There is nothing I like better at the end of a hot summer’s day than taking a short walk around the garden. You can smell the heat coming up from the earth to meet the cooler night air.
Peter Mayle
Is there any flower more synonymous with summer than the humble Shasta daisy? How many of its poor flowers over the years have been sacrificed to determine if he/she loves me, he/she loves me not?
Summer has finally arrived. The days are long, the sun is bright and our gardens are hitting their stride. The cold and dreary days of winter have faded into the mists of ancient history (let us not furrow our brow by worrying about what comes six months from now. Focus on the present, people!).
It has been my observation that when summer finally does arrive, my garden (much like its gardener) seems to slow down and chillout a bit. The mad rush of spring fades to a more languid pace. Gone are the quick blooming plants such as hyacinths, daffodils, tulips, irises and peonies, and in their place are the longer blooming summer perennials. A big reason for perennials taking the foot off the gas pedal is simple: because it’s fricking hot! They don’t want to put on fast growth during the heat of summer because that taxes their ability to take up water and nutrients. They prefer to put on the majority of the their growth in the cooler months of April and May. Hence the mad rush of spring. Plants may not have brains, but they ain’t dumb.
What is interesting to me is that in general (note that I said in general), perennials that bloom after the summer solstice tend to bloom much longer than perennials that bloom in spring. For example, echinaceas (coneflowers) and Shasta daisies can bloom for a month or more. The daylily, whose flowers only last a single day (hence the name) can set new flowers for several weeks. Yarrows have been known to bloom for up to 10 weeks. My Black-eyed Susans usually start to bloom in mid-July and can, under the right conditions, bloom all the way into October!
Contrast that to the short bloom times of most spring flowering plants (such as daffodils, tulips and peonies) whose flowers usually last around a week or so. For example: irises may bloom for roughly a week, but their flowers at best only last up to three days only if the weather cooperates.
(Of course, none of this applies to most vegetables and annuals. Since these plants only live for a single growing season, they grow and bloom their fool heads off in a desperate sprint to bloom and set seed before they die).
In addition to the longer bloom times, many (not all) summer flowering perennials will re-bloom if you deadhead them regularly. For those of us who grew up before the advent of VHS recorders, spring flowers are like the holiday TV specials of our youth. If, for whatever reason, you didn’t get to watch “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown” or “Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer”, well, tough luck kid. Maybe next year. Spring flowers are much the same. If you missed the spring flower show, you will just have to wait until next spring to catch it again. Oh, you can deadhead your irises and peonies to make them look tidier, but they ain’t coming back this year!
Some perennials that might rebloom if deadheaded regularly include roses, coneflowers, Black-eyed Susans, Shasta daisies and globe thistle. I’ll be candid; I am not very good about deadheading. For deadheading to be effective the gardener should go out every evening to pinch the spent blooms off, and this task to me is almost as tedious as weeding.
Now, let me give you a tour of the Vintage garden as seen in high summer:
Shasta daisies in bloom in the front yard. If you look closely, you can see a big ol’ weed smack dab in the middle of border that I failed to see when taking this picture. In the background is the driveway border.Coneflower (echinacea) starting to bloom in the driveway border.Yarrows and a solitary blanket flower in the front yard. The vines on the trellis in back are “Jackmanii” clematis and hops. The hops are getting a little out of control, so next spring I’ll need to thin them out very hard. The vines provide shade on the front window, which helps keep the living room cooler in the evening.Yellow yarrows blooming in the foreground. The tall spires in the back are Russian Sage, which should begin blooming in a couple of weeks.Blue fleabane and some kind of purple flower. The purple flower is a perennial that reliably returns every year, and I know that I planted it sometime in the distant past, but I have no idea what it’s called. Blue alliums play peek-a-boo in the back.Red yucca flower stalk in the driveway border.
So that’s it for now.
I hope you are enjoying your summer so far. How does your garden fare?
One of the joys of gardening is that a garden can be an oasis in the urban/suburban for wildlife. Besides the usual sightings of suburban rats (squirrels), we have seen an amazing variety of birds including two raptors of some kind nesting in the neighbors’ cottonwood tree.
One of the pitfalls of gardening is that a garden can attract wildlife. Confused? Well, let me explain.
Mrs. Vintage and I recently renovated several sections of our gardens. While recently basking in the newly overhauled birdbath garden, I happened to noticed that some of the plants we had just put in seemed to be doing very poorly. I knew that the area was getting enough sun and water, so at first I was a little stumped at what might be causing these plants to fail.
I also happened to notice that the lawn in front of the shed door was looking a little puny, and that was when I put 2 + 2 together. I’ve noticed that there have been quite a few more bunny rabbits in the yard than there have been in years past, and they have seemed to make the shed their home-base. I realized that these R.O.U.L.Es* (Rodents**Of Unusually Long Ears) have been devouring all the newly installed plants!
Healthy plants straight from the nursery have been turned into nubs thanks to the neighborhood rabbits.
We’ve put too much time, effort and money turning our garden into a private retreat just to have the local bunny population turn our borders into all you can eat buffets. So I employed several techniques to thwart their mooching behavior.
Blocking off the bunny highway.
First off, I discovered a whole warren of them are living under the shed. So I used large sheets of leftover plywood as well as rocks and bricks to block off some of the holes and access points they were using to get into the yard. There’s really no way I can keep all the buggers out if they want to get into my yard, but I can at least make them work for their dinner.
I used this stone to block off another entry point. As you can see, they just dug right next to it to regain access.
Then I purchased some deer and rabbit repellent and started spraying it liberally in the borders affected the most. Let me tell something: this stuff stinks! But that’s the point isn’t it? I also spread a little bit of blood meal around to ward them off. Apparently bunnies aren’t to thrilled with the smell of blood. Plus, blood meal has a bit of nitrogen in it which should help the plants recover.
The only down side to the repellant and blood meal is that I have to apply them every time it rains or the area gets watered.
I also purchased some chicken wire and created little cages to put around the plants that have been hit the hardest. Once the plants make a recovery and begin outgrowing the cages I’ll pull them and see what happens.
Not very aesthetic I grant you. But the plants do seem to be making a recovery.
It turns out I have a weapon available to me that I didn’t even know I had. Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you Bailey, slayer of bunnies (not really).
Don’t let the placid expression fool you. This is the face of a stone-cold killer!
Bailey is one of the meekest dogs I have ever known. I didn’t think she had had an ounce of killer instinct in her, but apparently I was mistaken. One day Mrs. Vintage was working in the backyard and happened to look up and see Bailey carrying a rabbit in her mouth by the neck. Mrs. Vintage freaked a bit and made her drop it, and it promptly scurried away, denying Bailey her kill.
Now I will be honest here: a month ago I probably would have done the same thing. Well, I probably wouldn’t have freaked out, but I would have made her drop the rabbit immediately. Now, however, should I happen to see her carrying a bunny by the neck I will still most likely make her drop it, but I might think about it for awhile before doing so.
In more positive news things are really popping here in the Vintage garden. Below are the Gaillardias (Blanket Flowers) that I just planted in the birdbath garden already in bloom.
Anyway, the poor Spirea shrub that I found just lying on the ground after the cable guys were finished is enjoying its new location in the garden and is thriving.
“Glow Girl” Spirea in its new home.
Finally, here is a view of the border that was renovated last year. Looking good, but several plants didn’t make it through the winter. I’ll wait until later in the summer to see what spots I need to fill in with plants. There’s two reasons for waiting. One, I’ll have a better idea of the size of the plants already in this area so I’ll know how many new plants I’ll need. Two, nurseries usually put their remaining stock on sale in July and August allowing me to pick up some nice bargains!
Have you spotted any unusual wildlife in your garden so far this spring? If so, have they caused you joy or heartache?
*Hat tip to the movie Princess Bride
** Technically rabbits aren’t rodents, but lagomorphs. Screw it, they look like rodents to me.
Trees are newly clad in their verdant raiment of leaves.
I suspect most gardeners have a favorite season. Mine is autumn, specifically from the autumn equinox to Halloween.
But trailing it by just a nose would be this time of the year; from late spring to early summer. More specifically, from mid-May to about a week after the summer solstice has passed.
This period is when we enjoy the brightest days of the year. The sun is so bright it makes my eyes ache whenever I step outside. My mind is always pleasantly surprised at how everything has suddenly turned so green, seemingly overnight, even though I have been anxiously watching for the return of the growing season for weeks.
The temperatures have warmed up noticeably, but it’s a genial warmth that allows the gardener to tend to his garden in comfort. The brutal heat of July and August are still several weeks away. It truly is a glorious time of the gardening year.
Another big reason why I love this time of year is due to a very particular scent. Sometime in the first week of June a fragrance appears that triggers in me an incredibly strong sense of nostalgia. This scent doesn’t last long, maybe a week or so, and I’m not sure what plant is the source of this scent (I suspect it’s Russian olive). But because of when it occurs, ever since I was a small boy, I have equated this smell with the start of summer break. Even today, when I catch even the slightest whiff of this heady aroma, I am transported back in time and become suffused with the joy I used to feel when I was released from the State Center Housing Of Organized Learning (S.C.H.O.O.L) for the summer and into three months of sweet, sweet freedom.
The containers have all been planted. We’re going with a purple theme this year in the containers. I like purple. Sue me.
Enough of the past; let’s get back to the present. There has been a lot going on in the Vintage garden since my last post that I am excited to share with you. The birdbath renovation is finished, and the side-yard has been completely overhauled.
First off, the side-yard:
MrsVintage spearheaded the overhaul of the side-yard garden, an overhaul that I have been viewing with some trepidation. A trepidation which has caused me to procrastinate on getting started for several years. So when MrsVintage volunteered to scrape out all the weeds and scraggly grass, I am not the least bit ashamed to admit that I didn’t even hesitate when I agreed!
Once MrsVintage got the hard part done, I put in edging to separate the area from the lawn. We laid down landscape fabric, put in several flagstones and finally covered the area in pea-gravel.
This area faces the southwest and receives next to no shade or water, so it gets very hot and dry in summer. So we decided on a desert theme to go with the flagstone and pea-gravel. The plants we picked out are from desert regions from around the world, thus they are quite heat and drought tolerant. We put in plants such as sedum, sunrose, ice plants, yuccas, prairie dropseed grasses and a dwarf lavender. Hopefully they will all enjoy their new homes.
We also put one of the indoor potted cacti in the area for a several reasons: to get sun after spending winter indoors, to provide additional desert garden flair for the area, and also to remind me to visit the area from occasionally. I may need to water it if it’s been exceptionally dry and this will ensure that I check in and enjoy our little desert nook.
Below are some before and after of the side-yard overhaul for your edification:
Last year I did a “Tell the truth Tuesday” post and used this photo to show a less than ideal section of the garden. Nothing but scraggly grass, weeds, a rose I’ve been trying to get rid of for years and bare dirt. A photo of yellow tulips in front of the weedy mess from this past April. Mrs. Vintage did the nastiest part of the job. She scraped out all the weeds and grass. I dug out old roots and removed several stepping stones that we forgot were even there. Looks better already!We put the landscape fabric down, and then started putting in plants that will take to this hot and dry area. Finally, we used pea-gravel as a mulch to keep the plant’s roots cool.
Ta-Dah! I present to you the finished side-yard:
Voila! The American southwest right in the Vintage front yard.
Heck, some of the plants have already made themselves comfy and have begun to bloom as you can see below. The plant in the foreground with the purple flowers is an iceplant, and the one behind it with the orange blooms it is a sunrose.
Desert plants enjoying their new home.
Now let’s move to the backyard to see the completed renovation of the birdbath garden:
I put three Panicum “Northwind” ornamental grasses where the serviceberry used to be. I used them to help counter-balance the weight and size of the redbud tree at the other end of the section. These grasses should get to about 4-5 feet tall with plumes that will possibly reach 7 feet or more in height.
I also moved a couple of blue fescue grasses that were struggling elsewhere into what I hope is a more hospitable spot.
The wooden stakes mark where “Coronation Gold” yarrows are planted. I moved these yarrows here last year, and I put the stakes in when I was digging out the old serviceberry to keep me from stomping them to death. You’d be amazed at how much damage size 11E feet can do.
Other plants that went into this area include butterfly weeds, blazing stars, “Monch” asters, “Grand Mesa” penstemons, “Goldsturm” black-eyed susans, and one Baptisia (also known as False Indigo) named “Grape Taffy”. You can see in the photo above that there is a Brunnera hiding under the birdbath. This Brunnera was in this section from before the renovation, but it’s thriving so well in that spot that I decided to leave it.
This mix of plants should provide color from early summer all the way into autumn. My hope is that this area will become a magnet for butterflies and hawk moths.
Finally, I lined the part of the border nearest the walkway with Gaillardia “Arizona Sun”, otherwise known as blanket flower. I really like blanket flower because it’s such a cheerful little flower that blooms its ever-loving head off. I’ve planted many of these over the years, but they never seem to stick around for me. I assumed it was because I wasn’t situating them in a place where they could thrive. But this past winter I was listening to a podcast on Fine Gardening’s website, and the hosts mentioned that blanket flower is short lived because it is such a prolific bloomer. It literally blooms itself to death. I’m keeping my fingers crossed these new ones will reseed themselves in this area, thus providing free plants for years to come. If not, I will just have to replace them as they die off.
Anyway, here is the finished product:
This border doesn’t look like much yet, but I will do several updates as the year goes on to show its progress.
You may remember I wrote about the brutal snowstorm that hit my area back in late April (see here: https://www.mrvintageman.com/this-week-in-the-garden-winter-strikes-back/) that zapped several of my plants. I am happy to report that most of the plants have bounced back quite nicely, as you can see by the lush Brunnera plants below.
These Brunnera shrugged of the mid-spring snowstorm just fine.
I had a fairly decent tulip showing this year. I am (surprisingly) not much of a fan of the ephemeral spring bulbs. I find their display entirely too fleeting, and their fading foliage tends to leave holes in the borders. But I will grudgingly admit they do provide a quick pop of color before the main show gets going, and the bees do like them. So I will make an effort this fall (and every fall from here on out) to plant more tulips and other spring flowering bulbs in the borders to provide a little more pizzazz in early to mid-spring.
Orange tulips (name unknown) blooming amid the burgeoning irises.
I will close out with a couple of photos of our Irises, the flowering harbinger that signals spring is drawing to a close and that summer is rapidly approaching, whether we are ready for it or not.
I do love me some purple irises!Puurrrpplle!!
Now that the renovations are done, it’s mostly just maintenance (read: weeding) and mowing for awhile. When late summer rolls around, I’ll survey the borders and see if there are any improvements to be made and holes to fill. Late summer/early autumn is a good time for doing this because one: the plants have reached their potential and the gardener can actually see what areas need help, and two: most plants have gone on sale at the garden centers. I do love some discounts!
What has been the high points for far in your garden this year?
