Iris and verbena?

There were irises scatterd throughout my garden and they were getting buried by other plants. I moved them all to a bare patch at the front of the garden. Maybe they'll bloom there since there won't be any competition.

And I've scattered lots of Verbena Bonariensis seed around the iris. They're tall, but are very late starters. Lots of nice tall plants and blossoms still in bloom now. Maybe they'll be a good companion to the iris? The iris blooms will be long gone by the time the verbena starts growing.

planting combo ideas

Artemisia around the bottom of a clematis - to shade the clematis roots and keep them cool. And to protect the stems from being crushed by snow.

Achillea over tulip bulbs - will deer really avoid eating the tulips if they're surrounded by furry plants?

Daylilies and daffodils. Daylily leaves disguise the fading daffodil leaves.

A new garden

Oct 3 - dug out loads of compost and moved it to an area of lawn that will become a new garden. Much of the compost is still 'composting', so it will need to sit through the winter and maybe next summer too. We estimated that it was 4 cubic yards of compost. Still some left to dig out and spread. Should be a good 6 inches of compost across the whole area. Would be better a bit deeper, but I'm running out of compost!

Lots of hostas, ferns, daylilies and others to move to the new garden - perhaps next fall. I've already moved many of these over from my apt. to another bed that I started this way over a year ago. Both beds are in a very dry area under the pine trees. A gardening challenge. Dry, a bit shady, acid from the pines and sand. Will need lots and lots of compost every year.

Some of the astilbe in that area have already died. And the columbine plants must have tasted good to some passing deer. It's a waiting game and survival of the fittest!

Indian Summer

A lovely warm day in Oct. In the 70's. Went to the orchard and picked apples, bought cider and indulged in a cider doughnut - just one!

A bit of a frost this week has left the impatiens looking a bit tattered. Time to rip them out and put in the icicle pansies. Bought a flat of yellow ones a few weeks ago at Home Depot. Should get some more.

If the weather holds, I'll clean up some of the garden tomorrow and move some plants around. The tall garden phlox is taking over. It's lovely, but I can't see anything else in the garden. This summer it was covered in powdery mildew, not surprising with all the rain.

Will pull some of it out and move some from the front of the garden to the back. And move some of the black eyed susans from the back to the front. Want to leave some at the back to look at through the winter.

Similarly, hollyhocks have taken over the middle section of the garden, back to front. They need to be tamed a bit too.

There are irises, mums, a peony and lots of other plants buried in amongst the tall plants. They don't stand a chance!

Daffodils!

Planted a huge box of daffodils this weekend! It was a box of 100 bulbs from White Flower Farms - their naturalizing collection. The box of 100 bulbs was really 130, with at least 240 'noses'. (ok, I was bored, I counted them all....)

I planted a third of them in them in the lawn, and used the "bulb planter for naturalizing" tool from White Flower Farm also. I looked all over to see if I could find the same tool elsewhere at less than their price of about $50, but it really seems to be an exclusive product - and well worth every penny. Amazing product. I've tried (and broken) many bulb planters. This one worked so well. I'm thinking of investing in some more of their tools.

(picture borrowed from White Flower Farms)

Plants to check for next summer

• Rudbeckia hirta Prairie Sun -- Saw this at a garden shop in Boothbay with Judy. Taller
  than regular blackeyed susans. Unusual lime center. Petals are two shades of
  yellow.
• Japanese Anemone -- Auntie Betty has a beautiful dark pink one in her garden. Would love to find that same color. It should be hardy in this zone.
• Ceanothus - Blue flower, sort of lilac-ish type of flower? Shrubby? Aunt Betty's garden again.
• Foamflower Neon Lights (Tiarella Neon Lights) -- bought one at the garden shop in Middletown.

Planting today

I've already forgotten the type of fern I planted at Doug's today. Planted some marigolds in the front yard and 3 hot pink geraniums at the back. Moved a bunch of dianthus from my window boxes to D's front garden.

Coreopsis are blooming away. The ones that have been deadheaded are all coming back for a beautiful second round of bloom.

Grass and garden are very dry.