Why I Oughta...

One of the not-so-planned set of shrubs that went in last Fall in my Fall Planting spasm was a set of three Soft Touch Hollys that went into the backyard nook area.  They were a late-season sale purchase , but I thought it was wise to diversify away from yews and boxwoods in my evergreen shrub collection.   Have they put on size?  I think so.  See below for the current state of these three Japanese Soft Touch Holly in our backyard - Zone 6a/5b.  They're fronted by some Dark Side of the Moon Astilbes and Ajuga Chocolate Chip that I put here during one of my 'garden edits' this Spring.  

2024 continues to be (for me) the Summer of the Dahlia.  Specifically....the Milena Fleur Decorative Dahlia.  Last Fall/Winter, I ordered six Milena Fleur Dahlia tubers - my first mail order dahlia tubers.  I also bought a couple Cornell Bronze Dahlia tubers at the same time , but based on what I was seeing/reading from Erin the Impatient Gardener on her Instagram, I bought MORE Milena Fleur dahlias than anything else.   There was A LOT to like about these:  they're 'compact' - meaning they stay short and don't require staking.  As a beginning Dahlia grower, that was important.  But, also...the color.   These are billed by White Flower Farm as "blossoms that blend tropical shades of coral pink, papaya, and gold." My journey started earlier this Spring when I potted up the six Melina Fleurs in one-gallon nursery pots - indoors .   At the very beginning of May this year.   After they sprouted, I started to bring them up and outside for hardening off - a little

One of the conifers that we have in our backyard is *supposed* to be a really lovely columnar evergreen tree:  a Weeping White Spruce.  I planted it in 2019 along the fence on the southside with hopes that it would grow up-up-up and be a sort-of 'exclamation point' in our garden bed.  Here's what it looked like in Fall of 2019 : it was 46" tall from the soil to the top of the leader.   Then, this thing suffered a little bit from drought.  And, I lost the leader .  That was Summer of 2020.   Now...four years later, the tree is...well....ABOUT THE SAME.  See below: I took out the tape measure because my eyes weren't telling me if this thing actually grew.  This tree was 46" to the tip in Fall of 2019.  Five years since planting - and four years since the leader was lost - this tree is NOW 49" tall.  That means....we're up 3".  Just 3".  But, because of pruning of the 'lost leader', I don't think that tells the full story.  I suspec

I've TOTALLY neglected my climbing hydrangea this year.  Compare it with last year - August 2023 - and what you see below and you'll see that this thing is NOT thriving.    This leads me to wonder:  is it better to stress a perennial like this one out drought-wise - which may lead to a stronger, more resilliant shrub long-term?  Or...is this just drought-stress that is tough on this climbing vine?  

Planted in the Fall of 2021 as a 1# container, we have a small Mugo Pine shrub in our backyard - planted in the 'nook' area that underwent a "Garden Edit" this Spring.  It suffered some rabbit damage in the first few Winters, so I started to protect it with a chicken wire cage .  I've posted photos of this conifer over the years including this Spring .   This area gets part sun - in the late afternoon - so I'm NOT SURE how big/fast anything that needs sun will grow here, but I'm happy to see this Mugo Pine shrub growing up/out just a little bit.   See below for a look at our first Mugo Pine shrub:

Last Fall, I put in three Baby Blue (dwarf) Spruce trees.  Two in front - IB2DWs .  And one in back, next to the Greenspire Lindens that have been trained into espalier.   The one in back is in a spot that gets less sunlight and...due to my neighbor's irrigation system....less water.  ( Note on that:  I'm pretty sure that the irrigation system that my neighbor has that irrigates his lawn puts down deep-enough water that it helps with my IB2DWs strip keep *somewhat* watered. ) The 3rd Baby Blue Spruce (backyard) is pictured below.  These are dwarf trees, so they have a slow growth habit.  Comparing the photo from last year to this year, I'm not sure this put on any new growth at all.    However, while there isn't a TON of new growth, there's two things to note: First...the 'blue' of these Baby Blue Spruce trees is REALLY shining out right now.  They're BLUE.   Second...this one is suffering from a little needle drop.  On the backside of the tree - where

Earlier this Summer, we had a storm that dropped a couple of good-sized limbs from a few of our trees.  A big one from one of our Oaks.  And a few medium-sized limbs from one of the Black Walnut trees.   On that Black Walnut limb were ten-to-twelve green-covered walnuts that weighed the limb down - and likely caused it to snap due to the weight.  With a semi-wooded lot with some mature trees, that happens from time-to-time.   Normally...the limbs drop the ground harmlessly. But not this time.   This time, it came down DIRECTLY on top of our small Waterfall Japanese Maple tree *right* at one of the tree's joints.  That limb SNAPPED off one of the major limbs on the Japanese Maple.  See below for a few photos showing the damage on the Waterfall Japanese Maple tree : And, here, below, is the limb in question.  I fished it out of the bed and threw it on the lawn.   This was back in June.  Fast-forward three months to now.  How is the tree doing?   Below is a photo showing the Waterfall

Here's a shot that shows off a couple of Carex Montana that I really like - below.  These three are tucked in against an informal flagstone path on the southside of our house - right at the feet of the Greenspire Lindens that have been espaliered.  I planted these three in July of 2023 - 14 months ago.  And they've matured by growing significantly .   These live up close to a tall fence/set of trees, so they get VERY LITTLE direct sunlight.   Ignore the clover and weeds and extension cord.  Just focus on the foliage on these three groundcover plants.  I should plant 12 more along the path. 

Despite my best (pinching) efforts, the Large Leaf Italian Basil is nearing the end of its run for the season.  Between bolting and the stalks browning-out, this herb is facing imminent decline.  Will I buy it again?  Of course.  I really like this variety.  Will it bolt in early September again?  Of course.  It always does.   See below for current state of our annual Large Leaf Basil: Next year - with the pizza oven in operation (knock wood) - our basil production will necessarily have to increase, won't it?   What's that you say?  We need a pizza farm?  

2024 is the year of flowers.  Despite these still be VERY outside my foliage gardening 'comfort zone'.  This started last Fall and continued with my 2024 to-do list with #2 - push thru with flowers . I've done A LOT of dahlias - arranged for the kitchen counter .  And, even a small set of pompon, dark maroon ones .    Now, I have a small Zinnia arrangement.  Mostly composed of the direct-sown Cut and Come Again seeds in the sideyard .  And a couple Yellow Flame Zowie Zinnias from IB2DWs .   Below is what I cut on a recent morning: I will certainly plant these Cut and Come Again Zinnia seeds - in the sideyard.  I'll also put some down IB2DWs, too.  Mark it down for Spring 2025.  

Back in late April, I bought a single 1# nursery container of a stonecrop/sedum at the Morton Arboretum Arbor Day Plant Sale that reminded me of eucalyptus.  I bought it on a whim and didn't have a plan for it.  When I cut and created the new Island bed in the front yard, I ended up tucking it into the backside of that bed - behind the Spring Grove Ginkgo.  I don't seem to have posted about it.  And, to be fair...I mostly forgot about it.   But, the rabbits didn't forget about it.  They've been gnawing at it all Summer.  But, it keeps growing back.   The name of the plant - October Daphne - would imply that it puts on a show in October.  But...perhaps due to the rabbit damage, that show has ALREADY begun - in early/mid-September.  See below for a photo showing the pink blooms on some of the tips: Here, below, is a look at the sign from the sale that describes the sedum (or stonecrop) - Sedum sieboldii 'October Daphne' - as a 'low spreading species'.   Gr

Back on July First, I posted the details of a new (to me) Northern Glow Korean Maple tree that I planted in our front yard in a newly created island bed.  I tucked it in next to our third Spring Grove dwarf Ginkgo tree.  Planting a new tree in the middle of the summer Summer is always a risk - with the heat and drought conditions that usually occur around here in Zone 6a/5b.   But, I learned last year that some shade cloth (50%) is a pretty good path towards helping young, dwarf trees get established during the heat of July and August.  So, that's what I did:  I put up a shade cloth covering both the Ginkgo and the Northern Glow Korean Maple .  With the cloth down at the end of August, I've begun to provide supplemental water to both of these small trees.  And, what I'm seeing on the Maple is a surprise (to me):  new, late-Summer foliage growth.  There are a handful of new buds that have emerged on some of the tips of the tree and some new leaves are beginning to unfurl.  S

Last week, I posted the first few photos of the dome 'going vertical' with the second and third (or first and second if you count the solider course as separate) being mortar'd in with high heat refractory mortar.  Today, I'm showing the next chain (the 4th - or 3rd if you similarly call the solider NOT part of the numbering sequence) going in - where we're starting to see the slightest bit of dome starting to appear with each chain of the dome hanging *over* the previous one oh-so-slightly. Below are a couple of photos showing chain four.  (or three plus the soldier....) I've been cutting the bricks with side angles to get a tight fit and that's been working well.  This chain is the first one where I needed to use wedges under the bricks to get the right top angle. Just eight or nine more to go.  With each chain getting a little bit more difficult. 

One of my Dahlias - a Melina Fleur variety - that is planted in a protected spot (against the house) on the southside in (mostly) full sun has been pretty busy producing blooms the past few weeks.  But, I started to notice that some of the foliage was starting to get eaten up.  Not lace-like, but holes at the tips and in the middle of a number of leaves.  And, those holes kept getting greater in numbers.  A week ago, I sprayed the plant with Neem Oil, thinking that I might get whomever/whatever was eating the leaves.  But, that didn't seem to slow it down.  So, I went in for a closer look.  And...sure enough...I found a couple of different pests on the plant.  The first were these fuzzy caterpillars.  There were like 30 (that I could find) that I picked off and stomped on.  I also clipped off a number of the partially-eaten leaves.  See below for the backside of the leaf with two (large) and one (tiny) caterpillars below: The other thing that I found was a green worm ON THE FLOWER.

I'm (now) pretty sure that when I planted Cornell Bronze Dahlia tubers this Summer , I was *actually* planting something else.  Why?  Because...the blooms that are coming up in both IB2DWs and in the southside cut flower bed are, well...NOT bronze.  They're dark purple.  Or dark maroon.  And they're small pompons.    Floret has a listing for a Moor Place Dahlia that she calls 'button dahlias' .  That sure looks like what I'm growing.  See below for a few photos of three blooms that I recently cut: You'll also notice in the photos below, a small orange bloom.  That was cut from the sideyard - so I'm *pretty sure* that's an Orange Nugget Dahlia .  But, I also cut one of these from the IB2DWs bed earlier - where I called the bush a bi-color mutation .   So, that's weird, right?  One tuber showing two different flowers?  In two different spots?   I'm (now) thinking that this is LESS of a mutation and more of a mis-labeled tuber situation, right? 

Last year, I did an early September review of my seasonal to-do list as a way of inventory'ing what I had accomplished and force myself to focus on what is still left untouched.  At that time , I marked 13 as 'complete' and 12 as 'incomplete'.   This year, I set up the very same 25 item list that I have each of the past few seasons, but before I even write this post, it sure feels like I'm behind my normal pace in the yard and garden. So...without further delay, let's do a Late-Summer Check-in on my 2024 to-do list .   Let's run through the list - some of these items have more 'weight' than others, but for now...lets figure out which of the 25 are 'complete'.   1. Build the pizza oven.  In-process.  Building the dome.  I wanted to be done by Labor Day, but for a couple of reasons, I'm not done.  But, this is a BIG, BIG project.   2. Push through the discomfort around flowers.  Complete.   Dahlia tubers.  Zinnias from seed.  Real

Here's a top-down look at the top few tiers of our Greenstalk vertical garden showing off some of the Zinnias (Cut-and-Come Again and another variety that I grew from last season's seeds) popping off.  I direct sow'd both of these and they're doing fairly well as they *just* enter their blooming season.   Also, peeking through (on the left) is a Rosemary plant that is growing in between some of the cut flowers.   #2 on my 2024 to-do list was to 'push thru on flowers' - including cut flowers .  These Zinnias in the Greenstalk help check that box.  Of course, all the Dahlias lead the way on #2 as well.   See below for the current state of the top-tiers of our Greenstalk: Next year, one tweak I'll make is to think about starting some Zinnias indoors from seed instead of direct sowing them to get them starting blooming a bit earlier than mid/late August.  

Last week, I showed a couple of countertop arrangements featuring some Zinnias and Dahlias.  Well...we're in the THICK of dahlia bloom season.  Looking back at my 2024 to-do list , #2 on the list was to 'add more flowers' and get past my discomfort with blooms.  And #17 was to 'do more/different arrangements'.  While, these monoculture dahlia arrangements aren't *different*, they're certainly checking the box on MORE.  See below for two more vases 1 of Melina Fleur Decorative Dahlias and Cornell Bronze Dahlia blooms .   1. [I used the word vases, but these are pickle and pasta sauce jars.] ↩

Last week, the pizza oven dome went vertical with the first chain rising above the solider course .  Today, I'm showing a few more photos of even more vertical construction.  First, I've learned from the FornoBravo community that part of mortar'ing in a chain of bricks on the dome *should* include the placing and mortar'ing of an 'anchor brick' for the next course/chain.  You can see that below - in the first photo.  I set the first brick of the second chain (soldier + 2) in the middle of the back of the dome.  I did this one evening, then let it set.  I came back the next night and was able to mortar in the bricks to the side while using this fixed brick as an anchor. Below you can see that anchor brick with the rest of the chain: From there, the dome keeps rising: Below you can see the pitch starting to be created by the IT / dome gauge.   Below is the solider + three chains.  Four in total - from the outside of the dome.   And here, below, is the same view fr

My Disneyland Roses have struggled all season.  Not a lot of blooms.  Yet...tons of LOST foliage.  They look bare.  The past week-or-so, I've tried to baby them with water.  And, I just applied the last feeding of the year - with this systemic granular.    I'm hoping that they'll have a strong Fall showing and get fat-and-happy with the weather cooling off a bit now that August is in the rearview mirror.  I'll do my part - and water them more regularly, but, I don't see a way that they get back to what they were last year - at this time - with BIG bunches of blooms and a happy Floribunda bush .