was going to plant all three in the Rose Garden in a group, but I ran into a really thick peppervine vine. I scraped it with my scissors and poisoned it with a drop of Remedy / diesel in my oil can.
I spent all morning pruning my roses in buckets and my La Vesuve rose, fertilizing and watering. Hopefully October and November will give me a good show. I weeded here and there as I worked, poisoned vines, and watered beds.
I sprinkled some baking soda on nostoc algae in the Orchard. Either applying baking soda last year was a total success or the change in my watering schedule or a combination of both have really gotten rid of the problem. This little patch of algae is the only one I have had this year. It's an incredible transformation. It was a real problem for years. Now it is gone with this one exception. Wow.
I weeded a bit in the Orchard. when I went down there to plant the Bushy Lippia.
I watered in the Greenhouse Gardens.
I watered all my seed beds - two in the rose Garden and one in Mom's Garden.
Sunday was a beautiful day. I had a wonderful time working in the gardens.
Headed home to Houston after the football game.
This is a current favorite of mine. This came up from seed that I spread last year from a plant I purchased at Buchanan's. I now have one growing in both arbor boxes in the Rose Garden, the wild corner in the Rose Garden, and 2 beds in the Rose Garden. The mother plant did not come back. It was a rough summer last year, perhaps that's the reason why.
I arrived mid afternoon on Friday. Grandparents lunches with Koy and Cleo, then headed there. Bert is in Groesbeck with his boys. He joined me on Saturday.
Pretty hot when I got there, so I stayed inside for a bit.
I sowed Rattlesnake Master and Prairie Verbena seed in Mom's Garden. It's just occurring to me that Rattlesnake Master might not be the best name for a plant in a garden dedicated to my mom, but it's white and structurally it is very unusual. I watered it, and I can get 2 waterings in on Saturday and one on Sunday before I leave. That should get them going. I need a timer to really insure that they will germinate and thrive. There has been no rain to speak of in August or September here, so everything is gasping that is not irrigated. And Mom's Garden is not irrigated.
Saturday. The days have gotten so much shorter. It's still dark outside at 7:00. Drank coffee until it was light enough to go out and work.
I started in the Orchard. I did some raking and cutting plants leaning into paths. I deadheaded coneflower and spread the seed. I weeded. Poisoned the grass that spreads by stolons by cutting off the tops and putting a drop of poison on the cut. That seems to be working to kill the stolons. I'm keeping up with it, and the garden is under control. It looks real pretty in fact, and the butterflies are numerous: Julias, Zebra Longwings, Giant Swallowtails and Gulf Fritillaries. The Julias and the Zebra Longwings are especially exciting to see.
I watered The Choctaw Pecan and the Mexican Sycamore. Watered in the Rose Garden and Mom's Garden.
Next I worked in the Shade Garden. It is a garden that doesn't need work very often, sort of a self-cleaning garden. But It really needed some work today. I cut snakeroot and gingers away from paths. I cleared out basketgrass. I cut down yaupon and poisoned the tips. Raked. Still more to do in there. But it's worlds better.
Inside for a rest.
Sprayed vinegar in the Orchard, the Vegetable Garden, the Rose Garden and the Star Garden.
I watered the Rose Garden and worked in there as I watered.
Water the seeds again that I sowed yesterday in Mom's Garden.
Picked up all my piles of debris in the Shade Garden.
Sunday morning took a walk with Bert and the dogs, then drove to Houston. Koy, Cleo and I went to lunch at Birraporettis and then to see The Little Mermaid at the Houston Ballet.
Friday. Worked in Burton.
I did some occasional weeding throughout the day. I staked an Augusta Duelberg that was leaning into a path. I cleaned out the area surrounding my tuberosa butterfly weed.
During the lunch hour I met with the La Bahia Board members to plan for the plant swap. That's really coming up soon!
I didn't do anything after work, I just really didn't feel like it.
Saturday. The humidity was low and the temperature in the morning was pleasant. The days are getting shorter, summer is coming to a close.
I spent a couple of hours in the Orchard pulling weeds. I'm making every effort to keep it from slipping back into a mess. I spread Texas Orange Lantana throughout the beds. I'd be okay with blue mist flower (the tall and the short varieties), the orange lantana, blue salvia, swamp sunflower, and echinacea blooming throughout that garden along with the fruit. As low maintenance as possible.
I weeded in the Vegetable Garden. If I don't get a move on I will miss my window to plant my fall garden. But it won't get done this weekend.
I watered in the Rose Garden and the Greenhouse Gardens.
Headed home about 2:00 to pick up Sam. He's spending the night with me and we are going to an Astros game on Sunday.
I chose this at a plant swap in March. It was a tiny seedling. Now it's about 5 feet tall. This is a tough little plant, I accidentally pulled it up twice while I was weeding, and I just stuck it back in the ground. It is still thriving. I've always liked Porterweed, but I stopped buying it because it's not winter hardy. It never occurred to me to let it re-seed. So this has been a fun experience. I was here on Sunday and I specifically noticed that it didn't have any blooms on it. Now I'm here on Wednesday, and it has many blooms on it. I guess it needed a little encouragement because we had a little rain here a few days ago.
The Texas Onion in the Rose Garden looked pretty today. It has partially gone to seed, but still pretty.
I worked on Wednesday, and throughout the morning I watered the Rose Garden.
I pulled weeds in the Star Garden. There is an area where I have a bit of a jungle. The paths are completely covered up by Texas Vervain and wild ageratum. I began clearing that area.
I pulled up some spent zinnias and sowed some more. Watered them in. I'm going to be here for possibly 5 days, so this is a good time to work on seeding because I can water them every day.
I collected some seeds from my Alamo vine to soak overnight. Only 4 of the seeds I sowed last week came up. Maybe I should be patient, but just in case, I'm going to sow some more.
Thursday. Sowed my Alamo vine seeds. After work I spent time in the Star Garden. I pulled up another patch of zinnias and sowed more seed. Watered them in. Weeded and watered.
Friday. After work, I worked outside until dark. I cleaned out one of the front beds. I planted some of the Passalong Pink verbena that I pulled up. I trimmed back all the verbena inside the fence. Weeded. I cut back the Indigo Spires in that bed.
I worked in the Water Garden for a long while. It had really gone to weeds in one particular spot. I pulled up all the weeds, had to use a tool because they were so big! Cut back the Augusta Duelberg salvia. Watered everything. Cleared everything from around the white sage and Texas Kidneywood. Cut away Sweet Autumn Clematis from the white althea. Job well done.
Saturday. NPSOT had a lecture at the Brenham Library. Lauren Simpson, Creating a Pollinator Paradise. I baked muffins, coffeecake and brought little chicken salad sandwiches , tea and coffee.
Lunch with some of the group then home for a nap.
I worked until dark weeding and watering in the Rose Garden.
Sunday. I sprayed herbicide in the Orchard, Star and Rose gardens.
I took my oil can of herbicide and spent time in the Orchard cutting those grasses that grow by stolons and putting a drip of poison on the cuts. Hoping the underground stuff dies. That is a real problem down there. It's in several beds.
I pulled weeds in the corner of the Orchard.
I worked in the Star Garden cutting down Four O'Clocks and poisoning the tip. I'd like to get rid of that problem for good.
Bert mowed the Daffodil Border and the Rose Edge Border. That looks tons better.
Deadheaded Texas Vervain.
Headed home about noon so I have plenty of time to bathe those stinky dogs.
