State of the Garden Early August 2012

We have the "Hot August Blahs" in the garden currently as shown in this photo of an empty birdbath.  The deer have been drinking it each evening and to deter them, I have left it empty. If you look closely, you'll notice the deer have eaten the coral bells or Heuchera which surround the birdbath.  So they not only get a drink, they also get free nibbles!  The bar is closed.

The birds are not happy either, but there are not many birds because of the aggresive sparrow who claimed this part of the garden as his territory.  If you recall, earlier this summer we took down the birdhouse to deter the sparrow from rebuilding his nests and chasing all the other birds away. 

On top of that, the landscaper mowed the wildflowers beyond the fence so the goldfinches no longer stop by for water either.  They ate the seeds of the coreopsis, the rudbeckia, and the common mullein before it was string cut last week.

It's like a war zone--and the enemy is heat, humidity, insects, wildlife and our landscaper!  Interesting combination of opposing forces...

But the garden lives on giving what pleasure it can despite the forces working against it.

I found a bee in the coneflowers or Echinacea.

And a bee in the perennial sunflowers or Helianthus.

I found a beetle on the bloom of the new tree rose, but only one--so he's not an enemy yet!

I put some mesh over the other roses because the deer were eating them.  They have recovered from damage by Known Enemy #1.  I also covered the last of the daylily buds so that it has a chance to bloom before becoming a "munchie" at the birdbath.

The tree rose seems to have survived the deer because it is located in the far end of the garden behind some daisies. Stepping stones lead from between the daisies to the bench surrounded by Buddleia or butterfly bush, Cleome or spider plant, Cosmos, Gaura or snow fountain, Hardy Geranium or cranesbill and Alyssum. I call it the Secret Garden.

And I hope it stays that way.  No deer allowed!

The deer don't bother the Helenium or sneezeweed which are blooming right on schedule.

The Liriope or lilyturf also knows it is August and has put forth its spiky bloom.

And the 'Limelight' Hydrangea is blooming green and turning white as it matures. This one looks like a heart.  Maybe I'll declare a truce against all the garden's enemies--if they would just leave it alone!

Super Succulent

Sara just sent this photo of her succulent Hen and Chicks blooming in the container we planted together several years ago. Amazing bloom!  It has been an unusual summer...

End of July and Weird Weather Continues

It's July 31st and the weather continues either with downpours or extreme heat. The gardens look weather-beaten with sunburned hostas (if they were not eaten by deer) and hairy mold on the impatiens.  The petunias are gone, whether to insects or extreme weather I cannot tell. There is nothing left to investigate.  No leaves, no buds--just some stems.

But the wildflowers on the hillside are doing well.

Queen Anne's Lace

Black-eyed Susans

Grasses

Blue-eyed Grass?

A foxglove?  It seems impossible in this weather...

Wild Indigo

Common fleabane

Boneset with yellow or Pale Jewelweed

Coreopsis

and some blooms too small to capture easily in the wild:  hop clover, St. John's Wort, Bird's Foot Trefoil, Smartweed, and

Quite a variety and display despite the weather. 

But they are natives!

DSI = Deer Scene Investigators

While the Mini Pearl daylilies look fine (new bloom, yesterday's bloom and numerous buds),

daylilies in other locations around the garden, don't look quite the same.

It started with the small Rose of Sharon bush. I noticed sharp, 45 degree angle cuts on the lowest leaves.  This indicated rabbits.  But at the top, you will notice ragged edges of ripped stems.  Deer!

And what the deer didn't get, the insects finished up.

I wonder why the bud was left uneaten?

Along the backyards of four neighbors, the flower borders show deer damage.

The damage in my garden is minimal compared to the daylily border in my neighbor's bed (with the blue tear drop garden ornament) and the daisy and daylily border in the next neighbor's back border which continues the line of the fence along the top of the hillside.

They have no blooms left!

We have left on the rear floodlights, covered the blooms with sheets and plastic, sprayed several deer repellents, and turned over the birdbath when hoof marks were found near the water source.

With some luck and today's rain, the blooms may return. But tomorrow we begin

our 5th heat wave for the summer!  A gardener is always an investigator:  weather, insects,

disease.  There is always some type of invader. 

One known fact: the entire hillside of Black-eyed Susans beyond the fence is untouched by the deer.

July's Full Moon--The Summer Moon

When I went out in the garden this morning with the camera, I startled a sparrow.  She and her mate have been busy catching insects in the garden to feed their baby birds.  I love the reflection of the bright blue sky and the flower bed in the gazing ball top of the garden ornament.

The garden is lush now that it is truly summer, as proven by the Summer Moon (July's full moon)tonight.  And all those blooms and greenery mean the insects are plentiful also.

The butterflies have arrived as the garden's colors attract them.  The hollyhocks still have a little rust, but their bloom has not been affected.  Everything seems to be in balance in the food cycle of the flora and fauna.

Even the passing rains are balanced with the 90+ degree temperatures. This morning I found the Lady's Mantle covered with drops from last night's rain, just as I had found it earlier in spring.

I'll find some wood to knock on!

I'm glad I went out this morning to discover Nature in sync!

Mystery Bird Revealed

I first heard it and went to the deck to find out what was making all that racket.  Then I spied it in the mulched landscape bed across the street.

I thought it might be a turkey hen from behind, but when it turned around

and started coming toward me, I realized I could not identify it.

It had wattles like a turkey but not the fanned tail.  It was large and it was noisy.

It started across the street and up the hill. I heard it was in the neighbor's yard across the cul-de-sac from our house.  That's when I found out it was a guinea hen. Amazing bird--but where did it come from--and alone?  Mystery bird's identity revealed but source still a secret.

End of June = Summer Bloom

Ahh, the last day of June.  Now the really hot weather begins--although we've had a heat wave with 90s the past three days.  Still, the flowers are at peak. The daisies lift their heads to the sun with the butterfly bush and the hollyhocks in the background.

The Coreopsis loves the heat but shows a little wear and tear from the rains earlier in the week.

The perennial sunflower Helianthus looks okay now, but I had to tie it upright because it was on the ground. I also had to use Bayer All in One on it because some kind of insect was sucking the life out of it.

Fresh as daisy after its insect bath and posture control...

The daylilies in my neighbors borders planted two to three years ago look refreshed after a watering.

The daylilies put on quite a show and beckon you to walk along the border, but the entrance to my secret garden is almost hidden by the daisies.  I put up a sign and shot low to show the stepping stones that lead into the garden bench and a small opening.  Once inside the area, the smell of the butterfly bush and the flowers surrounding you is intoxicating.  Sorry, no smells available online!

Sara's Birthday Garden

I haven't had a chance to post anything on the garden we put in at my daughter's house for her birthday. Here goes!  This clematis we planted this year shows some of the problems a gardener faces in her front yard.  Notice the deep shadows--although the clematis loves its new spot. And Sara wants a matching one on a fan trellis for the other side of the front porch.

Here's another clematis bloom in brilliant sunlight--on the same side.  That's the problem! With huge maples on the other side of the driveway and a dogwood and a Japanese maple in the island bed in front of her porch which faces south, the lights and darks are extreme.

Here's a view of the island bed in between the front porch and the street, looking toward the driveway. These plants are under the dogwood and the Japanese maple trees. Sometimes they are in direct sun but most of the time in dappled shade.

Turning around, here's a shot from the driveway up towards the front porch, terraces, stairway and sidewalk.  Deep shade and extremely bright light at the door itself make this a tough place for plants.  But the shade plantings are doing fine:  hostas, astilbes, etc.

This view from the front sidewalk to the lawn shows the sharp contrast from shade to sun--and it changes as the sun moves westward across the front.

So here is the area we planted for her birthday--two terraces near the door and stairs. It was in deep shade as we started in the morning.  The upper terrace was in sun by noon.

Now the upper terrace has a ninebark shrub to cover the foundation and grow tall to reach the porch height, hoping to balance the plantings on both sides of the doorway and cement stoop.  There are two 'Wine and Roses' Weigelas in the bed also. The will stay lower and reflect some of the colors of the ninebark with a smoother, shinier texture.  We also added a Heuchera to lighten the bed and reverse the colors found in the other two bushes. There are similar Heucheras or coral bells in the other two beds surrounding the front stoop.

The lower terrace is along the stairs and driveway at the garage door. It was in deep shade until after noon.  There we placed a Hydrangea 'Invincibelle Spirit' which blooms pink. A very striking and unusual plant.  We'll see how it does there...  Some coleus and a trailing sedum add color and texture.

And lastly, on the upper terrace, we planted the companion Clematis 'Henryi' to create symmetry on the front stoop. Again, the dark shadows and bright spots were tricky to photograph--and may be trickier to garden.  Time will tell how successful these choices were for Sara's birthday.