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Garden Bliss & Blunder, Issue #52
October 08, 2025

OCTOBER GOLD

Golden moments are not just for these lovely days, but for those frustrating ones that somehow end up just fine.... my newsletter is late: a few technical glitches that are sorted.... however, I'm betting no one was looking at their calendar wondering where I was... haha

I have no idea who stole September but here we are - summer is gone except for the golden afternoons that fool us into thinking she is still here…

The mornings are crisp and little puffs of breath escape when we take our first gulps as we let the pup out in her sweater.

PORCHAPALOOZA

Our neighbourhood had a lovely surprise last week…

A perfect fall day full of music wafting from porches in the sunshine while neighbours enjoyed a beautiful weekend.

This is “Mudfish” a lovely couple who sang and played like angels.

GOLDENROD TRUTHS

Goldenrod: Soldago nemoralis (photo: Wikipedia)

Allergies? not Goldenrod…

its pollen is so heavy it is pollinated by insects

and is not easily airborne

So unless you actually touch it with your nose,

it likely won’t cause you to sneeze.

However, Ragweed, (Ambrosia_psilostachya)

on the other hand, spews its pollen into the wind,

committing the real allergy crime.

RACCOON POOP

Photo: www.cdc.gov

What is a RACCOON LATRINE? (yuk)

Places around trees, logs, decks or patios, pathways

The poop is dark and tubular

and is the primary host of Baylisascaris procyonis

-roundworm eggs that can be harmful to humans and pets.

WHAT TO DO?

If you have found a raccoon latrine in or near your home, cleaning the area may prevent possible infection.

Eggs in newly deposited feces are not infectious and take at least 2–4 weeks to become infective.

Prompt removal and destruction of raccoon feces will reduce risk for exposure and possible infection.

See the Link below for more info.

Raccoon Latrines

GINKGO GLORY

The Ginkgo (Ginkgo biloba) was my Dad’s and still my favourite tree.

If you are near one when it decides to shed its leaves, it is a magical moment that will live with you always.

The leaves all fall together in a silent golden rain ….

It is Earth’s oldest surviving tree genus; ginkgoes were here before the dinosaurs existed; before Africa and South America parted.

“These ginkgophytes were, in their evolutionary heyday, the foremost innovators of the plant kingdom. They could shed leaves in winter, go dormant in low-light seasons, switch between stub growth and branch growth depending on conditions, and re-sprout from lignotubers — energy-storing roots — after disturbances. “ From: Jared Farmer’s fascinating book: “ Elderflora: A Modern History of Ancient Trees”

Find a Ginkgo tree in your neighbourhood… or plant one… we all need a bit of ancient magic in our lives.

If you are ever in Peterborough Ontario, there is a massive one in East City…. ask someone to show you.

LEAVE THE ROOTS

We know we should leave the leaves, but we usually remove dead annuals at the end of the season.

But what if we just cut them off and left the roots in the ground?

Those roots we pull out with the plant would prefer to stay in the soil as they keep adding nutrients to other nearby roots.

They also store carbon while enhancing the microbes that are already present, promoting good soil structure.

It also keeps the soil from eroding because we are not disturbing the soil by yanking stuff out. Ouch.

Sharpen your clippers and cut those annuals off at the soil level…. better still?

Chop up the foliage and leave it on the ground as “green mulch”…. what a bonus; it will be lovely rich soil by spring.

OAKS and ACORNS

They get thrown from the tops of huge Oak trees, they crunch underfoot and are tough on bare feet but the squirrels know their value.

Besides being eaten, acorns are buried strategically and in following seasons, sprout and grow another tree… magic.

And not sure about you, but I love a little magic in my life

...and picture it a bit like this.

BEE PERSONALITIES

We think bees should be asleep in cozy spots by now

but some are still finding blooms in my garden,

so just in case you have forgotten who is who…

here is a wee reminder.

DADDY-LONG-LEGS

CARDINAL FLOWER

Last Fall, I transplanted this favourite of mine into a damper spot

Lobelia cardinalis, or Cardinal Flower, always reminds me of the ditches beside the road to the lake and I am so excited to show you how happy it is with Japanese Forest Grass…

In the bellflower family Campanulaceae, it is native to southeastern Canada and down through the east and southwest US, Mexico and Central America, all the way to northern Colombia.

ROSES IN OCTOBER

A cluster of one of the Vigorosa Roses that bloom all Summer and long into the Fall.

Drift Rose on the Boulevard

Because of the 7 week drought and heat this summer,

I was sure the roses would just pout into their fall dormancy

… but guess what?

they are so happy and are blooming again .

" William Shakespeare" is a David Austin Shrub Rose

I planted for my Dad.

And here, in early October,

is blooming its heart out

... I love this rose.

UNTIL NEXT TIME

Perhaps not all garden tools.... so before you do that, get all those plants you bought on sale and are still in the drive - in the ground - and water well..

Leave out your hand pruners... there will always be a snip here or there that needs doing....

..then before those are put away, clean and sharpen them.

.. more later...