I did manage to get all of the hostas organized and on the ground for winter, though I didn't cover them yet because it wasn't going to be that cold last night. This afternoon I'll finish the rest of the perennials. Should only take a couple of hours. I also have to get in the creek to dig some sand to put around the cannas that I have in buckets for the winter. It is still warm ...

It's hard to believe that this tired, dry bed was once lushly green.  But it was, just a few months ago. Now the last of the drying stems are preparing to blow away in the next chill wind.  And the garden is beginning its winter rest. Like most gardeners I know, I've got a growing stack of seed catalogs by the side of the bed.  And as I settle into my flannel nest at ...

... have a total of 3 cherry trees on/around the mound. We are calling it cherry hill. :) I also planted my cloves from my 3 garlic bulbs I pulled from the old house. There are a few hostas on the north side of the hill. We might plant some blueberry bushes there too. We received a dwarf Sweet Bing Cherry, dwarf Montmerency Cherry, dwarf Stayman Winesap Apple, dwarf Lodi apple, standard Early ...

... for goodness' sake! We have a second raspberry bed too, this one made of raspberries we brought down from Maine. They, the Maine blueberries, strawberries, bridal wreath, hostas, campanula, rose and others LOVE it here as much as we do. While he was retrieving the electric cord from our work Barry had me take this picture. Yes, it's an iris blooming -- the SECOND bloom this year. The ...

... inflict harm - I've experienced spider bites before and I get a huge red swelled area at bite site. Not fun! The slug, in a forest, not bothering me the slug in my garden or hostas they can inflict some damage there but they seem less offensive to me on neutral ground, i.e., outside. But there's a greater metaphor at work here isn't there when viewing one's encounters ...

... together, for such an arrangement should last several weeks. Not to be overlooked are ivy, pachysandra and large violet leaves. These all provide dark green color masses. All of the hostas combine well with lilies. Perhaps this seems like too much stress on the addition of foliage, but it results in better contrast of color, texture and form. It can also be the starting point of a design pattern ...

... starts up... Mostly, I have tried to work out in the yard as much as possible in the last few weeks. Lots of mowing, raking, transplanting, etc. You might remember these irises from the spring. I moved the hostas from this bed to by the urning bush and split the irises all up. Here's Miner in his fall pose. And, "The Summer of the Deck" continues...we are experiencing what I ...

... . Weird. Lloyd took care of them this time, mowing slowly to really mulch them up - then he mowed over everything else. Disregarding rocks, sticks or stepping stones, now the hostas are gone, as well as the peonies and seedums. Oh, and we’re going to need a new mower blade. Along those lines, we can’t imagine why people rake. Mowing is so much easier, and (presumably) better for ...

... - some of the trees will stay green all winter long. The yards are covered with leaves . . . They make for an interesting picture - lots of texture! A Hosta blooming like my poor little Hostas never did! Maybe next year! A different view of the tree in my front yard. It looks pretty in this light! Well- we are home. How did you like the walk?sdfTrishasdfvP.S. I am trying the earbuds for a ...

... the 60 bulbs planted I had and in the process have everything composted, rock phosphated, and worked up for the next set of 60 bulbs arriving in two days.   I also transplanted a couple of hostas from where I planted the bulbs. I was originally going to discard them as the deer perennially eat them off but my wife made a plea for them so I put them in a corner of the deer fenced garden beind ...

... fence installed, a new porch, and a bunch of "left over junk" from previous owners hauled away as well as grass put in where the old cement slab rested. I want to plant flowers and hostas all along the fence. So I'll look up some kewl flower gardens to see what I can come up with for spring. - Design a Vegetable Garden. Nuff said, with the economy the way it is and the way we ...

... fall if deadheaded. Hosta ‘Empress Wu’ Looking for an impressive and unusual specimen? This tribute to the only female emperor in Chinese history certainly fits the bill. One of the largest Hostas available, dark green ‘Empress Wu’ matures to a height of 4ft in about five years. Flower scapes with light lavender blooms stick their noses just above the foliage. Zinnia ...

... the car, swaddling myself in scarves, and leaving the warmth of the bed every morning, at least the yard is prepared. I raked and bagged the last of the leaves and clipped the faded peonies and hostas. I left some leaves around the roses to insulate them a little (did I read that or just get lazy and think it sounded good? are you supposed to mulch roses for the winter?) and am waiting for the ...

"Mum's bought slugs!" I hadn't of course, but I concede my latest vegetable discovery is a dead ringer for the Arion Ater lurking under the hostas in our garden. One of the earliest things we learnt in our Great Big Veg Challenge was to be brave, not to be frightened of the vegetable unknown. We have tried everything from seaweed, cacti and nettles to bitter gourd and now Black ...

... local berries, corn, jams and maple syrup. The Potting Shed at 44 Haldimand Road 17 Dunnville. You will not regret visiting this award winning garden center. You can go as far as choosing your own variety of hostas. They make a very special and long lasting gift for special occasions. Let the bride or groom name their own hosta variation. Truly one of a kind. They also have an amazing selection ...