Solidago, boltonia, aster, helianthus, heliopsis, daylilies, sedums, buddleia, summer pointsetta, lipstick plant, and few early mums are in bloom. September bloom in my borders is soft and subtle.
There are those who would not find beauty in them. I guess because of the way “perfect” is promoted. In my yard you see a garden and borders that have almost come full cycle except for the mums. Dried daylily stalks make it look unkept. Certainly not picture perfect.
I’ve removed a lot of plants in preparation for next year. Many will be replaced with things that will add more structure and do better in hot weather. So there’s at least one or two bare spots in each border.
In the garden, buckwheat, oats and field peas, and cereal rye are up in beds that were available. Lettuce is almost visible from the entrance. Peppers are the stars of the September garden. Beautiful, big, lush and dark green! Harvesting everyday with dozens and dozens of peppers maturing.
Tomatoes are still producing in abundance. Where the vines have reached the tops of the stakes – they look bear — showing signs from whatever blight attack them last. New growth continues to cascade down the other side of stakes or cages and looks great. All are heavy with fruit except the Brandywine and Opalkas. I’ll not grow either of those again!
Harvesting tomatoes everyday. Roasting and making sauce to freeze at least twice a week —- plus all we can eat.
Strawberries renewing themselves. I’ve already cut the dead wood from my blueberry bushes and they look good.
I lost many of the new shrubs I had planted in the spring to drought. No more. I’m replacing them with my ornamental Japanese Silver Grass long about next March. It takes 3 years to develop but it’s tough and looks good in every season.
Planted Mizuna and Russian Kale in several spots OUTSIDE of the garden to “hide” them from the Harlequin bug. Still small but growing.
Crickets ate my radish, beets and all but 4 carrots. I’ll plant again.
Thanks to Bill’s help I have 6 spots dug outside the garden for tomatoes next year. Planted buckwheat in them today — which should germinate quickly with this rain we’re having. When it’s about 3 inches high I’ll dig it in and then wait a week. Then I’ll plant cereal rye and field peas in those spots. (I explained the cereal rye and field peas in the post on Early Blight.)
It’s been a good year filled with experimenting. I’ve added some new ideas to my way of gardening that I really like. I’ll dismiss what I didn’t like and go back to a lot of tried, true, and easier ways.
I’m really looking forward to next year and hope to get things in order before a hard freeze. Working in this wonderful weather will be so enjoyable.
I hope that seeing my “imperfect” gardens and borders helps you to appreciate yours even more than you already do.
Hopefully the year has been everything you wanted. I’d love to hear how you did and what your plans are.
Subtle September bloom of my side border. Solidago, boltonia, aster, helianthus, artemesia, sedums and buddleia. The dwarf buddleia on the upper right hand side of the ornamental grass has been covered with butterflies for the past few weeks.
Monarch on the dwarf Buddleia shown above.
Helianthus, aster, sedum and ornamental grass in the side border. My garden entrance is in the upper left hand corner.
Boltonia (white bloom) has almost finished blooming on the other side of the grass.
I’m in the garden. Come in for a visit.
Entering the garden gate looking right. Clockwise left to right you are seeing tomatoes, asparagus fern, more tomatoes that show a little wear and tear but are still producing, cover crops plants in some of the empty rows, blueberry bushes, sedums, and a few annuals.
This tomato reseeds itself every year. It’s one of the best looking tomato plants I had this year. Just a hint of blight — but not much. Boltonia is the bloom in the upper right hand corner.
Entering the gate and looking left. Lots of tomatoes, peppers, basil, buckwheat, beans, asparagus. Lettuce is just starting to show.
September blooming daylilies in the back border.
Wild solidago, late blooming daylilies, sedum, and phlox.
Helianthus – a close up.
Back side border. The fig tree (left hand side) has given me all the figs I wanted. Last week the leaves started drying up. I see that in many things this year.
Swallowtail on Buddleia. The butterflies have been so numerous and so beautiful they’ve looked like Christmas tree ornaments on the Buddleias.
Organic Gardening is easy, efficient, effective — and it’s a lot healthier.
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That Bible says not to envy but you can forget that. I “LOVE” your garden and I want one exactly like it. So my plans starting today; get busy so next year I can have maybe a small part of what you have. Going to show it to hubby too so he will help me.
I learned a few weeks that my sedum is edible and when I tryed a few leaves I found they were pretty good but sadly my second sedum was almost gone due to having been put in a shady spot by an encroaching honeysuckle that I hadn’t noticed and now I’m noticing that the animals like it as well in the new location I moved it too, so I’m going to need to put it in the fenced in part of my garden next year and make sure it doesn’t end up too shaded!
Great photos!
Very cute comment Patricia. I am so pleased that you like what I have. If I can be of help in formulating your plans — just let me know.
Everything I have was little by little. So don’t take on too much at one time. It’s more fun and you can handle it that way.
Thanks so much for letting me know how you feel.
Have a great fall!
Theresa
Glad you like the photos Dennis.
I was interested to learn that sedum is edible. I have lots of it —- so I guess I will never starve. 🙂
Honeysuckle (and morning glories) can make a mess and cover up most anything. Sometimes morning glories get away from me and that happens.
By the way — what variety of sedum do you have?
Theresa
I can understand why you enjoy your garden so much. It is such a pleasant place to be. I love the garden gate photo. Thank you for the tour.
Thank you Sandra. It’s true — I really do enjoy it. I use to love to take naps in my garden! Bill always teased me and said I might wake up with something next to me — like a snake or something. Anyway — that’s how much I like my garden. I’d still take a nap there if I could get up and down better, but once I’m down there I might be all day getting up again. 🙂
I was really pleased you liked the garden gate photo. I almost didn’t put it in — but the summer pointsetta and lipstick plant that is growing in profusion there — really makes it appealing.
Wish you could tour in person, Sandra!
Theresa
I’m pretty sure I have the same Autumn Joy that I think I saw in some or at least one of your photos. It’s easy to check w/ the Internet to see if all varieties are edible. I think they are but always check. I’ll check my books— so if I don’t leave a contrary comment soon— assume that my sources say all sedum leaves are edible. The young ones are likely better than this time of the year but I had some Aug. leaves that were good. There are 1,000s of edible plants that few Americans are taking advantage of according to Green Dean of eattheweeds.com and others. I’m enjoying my violet leaves now (among others) and will get some nasturtium seeds in a few days so I’ll have some larger leaves and flowers next year.
Thank you Dennis for this reply.
You did see Autumn Joy in some of the pictures
And yes, I think we Americans (especially) neglect some great greens because we don’t know about them. What a shame.
I’ve been trying to add a few little known and/or grown greens to my garden each year. I still have a long way to go, but its nice to be
able to eat greens when others (who know even less than I do) think there are no greens to eat.
Appreciate this most informative comment.
Theresa
My curly dock, amaranth, kale, garlic mustard,swiss chard, violets, etc. won’t last much longer so I’m starting to look for “super hardy” greens like chickweed that I’ve read should be around all winter.
What a beautiful garden you have…it looks very peaceful. I love the fact you’ve napped in the garden! Hasn’t happened to me yet, but I’ve come close a few times…:).
Our garden did pretty well this year despite crazy weather, bad attacks by moles and blight, and a few leaps of faith on heirloom seeds obtained the old fashioned way – from friends and relatives with a little extra to spare. Some of the seeds looked to be on the questionable side when it came to age and condition, but we went with them anyway and our ‘bravery’ was rewarded…;), particularly where our corn was concerned. We ate well and saved a lot of seed, so I’m extremely happy with our results this year and already preparing for next year!
Happy Gardening…:D!
Hi Dennis,
We use to eat chickweed back in the days when we didn’t have much to eat. We never enjoyed it.
Hope you do better with it than we did.
Theresa
Grace, thank you for this wonderful garden report! I am so pleased that your garden was so successful!
Eating well from the garden is such a wonderful way of life. It’s rewarding in so many ways. And of course, all the food tastes wonderful! Unlike the store bought “card-board” veggies.
That was a smart move to start saving seed right away. You’ll have some plants tailored just for your garden within a few years.
I was very happy to hear you are already preparing for next year. Now is the time to start. Makes things so much easier when next year gets here — which is always too quickly.
Have a great fall season Grace. I wish you continued success in your garden!
Theresa
P.S. I always enjoyed my garden naps more than any other naps. Seems like where I belonged.
I read that Wintergreen is another edible winter green w/ berries but didn’t find any yesterday. Have you per chance tried it also?
No, I have not tried Wintergreen Dennis.
gorgeous pictures. thanks for sharing
Thanks Carol.
Thank you for your pictures. You have a nice garden. In October we are moving from townhouse to our new house with a nice backyard. Hopefully my garden will do well. I want to do everything right way this time. I will prepare the soil like you wrote in one of your posts.
Alyona, I am so happy for you that you will have a nice backyard when you move in October!
For years we lived in the city (apartments and townhouses) and I had no place to garden. I was so excited when we moved here because I had space to garden. It is a joy to experience.
I am sure your garden will be a success. Just don’t take on more than you can do. That way — it remains fun and exciting.
If I can help you in any way, please write to me and let me know.
Again, I am very excited for you and wish you every happiness and success in your new home AND with you new future garden!
Warmly,
Theresa
Thank you Theresa for your warm wishes. 🙂
Keep me posted on how things are going for you Alyona. I’ll be waiting to hear.
Theresa