Why I Oughta...

A couple weeks ago, I posted a Fall project that I called "Lazy Garden Bed Extensions" where I first used my mower to scalp some turf followed by laying down cardboard to extend the front border of the front porch bed out a little bit.  On top of that cardboard went biosolids and compost followed by some wood mulch (from a big box store) that I had on hand.  I didn't do the full front porch bed border (then), but recently....I was able to get around and finish the entire border. I ended up extending the front porch border out by 18-inches or so out from where the French Marigolds were planted this season.  You can see the in the photo below the new edge of the bed is now stretching out a bit into the grass.  If you look closely, you can see the Marigolds (in decline) and the lone Dusty Miller (this is year 3 for that "annual"), so that gives you a sense of the new extension. I also found a couple of other spots where the bed was 'too small' for the plan

It was just 12 days ago that I posted a Fall 2024 update on our compost bins.  In that post, I showed the decomposition and compaction that had occurred over this season with all three bins just about leveling-out.  The 'finished bin' was spilling material out and the 'hold' bin was (surprisingly) decomposing despite not being properly mixed. #14 on my 2024 to-do list was to 'keep going on compost' .  And, over the past few months, we'd *mostly* done that.  We were certainly ADDING to the bins, but when I did my September check-in on my list, I marked this one as 'incomplete' because I had NOT (yet) turned the bins over for the season .  That changed this past weekend, when I went to work on all three bins plus our tumbler.   I started by looking at the tumbler - where I found BLACK GOLD.  I've emptied this tumbler each year after getting that lovely loam-y black gold.  This year is no different.  Below are a few photos showing the output of the

Last Fall, I took the pair of Serendipity Alliums and divided them into five 'clumps' that I transplanted into two spots IB2DWs .  I started with three, but one didn't make it.  So, I put three back in the original location and put the other two further down IB2DWs (extended).  I've noted how I really LOVE Serendipity - it gives me everything I like in Summer Beauty - but more.  Longer bloom time.  Later bloom time.  Just all-around better performers.  So, why not divide them and get *more* of Serendipity.   I've had a lot of luck dividing Summer Beauty, but there's no sense in spending time dividing those right now when I'm looking to upgrade them with Serendipity.   As part of Fall Planting, I decided to divide one of them into three clumps (+2 free plants) to get our garden a few more of these.   Below is a look at the 'before' bed - with the Serendipity Allium that I was planning on dividing on the right - you can see it dug-up a little bit.   I

The three Karl Foerster Feather Reed Grasses that are in the island bed in between our driveway and our front stairs have been stars since we planted the landscape.  They were part of the original planting and have done well in this spot.  I've divided these a few times over the years. The first time was the one closest to the house in Fall of 2021 .  Did more in May 2022 .   This Fall, I've opted to dig up and divide the front two.  The first one...in the front I totally removed.  I took it over to my Mom's house and divided it into three.  Below is a photo showing that Karl Foerster Feather Reed Grass totally removed.   I then dug up and divided the 'middle' one and split it in two.  Put half back in the middle hole.  Half in the front hole.  See below for the three back in place: This gave me a +1 plants (or grass) ON MY PROPERTY via division.  And +3 more at my Mom's.    #11 on my 2024 to-do was to 'focus on fall planting' .   Add this one to the two

Fall Dividing is rolling on with some Karl Foerster Feather Reed Grasses being divided in Fall.   Like most other ornamental grasses, Karl Foerster grasses suffer from center rot and require division every three-or-so years.  I found a large clump that is planted close to the Bald Cypress tree IB2DWs that I dug up and divided into three.  I replaced 1/3rd back into the existing hole.  And then....took the other two divisions and placed them further down IB2DWs along the property line.   See below for the two new grasses - via division.   I have a few more of these that I need to divide that I'll get to this week.  This gave me a +2 plants (or grasses) via division.   #11 on my 2024 to-do was to 'focus on fall planting' .   These two divided clumps of Karl Foerster grasss find me running my total up to 20 'new plants' for 2024.  That feels pretty good.  Here's my math: +2 trees, +2 John Greelee Grasses, +6 Ajuga + 2 Stachys = +12 planted. And...+1 red swtichgrass

I have a little cluster of Carex Montana that I planted in Summer of 2023 along the beginning of the impromptu flagstone path along the south entry of our house.  I picked them up at Northwind Perennial Farm and they were just plug-sized .  I put them in next to the Boxwoods that are under the Linden trees and allowed them to anchor the 'corner' of the path.   These things stood-out to me so much this season that I posted about them just a month-or-so ago when I said they were thriving in this deep-shade location .  In that post, I mentioned that I "should plant 12 more of these along the path".   With Fall Planting season here, I decided to try to divide some of these Carex Montanas to get a couple of free plants.  Like I've done with other divisions - when I haven't divided said plant before - I hedged and left one of the three intact.  I didn't touch the one in back.  But, I dug up and divided the other two - which were a little bit larger.  Below, is

Back in the Summer of 2022, I picked up and planted three VERY SMALL Green Velvet Boxwoods around the base of a flowering pear tree IB2DWs.  These were right at the break in the bed where our gravel (Bluestone chips) runs from our driveway back to the yard.   When I say 'very small', I mean it:  they were in 1# nursery pots.  I've planted a number of 1# boxwoods over the years and I've been ok with the fact that they take time to mature.   That's the case with these three.  They're not fast-growers, but they sure have grown up.   This post tracks 28-months of growth.  That's 2.5 growing seasons (1/2 of 2022, all of 2023 and 2024).   They grown from about six-inches tall and four-inches around.  To, what you see here, below.  These are now more than a foot tall and close to a foot in diameter.  The first photo shows two of them.  Then second photo shows the third one.  Note all the suckers coming out of the flowering pear tree that need to get cut down.   Th