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Ilona's Garden Journal




Itea

October State of the Garden

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It is a beautiful autumn day. Sunshine, clear skies, and changing foliage, warm with gentle breezes. A beautiful day.

October, and Where Are All the Flower Bulbs?

I went to the stores (several) looking for crocus bulbs and bone meal. This is the height of the bulb planting season, right? All the fall planting areas are replaced with premature Christmas gunk. I am unhappy. Even the plant store… I paid full price for what they had left….while their sales people were busy stocking shelf upon shelf of Christmas gewgaws. I will try another store later, on my way to another errand, but isn’t it ridiculous to find no flower bulbs in the middle of fall?

Garden Chores Accomplished

On a brighter note, I finally planted the Iteas with the help of my husband. I still feel weak from being so sick, so he did my digging for me. 🙂 Maybe he can apply for full time! I finally decided on placing them near the sweet gum trees, since they both have gorgeous fall color and need more acidic type of amendments ( like ironrite), etc.

State of the Garden Report

More good news is the combination of fall color in the fringetree/viburnum combo. Bright yellow and dusky red. Very nice.

The bad news in the garden is the condition of my Frasier firs. I hope they live, but they are yellowing and losing needles. Remind me not to curse the county engineer and his crony the ditch manager who cut deep into the tree rootline ( unnecessarily) and then refilled with worst possible slimy, clay, refuse dirt they could have found in three counties. Remind me…ok? …… After I talked to them and was promised the moon. And that’s not all of their nefariousness, but I don’t want to think about it right now.

October Day in the Life

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It has been very cool, with frosts in the mornings this past week. The asters were somewhat disappointing this year due to whatever frizzled up the foliage and flowers.

The garden has been lush due to all the rains, but some things don’t much like this. Petunias are very sorry looking without the usual Midwestern sunshine.

The Nasturtiums finally burgeoned forth. They were in the raised bulb boxes in the front garden. Hurriedly planted after the seeds got wet and sprouted…so I planted tiny sprouts and they all did very well.

I don’t know if I took a picture or not. Not much of a photographer and I use disposable cameras. So nothing is very web-worthy.

Pictures do point up some of the garden’s design faults though.

I tend to just love the individual plants and the ambience of the scent and small vignettes, here and there. I don’t know whether this is good or bad. After all, the garden is only for my, and my family’s, enjoyment. Sometimes I feel like my mindset is to play to an audience.

I never grew up. (My explanation for this phenomena).

Well, that is all for now…. as this was not even an expected post. I have been rather raunch with a very bad cold/flu bug. I didn’t even ask my husband if he had picked up the peat moss and grass seed . The Iteas need peat when they are planted and the grass is late going onto the bare dirt left from covering an entrenched drain.

I did spend time yesterday making more of my upcoming web pages on perennials. That is positive. I think they will be ready in a week.

Grasses

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Grasses

I live in what is basically a savannah/grassland area. For me, my biggest weed problem has been invading grass and Canada thistles (and of course the ubiquitous dandelion).

So why am I now investigating ornamental grasses?

It is a Madison Avenue-type success story. A matter of exposing people to the value and use of certain plants.

It just makes sense to cultivate what will grow well, and many landscaping books and commercial landscape plantings show how effective grasses can be.

I am starting out conservatively. An acorus for an area near the pond. This time planted at the edge instead of within the pond. I am not sure how much I want to go with the grass look, but I like the way some of the Miscanthus varieties look.

I am also thinking in terms of what already grows on the property. Is there another way I could use some of the grass species? I have lots to choose from around here…just have to educate the eye and exercise the mind a bit.

I have planted all my new things, except for the Iteas. They need “acidic moist soil” according to the books. I am having a hard time deciding where to situate them.

Why did I buy them you ask? They were a great promotional deal for less than four dollars a bush. They promise bright fall color. That’s why:) I probably should get some more peat moss to put into their planting space.

Well, I have until some time Monday to plant them easily. I don’t like to work on Sunday. Day of rest from all the labors and worries of the week. I have been so uptight lately that I need to distance a little.