Tangled Branches: Cultivated
happenings in and around my zone 6b gardens in northern Virginia and in central Virginia
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Life is About Maintenance
I once heard Patricia Schroeder say that and the older I get the more I agree with her.
There's my maintenance work for the day. This is the only time of year I don't like living on a wooded lot.
Not all the leaves are on the ground yet, and we still have some good fall color in the backyard. Hope to do a post about that soon, or at least before the snow flies. Speaking of snow, today is the 21st anniversary of the great Veterans Day storm of 1987. I remember watching the snow fall while cross-stitching a Christmas stocking for my niece, but don't remember if the trees still had leaves. It seems to me the leaf drop happens later every year.
Friday, October 03, 2008
Today's Color: Red
With special emphasis on the Malvaceae family.
Three malvaceous plants - new to the garden this year - will all be invited back next year.
Hibiscus acetosella 'Red Shield' is a very vigorous foliage plant with medium-red leaves. It topped out around 6 or 7 feet in a moist soil and afternoon shade, but is a more manageable 5 feet up close to the house. And these were plants started indoors from seed this spring. It responds well to pinching and pruning, rapidly growing side shoots. I like the leaf color - it's not so dark that it makes a black hole in the landscape, but dark enough for contrast. I especially liked it next to the 'Dallas Red' Lantana' and various Cupheas, including 'David Verity' shown here.
Abutilon 'Voodoo' has such attractive flowers that I'd probably buy it again even if it doesn't prove hardy here. What's that? It might be hardy here? Good question. I bought this one locally and the plastic label said "hardy to zone 7". I assumed it was a mistake. But Plant Delights is offering it and they have some astonishing things to say about how much cold it can stand: “Not only did it continue flowering into the upper 20s, but it kept green stems and leaves down to 20 degrees F”. Very interesting. I'm going to leave it outside all winter and see what happens. I'd always thought of Abutilons as annuals or houseplants.
I've already gone on at some length about Hibiscus sabdariffa, but I wanted to brag here about the jam I made from it. I made it on Monday and by Friday I've become addicted to it. I think I'll have enough calyces to make another batch or two this season - I sure hope so anyway. Four plants is plenty, but I still want more.
Labels: abutilon, autumn, hibiscus
Saturday, August 09, 2008
Midpoint of Summer
My annual post about the beginning of autumn is past due. I started writing this on Thursday, the astronomical halfway point between the summer solstice and the autumnal equinox, and traditionally the start of autumn in Europe and northern Asia. Or is it the midpoint of summer? That's what Wednesday's entry in Baer's Almanac said. I suppose it's a half-empty/half-full sort of judgement.
It's not hard to find signs of autumn, if that's what you're looking for. The black gum (Nyssa sylvatica) trees start to take on their fall colors very early (especially if they're drought-stressed?). 
Goldenrod started blooming several weeks ago, but I notice more and more every day.
There are flower buds visible on my 'Purple Dome' asters.
I saw a huge patch of pale pink Lycoris in somebody's yard in central Virginia last weekend.
A gust of wind brought down a shower of green acorns yesterday.
However, since starting vegetable gardening in earnest last year, what's really on my mind at this season is tomatoes and peppers. Especially peppers.
This year the freezer will be well-stocked with enough chile peppers to last until next August.
Labels: astronomy, autumn, peppers, seasons, vegetables
Saturday, November 17, 2007
Fall Foliage
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| This holly tree is at the edge of the deck |
Some views from the deck, from left to right across the lot.
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| Pink-coral leaves of black haw viburnum | Viburnum in context beneath oaks, next to dogwood |
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| Multicolored leaves of arrowwood viburnum | Winterberry holly and epimedium |
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| Winterberry holly with American holly in front | This oak tree caps the winterberry hollies |
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| 'Sango Kaku' Japanese maple is behind the winterberry hollies | The cyclamen foliage will be with us all winter |
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| 'Glowing Embers' Japanese maple behind 'Mildred Mae' azalea | This scarlet oak was a small tree 20 years ago |
All too soon, the view from the deck will be of my neighbors' swingsets, shed, compost bin, and woodpile with blue tarp, but right now the view is as good as it gets all year.
Labels: autumn, foliage, seasons
Tuesday, August 07, 2007
Beginning of Autumn?
Well, gosh, I was going to write a post about August being the beginning of autumn, but I decided to check my archives before doing it. Good thing, too, because I was going to write very nearly the same thing I wrote a year ago. Everything I wrote then applies equally well today, except this time I have a good picture of a clearwing moth.
In that picture, it just looks like a bug, but when you see one of these hovering in front of a flower, you could swear you're looking at a tiny hummingbird.
Also, to update last year's post just a bit, Wikipedia now has a page showing the exact time of the traditional beginning of autumn. Going over to time.gov, I see that we are already 2 hours into autumn as I write this. Then why is it so darned hot?
