seasonal interest in the garden

i think for a lot of people in the northeast, autumn in the garden can feel a bit blah. the harvest comes to an end, plants have begun to peter out and well.... things tend to look a bit dead.

but i believe with some creative selection, the fall garden can be quite beautiful even without having to buy mums and ornamental cabbages

over the years my goal has been to create a garden with seasonal interest and to appreciate the beauty in the many cycles of a plant. selecting plants with beautiful bark, seed heads, leaf texture and pattern can all enhance the fall garden even into the winter months.
this crape myrtle not only produces beautiful white flowers in late summer but also pretty little star shaped seed heads and a gorgeous bark that sheds into a stunning, mottled reddish-grey hue.


choosing plants that produce interesting seed heads can create a beautiful billowy landscape. ornamental grasses and joe pye weed are what i am loving in my garden right now.
i especially love these Northern Sea Oats with their bronzed flower heads that shimmer and rustle in the wind. they look beautiful in a fall flower arrangement too.
purple hyacinth bean is one of my favorite annual climbers. they produce a lovely purple bean type flower which then turns into this beautiful bright purple seed pod. these are growing up our chicken run. there will be plenty of seeds to be saved for next season.


our dwarf weeping crab apple tree out front looks beautiful with it's branches dripping with fruit. i think i appreciate it's beauty in the fall even more than it's dainty little pink flowers in the spring. it's a nice pop of color at this time of year
although i cut back a lot of the black eyed susans and cone flowers once they have died back, i do like to leave some for the birds. we love watching the gold finches and chickadees feast on their seed heads. these seeds are also easy to save for next year. a little homemadepacket of these makes a nice gift for a gardening friend.
plants such as lamb's ear, sage, santolina, and kale all have a beautiful grey- blue tone that blends well with purples and greens. they all have a tougher, hardier leaf that allows them to last later into the year sometimes even able to withstand some light frosts.

these are just a few of my favorites. i'll highlight more plants and ideas for fall in the upcoming weeks.

autumn is here

autumn certainly has arrived here at second and edgemont.
things are slowing down a bit out there but there is still quite an abundance.
the light is changing and so has the garden's palette.

every few days i find just a handful of cherry tomatoes.
but herbs like thyme and sage are still plentiful. i plan to hang some to dry this week on the sun porch.

the hens are molting and like the nightly temps their egg supply has dipped.
but the horseradish is ready to be harvested. it's  doubled in size from last year.  time to make horsradishy deviled eggs!

the cone flower has all gone to seed.
but the dwarf weeping crab apple tree is dripping with fruit. i'll leave a few for the birds but the rest will be combined with other apples to make a tart applesauce and butter.

what's still growing in your garden?

rooting plants in water

this is the time in my garden when some things begin to peter out and gaps and holes begin to appear in planters, window boxes and pots.

a simple way to increase your plant collection at no cost is to root your own plants. coleus, mint, basil, lavender, wandering jew, begonias, geraniums, sweet potato vine as well as many houseplants such as african violets, ivy, spider plant, philodendron and creeping fig all root well in water.

most plants that can successfully produce roots in water have thick, succulent leaves and stems. don't let the above list deter you from trying others though!

below is a simple guide to rooting your plants.

 ::water the plant thoroughly a day or two before taking cuttings so it is not under drought stress.

::take cuttings from a healthy, vigorous and disease-free plant.

::cut 3 to 6 inch sections of stem that each contain a growing tip, if possible, off the parent plant. make a clean, angled cut just above a leaf node.

 ::trim off any leaves on the lowest one-third of the cutting, keeping at least two leaves on each cutting.

 ::place the cuttings in a water-filled jar so that the leafless portion of the stem is submerged and the remaining leaves are out of the water and hanging over or resting on the lip of the jar.

::set the jar with cuttings and water somewhere that gets partial sun, like a windowsill.

::check the cuttings regularly. add more water to replace any that evaporates and replace water that becomes cloudy.

::if roots turn brown and mushy with rot, discard the cuttings and water, clean the jar and start over with fresh cuttings.

::once several roots have appeared and grown a few inches long, the cuttings are ready to be gently planted in moist potting soil.

 happy rooting!!

my new garden companion

I have no  acceptable excuse for my absence here other than it's been so darn hot and I haven't had much gusto to do much of anything in the garden and oh yes we got a puppy!!

Luckily though the garden still grows without my help and we have had plenty of rain to keep it going. Thankfully the weather broke last week and has been quite pleasant allowing me and Harry (our new pup) to get out there.

It's been so nice to have a companion in the garden who follows me around and keeps me company as I weed and harvest. He absolutely loves cucumbers!

The garden is showing signs of late summer and even peeks of early fall with it's Black-Eyed Susans and Joe-Pye Weed in full bloom. The Crape Myrtle's bark is beginning to shed  and I have seen a few Aster and Toad Lily buds beginning to form.

I hope to sow some fall greens in the next week or two, dry a whole lot of mint and get a spring bulb order in. All with Harry's help of course.

Embracing My Front Garden

 You may remember when I first introduced my front garden space and how it had been neglected for some time. Well, I am happy to report that I have been spending most of my time up front this season and giving the space some overdue TLC! Although there is still much more to do (including building the retaining rock wall), I am quite pleased with how things have filled in.

I spent most of the spring improving the soil conditions with a heavy dose of compost which has made a huge improvement in productivity. Like the rest of my garden spaces, I have planted a mixture of ornamental perennials such as Coreopsis, Echinacea, Black Eyed Susans and Spiderwort along with an array of herbs including Sage, Thyme, Comfrey, Borage and Santolina. I made sure to leave room for the annual edibles that thrive in sunny conditions and that we love to eat such as Zucchini, Cherry Tomatoes, Cucumber, Basil, Swiss Chard, Lacianato Kale and a few Watermelon plants. Everything is peeking up through a lush ground cover of Vinca Vine and Creeping Jenny.

 In the past I would look the other way when I walked past the front of my house and only use my back door just to avoid the eye sore of a space. But now the first thing I do in the morning is open my front door to say good morning to my garden.  I greet it with a smile and pull some weeds. I water it's roots and then nibble on some herbs. And sometimes i just sit on my front steps and admire.

beauty in the shade garden.

as i have written here before, our garden  recieves mostly northern exposure which leaves us with part sun in some areas of our garden and very shady conditions in others.
but i have come to really appreciate the many beautiful specimens that prefer low light.

i love  silver, grey, purples and blue-green hues in the garden. i am also attracted to plants with interesting leaf shapes and patterns with variegation and texture. i don't believe a plant needs to have a fancy flower to be beautiful. i thought i might share just a few of my favorite plants whose leaves bring beauty to the shady spots in my garden. there are so many more that i will save for another post.


 one of my favorite shade loving ground covers is strawberry begonia. mostly known as a houseplant, this little beauty does best outdoors and loves spreading it's roots in shady conditions. it spreads rapidly but is not invasive as it is shallow rooted and easy to dig up. i transplanted a very small amount of these from my mothers garden last summer and they are spreading beautifully in the garden and in the cracks of our rock walls. i also have it growing in pots, planters and in my window boxes as well as in the living roof atop the bunny hutch. i recently found out that strawberry begonias are a japanese delicacy and are also used for medicinal purposes. extracts from the plant are promised to reduce wrinkles and improve the skin. i may have to look more into that! overall i just love it's little scalloped, variegated leaves and dainty white flowers. a must have in the shade garden!
the velvety grey leaves of the stachys plants are a stunning addition to any garden adding texture and character. they spread rapidly, making them effective ground covers and are drought tolerant and also deer resistant. you can't help but want to reach out and touch this tempting plant. i often find my girls and their neighbor friends stooping down to stroke it's soft leaves also know as "lambs ears".

 
 i know i have raved about lacianato kale here before but i can't stress enough how beautiful this plant is. i love it's bumpy "dinosaur" textured leaf and it's majestic presence in the garden. and what's even better is it's edible and yes it grows in part shade! once you grow lacianato also known as tuscan kale
you may not want to grow any other variety. it is resilient and a very productive plant for the small garden and can reach up to three feet tall. it produces all summer long well into the winter months. i have harvested kale with snow on the ground and it just gets sweeter. grow this in your garden. you won't be sorry.  

ligularia is another favorite of mine which makes a big statement in the garden with it's dark bold  leaves and deep purple veins and stems. i also have a purple leaved variety which is stunning. it does put out a pretty little spike of a yellow flower but i love the leathery almost heart shaped leaf even more. it does prefer a deep, rich, moist soil and is deer resistant. it is a nice contrast in the garden.
if you are thinking of planting a hydrandea in your garden i can not recommend enough the oakleaf hydrangea. not only does it produce a beautiful cluster of creamy white flowers but the leaves of this shrub resemble very much a large oak leaf with silvery white undersides. hydrangea quercifolia turns a bronzy purple in autumn with dried flower heads. it does well in deep shade and makes a lovely cut flower.
these are just a few. stay tuned for more favorites. i would love to hear some of yours.