Change of Season - Garden Chores for October

Change of seasons:

The weather has turned colder this week and it is definitely time to start the therapeutic but tedious task of putting the garden to bed for the winter. This is an opportunity to reflect on the season – I carry a small notebook to make notes of what did well and what didn't. I usually take photos of the plants during each month of blooming, which provides an accurate history of what has been planted and where it is located in the garden.

Weeding:

This is the time of year to get busy weeding the garden beds. Each weed that I pull from the roots will prevent the same plant from disbursing thousands of seeds that could multiply the weeds in the garden. I am also tidying up plant remnants from the garden and busily cutting back and, in some cases, transplanting healthy perennials to a more suitable location in the Peace Garden.

Gathering Seeds:

Start collecting seeds from the perennials - I store them in large used yoghurt containers and have also freely scattered others around the parent plant to encourage some to reproduce as nature intended.

If you stop deadheading the flowers by late summer this allows some seeds to form. I have thousands from the Echinacea, Monarda (bee balm), tansy, etc.

Winter Foliage:

While working around the garden cut back some of the plants and leave the plant remnants that have beautiful foliage (Sedum/Yarrow/ Echinacea/etc.) These will remain during the upcoming months and add interest during the winter until spring. They also provide wildlife food for the little critters in the garden.

Planting bulbs for springtime:

It is not too late to plant bulbs of daffodils and crocus for a beautiful display of spring flowers. Ideally bulbs should be planted as soon as possible, but they can be planted until the ground freezes. Tulips may be planted up until early November. To soften soil, water areas a couple days before planting also try bulb augers for easier planting. Select healthy, disease free bulbs. Make a sketch of planting locations.

– I have two happily mated squirrels that live in a tree on the tree belt in front of my house. Most of the time their life is spent busily running up and down trees and telephone wires, however, they are also busy digging holes to store the very plentiful supply of chestnuts that come from the tree that they live in. Because they are so busy and constantly disturbing the soil it becomes difficult to plant spring bulbs in the garden. The squirrels are determined and unstoppable.

Gladiolas, Dahlias and other tender bulbs should be dug up before the ground freezes, and stored in a cool, dark area. Dahlia and Begonia tubers should be stored in a box of slightly moist peat moss. Gladiola corms can be stored in a paper bag without additional packing.

Lawns

Continue to mow lawn at 2 inches until grass is dormant.

More Blooms in June -2011 - Purple Flowers

This the entrance to my home -

As you can see I love purple flowers

The Blue False Indigo Plant

False Indigo

My neighbor's little dog 'Spice' poses in the Peace Garden

Japanese Iris

Purple Columbine -Aquilegia

Bearded Iris

Japanese Iris line the pathway.

Blooms in June - 2011

Clematis (Nelly Moser)

Clematis ‘Nelly Moser’ is an heirloom hybrid gardened since 1897, & developed from Clematis lanuginosa , a Chinese species. The breeder was Marcel Moser of Versailles, France. He took his first bar-flowered hybrid, named for himself, & crossed 'Marcel Moser' with 'Belisaire,' and arrived at the name 'Nelly Moser.'

This perennial is easy to grow. If you open your hand as wide as you can stretch your fingers, you'll have before you the size of the flowers on a 'Nelly Moser' clematis.

I usually leave them outside on the vine but this year a stem broke off and I put it in a vase in the kitchen. As you can see when they did bloom they look really beautiful.

Cleome Spinosa

I plant very few annuals but I usually have a bed of Cleome Spinosa (Spider Flower)

Those above are just blooming but as the summer progresses they can get to 4ft tall and need no special attention.

They are propagated by seed. They love full sun but can thrive in half-shade also. Originated in Tropical America and were introduced into Britain in 1817.

They have a very strong odor and are sometimes referred to as the Gas Plant

Two winters ago I planted three Allium Grandiflora Lily bulbs. I had purchased the Allium at our local community co-op, Urban Roots. I was not sure what to expect but last Spring three came up and were small but beautiful.

This Spring they reproduced and multiplied in number. Six beautiful blooms came in bloom and they were very tall. Absolutely magnificent!

Now for the sad part of this story - they had been in bloom for only three days -

people were stopping by to admire them.

This morning when I went outside they were all missing. When I investigated I found them all on the ground scattered around in front of the house next door to me.

They had all been picked at the bottom of the stem but whoever did it threw them away. I can only guess that it may have been children - it was very disappointing to see them destroyed. I have not had an experience like this before but I have friends who have told me that people pick their garden flowers all the time without permission.

I miss them already :-(

Visitors to the Peace Garden

Last week I was so surprised to see this visitor to my garden.

Walking around upright he is about 5 feet tall and as you can see he

is a very large bird. I am guessing that he is a Wild Turkey.

I ran to get my camera and he jumped into the tree. He just seemed cautious, definitely did not appear to be afraid. I left after awhile so I have no idea how long he was in the tree or where he came from.

I live in central downtown Buffalo so this was a very unusual, but welcome,

visitor to the Peace Garden.

And then...........two days later I look outside and observe this very large

Rabbit hopping around in my garden.

As you can see, he was looking at me but did not scamper away.

Now I know that my friends who live in the country probably see such visitors

frequently, but as I mentioned before, I live downtown, in a very

busy area, so forgive me for my excitement.

Could it be that they were just lost - or do you think they are hungry?

Is there a food shortage going on in the wildlife world that I am not

aware of?

Anyway, they both brought me joy :-)

peacesojourner

The Entranceway to my Home - Blooms in May

Hello friends!

I am glad to be back on the Peace Garden after a very long winter and a wet and chilly spring.

Today is reported to be the first day of uninterrupted sunshine in my town.

Yes, there has been so much rain that it has been difficult to work outside but most of us have been busy planning our window boxes and plant containers.

This window box is near my front door but also in my bedroom window. It is filled with pansies, impatiens, alyssum, petunias and vinca vines. It is the first thing that I see when I wake in the morning and I enjoy the view every day.

Here are some photos of my front porch as you enter my home.

All of the flowers here are annuals.

Nicotiana and petunias

Note the sweet potato vine in this planter - by the end of the season it will be trailing on the ground - It is a great accent to add to plant containers.

This hanging basket was a gift from my family on Mother's Day. :-)

I look forward to chatting with you over the next few months.

peacesojourner

Blooms in May - 2011

Some of the first perennials are coming to life.

They have been snuggled under the heavy snow drifts for several months.

Mother Nature is just so amazing

Always one of the first flowers to bloom - Purple Columbine (Aquilegia)

The street that I live on is lined with Chestnut trees.

This one is directly in front of my house.

Two squirrels live in the tree in a well placed hole in the tree trunk. In the warm weather they live in a nest in the higher branches but when they are gathering nuts for the winter months they spend a lot of time in the tree trunk.

I enjoy observing them - they are so busy, playful and amusing to watch.

Ajuga - a beautiful ground cover that is great for those hard

to care for places in the garden. Also known as Bugle Weed.

Hooray Spring is Here -

Hooray Spring is Here!

Happy Spring to You -

especially to my friends who live in the colder climates :-)

Can't wait to see the Spring flowers and to get my hands in the soil !

peacesojourner

A Winter Scene in the Peace Garden

This is my favorite seat in the Peace Garden during the summer months.

Photos were taken a few days ago - I am constantly dreaming

of Spring flowers which I know are hiding under the beds of snow.

View of the back garden through the bedroom window.

Just 8 days and a wake up until the first day of Spring.