Winding Down

The first taste of autumn has definitely arrived. In classic backwards fashion, I spent the recent weeks of sweltering weather working feverishly in the garden every change I got. Now that the temperatures have cooled and a crisp breeze has arrived, I am finding myself much less motivated to work and much more content to just enjoy the garden. Enjoy, for example, the coreopsis that is now in full glory (C. tripteris).

The fungal leaf spot that was overrunning my tomatoes has required near-daily spraying of my 3-1 water and milk solution (as you can see in the above photo of a milk-soaked leaf). But it hardly counts as work. Really, I'd be standing there puttering in the veggie bed anyway, thinking about how some plants turned out to be duds this year (green beans, most of the carrots, bell peppers yet again) and some have been rock stars (tomatoes although they take forever to ripen, chili peppers, lettuce earlier this summer). And I've enjoyed how the milk solution has won itself pride of place as an antifungal treatment in my garden. It's made stunning progress on the leaf spot in just a few days, earlier in the season it saved my green beans from total annihilation, and it stopped the powdery mildew long enough to allow my monardas to bloom for the first time ever! Once they stopped blooming and I stopped paying attention to spraying (or rather, turned my attention to fungi infections in the veggie garden), the monardas were promptly engulfed in those damned white spots. If you're looking for a simple, organic way to control mildew and fungus, you really can't beat three parts water to one part milk.

I'm definitely pleased that the hyacinth bean vines are finally blooming, even though they're not really vining up the front porch poles. They're making a late-season effort and they're lovely. I know now these vines just aren't right for this location because they clearly don't get enough sun early in the season. In my unrequited pursuit of vines on these ugly white poles, I have decided to try morning glories next year.

I'm eagerly watching as the goldenrods bloom in tiny burst by tiny burst of yellow. These elm-leaved goldenrods (Solidago ulmifolia) were gorgeous in their first year, and their robust height and arching sprays of buds seem to promise more of the same this year. The zig-zag goldenrod (S. flexicaulis) is a little pummeled from rain, but it's still got plenty of flower buds.

These harebells (Campanula rotundifolia) are barely 6" tall with delicate, almost ferny foliage. It's hard to appreciate them by this solitary flower, which is one of the last ones left. I added five to my Border of Misfit Plants, and they've re-bloomed all year in the terrible soil and unpredictable sun patterns. I am happily enjoying this rare success in my most problematic border and hoping they keep it up next year. Soon, I will have to stop just enjoying and return to the important activities of fall. Spring bulbs are already on order and will require much digging in the garden and potting more for forcing. The inevitable frost will lead to extensive clean-up and composting of vegetables and other spent plants (the ones that just look ugly, with no real "winter interest"). Containers will have to be emptied and cleaned. But until then, it's nice to take a look around and enjoy before it all goes away.

(Belated) Wildflower Wednesday: Why a Rain Garden is Great

A lot of native wildflowers are in bloom here, which is a welcome change from some years where this time of summer is rather dull.

Tall coreopsis (C. tripteris) is finally blooming (a little later than usual)...


...this 2-year-seedling Joe-Pye weed (Eupatorium maculatum) is looking good (unfortunately its parent plant is having a tough go of things this year)...


...'Blue Fortune' agastaches are blooming profusely...


...and the big-leaved asters (Eurybia macrophylla) have been putting on a show for a few weeks now. These are always the first asters to bloom, well ahead of the traditional flowering time we associate with asters.

But the wildflower stars right now are undoubtedly the blooming rain garden plants, cardinal flowers (Lobelia cardinalis) and obedient plant (Physostegia virginiana).

Despite a brief period of drought, the rain garden plants have shown their resiliency. We've had periodic torrential downpours, and the extensive root systems of these forbs and sedges are clearly holding, or at least reaching, this moisture well after the rains have passed.



Even a new blue lobelia (L. siphilitica) is blooming (which is good since the blue lobelia in my front garden is really suffering, I think from being physically pounded by flooding rains multiple times).



I haven't witnessed any hummingbirds at the cardinal flowers this year, but that'll happen when you're gone all day five days a week. I like to think that in my absence that hummingbird I saw last year (and maybe its friends) are nectaring at the beautiful red blooms!

I may be a little tardy with this post, but I didn't want to miss Wildflower Wednesday, hosted by Gail at Clay and Limestone!

We are Experiencing Technical Difficulties...

So I took pictures of my tall coreopsis (C. tripteris) to make a post today about this plant's positive attributes, unfair (I think) reputation, and struggles in this year's weather. Yet when it was time to transfer those pictures and create the post, I found my camera is having some problem with its memory card, and to be honest I think it's on its last legs.

So, please stand by for photos. But I will at least give you the gist of my thoughts on tall coreopsis.

Mine is about 4 years old now, and every summer it's one of the anchors of the prairie corner in my front bed. Cheery yellow flowers and bamboo-like foliage make it attractive from the time it peeks out of the ground until frost. It's between 3' and 4' tall and therefore easily noticeable without being domineering. This year, however, the poor thing is listing to the side, vainly reaching for the sunlight that has been so sorely lacking. It usually blooms by early to mid-July but it's just now setting out buds (it's almost August!!)

Nevertheless, I'm eagerly awaiting its saffron flowers with brown centers. The foliage has looked exotic and verdant all year, despite the slow blooming (which I can't blame on the plant itself).

I've read many times that this plant can be aggressive, but I have yet to see evidence of that. Sure, it's grown in width, but I haven't found any runners/shoots, it's not muscling out any of its neighbors, and in general it seems to be a well-behaved, well-adjusted plant. Perhaps my nutrient-poor clay is slowing it down, but so far I've got no complaints.

So that's my two cents about tall coreopsis. Has anyone else had any experience with this plant? I will post pictures once I have a working camera again. Hopefully by next Bloom Day it will have copious flowers on display!

And because I feel weird making a post without images, here's some random shots from a family friend's home in southern Baja California, Mexico.

Here's some huge aloes...

...and what is this pretty desert flower? (Southern bloggers, I'm looking your way!)