It Was Time

The weather diagnosis is calling for rain starting tonight and in to tomorrow. That is good because we continue to be a bit on the dry side. I don't have it as bad at my elevation compared to lower down, but things were beginning to wilt and show stress again in the last few days.

There is still one major item missing in the land of the cozy little cabin and that is a well with water that comes out of it. I find the cooperation of rain very beneficial when planting new things. The closest hose bib is in the roadside vegetable garden and that is a lot of hose to be dragging around to water things with. Rain helps get things off to a good start.

It has been cool all week with highs in the mid sixties and the lows dipping into the forties. Summer is over for sure and time is of the essence to get things in the ground before it is too late.

So today I got started. I would never let a client of mine get away with doing things like this, just planting in the ground without thorough bed definition and soil preparation, but hey they have money. All I have is time and the plants I grew from seeds. It is possible to do things backwards.

In front of two apple trees, I have planted three Beauty Berry, Callicarpa japonica, Lupine, Lupinus perennis and a few Daffodil bulbs. The Beauty Berry seeds came from Hank at A Lake County Point of View, but came originally from Layanee at Ledge and Gardens. Thanks guys! The Callicarpa japonica is more cold hardy than C. americana and should survive in my zone five.



The Lupine seeds came from Client #2's across the street. I need to get back over there it has been a while.

Are 90 King Alfred Daffodil bulbs a few? I think so when compared to Bulbarella's 10,000 next door. It's a start anyway and adds to the bulbs I received last year. They were planted in two drifts, one bag of 45 bulbs to each section.



I have two very different soil types on opposite sides of my section of the sunny utility valley. The cabin side is a lean, super well drained saprolite. No septic drain field allowed. The road side soil is a better aged loam with plenty of organic matter and a touch of clay. Praise be, otherwise no pooping for you, no building permit. The cabin side is full sun and the road side is partial to full shade. I will have many micro climates to work with as a garden begins to grow.



The beginning of a nice wide path that will connect the basement patio to the new road that will lead to the heart of the garden got etched into the slope today. You can see I have already started to use this road to haul mulch and plants with my truck.

Below the path I planted Oenothera berlandieri 'Siskiyou', a pink trailing Primrose and a couple of the Clematis stans grown from seed that Chuck at My Back 40 Feet sent me. Six more of the Clematis were planted on the slope below the lower dry stack stone wall.



Watching over all my gardening activity today was an invader from Tennessee. Is it a spy, someone to check up on my gardening skills and endeavours? I did not notice her there until today.



An unexpected traveler from the generous offerings of Frances at Fairegarden has decided to take up residence on my sunny hillside. I even believe during the Beauty Pageant of the Pansies at the first Faire Garden blog, this contestant was my favorite. If not, it is now.