The Violet Fern

Transplanting the Violet Fern

2012-12-22T13:43:00.000-05:00

Moving forward through the Winter Solstice to longer days. Looking forward to a winter's rest(?), the spring garden. Planning forward for new garden beds, expansion. I continue to make and scape the Violet Fern Garden and continue to journal the making of my garden.

After observing the site, evaluating its design, I've decided I need to rethink the layout going forward. I am digging up my blog with trepidation but determination. Ripping it out by its roots from the place it sprouted. Moving ground, giving it more light. I think it will have more room to grow in a new spot. Hopefully it will transplant well. It may take a little time to adjust, but isn't a garden always in transition? Yes, my garden is about growing. It gets bigger every year – the garden, the passing of knowledge, my ideas, future plans.

Please join me in this transition. My apologies for any inconvenience. Please continue to join me in the making of my garden. The Violet Fern blog has been transplanted to thevioletfern.com.

What's Growing: Brussel Sprouts

2012-12-10T18:17:00.002-05:00

Just this morning I trekked out to the Potager and snipped a few collard leaves for lunch. I sauteed them in oil with garlic, chopped walnuts and a spiced pepper blend. Then gently folded them into some quinoa with goat cheese crumbles.

Kale and brussel sprouts in the Potager under our first snow

I've also been enjoying brussel sprouts. I have one more delicious harvest left to savor. I harvest them from the ground up, clipping off the lower leaves as they grow, rather than pulling the whole stalk.

One of several brussel sprout harvests

I am still harvesting kale although my supply is dwindling. I found a wonderful recipe for it - Northern Spy's Kale Salad. I made it for Thanksgiving dinner and several times after. I rarely follow a recipe exactly and finished off a blend of carrots, parsnips and delicata squash with a touch of maple syrup. I am still harvesting carrots from the garden and enjoy them prepared in what I call "bistro style" which is simply pan-roasted on the stovetop.

"Bistro style" carrots, potatoes & onions

An honest confession: I am afraid to pull my parsnips. Every year I grow parsnips and they just do not seem big enough to pull by Fall so I leave them to over-winter but I never seem to find them again in the Spring. This year their leaves look large enough that there just may be a perfectly beautiful parsnip under there. I pulled one. It was pretty decent. I especially like them mashed, like potatoes, with garlic. My craving will overcome my fear and I will pull every last one next thaw. Any tips you might offer from your parsnip growing experiences would be greatly appreciated.

The cold frame is growing slowly. I have secondary leaves on most of the plants. I should have planted earlier (which I suspected when I finally did get around to planting), as I would now be able to enjoy some of the salad mixes. I could probably cut a little but I am trying to wait just a bit longer until the kales and collards that are growing openly in my garden are depleted. Maybe the Gourmet European Salad Mix (a blend of arugula, endive, radicchio) will have grown a few more inches by then. Hopefully, I will be eating from my cold frame experiment next month.

Our snow has melted. This photo shows the Potager now seamlessly connecting to the Woodland Edge (in foreground) and to a new bed that will continue along our new fence on the northwest side of the garden after a bit of reworking this summer.

By creating a little more space, I can plant an asparagus bed in the Spring – another new experiment – I hope you'll join me. For now, I will be planting sprouts - indoors.

November Observations: Bye Bye Blackbird

2012-11-30T10:14:00.002-05:00

Wonderful, warm November - doesn't that sound odd? But it has been, was. This morning it is 12° F. The first few snowflakes swirled in our sky on November 24. By November 28 the ground is white. I found it unusual to see a Red-winged Blackbird at my feeder. They usually leave for warmer climates by now. Each year I try to record when I think they have finally migrated:

2009: Last Red-winged Blackbird sighting recorded on November 2
2010: Last Red-winged Blackbird sighting recorded on November 11
2011: Not recorded, but last Grackle sighting recorded on November 7 - the Redwings are usually not far behind
2012: Last Red-winged Blackbird sighting recorded on November 28

The first to leave are males in their prime followed by their ladies. The last to leave are usually the young males not quite matured into their full black feathers. Young males are what I have been seeing at the feeders this month.

November is typically described as drab, grey but this Fall it has been anything but.

The red leaves of Pin Oak

Maple Seedlings

Switch Grass

Purple Prince Crabapples

Winterberry 'Winter Gold'

The red Winterberries were eaten before I had a chance to photograph them! This year I've fenced in my young shrubs foregoing the chicken wire wrap. I read somewhere, and apologize for not remembering the source, that rabbits don't like to feel fenced in and a simple gate around your shrubs will deter them from dining. We'll find out if it works.

Fenced in to deter rabbits

First snow

Again, Garden Bloggers Bloom Day has snuck past me. Aside from berries and a few fading blooms of Coral Honeysuckle and Scabiosa, not much blooms for me in November with the exception of this surprise Daisy.

Surprise Daisy bloom

And so "dull, grey" November fades into gleeful, glitzy December. I am thankful to take in its natural beauty before it goes.

Bye bye blackbird. I look forward to your return in Spring.

My Thankful Garden

2012-11-21T09:42:00.000-05:00

Before we moved here I resold or gave away many holiday decorations. I kept only what was special to me. A way of living with less is something I strive for. Each year, instead of purchasing more decor, I try to turn to what I have and what won't be wasteful. I turn to my garden for many things; solitude, peace, retreat, nature, food, joy and celebration. The garden is always celebrating in season. Spring blooms, Summer blooms, its Fall display, all naturally, simply, breathtakingly beautiful.

Yellow Twig Dogwood leaf in the garden

With a few cuttings brought into the house I feel in spirit with this holiday celebration and in spirit with my garden and the earth.

A butternut squash (which will be eaten) wrapped in grapevine adorns the table. The pumpkin vase is filled with the cuttings of Karl Forester grass blooms (which will be returned to the garden).

A few colorful leaf cuttings from the Forsythia (strategic pruning) look pretty in this Roseville vase. My husband used to collect Roseville pottery. Its range of colors and style can match everyday or a holiday.

Another Roseville vase filled with Birch branches (collected from the dump).

More grapevine (there is plenty to prune) wraps a hurricane candle.

I am so thankful for my garden. Its physical demands drain me of all living frustration. My garden thanks me. Its beauty forces me to be still and wonder. I bring its beauty indoors to celebrate. We also feast most evenings from the Potager which graces our table with the freshest and tastiest food. My garden celebrates and shares with me little moments each day and for that I am very thankful.

How does your garden thank you? What does it give to you? What elements of your garden do you bring indoors to decorate and celebrate?

Going Nativar: Gro Low Fragrant Sumac

2012-11-09T09:29:00.000-05:00

I just learned of the term nativar, a phrase sometimes used to describe a cultivar selected from a native plant. Rhus aromatica 'Gro Low' is just that. It has been specially selected to clone a desired trait – in this case growing "low," or only upwards to 2 feet, from our true native Fragrant Sumac which typically reaches heights of up to 6-12 feet.

How do you know if a plant is a nativar or cultivar? Scientific botanical names should be written in italics with the genus name capitalized and the species name in lower case. The name of the cultivar should not be italicized but enclosed by single quotes following the species name. i.e Rhus (genus) aromatica (species) 'Gro Low' (cultivar). Another example is Betula nigra 'Heritage,' a familiar cultivar of the native river birch commonly available in nurseries. I also recently planted this "nativar" in my garden.

I admit, I have been careless in displaying cultivar names in some of my posts but now that I have a clear understanding of this naming system, I will make it a point to correctly display all cultivars and nativars. A good nursery will also make it a point to display plant names properly.

Are nativars the same as planting a native plant? I have heard yes and no. My experience is somewhat limited as my garden is still quite young. Nativars may be developed to produce less berries (less mess) which would defeat the purpose of planting a berry plant for me – the main reason I like to plant native is for wildlife value and berries are valuable! So, in that situation the answer would be no. But I will agree that sometimes a nativar is a better option for those of us with limited space as in the case of the Gro Low Fragrant Sumac. Its size in particular makes it a better choice to grow alongside my "Nice Driveway" as well as its preference for a well drained soil in full sun.

And as for berries? Gro Low Sumac will produce fuzzy red berries attractive to birds. Interestingly, I've read some nativars of Gro Low are monoecious, having both male and female flowers on the same plant while most are more commonly dioecious, requiring a male plant to pollinate a female plant. The male flowers are small catkins and the female flowers appear in clusters which then form berries. All I observe on mine are catkins (male), so I think mine may be an all male plant and I am now on the lookout for a Gro Low plant that displays female flowers.

Male Catkins

In Spring both male and female yellow flowers form a delicate eye-catching haze. Gro Low is also an accepted larval host of the Red-Banded Hairstreak Butterfly. It also makes a great alternative to the invasive Burning Bush - its Fall color is fantastic! You won't have to prune it into a "cupcake," either. Mine is still putting on a great show while all the Burning Bushes in the neighborhood are now bare. Consider using this shrub as a ground cover as well. It would be a great choice for an awkward slope. Mine softens the edge of our over-sized driveway nicely.

Most of the plants selected for my garden have some type of wildlife value. Natives tend to offer the best wildlife value which is why I feature native plants in my "Going Native" posts for other gardeners to consider. Sumacs are highly valuable to wildlife but can be large or suckering so if you have a small garden, a nativar such as Gro Low Sumac offers a happy medium. I have another bird-planted (?) Sumac variety growing in my garden that I believe is truly native. It may not be the best choice for the space but hey, if it fell free from the sky, why not try. Once I'm confident that I've identified it correctly, I'll share it with you.

Project: Cold Frame

2012-10-30T17:52:00.000-04:00

Late last Fall my husband, ever thoughtfully thinking of me, chanced upon some discarded windows on the side of the road. He picked them up knowing that I have been kicking the idea around of constructing some sort of cold frame – and that's exactly what we used them for.

Although we started this project early in the Spring, we didn't finish until well into the growing season but it made me reconsider hinging the windows onto the frame so that I could still use the frame as a planting bed during the height of summer.

We built a simple frame out of 2x6 pine. The base is 6" high and the top is 12" high. The sides are a 2x6 cut on a diagonal. To build the frame we referred to a wonderful article in Fine Gardening on how to construct a cold frame (see video link here). We did not spend much. This cold frame is an experiment for me, much like all gardening in my view. I think you can read and learn from other sources, maybe even mimic them exactly, but it will be your experience and experimentation that will ultimately teach you the "zen of gardening."

Making sure the windows fit the base.

During the summer I grew peppers in this windowless frame. Now that fall has arrived and the peppers are done, the windows top the frame. Even during cloudy days they steam. I hope to learn when to vent this cold frame instinctually, but automatic solar venting devices might prove to be a better option. I figure if I "take" to cold climate gardening I may invest a little more into my next cold frame which will be higher allowing for taller plants.

I planted a variety of greens including spinach, swiss chard, broccoli rabe, curly and lacinato kale on October 18th. I thought I might have been too late in my planting but all six rows have already sprouted!

I planted greens that I felt could grow in much colder weather but it will be interesting to see the actual results of this experiment – of course, I'll keep you "posted." Over the Winter I will also be studying Eliot Coleman's The Winter Harvest Handbook in depth. If you are not familiar with Eliot Coleman, he is an expert in year-round cold climate gardening. He resides in Maine!

So, while the leaves are turning and continuing to fall, I'm looking forward to some green!

Wild Grapes

Come Spring I hope to start seeds in this cold frame but that's another experiment for another day.

October Observations: Transition to Frostism

2012-10-22T18:13:00.001-04:00

This month I have been busy bringing in the potted plants, transplanting, cleaning up the Potager, bringing in anything that will not withstand freezing temperatures ... it's ongoing.

It took me a week to bring in all my potted plants. Years past I have overwintered most of my potted plants in the cellar but I am striving to achieve plant combinations that will make decent houseplants through the winter and then simply be moved outdoors to voila, become decorative summer containers. I have achieved this with a couple of my potted plants so far and have had great success with begonias. Succulents are also proving promising. I love the mossy patina on this pot that I have had for years. I hope the moss adjusts to the indoors. I could mist it now and then.

This begonia is finding new life in a terrarium on my plant shelf. (For the history of the plant shelf from a previous post, click here.) I am attempting to root ferns and a few other things this way.

My plant shelf has received a few upgrades like these beautiful bell jars.

While planting some peony tubers I acquired from our local garden club (doubting they will make it but then the garden always surprises), I stumbled upon these Milkweed Bugs. They are most likely laying eggs in these pods for their nymphs to eat. I have faith there will be plenty for all of us; bug, plant, and gardener. These are large Milkweed Bugs, Oncopeltus fasciatus. Not to be confused with a record number of Box Elder Bugs this year in our area which lack the triangular orange patches on the forewing.

We were frosted October 13th, the same exact day we received our first frost last year according to my calendar.

After frost is when I usually plant my garlic. These are my biggest and best cloves from this year's harvest. Into the ground they went on October 14th.

I completely worked through Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day which is something I rarely miss. I am currently enjoying the blooms of Calendula, Obedient Plant, Chocolate Joe Pye, Cimicifuga, and Honeysuckle. Here in the Northeast the Fall foliage outdoes the blooms at this time of year. We've had another surprisingly beautiful Autumn.

The year-round outdoor containers get a little makeover before being remodeled with Winter evergreens.

Exciting new bird sightings in the garden during this October's migration. Though not a new sighting, it was a thrill to witness a small flock of Golden Crowned Kinglets fly back and forth through my garden, among the Bird & Butterfly Garden, and between two opposite neighboring Maples just before dusk. Just last Sunday I made my pilgrimage to the Potager for some greens and interrupted a first time sighting of a Tufted Titmouse at the feeder. I save the best new sighting for last — Evening Grosbeaks! I have not seen these beautiful birds since I lived in Maine. I felt very honored that they would drop in to my small village garden to dine on black oil sunflowers seeds. They are still visiting and I will try to enjoy each moment that they are here.

So begins my transition to "frostism" where the garden tones down its palette to a variation of tan, beige, gold, orange, copper, cinnamon, and brown all frosted with white.

Eight, Nine, Ten Picks for Diana!

2012-10-09T11:55:00.002-04:00

I am really trying to join Diana of Elephant's Eye in choosing twelve months of my favorite garden plants. Since when does a month go by so fast? Not just one, but three and here it is Fall already. I expect our first frost any night. I think my garden shines in Fall and it is one of my favorite times to be in it. It could be that I have some excellent Fall plants that glow in the cooler days, dewy mornings and chilly nights. So, it would be some of these plants that I would choose for the following months.

August — Joe Pye Weeds. Nothing attracts butterflies and other pollinators like the Joe Pye. They are bold, tall, stately and beautiful in the garden. My Eupatorium Gateway looms over an impressive 6'. Its nodding billow of pink blooms are 8-10" across, maybe even larger! In August, it is its showiest but its spent blooms, turning a rustic brown, last well into fall. Eupatorium Rugosum or Chocolate Joe Pye blooms later in September, even into October. Its white heads of flowers light up against its dark, chocolatey foliage.

Joe Pye Gateway

Eupatorium Rugosum Chocolate

September — Rudbeckias. My favorites: Rudbeckia Laciniata or Green Cutleaf Coneflower, Rudbeckia Maxima or Giant Coneflower, and of course the staple of all Northeastern Fall gardens, Rudbeckia Hirta or Black-eyed Susans. I may also have Rudbeckia Triloba or Brown-eyed Susan, that popped up from some wildflower seed. I have to take a closer look to distinguish between the two. Either way, a drift of Susans is always the grand finale of Summer. Cutleaf Coneflowers are also big and bold in the garden. Their masses of smaller yellow sunflower-like blooms dance above their almost tropical-looking leaves. Birds and bees love them. I have several plants of Rudbeckia Maxima along the Nice Driveway which is drier. They are still establishing themselves, and have even reseeded in a few spots. I love their tall candle-like cones even after the yellow petals of their blooms have dropped off and their banana-like leaves in blue shades. I catch Chickadees and Gold Finches enjoying their seed.

A drift of Black-eyed Susans with Joe-Pye in the Bird & Butterfly Garden

Rudbeckia Laciniata

Rudbeckia Maxima

October — Asters. I admit, my garden needs more Asters! I wish the garden centers around here would sell/push Asters in the Fall instead of just Mums. I don't buy Mums anymore because most of them aren't truly hardy here and I hate to just throw them away come December. I have a few Asters at home in my garden: Woods Pink Aster Dumosus, Jim Crockett, and October Skies. October Skies is newly planted and is still establishing. Jim Crockett seems to bloom earlier than most. Woods Pink is now covered in blooms.

Woods Pink, Aster Dumosus

An Aster we came upon in a recent hike.
Possibly Aster drummondii (Drummond's Aster) or Aster saggitifolius (Arrow-leaved Aster).

Here is a list of my former picks for Diana. Only two more months to go ... I am sure they will go quickly.

January: Sunflowers

February: Wild Roses

March: Lady's Mantle

April: Poppies

May: Iris

June: Alliums

July: Bee Balm

What's Growing: Tomato Sauce & Freezer Pesto

2012-09-28T09:41:00.000-04:00

I love my Potager. I would love it even if it did not produce a large amount of vegetables although it usually does. It is not just a crop to be harvested, it is a sacred place for me. All the plants have been carefully plotted and planned to work together and yet it still manages to sneak in a surprise or two. They grow upward, onward and intertwine. There is always a "moment" to catch - a humming bird attracted by the red blooms of the Scarlet Runner Beans, a bumble bee tipping the delicate disks of Blue Scabiosa, a Robin perched on top of the rustic arbor, a flushed rabbit ...

This year I planted Morning Glory among the runner beans, Cardinal flower beneath the peas, and Cathedral Bells along with the cherry tomatoes. Now, the Morning Glory masks the fading bean leaves and the Cardinal Flower blooms where there are no peas. The Cathedral Bells have yet to bloom but I see they have reached the top of the trellis and their leaves have a touch of purple to them and look fresh – not like the leaves of the cherry tomatoes that are growing tired.

I love this climbing Nasturtium Moonlight. It mixes wonderfully with the "surprise" ornamental gourds that began growing up the rustic arbor.

I have made three batches so far of tomato sauce which I freeze in jars. I cook them down skins and all and smooth using an immersion blender. I only add balsamic vinegar, basil, garlic, salt and pepper. This year I came across so many wonderful heirloom tomatoes between Cross Island Farms on Wellesley Island, the community garden and a very talented friend on Round Island. I am attempting to save some of their seeds. They are fermenting now on the back porch. So far, they do not smell too strongly. (Click here to read about how to save heirloom tomato seeds from a previous post.)

I don't believe my one German Striped Tomato plant has flowered yet. It may be too late. It is probably also too late for this eggplant. We will see but try, try again (next year).

With the dry, hot summer many of my plants bolted including the Cilantro. I chopped it down mid-summer and scattered the seed. I have a new fresh crop that I am really enjoying. This year I am going to harvest it and freeze it in oil for cooking all winter. And this year I finally harvested the Basil at its peak before too cold nights. I have a nice batch of freezer pesto.

Plenty of kale and collards for soups this season!

Carrots, golden beets and possibly a parsnip or two next.

What's Blooming: Maestro & Perilla

2012-09-15T14:48:00.000-04:00

After this hot, dry summer many of my perennials, especially Bee Balm and Purple Cones, have already donned their seed heads for Winter. Their rusty brown and black forms contrast nicely with the fall palette of blooms. In the Bird & Butterfly Garden, perennial sunflowers, always reliable, bloom through Miscanthus Morning Light and peek from beneath Switch Grass Dallas Blues, Black-eyed Susans pop against Purple Perilla. An annual that reseeds itself, Purple Perilla pops up everywhere in my garden. It is also especially nice combined with the silver leaves of Lambs Ears.

In the Woodland Edge, Persicaria Firetail's blooms are now in flame, burning through the puffs of Prairie Dropseed and Nodding Onion.

A purple haze of not-so-Obedient Plants drifts throughout my garden.

Out front, Russian Sage and Walker's Low set off the dark foliage of Elderberry Black Lace. Sedum Maestro sings from a bed of Lambs Ears. Sweet Autumn Clematis perfumes the front porch.

Garden Bloggers Bloom Day is hosted by Carol at May Dreams Gardens the 15th of each month.

New Visitors

2012-09-04T08:56:00.000-04:00

Look who I discovered while watering (again) yesterday ...

I believe this is a European Mantis (Mantis religiosa). There is a tell-tale black ringed white spot on the right foreleg which isn't clearly visible in my photos. This Mantis is native to the Mediterranean region and has been introduced to our continent according to my handy Kaufman Field Guide to Insects of North America.

I was thrilled to find this insect in my garden! The plant it is climbing on is honeysuckle. I have not seen one of these since I was a little girl.

It's been an exciting week here in the Violet Fern garden. Another new visitor, a Common Yellowthroat, has been hanging out in the Jewelweed, Common Bidens (frondosa) and wild Asters all week – just right outside the new screened in porch. He's even posed on the leaf trellis a few times but those warblers are just too quick for my photographic skill level.

Nature Center Magazine

2012-08-30T16:08:00.000-04:00

Visit Nature Center Magazine for an insightful Nature Walk with The Violet Fern! Please don't just visit on this occasion but become a regular reader of this wonderful online magazine brought to you by Emma Springfield.

What's Growing: Kale & Collards

2012-08-25T13:34:00.000-04:00

I am enjoying the cooling nights and misty mornings of this August after a hot and dry spell of Summer. I continue to water the Potager. The crack in the earth near the compost continues to grow. Many of my perennials have begun to go dormant. The kale and horseradish are indifferent. The Perilla weeps and sleeps during the day but awakens each evening.

In just a few days, the pole and scarlet runner beans live up to the tale of Jack and the Beanstalk ... they now completely cover their trellis and are searching for more. The bush and soybeans were enjoyed by the rabbits.

The bees are becoming lazy. I catch them napping in the squash, under the leaves of the Coneflowers, on the moppy heads of Joe-pye. The surprise squash I let grow among the patty pan or scalloped squash are ornamental gourds! Much to my delight they have taken to growing up the rustic arbor.

We have harvested garlic, scallions, peppers. Hopefully the potato bin is full. It needs to be harvested soon.

Tomato sandwiches and homemade sauce are on the menu. Apparently some of the lower Romas are also on the menu for the chipmunks! I love to lightly pan stir the cherries with garlic and olive oil then drizzle them over pasta or baguette.

The garlic chives are beginning to bloom. The collards and brussel sprouts are lost in a sea of Borage. Everywhere creeps Calendula. Anyone want seeds? The artichokes choked - not even a flower. Next year I will try again in the soil (not raised bed) with plenty of water. Any other advice?

What's Blooming: Gold, Fire & Lime

2012-08-15T17:53:00.000-04:00

Is it me or does Fall seem to be creeping and sneaking into the garden? A misty green morning but already I see the golds of Black-eyed Susans, reds of Joe-pye and browns of emerging Sea Holly seed heads that will hopefully withstand Winter winds.

On and on the Hydrangeas bloom spilling onto the driveway from the heavy draping wall of grapes.

A few firsts (blooms) this month. A new Hydrangea – Quick Fire. I miss my Oakleaf and planned to replace it but wondered did it really die from moving or from the stretch of -30° below cold? It would be heartbreaking to kill another. Although not native, Quick Fire is hardy to zone 3! A struggling Ligularia, dentata 'Desdemona' Golden Ray, assures me it will adapt to its spot with first-ever blooms even as it wilts in too much sun and dry conditions. As the surrounding trees and shrubs fill in it will find itself relief in deeper shade. Finally, finally the Cimicifuga Black Snakeroot is sending up blooms. I've been waiting for three years! Gentian Violet is sporting big violet-purple buds. The Trumpet Vine creeping up the rustic arbor blares out its first-ever blooms.

Orange Jewelweed has made itself at home just beyond the screened porch where I can watch the hummingbirds sip from its flowers. Great Blue Lobelia siphilitica stretches through the Raspberry leaves. Persicaria Firetail contrasts with pink Yarrow through a veil of Prairie Dropseed and Big Bluestem Andropogon gerardii.

I'll be saving some seed from these beautiful Queen Red Lime Zinnias for hopefully, repeat blooms next year.

Garden Bloggers Bloom Day is hosted by Carol at May Dreams Gardens the 15th of each month.

Soundscapes

2012-08-13T11:00:00.000-04:00

A recent Wild Ones newsletter update included a link to an interesting NY Times article entitled The Sound of a Damaged Habitat. The author of the article has recorded the sounds of several habitats before and after logging and/or clearing. This article inspired me to record my own garden in a positive light – not as it declines but as it continues to grow and mature. This blog is a journal of my garden in the making and Eureka! should include sound as well as video and photos. I now wish I had sound recordings from the very beginning!

A soundscape is defined as the sounds heard in a particular location, considered as a whole. My soundscape recordings may include a car passing by, a dog barking, a neighbor's (@!#*) leaf blower as well as the sounds of wildlife in my garden. Surrounding sounds do and will affect wildlife living in my garden. Too noisy to be heard and it may not be worth moving into. On the other hand I read that hummingbirds prefer to nest in a noisy location possibly to mask the sound of nestlings. Sound is another dimension in our gardens. We usually think of wind chimes or a bubbling fountain as a means of masking street sounds. The whisper of grasses or rustling of leaves may transport us to a special place. Consider how important the sounds of wildlife in your garden really are – the dawn chorus of the birds, the buzzing of the bees, crickets chirping. Imagine if these sounds were silenced!

Listen to my backyard garden on an August evening 2012, 9:30 p.m.

<>
I bet it didn't sound like that in August of 2008.

Listening, I thought that maybe, just maybe, a toad or frog of some type moved in. I silently stalked barefoot through the grass path with flashlight in hand and tracked down the call of ... a tree cricket. This tiny cricket makes the predominant noise you here in the recording above. He was in the branches of the Flowering Raspberry.

Photo taken from web. This is how he looked in song.

I think I will mark several dates each year to record the sound in my garden – the crickets in August, the birds early morning in Spring and Fall, bee traffic ... it will be interesting to compare the recordings over several years.

I will also make it worthwhile to now and again sit in my garden with eyes closed and focus on the sounds of the garden instead of only the sights. I've learned in my quest to become a better bird watcher that you are likely to hear a bird before you see it. Perhaps I may just pick up a curious sound and discover something new in my garden that I may have overlooked.

Going Native: Flowering Raspberry

2012-08-01T13:26:00.000-04:00

I planted Flowering Raspberry, Rubus odoratus in my Woodland Edge border last Spring. It grew well. The rabbits dined upon it all Winter. This year it grew well again in spite of the nibbling. Actually it grew in even better and is exactly as I pictured - yes, just as I imagined. It is filling in the space as I drew it in my little sketch/plan of the Woodland Edge. Yes, I'm amazed by that. Plants do not usually grow according to plan. Perhaps this one will continue to fill in, and fill in, and fill in ... then it will have grown outside the plan. But I want to add more of it to the other side of my garden because I am just that happy with it. I don't foresee my love for this plant fading.

It propagates by runners and seeds although I think the seeds will be devoured before I have a chance to save them. Dining rabbits, enticing blooms that resemble those of a wild rose and disappearing berries and seeds are all clear indications that this plant is not only loved by me, but by the wildlife in my garden, too. Many types of bees are attracted to the Flowering Raspberry. Robins and other fruit loving birds eat the berries. Small mammals will eat the seeds.

Not only does it flower (long lasting!) and produce berries, but Flowering Raspberry has beautiful large Maple-like leaves that I find myself admiring every time I walk by. They form intricate layers and shades of green and will turn a nice yellow color come Fall.

These shrubs grow to approximately 6 ft and are hardy to zone 3. Mine grow in a pretty good amount of sun but I've heard they will grow well in shade, too. I purchased my shrubs from Amanda's Garden Native Perennial Nursery, but you may be lucky enough to gather some seeds in the wild. If you're patient, I may be giving away some of these plants in a few years!

Five, Six, Seven Picks for Diana!

2012-07-25T10:50:00.000-04:00

I am joining Diana of Elephant's Eye in choosing twelve months of my favorite garden plants. Since "Mayhem" I have been submersed in the garden. I find it difficult to sit in my office at the computer, but I need to catch up. Here are my plant picks for May, June and July.

May — Iris. There is nothing like Iris in the garden. Their blade-like foliage adds complimentary texture to any planting bed. Swords of buds, their tips dipped in color, slice through foliage and flora and then one day unfurl in a splash of paint. Blossoming swirls of purple, yellow, cream, inky veins, and bristling anthers brushed with pollen, beckon bees and artists. I have yet to paint an Iris watercolor. My favorite is Sibirica.

June — Alliums. Alliums add surprise and whimsy to my garden. Slowly their sparkling spheres rise and seemingly float above the garden floor, their nodding heads bouncing in the slightest breeze. From the common chive to the bigger beat of the drumstick to the native nodding onion, all of them turn into rotating, buzzing globes attracting all sorts of bees, wasps, flies and other pollinators. I recently added 'Summer Beauty' among my nodding onions for its stronger pink hues.

July — Bee Balm, Monarda. I have several large drifts of Bee Balm. One is pink in color, the others red, given to me by my mother. I would like to add a large patch of Wild Bergamot or Monarda fistulosa. Bee Balm is in fact popular among the bees, and even a small patch of these fireworks guarantees to attract a Hummingbird. How could I not include this among my favorite garden plants when just this week I spied the first Hummingbird Hawk Moth to visit my garden whirring among its blooms? It's the balm!

To read about my previous choices for a dozen for Diana, click below.
January: Sunflowers
February: Wild Roses
March: Lady's Mantle
April: Poppies

What's Blooming: Bee Balminess

2012-07-15T12:39:00.002-04:00

Well, here it is Summer in full swing. Welcome to the jungle – busy buzzing, mad blossoming, balmy nights. Some plants are withering with lack of rain but overall the garden seems content.

A few surprises ... a floating water plant in a galvanized tub blooms, a Clematis bloom peeks through the wall of hydrangeas and grapevine.

The wall of Hydrangeas and Grapevine

In the Bird & Butterfly Garden Bee Balm, Shasta Daisies, Purple Coneflowers, Joe Pye Weed, and Summer Nights Oxeye Daisies dance together among grasses Morning Light and Dallas Blues.

In the Woodland Edge Cutleaf Coneflower and Cup Plant reach new heights.

Ligularia "The Rocket" (yellow spikes)

The orange blooms of Lilies and Jewelweed

Native Nodding Onion

The towering heights of Cutleaf Coneflower and Cup Plant

The foamy blooms of Meadow Rue and spires of Culver's Root

The pollinator border in the Potager overflows onto this path.

Scabiosa Butterfly Blue

Pepperbox Poppy

Cheers to you Nice Driveway! Hummingbirds float in a heavenly state of Bee Balminess.

Giant Coneflower Rudbeckia Maxima

Out front Allium sphaerocephalon poms replace the blooms of common chives, baskets of Begonias and herbs thrive.

Allium Sphaerocephalon

Volunteer Milkweeds

Russian Sage

Not-so-patiently waiting for the first bloom of Night Blooming Datura

Thank you Carol at May Dreams Gardens for hosting Garden Bloggers Bloom Day the 15th of each month.

What's Growing: Radish Scapes

2012-07-08T12:37:00.002-04:00

Mixed feelings on how the Potager is coming along this year. No matter how things grow, walking among the paths of the Potager is always uplifting. Mornings are beautiful with the sun streaming across the garden and the Robins singing.

Many of the seeds I started never took off. I actually ended up buying starts of tomatoes, peppers, and brussel sprouts. Is it because I used choir instead of seed-starting mix? Or just because? I will be rethinking next year's approach.

Banana Pepper from start. I planted both hot and sweet varieties.

Italian plum tomato from start.

Lemon Boy tomato from start.

Brandywine Red tomato from start.

Cherry tomatoes.

This year I made tomato cages from bamboo and grape vines. The tiki tomato ladder was becoming quite rickety. I have one very small German Striped Tomato from the seeds I saved last year that I didn't give up on. It is just starting to take off, probably too late but one can always hope.

Brussels among Borage

Borage is a great bee magnet and the flowers are edible.

My lettuce (again!) and spinach bolted with the mix of "Mercury" days. The trick I've learned is to keep things well watered during the heat spells – hot and dry = flowers and seeds. Next year I will really pay attention to lettuce seed mixes that are slow to bolt. A savvy local farmer told me she plants her lettuce between rows of kale and chard which shade the lettuce nicely and I bet looks beautiful, too. Planting my lettuce between rows of garlic did practically nothing to hinder the flea beetles. I could plant a "trap" crop of Arugula, their favorite. A trap crop is planted with sacrifice in mind usually a few weeks earlier than the crop you want to thrive. I've also recently read that catnip deters the beetles so I will let my catnip go wild. Lettuce under shading Sunflowers sounds appealing, too. I've been sowing lettuce every few weeks since my first sowing flopped. Some of it is coming up nicely, or was, until the bunny (make that bunnies) dined on it for dinner one evening. I now have two generations of rabbits running around. Guess that old saying is true. But I still should have a worthy fall crop of lettuce and spinach.

Newly planted lettuce among garlic and pole beans just starting to climb.

My cucumbers barely germinated. I have two small plants. The eggplant I may have accidentally weeded out. I haven't grown it before but now see what it looks like after a trip to the nursery – oops. I remind myself that this is gardening.

On the sunny side of the Potager, my snap peas were awesome this year and are just now fading. They are/were the tallest they've ever been and I enjoyed snacking on them as well as using them in stir-frys and salads.

Again I remind myself of the ups and downs of gardening. As usual, the Swiss chard and kales are beautiful, up. The broccoli rabe is not growing very well this year but it is planted next to some strawberries, a bad combination I recently learned, down. I have scallions!, up. The artichokes (another new trial this year) aren't looking very big and lush. Will they flower before cold weather?, down. I have blueberries!, up.

Swiss chard, kale, scallions, beets and carrots.

Who took the art out of artichoke?

Oregano and thymes are in flower. Purple perilla has reseeded itself from last year.

The bush and soy beans are just beginning to flower. So far the squash is growing well. At the community garden we are infested with cucumber beetles. My garden seems to be fairing better. The few beetles I've found I've crushed with my bare fingers! – a newly acquired gardening skill. I have nasturtium planted among the cucumbers and squash which is said to deter the beetles. I've also been regularly checking under the leaves for signs of eggs.

Fuzzy Soybeans

Something new this year, radish scapes. I almost prefer the radish scapes to the radishes! I believe I read about them in Mother Earth News. A woman from WI (a state I'm partial to), wrote that she lets some of her radishes go to flower. They then form scapes and are delicious to eat. I put them into salads and stir-frys. I left some of them to go to seed for an easy fall crop of radish just as she recommended.

Radish Scapes

Bye Bye Barberry

2012-07-02T10:36:00.000-04:00

I have been enjoying watching the Robins pick the berries off my Cardinal Dogwood just outside my back porch. I've observed three adults at one time vying for a loaded branch, Mom showing two waiting fledgelings perched on the leaf trellis how to pick their own berries, the fledgelings eating for themselves.

I'm reminded of a similar scene this past Spring of House Sparrows picking the berries off a Barberry shrub just off my front porch – an invasive species eating an invasive species. The Barberry was practically the only shrub we had when we moved into our home, but now that I've been planting and planning the garden for four years, it can go.

Early Spring, getting ready to clip back the Barberry

I'll give the shrub credit. It has awesome color, fragrant small yellow flowers in the Spring, and beautiful dripping red berries in the Fall through Winter. It is tough, thoroughly hardy, and takes a good pruning. I understand why it appeals to so many and can be found on nearly every lot and street corner. But the Barberry is aptly named, it has thorns – big, sharp, painful, thorny barbs very much like barbed wire. It would make a formidable fence or barrier. To me, not a very inviting front porch planting and impossible to weed and work around. Most arguably it is invasive. I can attest to the ten or so starters I found throughout my front garden bed after the thorns were removed. I'm also reminded, again, of the Sparrows who ate the berries and deposited them elsewhere. It would sadden me to see our beautiful Northeastern woods overrun with Barberry. Thinking of our beautiful woods also prompted me to rip out a small Burning Bush as well that sentimentally I was holding onto because it was the first shrub I ever propagated from a cutting.

After lopping off most of the branches – I did suffer a few good barbs

It put up a fight but was finally defeated by the Toyota

The carnage – notice the Barberry, and Burning Bush, plantings across the street

I would not classify myself as a true die-hard-only-native-planter, but I do try to be mindful of the choices I make in planting my garden. I must admit, I felt good, real good, after ripping out this bad boy. Bye bye Barberry.

In its place I wanted to plant an evergreen. (This is my year of planting more evergreens in the garden.) Our native evergreens tend to be tall and large, not foundation friendly, and would overpower our front porch. I didn't want a conical shape but something more mounding to retain the curve of the porch. I chose a hardy Bird's Nest Spruce. Although derived from the Norway Spruce which can also be considered invasive, I don't think this variety will pose a threat to our natural surrounding environment. It rarely sets cones and grows very slowly. It will however, provide an excellent wind break and cover for song birds. It is tooted to be a good choice for rock gardens and foundation plantings. It will take some time for this specimen to fill in. It will be fun, and a lesson in patience, to watch it grow.

The Black Lace (left) can really show off now

A very young Bird's Nest Spruce

Now, I just have to paint the porch. It's always something.

Project: Painted Herb Recipe Pots

2012-06-19T10:13:00.000-04:00

While mulling over gift ideas for Mother's Day, spring birthdays and summer kick offs, I came across a few potted herbs that included a recipe on their plant ID tags. I thought bon appetit!, what a great idea. I picked up a few inexpensive terra cotta pots and sketched out a rough idea of how I would illustrate the recipes on the pots.

Mother of Mojito Mint! Basil and Oregano – classic pizza herbs and I have a sister and brother-in-law who grill a mean pizza! Lavender infused honey – I do have a honey of a niece.

Once again I turned to my stockpile of inexpensive craft paints. A little water, a few old brushes and I set to work. It was great fun to see these recipes come to life.

Limes and bees and pizza slices, oh my. Just a few finishing touches and a coat or two of polycrylic and we're finis! Potted up these make a one-of-a-kind gift that can be placed inside or out and reused each year.

Or maybe you would like to create one or two for your very own deck or balcony. Salad mixes, dill pickle pots, strawberry pie pots, mosquito repellent pots, chamomile tea pots ... so many possibilities. For more painted pot ideas also see my previous post Project: Painted Pots.

What's Blooming: Black Lace and Roses

2012-06-15T09:02:00.000-04:00

So much is going on in the garden that I fear I have missed a glorious moment or two. I still have plants to get into the ground and the days seem to whir by like dragonflies ... are those dragonflies already out prowling the garden? Yes, they are! And evenings seem to sparkle ... yes, those are fireflies! The Catbird has finally come out of hiding and I watch him hop about the Potager. He even dares to perch on a trellis and study me. It's mid June, and time to pause, sit in the garden instead of running around frantically with my shovel leading the way.

Out front chives are cheering like pom poms and Sambucus Black Lace is revealing her best show ever.

Sambucus Black Lace

Clematis are creeping and peeping from corners along the drive. My native clematis, Virginiana were coming up nicely until Mr. Rabbit ... well actually it must be Mrs. because now there are little rabbits hopping about! ... decided they would make a tasty salad. I have wrapped them so that they can hopefully, reestablish themselves.

Clematis Claire de Lune

Clematis Rooguchi

This year I am enjoying the changing palettes of the garden – pinks and purples, blues and yellows.

Spiderwort, Tradescantia Osprey

Yellow Evening Primrose with Cranesbill

The foamy yellow flowers of Lady's Mantle

Blue Flag Iris

Amsonias with golden Creeping Jenny

Overnight, my swamp rose burst into bloom and surprise!, this year a neighboring rose that was on our property line decided to creep under our new fence and join us.

Swamp Rose, Rosa palustris

The flowering raspberry bushes, Rubus odoratus, that the Rabbit seemed to enjoy dining on so much this winter are bigger than ever in spite of all my worries. Their blooms resemble wild roses. Their leaves are big and beautiful.

Thank you Carol at May Dreams Gardens for hosting Garden Bloggers Bloom Day the 15th of each month.

Sycamore Hill Gardens Tour

2012-06-06T10:28:00.002-04:00

On Mother's Day, private Sycamore Hill Gardens in Marcellus, NY opens its gates for a minimal fee to allow the public to view its magnificent gardens. (Ticket fees benefit the Baltimore Woods Nature Center.) Visitors are encouraged to bring a picnic and stay the entire day. My family and I spent several hours touring these beautiful grounds and plan to return next year, picnic basket in hand. Please enjoy a photographic tour of the path we took.

Perhaps why this garden is named Sycamore Hill. A plaque adorns the base of this amazing Sycamore tree, officially proclaiming its age originating to the times of the Revolutionary War.

Just around the corner is an asian inspired shady oasis.

Moving along we encounter Koi Watch on Lake George and proceed to cross the lake over large stepping stones towards the Dragon Pagoda.

My niece seems totally unaware of the dragon lurking in the pagoda. Look out!

The Dragon Pagoda is surrounded by Fairy Woods. Sculptures of fairies and other flying creatures seem to guard the trees.

More evidence of fairies in the Children's Garden. I think they purposely blurred this photo to escape detection.

Everywhere are interesting sculptures, urns, ornaments, plant groupings and beautiful blooms.

Now I know I want to add Sambucus Golden Elderberry to my garden

A serpent of weeping evergreens guarding the Tower

Peony blooming in the Peony Garden

Crabapple Lane

I loved visiting the Vegetable Garden. The rooster and ornamental gate especially caught my eye. My nieces were more curious as to what was inside the shed.

In all of the garden, the busiest and most bustling spot was the Bell Garden. The chime of the bells could be heard wherever we journeyed. Even I tried my hand at ringing a bell or two. Listen for yourself.

If you have the chance to visit this wonderful garden, I recommend you do so. Learn more at www.sycamorehillgardens.com.

I'm in the Garden!

2012-06-01T17:49:00.002-04:00

Here it is June, already! I'll be honest, I've been in the garden and not at my desk. Actually I've been in two gardens – this is the first year I have joined our wonderful community garden at Zenda Farm. Mother's Day I toured a beautiful private garden that only opens its gates, well, on Mother's Day. Poppies, columbines and iris are now showing in my garden. May certainly is, I mean was, "Mayhem." More about our community garden, my Mother's Day tour, picks for Diana's Dozen, and new projects coming up I promise as soon as I catch my breath.

What's Blooming: Woodland Tulip

2012-05-15T09:06:00.000-04:00

Here it is, the 15th, already. What's blooming? Tulips, more daffodils, and snow drops - yes, snow drops. I seem to have a different variety that blooms much later than most.

I have quite a mix of daffodils, too. While most have faded, the later blooming types have just begun to open.

This frilly white variety also is very fragrant.

The Forget-me-nots are forming incredible waves of blue this year. Here and there I find them in pink and white. The wild violets add splashes of purple. This whole sea is sprayed with the tiny white foamy flowers of the wild strawberries. Together, they make a wonderful backdrop for the tulips and daffodils.

A favorite this year, are the Woodland Tulips which I planted last fall for the first time. I love their big droopy petals that close each evening and open each morning.

Out front large glowing tulips push up through the phlox, but the dainty little Lady Jane Tulips steel the show.

A tulip fades among the poppy buds.

These short iris given to me by my Mother are another favorite and appropriately bloom for Mother's Day.

The crabapples streetside are in full bloom. Their blossoms vibrate against the green. Now I know why this variety is called Purple Prince.

The dogwoods and columbines are budding and will be blooming next. The Forget-me-nots will pale next to budding Jacob's Ladder.

Thank you Carol at May Dreams Gardens for hosting garden bloggers bloom day the 15th of each month.