Mums the Word

MY PHOTO OF THE DAY

Ornamental Grass

 Fall is the time for happy grass--and I don't mean anything illegal. The lawns are de-stressing with the cooler weather and taking the time for some root development. The big ornamentals are fully plumed out and blowing in the breeze. My grasses are also in their full glory, although some of them get a bit floppy in my not-so-full-sun yard. I have zebra, porcupine, dwarf fountain, Karl Foerster feather reed and a few dug up from here and there that I haven't identified. I don't care so much about learning all the names of the grasses--I can't seem to keep them straight.

Dwarf fountain grass and sedum (stonecrop) make a nice pairing:

Pennisetum alopecuroides 'Hameln' and Sedum 'Autumn Joy' or Herbstfreude

If I have one caveat for the grasses, it is this: don't plant them (except maybe a super dwarf version of fountain grass called "little bunny") where you don't have room for something getting large and fat. I know from experience that some of the grasses become extremely difficult to dig up or divide. What I really enjoy is burning them down to the ground in February when a little snow is on the ground or at least when the soil is still frozen. (Don't try this at home.) It is probably against the city rules, but I plead ignorance. A dry grass going up in flames is exciting even for a non-pyro like me. I will post a video next year! On a dry day it takes about 20 seconds to completely turn a brown grass into a poof of black powder--way easier than cutting it down, even with a chain saw.

This red annual grass was showing deeper fall color at the "idea garden" last week:

The red grass in its fall landscape context:

Another nice grass:

This grass, hiding way in the back of my aunt's pond berm, looks like it is already in flames:

One more, affording some privacy off my deck, this big and floppy zebra:

Whimsy in the Garden

Adding a touch of whimsy to the landscape seems to be a delight to many gardeners and an obsession with others. The flower bed above is unusual in that it is stand-alone, large and lovely. I have seen many re-purposed daybeds pictured in country garden magazines that are not nearly so appealing as this one. I found this photo with a google search, but I wish I knew more about it.

And yet, it is a good example of whimsy in garden decor. Whimsical can be capricious, crazy, freakish, fanciful, harebrained, abnormal and even deviant; unexpected, surprising, unpredictable or delightful are other possibilities that I like.

I was invited to see a yard filled with whimsy last week. It had many hundreds of objects and plants--more than I was able to absorb. I discreetly snapped a few photos without asking. Here is a small sample of an unusual collection of garden art:



 

The garden also included a small "cottage" complete with chandelier and skylights, safely housing many collected treasures and providing a cozy spot to read or sip wine. My thought was mostly about the work of keeping all the stuff dusted--what a labor of love that must be! The owners enjoy searching for new objects to display and sometimes have a sale of their own. At least the cottage is safe from the elements. Many of the vases and the table with the doll heads have to be taken in during the wind storms.





Sometimes whimsy just happens; sometimes it is planned with passionate precision. Does your garden include a bit of whimsy?

September Rose

MY PHOTO OF THE DAY

It is a challenge to find perfection at this time of the year here in West Michigan. Leaves are chewed and dropping, heads are dead and blooms are elusive. Asters and mums are just not that interesting to photograph, although their hues blend well with pumpkins and the emerging fall colors. Soon splashes of red and yellow will be spreading like a slow fire through the city. A few maples have already started to flame. We wait for a temperature dip to snap some more trees into display mode.

This spray of roses I found to be the exception today--really quite lovely and perfect:

Roses should perhaps be my favorite flower since my name is a form of Rose. Of course, there is the thorn issue and that is a deterrent to loving roses. They are still blooming, even on tips of shrubs that have been decimated--and I give them a shout-out for their long-suffering efforts to bloom--often through much of November!

At the Beach Again

The dune grass at Lake Michigan was looking very healthy. What else thrives in the sand? I found the specimen below, whatever it is. But the most beautiful thing about the beach this particular weekend was that there was no one else there! Two kayaks drifted by once, but otherwise the great space stretched out endlessly just for us.

At the farm market:

 Lots of pumpkins, white and warty, ready for fall decorating.

The Red Delicious apples appeared to be ripe for picking. A late apple, they are usually ready some time in October, so it may be a few more weeks... The apples were abundant, and amazingly perfect, the branches of the trees hanging heavy and low with their sweet offering.

This time we bypassed the animals. The farm market was deluged with children, taking rides through those apple trees and having pumpkin fun, but Marissa couldn't resist helping one donkey to some fresh grass.

The sky view at the lake is always changing and often stunning.

 

Sunsets are great as well, but grab the camera quickly!

 

September Annuals in the Church Garden

Frank's Fabulous Flowers

Begonia Circle - View Two

Begonia Circle - View Three

Mandevilla

 Yesterday it rained gently most of the day. This morning at 9:25 when I arrived at church the flowers were sparkling in the morning sun. I was a little late for the opening praise songs, but I was able to capture the annuals at their freshest.

The begonia circle is still expanding--will it last through the first October frost?

One more photo taken last week of white lantana which has grown into enormous mounds, taking over any other annuals in the area. But Frank and I agree--this lantana--new to the garden--is a keeper.

Charlie in the Garden

A Garden Story Book

Once upon a time there was a dog named Charlie. He spent the whole day running around, getting  very thirsty. Then he spent the whole day drinking out of birdbaths and walking into the garden pond, lapping noisily. Then he spent the whole day lifting his leg, watering every green thing in the garden.

Can you find Charlie in the garden?

Do you see Charlie in the sedum?

Do you see Charlie on the porch?

 Do you see Charlie in the celosia?

Do you  see Charlie by the chestnut tree?

Do you see Charlie by the waterfall?

There's Charlie!

Blooming at the Beach

My Photo of the Day:

Driftwood, Dune Grass & Goldenrod

Apples to Zinnias

Garden Club's event for August was billed as an Apples to Zinnias on Four Acres extravaganza. The apples were awesome and the pears were perfect, including this Asian pear:

My nostalgia for all things fall was heightened by the sight of the beautiful fruit clusters--soon it will be the season of apple picking, pumpkins, apple cider donuts and maybe a horseback ride or color tour through brilliant autumn foliage. I was already in the mood, having just browsed my first issue of Midwest Living (so inexpensive that I could not resist one more magazine subscription). It featured short stories of favorite fall excursions, written by gals, traveling with their pals, accompanied by professionals taking photos. Included was a reference to returning home to make Dutch Apple Pie from an old cookbook that is in almost every Dutch home in West Michigan.

The gardens we visited, developed between groups of trees and connected by woodsy pathways, included, as billed, a little bit of everything, even some darling brussel sprouts. I almost missed the Zinnias on the former chicken farm, now hidden in a suburban location. They were obscured by the beauty of the extensive plots of (hundreds) dahlias--at least 30 named varieties according to the retired super-gardener who takes care of all this without help. The large dahlia blooms definitely were the stars of this garden, and we all took home one beautiful bloom. A single bloom sells for up to two dollars at the local farmer's market.

Yes, men came too, this one not smelling the flowers, but rather, investigating the engineering--a single rod holding the clay pots together.

Ornamental Pepper

My Photo of the Day-a very bright spot in the landscape,

all decked out for fall at the end of August!

Chicken in the Garden---and peacocks!

Not only did I find a teenage chicken in my aunt's vegetable garden this morning, but tonight I had a close encounter with two peahens. I felt like I was back on my childhood farm in the Dakotas.

In case I haven't mentioned it, my aunt has chickens. The spring hatchlings are getting big and restless and occasionally fly the coup, or somehow manage to get over a very tall fence. I did not know how to get the chicken back in the yard so I scooped out a handful of grain and put it where I thought the chicken would find it. Pears on the ground would be a delicious way to wash down the grain in the gullet.

This evening I was at cousin D's. I like to work there sometimes after dinner because there are peacocks in the area and I hear their alarm calls which they sound in the evening, high pitched and haunting, but yet, comfortingly familiar. I assume they are caged most of the time. There are also wild turkeys in the area that wander over off the golf course, so when I saw two dark shapes approaching, I figured it was the turkeys. The birds came alarming close--I think I was attacked once as a child by a domestic turkey. I had a a brief reactionary moment, but quickly recognized them as friendly peahens. I wanted so much to toss them a piece of Mom's chocolate cake, which our peacocks back in the 50's and 60's loved. All I could find was a cherry tomato. They took one peck and walked away, even when I squished one open.

I didn't have my camera with me today and could not document this encounter.

A peacock spreading his gorgeous tail feathers would be a lovely addition to any garden, but two gray peahens and a squawky white chicken, not so much.

I used to do a good imitation of the peacock's call and was challenged to do so once in the late 80's while riding in a limo in the streets of downtown Chicago after a Blackhawks game. I stuck my head out the sun roof of the stretch and screamed out the notes of the call. I think it goes high g, a, f--but perhaps I am remembering wrong!

Sedum on the Rocks

My Photo of the Day:

Sedum - Munstead Peaches and Cream? or Strawberries n' Cream???

Where Have All the Flowers Gone?

If the heat has kept you out of the garden lately, you might be staring at a lot of dead heads. Yesterday I was confronted with a huge patch of brown-headed shasta daisies. I snipped about half of them and then gave up, not sure whether my clients even cared. Pulling out the dead stalks on the daylilies is also tedious, but they look so much better and some seem to respond with new foliage. It distresses me to see all the brown stalks around town.

How would you like to deadhead this patch of hostas and daylilies? (It is over 3 times the size shown):

Noticing all the crisping August lawns littered with maple leaves already dropping, I am thrilled with the prospect of some fall weather. The dog days are finally over. I actually opened the deck doors this morning for a little fresh air that did not compete with the air conditioning. AHHH.

Fall is probably my favorite season of the year. I love the freshness and abundant blooms of spring and even the rain, but the dryer cool air of fall is where it's at for me. The color of the trees in Michigan is just a bonus. Spring is for my heart. Fall is for my soul.

But the beginning of fall is over a month away and that old song  from the 60's comes to mind, the first three verses written in 1955 by Pete Seeger and hitting the pop charts in 1961 as recorded by the Kingston Trio:

Where have all the flowers gone?

Long time passing.

It is a simple, repetitive song and I'm not sure what it means, but it was a strummin' good campfire song for years.

I grabbed my camera at Aunt V's house today, determined to find something interesting to photograph. In the back I found that the toad lily had opened--such a bad name for this dainty beauty:

Tricyrtis 'Taipei Silk'

In the front I found the Japanese Anemone just about to open:

By the waterfall pond the Ligularia was blooming:

The white hostas (above) were still in bloom; around the bend I saw that the Rainbow Knock Out Roses planted last year had some new blooms after being ravaged by Japanese Beetles earlier:

Rosa 'Radcor'

Near the back of the berm I found these flowers:

On the back of the berm I spied Joe-Pye Weed and some pink turtlehead:

Eupatorium

Chelone Lyonii ('hot lips'?)

I had to search hard, but was gratified that I could find a spot or two of color in the landscape today.