It's Not Work, It's Gardening!: September 2014

Melons

>> Tuesday, September 30, 2014 – fruit, melons

At the start of this month I posted about the melons that I'm growing in containers on my deck. At the time I was concerned that there wouldn't be enough time for any of these fruits to ripen, that the cold weather would arrive too soon.

Well, we've had a remarkably warm September, and the fruits are now ready! The harvest has been small, with each plant producing only one or two useful melons, but since that's the most I've ever gotten from a melon plant anyway, I'm happy with a small harvest!

More jewels

>> Friday, September 26, 2014 – blooms, seeds

Jewels of Opar is not the only plant that's producing masses of tiny red gems in my garden right now.

The genus that really takes over the garden in early autumn is Persicaria, with Persicaria virginiana 'Painter's Palette' taking the stage in the front garden with its diminutive blooms.

One-word Wednesday: Jewels

>> Wednesday, September 24, 2014 – blooms, macro, seeds

Surprises

>> Tuesday, September 23, 2014 – castor bean, discovery, vines

Today I want to talk about some things in the garden that have surprised me recently. Starting with this passionflower vine...

...growing into the bathroom window. On the second floor. I have no idea how it's supporting itself to get this high, since there is no trellis here, and they climb by tendrils, not sticky pads.

A place to stand

>> Monday, September 22, 2014 – project, stones

Back in the garden this weekend after more than 10 days, and the cool weather inspired me to do some digging. As most of these projects go, we start with a quite boring "before" photo:

This is the point where the original walkway to the front door meets the driveway. As you may already know, I created the walkway that connects to the street a couple of years ago, but this is the path that we take when the car is parked on the driveway. It's awkward.

Just looking

>> Friday, September 19, 2014 – bamboo, castor bean, grasses

I thought I'd end the week with a few views that I particularly like in the garden right now.

The southeast corner of the house is really coming together, even though I need to remove the climbing rose that is hidden from view by the papyrus in this shot. What would I do without grasses?

Love this vine!

>> Thursday, September 18, 2014 – blooms, fruit, vines

I post about the maypop (Passiflora ~~involucrata~~ incarnata) vine a few times each year, but I just can't help it. The blooms are so beautiful, intricate, and fragrant, the vine is vigorous and attractive...

What's not to love about this cold-hardy native?

What is it? Fish food!

>> Wednesday, September 17, 2014 – insects

Do you know what this is? I'm talking about the little squiggles in the bottom of the cup.

For a hint, this is some rainwater that was left standing for a few days (it picked up some tea-like coloring from soil or leaves). If you said "mosquito larvae" you're right!

A few nice combos

>> Tuesday, September 16, 2014 – castor bean, foliage

Just a few nice plant combos today, where fine texture and big leaves meet.

Mexican feather grass and clary sage. Both small plants but we'll see what happens next year...

Nothing to report

>> Monday, September 15, 2014 – turtle

Remember a few months back when I saw the turtle making a nest and laying eggs? I had read that they turtles usually emerge 90 days after laying.

I have to report: nothing happening so far.

What color are they?

>> Friday, September 12, 2014 – color, foliage

So here's a question: what color are these castor bean plants? Obviously they're green, right?

This is the view of my garden as you approach, driving up the street, walking your dog, or just taking a stroll. Nothing makes big leaves more impressive than a little sun-powered backlighting!

Relax

>> Thursday, September 11, 2014 – water

For the next week or so, posts may be a little on the short side. Work is hectic and some travel is involved, so blogging time will be limited. Plus I need to slow down a bit, relax.

Like a Tillandsia soaking in a tub, I will enjoy the end of summer, letting stresses float away.

Look up -- I mean down!

>> Wednesday, September 10, 2014 – bird's-eye view

It's that time of the year again. The time when the castor beans are big and wonderful, the grasses are for the most part at their peak, and there's too much going on above eye level that I'm missing out on.

In other words, it's time for the bird's-eye view of the garden again! (Time for the camera to go up on the pole.)

Take a chance?

>> Tuesday, September 9, 2014 – foliage

I have a question for those of you who garden and sometimes make "questionable" plant purchases. By that I mean: plants that might not be right for your garden's conditions or your climate, things that you know might someday get out of hand, things that might be a little dangerous, or things that are just kind of expensive.

I'm considering making one of those "questionable" purchases very soon. As in the next day or two. And yes, for those of you who know the plant shown above, it's Tetrapanax papyrifer.

Work crew means trouble

>> Monday, September 8, 2014 – damage

We had the shingles on our roof replaced last week. Anybody who has had exterior work on their house knows that the plants are not the crew's main concern, and I knew this before the work started. I had prepared myself mentally (and emotionally) for some damage.

What I always forget though is that those who are not gardeners usually don't understand which plants can take some abuse and which really don't want to be fiddled with, be it hand, rake or whatever. So you sometimes get lucky and shingles are dropped on the right kind of plant (like bamboo above). Usually though you're not that lucky.

Quiet Banana Plant Morning

>> Thursday, September 4, 2014 – bananas

A couple of new leaves just unfurled on the Musa basjoo, and they caught the morning sun so well...

...I just had to share.

It grows, a melon

>> Wednesday, September 3, 2014 – cats, melons

I have abandoned my veggie beds. The tomato plants, beet greens, cucumbers and melons are now for the deer -- since they've been helping themselves this summer anyway. I've realized that the place where my edibles grow is just too far from the house to be on my mind much. You can't even see it from the deck, and out of sight, out of mind.

Since I couldn't give up on growing food entirely, I put several containers of melons on the deck this summer (along with more potted herbs that have been there since the spring). Here's a look at them, as they advance from blossom to fruit.

Resisting the deer

>> Tuesday, September 2, 2014 – deer

Like many gardeners, I deal with deer on an almost daily basis. I say "almost" because sometimes I don't notice any damage that they've done, because definitely they're in my garden a couple of times on any day.

This raised bed outside the kitchen window is one spot that the deer have influenced, deciding for me what should be planted here. What I wanted it to be was a bed full of liatris (gayfeather) and echinacea (purple coneflower), two of my favorite native plants that I'd see several times a day when at the kitchen sink.

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