Kaseys Korner

decision time

The threat of frost last weekend (that fortunately never happened) has spurred me into a greater appreciation of the garden.  I've been making concerted efforts to get outdoors as much as possible before the season truly is over (not that it's difficult, just a matter of time management!) 

I've noticed that Verbena bonariensis is the "go to" bloom for October.  Thank goodness it seeded itself all over the garden because the bees and bumbles (the latter a rare sighting this summer) are really using it.

Probably because (even tho I've been trying to add more) I still feel like there's a deficit of fall bloomers in my garden.  Something to keep working on...

Strangely enough, the foliage of most trees & shrubs have only the barest hint of fall color?  I need to look back thru photos from previous Octobers but I'm pretty sure the garden was starting to be "decked out" in autumn brilliance by this time in years past...  For now, a sea of green is still what greets the eye ~ note the antique birdhouse which is barely visible thru all the rose foliage:

That splotch of pink is a cluster of roses, blooming for the third and final time.  Elsewhere in the garden, other plants, with the luxury of extra time this mild fall, are also re-blooming.  Check out the Canterbury bells basking in afternoon sunlight:

It looks like the Brugmansia buds just might make it to blooming as well.

Ever so close....  

It's impossible to forget the month with dwindling daylight hours & fall touches like a pumpkin that replaced 'Adonis Blue' Buddleia in front of the birdhouse tuteur:

and of course the black mum-filled urns:

This is the time (instead of waiting until the last minute) to decide which plants to overwinter.  Two Colocasias are on my "maybe" list ~ 'Mojito:'

and 'Blue Hawaii:'

What to do, what to do....  I LOVE the foliage but haven't had much luck storing them in my basement.  Maybe the garage??

Then there's this vibrant lantana that I'm toying with turning into a topiary:

I've never shaped any of my tenders or annuals into topiary form before but I love the effect.  I saw my 'Powder Puff' Hibiscus as a topiary TREE (!!) last weekend and fell in love all over again.  That's what got me thinking about trying it.  I wonder how long it takes to get a nice height & shape??

I have a boat load of bulbs to plant too.  I believe I was over zealous when ordering back in June ~ I remember thinking I had lots of new planting areas in my back garden.  Now that they've arrived tho, I am wondering if I'll get them all in the ground.  If you don't hear from me for a few days, you'll know what I'm doing!

p.s.  I joined a neighborhood book club this fall and had my second meeting last night.  So fun. We met around a fire pit (I came home feeling like I'd gone camping).  Our book this month was "The Man in the Rockefeller Suit."  I'm mentioning this because we also all brought ingredients to create a "smores bar" ~ it was my first time thinking outside the box of a "regular smore."  My contribution was pumpkin marshmallows, cream cheese & cinnamon.  I'm wondering if anyone else has experimented with this favorite summer treat?? 

 

 

clusters in the garden

Everywhere I look these days I'm seeing "bunches."  Sometimes it's good, like (finally) fruit to harvest from the tomato vines:

I thought I'd been watering a lost cause!

and berries on the Viburnum hedge:

Robins have been gorging themselves on these!

Even insects are crowding together:

I understand ~ I've been seeking the warmth of a sweatshirt in the early AM's & PM's too.

There are a few clusters I'd rather not see. 

Like these oak galls found abundantly on the undersides of the Bur Oak leaves:

At least I now know why I have so MANY yellow jackets on the Mugo Pine (that grows beneath the oak.)  The galls secrete a sweet substance the bees eat.  I'm hoping a neem oil application next spring will help because I'm frustrated at not being able to enjoy the front patio area.

I've also noticed quite a few Tachinid flies, this one on a cluster of aster blooms:

Too many Tachinids could spell disaster for the caterpillars recently discovered in the garden. 

One thing I've been looking for all summer and wishing I'd see in multiples ~ toads.  Finally, at the edge of summer, an appearance:

Hoping for greater numbers next summer. 

So many other "groupings" not photographed ~ flocks of geese flying overhead morning and evening,  gatherings of starlings ~ sorry, but I won't miss them at all ~ etc., etc.  No matter how hard I try to deny the arrival of fall, there's no escaping.  The change is in motion as evidenced in the garden.  I'm sure you've noticed it too...

Monarch cats in "da garden"

Woo hoo.  The back garden redesign is starting to pay off!  I had butterflies, bees & birds in mind when I started the makeover this spring and today a big sign it's working:

A Monarch caterpillar on "Princess" ~ the pink swamp milkweed (Asclepias incarnata) planted in the new oval bed.  It's the first time I've EVER had Monarch caterpillars.  I've read about them being in your gardens and now, what a thrill to find them in my own!

It really IS true "if you plant it, they will come."  The caterpillar above is on "Ice Ballet" ~ a white swamp milkweed.  I only see two "cats" for now (one on each plant) but we'll see what happens.  The blooms of both milkweed are long over but there are plenty of seed pods & green leaves left.  I'm hoping both plants will spread around the garden and I have multitudes of caterpillars from this year forward.

Now I guess I'll start worrying about them being parasitized by the tachinid flies that also inhabit the garden.  It's already crossed my mind to collect them and keep them protected but I wonder if that's the right thing???   How much interference is appropriate?  I struggle with that one...

 

Sultry = oppressively hot, sweltering

Our weatherman used a word (to describe last evenings temperature) that I barely remember hearing since leaving the east coast ~ sultry!  To tell you the truth, I'd almost forgotten about "sultry," it's been out of my vocabulary SO long.  The opportunities for an appropriate usage are rare when living in the dry (arid) west but after he said it, I thought "you are so right."  It was still a steamy 89 degrees during our 8:30 PM walk.  That doesn't happen very often either since we are usually lucky to experience a cool down as soon as the sun dips behind the Rocky Mountains.

Maybe I can blame the heat for my insomnia of late??  I've been seeing hours of the morning that I haven't seen in years, if ever.   4:14 read the clock when I rose this morning.  Although I hope this trend doesn't continue, I am appreciating many things about the hours of dawn.  Like the hot air balloon in the sky about 6:00 AM:

I certainly wouldn't see that if I was lying abed until 8:00 or 9:00 AM!

Without the heat to hurry me indoors, the cool hours allow the luxury of examining the garden at a leisurely pace.  I discovered morning glory 'Pink Feathers' (started from seed this spring) had a bloom:

I think it's the first one but I can't be sure?  Luckily, I now know there are many more buds about to open.  It looks interesting, doesn't it?  I promise to rephotograph at a later time.

The light at dawn is absolutely unparalleled.  Look at this top-laden bloom stalk of purple canterbury bells:

It positively glows.

As do the zinnias and lantana in the vintage wheelbarrow out front:

The moisture drops left from the early morning sprinkler cycle create interesting effects too.   See them glistening in between the Allium buds:

Okay, maybe not.  I didn't capture that as well as I thought.  Moving on....

Another Allium, this one 'flavum' in some great light:

'Flavum' (and 'Schubertii') are the two Alliums that inspire illusions of fireworks for me ~ do they do that for you too??

It doesn't matter what time of day the sun or clock reads when it comes to searching for a meal:

That's when the boy scout motto "always be prepared" comes into play. The crab spider above (on a Heliopsis 'Loraine Sunshine' bloom) is fully ready.

We're into our 18th day of continuous above 90 degree temperatures and could maybe break a record.  The longest previous string was 24 days.  At least it's not above 100 like in Texas & other parts of the country, right?  We'll see what happens.  I never like to complain about heat because even tho a drop into the 80's sounds great, I've spent too much time (the rest of the year) wishing & waiting for just this ~ summer!  I will not be hoping fall hurries up and arrives!  No way, no how....

 

 

Weeping Pussy Willow

My first purchase of the 2011 gardening season.  I've never had a weeping tree of any kind even tho I've long admired their graceful drooping forms in other gardens. 

What finally pushed me to quit admiring and take the plunge was noticing how crazy the bees were for the fuzzy yellow blooms.  I knew I'd like to have something to illicit that kind of early activity in my own garden.  Sure enough, it only took 30 minutes for "my" bees to discover it upon arriving home.

They've been swarming it every warm day since. 

Right now, I don't have a spot in mind to plant it so I'm thinking of putting it in a large container.  It stands no more than 4' high but according to the tag, will max out at 6' in height.

Otherwise, the garden is still faithfully returning to life.  New blooms show up every time I stroll around although that hasn't been often since we've experienced a lot of ferocious wind this spring.  When I do venture out, I wait until evening, hoping the wind will have eased up (but that certainly hasn't always been the case this year.)

Here's what I've managed to capture in-between gusts:

Hellebore 'Blue Lady'

Striped Squill (Puschkinia libanotica)

Primula denticulata opening in more colors.

In the "greenhouse" Streptocarpus 'Blue Ice' is blooming:

I feel like 'Blue Ice' is the lucky one since it doesn't have to endure the large temperature fluctuations like the outdoor blooms.  This past Saturday we were 80 degrees ~ plants and bulbs were almost popping open before our eyes ~ then Sunday snow returned, followed by overnight low temperatures dipping to 19 degrees.  That was harsh.  A gentle warming spring (versus a roller coaster) might be nice but who am I to make requests when the bulbs are weathering the elements just fine?

White Moth Orchid

opened its first bud this morning.

Just in time to save me from going completely stir crazy.  My daughter and I have been inside the house for three days straight (our absolute max limit) because of the weather.  Monday, we had snow and high temperatures in the single digits.  Yesterday, daytime temperatures never even got above zero and the prediction for last nights low was 20 below.  Mercury readings that make wimps like us shudder!  My thermometer doesn't seem to be reading correctly so I'm not sure if we actually hit that low or not?  Maybe I don't want to know??

Today is forecasted to be in the single digits again but the good news is that we go up from here. :-)

Hard to believe I was sitting outside, in my shorts, enjoying 65 degree temperatures just last Friday!  The bees were out with me, looking for anything they could find.  Feeling bad for them (two snowdrops don't go far) I shared my tulip bouquet (just like I've done in previous years.)  I was almost ready to pitch it anyway and, at this time of year, they aren't picky about "past the peak" blooms.  In very short order, every tulip was swarmed with bees:

I don't see temperatures that nice in our extended forecast but at least we all had that one fabulous day.  A break like that goes a long way in the middle of winter...

And so does a gorgeous Moth (phalaenopsis) orchid bloom!

fall in the garden

Still lots of good stuff going on.  I've been practically floating over our mild weather.  It makes me want to get greedy and keep the above average temperatures rollin'.  I know that can't happen indefinitely ~ I haven't floated that far up in the clouds ~ and the garden knows it too.  The landscape is turning glorious shades of red, yellow, orange and brown:

Photo above shows the southwest corner of my backyard ~ Nannyberry (Viburnum lentago) is the brilliant red shrub in the foreground and of course, the blazing yellow/gold leaves belong to its comrade the Aspen.

Below, a demonstration of "brown" in the front garden bed ~ set off nicely by the antique iron fence:

Monarch butterflies are really on the move now ~ I've seen a number of them this past week ~ all heading south with purpose and haste!  Painted Ladies, unencumbered by the necessity of migration, flit lazily about the garden on bright sunny days:

happily not bothered at all by an "in-your-face" photographer!

Honeybees are taking advantage of the last warm days too ~ like this one laden with pollen from Dahlia 'Rosita:'

Believe it or not, a few of the raspberry canes are still producing berries:

I think this is the latest I've ever been able to pick them?

I'm also enjoying the Virginia creeper vine I started up the chicken wire fence this summer:

The red foliage is a nice addition to an otherwise non-descript fence.

Finally, if all my other senses failed me, I'd know it was Fall by the flats of Apples (from the Western Slope) my neighbor has for sale.   She so thoughtfully brought me this 'Fuji' assortment yesterday:

They almost look too good to eat, don't they?!!

 

where the bees are (and aren't)

This time of year, the bees in my garden are swarming a lot of plants that I'm sure you're familiar with and most likely grow too.  Like Caryopteris (Blue Mist Spirea):

The plants are literally "alive" with activity.  It's truly the busiest spot in my garden at the moment.

Of course, they're also on Agastache 'Blue Fortune:'

I'm so thrilled I finally bought a couple plants ~ they haven't disappointed.  Now I'm wondering if they'll overwinter in their container???   hmmmm...

Another place you'll find a lot of bees is on Sedum Matrona (Stonecrop):

My one plant is spreading quite delightfully, which makes our flying friends happy as well.

Some place the bees are conspicuously absent, is on Eupatorium purpureum subsp. Maculatum 'Gateway' (Joe Pye Weed).  The gardener, ahem, has gotten lazy and there has been no supplemental watering at all.   Therefore, without any natural rainfall for over a month (maybe longer), the big floppy heads have dried up. 

It's a sad sight to witness and I'm very much kicking myself for letting it happen.  Thankfully there are other sources of nourishment available or I would be feeling even worse about my negligence. 

One place we do NOT like to see the bees, is in the clutches of a Jagged Ambush Bug:

ugh.  When you happen upon this sight, it's way too late for the bee.  The second they are snagged, they're injected with poison which turns their insides to liquid that is in turn "slurped" (if you will) by the ambush bug.  The bee or butterfly is left in a "dried" state, completely intact.  I know I've saved a lot of pollinator lives this summer by patroling and capturing multitudes of Ambush bugs but unfortunately, not this one.

What I can tell you, is it was his last supper....

 

bumble rumble???

Is that what is happening here?  The smaller bee was definitely initiating something:

To my untrained eye, it DIDN'T appear "friendly."

It almost seemed as if the smaller bee were "biting" the bigger one?? 

He never let go, but repeatedly bent his head onto the larger bee.  I don't see a stinger?  and I don't think this is reproductive behavior? 

Are they two types of bumbles?  (Not happy to see each other?)  Whatever was going on, I happened upon it while I was cleaning my pond filter ~ that touch of purple in the photo is Lobelia X 'gerardii' growing by the waters edge.

You'll never guess who ended it?  Yep, me.  I couldn't stand it.  Bad or good, I broke it up.  No one is dying on my watch, especially if I can do something about it!

you may have wondered

what happened to me?  I was a blogging fiend for a while then all the sudden, nothing.  I think I'm slightly depressed.  Happens every year when the start date of school is imminent.  Suddenly, the end of summer looms and I can't quite face it.  I'm struggling with that now.  School starts Aug 17th here.  ugh.  TOO EARLY.  What are they thinking??? 

Maybe the pollinators can help lift my mood?  I've had the good fortune of photographing a few in the garden lately.  First, a visitor to verbena bonariensis (other than tachinid flies):

 

That's more like it.  Exactly what I expected to see.  Next year I'm starting it from seed to see if that makes it more attractive because it hasn't really gotten the attention I thought it would. (re:  Marnie's question/theory about whether box stores & nurseries use systemics or sprays to keep plants for sale  "bug-free".)

Beyond scarce this year, a Monarch butterfly briefly stopped by the Echinacea then fluttered off, not to be seen again (I feel lucky I was there at just that moment):

and Ben you'll be happy to know, I went out and smashed some Tachinid flies as a result of this sighting.  :-)

Something else I'm hunting down and euthanizing (with odorless mineral spirits) are Jagged Ambush Bugs.  They've suddenly appeared all over the garden so of course I immediately rounded up the "death" container/chamber and am zealously picking them off my plants (at least twice a day).  I don't want anymore butterflies or bees expiring here because of their vice-grip forearms and poison.

 

It would be a shame for one to nab the beautiful Swallowtail pictured above, wouldn't it?

Speaking of "nabbing," guess what nabbed the praying mantis out of my viola basket (underneath the backdoor light)?  A baby Bullock's Oriole.  I've sort of been missing the Mantis popping up when I've watered the container lately.  He was well-fed so I guess I should take consolation in knowing the Oriole got a lot of nourishment out of that bite.