September

Color is returning to the yard. The grass is still green. The hateful lawnmower died this week. The gas tank, connected by a metal pipe to the innards of the engine, fell off. The pipe was cracked in two. It may have tried to break my leg last summer, but I got the last laugh. Now I need to buy a new lawnmower.

Turn of the Century is blooming again. I cut it back hard in July due to damage from Japanese Beetles.



Zinnias provide color. They seem more vibrant this morning.



The acorns have started to fall. Bumper crop. It sounds like tap dancing outside my window at night if I park the truck too close to the house.



It's 72 degrees. Hurricane Earl is in the Atlantic, threatening to land on the NC coast. We're not expected to see any rain according to the latest forecasts. No rain in sight for the next 10 days. The high today should reach the mid 90s, again. *sigh*

Stargazers, Hibiscus, Coneflowers, and a Boat

It's 88 degrees. The yard has been mowed. The smell of fresh cut grass hangs in the air, mingling with the scent of the stargazers.



Pinks and reds have replaced the blues and purples of spring. Orange and yellow dot the landscape.



I've got them all over the yard. I'll buy more next spring. I missed my chance this year.



The hot pink Luna has joined the fray.



Turn of the Century is starting to get on my nerves. It's very floppy. This is the third year I've grown this plant and it just refuses to stand up. Maybe it needs more sun. The blooms are still worth it.



With a day off, and a high of 97 in the forecast with no rain, I'm heading to the lake. The parents brought it up yesterday. The challenge of photographing becomes more difficult. Do I want to show the firewood pile, or the big pink and cerulean boat parked in the driveway? What about the red of the truck. I think it clashes. Who cares? It's a boat. And yes, it will pull it out of the water at the end of the day, thank you very much.

A Good Morning.

It's been raining now for more than 36 hours. It's just a light drizzle mostly so there hasn't been much in the way of accumulation. It's in the low 70s and cloudy, of course. Tomorrow, we should see some sun.

In the "meadow", I tossed out lots of chaff from various collected seeds. The red clover I scattered a couple days ago is starting to germinate.



I started the morning by having a cup of coffee. Then I headed to the north side of the house. I dug out three of the Leyland Cypress trees I had planted last year. They'll get way too large for this area. I moved them to behind the future patio space. I want to block a few yard lights that shine into my bedroom windows.



When I move established plants, I use my Dad's method. He taught me how to plant tomatoes this way. Dig a hole. Fill it with water. Dig another hole. Fill it with water, repeat and refill all the holes with water at least twice. Even though we've had two days of rain, the soil is dry a couple inches down. I did the same thing when I planted the 16 Carolina cherry laurels along the wall. I staggered them a bit and didn't get a straight line. They'll need a good bit of pruning in a couple years to keep them in check, but they bloom in spring and provide food for birds. Plus, they're evergreen. Hopefully they'll block the nosy bitty and the duplex next door.



You can barely see them. I wintersowed the seeds last October.



Next, I worked on some of the things at the end of the driveway, including more $1 clearance plants. Most of this was planted in the perennial bed. I'm more interested in collecting seeds than what they look like this year.



I dug up three knockout roses from the shrub island. I planted them on the slope behind the tomato patch, just in front of my new blueberry bushes. I cut them back hard and will not be disappointed if they don't make it. Consider this my ode to freeway on-ramps.



I gathered 3 butterfly bushes from the edges of the woods, mainly those that had blooms I really liked, and put them where I had the roses. They got cut back hard too. Next spring, I'll cut them all back to the ground to regrow at the same rate.



Around the other side of the fig, I planted several Turn of the Century hibiscus cuttings that were rooted several months ago. A couple of white ones were tossed into the mix as well. I can't wait for next spring.



I planted out three rooted vitex cuttings too. A couple went into the crape myrtle bed where lots of tiny echinacea seedlings have popped up. Another went on the slope just down from the blueberries.



Yesterday, I cleaned the cloning machine and refilled it. It was back up to the right temperature this morning, so I made 7 cuttings of pineapple salvia. Over the winter, I'll turn those 7 cuttings into about 35 more. I have a plan.



I dumped the soil from the sweet potato vine planter by the basement door. Not a bad harvest. I'll dry and store these tubers to create new plants next year. The white ones are from the black plants. The red ones are from the green plants. It's the opposite of what I would expect.



Yesterday on my way back from the library, I collected a few seed pods from the datura I got my original seeds from. They're drying in the basement too.



And finally. Yes, finally...the laminate for the kitchen counters arrived. Kim called me yesterday to let me know I could pick it up as soon as they checked it in. I brought it home at lunch and laid it face down on the dining room floor. I know my cat, but more importantly, I don't want to ruin the surprise.



Wednesday and Thursday are my days off this week. I'm planning to work in the kitchen, mostly. The plan is to finish the beadboard and as much of the molding as possible. I'd like to be ready to install the laminate by the weekend. If the rain continues overnight, I'll probably plant a few more things from the end of the driveway. I really need to get the snowball viburnums in the ground this week if I expect them to survive the winter.

I almost forgot the white crape myrtle I planted too. It's very close to the fig, but I have an idea to move the fig in the spring. I think it would do better with more sun.

In case you haven't figured it out, the leg is doing fine these days. It's a little stiff in the mornings, and late at night if I've been on it for a while. I'd say it's at least 97%.

Chilly.

No wonder the dogwoods on Pee Dee Ave are turning red. The berries are ripe on a few. I see a maple in the backyard is beginning to turn yellow too. It's early.

9:55am - In the basement, 10 items were ready for potting up.





I have three rooted white hibiscus.



Five Turn of the Century Hibiscus, a snowball viburnum, and one giant white pussywillow completed the tray.



Jim's alstroemeria is growing in one pot.



And on the chimney, a new morning glory has bloomed. Don't know where it came from. Don't care. I like it.



Five shasta daisies were transplanted from the no longer white bed to the crape myrtle bed. I also scattered more seeds of verbena bonariensis and Echinacea tennesseensis.

It's 61 degrees. I didn't get bitten by a single mosquito.

Drizzling

It's been raining. Fine and misty, the roads are barely wet. This was supposed to be our big day. In a couple hours, the sun will come out. By 5pm, we've got thunderstorm watches until early Sunday morning. We really need some rain here. My mustard and collards aren't going to germinate without a little rain.

There's a couple things I want to photograph, but I'm nervous about walking on wet grass with crutches. Wonder if I can fit a spike to the ends of these blasted things? My first time ever on crutches and I hate them. They'll make a nice trellis next spring.

I'm still trying to take it easy. The swelling was worse yesterday than ever before. My leg felt as if it were going to pop. I spent all evening laying on the bed with an ice pack on my shin. This morning, the swelling was nearly gone. I could even move my ankle and point my toes. I've been putting a little weight on it when I stand today just to get used to it again. It hurts. I doubt I'll be going to work on Monday unless they are willing to make special considerations for me. I figure at least another week before I can actually take a step without the crutches. I might be too generous. This is going to take some time to heal. And the kitchen cabinets are being delivered Monday.

It's 77 degrees and cloudy with a light drizzle. Humidity stands at 95%. 50%+ chance of showers later today.

11:28am - If you guessed that I got right up and went outside, you win the prize.

The orange rose is blooming again. I know, it's not orange. It's a hybrid tea that has three different roses grafted to it. One is a salmon color, the other is yellow with orange edges, and the most prevalent is this pink. It's a very hot pink.



Turn of the Century hibiscus has three blooms. This is the small one that I divided from the original plant's rootball. It was a test to see if I could do it. This fall, I'll divide the mother plant a few more times. I've also taken 5 new cuttings this past week and stuck them in the cloner. They root in about 2 weeks.



The lack of rain hasn't deterred the brugs. The Ecuador Whites are still blooming. Each plant has one bloom on it, and there's lots of buds. I thought they would come in flushes, but I think I prefer this better.



Going to elevate my leg now. The parents are coming up this evening to make sure I'm not dead. I would normally spend this time cleaning house, but the mopping will have to wait.

Spiders

I hate spiders. I hate them with every ounce of my being. I really hate them when they build webs on my front porch where I can walk into them first thing every morning. This guy has been moved to the side of the porch where I won't be tempted to thrash about trying to get it off me when I come home late at night.



This one is in the perennial bed. It had a web stretched between two cosmos, but I evicted it yesterday. Overnight, the new web is larger and sturdier. As long as it stays in the yard, it can live.



Mr. Lincoln is blooming again.



The small Turn of the Century division is finally blooming.



Saliva, Coral Nymph is going through it's 4th flush of blooms this season. I love this plant. Lots of seeds have been collected.



Salvia coccinea, purple, has finally bloomed. I wintersowed several containers and only one plant survived. This one has been a slow grower only taking off once the temperatures hit 90. Or maybe I'm just imagining it.



69 degrees and sunny. Slight chance of rain in the forecast. Storms passed by yesterday giving us just enough rain to spot the windshield on the truck.

Coming Home

It's always nice to return after a couple days away to find new surprises in the garden.

Cherry Brandy rudbeckia


Turn of the Century hibiscus


Love those Luna Reds


More stargazers


More sunflowers


Brugmansia buds are growing large


pink bee balm


More tomatoes


Either squash or cucumbers have germinated


It's 86 and sunny. No rain at all this weekend. Looks like it'll be another late night of moving the sprinkler after work. No rain in the forecast til Sunday.