O hushed October morning mild Thy leaves have ripened to the fall; Tomorrow's wind, if it be wild, should waste them all.
The crows above the forest call; Tomorrow they may form and go.
O hushed October morning mild Begin the hours of this day slow. Make the day seem to us less brief; Hearts not averse to being beguiled, Beguile us in the way you know. Release one leaf at break of day; At noon release another leaf; One from our trees; one from far away.
-Robert Frost
reBlogged
to whimsy
Posted by Carolyn gail Reblogged by Old Roses to whimsy on 2007-10-04, 00:31:20
I think the most satisfying crop I grew this year, next to tomatoes of course, was green beens. I used a variety of French beans and succession planted them every 10 days starting in early May. What was interesting is that the tired old plants got a second burst of flowering energy that I wasn't expecting. After they gave their first crop, they would have about a 2 week period of dormancy and then IF they were sufficiently watered, I would start to see flowers again. The beans from this second wind were more likely to be misshapen and would get woody faster. But there were plenty of good beans to get each day.
reBlogged
to beans recipes
Posted by Leslie Reblogged by Old Roses to beans, recipes on 2007-10-04, 00:30:20
It has been difficult getting things done at work since I was off so much because of my dad. I still haven't been able to work much in the garden, but I finally did get to work outside this weekend. Instead of working in the garden though, my family and I worked in the woods behind our yard. We had to do this because during the week when I was going back and forth to the hospice unit, the electric company decided that they needed to upgrade the power lines that go through there. They had some of our trees cut down and many more trees trimmed. Unfortunately they left ALL of the debris for us to deal with. We finally started cleaning it up.
reBlogged
to gardening
Posted by Marc Reblogged by Old Roses to Gardening on 2007-10-04, 00:29:23
When I first considered tulips, I didn’t want to think about anything other than the large hybrids. My knowledgeable friend told me that the species tulips would perennialize better; I’m not even sure I knew what that meant. But then I watched the hybrids decline, and always hated their too-prominent foliage. Lilies became more rewarding; the stalks declined at the end of the summer rather than the beginning. . . .
reBlogged
to tulips
Posted by EAL Reblogged by Old Roses to tulips on 2007-10-04, 00:27:51
My mission at the book store was to purchase a copy of a book I had recently borrowed from the library (review will come…eventually).Book stores are fascinating places with temptations beckoning all over.Seating myself on the handy bench, I proceeded to look at the new fiction.Pad in hand to write down interesting titles, my eyes were drawn to Garden Spells.No, I thought, I’m not into that type of stuff.Still, my eyes wouldn’t let go.It must be the garden in that title, my mind reasoned. Yet, my hand pulled it off the shelf and I opened it and began to read.Just a tiny bit, I told myself, enough to see if I like it, and then I’ll put it back.
reBlogged
to books
Posted by Gotta Garden Reblogged by Old Roses to books on 2007-10-04, 00:27:30
My next stop was the Perennial section, but along the way my eyes were drawn to this walkway featuring furniture, firepits, fountains, etc. So... on my way...
reBlogged
to nursery
Posted by Bev Reblogged by Old Roses to nursery on 2007-10-04, 00:27:00
Its time to plant the bulbs. Spring flowering bulbs are such a welcome sight after a long winter. But for that to happen, you have to plant them in...
reBlogged
to bulbs
on Oct 2, 2007, 9:24PM
Posted by Reblogged by Old Roses to bulbs on 2007-10-04, 00:24:20
Even people who forgive Bambi and Thumper for eating their plants have no tolerance for Mr. Mole. Moles make a mess of your garden and yard by tunneling in...
reBlogged
to pests
on Oct 1, 2007, 9:23PM
Posted by Reblogged by Old Roses to pests on 2007-10-04, 00:24:12
Stephanotis floribunda is a tender, evergreen, twining climber. It requires warm growing conditions and is best suited to greenhouse or conservatory culture. It can grow to about 3 meters and bears beautiful white, waxy, very fragrant flowers.
Stephanotis floribunda will occasionally produce longish, fleshy fruits, particularly during warm summers. The fruit may reach 10cm or more in length and have been described as resembling a small avocado, do not eat them, they are not edible. . . .
This site seems to have stirred up some controversy in the world of Gardening. Twice in fact over the last few months.
I’ll admit that when I first started this site it was my intention that it would be a gardening blog. That’s why I called it As the Garden Grows and why it’s url contains the word garden. Obviously, this is not and never really has been a pure gardening blog. . . .
reBlogged
to blogs
on Oct 2, 2007, 9:32PM
Posted by Tricia Reblogged by Old Roses to blogs on 2007-10-04, 00:21:43
Three inches of rain on Monday night/Tuesday morning alone. I emptied the rain gauge at 7 this morning, and by the time I went to work around 9:30, it had already rained another half an inch... and by the time I got to work, it had started REALLY raining.
Arugula, lettuce and chard in my garden are all up. I'll be surprised if they don't have some fungal issues, though.
Burpee was very prompt in delivering their seeds. I needed some cool-season veg seeds:
Carrot Sweet Treat Hybrid (recommended on GW Florida Forum)
Snap Pea Super Sugar Snap V.P.
Radish Cherry Bomb II
Detroit Dark Red, Medium Top
I'll plant the carrots and beets out tomorrow -- some in the kids' garden, some in a sunny spot in my main bed. I need to wait a few weeks for the peas and the radish: Our forecast is for the mid- to high-80s for the next couple of weeks.
Am back today from the GWA meeting and thought I'd post a few quick photos from yesterday's garden tours in OKC. Most of the gardens were of the "wish I had been born to that kind of money" variety and were not tended by the homeowners themselves. See the Zen garden and Italianate gardens pictured below. These are great to visit, but would you want to live there? Kind of like cotton candy -- sweet and enjoyable, but not satisfying or filling. . . .
October is around the corner and it's back to work for me as the Fall season shifts into high gear and everyone wants their gardens done NOW. In my Sweet Garden Chicago I've been busy dividing blackeyed susans and phlox. I've got a good show of purple asters going but I saw a gorgeous pink one that I had to have . . .
reBlogged
to flowers
Posted by Carolyn gail Reblogged by Old Roses to flowers on 2007-10-04, 00:20:30
My husband’s parents live up north aways in the woods. Being surrounded by trees, they are in a perfect place to see wildlife. Chipmunks dart along the old rock walls, and pop up and down in the yard like jack in the boxes. It is not unusual while sitting on the long farmer’s porch at the front of the house to share space with a couple of chipmunks, maybe a woodpecker, and endless chickadees. This guy popped up in front of me in the back yard. Doesn’t look afraid, does he. . .
reBlogged
to pests
on Oct 2, 2007, 7:15AM
Posted by Sandy Reblogged by Old Roses to pests on 2007-10-04, 00:19:52
Taste good? And now you want to grow your own apple tree from the seeds, right?
It's certainly possible. Believe it or not, apple trees originally come from seed germination. However, the commercially grown ones we enjoy today are probably more a product of engineering than germinating from seed. . . .
reBlogged
to seeds
on Oct 2, 2007, 7:55PM
Posted by Reblogged by Old Roses to seeds on 2007-10-04, 00:19:30
I often get asked if children can swim in a pond. I think it is a bad idea because of the salmonella and e.coli that live in the pond. However, when I think of the places I swam as a kid or the thousands of ponds I cleaned out during my career, I wonder if that is a real problem. I gotta say I don't recommend it, but you, as parents, must make up your own minds.
reBlogged
to ponds
Posted by Jan Goldfield Reblogged by Old Roses to ponds on 2007-10-04, 00:19:05
Strawberry bush, a.k.a. Hearts a burstin' (Euonymus americanus). My mother sometimes calls this plant Wahoo, but the internet says that's the name of a similar, more purplish-blooming plant. That kind of spoils my fun, since I liked to yell wahoo! whenever I found one. . . .
reBlogged
to flowers
Posted by Rurality Reblogged by Old Roses to flowers on 2007-10-04, 00:18:47
The sun was shining when all of a sudden a passing cloud burst and showered us with much needed rain. I quickly grabbed my camera to see if I could photograph the rain. Rain is one of those elements that is very difficult to photograph. It just doesn't stand still! But my little Sony did a pretty good job as the sun lit up the background. I love the way the old oak is illuminated and serves as a background to capture the torrent of rain drops that fell on us this day.
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's Rain in Summer sums up my thoughts on the rain perfectly - How beautiful is the rain! After the dust and the heat, In the broad and fiery street, In the narrow lane, How beautiful is the rain!
reBlogged
to weather
Posted by Susan Reblogged by Old Roses to weather on 2007-10-04, 00:18:20
The plant in the forefront is a beach plant from Merritt Island; I couldnt resist taking a little piece. I've noticed that there is another variety of . . .
reBlogged
to plants
on Oct 2, 2007, 6:27AM
Posted by Reblogged by Old Roses to plants on 2007-10-04, 00:17:00
Here's who's in my garden these days. Lots of birds - mostly sparrows, cardinals, chickadees and titmice. I was surprised to spot a downy woodpecker on my big old pumpkin vine. These guys are great helpers with the insect control.
The problem critter is that cute squirrel. He's increased his digging now that its fall. He rearranges my lettuce seedlings and digs up the larger seeds and bulbs. Sometimes I cover newly planted areas (especially crocus bulbs) with chicken wire to keep him away.
I know I’ve already gone on and on about the quality of light this fall - but really, honestly, truly these crispy dew-drop mornings with sloping sunshine are divinely gorgeous! All sorts of lovelies were lit by this morning’s spotlight:
The Tamarisk (Tamarix ramosissima) down by the shore was an effervescent haze of pearly gray-green-blue.
reBlogged
to autumn
on Oct 2, 2007, 3:20PM
Posted by Kris Reblogged by Old Roses to autumn on 2007-10-04, 00:16:16
You better not fool with a Bumblebee! -- Ef you don't think they can sting -- you'll see! They're lazy to look at, an' kind o' go Buzzin' an' bummin' aroun' so slow...
September has been especially good for my garden. The kale revived after the hot summer and transformed into a bold hedge of green leaves and purple stalks. The tiny Sara’s Galapagos currant tomatoes are still going strong. I have a new crop of cilantro. And, for the first time ever, my fall planting of snap peas has actually yielded tasty little pods before the first killing frost. . .
reBlogged
to garlic
on Oct 2, 2007, 9:58AM
Posted by Jaime Chismar Reblogged by Old Roses to garlic on 2007-10-04, 00:15:28
When we first moved into our little valley, it seemed like we should have a name for it; a large red cedar tree right on the point of land sticking out into the pond that you see on the above satellite photo, suggested the name Cedar Point... not quite on the chi-chi level of 'Red Fox Run' or something like that, but it would do. Well, after fourteen years we haven't quite got around to putting up a Cedar Point sign (it's still in the preliminary conceptual phase, I like to say), so our place is just plain LiznDon's. . . .
reBlogged
to autumn
Posted by IBOY Reblogged by Old Roses to autumn on 2007-10-04, 00:15:09
I do. Peat moss has been my garden's best friend for a long time. It is mainly a soil conditioner, and that is what makes it so valuable. I used to garden on heavy clay, and even though my soil is now clay loam, it still benefits from the incorporation of some peat moss when planting. The going advice now on planting trees or shrubs is to not make any special efforts to amend the soil, the logic being that the roots will be too happy in their little spot and not reach out into the native soil, but I've tried both ways now and I thought the adding of peat moss was one of the best boosts for my new plants. . . .
reBlogged
to soil
Posted by Ilona Reblogged by Old Roses to soil on 2007-10-04, 00:13:57
via Weeder's Garden on 1969-12-31, 19:00:00
