October 2011 – Page 3

Lacy and herby

I may have acted too late. I spotted what remained of the variegated Prince Rupert scented geranium (French Lace) in the blue bed. It seems the cool weather had finally turned it brown. I had to get it into a pot immediately and bring it indoors during the evening. I’m not sure it will make it, but I’m hoping. The photo I took of it is very disheartening. For more than a year it languished in part shade. I supposed it might have preferred full sun but the heat wave we experience this summer might have killed it. It looks so frail compared to the original plant I bought in April.

The red rubin basil has returned to its purple self. During its seedling stages and for much of the extremely hot summer months, it nearly lost most of those jewel purple tones…appearing splotchy hearted rather than the stunning dark beauty it is today. This particular specimen was hacked back down nearly to the root, but possessed enough side shoots to make a comeback.

The lime thyme and variegated oregano really took off this summer.

I think I’ve discovered the name for the kidney shaped weed that has been invading the lily bed lately. I believe they are dichondra, which may have hitched a ride from a previous tenant, or it’s just never had a chance to come into its own until today. I’ll have to do some research…it looks nothing like the silver falls dichondra we see around the arboretum.

Wishlist plant of the day: Alaska mix nasturtiums.

One point five inches!

My eggplant’s size is enough to make any girl blush!

One of the ginger mints I transplanted into the cinderblock border wall is recovering. Its sibling however did not.

The variegated society garlic wanted to be noticed! It stuck this bloom head directly into my camera lens.

Chrysanthemum (Heteropappus) Blue Knoll…I don’t get it. What’s happening to this thing? I have 2 of them situated in the blue bed. I read that it’s an annual, but it still grows like a weed. It hasn’t bloomed this fall. And I don’t expect that it will this year at all. Will it make it to next year? Or is it really just a weed?

Wishlist plant of the day: Sedum lineare ‘Variegatum’.

October Wonders

I wonder where I’ll be siting this Snow-n-Summer Asiatic Jasmine. I’ve been thinking about planting it in the shade bed, along with the hostas, but methinks it may get too much exposure there under the canopy of 2 crape myrtles. Currently, it sits next to the camellia planting in the front door bed. However, I am skeptical that this bed will get any more moisture than the shade bed during the warm summer months. And, I want to be sure to that it maintains its dainty pastel coloration during all the seasons.

I wonder about the Pesto Perpetuo basil blooms. I read that this particular variety does not produce flowers, but here I have 2 specimens in my garden putting forth buds. I wonder if the seeds will be viable. Notice that the top half of this basil has reverted to solid green leaves during our summer heat wave. I am waiting out to see if it will produce variegated foliage with our cooler weather, or if I will have to snip off the solid-colored leaves.

I wonder about these Pacifica vincas still blooming their heads off in the planter box next to our backyard door. Neither heat nor drought has slowed them down. And while the vinca seedlings in the front yard bed are displaying some yellowing due to extra watering, these particular vinca have remained verdant and boldly colored. Next year, I’d like to plant some “true red” vincas.

I don’t have to wonder much about the Coral Nymph salvias. They continue their reseeding and blooming cycle three seasons long. I have them planted in the tree ring bed in the front yard, in the purple bed (next to the purple salvia greggiis, the Midnight Blue rose, and the loropetalum) and in the rosemary bed (in a dry zone behind the rosemary topiary). There isn’t a zone that has daunted the growth of the salvia coccinea. Next, I’ll be trying them into a full shade bed just to see how vigorous they are!

October Bed Works

My shopping spree carried over into Sunday, but I didn’t spend as much time as I did Saturday. After all, plants don’t plant themselves (at least, not very often in my own garden).

I did head out to Lowes and Home Depot again, looking for bargains. I ended up with 4 pots, a 9 pack of ornamental kale, and a bag of tulip bulbs, Happy Generation. I know, I know…I just can’t resist those bulbs. And where did I end up putting them? In the front yard bed. That gets a fair amount of water, on and off season. Ah well, I will content myself with tulips being annual…but I’m hoping for a decent show next spring.

So it ended up being sore work Sunday afternoon. Fifty pansies, 36 violas, 30 giant grape hyacinths (Bellevalia pycnantha according to my American Meadows order), 18 tulip bulbs, 6 fall crocuses (Wild Saffron), 9 mixed ornamental kale all found a home. I relocated the 2 Stella de Oro daylilies in the front door landing strip, along with 2 struggling Silver Dust dusty millers. I also tore out the 2 Confetti lantanas flanking the Autumn Monarch azalea (which happens to be blooming quite profusely at the moment) and took cuttings in hopes of overwintering them. Did I mention one of those Confettis had a root as long as I was tall–we’re talking at least 5 feet long! Last, but not least, I also relocated the Seabreeze salvia into the front flower bed.

Next, I spent the rest of the afternoon re-potting pepper plants and hostas. I managed to dig up the struggling remains of the Wide Brim hostas from the shade bed. They were unsuccessful in the bed due to the constant slug onslaught and too much sun exposure. I also got my Francee hosta roots transplanted into their own pots. The Gold Standard and the Minuteman hostas also moved into larger homes. In addition, nine pepper plants also received new homes; unfortunately I’m at a loss at identifying them at the moment. I think the doubled up pepper plants are the Thai chilis. I should have the Jupiter bells, banana peppers, and Fresno peppers surviving from the July starts.

Back and backsides are sore…it comes out of hunching over on uncomfortable bags of sand, while carefully replanting things. I’m still sore just thinking of it. But I have some basil to take indoors with me during the winter time: Pesto Perpetuo, lime basil and classic Genovese basil.

Hey, at least I’m in the spirit of autumn now. I’m referring to the pumpkin display decorating my front porch.

Why is it I can’t seem to successfully photograph the Moonglow salvia greggii’s true yellow color blooms?

Wishlist plant of the day: tricyrtis “Imperial Banner”.

Eggplant be mine!

I took a snapshot of the soon-to-be eggplant. It’s less than an inch long at this time, but I’m looking forward to seeing it. Aside from the Thai chili peppers, this may be the only other fruit of this year from my amateur caretaking efforts at a vegetable garden.

Afterwards, I went on a whirlwind tour of 4 garden centers: 2 Calloways, 1 Home Depot and Christina’s. It took half of my day and Dandy was a tired pup after the shopping trip. My list of purchases include: 1 bag of 10 Tulipa clusiana Tubergen’s Gem bulbs, 6 more bags of Scotts Garden Soil, 2 flats of violas, 2 flats of pansies, 2 4″ pots of dianthus and 1 4″ pot of red lantana. The following is a sneak peek of the new arrivals–really not much to see!