Just a quick post to share a couple of photos I took today. The garden looks to have begun its slow (maybe not so slow...I don't know?) slide towards fall. Drought stress and uneven watering may have hastened this progression. I see room for improvement in my watering technologies, that's for sure. But, then again, maybe I can just heap the lion's share of the "blame" on the change of seasons. It is, after all, nearly October already.
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| "Reverse View" taken from my neighbor's property, perpendicular to our front walk. This would be opposite to the view you'd see if you approached our front door on the path. I've got my game-day flag out--go Seahawks! |
The Cimicifuga seems to have faded/suffered sun scald practically overnight. Did I let it dry out or is it just that time of year? Its rich aubergine tones have been replaced by ochres and russets. One of my favorite combinations in this part of the garden is the Cimicifuga with the spikes of Digitalis parviflora "Hot Chocolate". It pleases me in Spring when the plants are fresh but also now, in shades of brown. This year, in fact, having given voice to this sentiment on multiple occasions, I decided to to double-up on a feature I like and filled a gap in the garden with another Cimicifuga and more Digitalis seedlings. So (yea!) you will now be treated to even more pictures of my favorite plant combo!
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| Close-up of the corner grouping. |
The Sedum "Autumn Joy" is coming into full bloom, much to the delight of honey bees. There are 8-9 plants in this swath and I've been toying with the idea of replacing a few of them with a duskier Sedum variety. This year I planted a couple of Penstemon "Dark Towers" to fill holes and to weave dark foliage throughout the border. I like the contribution their dark seed heads make to this scene (below).
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| A different view of the corner. |
So that's the state of the front garden. Soon (next time, maybe) I'll have some pictures of the back yard.
Happy early fall!
11 comments:
Looks great!
Happy Fall! My garden is sliding into fall as well, even though I've tried to be conscientious about watering. I'm going to have an enormous water bill, and yet it still isn't enough to keep things looking good. It's just not the same as real rain.
Hi Alison! I don't know what to do about the watering--the situation (what with the springs, the slopes, the clay, the hardpan, etc.) is just so odd--and potentially different all over the property. I've almost made up my mind to buy a water meter with a long probe so I can easily find out what is happening at root depth. Oh well, it IS fall, after all.
I agree about Autumn Joy. Mine are blooming with bright asters, and the colors are rather garish in my toned down garden. I'll be glad when they fade to russet. On watering, if it's a problem, my philosophy would be to change to plants that like your quirky conditions, but I realize that's a philosophical difference in approach.
Hi James! I know--"Autumn Joy" becomes so garish. I really have to avert my eyes until it gets over it and moves on to the russet tones.
We have been promised rain by tomorrow night. I am using it as an excuse to be a watering slacker. #@! Mom Nature better come through!
Hi Ricki! I never wait on the rain--too often, it's too little, too late. Neighbors probably think I am crazy out watering as it sprinkles...And then there are all the plantings that are under the eaves.
Irrigation is hard to get right - if you uncover its secret you must share. Using a meter to check soil moisture is probably effective but also time-consuming. I've tried a variety of strategies but none have been foolproof. I've thought of buying one of those expensive systems that runs on weather data but its, well, expensive. I'm currently trying a simplified approach suggested by alwayswatersmart.com. It's overly simplistic but I've been encouraged by the preliminary results running multiple cycles for shorter periods.
Hi Kris! Well, I'll check out the link you mentioned. I'm not wedded to any particular method as long as it achieves the result I want. Buying and using a moisture meter does seem a bit like a cop out, but I think I may be consistently misjudging what goes on at root depth.
I also have trouble with Cimcifuga. I thought mine had died last year from too little water. I was pleasantly surprised when they showed up in the spring. Now, just as they are about to bloom, the leaves seem to be getting crispy. I have not watered them but the soil where they are is reasonably moist, and frankly the plants in that area are not likely to get much supplemental watering.
Hi Jason! I was curious about how the garden was doing this year relative to the last and discovered that it is declining about 3 weeks in advance of where it was let year.
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