Returning to the Garden

It has been awhile since I have written a blog post, but it's also been awhile since I've done much in the garden.  When August arrives and dried stalks and brown seedheads are the only reminders of the daylilies and coneflowers that once brightened my garden, I get the gardening doldrums.  Keeping all the containers and new plants watered in the summer heat is enough to get me dripping with sweat, and I prefer to retreat into the cool indoors.  It's also been a busy time for family: in mid-August my daughter and family arrived for a visit from Texas, and it's always a joy to spend time with the little ones I only see a few times of year.  Before they left, my dad had some health problems and was hospitalized for almost a week and needed extra help when he returned home.  Then the local grandkids started their fall sports season, and we have been busy attending volleyball, baseball, and soccer games, and cross-country meets.  My calendar is full!

I'm not complaining, however; with over a month's hiatus, I'm ready to get back into the garden for fall chores--if it ever cools down and stops raining, that is!

Though the bright blooms of mid-summer have long since faded, there have been some new blooms to replace them.  'Heavenly Blue' and 'Flying Saucers' morning glory seeds were planted in a pot in early summer, but I thought they would never bloom.  The vines grew taller and taller and meandered through the dried coneflowers, but finally some blooms appeared.

I usually plant a variety of leftover seeds in an old whiskey barrel planter at the back of the garden and then forget to water it.  A few hardy seeds survived the neglect like this tall Celosia (name forgotten).

A favorite, Rudbeckia 'Prairie Sun' also survived.

Late August brought the Zinnias, including my favorite 'Zowie Yellow Flame.' 

 They are looking a bit more tattered now in October, but from a distance they still look good and add some bright fall color, especially in the roadside garden above.

Other zinnias in shades of pink, orange, red, and purple are still going strong 

and providing nectar for the late butterflies.

Speaking of butterflies, I thought the Monarchs might have all migrated, but this afternoon I saw several floating through the garden.  They were enjoying some late blooms, but their favorite was the Tithonia.  The Tithonia planting was an accident--I think I dropped some seeds here--but I definitely need to plant more of this on purpose next year, because it really is a butterfly magnet.

"Better late than never"--I have no idea what took the Cosmos so long to bloom, but I'm happy to see them, especially since most of the flowers around them have finished.

There are some new perennial blooms as well--this is the first time I've ever seen blooms on my hardy Begonia.  I bought this plant because I love the foliage and have been surprised it has survived in my zone 5b garden.  These sweet little blooms are an added bonus.

Turtleheads, Chelone, are a welcome sight in the shade garden as the hostas begin to die back.

Many of the annuals are starting to fizzle out this time of year, but the Lantana is going strong in the Lily Bed.  I think it has doubled in size in the last month!

Coleus are also going strong and have taken over a couple of pots, which is fine with me.

Many of my containers are looking pretty sad right now, so it's a good time to evaluate what plants do best in our long summers.  All the begonias are looking great, but especially this dragon-wing begonia.  This is one plant I definitely want to try to over-winter indoors.

Supertunia Vista 'Silverberry' is one of the few petunias still looking good.  I've replaced a few plants elsewhere with fall annuals, like mums, kale, and pansies, but I don't get too carried away with fall plantings.  Autumn is just too short a season here to make it worth my time or money--we're still in the 80's, yet a frost could happen any day.

Though the summer-like temperatures are still hanging around, it definitely feels like fall.  Days are getting shorter, and there are subtle changes all around.  I took this photo of our lane a month ago, more for my benefit than to post it.  The trees lining the lane are all flowering crabapples, and they have never looked as good as this year.  The leaves are beginning to turn and drop now, but usually they look that way in August.  I think consistent rain throughout the summer really made a difference this year.

And every tree is full of fruit--no wonder my yard is filled with birds!

Other changes can be seen in the garden--Blackberry lilies showing their beautiful seedheads.

Fall perennials are blooming, like the New England Asters.

The shorter 'October Skies' Asters line one edge of the Arbor Bed.

A Tatarian Aster at the back of the Butterfly Garden--I wish I could get more of these to grow!

I have no trouble growing these, however--Frost or Hairy Aster, Symphyotrichum pilosum, is a native plant that many would consider a weed.  But I happen to like these little white blooms, not to mention they are a valuable source of nectar for bees and other insects in the fall.

In the Arbor Bed, Japanese Anemones are making an appearance.

Another Japanese Anemone--I vowed I would remember what variety both of these are, 

but naturally I've forgotten.

I'm also happy to see the Pineapple Sage in bloom.  So often, it blooms so late that it is hit by frost before it can even bloom, but this year it looks like I will have more time to enjoy it.

And finally, one of my favorite shrubs this time of year, the Beautyberry.  I love these purple berries!

Although I haven't been very industrious in the garden the past month and a half, I have enjoyed spending time just sitting and observing nature.  The hummingbirds have been a constant source of joy as I watch them dancing in the air and flying from flower to flower.  Yesterday I saw two in my garden, the latest I remember ever seeing them here, but I know that very soon they will all be on their way to warmer climes. It's a good time to enjoy the many beauties of nature before the snow flies.

Book Review Club: Go Set A Watchman

Anyone who is a fan of To Kill A Mockingbird has by now either read Go Set a Watchman or, after reading reviews of it, has refused to read it.  The early draft of Harper Lee’s classic was supposedly discovered a year ago and has generated all kinds of publicity and hundreds of reviews, mostly negative. In spite of the fact that more has been written about this book than it probably deserves, I can’t help myself—I just have to add my own two cents’ worth.

GSAW is set twenty years after Mockingbird, as an adult Scout, now known as Jean Louise, returns to her hometown of Maycomb, Alabama.  Maycomb will always be home to Jean Louise, and she is drawn to it despite the fact that she still doesn’t quite fit in.  She meets her old friend, Henry Clinton, who finally confesses his love for her and asks her to marry him.  While Jean Louise considers his proposal, she discovers a shocking revelation about her father Atticus, one that forces her to decide whether she wants to ever live in Maycomb again, but more importantly, whether she can be a part of her own family again.

That shocking revelation, as most readers already know, is that Atticus apparently supports the traditional views of segregation prevalent throughout the South in the 1950’s.  The landmark Supreme Court ruling of Brown vs. Board of Education worried those entrenched in the old belief in separate but equal, and groups were organized to mount a resistance to this ruling.  Maycomb was no exception, and to the horror of Jean Louise, Atticus is a member of that group.

Atticus Finch a racist?? Tell me it isn’t so!  The noble man whose integrity shines through To Kill a Mockingbird is one of the most beloved heroes in literary fiction, and Gregory Peck’s portrayal of him in the 1962 award-winning film cemented that opinion.  To find out that Watchman shatters that image is one of the main reasons many readers have opted not to read the new book.

'Vanilla Strawberry' Hydrangeas putting out a few new blooms, but most have faded as the season winds down.

I knew as I began reading the book what I was getting into.  Still, as I finished the novel, I felt as if I needed to erase everything I had just read and remember only the Atticus Finch I have known and loved for years.  The theme of discovering your childhood heroes are humans after all could have worked—but with a completely new set of characters.

Hummingbirds are fueling up for their long journey south very soon.

Aside from this major problem, there are other flaws in the book as well.  When Jean Louise confronts her father, he tries to explain his stance, but the conversations between them are so rambling that they don’t resolve anything.  It is as if Harper Lee was trying to come to terms with her own feelings about her father (if it was indeed autobiographical) and simply couldn’t.  Her decision about her father at the end is unsatisfying and unbelievable.  Uncle Jack’s attempts to explain Atticus's position are also rambling.  A lovable character in Mockingbird, Uncle Jack comes across as eccentric, if not downright crazy, in Watchman.  Speaking of characters, the other beloved characters in Mockingbird—Dill, Jem, and Boo Radley (oh, how I missed him!)—don’t even appear in the new novel.  Calpurnia does appear, but her transformation in Watchman is as disturbing as Atticus’s.  Only Aunt Alexandra, of all people, remains somewhat the same character.

The bees are still busy gathering pollen.

So why did I read this book, knowing full well I was going to be disappointed?  Purely out of curiosity--I wanted to see where Lee began her story and how it evolved into my favorite book of all time, To Kill a Mockingbird.  There are parts worth reading--all of them flashbacks as Jean Louise remembers some of the exploits of her youth.  These humorous anecdotes are different from the ones in Mockingbird, but remind the reader of some of those touches of humor, like the scenes when Jem and Scout try to draw out Boo Radley.  But their placement in the book often distracts from the main story.

What Go Set a Watchman really needed was a good editor--oh wait, Lee already had a good editor, and the result was To Kill a Mockingbird!

Enjoying the visiting Monarchs as they begin their fall migration.

There are those who have refused to read Watchman out of principle, thinking that the publishers were motivated by greed.  If so, I am sorry I purchased my own hardback copy.  On the other hand, it is possible that the publicist/agent felt the world deserved to see how Lee's famous story began. Whatever the motivation, I seriously doubt that Harper Lee willingly granted permission to have this very rough rough draft published.

Harper Lee once told a close friend why she never wrote another book after Mockingbird: "I have said what I wanted to say and I will not say it again."  It's too bad her publishers didn't respect those wishes.


(Photos are random photos of my late summer garden and have nothing whatsoever to do with this book.  Perhaps I could have tied them in with Miss Maudie and her garden, but alas, Miss Maudie isn't in Watchman either.)

Click icon for more
book review blogs
@Barrie Summy

Disclaimer:  As with all the books I review here, I received no compensation of any kind for this review.  I purchased my own copy of Go Set A Watchman, but I'm not sure it will rest in my bookshelf next to To Kill A Mockingbird.

Garden Lessons Learned in 2013

Happy New Year, everyone!  I hope that you enjoyed the holidays and were able to spend time with friends and family.  I noticed a considerable drop in blogging the past month, myself included.  Besides the usual rush of Christmas activities, I was hit with a respiratory virus right before Christmas that kept me down for more than a week.  Thanks to some antibiotics, I'm finally on the mend. Now that I've finally got a little more energy and with the holiday rush over, I plan to catch up on reading blogs as well as posting a little more often.

I had planned to join Plant Postings' seasonal meme on lessons learned in the garden this past autumn.  Since I didn't make the December 20 deadline, I'm going to look back at the year overall and focus on one special aspect of the garden that has become more and more appealing to me.

I've learned that a garden isn't just for me--it supports a host of wildlife who enjoy it--and need it--just as much as I do. The creatures who inhabit or visit the garden have taught me as many valuable lessons as planting and weeding have.

 Lesson #1:  Even the seemingly ordinary can contain small miracles.  I was pruning the Knockout roses this spring when I noticed this strange growth on one of the branches.  A quick photo was taken and compared to internet images; sure enough, this is a mantis egg case, the first I'd ever seen.  Unfortunately, I didn't notice an abundance of praying mantises this year, compared to past years, but I'm sure they were around, had I continued to pay more careful attention.

Another small miracle that I did pay more careful attention to was this dove nesting in the old lilac. My husband first noticed her while mowing, and pointed out her nest to me as well as to the grandkids when they visited. 

She seemed unperturbed by our attention, and since her nest was just a foot above eye level,  it was easy to see. We watched the amazing miracle over the next few weeks as she cared for the babies who emerged until they became fledglings who eventually left the nest.

Lesson #2: Sometimes we're too busy focusing on the task at hand to notice what is right in front of our faces.  I know I'm not the only one who has photographed a flower only to discover when I downloaded my pictures a little winged creature I hadn't even noticed at the time. 



I enjoy watching the bees busily flying about in my garden, but they're not the easiest creatures to photograph, especially honeybees and the smaller bees. I always think it's serendipity when one pauses at just the right second as the camera shutter clicks.

Lesson #3: Just as with the garden, there is always something new to be learned when it comes to wildlife.  While I know we have had foxes around our farm before, this summer was the first time one ventured close enough for me to see it on a regular basis.  For a month or two, she/he (and oftentimes with its mate) would stroll across the front yard every evening before disappearing into the cornfield.

Despite the fox's often unsavory reputation in fables and fairy tales, I think they're beautiful creatures.  I spent many a summer evening watching her as she watched me, each keeping our distance.

Lesson #4: Even the smallest of creatures often knows more about Nature than I do.  The woolly worm is a weather prognosticator for many of us.  When I saw several of these this fall, I decided I'd better be prepared for a bad winter--the black head and tail, according to folklore, means a cold beginning and end to winter with a lot of snow in between.  So far, his forecast has been accurate.

Lesson #5: There is a reason I leave most of the garden standing over the winter instead of cutting back everything in the fall. 

Fall is always such a busy time that I never complete all my projects anyway, but I often consider doing some cutting back just to make things look a little tidier through the cold months.  The goldfinches, however, confirmed my decision--dried seedheads have their own usefulness and beauty.

Lesson #6: Patience.  Although this lesson is taught over and over again in the garden, there is nothing quite like trying to photograph a hummingbird to teach you patience.  I've tried for years to get a decent photo of a hummingbird in flight and finally managed to get a couple this year. The pictures weren't that great, but I was happy.

These little birds just fascinate me.  It was a great year for hummingbirds, and I spent many hours watching them dance in the air and holding one-sided conversations with them.  We had a warm fall, and they stayed longer than usual--into late September.  I hope they arrived safely at their winter homes, and I hope they remembered the chatty lady on the porch who will have the feeders ready for them again this summer.

Lesson #7: Optimism.  While it was a great year for hummingbirds, it wasn't such a great year for butterflies.

So few appeared this summer that I was beginning to worry what had happened to them all.  Finally, as summer turned into fall, Painted Ladies, Red Admirals, and Buckeyes came to visit the garden, reminding me to never give up hope.

Fall also brought visits from my favorite butterfly and my favorite photo from 2013.  What is it about the majestic Monarch that fascinates us so?  The scientific research about its life cycle and yearly migration is certainly interesting, but even without that, I am in awe of its beauty.  Nothing makes me stop to really live in the moment as does the appearance of a Monarch.

The wildlife that visited my garden this past season taught me many lessons, but most of all they taught me to appreciate all the little miracles of Nature and to really live in the moment.  I look forward to their return this spring, but in the meantime there are the winter birds to watch . . .

. . . and, of course, the "wildlife" that live here year-round.  

Wishing you all a year filled with new experiences in your garden and the joy and peace that Nature can bring.

September Bloom Day and Some Overdue Thank-Yous

Can you hear it?  The unfamiliar pitter patter on the roof?  I'd show you a photo, but I don't want to get my camera wet.  Yes, it is raining!  We've had so little rain the past six weeks that every drop is a cause for celebration.  Thankfully, I took a few last photos for Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day just before the rain began.

We are definitely heading into fall here despite the past week's hot temperatures. Summer flowers have faded, and asters are just starting to bloom.  One thing I have tried to add to the garden the last few years is more late summer/early fall color.  Caryopteris 'Summer Sorbet' fits the bill perfectly, beginning to bloom in mid-August and continuing through the fall. Notice, too, the switchgrass--Panicum virgatum 'Shenandoah'--behind it, another fall favorite.

I enjoy the variegated foliage of this Caryopteris all summer; the blue blooms are just the icing on the cake.

I'm not the only one who enjoys this plant, obviously.

I knew the bees and butterflies love this plant, but I didn't realize hummingbirds did, too.

 This will probably be the last chance this year to show some annuals for Bloom Day, so a quick photo here of just a few in the arbor bed--Zahara Zinnia 'Starlite' on the left with Salvia 'Victoria Blue' and 'White' behind them and Zinnia 'Zowie Yellow Flame' in front.

I just realized I showed another close-up of 'Zowie' for last month's Bloom Day, but I can't say enough good things about this zinnia.  Easy to grow, still blooming its head off, and such a kaleidoscope of colors in every bloom!  My only regret about showing it again will be if I find out next spring all the seed is sold out, because everyone else ordered it, too:)

Many of summer's blooms are still going strong, but rather than repeat anything I've shown in previous posts, I want to focus on two blooms I haven't shown all year.  First is a new bloom for me--yes, this is an Azalea blooming in September!  At last year's Spring Fling in Asheville, many of us took advantage of the offer from Southern Living  for a free trial plant. Most people received their plants last fall, but I opted to wait until this spring for mine.  I was expecting one plant, but I received four!  Two Pieris Japonicas and two Encore Azaleas.  By the time I got the azaleas planted, we were in the middle of a June heat spell, and I worried whether they would survive.  But I've been diligent about watering them well, and I'm thrilled to see one full of small budding blooms.  I'm excited to have my first-ever azalea blooming next spring, but to have one that blooms again in late summer is a double bonus!  Thank you, Southern Living.

The second plant has been blooming all summer--'Wendy's Wish' Salvia hybrid, shown here in front of the Amsonia hubrichtii that is just starting to take on its fall golden glow.  I've been bad about deadheading 'Wendy,' so it's hard to get a good photo of the whole plant.
 

Instead, here's a close-up of one flowerstalk in gorgeous full bloom.  A few years ago I purchased a 'Wendy's Wish' at a local garden center, and I fell in love with it.  But it is an annual here, and after that year I could never find it again.  This spring dear sweet Cindy of My Corner of Katy contacted me and asked if I'd like one since they were readily available in her area.  I replied quickly with a definite "yes," and she soon sent me not one, but two!  According to garden superstition, you are not supposed to say "thank you" when another gardener gifts you with a plant, so I'll let someone else offer a note of thanks to Cindy . . .

Mr.Hummer says, "Thank you, thank you!"  This Salvia along with the 'Black and Blue' Salvia are the hummingbirds' favorite plants in my garden.  Both have similar blooms, but 'Wendy' grows quite a bit larger than 'Black and Blue,' growing to three feet tall or more and just as wide.  Because the hummingbirds have been so wild about this plant, I'm going to campaign the local nurseries to stock it next year.  Even though it's not hardy in my zone 5b/6 garden, it's definitely worth planting every year!

What's blooming in your garden this September?  To compare notes, check out other Bloom Day posts at May Dreams Gardens where Carol is celebrating fall blooms.