Ledge and Gardens

Garlic - Allium sativuum

Fall may be the end of the  growth cycle for most of the plants in the garden but it is just the beginning for garlic.  That is one of the reasons why I have planted it in the past and again this fall.  There is the reward of plunging one's hands into the still warm earth to plant the individual cloves.  Early spring brings its' own delights as the green scapes emerge from the ground when all else is still in winter slumber.  This weekend was a gardener's dream.  It was clear and in the 60's .  Perfect for many garden tasks and most certainly planting.   Planting garlic is easy but preparing the bed after a good month or two of neglect will raise the sweat on one's brow and provide a weekend workout on par with that of the best trainer. 
Garlic likes a rich, loose, well drained soil which necessitates a good cleanup of debris, a new layer of compost and then the planting of the individual cloves.  I sent away to Filaree Farm for a blend of garlic types.   I planted four different types and even took the time to label
them which is something I have neglected to do in the past. 
The three bulbs on the planting board planted about a twenty foot row. I highly recommend a planting board which makes the job of spacing easy since there is a notch every six inches.  It also comes in handy for marking a row with the V shaped side.  I digress so back to the garlic.   Romanian Red is a Porcelain variety of garlic.  I also received Chesnok Red, a Purple stripe variety, Killarney Red, a Rocambole variety and Silver White, a Silverskin variety.   They each have a wonderfully written description reminiscent of the J. Peterman catalog which makes choosing one type difficult.  I went for the variety pack.  I hope to have a review of each next summer and the goal will be to save some bulbs for planting next fall.  The final step was to add  some mulch to the bed.  
I used straw but this straw did seem to have some seed heads and that may be a problem next spring.  Only time will tell.   It was also the day to pull the last of the leeks, another member of the Allium family.  One member at the end of its' growth cycle and the other just beginning.  
I think there will be a leek and potato soup on the table sometime this week.  Bon appetite!

Colors in the garden

The leaves of this Acer j. 'Aconitifolium' have dropped and the cool days of November are upon us.  November can be so gray and bleak in New England.  This past weekend was leaf raking weekend and so the garlic remains as yet unplanted and the beds untidied.  The bulk of the leaves have been carted to the compost piles but the windy day left the lawn littered yet again with scattered spots of oak leaves. The statuary needs to be put away as cement does not fair very well with the freezing temperatures of New England. 
This birdbath will freeze over if left and Buddha must spend the winter in the shed.  Mickey Mouse was a favorite of my dear Aunty Hope who passed away this year. 
He needs his own garden but what would you put in a Mickey Mouse garden?  He sits among the hellebores currently but they are a bit over his head.
There are various bits and pieces lying here and there and also some remaining containers which must be put away.  I never realized that the Elephant Ear is so cold hardy.  We have had quite cool temperatures here and even a bit of snow but this Elephant Ear
has not succumbed and will be moved, hopefully this weekend, to the basement.  Under lights of course. It seems impossibly green in this ever browning landscape.  Are you snuggling under for the season or is it in full throttle in your area?

Happy Halloween!

Wordless Wednesday - October 28, 2009

Climbing hydrangea, Hydrangea anomala subsp. petiolaris

I have written about this plant in the past.  It is a charmer in flower and the foliage is nice enough most of the rest of the year.  The leaves are rounded ovals with a slight serration and a dark green, glossy appearance.  This vine is hardy from zones 4-7 and originates from China.  It attaches itself to trees, walls and structures with rootlike holders.  It is a bit slow to establish but will grow in sun or partial shade.  I have seen no evidence of pest problems.
The vine sends out shoots from the main stem and this gives this plant a more interesting, three dimensional appearance.   What I have failed to notice in past season's is the fact that this plant turns bright yellow in the fall.  It is a column of light in the garden. 
This fall, foliage colors were not as bright as past years with the exception of this plant.  Is it because it has more color or that the lack of real punch this year leaves one to appreciate that which has been there all along but gone unnoticed?  It is not just my plant which has such bright coloration.
  I noticed that the one planted at my sister's is just as bright.  I will pay attention to it next year to see if this color is an anomaly or if it has always been this yellow.  You will remind me if I forget won't you?
 

Fall days

This was not the best gardening year and fall continues to provide challenges.  It seems to rain enough each weekend so tasks remain undone and the gardens remain messy. 
In addition, the deer have found the rye patch which is currently keeping them away from the hollies, rhododendrons and evergreens.  I did make a trip to one of those box stores which I so dislike but then I had to go to get string for the string trimmer and netting to cover the deer candy.  I am going to give the netting a try this year as others swear by it and spraying relies on someone actually spraying which doesn't always happen resulting in bare plants.  There are spots of bright color this year but the Tiger Eye Sumac did not color up as it has in the past. 
The leaves just turned brown in the wet weather and withered away. Really ugly. 
The Acer japonicum 'Aconitifolium' is a bright spot in the outer border now.  It has the most beautiful, intricately cut leaves
of any of the maples in my garden. 
It was a gift, a passalong plant from a seedling in a friend's garden.  New England has had an interesting season this year and it is not often we get our first snowfall the same week as the first frost.
  Forgive the lousy picture but it does show the snow on the bee balm seedheads.  Yes, I am looking for sympathy.  Snow in October, however fleeting, is just too early.  I do know that every gardener has bad weather to contend with sometime during the gardening season and next year could be the long awaited 'perfect' gardening season.  Was this past one yours?  

Ground fog

The earth is cooling in October as evidenced by the fog  which appears in the back field as evening approaches.  It is mysterious looking and bears further inspection although Tucker has his nose on something with an actual odor.  This is the swirling stuff of dreams or perhaps nightmares but it is curious and a bit bewitching.
  To humans that is.  Here the Job Supervisor has walked through it and decided that the photographer, with knees on the ground, is a bit more interesting and if he runs fast enough he could topple her over
and maybe have his ears scratched. 
He is getting closer  until he is just a blur.  
We both had fun in the field.  Another day done.
 

Frost in the field

The upper garden was untouched by frost but the back field, which slopes downward,did not escape the ice crystals.
  The days are golden now

as the trees change their wardrobe toward the inevitable nakedness of dormancy. 
The ferns have a sharp fragrance in their decline and the tapestry of ice
accentuates their fine form.   An annual weed grass has been growing in the compost heap this summer.  It has commanded attention due to its' coarseness and stature. The seed heads are large and attractive and the frost has given them a squirrel's tail softness.  
Frost does seem to bring out the minute details with its' etching characteristics.  It won't be long before it reaches the upper garden but the very frost sensitive morning glories are continuing to bud and bloom
  while still pushing out new growth
seemingly oblivious to their inevitable end.  Has Jack Frost hit your garden yet?  

The glamour of annuals - Blithewold

My recent visit to Blithewold to hear Michael Dirr's lecture on 'Noble Trees' had its' expected reward of visiting the flower and vegetable gardens
so carefully tended by Kris and Gail.  The trees often escape my attention as the allure of the colorful annuals and perennials pull me to the greenhouse garden area.  There are always the favorites 

in different and exciting colors but there are also unusual annuals
such as this Gomphocarpus physocarpus aka 'Balloon Cottonbush' or 'Hairy Balls' which, to me, is the ultimate Beavus and Butthead annual.   It does have very pretty flowers
in spite of the rather unfortunate but every intriguing looking seedpods. 
The bones of these garden beds stay the same but the contents are always changing which is a credit to the creative gardening talents of the aforementioned gardeners.  The flower beds overflow and are lush, full, and always a joy to visit.  This is the shot that left me wanting more...even if it is school bus yellow.

Hydrangea macrophylla 'Endless Summer'

The 'Endless Summer' hydrangea is the only blue mophead which will give me blue flowers here in the garden.  The other macrophyllas are just not bud hardy enough for the Zone 5 cold temperatures of this garden.  It really is true blue in flower and this year, the three Endless Summers looked great but only two bloomed.  I think one is getting just a bit too much shade and some limbing up of the oaks will hopefully resolve the problem.  Clear blue is hard to find in flowers.   Delphiniums

can be clear blue as can gentian,
salvia, and morning glories
but I am finding the fall hues of the aging flowers of the blue hydrangea a mix of turquoise,
mauve
and green. 

They are really quite a bit more interesting than the clear blue.  Are your hydrangea flowers turning color and, if so, what colors are emerging?