Kaseys Korner

it's that time of year

When the praying mantis congregate along the front of my house, seeking the protection (from chilly overnight lows) the warm southern exposure offers:

 

Clinging to the beige stucco (in the early AM's and late afternoons ~ during the day they disperse a bit), they are more readily seen then during the summer months.   Prior to the change in seasons, I'm lucky if I flush one out of the vegetation (usually by water spray).  Sometimes we see them climbing the screen doors in the evenings, pursuing bugs attracted by the porch light.

 

My niece frightened us all (praying mantis probably included) one summer night by shrieking loudly upon spying one hanging on the door!  While putting up holiday lights or during spring clean up, I always come across a few egg cases (often attached to grass stalks in my front garden, or tucked amongst the rocks of the retaining wall).  Last year, I found this one right next to the front faucet:

 

A likely place since they spend lots of time here until the cold really sets in and kills them.  For the most part I'm happy to share my garden with them but I was shocked upon reading Robin's blog to find out they also prey on hummingbirds.  I have never witnessed that nor do I see them on my feeders.  Nature is a never ending wonder, isn't it?? 

sunflower season

is almost over and I almost missed it: 

How did that happen??  Yesterday I finally took the time to stop by one of the fields (near our house) of these late summer beauties and saw most of them were past their peak.  I've been enjoying their sunny "faces" for a while (seems like since before school started) so it should have been no big surprise, but somehow it was.  Yellow gold petals silhouetted against blue September skies has to be one of natures finest combinations.  In the still of Sunday morning, one lone bumblebee, camouflaged really well, busily gathered pollen from the center of one sunflower:

   

Interesting how well he blends and how small he appears in the giant head.  For those of you who make cards, you probably already know that World Card Making Day (there's a holiday for everything now, isn't there?) is this Saturday, October 4th.  In honor of it, I thought I would post an old card featuring one of my sunflower field photos.  This card (and coordinating envelope) appeared in the September 2005 issue of CardMaker Magazine.  I can't believe that's been three years already either.

Driving by fields of sunflowers can't help but make you happy.  It just does.  :-)  So I bought a bouquet (of a smaller variety) to carry that feeling inside with me:

 

Oh happy day!  

Shade Container #8

 

An updated photo of my shade container.  I first posted a picture of it in mid July.  It's filled out quite a bit in the last two months.  If you want a detailed list of what's planted inside, click here, and it will take you back to that post.  The purple petunias peeking into the top left corner of the photo are from my birdcage arrangement.  Click here to revisit that.  The little piece of purple in the bottom right corner is the tip of my eggplant painted rocker.  My 'Black Magic' elephant ear was not so magical this year, for so many reasons.  His growth was very stunted, his edges were dried and the surface of his normally flawless velvety leaves was covered with a mildew-like substance.  I've never had any of these issues with him before so I'm not sure what is wrong?  I overwinter him every year by letting the frost singe the foliage then digging him up and storing in the dark, in my unheated basement.  I have tons of luck doing that with many tender plants. 

the "pinks" container (#7)

 

This is the container I "thought" would be my favorite since it's comprised of plants from my favorite section of the color wheel.  Although I enjoy everything individually inside the container, it ended up not being my best composition.  It started out with the spectacular Mandevilla 'Moonlight parfait' at the center of the 20" wide by 15" tall green ceramic pot.  Here's a close up of 'Moonlight parfait' just because it's so gorgeous:

 

Surrounding 'Moonlight parfait' is my 'Bella pink' flowering maple that I pictured individually here, a decorative pink dahlia, the little hardy orchids 'Bletilla Striata' that bloomed in early June (and have only provided foliage since), a 'Croftway Purple Prince' Phygelius that got over fertilized and was replaced on Labor Day by 'Croftway Yellow Sovereign.'   'New Wonder' (Scaevola aemula) hangs over one side (my only purple concession) and pink snapdragons line the back (a peek of them can be seen about midway up the photo).  I originally planted three violet cleomes in this container and will never do that again.  It did not take long for them to overpower everything else and go all woody and gangly on me (I should have anticipated that).  I pulled all but one cleome early in July.  The last plant came out after Labor Day (I wish I would have pulled it sooner) but here is a photo with the one lone cleome left:

 

See what I mean?  I think the cleome detracted from the visual aesthetics of the container and deterred the other plants from reaching their full potential.  Another lesson learned.  I think if this container had another month (without the cleome) it would really come into its own.  Who knows??  Maybe we'll get lucky with a really late frost this year and I'll be able to photograph it again when it's more magnificent.

3 tiered vintage container (#6)

 

Taking a quick foray back into the world of containers this morning to post a photo of my vintage 3-tiered planter.  I'm sad to say this planter will go home with my Mom come spring and she will plant it next season.  It will be interesting to see the difference.  That was the "deal" we struck when we found it and both wanted it ~ to alternate years.  :-)

For my first turn, I put begonia tubers in the top tier along with crystal palace lobelia (I lined both tiers with spaghnum moss first and filled with potting soil before planting).  In the bottom tier went my 'Picotee Lace' Begonia (not currently blooming), some ivy, a pink fuchsia and the fab 'Variegated Cretan Brake Fern' (Pteris cretica 'Albo-lineata').  You may remember I thought this container was "top heavy" when it was first planted, but after going thru the growing season, it seems to have evened out (good thing because I never got around to switching things up).  I haven't decided whether to bring the fern in or not (I really like it) but I will absolutely overwinter the begonia tubers (after the tops get frosted) and start them again next spring.

early AM surprise

I've been happily running behind all day (blogging included) because of a surprise visit early this morning from a friend.  She came carrying the potting stool (pictured below) for my garden (as a belated birthday present):

 

How sweet is that??  It has handles in the sides to make carrying it easier.  With it's flat surface top, I think it would make a nice stand for a container too.  Thank you Dana.  That was SO thoughtful and like most of you, I love a garden related gift.  :-)   While she was here we took a little tour around my yard so she could see everything firsthand (versus on the blog).  I took the opportunity to also check out two perennials I'm still waiting to see bloom:

 

My monkshood (Aconitum carmichaelii) has buds so it won't be long until those interesting purple flowers replace them.  Unfortunately, it hasn't performed well this season, sending up only four spindly stalks, about a third it's normal size.  The clump took a hit last summer when a June wind storm broke a number of stalks at the base (I hadn't staked yet).  I don't know if that breakage affected its growth this season or not??   I want to determine what will make it happier tho as I look forward to the late season color.  The other perennial that hasn't bloomed is my Leopard Plant (Farfugium japonicum 'Aureomaculata'):

 

I love the yellow spotted foliage (the reason I bought it) and so do the slugs!  This perennial is hardy to zone 7 but lucky for me, has returned the last four years to my zone 5 garden.  I think it's in a mini micro-climate where it's planted which encourages me to keep pushing the boundaries of my zone.  It does not look like it will bloom tho as I see no evidence of any bloom stalks forming.  I think it got shaded out for too long by a nearby delphinium.  These puzzles will keep my mind occupied while I move on to other chores (before I get even further behind).  Thanks again for the great day Dana!!!  

reading directions (garden related)

Apparently there was a sign that said "bag bulbs & write corresponding number (from box) on bag."  Did I see the sign??  You guessed it.  I did NOT.  I was so focused on the bulbs and excited about the number of varieties (especially of alliums) to choose from that I never dreamed about taking time to read signs.  *sigh* 

 

I've had this problem since I was a child.  I remember in 4th grade our teacher passed out a two page long assignment of things to do.  At the top of the first page, there was a line that said "read directions thoroughly before beginning."  The last item on the assignment said to do nothing.  Anyone remember this??  Well, I was one of those kids who started scrambling to get thru the list without reading that last critical line.  What do they say about learning from your mistakes?  Today, I have an assortment of bulbs (and labels) but I don't know which label belongs to which bulb.  Above are a few of my new purchases and below are a few of the tags:

 

I'm thinking it will be interesting in my garden come spring.  Hopefully I'll be able to match the tags with the blooms then.  I may have finally learned this lesson.  While I'm at it, why do plant tags get printed without photos anyway?  ugh.   

pleasant (pink) surprise

(my favorite kind)

 

When I posted about the Japanese anemones last week (click here if you want to read it again), I thought all of the pink had been edged out by the more aggressive white variety.  Imagine my surprise to find one lone clump left and double flowers yet!!!  I had forgotten these were double.  It could be because they haven't bloomed in a while??  (many years an early frost will get them before they ever get a chance to open).  I'm happy to know I still have one plant ~ I think I'll mark it so it doesn't get pulled when I'm trying to get the white ones under control. 

 

Look how luscious and full the double pink bud is compared to the single white one:

 

I hope you don't mind the "repeat" photo but I thought it was worth the side-by-side comparison.  One more photo, (completely off the topic of anemones) just because I'm in the mood and it's pretty:

 

My antique birdfeeder surrounded by turtlehead (Chelone obliqua).  How pretty is that?  The blue jays still haven't discovered the peanuts I put inside the feeder for them.  I wonder how long that will take?

enter fall

 

When we went to bed last night it was still officially summer but today, we usher in fall.  Whether we're excited about it or not (NOT), we'll try to be graceful about the exit of our favorite season.  Here are a few ways I knew the season was changing without looking at the calendar:

****Our pets (both dog and cat) are preferring to nap on the furniture or in their beds rather than stretched out on the floors like they do during the summer.

***I'm inching the knob in my shower closer toward "hot" in the mornings.

***My laundry basket is the most mixed up bundle of clothes you can imagine.  There are shorts and long pants, short and long sleeved shirts, sweatshirts and even the occasional swimsuit thrown together.

***We have to keep moving up the start time of our evening walk to finish before dark.

***My containers are not drying out as quickly as they did during the heat of summer.  I water them every other day now and have quit fertilizing.

***I can have both the heat and the A/C on in my car during the span of one day.

I'm sure there are many other little indicators, feel free to add on if you like, as I will, when my brain engages for the day (more coffee required before that happens).  Oh, I recently made the fall arrangement on my door (in the photo above) to replace an old wreath we'd had for years.  In case anyone is interested in copying it, I started with a pocket basket (I think that's what they are called?).   Those are so perfect for that space between the storm and front doors (because they're thin) and stuffed it full of seasonal items.  Sunflowers, lotus seed pods (so glad to know what those are now), cattails, etc.  Here's a closer look:

Anything special hanging on your front door for fall??

glitter fever

 

Switching gears today and sharing my newest obsession in papercrafting.  Glitter letters.  I know.  I'm SO slow.  These have been around forever.  I'm just finally catching on.  Better late than never, right?  As soon as I bought them, I *had* to use them right away so I actually created a layout (my first in a while) and then I helped my daughter make a really quick and easy "altered" composition notebook for school:

 

Aren't they the best??  For a long time I stayed away from glitter because I would get it everywhere.  These letters are not like that tho ~ the glitter seems to stay right on the sticker.  Perfect.  We'll be using a lot of this stuff.