Wrap Yourself in Daisies

Posted on October 29, 2014 by Benjamin

Painted Daisy1 “Once we believe in ourselves, we can risk curiosity, wonder, spontaneous delight, or any experience that reveals the human spirit…” ~e.e.cummings.

Ms. Professor and I grew our first patch of these confident little daisies (actually Chrysanthemum carinatum) this year. They’ll definitely be back next year. While they weren’t very prolific, they more than made up for that with color that makes your eyes happy just looking at them–I can’t look at them without smiling. If you could make a quilt, duplicating the color and design of these beauties, you could wrap up in it anytime you needed a little pick-me-up and instantly feel better. Hmmm, million-dollar idea?

Part of the reason for thePainted Daisy2ir lack of abundance, I’m sure, was my procrastination getting the seeds started, and then further procrastination getting the seedlings in the ground. It should come as no surprise to you, Dear Reader, that this post should have been written at least a month and half ago. You may start to notice a pattern. Alas, a sense of urgency in the gardening department is not something I’ve been blessed with. Of course, as the father of two busy kids, toiling in the soil sometimes gets pushed to the bottom of the to-do list. At least, that’s how I rationalize it.

Luckily, soon I’ll be blessed with lots of winter days to leisurely peruse seed catalogs and begin to plot next year’s plantings. I’ll go ahead and put a check mark by “Order Painted Daisy Seeds.” There, one task already ticked off the to-do list already…

What’s on your hits and misses list? What did you try this year that will be making an encore next season?

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Cosmos: A Gardentime Odyssey

Posted on October 21, 2014 by Benjamin

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“Let’s go wait out in the fields of the ones we love…” ~The National

As the flowers wind down for the year, petals shriveling, stems and leaves hunched against the chilly October mornings, the Cosmos is still radiant, shooting up new growth. Flower buds keep forming, despite the colder temperatures and shortened days.

I like that Cosmos never gives up. Once they get going, it’s on, boy, ’til the frost comes. I love the lacy texture of their leaves and their sunny dispositions. Combined with a blue October sky, they’re a sign from the universe that life can be good. The bees and butterflies love ’em too.

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And I like the name. “Cosmos” from the Greek kosmos, meaning harmony or balance–We can all use a little (or a lot) of that. Some might argue that a patch of Cosmos might better represent chaos, with their gangly habits and wild growth, but if you look closely you’ll notice an even number of petals on each flower, a beautiful symmetry, and maybe even the mysteries of the universe unraveled in their faces.

This is our first time growing the tubular-petaled Cosmos bipinnatus, Seashells. It won’t be the last. We’re already plotting how to fit more into the landscape for next year.

What’s your favorite variety of Cosmos? They’re all so beautiful, its hard to choose…

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Bees & The Sweetness of October

Posted on October 14, 2014 by Benjamin

Coneflower Bee1

“Bees do have a smell, you know, and if they don’t they should, for their feet are dusted with spices from a million flowers.” ― Ray Bradbury, Dandelion Wine

October is the month that always seems to pass too quickly for us. In our part of the Ohio River Valley, the mornings have only the slightest chill, the days are usually sunny and warm but not hot. And the skies are a shade of blue that can break your heart. It’s a beautiful month.

In the early mornings, the bees are moving slowly, the chilly air cooling their ardor a bit. But they soon take full advantage of the afternoon sun, gathering all the nectar they can before Jack Frost comes along and does what he does.

We’ve had a few warmer days lately (almost summer-like) and a few people like to say it’s “Indian Summer” but my Granny always said the real Indian Summer comes after a hard frost and at least a few days of a shivering cold. She would scoff at the idea (at least in our neck of the woods) of an Indian Summer in October. And skeptical of any before Thanksgiving.

I like those old “Farmer’s Almanac” kind of terms like Indian Summer and Blackberry Winter. Blackberry Winter is a cold snap that comes in the spring after a spell of warm weather. It’s nipped more than a few of our seedlings we impatiently stuck in the ground in a fit of spring fever. Spring affects our judgement, what can we say.

But spring is a long way away. And we’ve the whole winter to get through.

So stay busy, little bees. Frosty November will be upon us soon enough.

Have you had your first frost yet? Is your garden put to bed and sleeping? And for our friends in the southern hemisphere, happy spring! We’re living vicariously through you!

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Road Closed (to the Less Than Intrepid)

Posted on October 7, 2014 by Benjamin

Road Closed

How do you handle life’s bumps in the road? Stop and turn around? Find a new route? Or pull on your wellies and plow through?

Different problems call for different solutions and there’s no magical skeleton key that unlocks every door…Unless its true grit and dogged determination…And sometimes even that doesn’t work. But at least you know you gave it your best shot.

I liked the metaphor in this photo (for Cee’s photo challenge), taken in western Kentucky during a flood a few springs ago. If you’ll look closely, you’ll see a couple of brave souls wading through the water, slogging on through to wherever they’re going. A nice reminder to be persistent in the face of adversity, no matter the route you take.

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The Bittersweet Melancholy of Summer’s End…

Posted on September 29, 2014 by Benjamin

sunflower

What good is the warmth of summer, without the cold of winter to give it sweetness.~John Steinbeck

September and the remains of summer have all but slipped away.

The warm spell we’re experiencing in our part of the Ohio River Valley these last couple of weeks in September are nice, but the warmth is not fooling anyone. Especially the squirrels in our backyard, who have started storing food with a vengeance. They know winter is coming.

The shortening days tell something in that little squirrel brain to start stealing as many sunflower seeds from the bird feeder as they can. Their hiding place of choice? The carefully tended potted plants on our deck. I’m sure the squirrels don’t understand how close they are to transitioning from cute, funny wildlife we enjoy watching from our window to pestilent rodents which should be wiped from the face of the earth. They haven’t quite reached the tipping point yet, but there are some days when it’s pretty darn close. Especially when we find a poor plant lying and dying on the deck next to its recently excavated home.

The September fields are still shining with Goldenrod. (Kentucky’s state flower and the bane of Professor M’s seasonal-allergy-afflicted existence.) But they’ll last until we get a good frost. We’ve experienced such  strange weather this year so far, I’m curious when the first hard frost will actually happen.

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The shortening days are causing the herb garden to bolt as well. Despite the constant pinching back, the basil and cilantro are doing their best to set seed. This is the time of year when I usually give up and just make huge batches of pesto and guacamole. Time for us to start storing a few foodstuffs away for winter ourselves.

Make hay while the sun shines, as they say.

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A Swiftly Tilting Planet and the Autumnal Equinox

Posted on September 23, 2014 by Benjamin

Foxtail

This swiftly tilting planet (to steal a phrase from Madeleine L’Engle) is approaching equilibrium again today, giving us equal servings of light and darkness. And now those of us in the Northern Hemisphere begin our journey into night and winter and cold. Not exactly time to get out out the woolies yet, but at least identify where we stashed them last spring.

There are still a few of hazy-golden days of September left. If April is the cruelest month,  September must be the kindest–at least in my part of the world. The light is beautiful, soft after the harsher glare of July and August. Blue skies. Green Fields. And the leaves on the trees are just starting to concoct the idea of turning color. If you squint your eyes, you can almost make out the shade they’re planning on becoming.Blue Sky and Clouds

It is soccer season for the kids, so we stash a couple of sweatshirts (and maybe a blanket) in the car…spectating can be frosty work. Some of those games don’t end before the evening chill sets in. It pays to be prepared, a lesson we’ve learned the hard way.

In the garden, we’re starting to think about changes to the perennial beds and borders. Plus its a good time of year to pick up bargains at the garden center, so we might find a few goodies to tuck in here and there. We’re hoping to find a Crepe Myrtle (Lythraceae indica) on the cheap. Fingers crossed!

Our Trumpet Vine (Campsis radicand) needs moved…just not sure to where yet but t’s outgrown the bed its in. I’m debating how much to prune before we move it, especially since it blooms on old wood. This was the first season we’ve gotten tons of flowers on itso it’d be a shame to start from scratch again.

A couple of the large trees in our back yard will have to come down soon. I’m afraid they’ll fall on their own this winter and land someplace inconvenient so I’d better cut them down myself. Hopefully I’ll be able to coax them to fall where they can do the least amount of damage (that’s the plan anyway.) This is one of those tasks that intimidates me; I’ve found a hundred excuses to put it off. Perhaps by writing it here it’ll give me the courage to fire up chainsaw and axe.

So Happy Autumnal Equinox, my friends. We’ll celebrate with a campfire and toasted marshmallows and perhaps some s’mores. And maybe a hard cider or two. Cheers!

Do you have any favorite ways to celebrate the arrival of Autumn? What’s your favorite thing about the season?

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Summer’s Ghosts

Posted on September 19, 2014 by Benjamin

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“We know that in September, we will wander through the warm winds of summer’s wreckage. We will welcome summer’s ghost.”~Henry Rollins

September has been beautiful in our part of the Ohio River Valley…Except for the allergens. This part of the world is ground zero for hay fever and this time of year is high tide. (Am I mixing my metaphors?)

The weather begs us to open the windows and let in the cool breezes but the pollen that tags along with it sends our family into impromptu sneezing contests. Ragweed is most likely the culprit, although my wife is also allergic to goldenrod. Pity, because I’d really love to bring in big bundles of the gorgeous stuff to fill vases, mason jars and whatever else I could find with it. Not worth the assault on our sinuses, though.

So despite the pollen in the air, this is a busy time in the garden, too. Lots of stuff to do as summer ends and autumn begins. So we load up on allergy meds and antihistamines, don our work gloves and have at it, sneezing be darned.

Have you started prepping your gardens for fall yet? And is hay fever a problem in your neck of the woods?

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Gardening Home Away From Home

Posted on September 11, 2014 by Benjamin

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Whenever we go on holiday, we like to scout out the cool garden shops in the places we’re visiting. Sometimes it takes a little bargaining with the kids. “We’ll give you 4 hours at the waterpark for an hour of not constantly whining ‘can we go now’ while we’re at the garden store.” And when you find a really neat garden shop, one that reflects the culture and nature of the place you’re visiting, it’s so worth it.

photo 3I remember visiting Southern California a few years ago and finding this great shop in Laguna Beach while driving up the coast. I think this is when we had the idea to seek out garden stores when we’re on the road to see what the local gardening “flavor” was like. Now we’re hooked. And its great fun to bring home mementos of our travels from these shops. Much nicer than the standard T-shirts and snow globes and loads of dirty laundry.

But it’s fun to seek out the shops in our own neck of the woods, too. And while convenience and proximity to home trumps most other considerations for regular visits, we have found really cool shops like this one within our hunting and gathering radius. On the odd Saturday that doesn’t find us shepherding the kids to the soccer pitch, we plan on discovering a few more this fall.

photo 2As I’m writing this I’m thinking this might need to be a theme-Cool garden shops we have loved ©,®,™, etc, etc. Might make for a few interesting posts.

Ever come across a spectacular garden shop in your travels? I’d love to hear about it!

 

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End of Month View-August 2014

Posted on September 2, 2014 by Benjamin

flower bed

August ended the way it usually does for us in this part of the Ohio River Valley–Hot, humid, a thunderstorm or two. The days are noticeably shorter now, and the plants have noticed. A burst of productivity in the vegetable garden and lots of plants setting seed in the flower beds let us know that summer is drawing to a close.

Despite the heat, we can smell autumn around the edges of each day.

The Purple Coneflowers are not so purple anymore, faded by the sun and feasted on by any number of hungry bugs. Still quite striking in form, they’re making lots of seeds to ensure a good stand next year.Faded Coneflowers

The  Rudbeckia are finally tiring after being pretty darn spectacular all summer.Black-eyed susans

This Painted Daisy must’ve been as delicious as it was beautiful.Painted Daisy

And Miss Cleome is still quite spectacular.cleome

Mexican Sour Gherkins

 

Mexican Sour Gherkin, new to the garden this year, is a tiny cucumber about the size of a large olive and quite lemony in flavor. It makes an interesting addition to salads and martinis. The vines are nice, too, dainty and not prickly like a standard cuke.

Romanian Pepper

 

Also new this year, a Romanian Sweet Pepper, Antohi Romanian. This one will be back next year, I’m sure.

Boom time in the tomato patch. We’ve been gorging on Black Krim, Cherokee Purples, Mr. Stripeys, and others. Unfortunately, a combination of laziness and finding the perfect location resulted in not rotating the tomato patch this year like we should have; Late Wilt and perhaps Verticillum Wilt found its way into the beds. Mea Culpa. Never underestimate the importance of rotating crops.Tomato plate

Thanks to Helen, over at The Patient Gardener for hosting this meme. It makes for a good excuse to get out in the garden and take a monthly inventory, make some notes, and perhaps, improve things for next year. (Note to self: Rotate the tomatoes!)

Have you made any discoveries or special notes this year? Anything you want to add to or discard from next years lineup? And for you folks in the Southern Hemisphere, trying anything new this year?

Bon Chance!

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August and Everything After

Posted on August 25, 2014 by Benjamin

DSC_0182August surprised us this year in our part of the Ohio River Valley. Mild temperatures in the 70’s and 80’s (F) are unusual during what we usually refer to as the “dog days of summer.” Felt much like late September. It would have been a shame to face winter without a few of those miserably hot, stick-to-your-car-seat, never-stop-sweating days that make you contemplate moving as far north as you possible can. “Hello, Santa, Could I borrow a cup of eggnog?”

But, alas, summer has caught up with us with a stretch of 90-degree days and humidity levels usually found only under water.

The garden has reacted accordingly, with the tomatoes and peppers drinking in the heat and exhibiting the remarkable fecundity that August usually produces in the garden. It smells of green hotness and dank vegetal matter, what I imagine it smelled like when dinosaurs roamed an earth that was one big tropical rain forest.

TomatoesBut while the heat produces an abundance of garden goodies, the humidity can be a bit unkind to the peonies, zinnias and other plants susceptible to mildew. And a leaf fungus has taken hold in the tomato patch, eager to stop production before we are satiated on love apples. With any luck, we’ll be able to manage it at least for a few more weeks until the frost arrives.

My Granny used to warn me about the danger of snakes this time of year, more likely to bite than run slither away due to the effect of the heat on their cold-blooded bodies, resulting in hot tempers and a general lack of lack of conviviality. I took (and continue to take) her advice and avoid snakes during August (as well as the rest of the year.)

How’s the summer been in your neck of the woods? Has it been a productive year for your plants? Any particular success or failures due to the weather?

 

 

 

 

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