It's the middle of September and my garden is going strong. While most gardens have faded from their show, mine is about where everyone else was in July. While some of the flowers had their show earlier, there are many still giving a good show.
Successes this year:
Most importantly, the fence kept the deer out of the flower garden!!! (Loud cheering would be good here.)
The soaker hoses have been a godsend during this dry summer. I will definitely be using them in the future! This is where I have to formally now concede that the garden is a joint effort and not mine alone. My husband has been fantastic and has been diligent about watering when I am away. He even keeps track of which days and which beds he has watered...he's set up a formal rotation! I'm sure in past years we were never able to give the beds the water they needed and this alone may be the reason that the plants have all doubled in size this year.
I'm almost afraid to say it out-loud, but I'm also singing the praises of the mole-chasers we installed. A year ago, I had tunnels through my beds and plants disappearing. No sign of moles this year. (Knocking on the wooden table as I type this!)
I'm thinking that the other strategy that really helped this year was the pellet fertilizer I applied in the fall last year, this spring and mid-summer.
The use of a good mulch may be another key to our success. I broke down and spent the big bucks on the Cottonbur Mulch this year and it has really held up through the drought. I usually try to make it 'stretch' and lay it on too thin. This year, I put the full two to three inches recommended and it did keep the moisture in the ground.
I sing praises to Tina who owns 'Diggin In the Dirt', a greenhouse outside of Woodland Park. Every plant I've bought from Tina has been so healthy and they have all thrived. I was explaining to Tina how my plants have really grown in size and my garden has filled in. Tina says to remember:The first year they sleep, the second year they creep, and the third year they leap. Well they really have!
I put in a second gate to the garden and laid some wooden 'cookies' for the pathway to this one too. I'll have to find an interesting arbor to go over the gate next season.
I was also surprised to see that some of the seeds did come up this year! I have lots of Baby's Breath, lots of Forget-Me-Nots, some annual poppies, and even Four O'clocks! The sunflowers are towering at 7 feet. They have created an awesome barrier that blocks the view of the neighbors. If only they would stay up all year! The tiny willow saplings have survived but a drought year didn't make for great growth. Perhaps in three years we'll have something resembling a bush??
None of the plants planted from bare roots that I mail ordered came up at all. Hmmm?? They did seem too good to be true.
This weekend I took the perennials I put in pots for the summer and transplanted them into the ground. I also started a new bed next to the new entrance way. Tilled it up, added some garden dirt from the raised beds in the vegetable garden and added some manure. Now, I'll let it 'cook' until next spring.
Have that melancholy feeling when you know the season is coming to an end and I won't be able to putter in the flower garden until spring. Wondering just how far away the first frost will be. It snowed on Pikes Peak last week and the Harvest Moon shone bright last week...
Starting in June...and now it's September. (I can't get this blog to let me get the pictures in sequence... but I'm sure you get the idea!)
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| September 10, 2011 |
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| This is the same shot as you see in at the bottom of the page in May. |
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May to September |
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| May 14, 2011 See the photo above now in September! |
