While I was in my garden this morning, my neighbor came over to ask if I needed some Joe Pye weed plants. I said yes having dug most of mine out several years ago in a fit of who knows what. And regretted it ever since. The large clump she is dividing originally came from me. I just love that.
As we were chatting, my neighbor said that the last rain we had was on August 7. She works for a landscaper so her boss should know.
This weekend’s chore was cutting back the large clumps of grasses and dividing them. Not the right time to cut them back and not optimal dividing weather because it is so dry. But it needs to be done. I am having cataract surgery in early October. The right eye and then two weeks later the left. I am told I shouldn’t lift, bend, or be anyplace dusty for several weeks after each procedure. The first surgery is Oct 9 so I figure I will be out of the garden for about six weeks. By that time it will be colder, so I need to get some of these things done.
Another clump was dug and divided yesterday. Division took the husband hefting an ax. I dug the hole and put buckets of water in it and left it over night. The section I was replanting went into a large plastic busing tray of water and so the root ball could soak all the way through. It was replanted this morning.
2. Pink Muhly grass in a container is blooming. This was originally three plants which were in an area that one year got too much water. I dug them out and put them in a container. They really need to be in the ground but I’m just not sure where to put them.
3. The section of the grass where I added soil and seed is coming along. There seem to be some bare patches I’ll need to shake more seeds on. The large area where we removed the raised beds was seeded two weeks after this section. It is now hinting green.
4. Leaves are beginning to come down from the maples and I am seeing some fall color on this chokeberry. I took the photo after having the sprinkler on in that area, hence the drops of water.
5. The asters against the goldenrod are a treat for the eye.
6. A knockout rose in the front of the house is supposed to be all pink. I suppose the pink must be grafted on root stock that has red blooms.
That’s my Six on Saturday. We are now officially in fall. The meme was started by The Propagator, a UK gardener. I learn something every week from the participating gardeners. This is the link to the rules if you’d like to join in.
#lovemygarden
Mala, sorry to hear about your lack of rain. Ugh. Of course I’d share, as our September has held 4x the normal year, although what’s “normal” now is in flux. Some of your beauties I grow, like the chokeberry (looks great mixed with dahlias!) and goldenrod (new to my garden this year). Has your goldenrod behaved? Is it ‘Fireworks’?
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I don’t know goldenrod cultivar but it spreads and lights up my garden this dry, dry year. It’s a keeper. I suspect dry summers are in our future. And that was after a wetter than normal spring. Hard to figure out what to plant.
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We’ve had the other extreme in the UK of too much rain. Weeks of none then plants collapsing under the rain.
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The surgery of the cataract gives excellent results and you will see the change (literally as well as figuratively)! Fall and winter will be more favorable for you (and you will also be able to wear safety glasses, just in case …). Pretty roses though!
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My husband had his eyes done several years ago and now has the best vision he’s ever had. People tell me colors will be more vibrant. I’m excited to get them done, but racing to finish yard work.
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So beautiful, you should sell tickets to view it. I love seeing pictures of your garden, it is so calming to me. We have had too much heat this year, watering things (even the grass) would cost a fortune.
Thanks for sharing that beauty.
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Thanks for the kind words, Ron. Our grass is the last thing I water, but I really don’t want to lose some of the shrubs. The goldenrod is wonderful this year. If these dry, hot summers continue there will be more and more goldenrod in the garden.
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Good luck with your eye surgery, you can compare notes with Chris up in Canada. You just need to average out your weather, I seem to remember you had a LOT of rain back in the spring.
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We did have way too much rain in the spring and I lost plants to the wet. Now too dry for too long. Stressing even the big trees. If this keeps up I will have to rethink how to garden in the mid-Atlantic.
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I am sorry I missed these last week. It may be a long while before I catch up with today.
Chokeberries are enviable. They are not native here. I can purchase them from mail order catalogues, but that rubs me the wrong way. I suppose that if I want to grow them, I will need to purchase them that way, since there are no other sources here.
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