Why I Oughta...

Prioritizing is important for a gardener like me.  Without a task list, I end up spinning around and not getting things done that I wanted to/planned to/thought about.  Instead, I flutter about with the latest thing that I come across and when I look back at the season, I end up disappointed.  That's where this whole 'to-do list' thing came from:  prioritizing the many needs.  Like most growing seasons, I was optimistic. And went out of the gate hard with a big goal and started with 25 items on my 2023 to-do list - published in early April 2023 . Historical look at my previous lists: Here's my 2019 'Season Scorecard '. 12/17. 70% complete. Here's my 2020 'Season Scorecard' . 22 of 25 complete . 88%. Here's my 2021 'Season Scorecard '. 17.5 completes. 2 semi-completes. 5.5 not-completes. 70%. Here's my 2022 'Season Scorecard. ' 17 completes. 3 'mixed'. 5 not-completes. 68%. I did a September check-in on the lis...

Our neighbors to the West were having a Walnut tree limb taken down recently and the tree guy who was doing the work was the same one that gave me a bunch of Ash firewood almost three years ago to the day.  At that time - and in this post - I called it all Ash.  But, now that I look back, it is clear that they included some Walnut in the mix, too.   They tossed (just like last time) a number of rounds of wood over the fence and I stacked them up in a spot to figure out what to do with them.  You can see that pile above - and you can also see that some of the pieces required a little bit more cutting with my chainsaw.   Now...knowing that this is Walnut gave me pause.  Sure...I could store it, process it, split it and burn it.  But, it also has woodworking value as Walnut.  So, I decided to select a few pieces to pull out and store separately.  I texted with my brother-in-law (a woodworker and carver) about if he'd want some of the...

The last few Falls, I've divided a great number of Summer Beauty Alliums .  This year, I didn't get to all that many, but I *did* add a few 'free' plants.   There was a pair of them flanking the Baby Blue Spruce in back that were getting pretty big.  You can see them below - on the right in the first photo and more in the middle in the second: I dug them both up and divided each - then replaced them in their spots.  Those two new plants - via division - went in on that side of the garden.  One behind the fence - Hosta Replacement.  The other by the Disneyland Roses. Two 'free plants'.  That I KNOW perform.  That's like free money, right? With these two, I BELIEVE that I've wrapped up Fall Planting posts. What's the total from below?   Holy crap.  I planted 68 new things.  Created 26 new plants via division.  Adding 94 total things to the garden in a four-week sprint.  30 ground cover plants make up almost 1/3rd o...

These #FallPlanting posts are getting further-and-further out from reality.  The photos below show lush, green garden.  I'm posting this at the end of November.  This was from way back in early October.  I had a Cat's Pajamas Nepeta planted in the backyard in pretty deep shade.  It wasn't doing well.  So, I dug it out and brought it over to the curved border outside the kitchen window.   The first photo below is the Nepeta peeking out from under a Guacamole Hosta leaf.  The second is the new home by the peonies and Lucky Charm Anemones: This doesn't count in my new/divided plants, right?  It is just a transplant.   I'm posting this in November 2023, but I did this transplanting in mid-October 2023.

I'm on a roll with dividing - ferns, seslaria, Astilbes.  Today, spotted Lungwort. Last Fall, I transplanted my three Twinkle Toes Lungwort from the back of a bed, closer to the front .  Those three have thrived in their new spot.  But, they also left behind a few little surprises.   In the spot where the three transplants were living previously sprouted up three whole Twinkle Toes Lungwort plants.   I, of course hedged.  I dug up two of them and left one in place.  The two that I dug up, I divided.  Creating four new Twinkle Toes Lungworts.  I put two on the front of the border next to the newly transplanted Fanal Astilbes on the north side.   I tucked one in next to the Ghost Fern on the Boardwalk: And the fourth went in at the stoop on the side gravel walkway: Below is an 'after' photo that shows the three big clumps in front and the one volunteer that I left in place.  Next year, I'll lift it out and divide again....

Astilbes.  They're awesome.  Hard to keep and grow - normally.  But, I've had some luck with Fanal Astilbes in my shade garden. They were the VERY FIRST plant I put in - according to plan.   I've moved them a few times, but for the most part....just left them alone.   With four growing seasons under their belt ( planted in 2020 , so 2020, '21, '22 and now '23), I thought I could take a shot at Fall Dividing some of them. I decided to pick the largest four Fanal Astilbes to dig up and divide.  Two on one end, two on the other.  Below are a few 'before' photos: I made room for the four new Astilbes on the other side of the yard - and removed some hostas.  Each of the four plants was dug up, split in two.  Half went to the new spot.   The other half went back in the original hole.  Below are a few 'after' photos showing the ones that have been cut-down in size: I ended up with four new Fanal Astilbes on the north border:...

Fall is the right time to divide Seslaria.  And, I'm going to attempt to divide and transplant first-year Seslaria Autumnalis.  Why?  Because I've been so happy with them up front this year.  I identified the three largest plants in front - like the one below - and dug up and split it in two. I wanted to improve the ring around the tree-swing tree with something more interesting - so I moved the new divisions to sit in between the Christmas Tree hostas that I moved here last year.  These are behind the Summer Beauty Allium divisions from last year, too.   Below is a look at some of the divisions and where they went in the backyard. I tucked the original plants back in, too.  Now they were just half-the-size. There's a photo above of a TINY division.  I'm not counting that, so, we're calling this a +3 free plants for Fall Dividing. I'm posting this in November 2023, but I did this dividing and transplanting in mid-October 2023.