Blog Blather

Saturday, 9/8/07 The nights are getting cooler and arriving earlier - summer will soon be just a memory. I have mixed feelings about this, as I do every year. It means time is marching on (but I'm not growing older, I refuse!). It's the demise of long days with sunshine lingering for hours and hours. It's also the end of hot weather, which is fine with me - I'm not a fan of high temperatures. While I mourn the passing of one season, I welcome fall with joy! It has always been my favorite season of the year. The sun's lowering rays give a crisp edge to blue skies and yet they shine on the world with softness. Trees' leaves turn sunset hues and fall to the ground, waiting for my feet to come along and crunch among them. Fall meant back to school but I rarely minded that. It was the time for new beginnings and opportunities. Bright yellow Nbr. 2 pencils, notebooks not yet scribbled with my latest crush's name or inspiring quotes, and new clothes. As a gardener, I value fall even more because it is a great time of year to plant and transplant. That means I need new plants. So isn't it a wonderful thing that Le Tour des Plants is just around the corner! I attended this event last year and enjoyed it very much. I encourage you not to miss out on the bargains to be had and the display gardens to be seen. It's time to get your inspiration recharged and take advantage of fall before it's time to put away the garden tools and dream of spring. Perhaps we'll run into each other at one of the participating garden centers.

Tuesday, 9/4/07 I really don't like surprises in the morning. The rain last night weighed down my crape myrtle's bountiful, scrumptious blooms to the point that one branch couldn't take it any more and split, tearing into the trunk.

How badly did it tear? See for yourself. Yep, it's bad. I've asked a friend for advice, hoping that there's some way I can repair and save this branch. Keep your fingers crossed.

Sunday, 9/2/07 First the Farwest Show kept me busy. Then two rapidly approaching deadlines took my attention. And then wham-o, as if I didn't have enough to deal with, I was the lucky recipient of an emergency root canal Friday morning. It's still very painful, although not the jump-out-of-my-skin pain of Thursday night. The dentist told me it was so inflamed, that it will take several days to calm down. In the meantime, Advil and a vicodin now and then are getting me through. When the pain clears a bit, I ponder that it's rather amazing that something as tiny as a tooth can bring on such massive pain. However, I've had enough of that type of contemplation and I'm ready to heal. I have work to do! "What does all this have to do with gardening?" you ask. Well, simply put, pain causes restless nights, which result in me walking the house at odd hours and that leads to nighttime discoveries. This morning, about 5:00 am, throbbing pain woke me. Unable to sleep, I decided to get up and open windows to let in cool morning air (smoky night air from neighbors' fire pits prevented me from opening windows last night). As I reached to open the window in our family room, a streak of white just under the window caught my eye. I paused, giving my eyes time to adjust to the darkness to see what my mind already knew was there. A skunk was waddling through my garden, weaving its way through my ferns, rhodies and hostas, looking as if it knew the way quite well. It didn't pause to look at me and, as far as I could tell, it didn't slow or speed its gait. It continued on, oblivious to the woman behind the window, its behavior telling me that it owned my garden, at least at night. I've smelled skunk now and then at night. In fact, I smelled it last night about midnight when I cracked a window to see if it still smelled like smoke outside (it did). I know there are skunks in the neighborhood and I've long suspected one passed through our garden regularly. I recognize that, since I garden for wildlife, I'm going to get all kinds of wildlife. I don't have bouncers at my gate to keep out the unsavory sorts. As long as Mr (or was it Ms.?) Skunk keeps damage to a minimum and doesn't lift his tail in my garden, I'm okay with this nighttime visitor. I, however, hope to soon be sleeping through the night and leave the wee hours of the morning to him and other nighttime garden guests.

Tuesday, 8/28/07 Last week was jam-packed with activities surrounding the Farwest Show, listed as North America's top nursery & greenhouse industry trade on their website. I knew it was going to be a long week and I was right. But it was great fun and a wonderful learning experience, too. My adventures started last Tuesday when I served as a co-bus host with Michael McMahan of Fisher Farms, escorting 37 industry professionals to 5 area nurseries: Farmington Gardens, Eshraghi Nursery, Blooming Nursery, Fisher Farms, and Al's Garden Center. I snapped the photo at Al's in Sherwood where they were showcasing their 2008 Trials Garden, "Paradise in Bloom." Al's had filled one of their greenhouse spaces with enough varieties of plants to make one's head spin (the photo shows only a corner of the space filled with a fraction of the plants they were trialing). And they only gave us one blue flag each to vote for our favorite. I ended up awarding my vote to Coleus 'Kiwi', more as a 'make my mind up already' gesture than anything else. It didn't help that Al's was the last stop of a day filled with plant eye candy at the other 4 nurseries. I was, without a doubt, satiated - and I loved every minute of it. Eshraghi, Blooming and Fisher are wholesale nurseries, rarely open to the public, but Farmington and Al's are retail centers well worth visiting. Al's garden trials are finished for this year but stay tuned for its return next August.

Monday, 8/20/07 If you've ever opened your garden, you know what fun it can be and how rewarding the praise offered by visitors. Yes, it can be a bit nerve-wracking, too (will people like my garden?) and it is a lot of work to prepare for an open garden, but it is so worth it. It's been ages since I've opened my garden (although I hope to next summer) but I did help at a friend's open garden this past Saturday. I'm quite familiar with her garden and her plants (we plant shop together) so when I offered to help spout plant knowledge and answer questions, she gladly accepted. Her 17-year old garden is a treat! It's chock full of choice plants and old favorites, and garden art. It's a testament to a confirmed plantaholic. The transformation of her back garden from concrete slab, river rock and 2-8 foot tall Japanese maples to its lush container- and art-filled shady retreat is incredible. It was great fun to help but it also gave me focused time to discover plants in her garden and to add to my plant lust list. Among those must-haves is Chinese rice paper plant, Tetrapanax papyrifera 'Steroidal Giant'. This plant is amazing with its architecturally bold leaves and fuzzy stems and trunks. And, contrary to how I often work, I know just where I'll plant it. It may not even make it to my side yard nursery stash - and that's saying something. I always comes away with new ideas and ever growing lists of plants to buy after attending open gardens. Armed with inspiration and new finds, my garden continues to grow and evolve (no puns intended), providing fresh joy and new learning opportunities for me. And when the time comes, I'll share my garden with you, for you to take away ideas and plant combinations to adapt for your garden. Soon, you'll open your garden, others will visit and be enthused to try new things in their gardens...and so on and so on and so on. Just like life in a garden, garden sharing and visiting is a cycle of which we should all partake.

Friday, 8/17/07 I visited 3 delightful gardens today, all applicants for the '08 Seeding Our Future Garden Tour. Serving as chair for the Garden Review and Selection committee is so much fun! I get to meet wonderful gardeners and visit delightful gardens, all of them a symbol of passion and joy One of the gardens reminded me that I'm very much a flat-lander at heart. I can not escape my Midwest roots and garden perched on a hillside. No matter the view, I just can't do it. It's not the steps that are daunting (a 2 story drop from front to back garden is wonderfully managed with huge stone steps that serpentine down the side yard's slope) and certainly the opportunities to tuck choice woodland plants into the boulders holding the slope along the stairs would be such fun. Nope, what prevents me from gardening in such a location is my fear of heights. "Come see the view into the garden from the deck," said our gracious host, "the garden was designed to be enjoyed from within and from above." Not wanting to be rude, I hiked up the deck stairs and wandered to the edge. Vertigo set it almost immediately. I stepped back and sat down before I fell down. The garden was lovely - amazing, actually, considering the challenges these gardeners faced - but for me with my phobic burden, it would never do. I'm more than content with my paltry 4' slope; no dizzying heights for me. Just as there are multitudes of plants to satisfy each gardener's whims, there are varied garden sites to offer challenges and opportunities to suit a gardener's passion. Even if the location or the plants aren't my cup of tea, I delight in seeing what others create and I revel in their ever-so-obvious gardening enthusiasm.

Thursday, 8/16/07 My first task was to redo my Zelkova bed, the triangular bed opposite my Stewartia pseudocamelia bed (you saw the rock wall around this bed in a previous post), separated by a gravel path. I planted it about 2 months ago but I was never satisfied with the result. In its prior conception, the bed contained Cotinus coggygria 'Golden Spirit', 3 Anemanthele lessonia, 5 Verbascum phoeniceum 'Violetta', 3 Lithodora 'Grace Ward', 3 Helianthemum 'Ben Ledi', 1 Salix nakamurana var. yezoalpina, 1 Hebe 'Quicksilver', 1 Agapanthus 'Storm Cloud' (these latter 2 were repeated in the plantings in the bed on the other side of the path). "You have too much going on in this bed," Jane said, "and not enough contrast in foliage and texture." She was right, of course. I had already headed down this thought path (you see, I have been paying attention to her advice for some time now). I dragged out my proposed possibilities from my side yard (also called my nursery stash): 3 Viburnum davidii and 3 Agastache x 'Acapulco Salmon and Pink'. "How about if I add these?" I asked, as I placed the plants in the bed, "and remove those," (motioning to the Verbascum, the Cotinus and the Salix). "I think you also need to remove the Lithodora," said Jane. They were looking very sorry - they had failed to thrive here - and I needed another texture; I already had too many fine textured plants. Jane suggested I add a grouping of hardy geraniums, possibly 'Rozanne' or G. cinereum 'Lawrence Flatman'.

The picture shows the result (sans the Geraniums, still need to buy those). As soon as I planted it, I knew that this was exactly what it needed. The bold texture of the Viburnums grounded the bed and provided background for the other plants. The grass pops and sizzles against the Viburnum and the Agastache. Before it was barely noticeable.

At first glance, it might look as as though I've paired pink and orange, not an easy combo to pull off, there are definitely color echoes going on between these two plants. The grass has green, pink and orange tones and the Agastache's blooms are orange-y pinks and pink-y oranges. Hopefully, you can see what I mean in this photo. I can't wait to watch the color play between these 2 plants as the seasons progress.

Wednesday, 8/15/07 My dear friend and garden designer extraordinaire Jane Coombs came to visit today. I was looking forward to showing off our garden progress and I wanted to get her feedback and input on my future plans. Jane is my "can't see the forest for the trees" friend. Whenever I get stuck, unsure which design direction to take, Jane opens my eyes to possibilities I hadn't envisioned. Collaboratively, we come up with a plan that just clicks perfectly with my overall design goals and preferences. Everyone needs a gardening friend like Jane. Someone who knows your style and can help change your focus to see the possibilities to unlock your garden's potential. Someone to say, "yes, that would look great!" and who encourages your creative endeavors (particularly for those of us who venture more timidly into this area, who doubt our creative thrusts - but I am building confidence). If they are a design professional, that's a plus but it is certainly not required. I have my notes with its list of to-dos: what to buy, what to plant where, what to relocate, and possibilities to ponder. With Jane's guidance, I've refined my creative vision and I'm raring to get digging. Stay tuned for my progress.

Monday, 8/13/07 This was the scene I viewed one November morning in 2005. Somehow, inexplicably, the trunk of my beloved sourwood (Oxydendron arboreum) cracked, toppling this tree in its stunning fall prime. I still remember how I discovered this calamity. I was standing at the window surveying the garden when I spotted this beautiful fall color on the ground. "What on earth did I plant there that colors so well in fall?" followed by "Where is my tree?!" and then, "OH NO!!" I mourned its loss, of course, but realizing that change is the nature of gardens, I turned my perspective towards possibilities and new beginnings.

Here is that same scene, less than 2 years later. I think I've done alright, don't you? I contemplated planting another sourwood. It's such a lovely tree but it is a slow grower plus finding one with a single leader is very difficult. I never did find a tree-form, just shrubby specimens and while those are lovely in their own right, this spot cried out for a tree. So I planted another love; a Stewartia pseudocamellia, a very stately specimen I found at Al's Garden Center in Sherwood. The only other plants carried over from my old bed to this one are 3 hosta 'Paul's Glory', purchased and planted in memory of a friend who died suddenly 2 years ago. I also removed the old raised veggie beds (stay tuned for my stab at growing veggies in containers on my hot, sunny patio next year), enlarged the bed, added an island bed and a gravel path between the two beds so we'll finally have dry footing from front to back in winter. Oh, yes, and there's the lean-to greenhouse Gary is building for me (yes, I know I'm lucky to have him). It's almost complete, just waiting for the window and vents to be glazed and the Dutch door frame to be built and glazed. As soon as the rock wall building is done, Gary will finish it up, in time for me to use it this winter (woo hoo!).

Sunday, 8/12/07 As of yesterday, we've completed 95 feet of rock retaining wall (along with 7 more feet of rock edging) with the completion of the section near the greenhouse. As I wrote, one of these days, I'll tally the total pounds of rock and see just how much we've hefted and hauled. If you asked my sore and tired muscles, they'd swear we've lifted thousands - no, hundreds of thousands - of pounds in the last few months. It's likely closer to 3 tons, but that's still a heck of a lot of rock. Now that we've got this bed's wall done, I can complete the planting. It's decision time. Wonder which of the multiple combinations I've contemplated will make the final cut. Stay tuned!

Saturday, 8/11/07 The wall to the left represents 79 finished feet of rock retaining wall as of last Sunday (you saw this in progress, from a different perspective, in my blog post of 8/3). I still need to finish the very end of it, as it wraps to the right around the point of the peninsula, but that's easy work compared to what we've done so far. I've also hauled out some overgrown shrubs - they weren't doing well, I was tired of them or both. The bed is a bit bare at the moment but I already have replacement shrubs in mind, keeping my friend and garden designer extraordinaire Jane Coombs' mantra in mind - repeat texture, form and color while varying them. Sounds so simple, right? I'm finally learning what she means and my garden is all the more pleasing to me for it.

Thursday, 8/9/07 Okay, I'll fess up, I've been known to talk to my plants (don't we all do that?). But now there's a way for them to talk back to us with words! Students at NYU came up with this ingenious method called Botanicalls, which allows your plants to tell you whether they are too moist, need water, getting a wee bit too much sun or are in dire need to solar time. How cool is that? I watched a demo of Botanicalls in action on Good Morning, America this morning. They definitely have a sense of humor, these students. They gave the voice of their Scottish moss a Scottish accent, complete with colloquialisms. So, not only will your plants tell you what they need, but you can have them do so in a way to give you a grin and a giggle. Ingenious!

Saturday, 8/4/07 I'm bouncing with excitement! Look at what decided to come live in my garden!! A red-legged frog!! We were building more rock wall today when I saw something rustling my Japanese forest grass. I looked closer and saw a large frog. My heart sank as I thought, "Oh, no, a bull frog! Well, he won't live long here." With Gary's assistance, I caught the supposed offender (and he didn't make it easy). I held him in my gloved hands and asked Gary to fetch me a baggie. You see, I still thought he was a bull frog and I was going to give him a cold sleep towards death in my freezer. Yes, I know that sounds heartless. After all, it's not the bull frogs' fault that they aren't native, that they eat whatever will fit in their mouths, including small birds, and therefore endanger many of our native fauna, including Pacific tree frogs. But because I'm so bent on creating a good habitat for native critters, I just had to do the right thing, even if it made me squeamish. But then I got a closer look at my amphibian friend. Red legs! Can it possibly be a red-legged frog and not a bull frog? Red-legged frogs are not very common - their numbers are decreasing (in some areas, they are considered threatened) for many reasons, including the influx of bull frogs. I placed him carefully into a quart jar, topped with window screen while I did a quick google images check. And I had my answer - I had a prized native critter in my garden! I whooped my joy! I apologized profusely for mistaking him for a bull frog (that's probably some horrible faux pas in the amphibian realm). And then I let my new friend loose into my garden. Give me a few hours and I just might come down from this natural high.

Friday, 8/3/07 More rock, more aching back work. Will we ever be done? Soon, really soon, I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. I've decided that when we finally finish, I'm going to pull all our receipts and add up how many pounds (tons!) of rock we've installed in the landscape. Now that should be interesting! Here's what Gary and I accomplished today and last Sunday.

Sunday, 7/29/07 We tackled the wall between the steps and the waterfall. The one big rock right next to the waterfall was too big for us to pick up and carry. It wasn't so bad getting it out of the other hillside and rolled onto the patio but we didn't think we could heft it to its new home. We guessed it was close to 200 lbs. So Gary decided that he'd roll it from the far side of the patio and up the hill. Sounds like a good plan, right? It worked for a few rolls, and then, dang it, the top half of the rock cracked off. Bummer. Instead of crying over a split rock, we decided to look on the bright side. We now had two manageable halves, not one huge rock and it was a clean break - all good things. It was much easier to put it in place and place the top back on so that the break was barely noticeable. We still need to figure out how to merge this space to the edge of the pond but that will wait for another day. Oh, yes, we laid sod, too! Doesn't it look nice? Amazing how an un-lawn aficionado like me can be so pleased with new sod.

Saturday, 7/14/07 We finished the wall we started almost a month ago and added steps. That's 4 steps, 8 stones, 960 total pounds. Let me tell you there were many ughs, grunts and groans in the process. But, oh, so worth it! I've run up and down the steps many, many times, giggling and grinning like the fool I am. Who'd a thunk that such a simple thing as a few stone steps would delight me so much? Certainly not me. The soil in front is waiting for sod. The lawn level had sunk below patio grade about 1 1/2" but what surprised us was the 4" drop just a few feet away at the base of the slope. We debated how to fix it and in the end, hauled in soil and opted for sod. I can't wait to see the sod in place.

Wednesday, 7/10/07 Neither my garden nor I are hothouse flowers. Heat makes us wilt and fade away. Excessive heat, as we had yesterday (102 deg F yesterday), really puts us out of sorts. I've been dragging the hose around to all my newly planted treasures, deep soaking my beds while I check for signs of sunburn and imminent doom. Most are fairing well. However, my Corylopsis pauciflora's leaves are crispy critters. The heat is only partly to blame for that. We've been redoing the bank where it is planted and I'm sure we disturbed the roots, making it more susceptible to stressers, such as heat. Our backyard faces south. With its large patio and deck, it soaks up and radiates heat back at us. Every year when the heat hits, I vow to plant more trees to provide us respite. So far, I've planted 13 deciduous trees: scarlet oak, 2 katsuras, 2 Korean dogwoods, 'Vanessa' parrotia, 'Tuscarora' crape myrtle, 'Bloodgood' Japanese maple, Stewartia pseudocamelia, 'Green Vase' Zelkova and 3 vine maples. Some are relatively young but my more established trees are already providing much needed shade. I fear I'm going to lose my scarlet oak and that breaks my heart. When I began to notice something was amiss, I poured over resources and scanned the internet for clues to no avail. I called in 2 tree experts to come take a look. One finally gave me a tentative answer and it was one I did not recognize - exogenous bark. At least I think that's what he said. Basically, my oak is trying to grow multiple trunks within its bark. He didn't think it would mean death but he said to watch for dead and dying branches. When it leafed out this year, there were many bare branches. Not good. I think it's time to call in the cavalry and see if there's anything that can be done for it. I sure would hate to lose it and the shade it provides. As would my garden. Neither of us likes the heat.

Saturday, 7/7/07 Getting closer and closer. I had no idea how much more planting space I'd have once we built the wall and were able to level out the area. Yippee, more plants!

Friday, 7/6/07 I stopped in at Hughes Water Gardens the other day. I needed more floaters to shade my pond and advice about controlling string algae on my waterfall. I love going there, not just because the staff is helpful and knowledgeable but also because it's a delightful place to visit. While I was contemplating which floating plant to purchase, I overheard another shopper ask one of the staff if she could buy tadpoles. When she heard they didn't sell frogs, she asked where she could purchase them. "Sorry, but it is illegal to sell native frogs." I piped up, apologized for eavesdropping, and said that my experience was that "if you build it, they will come." My pond was just over a year old and I had loads of Pacific tree frog tadpoles in my pond. She said her pond was much older but she's never had tadpoles. "Do you have fish?" I asked. "Yes," she replied. "Well, that's likely the reason," I said, "Fish eat frog eggs. I don't have fish, so I have frogs." And then, she said - and I still can't believe I held my tongue - that she wanted to buy tadpoles just to have them for a little while anyway, she didn't want frogs, she didn't want anything making noise at night. As she walked away, I shook my head and wondered that she didn't see how absurd and wrong her quest was. For the sake of our native frogs, I hope she doesn't find what she seeks.

Monday, 7/2/07 One of my favorite things to do when I take a break from gardening tasks is to sit and peer into my pond. It's so restful and yet there's also much life going on in my tiny puddle of a pond. I could barely contain my excitement this weekend when I spotted a tadpole so danged close to adulthood, it had crept out of the water and onto a lilypad. It was only when I cropped and sharpened this image, that I noticed what had its rapt attention - 2 mating insects coming dangerously close, unaware they could be dinner any moment. I know love can make us blind but I didn't think that applied to the insect world. I've no idea if they survived to mate again or if my little froggie had an afternoon snack.

Tuesday, 6/19/07 Want to know what a half ton of rock looks like? Take a gander at the photo to the right. We lifted each of those rocks, many of them two-man rocks, at least three times. Once into the truck, then off the truck into the wheelbarrow to wheel to the patio, then from the patio to the wall. With luck, our first guess for best fit was right, but generally, it was not and we had to lift rocks many more times before we found the one that worked best for the spot. It took us longer than usual to get in the groove with this rock wall. I began to despair, thinking that maybe we should have hired someone to do this. But then, something clicked and we made progress. There will be a triangular bed, edged in rock, in front of this wall. It will continue on the other side of the steps (yet to be built), mimicking what we've built on the other side of the pond and waterfall.

We're going to build 4 stone steps between the 2 sections of rock wall (the one on the right will be where it's dirt and weeds at the moment). I would love big slabs of stone but the cost ($100 each!) and the required heavy machinery to place them (many pounds beyond 2-man rocks) put this idea out of reach. So we're going with Plan B (which I think I like more than Plan A). We're going to build the steps with squared basalt rocks along the face (the riser), filling in behind with either 1/4-minus gravel or tumbled bluestone (the tread). I haven't decided which I prefer for the tread or whether this will be mortared in place or dry stacked. That's my next area of research. Whatever I decide upon, I do know that I'm going to add mosaics to the face of the stone. Something small and simple, perhaps spirals or waves, or maybe a dragonfly. Something to draw the eye to the back garden when you step in the front door.

We built this wall with more than a ton of gray basalt. And boy, did we feel muscles we didn't know we had. But, oh, it looks so good! I find myself standing and staring at it, loving the play of gray rock and green plants. It defines this area so much better than the slope and mixed plantings that once existed in this area. When I lose heart at the seeming lack of progress, I glance to the right, see what we've accomplished and find the motivation and the energy to keep on moving. As much as I enjoy the process, I am looking forward to the finish line.

Thursday, 6/14/07 I jokingly refer to myself as craft-impaired. I am amazed by the creativity others exhibit, especially when it comes to revisioning* an object. How did they see the beauty hidden in what others see as junk? I can copy but I don't think I often come up with original creations. However, friends tell me I sell myself short. Are they just being kind or are they telling the truth? I'm beginning to think it could be the latter since I've recently made two pieces of garden art of which I'm quite proud (inordinately so, I admit). With the guidance of my friend, Ann Murphy (Marketing Director for OAN) and mosaic artist extraordinaire, I transformed a glazed ceramic globe that had lost most of its glaze into an beautiful object of wonder for my garden. I told Ann she's created a monster. I find myself looking at my garden, wondering where else I can add a little mosaic art. Hmm, perhaps a few whimsical pieces on the stone face of the steps leading up my bank - once the steps are built, that is. First things first.

At a workshop conducted by Ivan McLean, metal work artist (Delia), I learned to cut metal to create a sculpture. I wore the requisite glamorous outfit (do you think it will catch on in high fashion?) as I guided the acetylene torch around the outline of my sunflower (a simple, yet beautiful shape). It took surprisingly little time and I was delighted at the finished piece. I'm still contemplating what to fill the hole in the center of my sunflower with - glass, beads, Capiz shell -something that will catch the light. When it's done, I'll show it off (you won't be able to stop me, trust me). *I think I just made that word up. My Spellcheck feature doesn't like it but I am not going to let a little thing like creative spelling stop me.

Photos and Text, Copyright ©2007 Lisa Albert. All rights reserved.