No Care Mums

It’s true. Nothing was done to these mums this year.  They were not pinched back, though that might have made them more compact -- just the regular bit of compost and mulch and a friendly mother nature is all.

Shefffield Pink  is spectacularly large at over 3 feet tall. 

One little yellow volunteer appeared in my garden in 2007 and has almost taken over the bed. 

 

Great blooms following great summer weather.

Leaf Trick

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I apologize for posting a day late. This blog started out as a complaint against Mother Nature. No matter how many times I rake the leaves out of the corners and from under bushes, she insists on blowing a new bunch right back.

Then I read the Susan Harris’ post “The Great Dead-Leaf Debate – who knew?” at Sustainable Gardening blog. Susan presents the alternatives in 2 parts.

Susan also mentions the “leaf it be” movement. You know - letting leaves decompose where they fall

Here are my reasons why I will never be part of the “leaf it be” movement:

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- When I worked on farms, no one had the time or the energy to worry about leaves (although we did sometimes clean up the perennial beds). We were too busy tossing bales, feeding animals and cleaning up after animals. The leaves had to take care of themselves. That was then and this is now. It’s different in city life.

- Leaves accumulated in corners do no good. They make a slimy, messy pile and a perfect hiding place for rodents and insects.

- A rug of maple leaves on the lawn will smother grass. It may do the same to groundcovers and perennials. Even though we’ve reduced the size of our lawn over the years, we still need a place for kids to play kick ball and throw a Frisbee. So we need some lawn. We leave some shredded leaves on the lawn but there are way too many to shred them all.

- Leaves block storm drains and cause flooding. It’s a driving hazard. I’ve seen it happen. . (There’s nothing more foul than a flooded, stagnant intersection with rotting leaves floating on top.)

- Leaves on sidewalks become slippery when wet. I don’t want to see granny with feet flying above her head.

- Leaves stuck in tender shrubs by the whimsical wind do not decompose. They have to be picked out by hand. They look messy and will still be there when we harvest the tomatoes next summer.

- Leaves can rot wooden decks. Decks are too expensive to let rot.

- And, raking is good exercise on a crisp, fall day. It promotes family togetherness. (The younger family members may try to make grownups feel guilty at their forced servitude with a rolling of eyes and deep sighs. Don’t fall for it.)

My compost bin is full. I have a large pile of leaves to add all year.

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If I can’t use all the leaves from my yard, why not let the city make compost for everyone? We picked up a nice truckload this fall. And, it’s is so much better than dumping them in the landfill.

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More Fall Color

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Red Maple.

The colors are so brilliant right now that I have to post a few examples from my garden. I’ll stop with these, I promise.

Sweet Shrub (Calycanthus floridus).

The large maple that shades our house.

Dogwood leaf (Cornus florida).

PJM Rhododendron with its fall purple hue and one over-eager flower.

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(For more check the comments in Fall Color Project on The Home Garden Blog .)

Color of Autumn

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The fall color in Monroe and Carbon Counties peaked this week according to Pocono Mountains Fall Foliage Reports.

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The only day we had available this week turned out cloudy and cool. Even though the colors were not as bright as they might have been in the sun, we enjoyed passing fields and hills covered in bright red, orange, magenta, purple, yellow and gold as we drove north. The view from Penn’s Peak (above and right) was spectacular. We had an enjoyable day taking in nature’s blazing finery.

The variety of species on the mountain is responsible for the mix of colors. Oak, sassafras, maple, walnut, ash, chestnut, locust, hickory, birch, aspen and elm among the evergreens add their glowing color to the mix.

Local color is just starting. The view from Bethlehem’s City Center Plaza shows some bright color mixed with green looking toward South Mountain.

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The current view of the Lehigh River is peacefully green with just a slight touch of color.

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Blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum ‘Patriot’), planted this year, is an excellent substitution for the invasive burning bush (Euonymus alatus). The fruit is wonderful and the brilliant fall color is a nice surprise.

Next week the Lehigh Valley should be as colorful as the Poconos. Raking, shredding and composting will begin shortly thereafter. The brilliant show will be over and my world will turn brown until spring. I plan to enjoy the color while it lasts.


(More information on the process of fall leaf color change "The Miracle of Fall" from the University of Illinois Extension.)

(For fall color around the world check out "The Fall Color Project" at The Home Garden http://www.growingthehomegarden.com/2009/09/fall-color-project-2009.html )

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Fall Colors

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It was too early this week to see fall tree color at Delaware Water Gap in the Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania. I imagine it will take another two weeks to show the brilliant yellow, orange and red of a Pennsylvania autumn.

But there are lots of fall colors in my garden.

Mums in pots and in the ground.



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The combination of ‘Super Elfin Bright Orange’ impatiens and coleus ‘Rustic Orange’ is difficult to photograph and get a true color. But here’s the general idea.



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Marigolds

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And cosmos.



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Maximilian sunflower (Helianthus maximilianii) 4 to 5 feet tall.

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In a few weeks the mountains will turn gold and scarlet. The crisp fall air is energizing – a wonderful time for gardening.

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A Walk in the Park

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I run for hope, I run to feel
I run for the truth for all that is real
I run for your mother, your sister, your wife
I run for you and me my friend
I run for life

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Cancer survivors paraded through the crowd to Melissa Etheridge’s “I Run for Life”. An emotionally charged group of over 5,000 women cheered and clapped. They were there to celebrate cancer survivors and support those battling breast cancer.

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The Women’s 5K Classic was held this morning in Lehigh Parkway in Allentown, PA. A beautiful park and glorious fall weather set a backdrop for runners and walkers. A sea of pink filled the paths of the parkway. I felt a bond in the fight against breast cancer.

Volunteers cheered, music blared, high fives passed along lines of runners and walkers. Today was one of those feel-good days - full of hope and friendship.
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Mums and Asters

The colors of fall.

Mums and asters are in bloom everywhere. The colors in my garden are mostly yellow to orange, a few pinks and a purple. The size varies from a diminutive button mum to the 3 foot high and wide yellow mum that was an Easter gift. (Yes, I did pinch it back.)

Chrysanthemum rubellum 'Clara Curtis' has been a real winner. This pink daisy mum, purchased in 2004 from Wayside Gardens, grows and grows and bloomed all summer. I’ve given away a few pieces of this plant.

Another winner in the hardiness category is Chrysanthemum koreanum ‘Single Apricot’. This daisy-shaped mum spreads and needs to be propped up. I use 4 sections of 24” or 32” Gard’n Border green round folding fence to make a cage. The fall color is a sweet peachy-pink. I purchased it in 2004 from Hickory Grove Greenhouses in North Catasauqua.

A spectacular show this year is the orange mum transplanted from my Mom’s garden several years ago. I don’t know the name but it produces a great bloom every year. This one also gets pinched and propped and grows 2 to 3 feet tall.

Aster novae-angliae ‘Purple Dome’, planted in 2004, has a deep, rich purple color. I originally planted 2 but only one remains. I pinch the plant back lightly until the middle of June. I didn’t have much trouble with mildew this year – because it was so dry? It doesn’t spread (unfortunately) and is pretty care free if you can put up with the mildew. I would like to add a few more asters next year.

I try to plant mums in a wind-sheltered, sunny spot. They make good foundation plantings. In winter, I cover them with branches cut off when the plant dies back and some leaves or mulch. I try to shelter them from the winter freeze/thaw cycles. Sometimes I lose a mum but mostly they make it through the winter.

The hardiest of my mums: ‘Clara Curtis’ is planted in a sunny open spot and seems to do fine. I haven’t done anything to it – no fertilizer, no pinching, no cutting off dead branches. The ‘Single Apricot’ is under a dogwood tree but gets some sun. This one is pinched, propped, cut and covered. It spreads a lot so I end up with plants to share or plants for the compost. I just pull or cut them out when it gets too wide.

What a colorful way to end the summer.

Christmas Cactus

Leaves of fall. We had absolutely beautiful weather on Saturday - 60+ degrees and sunshine. We spent the entire day outside - raking leaves and cleaning up the gardens. With this glorious weather outside it's hard to get in the groove of taking care of house plants (and cuttings). I seem to be doing OK - haven't killed anything yet.

The white Christmas cactus is blooming. It's in dire need of a trim. I have to remember to do that when it's finished blooming. It also needs to be repotted - I haven't done that for a number of years. I think I'll do a root pruning and put it in the same size pot with fresh potting soil. I really don't have space for a larger pot.

I never bought a Christnas cactus. I have two red ones that bloom later. They all came from cuttings from my aunt Betty's plants. She gave me the first one when I was 16. One red blooming cactus is getting woody so I'll try to remember to take a cutting after it blooms and start a new one.