September Songs

It’s the end of our summer’s fling

…. sultry days become cool nights and cozy sofas beckon.

Crickets and Cicadas sing their little hearts out…

bunnies, chippies, squirrels, birds and skunks

rustle in the grass and garden

… foraging and getting fatter

and still we remember the soft, sweet rhythms

of these observations.

The garden is still glorious

but I find myself yearning

for cooler weather to recharge

"Try to Remember....."

As Tom Jones so famously sang:

“Try to remember the kind of September

When life was slow and oh, so mellow.

Try to remember the kind of September

When grass was green and grain was yellow.

Try to remember the kind of September

When you were a tender and callow fellow.

Try to remember, and if you remember

then follow, follow.”

More Garden Heroes...

A few weeks ago, I passed “my” sign to our newest Garden Hero

- Noriko Sakai-Merrett

and now, she has generously passed it on to

Claire Sullivan.

How lovely (and fun) to spend time with

other women in horticulture

discussing what works and what doesn’t;

what plants we love and those we don’t.

Thank you Claire and Noriko.

Claire Sullivan and Noriko Saki-Merrett in Claire's glorious garden.

Claire, me, Noriko

"Come Sit in My Garden..."

We love our gardens and although they give us great joy

whether bliss or blunder ,

they will never be done

… so sit in your garden and other gardens too

…then think of this:

Squirrels and their Nuts

Besides squirrels,

the Acorn Woodpecker also collects acorns

and then stores them very high up

in the holes in tree trunks

it has already pecked out…

Clever..who can steal them now?

As for our street,

the frisky squirrels rustle around

in the big oaks, throwing acorns to the ground,

which land on the pavement, breaking off the little caps

…. yum,, ready for chomping.

September Tasks...

Always lots to do before Fall really sets in … and weeding is one of those tasks that never ends.

DO: Buy bulbs before they are picked over but wait a bit to plant… it is still too warm

DO: Move or plant roses.

DO: Divide and move other perennials that need more space - and share

DO: Add annual Mums to give some colour to your garden now

DO: Keep your garden moist : spread compost and mulch

DON’T: fertilize roses or other perennials.. they are getting ready to go dormant.…

DON'T prune shrubs etc unless dead… any new growth can be damaged by an early frost

DO....Look here for more to do and think about in September…

september-garden-tasks.html

Iris Tasks...

Although I don’t “clean up” my garden in the fall,

I do however, suggest a few things that help.

Cut back Iris spears

and remove the dead debris around the tubers.

This is one time I like to remove dead bits from the garden

… if you don’t - the debris can rot and cover the tuber

which needs to be exposed - above soil level

…. years of dead and dried debris can quickly cover them;

and if they are planted too deeply, they won’t bloom.

It also gives me a chance to see

if there is any Iris borer damage

… one sign; the leaves turn brown with rot at the tuber.

Iris - before trimming

Iris after trimming

The other thing this does,

is gives some smaller plants

that might be overshadowed by the large leaves

a chance to show and shine.

It is also a good time to divide Iris as well

Replanting Iris

Monarchs !

They are so lovely now;

so brilliant and not just in colour.

Their genes give them super powers to fly,

reproduce and show us

we are not the only smart beings.

See these remarkable beings on their journey... here...

And.... when you do see one, report its location here:

Journey North

Other Beauties...

Swallowtail Butterfly

Happy Bumblebee

It's a Good Time to Plant...

Fall planting is advantageous for a few reasons:

the soil will be warm until late October

and often into November

… most frosts are up off the ground

as the ground will not really freeze

until there are many days below freezing.

Dwarf fruit trees, native ornamental trees,

perennials and roses will all benefit from fall planting.

It gives their roots time to establish..

Please DON'T prune them as this encourages new growth

that could be damaged with an early frost.

These are Honey Crisp apples from our dwarf trees on the boulevard.

They were almost ready to pick when alas,

someone took them all last night….ALL of them.

I am torn between being cross

and being hopeful someone needed them to eat.

Either way, I was hoping for a few more days so they would get redder.

There would have been enough

for each of our neighbours

Sigh

Our Roses...

On the boulevard, between the two dwarf Apple trees

the "Drift Roses" are having their second flush

….after resting for a few weeks - voila!!

look at them now.

and in the back garden.....

"Distant Drums"...

a favourite

Gardeners and Artists...

Sometimes, when rainy days beckon

and the winters are long, gardeners turn to other art forms.

Locally, The Annual Buckhorn Art Festival

encourages all levels of artists to show and compete with others.

My friend Shannon won a red ribbon

with her incredible painting of an old tractor

and I have a blue ribbon for my sketch of a dying rose.

So much fun and such wonderful people and their art.

Buckhorn art festival

Me and my friend Shannon Daciuk

Bliss from Blunders?

Sometimes Nature decides

she doesn’t want a limb here

or a branch there

and lets it die.

In this case, the Weeping Redbud

seems to have lost the desire

to have weeping top branches.

What to do?

Decorate with bits of found glass

and a strand of wire.

.. BLUE, of course

Back to School...

Of course, not all children will be as happy as their parents....

but tell them this.....

You know that one pencil

can complete a lot of homework

…but ...do you also know that

EACH pencil can draw a line,

56 km long !!

(that's 35 miles)

Beat that, Mr. Bic pen.

Until next time....

Keep your pencil sharp

Keep the weeds under control

Keep those little water dishes and bird baths full

and see here for more garden tips..... HOME

...and in the mean time, stay cool.

Lucy says,

Enjoy your gardens

and be sure to wear your pearls

for dressy days on the deck

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