Tuesday

FAll 2013 garden

I am very pleased that Tiffiny has brought me back to life.

 
I notice that although I have been sanded I still retain some interesting residue of rust, which I personally find attractive.
I have also been coated with some clear finish which pleases me.
Now, to the garden, which it is my job to report on.
Being in the fall, most of the garden has either died back or gone into hibernation.
Some things are not quite yet asleep and I shall present their current status. 
 
Here is the last of the chrysanthemums

 I notice that black cat is still here.
I think that Tiffiny calls him Rexy.
He had better not pee on the flowers,
or I shall have to report him.

I remember 'Flo' the Flamingo garden art.
She was never brought to life.
Tiffiny seems to enjoy looking at her.

I see that Tiffiny put in a new garden bed.
Perhaps some flowers will eventually lie
in it next summer.

The purple Agua is spreading nicely
The delicate hellebores or woodland Christmas rose
is accustomed to the cooler fall and winter seasons.
I was told that Tiffiny received quite a few of these plants free
from a place called Ace Hardware in Fortuna.
They had bugs or something which she took care of
right away. She also gave some to friends.
Here are some closer views.


I do have an update for the hellebores.
Pictures haven't been taken yet, but
the garden will be adding 2 beautiful
burgundy colored ones shortly.
 
Feverfew was added to the garden
while I was gone and has done
very well with the frosty nights.
Yellow perennial alyssum  
White Jupiter's Beard 
Azalea   
Campanula  
Lambs Ears
 
A few flowers are still hanging on.



Of course Primroses and Cyclamen
like the chilly weather.
A miniature peach rose has one last bloom.
 
Wait! What is that cat doing now!



He's noticing that the Firecracker climbing
rose has been moved from near the apple tree
to a sunnier spot and is supported by an
up-side-down green powder coated 'tomato'
cage.
Even in late Fall and Winter there are
interesting things going on in the garden.
I will be reporting more later.
Oh, the service area is looking rather nice.
And Tiffiny does like credit for that.
 
I recall that reporting on it when it needed attention
badly was somewhat responsible for my going to sleep.
 
 
 

Friday

MIDSUMMER TO FALL GARDEN

The garden in the spring is lively and interesting.



This is our Golden Chain Tree. Isn't it lovely. It is about a
3 year old tree. Two summers ago a novice (helper) trimmed
the tree badly. Tiffiny tells me that she will try to re prune it
correctly after it goes dormant.
Two white Bleeding Heart plants have been added to the
South garden. They have much fatter and more defined
hearts than the wild species which grows in this area.
Tiffiny says that she remembers them with fondness
from the forests where she grew up in Indiana. Next
summer she says that she would like to add pink ones.
Here I am looking over the Peach colored, Bronze leafed
Azalea. It wasn't doing well when it was planted about 18"
behind where it is now, so Tiffiny moved it forward,
hoping she said to provide it with more sun and to make
sure that it had adequate drainage. I must watch it closely
and report on any signs that it isn't happy in it's new
location.


Tiffiny started these seeds with her indoor seed start and
plant growing system. Very clever of her I must say.
However something changed and when some were
planted as seedlings behind the Peach Rose bush and
white Allysum, they didn't look like the package. I think
that she got her seedlings mixed up, or maybe the flat
with the Chinese Fox Gloves didn't sprout. Tiffiny is
rather proud about making mistakes.


Lovely Large Ceramic Pots were place around the garden.
This one above was located next to the dinner plate Dalia
and planted with a Jacobs Ladder perennial and some
other plants that will eventually hang over the edge and
trail down. It should be very pretty by spring.

This is the bearded Iris bed before Tiffiny did some work
on it dividing the Iris and adding other plantings.
This is the Iris bed after some changes were made.
Another ceramic pot was located here and later planted
with Petunias. The bed was also edged with river rock and
had supplemental plantings including mini Calla Lilies.


After dividing the Bearded Iris, there were many
prunings to share with neighbors in Loleta. I had
many visitors coming to pick up their Iris.

Here's Silky Cat's memorial rose 'Sexy Rexy" which as
you remember from my Spring Garden Report sports
two different blooms. It's so happy to be sharing the
soil with Silky.

This bed is under and behind the Yellow Chain Tree.
As you can see, it has tall Snapdragons and Day Lilies.
It also has some Oriental Lilies and large Red Poppies.




THIS NEXT PART IS ONE I KNOW THAT TIFFINY
WILL NOT APPROVE. SHE STILL DOESN'T LIKE FOR
ME TO REPORT ON EVERYTHING THAT NEEDS
IMPROVEMENT, BUT I DO KEEP REMINDING HER
THAT A GARDEN IS EVER CHANGING AND AND IS
AN ON GOING PROCESS, SO THAT EVEN PLANTS
THAT AREN'T AT THEIR BEST CAN BE SO BY THE
NEXT SEASON OR EVEN IN A FEW MONTHS OR
WEEKS. MY JOB IS TO REPORT NOT EVALUATE.
I THINK THAT HER THREATENING TO JUST LET
ME RUST NEXT SPRING IS UNFAIR!

These are the baby Carnations planted in the pond
pockets. They need to be pruned back and cleaned up.
Which I am sure Tiffiny will do when she cleans the pond
this fall.
The next two pictures are of the Betty Boop roses.
They are rather 'leggy' and have been somewhat pruned,
but late in the summer. (it's not MY fault that they were
not pruned LAST FALL). I only report.
The blossoms are pretty aren't they?!


After viewing my report, Tiffiny reminded me about other garden
improvements she has done this season, so I'll take more pictures
later and update my report.
ps: Tiffiny also says that I've done an excellent reporting job and
that she would NEVER let me rust.