Looking Ahead to Winter Sowing

I've started collecting empty gallon milk jugs for winter sowing, which I plan to start at the end of January.  This worked so well for me last year, that I hope to do more this year, and to try out more kinds of plants with it.

Freezing Water

Over the next couple of days, we're supposed to get some extremely cold weather for this early in the winter, with lows in the single digits.  This area is just going to get a glancing blow from the weather system that is moving across the country, and we shouldn't get the snow predicted for other areas.  But this forecast does mean it's time to remove the pump and fountain from my pond, and to put out the pond de-icer. 

Aroma

When I stepped outside this evening to walk my dog, I was immediately put in mind of one of my favorite cartoon characters:

Keeping the Greenhouse from Freezing

Earlier this fall, I set up my pop-up greenhouse out on the patio, as I do every year.  At first, I move in only the most tender plants, and just zip the doors shut at night.  As the weather continues to cool off, I keep the doors closed all of the time.  Then, before the first hard frost, I add a second insulating layer of plastic, by hanging a layer of bubble wrap inside the walls and roof of the greenhouse.  I also put in plastic containers of water, painted in dark colors to absorb the sun's heat during the day and re-radiate it at night.  Real solar greenhouses have very large containers to hold a lot of heat; I just have 1-2 gallon containers, such as milk jugs.

Continuing Fall Clean Up

The trees around here haven't lost all of their leaves yet, so although I've done a bit more raking, I haven't bothered to clean the gutters on the house yet.  I really don't enjoy the ladder-climbing involved in this chore, so I'd rather wait another week or two, and do it all at once.

Raking Leaves

Leaves, before shredding

Over the weekend, I was beginning to rake up this fall's leaves.  So many folks just rake them up and throw them away.  I see lots of huge bags of them out at the curb around town.  When I rake, I use my garden vac to shred the leaves, and then add them to my compost bins or bag them up to create leaf mold. This lets me keep all the nutrients used to grow these leaves to nourish my garden next year. There certainly are enough to provide all I want and more.

Final Harvest

Sweet peppers

After last week's hard freeze, I needed to clean up the garden bed where my sweet peppers had grown this year.  As the weather started cooling off earlier this fall, I'd covered that bed with a sheet of clear plastic, to help keep the pepper plants growing a little longer.  Every year, I get the biggest harvest of peppers right at the end of the season. By covering the bed with plastic, the plants live a few weeks longer, which gives a whole different "generation" of peppers a chance to grow to edible size.

Last Roses

Last night before the cold front came in, I picked the last three rose buds and brought them inside.  I'm going to enjoy these last roses for the year.

Morituri te salutant

Velvety blue petunia with frost-nipped foliage

We had a light frost last week, but not enough to kill things off.  The morning glories, roses, petunias, and zinnias continued to bloom, as well as expected late bloomers like asters, mums, and pansies.  But the forecast for tonight says it will drop to the lower 20s, so that will be the end of all the summer flowers for the year.

Preserving Fall Leaves, Part 2

Last week I wrote about preserving fall leaves by drying them between the pages of a book.  Another way to preserve leaves is to soak them in glycerine. This will keep the leaves moist, colorful and less crumbly than drying them, and they may last for years.

Preparing for Upcoming Frost

Over the weekend, I emptied out my little garden fountain for the fall and put it away in the garage.  One night this week the forecast shows it may get below freezing, so I need to make sure that everything in my garden is ready. All the plants I plan to save over the winter have been brought indoors, or put in my pop-up greenhouse.  I've taken cuttings of coleus and other plants to root over the winter and repot for next year.

November Morning Glories

Here's the photo I took today of the morning glories on the west side of the house.  It's pretty incredible to still have morning glories blooming in November, but there hasn't been a hard frost yet.  Some of the leaves are nipped a bit around the edges, but there are a few flowers yet every day.  I'm going to enjoy them as long as they keep coming!

Preserving Fall Leaves, Part 1

Drying leaves in a book

Fall leaves are so beautiful, with so many gorgeous colors and shapes.  I collect some of them for decorating, along with acorns and pine cones. There are ways to preserve leaves, so that you can enjoy them longer.

Fall Color

 

Red maple

The last few days, trees here have started to show their fall colors.  As I drive to and from work, and as the dog and I go for our walks, at every turn of a corner there's a new and colorful view.  The maple in the photo is a tree in my back yard. 



Scraping Continued

Here's the results of the last several evenings. 

Summer and Fall

Moss rose, zinnias, and mums

One of my flower beds is pictured at right. My moss rose is still blooming, lasting long enough to  be seen right next to the white mums.

Carrot Seedlings

The veggies I planted last month are continuing to grow.  Pictured here are the carrots. They're growing in a large wheeled container, so I can move it into my little greenhouse before the first hard freeze. It's unheated, but even so, these carrots will give me and my bunnies fresh crunchies later this winter.

Spreading Compost

This weekend, I've been taking the finished compost from my largest compost bin to spread in my garden beds. This bin is the one where I put most of my fall leaves and chopped up garden debris. Since the bin doesn't rotate, and I don't turn it very often, it composts slowly.  I just leave it to break down on its own, and then remove the finished compost from the bottom door when it's ready.

Potted Parsley

With winter coming, one of the things the bunnies and I really miss is all of the wonderful fresh herbs from the garden.  In the summer, I grow parsley, rosemary, basil, chives, and several kinds of mint.  Every summer morning, I bring in a "bunny salad" of various greens and herbs for the rabbits.  I use a lot of these herbs in my cooking too.

Late Bloomer

Morning glories in October

Late last spring I planted a variety of flowering vines in one of the containers on the west side of my house.  There was morning glory, purple hyacinth bean vine, and sweet peas; all planted from seed.  The sweet peas bloomed early in the summer, and then as it became hot, died off.

Bougainvillea Vine

Night temperatures here are creeping lower and lower; with many nights now in the 40s. Tomorrow night is forecast to get down into the 30s.  So I've been moving the last few plants that I plan to keep over the winter indoors. I don't have enough sunny windows in my house to keep all my plants going over the winter, and there are some painful decisions to make every fall.  Is a certain plant going to do well indoors, is there enough room for it, or do I just leave it out to die in the cold?

Flowers in the Fall

Sweet alyssum

As fall progresses, I find myself really noticing those flowers that are still in bloom.

Ornamental Peppers

"Black Pearl" ornamental peppers

Hummingbird Moths

Last month I saw hummingbird moths in my garden, and researched to find out what they were. They are still visiting my flowers nearly every evening. 

Scraping Project

Every fall as the days get shorter, I spend my evenings scraping away, trying to finish this year's painting project before the weather gets too cold.  As the days get shorter, there's less time to work outdoors.

White roses

Earlier this summer with all of the rain we had, my roses had the worst case of black spot they've ever had. There's been enough sunny weather since then, that the roses are starting to recover.  I continue to spray them, and clean away infected leaves, in the hope of minimizing the disease next year.

Fall Vegetables Emerge

 

Lettuce seedlings

Back earlier in September I planted lettuce and carrots in a large planter, so that I'll have fresh veggies on into the winter for myself and my bunnies. Both are plants that can handle cooler temperatures.  Plus, once freezing temperatures come, I'll move the planter into my pop-up greenhouse, which should keep them going quite a while.

Vita brevis

Why is it that plants start to really flourish when it's so close to frost!




"Blushing Susie" vine (thunbergia)

Bringing Plants Indoors

With the coming of fall, I've been watching the weather forecasts for a different reason.  As the nights grow cooler, it will soon be time to bring in for the winter any tender plants that I want to keep.

Fall Planting Time

Don't forget as temperatures moderate, that fall is the best time to plant not only spring-blooming bulbs, but also shrubs, perennials and most trees.  By planting in the fall, you give the plants three seasons to establish a good root system before summer's heat.  Do go ahead now; it's best not to plant after the end of October.  You want to give the plant time to establish some roots before winter hits.

Fruit Flies

Fruit fly trap in covered box

In late summer, when so many people are bringing harvested fruits and vegetables in from the garden, or home from the farmer's market, is the time when we are most likely to find tiny gnat-like insects flying around in our kitchens.  These tiny insects are fruit flies.  They are brought into our homes as unwanted guests on the fresh produce, or are drawn to the smell of the produce, and squeeze in through even very small cracks around windows or doors.

Mid-September Harvest

Here's a photo of what I picked from my garden today.  I enjoyed fresh tomatoes at noon, and this evening, had sweet corn and cantaloupe.  Tomorrow evening I plan to have pepper steak.

War on Weeds: Sandburs

In the late summer and into early fall, one of the things my dog and I encounter on our walks is sandburs: a nasty weed with prickly burs that stick in a dog's fur, and between the pads of his feet.  There are a few yards in the neighborhood that are infested with sandburs along the edges of the sidewalk.  Theo gets them in his feet and stuck in the fluffy fur of his legs.

After we get back home, I have to carefully work the burs out of his hair.  If I don't get them all, he pulls them out and drops them on the floor all over the house, or drops them outside in our yard, where they will try to populate my yard with the weeds.

War on Weeds: Climbing Milkweed Vine

Recently I noticed a vine growing up through one of my rose of Sharon bushes.  It has heart-shaped leaves like those of a morning glory.  It wasn't even noticeable until it grew over the top of the rose of Sharon, where it was so thick it nearly smothered my bush.

I've been pulling sections of the vine off, but yesterday I noticed that it was growing seed pods.  The pods are different--a tapered shape about 4 inches long. When I opened one, the seeds had white tails that reminded me of milkweed.  They also helped me identify the plant.

Morning Glories

Morning glories: Grandpa Ott's and Carnivale

As fall is coming, and temperatures are moderating, some flowers have wrapped it up for the year.  Others are taking advantage of this cooler time, and are blooming exuberantly.  My morning glories certainly are!  This morning the vines were just covered in flowers.

Here, morning glories don't start blooming until half-way through the summer, but once they begin, they certainly make up for lost time.


Starting Fall Vegetables

The flowers in one of my wheeled planters were dying off, so I pulled up the drying plants.  I dug in some fresh compost to revitalize the soil, and wet it through.  Then I planted lettuce and carrots.

Rain Barrel Refill

Raindrops on roses

Earlier this summer it seemed like it would never stop raining--we had a shower every day for weeks.  During this time, we had over 15 inches of rain.  My rain barrels were constantly full, but I never needed to use them, because everything was kept well watered by the rain.  Then when the rainy period ended, it went to the other extreme, and we had no rain at all for weeks.  I used up all the water in the rain barrels, and with no rain, they didn't get refilled.  Even with five rain barrels, I ended up needing to water my garden with city water.

Sinus Rinse

In yesterday's post I listed the sinus rinse as a very helpful method of dealing with pollen allergies.  I wanted to explain this a bit further for those who might be considering trying it.

Using a sinus rinse was first recommended to me by my allergist.  He explained that it would help with inhalant allergies such as those to pollen, mold spores, animal dander, and dust mites.  It helps your body get rid of the irritating allergens that have found their way into your nose, and clears out congested mucus.

Hay Fever Season

As fall approaches, we enjoy the more moderate weather. It's such a relief for people, pets and gardens when temperatures no longer get scorching hot day after day.  My dog and I both enjoy being able to take longer walks together without being overheated. The down-side to fall coming, though, is hay fever season.

This is the time of year when weed allergies come to the fore, the most infamous of which is ragweed.  This is the allergy that affects a lot of people who don't have other allergy problems. I've been noticing the last couple of weeks that I'm waking up with a bit of a stuffy nose, and other people have been mentioning stuffy, runny noses, sneezing, and itchy eyes.

Goldfish Update

In early August, I noticed that the goldfish in my pond were no longer coming up to the surface of the water when I came out to feed them.  This has happened before when herons or egrets from the nearby river have come to visit, and gone fishing in my pond. 

9/11 -- Never Forget

Here are the links to a couple of my favorite 9/11 tribute videos. Very different in content, but I find them both quite moving.

http://attacked911.tripod.com/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J3eQmzw6n3k

Greek Salad

Tonight I enjoyed one of my summer favorites, a Greek salad.  I love this combination of flavors. What made it taste even more delicious, is that most of it came from my own garden.

Hollyhock Ladies

As I was writing about the rose of Sharon yesterday, it brought back memories of my childhood.  When I was young, we had a rose of Sharon tree that grew outside our living room window. It had been grafted, so that different branches had three different colors of flowers, red, white and lavender-blue. As is typical of rose of Sharon, when it bloomed, it had loads of flowers.

Favorite Flowers: Rose of Sharon

Rose of Sharon blossoms

Allergy Index Scale:  4
Deciduous shrub, zones 5-9
Full sun-partial shade, 10-12' tall

As I have been watching for the hummingbird moths this week, I have most often found them visiting my rose of Sharon bushes, which at this time of year,  are simply covered in flowers.

Hummingbird Moth

Hummingbird moth visiting flower

For the last several days, I have encountered a tiny winged visitor to my garden flowers; a visitor that hovers with flashing wings as it sips nectar from the flowers.  At first glance, I thought it was a hummingbird, but then realized that it was really tiny, with a stockier body than hummingbirds have.  My little visitor is a moth rather than a bird; one commonly called a hummingbird moth.

Tonight's Harvest

Marvelous Melons

Today I picked two cantaloupes and brought them inside. Cantaloupes, like tomatoes, have far more flavor when home-grown and picked at the peak of ripeness. When cantaloupe start ripening, it's one of the highlights of my summer garden.

Update on Dog Allergies

Theo

Earlier this summer I wrote about my dog's allergies, which have tormented him every summer since I first got him.  Because his symptoms generally start up in the late spring and continue until hard frost, I tend to assume that they are allergies to grass.  Allergies to trees usually occur in earlier spring, and weed allergies mostly in the late summer and early fall.

Fresh From the Garden

Stacking planter for strawberries

This morning out in the garden I loaded up my little harvest basket: several cucumbers, tomatoes, and a few strawberries.  There are several peppers that should be ready in few days, and the sweet corn is getting closer to ripe.  One cantaloupe is nearly full size, but still pretty green, two more nearly ripe; and the watermelon vine has two little melons coming along.

Mosquito Season

This has been a especially bad summer for mosquitoes, with all the rain we've had. This evening I was making the rounds of my garden, emptying out things that hold water, where mosquitoes might hatch out.  They only need enough water to fill a bottle cap to raise the next generation.

I have a lot of plant saucers in my yard. If a pot is too heavy to move easily, to get the saucer dumped out, you can use an old kitchen baster to remove the water.  Just remember that mosquitoes only need a quarter inch of water to breed. Dump out and replace water in bird baths and pet dishes two or three times a week. 

Late Summer Fireflies

Last evening when I went outside for the dog's last outing, I saw at least three fireflies circling around the back yard.  I was trying to remember if I usually see them this late in the year. Maybe the wet summer has made it possible for them to hang on longer than usual.  Perhaps it's just that their usual prey, things like other larvae, slugs, and snails, are more abundant. I'd love to hear if other folks have seen them around longer this year as well.

Weed Prevention Time

Today I applied corn gluten to my yard.  Corn gluten serves as a slow release high-nitrogen fertilizer, which is great for feeding your lawn; plus it prevents the germination of seeds, which keeps weeds from getting established.  It doesn't kill anything that's already growing, just stops seedlings from establishing roots.  Don't apply corn gluten to your lawn if you plan to overseed in the next couple of months.

Ornamental Peppers

Black Pearl ornamental pepper

One of the plants I enjoy growing each summer is ornamental peppers. Ornamental peppers grow bright-colored little fruits that may be white, purple, red, orange or yellow, depending on the variety.  I particularly like those that have purple or variegated foliage.

Black Spot on Roses



White roses

One of the less positive effects of the rainy summer we have had here, is the outbreak of black spot. Black spot is one of the most common diseases of roses. Caused by a fungus, it first shows up as black spots on the leaves, then yellowing of the leaf, which finally drops off.  If the disease is allowed to spread, the entire rose bush may become defoliated.

Late Summer Orioles

In mid-April I had begun putting grape jelly out for the orioles. They are one of the more colorful birds that I see around my neighborhood.  I hang the jelly feeder out on my front porch, where I can watch the birds visiting it. The orioles often come two or three at a time, and then squabble about who gets to eat first.  They flutter from tree branch to hanging planter to bird feeder; chasing each other around.  It drives my cat crazy, watching their antics from indoors.

Feeding the Grass

One of my compost tumblers has finished its latest batch of compost, so this evening I used it to feed my front lawn.  I like to use the compost to help feed the grass, and to gradually improve the soil by adding organic matter.  Earthworms are attracted to the compost as food, and will carry bits of it down into their burrows, spreading the compost through the soil.

Salad Time

A friend gave me a big batch of baby spring greens the other day.  Combined with my fresh-picked tomatoes, cucumbers, and sweet peppers, I've been having some wonderful salads all weekend. 

Melon Thieves

Damaged cantaloupe

Over the last couple of weeks, I'd been checking regularly on my cantaloupe vines, as a couple of melons were growing closer to ripening.  This morning I went out to the garden, and found that overnight, something had got hold of the melons and eaten them.

Earthworm Rescue

Today's rescuees exploring their new home

Last night we got another half inch of rain, so I was not surprised to see quite a few earthworms in the water along the curbs when I was walking my dog this morning.

Dragonflies

This evening when I went out to feed my goldfish, a dragonfly was resting on one of the rocks at the edge. It was not, of course, interested in the fish food, but it was the only critter that came to see what was being offered.

Recently, feeding time at my goldfish pond hasn't been very well attended.  I think that we may have been visited by an egret or heron from the river a few blocks away.  In the past, when I would come out to the pond, the fish would come eagerly to the surface, just waiting for me to drop food pellets in.  Now I've only caught quick glimpses of three fish lurking deeper in the water, though there may be others hiding beneath the water lilies.  They aren't eating nearly as much either, so I think that relatively few of the fish are left.

Now Blooming!

Surprise lilies

The surprise lilies hardly bloomed last year, with the drought, so it was great to see them back again this year. 

Core Aerating Your Lawn

Q.  What does a core aerator want to be when it grows up?

Favorite Flowers: Liriope

Liriope in bloom

Allergy Index Scale:  3
Perennial, zones 5-9
Full sun-partial shade, 10-15" tall

My liriope has just started to bloom.  The flowers look a bit like those of grape hyacinths. Later they will become clusters of dark blue-black berries. Liriope, commonly called lilyturf, is a great tough, low-maintenance plant that does well here in semi-shade, though it tolerates quite a range of light and soil conditions. 

Clover Lawn

White clover

Once, most lawns had at least some white clover growing in them. Clover has little nodules on its roots that fix the nitrogen pulled from the air into the soil. This nitrogen then helps feed surrounding plants. Until the 1960s, clover was routinely included in grass seed mixtures to help lawns get established faster. When broad-spectrum herbicides came into common use, this changed.  The ideal became an all-grass lawn, and clover was seen as a weed. 

Feeding Hummingbirds

If you've been wishing you'd started feeding hummingbirds earlier this year, now might be a good time to start.  By this point, they are done with nesting, and are feeding a lot as they get ready for migration. It's an incredibly long flight for these tiny birds, and they need to double their body weight before they begin.  Putting up a hummingbird feeder now might get them started visiting your yard.

Caterpillars on the Parsley

Black swallowtail larvae on parsley

This evening I found eight little caterpillars on one parsley plant that I am growing in a mixed container out on the patio, and fifteen more on another plant out in the veggie garden. They are fascinating-looking little guys, mostly black with white stripes. Even though I hate to lose the parsley, I'm leaving them alone to enjoy their meal. I hope that at least some of them make it to adulthood, as they are the larval stage of a really lovely butterfly, the black swallowtail.

Hair for the Garden

My dog is right in the middle of shedding his coat, and I comb out huge handfuls of fuzz every day.  Then there's the hair from my brush, and of course the cat and two rabbits all shed as well, so we end up with LOTS of hair.  Instead of throwing it all away, I add it to my compost bin.

War on Weeds: Spotted Spurge

Spurge

Spotted spurge is a low-growing summer annual weed with prostrate stems that radiate outward from the center, and small, oval leaves that have a small reddish spot. It can grow to be as much as two feet across. It grows very quickly in warm temperatures, and may only take about five weeks from germination to flower and produce seeds. The flowers are small and inconspicuous, and one plant can produce several thousand seeds. Because the seeds are sticky when wet, they can cling to animals' feet, birds' feathers, or shoes, and be spread widely. You can end up with two or three generations of spurge over the course of the summer.