The rose mallow (Hibiscus lasiocarpos) next to the walkway has been a bit stick-like for a month or more. Dropping the lower leaves has left it less attractive than it was back in early August:
Fall is a great time to plant trees, shrubs, and perennials as I'm sure you've heard, but my trip to Greenscape Gardens this past weekend had a specific purpose. I wanted to get some kale into the veggie beds so I could overwinter it -- my most productive and successful edible strategy.
I admit that I haven't been filling the hummingbird feeder recently. I know it's completely dry, as it's probably been at least three weeks since I've touched it... probably more like 4 or 5. Since the hummingbirds are just about to leave for Mexico, or have already done so, it's critical that my garden provide them with fuel.
Today's taste of color is brought to you by the low angle of the morning sun, now arriving in my garden at a more reasonable hour, allowing me to capture more of it.
My first Wednesday Vignette post -- a meme hosted by Anna at Flutter and Hum -- takes a look at the most vibrant color in my front garden right now: orange!
Last week on the morning I woke up with this cold I went for a morning walk, hoping some exercise would help me shake the sick feeling. On the way back I passed a neighbor's mailbox planting for the 20th time this summer and the little flowers caught my eye:
It's been a few weeks since I've been able to build anything new for the garden, so this past weekend I got started on a simple design inspired by a stool I saw while in Amsterdam.
For the third year in a row I spent a September week in Amsterdam. Since I was there for work I didn't bring my good camera, and only snapped shots of things that interested me. Nothing of the city itself, mainly plant and garden related subjects.
If you follow me on Instagram you'll know that I saw a nice fat female mantis in the ribbon bush yesterday afternoon. One reason that late summer is so wonderful to me is that it has all of the best insect life (except for baby mantises, which are probably the most fun insects and hatch in June)
"Do we have any garlic chives?" was the question my wife asked me last week. She was baking some savory scones and thought that garlic chives would make a nice combination with gouda cheese.
I want to talk about a wildflower that is a boon to the late summer/early autumn garden today: Eupatorium serotinum or "Late Boneset". Most people call this a weed, but I think its multitude of small white flowers is beautiful!
If you may remember, this year I let the common milkweed (Asclepias syriaca) grow a bit wild. This plant spreads by rhizomes to form colonies, and I let it for the most part, removing only those stems that came up in the middle of the path.
Random things from around the garden, starting with milkweed bugs (Oncopeltus fasciatus), not yet mature (nymphs):
As my lawn is quite long right now, in the morning I can see turtle trails in the grass/weeds/whatever. I don't see the turtles themselves very often...
I've been wondering if I've made a mistake this year with one of my bamboos. This Pleioblastus shibuyanus 'Tsuboi' was looking like a nice little clump last year...
It's been quite hot here in St. Louis for the last week or so, and dry. Well, "dry" is maybe not descriptive enough, so I'll clarify by saying that although it's been very humid there has been no rain for a while.
Yes this is another trashcan rebuild. Yes I gave the post title movie sequel-style roman numbering in the hopes of building a bit more excitement (and to set the precedent so that "Trashcan makeover XXIV" beomes a possibility sometime in the distant future).
One of those days when I feel the urge to look at the garden a little differently, and don't have any thing to say.
One thing that most gardeners don't enjoy talking about is watering. Many have irrigation systems, and drip systems are essential where water conservation is a top priority or where the air is extra dry, but for me watering means hoses.
I have more questions, some of which I actually need answers to. Let's start with animals.
This might be my favorite time of the year in the garden!
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