Updates

This post is about updates to some previous posts, and to let you all know I am back in the saddle. Skeeter has gladly turned the reins back over to me, though she tells me she has had mucho fun but blogging is an awful lot like-ready???-work! She will fill in again as I need a break. Ready Skeeter? I will prepare a post on her and my other commenters soon. Many bloggers have been asking me about all of these wonderful commenters and unless you have followed along from the beginning, most will not know the story of my faithful group, so it bears telling. Though, even if you have followed along from the beginning, you might not know about Lola and Skeeter and my mother and my sister and Anonymous and Nina. I will promise not to be toooo boring. Okay, now on to garden updates! The above picture shows the bloom of my tuberroses. Lola had mentioned way back when how good they smell. Nina kindly sent me some bulbs and here they are blooming! They do smell good too!

Do you remember my post on the 'Lords and Ladies'? And how I hoped I would get an orange candleflower? I did! Here is the one and only, but it will be joined by some siblings next year as the plants grow and mature. It is very colorful and makes a great dried flower.

Here is an updated picture of the 'chocolate' with the 'Goldsturm' brown eyed Susans. I love the look. Growing along side the brown eyes are some Joe Pye weeds (a post forthcoming), some yews, nandinas, and some other perennials in this 'Perennial Garden'.

Here is a better picture of the banana bloom. Or at least a more updated picture. I am sure I will not get any bananas simply because this is the only bloom. This bloom needs to be pollinated by another and it isn't happening this year.

Lastly, an update on Compost the kitten. Compost made the 22 hour drive to Maine with us. Maine has no kill shelters and is much kinder to stray animals than the state of Tennessee. My daughter Christine is currently fostering her and looking for a good home for this sweet little kitten. Christine just called me yesterday to say she thinks she has found a forever home with a dear friend of hers, and I hope it works out soon!

in the garden....updating.

Chocolate Anyone?

How is this for a pleasant combination? The 'Chocolate' Eupatorium rugosa is coming up through a bunch of 'Goldsturm' brown eyed Susan's. I can't hardly wait for the Goldsturm to bloom because the yellow with the with the purple will be stunning.



What's not to love about this purple plant? It blooms in the fall (my favorite season) with a white a flower. It is easy to care for and volunteers pretty freely. I have grown it in my garden for over six years now and love it.

All except for the numerous babies. Normally volunteers are welcomed in the garden. Even here in the vegetable garden growing amongst the brick paths the volunteers are welcomed. When they are small. Right now they are small and sweet, but will grow quickly and take over. They have to go. Pulling them is not a problem. I cannot believe the astronomical amount of volunteers I have this year. This is not a usual occurrence in my garden. What do you think I should do? Pull them and give them away with a hearty warning? Or toss them and pull all of the plants?

On tour day all visitors were offered a free Chocolate Eupatorium with a warning of their self seeding abilities. Most are gone now and I do hope everyone who took a plant or two home enjoys them. I have enjoyed my chocolate for the past six years and was happy to share. Remember though, they can self seed prolifically. I have found that the more sun they get, the more self seeding this plant will do. Be warned and enjoy the purple with white flowers come fall.

in the garden....

Plant Combinations

It might be hard to see, but this plant combination contains Eupatorium rugosa 'Chocolate' (the white flowered plant on the left), and Chrysanthemum morifolium, aka mums. The white with the dark red makes a stunning combination and I might think of adding Perovskia atriplicifolia, aka Russian Sage, to the duo next year in order to make a red, white and blue combination.

Eupatoriums are extremely easy to grow and one of my favorite groups of plants. They belong to the family Asteraceae, aka Asters, which are usually in bloom this time of year. This family is responsible for most of the fall coloring on the side of roads this year. Colors range from purple to lavender to white and so on. When this Chocolate eupatorium begins growing in the spring the foliage is purple. Visitors to my garden often mistake it as the wild basil, Perilla frutescens. Wild basil is one plant I will NEVER plant in my garden as wild basil is wildly invasive and very hard to get rid of once established. I have only met gardeners who have regretted planting it. I once was the recipient of this wild basil back in the 80s when my aunt kindly gave it to me. What a mistake! Beware of kind gardeners who give you plants and always know what you are planting BEFORE planting it.

The second picture is also of Chocolate Eupatorium and a wonderful rose, 'The Fairy'. The Fairy is a low grower which blooms all season with a multitude of small pink flowers. This rose requires no spraying or special care in my garden. It will grow to about 3-4 feet by 3-4 feet, which is about the size the Chocolate eupatorium will grow to as well. All of these plants grow in part sun. The Chocolate eupatorium will self seed, but in my garden the seedlings are no problem and easy to pull if I do not want them (never happened as I always want them). I take cuttings of garden mums each summer and grow my own mums. Mums usually come back each year in Tennessee but be sure to plant your mums out by mid-October to allow for them to establish their root systems prior to the really cold weather. It also helps if mums are planted in good well drained soil. I have lost a few over the years.

Garden season is not over so continue to think about what plants you might like around you. It is easy to garden year round here in Tennessee and the stores make it simple by providing in season flowers-just pick and plant-but research first or at least have a general understanding of the plant.

Tonight is the next to the last "Jazz on the Lawn" at Beachaven Winery. Be sure to partake of the wonderful weather and come out tonight and enjoy life.

in the garden....