Asters.....fall's last hurrah..

Lovely fall asters

Asters serve as miniature green hedgerows all spring and summer long.  Just when it seems like the end is near, these lovely lumps of green burst open with pale lavender daisy-like blossoms.  They are a mass of color, a final food source for every bee in the county.

Great path liners

 About a foot tall, this variety is "un-named" since the dear old friend who gave me start had no idea of where it came from.  It performs best in full sun but will do okay in part sun too.  A prolific grower, it spreads by roots.  Although the foliage can start looking wimpy by October, it is very forgivable due to the abundance of color.

Final fall colors

Used to line the entire path, they draw the eye toward the garden shed on this sunny Autumn morning.

Happy Gardening!

Tulip Buying Time

Tulip garden in April----something to plan now....

Yes, I know, the fall rains are coming.  You're tired of gardening and weeding and mowing.  It's yucky outside, muddy too.  But think now of spring.  Think of that spot in your yard that would be perfect for a tulip bed.  An April or May garden bursting with color.

Sunny day in May....

So head out now and buy some tulip bulbs.  This garden had nearly 100 bulbs!!!!  It bloomed for months and was so very worth the money I spent on the top quality bulbs.

Who can resist these?

I may be a penny pincher in many other areas of the garden, but not here.  Lavish, healthy bulbs will give you an amazing garden early next spring.

Happy Gardening!

Dead heading the easy way!

Hmmm....the mower might just do the job!

Snow on the Mountain- Aegopodium podagraria 'Variegatum'

When it comes to rugged groundcover that can tolerate tough soil conditions, there's nothing like Snow on the Mtn (as we commonly call it here in the Northwest).  When the construction crew left only subsoil along my foundation, I chose this hardy plant.  I knew before I started that this plant had the reputation of being invasive.  I have restricted it to just this section of the yard and hit it with weed killer if it creeps out of place.  It spreads by roots and seeds.  I also deadhead after the summer blooming but never add any part of it to any compost piles.  It's simply too prolific. Tolerates sun to part sun.
                                                                                      

How to handle a project this size?  I'm a firm believer in simple is best.  This bed is free of rocks or stumps that could harm a mower blade so I decided to simply mulch down the entire bed.  I used a rocking motion to chop off the taller materials and slowly set the mower back down on its wheels.

By leaning the mower up slightly, the entire plant can be munched down.

The mulching blade does a nice job....

One bed is already done

Then rake all the mulch evenly for winter.....

This plot gave me several full bags of mulch. I prefer to remove all the mulch then spread it evenly back on the beds.  It's important that you return all of the Snow on the Mtn to this same area.  It's hard to get rid of if it takes hold in, say, a nice perennial bed.  After "deadheading," I mowed the surrounding lawn area as well, added grass clippings and a few fall leaves to the bed.  A few quick sweeps with a spring rake and the job is done.  It is now ready for winter.  The uniform appearance is visually acceptable and will naturally break down and feed the beds as well.  The whole job took about half and hour.

Happy Gardening!