Dirt Therapy

Garden Blogger's Fling - Asheville 2012

2012-02-10T11:25:00.004-06:00

May 17 - 21, 2012
Details here!

Text and photos by Phillip Oliver, Dirt Therapy

Gardening if for the birds...er, chickens

2012-02-03T15:28:00.000-06:00

To help promote their new book, Free-Range Chicken Gardens by Jessi Bloom, Timber Press is giving away a kit to help you start your own chicken garden. I will be posting a review of this book soon.

The kit includes:

$50 gift card for chicken feed or supplies from McMurray Hatchery
One chicken coop plan from The Garden Coop (a $20 value)
1 lb. of organic chicken forage blend and seeds for chicken-friendly plants from Peaceful Valley Farm & Garden Supply (a $20 value)
A copy of Free-Range Chicken Gardens

All you need to enter is an email address. The contest ends February 17!

Click here to enter

Text and photos by Phillip Oliver, Dirt Therapy

Winter Honeysuckle

2012-02-01T17:39:00.000-06:00

Things are blooming like mad on this first day of February - our Star Magnolia is in full bloom, way ahead of schedule. One thing that is on time, is the Winter Honeysuckle. It is such a pleasure to catch the fragrance of this shrub. It comes unexpected and envelopes you in wonderfulness. I took this photo this morning right before another downpour occurred. Not the best, but you can see it is loaded with blooms.

Text and photos by Phillip Oliver, Dirt Therapy

17th Annual Urban Forestry & Horticulture Conference

2012-01-31T14:20:00.001-06:00

17th ANNUAL Urban Forestry & Horticulture Conference

GARDEN REJUVENATION AND URBAN FOREST RESTORATION

Date: Tuesday, February 21, 2012
Place: Cross Point Church, 1360 Cox Creek Parkway, Florence, AL 35633
Price: $40 (includes catered lunch from Whole Hog)

KEYNOTE SPEAKER:
Paul Graham, Grounds Supervisor, University of North Alabama
Restoration of the Southhall-Moore House - Discussion of the issues, problems and solutions in the restoration of the Southhall-Moore Landscape.

HORTICULTURE PROGRAMS:
Andy Brown: Visionary Art and Design
Artist, Designer, Owner of Visionary Art and Design
Bring nature to your home, just outside your backdoor. The use
of natural materials to beautify your lawn using stone, water
and ground cover.

Carl Casiday: Garden Baskets with Plants from the Garden
Owner, Lola’s Gifts and Flowers.

Ken Creel: Pruning for Rejuvenation
Regional Extension Agent for Home Grounds, Gardens and Pest
Management
Pruning to increase blossoms.

Justin G. Wall: New Landscaping Products and Ideas for 2012
Owner, Coldwater Landscapes and Garden Center, LLC
Join Justin for tips on spicing up your yard with new types of
trees, shrubs, etc. which are more hardy and have longer bloom
times.

Dr. Rodulfo O. Pacumbaba, Jr.: Rejuvenation of Flowers and Shrubs
Assistant Professor, Department of Biology and Environmental
Sciences, Alabama A & M University
What you should consider when troubleshooting your plants.

ENDNOTE SPEAKER:
Matthew McCollough: Alabama Tree Recovery Campaign
State Urban Forestry Coordinator
Alabama Forestry Commission’s efforts to spearhead the
recovery of Alabama’s trees.

Pesticide and Urban Forestry programs also included. (See brochure for full program schedule)

Door prizes awarded!

Brochure / Registration Form

Text and photos by Phillip Oliver, Dirt Therapy

My birthday cake

2012-01-27T14:49:00.000-06:00

Michael always makes me a Boston Cream Pie for my birthday. It is my favorite cake (I have no idea why they call it a pie). He usually buys a boxed mix but he went all out this year and made it from scratch, using a recipe from Maida Heatter (with a little help from me). I'm going to post the recipe and photos of him making it on my baking blog. It was delicious! I also gained about 5 pounds.

Text and photos by Phillip Oliver, Dirt Therapy

Ornamental Kale

2012-01-15T11:15:00.001-06:00

Ornamental Kale (or Ornamental Cabbage if you prefer) is second only to pansies as a colorful option for winter containers or planting in the ground. The scientific name is Brassica oleracea. The plant is a member of the mustard family. They can be planted in the fall (from seed or transplants) and when colder temperatures and frosts approach, the color intensifies. They like sunny locations although they will grow in shadier areas, the color may not be as vivid. They also may become leggy if not given enough sun. Although edible, they are not near as tasty as regular cabbages and kale and are grown mainly for decorative purposes.

I've had hit-and-miss experiences growing ornamental kale. Some years they do well, some years not. Colder temperatures are a must as they will bolt in warmer climes. They respond well to fertilizer although I confess I usually forget to fertilize them. They do not like extreme wet conditions and are especially vulnerable to freezing rain, which leaves them puny and limp. If freezing rain is predicted, cover the plants if you can until the danger has past.

Text and photos by Phillip Oliver, Dirt Therapy

One year ago today...

2012-01-11T20:37:00.003-06:00

Text and photos by Phillip Oliver, Dirt Therapy

Winter berries

2012-01-02T12:08:00.000-06:00


Beauty Berry (Callicarpa)

Holly (not sure about the variety)

Mahonia

Text and photos by Phillip Oliver, Dirt Therapy

Focus on foliage

2011-12-26T18:20:00.000-06:00

In my last post, I shared some photos of camellias and other flowers blooming in our late December garden. The flowers are fantastic this time of year but they are by no means the only areas of interest. Evergreen foliage is most welcome in the winter garden. The temperatures have been rather mild thus far and there are still colorful fall leaves hanging on as well.

Chinese Holly "O'Spring" (Ilex cornuta) - This variegated holly is beautiful at all times of the year. I've seen very large specimens in books and on television but this ones seems to be happy at a diminutive size of less than 4 feet.

Italian Arum (Arum Italicum) is a member of the philodendron family. It does look like a houseplant during the winter months but it is quite hardy. Greenish white spathes (flowers) will appear in May and are pollinated by insects. The foliage then dies and bright orange berries appear in autumn, followed by new leaves and the process starts again. This plant can be invasive in some areas of the country.

The vibrant russet leaves of Mohawk Viburnum (Viburnum x burkwoodii 'Mohawk') are
still clinging to the shrub.

The dramatic blades of a Yucca are contrasted with the branches
from Canadian Hemlock (Tsuga canadensis).

The bright yellow leaves in the lower left are those of Spirea (Spirea japonica 'Goldmound'). Rosemary "Arp", right behind it, stays green all winter. We use it frequently in cooking.

Text and photos by Phillip Oliver, Dirt Therapy

Winter beauties

2011-12-22T15:07:00.001-06:00

Greetings on this first day of winter! Today is stormy and wet after a rather mild day yesterday. I took a few photos in the garden. There is great beauty to behold in the winter garden if you just look for it. And even some flowers!

Camellia "Debutante"

Camellia "Mine No Yuki" (Snow on the Mountain) - Do you see the ladybug?

The camellias are expected but I was surprised to see this Creeping Bellflower
(Campanula rapunculoides) blooming. Very odd!

Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Text and photos by Phillip Oliver, Dirt Therapy

Fall is not over yet!

2011-12-02T10:00:00.001-06:00

Despite the recent band of cold temperatures and even a snow threat (rare for November), there is still some beautiful foliage in the garden and the sasanqua camellias have been blooming nicely. This is Alabama Snow Wreath (Neviusia alabamensis), a native shrub along the north fence next to the street. The leaves have been spectacular this autumn.

Text and photos by Phillip Oliver, Dirt Therapy

Bringing in the Angel Trumpets

2011-11-26T14:12:00.001-06:00

To help work off those extra Thanksgiving pounds, Michael and I spent most of the day yesterday in the garden. He blew the leaves and I worked on getting the Angel Trumpets, Lantana Tree and Dragonwing Begonias into the basement. Actually, we have already had two slight frosts but I don't think they were harsh enough to kill the plants.

In the past, I've left the ones in the ground and mulched them heavily and they were fine the next year. Last year, however, was a hard winter and they all died. I decided not to take a chance this year. We only have two in the ground, one in the corner of the vegetable garden in a raised planter and the other by the garden wall.

Only one Angels Trumpet in a container on the patio. Next spring, this one is getting a heavier pot because I've spent most of the year picking this one up off the ground.

After digging the one in the vegetable garden out, I pruned it back to the "Ys", then placed it in a large plastic container and added soil to cover the roots.

The patio plant only required minimal pruning. I removed all the leaves by hand. This helps prevent disease from spreading during the dormant phase.

The Dragon Wing begonias were still quite nice. In the past, I've let them succumb but several readers told me earlier that they be overwintered. I cut them back and moved them to the basement as well.

I transported them to the basement and watered them well. I'll only water a few times during the winter. Now the long rest until next spring.

Text and photos by Phillip Oliver, Dirt Therapy

A good day to be inside

2011-11-22T17:32:00.001-06:00

Today was rainy and stormy, a good day to be indoors. I kept glancing outside the windows. There are still a lot of leaves left to fall and the overcast day really brightened the colors.

This is the view from one of the living room windows. The "Bloodgood" Japanese maple has almost dropped all of its leaves. They are so vibrant and red this year.

The view in the back looking out the big window in the little breakfast nook. The hydrangeas in the circle were pretty and green this fall and most of the leaves are still hanging on. The tree is a Sawtooth Oak.

Text and photos by Phillip Oliver, Dirt Therapy

The last roses

2011-11-15T21:06:00.001-06:00

We've had our first frost but a few roses are hanging on.


Nearly Wild

La Marne

Buff Beauty

Text and photos by Phillip Oliver, Dirt Therapy

A new blog

2011-11-15T17:57:00.001-06:00

I've long pondered starting a blog on baking but was afraid I would not have the time to do it or worse, not have the expertise to do so. Actually, I probably don't have either but I'm taking the plunge nevertheless. I decided to focus on Maida Heatter, a cookbook author that I love and the one author who I think does the best job at teaching. Hopefully I will learn something and share some great dessert recipes as well. So, if you are interesting in baking, check out Mad About Maida.

Don't worry - Dirt Therapy isn't going anywhere!

Text and photos by Phillip Oliver, Dirt Therapy

Henderson State Park

2011-11-11T10:11:00.001-06:00

Henderson State Park is located right along Hwy 98 in Destin and runs along the coastline. You will notice an obvious difference in this state park when comparing to Eden State Park in my last post. Henderson is what I call a "sand dune park" while Eden, which is located about seven miles inland has more trees and traditional plants. We've usually just passed the sand dune parks by because, frankly, they didn't seem that interesting. I was wrong about that.

I stumbled across Henderson State park on the Internet and the descriptions of a nature trail and labeled plants perked my interest. When we arrived, on a blustery overcast morning, I was disappointed when we walked up to the nature trail and I saw this view:

You can see the condos in the distance and to the right is Hwy 98 and you can see traffic moving along it. However, once you top the hill in the above photo, the path leads downward and you find yourself in a huge bowl full of winding trails and very interesting plants and striking combinations.

There are many dead trees and at first I could not help but wonder why they don't remove them. However, after looking at them for a while, I began to like them and they certainly created great scenes for interesting photographs.


Saw Palmetto

The beach was quite beautiful - clean white sand and immaculate upkeep. There are signs everywhere about state laws that protect the sand dunes. You are not to step on them or disturb the plants. In other words, stay off the dunes!

There were some plant signs but not many and I was disappointed that
many of the plants were not identified.

The visit to Henderson State Park turned out to be a very pleasant one and it changed my opinions about the coastline parks. I spent an hour or more taking photos and by the time we left, the sun had returned.

Text and photos by Phillip Oliver, Dirt Therapy

Eden State Park

2011-11-09T23:33:00.000-06:00

Eden State Park is always a stop we have to make. We feel in love with it the first time we visited. The property used to belong to a timber family and they donated it to the state of Florida. (For more history, see last year's post). The huge live oaks dripping with Spanish Moss, a magnificent collection of camellias and ferns are just a few features on this spectacular property. It is a sure-fire way to lower the blood pressure.

Text and photos by Phillip Oliver, Dirt Therapy

Our Florida trip

2011-11-08T23:23:00.004-06:00

We just got home from our annual trip to Florida this past Saturday. On the way down, we were trying to remember how many times we've been. Michael thinks this is the 9th year. I would have to check my gardening journal to be sure. With the exception of one year in Gulf Shores, we've always stayed in Destin or Panama City. Our favorite area is along scenic Hwy 30A (off of Hwy. 98), located right between Destin and Panama City Beach. It is less congested and very quiet this time of year and that is what we like.

This year we splurged a bit on the house but it was fantastic! Three floors with fantastic views and great windows. Way too much room for just us but we loved it. We were hoping that Michael's cousin and a friend could accompany us like they did last year but they could not get away. So, we decided to keep the house. Here is a view of it from the beach -

This is the view from the main floor -

I almost had a conniption when I saw the kitchen - it has a GE Monogram oven and the refrigerator (which you cannot see in the photo) was enormous. Unfortunately, I did not get a chance to do any baking.

The balcony was great and we had terrific views of both sunrises and sunsets.

We did our usual - sunbathing, shopping, walking the beach, reading and of course, eating. I enjoy the great seafood which Michael will not touch. He loves Angelina's, a great little Italian restaurant that has the best pizza and salad we've ever had.

Overall, the weather was exceptional. There were some cold mornings but it really warmed up later. There was only one brief rain shower and that came on Thursday night. The weathermen were constantly wrong (and I thought ours were bad!) and we learned by mid-week we could not take them seriously. The beaches and the water were beautiful this year.

I have more photos that I took on our regular jaunt to Eden State Park, one of our favorite places. I also read about Henderson State Park which had a fascinating nature trail and we visited it for the first time. I will post those photos in my next post.

Text and photos by Phillip Oliver, Dirt Therapy

A perfect Fall day

2011-11-06T18:16:00.001-06:00

Before I bombard everyone with vacation photos, I thought I would share some that I took today in the garden. It was great to be back at home and, either I was re-energized from vacation or perhaps it was the time change, but I got a ton of chores done. I bought groceries, mowed, cleared the leaves (and was amazed at how many had fallen since we left one week ago), restocked the bird feeders, cleaned the urn fountain, and spent an hour taking photos.

When we left last Saturday, the leaves had just begun to change color. The colors really popped during the last week.


The first thing I noticed as we approached the house was how pretty the Sweet Gum tree (Liquidambar styraciflua) is this year.

Acer rubrum "October Glory" is just as colorful - you just have to look up to see it.

Witch Hazel "Diane" (Hamamelis x intermedia 'Diane') is a dud of a shrub
but the fall foliage almost makes me want to forgive it.

Lespedeza is always a vibrant yellow in fall. We have both the purple and white
flowered varieties but aside from flower color, they look the same.

Sweet Shrub (Calycanthus floridus) is a great old-fashioned shrub.

Japanese Maple "Sango Kaku" (Acer palmatum) is one of my favorites.
The bark will turn red in the winter.

Another Japanese Maple that I would not want to live without is "Crimson Queen", a threadleaf variety that spreads wide but stays low. Ours is over fifteen years old and is not over 4 feet tall.

Text and photos by Phillip Oliver, Dirt Therapy

Home again

2011-11-05T22:58:00.000-05:00

We are home from a week's vacation at Inlet Beach, Florida. This is just one of the spectacular sunsets we enjoyed. More photos to come!

Text and photos by Phillip Oliver, Dirt Therapy

Daphne Simpkins book signing at Coldwater Books

2011-10-28T10:14:00.000-05:00

Author Daphne Simpkins will be signing copies of her latest novel "Cloverdale" on Sunday, November 6th from 1-3 p.m. at Coldwater Books in Tuscumbia.

I have known Daphne for years. She is a fantastic speaker and a wonderful writer. She teaches writing at Auburn University at Montgomery and she is a member of the Alabama Humanities Foundation Speaker's Bureau. She has published four books: "Cloverdale", her latest novel featuring her character Miss Budge, "Miss Budge in Love" (a collection of short stories), "Nat King Cole", a biography for children and "The Long Good Night", a memoir about caring for her father while he was ill with Alzheimer's disease.

Question: Why did you write a novel about older people? Did any publisher warn you that older people were not an attractive subject for mainstream readers?

Answer: Yes. I was warned that the age of the main characters was not a strong demographic for sales. But I had an irresistible reason for wanting to tell the story of retired school teacher Mildred Budge and her friends. I had written about aging too fast when I told the story of my father dying of Alzheimer’s in "The Long Good Night", and when I moved back to Montgomery and started attending Trinity Presbyterian Church I was astounded to see so many vibrant, beautiful people aging so well—with such good humor, wisdom, and clarity of thought. I wanted to tell stories that caught hold of that energy—that hope.

Question: Who do you envision will be the readers?

Answer: One answer is anyone who is growing older and wants to understand a different way of doing that.

Question: How would you describe Mildred Budge, your main character, to people who have a stereotypic view of a church lady, for she is a church lady as well as a retired public school teacher.

Answer: Yes, she is a Southern church lady, and there are many stereotypic views out there that usually mock older Southern women (She’s sixty-one, which isn’t that old, really). We can be quirky, and like most human beings, there is plenty to mock, if you are inclined to mock others in an ungenerous way. We do often carry large handbags loaded with supplies. Mildred Budge does. Some of us still roll our hair. Mildred Budge does. Some of us still depend on the kindness of strangers when strangers are famous for not being very kind. Mildred Budge does because Mildred Budge tries to be kind to strangers—even the ones who mock her.

Question: There is another woman in the book described as a serial widow. Why doesn’t Liz Luckie get along with the other women in the book?

Answer: Liz is a man magnet, and that sexual tension that Liz Luckie creates disturbs other women who feel like they can’t compete or don’t want to compete—or are nervous that Liz will go after their men.

Question: Doesn’t she do that?

Answer: Liz can’t help it. She likes men. They like her. There’s a line in the book when Liz tries to explain what happens. “I walk by and men just follow me.” Other women see that and are actually jealous and resentful, but I think they don’t know they are jealous. They repress knowing that about themselves by criticizing the woman who is appealing to men. That’s why Liz doesn’t get along with other women. But is she any less a Southern church lady just because men like her? Lots of men? I don’t think so. I think she is a different kind of church lady who should not be mocked. But you shouldn’t leave her alone with your man.

Question: So, what’s next?

Answer: The sequel is finished, and I am waiting to hear from my publisher about that. In the meantime, I am going to go bake my signature Butter Pecan cake for the church women’s lunch this Sunday. It’s what we do.

Text and photos by Phillip Oliver, Dirt Therapy

Chrysanthemum "Ryan Gainey"

2011-10-25T10:52:00.000-05:00

This plant used to reside next to the walk near the front door but it suffered from too much shade. After the debacle with the cryptomeria, I had more room and moved it here. The additional sun has helped tremendously and it is loaded with blooms and the stems are not stretching for the sun rays.

Text and photos by Phillip Oliver, Dirt Therapy

Angel's Trumpet (Brugmansia)

2011-10-18T21:43:00.001-05:00

The Angel's Trumpet is one of our most spectacular plants. It is one that can stop non-gardener's in their tracks to inquire about it. We have a glorious yellow one (most likely "Charles Grimaldi") growing in our vegetable garden area in a raised bed next to the street. It grows tall and stately, extending above the hedge, and the blooms are on display to anyone driving or walking past. I'd often had people stop and ask me about it when I'm out there working.

They are very easy to grow but oddly, you don't see many in people's gardens. This could be due to their reputation. All parts of the plant are poisonous to both animals and humans if ingested. We've always had pets around and I've never seen one munching on one so I suspect they have enough common sense to stay clear of them.

Brugmansia (and the closely related Datura) are in the Nightshade family and are well known as plants that can induce wildly hallucinogenic states. The American Indians used the plant to bring about a change in conscience and thought that the intoxicating effects could put them in contact with the Gods and the spirits of their ancestors. Peruvian Indians called it "the plant of the grave" and thought that if a person feel asleep under the shade of one, they would go mad.

Medicinal purposes of the plant have also been touted and it was once used to make Hyoscine, a drug for motion sickness, although Datura is mainly used as a source for it today.

The Angel's Trumpet is a native of South America. Blooms are usually yellow, pink or white and are the main attraction of the plant. They begin to bloom in Summer and last on and off through the Fall. They always put on a dramatic show in the Fall right before the first frost. They can be grown either in the ground or in a container but either way, they must be brought in during the winter months or protected somehow because they are not hardy below freezing. I have successfully over-wintered plants during mild winters under thick layers of mulch but a harsh winter (like our last one) will surely do them in.

Container Plants

Angel's Trumpet can easily be grown in a container and the type of container does not matter (although clay pots may have to watered more frequently than plastic ones). The container should be large and wide to accompany the root growth and a layer of rocks in the bottom is advisable to keep plants from tipping over. A general potting mix is fine and it should be mixed with 1/3 garden loam. These are thirsty plants and have to be watered almost daily, especially in hot summer months. Good drainage is essential. Weekly fertilization, with a mineral and nitrogen‐rich fertilizer, is needed for good bloom development. Place containers in a partly sunny location although sun during the hottest part of the day can fade the flower color. Protect from wind! A beautiful pink Angel's Trumpet grows in a container on our patio and gets bright light but very little direct sun and does quite well there.

Pruning

Pruning is not necessary but can be done if you want more blooms or want a tree form. If you decide to prune, wait until the plant has formed a "Y". You can then force the plant to form more limbs (and thus more flowers). Cut out all but the newest growth and allow it to grow before pruning back to 1/2 to 1 inch from the node. If you prefer a bushier tree, then you must prune a lateral branch. Make the cut at the joint and each joint can produce up to two new branches.

Over-Wintering

Plants can be over-wintered either in a cool or warm environment.

Cool environment:
Leave the plant outside as long as possible so that they can harden off and acclimate to the cooler temperatures. They can be stored in a basement or garage as long as the temperature stays in the 40-50 degree range. Remove any remaining leaves and prune shoots back to healthy tissue. They usually will not need much watering but do not allow the root ball to dry out. In the Spring, after the danger of frost, the plants should be re-potted in a larger pot and brought back outside.

Warm environment:
Angel's Trumpet can also be over-wintered in a warm area, such as a greenhouse or sun-room. The area should have plenty of light and temperatures should be in the 55-65 degree range. Bring the plants in when outside temperatures fall around 50-55 degrees. Reduce watering and fertilizing by half during the winter months.

Propagation

Angel's Trumpets are one of the easiest plants to propagate by cuttings. Cuttings can be taken year round and both leafy and woody cuttings can be used. Six inch cuttings will develop roots in just a few weeks (rooting hormone will hasten the process). Insert 1 1/2 inches of the cutting in a peat and sand mixture and maintain high humidity by covering with plastic.

Rooting can also be easily done in water. Take a 6" cutting and place in a glass of water with the water only covering the lower 1 1/2 inch. Roots will sprout quickly and the cutting can then be put in a small container of soil. Mist with water frequently for several days until the roots take hold.

Fall cuttings - Take 10" cuttings and place in a peat and sand mixture or vermiculite. Keep the soil moist but don't over-water. Place in an area with good light in the 55-65 degree range. Roots will develop by next spring in time for planting.

Text and photos by Phillip Oliver, Dirt Therapy

Huntsville Botanical Gardens Plant Sale

2011-10-16T16:03:00.001-05:00

We went to Huntsville yesterday for the fall plant sale at the Botanical Gardens. This is the first time I had been to one of their plant sales and boy, was I impressed. It was a tad overwhelming and I could have spent more time there, not to mention more money. Most of the plants were around $5 - $10. There were some larger plants and my most expensive purchase was a large witch hazel "Arnold's Promise" which was $40. We were in Michael's Pathfinder and came home with the back loaded. Most of these plants are going to be planted on the property. I would liked to have bought more dogwoods and native azaleas but I'm a little wary of planting more than I can take care of and I'm not sure how well they will do out there. I don't ever recall seeing dogwoods growing anywhere in that area.

Here is what we came home with (for future reference):

Red Chokeberry (Aronia arbutifolia "Brilliantissima")
Snowbell, Big Leaf (Styrax grandiflora)
Sourwood (Oxydendrum arboreum)
Dogwood (no name)
Magnolia, Big Leaf (Magnolia macrophylla)
Magnolia, Sweet Bay (Magnolia virginiana)
Fringe Tree (Chionanthus virginicus)
Silver Bell (Halesia carolina)
Golden Raintree (Koelreuteria paniculata)
Snowball (Viburnum Opulus 'Sterile')
Native azaleas (4): Piedmont, Austrinum, Flame, Admiral Semmes seedling

Text and photos by Phillip Oliver, Dirt Therapy

Fall and winter containers

2011-10-09T15:43:00.001-05:00

I've been working on the fall and winter pots for the past few weeks. Pansies are really the only flower you can have through the winter. Snapdragons will bloom through the fall and come back again in the spring. And then there is ornamental kale and cabbage. I remember growing it once before when I was pleased with how it looked. Other years it would bolt and look awful and not display much color. I decided to try again this year.

The major problem I have with planting the fall pots is that I can't bring myself to tear out the summer plants that are still looking good. I would hate to work a public place where you have to rip out perfectly good plants to put in the next season's display. I can see why it has to be done but it hurts me to do it. Therefore, I'm searching for pots all over the place and trying to decide which plants I should throw out.

I have an inner conversation in my head that goes something like this: "Oh, I forgot all about all the pots down by the waterfall - I can use those! --- "No, the impatiens there are still beautiful. I can't pull those out." --- "They are down here in the lower forty, no one ever sees them anyway." And I go back and forth. In the end, I left the impatiens but I also have quite a few pansies that are not planted. I suppose I should just buy more pots.

There are quite a few containers that are still looking good.


These white begonias are too pretty to rip out. Of course when the frost hits, I'll regret it.

The Dragon Wing begonias in the patio pots are huge and they will bloom until frost. If anyone can give me some tips on overwintering them or how to root them, let me know!


Euphorbia "Diamond Frost" lives up to its name. A fantastic plant!

Pots on the steps to the back door. That is Camellia "Bonanza" beginning to bloom on the side.

Since the back door is where everybody comes in and out, I decided to place a lot of pots here.

Oh yeah, I didn't mention mums. Actually, I'm not crazy about them. They are expensive, they don't last long enough and I'm rarely successful when putting them in the ground. They do bring a lot of color though and nothing says fall like mums and pumpkins.

It does pay to shop Home Depot first thing in the morning. I got this huge orange mum for $3.50! It was a tad wilted but after I brought it home, planted it and watered it, it looks as good as new.

Text and photos by Phillip Oliver, Dirt Therapy