Signs and Portents

Prematurely turned leaf of Geranium maculatum

Last night I dreamed of frost. This was a prophetic dream, if for no other reason than the immutable fact that there will be a frost here at Squirrelhaven, sooner or later. The earliest frost I've recorded in the past 15 years was October 1st, while the average first frost occurs late in October. But the current temperatures with highs only in the 60s F (16C) and forecasted lows in the 40sF (5C) makes it feel like late September, instead of the end of August. I don't know if this is an omen of an early frost.

Meteorological autumn begins in two days, and the signs of autumn are clear and unmistakable now. Some signs are subtle, such as the red tint showing in the grasses: Little Bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium)and Prairie Dropseed (Sporabolus heterolepsis),
and the tinting of foliage: Ruellia humilis.
More obvious is the foliage of some shrubs, starting to show its chlorophyll-less color: Physocarpus opulifolius 'Monlo' (Diablo)
Hydrangea quercifolia 'Little Honey'
Cornus alternifolia.
In the shade garden, the perennials show even more color: Bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis)
Hepatica nobilis var. acuta
and the Geraniums (top photo).

The Cottonwood and the Boxelders (Acer negundo) are beginning to shed yellow leaves, setting off the exquisite blue flowers of Ceratostigma plumbaginoides.

The garden is at once winding down and heating up. Farewell, Summer, you were a good one.

What signs of autumn are visible in your garden?

Spotlight on Spikenard

I don't usually do plant profiles, but I learned something new about one of my favorite native shade garden plants, Aralia racemosa a/k/a Spikenard. It will grow in full sun.(I apologize for the quality of these two photos, which were taken in the middle of a sunny day.) I noticed this magnificent 5 foot specimen in the display garden at Midwest Groundcovers* (that's a 7 foot tall sunflower behind it), where I was privileged to attend a special open day for garden writers. (Hopefully, more on that later.)

Spikenard is a perennial masquerading as a shrub. Mine is fairly small because I'm depriving it of the moisture it craves.

It's about 3 1/2 feet tall and 6 feet wide. It has these funky flowers, and then these flashy berries. This plant is a member of the ginseng family and purportedly has spicy roots from which root beer was made (I've never tried). It is listed as Zones 3 to 9, and is found growing wild in eastern Canada down to every State east of the Mississippi except for Florida, most of the Plains States, Missouri and Mississippi. Clearly it's a fairly adaptable plant, has few pest or disease problems, and has yellow fall foliage. It's time this plant was better known.

*Our tour guide, Kevin, blogs about the display gardens here.

Like a Box of Chocolates

That's what a packet of seeds is - you never know what you'll get.

original

extra-crispy

I think I like this rogue even better than the original purple of the 'Black Peony' Poppy.

Ending the Summer Vacation of My Discontent

Summer break is almost over, with school starting up again next week, and major gardening begun today. I got tired of looking at the ratty summer foliage of Iris cristata, so I decided to hide it under Geranium 'Rozanne.' Of course this required major digging and soil improvement and the moving of 5 other plants and the planting of one of the plants I purchased back in May. (And people wonder why it takes me so long to plant anything.) Before:and after: The back path and former pit are now a sunken garden, requiring the removal of all the plants I planted there, the addition of several bags of topsoil, and the re-installation of the plants. One Tricyrtis has been in a pot all summer, still waiting to go into the ground. Notice the large chunk of concrete in the above photo. I still haven't gotten rid of it all yet. I'm hoping, once school starts, I'll have more time to get things done (both in and out of the garden).
Disease rears its ugly head in August, and this is an annual event with the Monkshood (Aconitum carmichaelii).I should just dig it all out and start over with new plants.
While my jalapeno pepper is producing fruit at an astonishing rate, the yellow Bell pepper is having serious problems.I suspect this is the result of my poor watering practices, but if anybody knows the cause, please tell me. I have yet to harvest a fruit, but it looks like I might get a few.

The garden is tired and ragged looking (much like my summer wardrobe), and I'm looking forward to the refreshing days of autumn.

Down on Your Knees

That's the theme of this month's Picture This photo contest at Gardening Gone Wild. Pop over there to find the list of some amazing photos. This theme was difficult for me because there were too many choices. I seem to take a majority of my photos from my knees, crouched down, sitting, or even lying down in the garden. So, here's the shot on which I've finally decided.

Dr. Pangloss on Environmentalism

"'That's true enough,' said Candide; 'but we must go and work in the garden.'"

At a recent gardening-related function, I was privileged to listen to the keynote speech by the learned ecologist Dr. Pangloss, which was sponsored by a chemical company. According to Dr. Pangloss, sustainability can be achieved through changes in behaviour and advances in technology. For example, use of the pesticide DDT is good in malaria-prone areas and does not harm people or the environment. Many lives have been saved.

Dr. Pangloss further explained that Genetically Modified (GMO) crops are the answer to all our problems. Farmers are leading the way in reversing outmoded laws banning these wonderful crops. Why should cotton farmers in India diversify their farming to defeat a pest, when they can grow a genetically modified crop that is resistant? The Indian government agreed, and now all the farmers are happy growing GMO cotton, which can be made into clothes for us to buy more cheaply because the farmers have higher yields and don't have to pay for pesticides. GMOs mean more food and lesser pesticide use, so it's win/win.

Besides, pesticide use on fruits and vegetables isn't harmful. It's worse for your health not to eat any fruits and veggies or fewer of them because you can't afford organic, than to eat pesticide-coated fruits and veggies. Moreover, under USDA rules, "organic" fruits and veggies are allowed to be treated with lots of chemicals, so what's the point anyway?

And Dr. Pangloss doesn't want us to worry about all this global warming nonsense. In point of fact, compared to the range of temperatures over the Earth's history, we're actually in an ice age. But even if we weren't, a little warming is a good thing: it would be great to grow bananas in Alberta, Canada. And is the melting of the glaciers really a bad thing? Think about it: it would flood out New York City, which I'm sure we all agree is no great loss. Heck, they can't even make pizza right there. New Orleans, L.A. and San Francisco are modern-day Sodom and Gomorrahs, we're all better off without them. And, let's face it, there's just way too much skin shown in South Florida. And what's with all the dikes in the Netherlands? You can't tell me that's natural.

Yes, all is for the best, in the best of all possible worlds.

August Bloom Day -The 2d Blogaversary

Dear Friends and Readers,

I've been so busy with the kids and summer that I nearly forgot that today marks two full years of reports from Squirrelhaven and beyond. "Full" is a particularly apt description, as things have definitely been kicked up a notch in the past year. This adventure in blogging has led me to speaking at the Chicago Flower and Garden show, to meeting some truly amazing gardeners, and to strengthening old friendships and making new ones. I still have as many ideas for posts as ever, but once again, summer has kept me too busy to write them all down. But enough of the yapping, it's time for blooms.

Waltz with me:

A one - a dark-leaved fuschia Dahlia that looks orange in the sunrise light

Liatris spicata

Allium cernuum

Two-Tricyrtis 'Tojen' and 'Gilty Pleasure'

Echincea 'Twilight' and purpurea

Clematis 'Evisix' (Petit Faucon) and 'Silver Moon,' which has outdone itself this year, blooming continuous with a full flush

Geraniums nodosum 'Svelte Lilac' and 'Rozanne'

Hydrangea macrophylla 'Claudie' blooming on new wood, and two moods of faded Hydrangea quercifolia 'Snow Queen'

Three -

Lobelias 'Sparkle DeVine,' 'Monet Moment' and syphilitica

Phloxes 'Nicky,' 'David,' and 'Laura' (it only looks like a love triangle)

and yes, Asters: mystery plant from Heronswood, Eurybia divaricatus, and oblongifolius 'October Skies'

The old -Helleborus x hybridus 'Pink Lady,' Malva 'Zebrina,' and Verbena hastata

the new -
Hibiscus syriaca 'Red Heart,' Lycoris squameriga (for the first time in 8 years), Actaea racemosa, Lily 'Black Beauty'

the blue-
Ceratostigma plumbaginoides, Platycodon, Campanula 'Sarastro'

Everybody rhumba!
Sporabolus heterolepsis (Prairie Dropseed), Lobularia maritima, and Ruellia humilis

Coneflowers, Hemerocallis 'Super Purple,' and Campanula persicifolia 'Telham Blue'

Geranium 'Blogold' (Blue Sunrise), Lettuce 'Merlot,' and Osteospermum 'Lemon Symphony'

Lavandula 'Hidcote,' Consolida ambigua (Larkspur), and Rose 'Carefree Beauty' making an encore performance

Hosta 'Halycon' and Astilbe pumila

Also in bloom:

Campanula 'Samantha'

Campanula persicifolia 'Alba'

Clematis 'Evipo31' (Bonanza)

Clematis 'Madame Julia Correvon'

Clematis 'Rhapsody'

Corydalis 'Blackberry Wine'

Heuchera 'Palace Purple'

Heuchera 'Raspberry Ice'

Hosta 'Gold Standard'

Hosta 'June'

Hosta 'Krossa Regal'

Hosta 'Striptease'

Hosta 'Winfield Gold'

Hosta plantaginea

Papaver paeoniflorum 'Black Peony'

Stylophorum diphyllum

Take a trip around the world in flowers; visit Carol in Indiana at May Dreams Gardens then check out the list of other Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day posts.

From the DAISNAID* file: How Not to Train a Dogwood

Rosemarie, of Rosemarie's Garden, and I both bought a 'W. Stackman' (Golden Shadows) Pagoda Dogwood (Cornus alternifolia) at the Morton Arboretum sale last year and we each planted them in our gardens. She recently reported on the state of her Dogwood here. Hers looks like a tree. Mine looks like a mess (it even has a broken branch).

A groundcover shrub was not what I had in mind. But did I do anything to train or shape this little shrub? Of course not.

Clearly, I have been neglecting mine and it's time for some radical pruning.

And here is the finished product.

Ahh, much better now. Rule of thumb for training young shrubs, prune early, prune often.

*DAISNAID is an acronym for Do As I Say, Not As I Do