Other Things

We did have other things happening here this summer besides a pumpkin patch. Sunflowers came up under the bird feeder again as usual, and mingled with the pumpkins.
The beautiful pumpkins began to have powdery mildew on the foliage.

We have already given away a few.

We had visitors.

Jerusalem artichokes bloomed. I didn't want them to go to seed, so the flowers were gathered into a fragrant bouquet which soon shattered all over the table.


My young white-bud tree, of which I was so proud, died! But, outside the kitchen window the mallow bloomed prettily, and I decided the cone flower and tall pink Agastache were a good pair.

The young weeping willow (Salix babylonica)

I had spent much time a few years ago researching the exact species I wanted: the large beautiful kind, and one sure to be non-invasive. It was planted in the lowest spot on the place, at the back of the Woodland Garden. But, it died. I suspect there was too much shade. Another bitter disappointment.

But, the Wing Stem (Verbesina alternifolia) is blooming down in the Woodland Garden.

And, Garlic Chives is blooming brightly alongside the driveway.

Onion though it is, the wasps, bees...

and bumblebees seem to find it delicious. There should be many seeds this year.

And of course the Larkspur was abundant and lovely this summer.



The Yucca bloomed... and didn't fall over!

And, the Spider Lily had multiplied, producing the most blooms ever.

Thyme took over the little raised bed,

choking out the tiny Fame Flowers which need to be rescued.

Local grandchildren hauled over more surplus gravel from their parents' landscaping project. It is wet in this photo.

When it is dry it will look like this.

I have an idea for another project where I can use it, but we cannot start until spring after we see where the spring bulbs come up, can't tell where they are right now. Until then the piles will have to sit on the driveway.

We did get the pile of compost/mulch and the sand pile off the driveway this summer, so that was progress, and encouraging.

The bed to the left of the gravel path in photo above has gone through a transformation. But, that's another story, for another time.

Most of the plants in these pots died while I had my bout with the shingles/chicken pox virus for a few weeks.

But plenty of rain kept the lawns green, and that little workhorse of gardens, Thread-leaf Coreopsis, put on its usual bright show, while several Mullein Plants decided all on their on to come up nicely spaced and in an attractive location. I so enjoyed their strong verticality contrasting with the arching Solomon's Seal growing around the verges. I was anticipating the Lycoris, that grows in that area, to join in and fill out the party.



Then one day I noticed there was nothing left of the Solomon's Seal, but 4 to 5 inches of stubs of almost every plant. Groundhog!!!

The Lycoris did emerge and bloomed the prettiest, and most abundant, that we had ever seen. I almost didn't miss the S. Seal... almost.

In my mind's eye it all danced together, and, it was beautiful: smooth leaves on arching branches of Solomon's Seal provided a backdrop for the spears of huge-soft-felt-like-leaved mullein, spears which were topped with yellow and fronted with yellow coreopsis, while pink lilies mingled among them all! (Because of you, wretched animal, no one else could see it!)

(Lycoris squamigera)


All in all, it was a pretty good summer!