THIS TIME OF YEAR, I don't get a lot of time in the garden. With a full time job, by the time I get home in the evenings, I'm too tired to venture out. Actually, the truth is, I don't want to see what the rain has done. The other day, I witnessed what was once a perfectly vertical Gaura clump completely flattened. Rain will do that. So now I'm thinking I'd rather not go out there and see a plethora of imperfections when I don't have time or energy to remedy them. I am really quite good at making excuses, aren't I?
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| Lavatera |
All through September and into October, my Lavatera has been in bloom. Most summers, it's long gone by late August.
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| Loropetalum chinensis rubrum in a container |
This year I was finally able to discover a way to keep my Loropetalum from looking like leafless sticks--semi -shade and moist soil. Who'd a thunk?
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| Acer palmatum 'Seiryu' |
My 'Seiryu' Japanese maple is now over 7 feet tall and this year produced a few seed pods! How cool is that? I'm going to keep an eye on them and see if I can them to germinate.
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| My patio pond |
Leaves are going to start falling soon and make a mess out of my pond so I thought I'd take a photo before it all starts.
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| Arbutus unedo ‘Compacta’ |
My Arbutus is in full bloom right now. When I took this picture I noticed that the leaves are shiny from aphids. Hopefully the rain will wash them off.
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| Saffron Crocus bulb package |
Have any of you ever grown Saffron Crocus? After seeing an article on them, I thought, what the hay? I'm going to plant them in a container. It will be a full year before they bloom and I can harvest those red filaments that contain all the flavor. Any tips you can offer would be greatly appreciated.
I hope you're all enjoying your fall gardens.
Beautiful! You are so lucky as our gardens have put to "bed" for the year. Really looks bare out there.
ReplyDeleteGrace, was nice to see your fall garden, especially your Loropetalum is very attractive. I've read about it and want to grow it in container too.
ReplyDeleteYour garden remains glorious. I am headed out in the rain this morning to cut back the majority of mine - while the frosts haven't been killers, they have blackened a lot of my favourites. I think the Aconitum is the only 'kid' still flowering for me..... oh, and I still have four or five things I need to plant before winter sets in!~
ReplyDeleteI love lavatera flowers, but don't grow it now as I have less sun in this garden.
ReplyDeleteYour Loropetalum has great foliage. It looks like its trying to compete with the fuchsia for colour.
Good luck with getting your some Acer seedlings going. The leaves have a nice shape, since they are so finely cut.
Francis at Faire Garden had a recent article about harvesting her saffron crocus about 2 weeks ago.
Love the Loropetalum...glad you found good spot for it! I love being outside right now, but working in the garden often turns out to be a soggy mess. This fall has been exceptionally hard on plants for me...we've been getting more hard rain, and less of the gentle misty rain that we usually have. I've had so many plants gets smashed...and almost every Verbena bonariensis plant has been snapped in half! I cleaned up a few of the sadder plants this past weekend. Although some plants still look wonderful, even better after the cooler weather, this is the time of year that I start to long for winter to clear it all away, so the garden can start fresh again next spring!
ReplyDeleteI'm with you, I try not to go out and look because I know there's tons of work to do and I just don't want to do it. I am NOT a fall gardener.
ReplyDeleteHappy gardening to you...I can only enjoy your garden...some day though I will spent all of my time in a garden. : )
ReplyDeleteI understand that it takes a prodigious number of crocuses to produce enough of the threads to amount to a pinch. I do like the "grow your own" mentality, though, so will be wishing you well. Go, Grace!
ReplyDeleteI can barely stand being in my garden right now. Too messy! I've grown those crocus but have yet to harvest them, which is a little crazy. Kylie at Our Little Acre has a post on them.
ReplyDeleteWow my garden is so far ahead with all the leaves down on most trees...for me this is the busiest time in the garden to catch up on chores, plant bulbs, garlic, divide and plant more plants, weed and plant more plants ...oh and seed the meadow and weed and plant...in about 2 weeks the garden will be put to bed and we await the months of no gardening called winter ;(
ReplyDeleteI've grown crocus but not the saffron variety so I have no worthwhile advice, except I think the stamens will stain your clothes. I think your garden looks great, as always. We have a monster storm headed our way so I'm spending this weekend finishing my fall garden chores. I just hope mine looks as good as yours after the storm passes.
ReplyDeleteYour garden is looking lovely. I discovered Loropetalum is not drought tolerant by killing the one I had. :( Yours looks happy and beautiful. You may not get out much into your garden at this time of year, but whatever time you do manage, it looks well spent! :)
ReplyDeleteYour garden always looks amazing, you have a nice array of plants. I've heard of the saffron crocus but I've never seen them, I'm interested in hearing how they do for you.
ReplyDeleteExcuses, heck it is rainy, windy and darn right soggy out there. I waited to plant bulbs and now I have to wait for dryer days (when this will be I don't know).
wow, I love that loropetalum.
ReplyDeleteThe saffron is really easy! Full sun - you'll see them. Pull the filaments off the day they open.