Autumn Asters

Along the neighbor's fence, I planted some asters that I received from a local garden club's plant giveaway.  In September, they bloom!

  

What I've never understood is:  why do flies like the asters?  They're all over the flowers.

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Now I Have Nasturtiums

After making great plans for a large container of nasturtiums, reacting to a black aphid attack, planting more seeds in case the attacked plants didn't recover, then watching them slowly grow, I now have a couple of blooms!

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A Little Tranquility

Sunday afternoon at Garden on Sherlock Street was beautiful.  Perfect weather.  Lively garden with butterflies and birds enjoying the plants.  A hummingbird was even seen; but alas, no photo of it.  Time to listen to the fountain on the patio is always good.

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While We Were Gone

This is the artemisia plant I needed help identifying.  When we returned from our vacation, I noticed these little tuffs at the ends.  I don't know if it bloomed while we were gone and is done or if this is what it does.  I know it's hard to tell in the photo but there's a hint of yellow in there.

This is a wildflower which can be seen along roadways on the plains right now.  I'm not sure what it is called. It's another plant I picked up at a garden club's plant giveaway.  Usually, it stays more upright and really brightens the side yard.  I'm wondering  if the downpour we received while we were gone made it flop over.  I had to move it off the mums in the corner.

***Updated 2010 09 27***

Thank you Jan for helping me identify this plant as Maximilian's Sunflower (Helianthus maximiliani).  The website Jan provided is http://www.wildflowerinformation.org/Wildflower.asp?ID=13.

*****

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It's Four O'Clock Somewhere

Autumn is when the four o'clocks look the best.  The heat is gone, they get more moisture and the drying winds let up.  It's hard to belive that this bed had bachelor buttons and love-in-a-mist earlier in the year.  I let all of those make seed before pulling them out.  The hawk moths love this flower bed.  They go crazy on all those blooms in the evening and morning.

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Produce Waiting

Last Sunday, I harvested produce from the garden after being gone for a week.  I had picked everything I could the day before we left and given the produce to a friend.  After one week, this was waiting for me.  The super large zucchini near the bottom of the photo is way larger than I usually let them grow.  I'm not sure what I'm going to do with it.  Right now, it is taking up too much space in the refrigerator.

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Tame Butterflies

While on our vacation last week, my wonderful husband and I came across some tame butterflies.  We were visiting the Mammoth Cave National Park in Kentucky.  We stopped to take the trail to Echo River Springs and next to the sign, we found a dozen or so butterflies "eating" something on the ground. 

I put my hands down by them and coaxed them to "step" onto my fingers.  They continued to "eat" something on my fingers.

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Rain Gauge Report 2010 09 23

.22" of rain in the gauge.

Rain Barrel Status

1st rain barrel is full.

2nd rain barrel is full.

3rd rain barrel is more than three quarters full.

I used water from the barrels when we got home last weekend so the 3rd rain barrel was getting a little low.  This morning we had a quick shower and then this afternoon, a quick downpour.  It gave everything a little drink in the garden.

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Send Me A Postcard

All summer, I've been trying to decide what to do with these two cactus plants.

I didn't want to repot them.  I wasn't sure they would survive winter if I planted them in the garden.  I was tired of them falling over because they're too tall for the containers they're in.  Anyway, I decided over Labor Day weekend that I would try to find them a new home instead of bringing them into the house for winter.

I sat them by our trash container and listed them on a local radio program where people buy, sell, trade and giveaway items.  Free:  two cactus plants in clay pots sitting by the trash containter in the alley at Garden on Sherlock Street.  Help yourself!

They were picked up before nightfall.

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Tomato Tour

While we were out of town last week, the garden plants were on their own.  A good rain helped.  I think the tomato plants added more growth than anything else.  Here's a quick tour.

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Rain Gauge Report 2010 09 19

1.50" of rain in the gauge.

Rain Barrel Status

1st rain barrel is full.

2nd rain barrel is full.

3rd rain barrel is full.

We were out of town when it rained at Garden on Sherlock Street.  According to our neighbor, we had a downpour with wind, but no damage at GonSS.  She said they had two inches in their rain gauge.  I'm guessing there was evaporation from our rain gauge.  I'm glad it rained while we were gone because everything looks good.  There are just a couple of containters that may have dried out too much.  I gave everything a good soaking the night before we left.  Plus, I brought in a couple of houseplants.  I used up the last of the the water in the rain barrels that night.  It was so nice to water everything from the rain barrels again this morning.  I'll post again soon.  I have a lot of flowers blooming.  Plus, I have some fun butterfly photos to share from our trip!

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September Tour And A Blogging Break

The September Tour of Garden on Sherlock Street is posted in the page on the right (or just go to the previous post).

Enjoy the garden.  You're welcome to come visit as you wish.  There is bench by the front porch and a glider on the patio if you want to sit and watch the butterflies.  Please let me know if you see any hummingbirds.  I am taking a little break from posting, but I shall return.

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Tour September 2010

Front Garden

Forest

Back Garden

Side Garden

Patio

Alley

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Busy As A Bee

Just look at all the pollen on this bee's knees!

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A Lovely Place To Dine

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Friend Or Foe

I found several of these insects on my sunflowers the other day.  Is that good or bad?

***Updated 2010 09 07***

Thank you Amy for helping me identify this insect as a Pennsylvania Leather-wing.  It is a good insect for the garden.  Here's a link about how they help:  http://lancaster.unl.edu/feature/guess6_26.htm

*****

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Heat Stroke

The heat has been brutal at Garden on Sherlock Street this summer.  While I can water when the rain doesn't fall, I can't cool down the air for the garden.

I have three dwarf Albera Spruce trees in the shrub border along the alley.  All of them have developed dead spots.  Our local horticulture agent checked them out for me.  She says our climate is not ideal for dwarf Albera Spruce trees.  She also said while they will lose some of their shape, they should survive.

The dead spots are mostly on the side away from the house.  The side that gets the most sun.  They're still putting their best side forward for me to see from the patio.

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Rain Gauge Report 2010 09 02

.27" of rain in the gauge.

Rain Barrel Status

1st rain barrel is full.

2nd rain barrel is full.

3rd rain barrel is more than half full.

A morning thunderstorm gave us some moisture.  I had used a little water from the rain barrels Tuesday night after the downpour to water the patio containers.  I have all of that back and then some.

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Lettuce Gone To Seed

The lettuce I planted in the spring did very well for us.  I kept it going until Independence Day by applying my ice trick although the flavor wasn't as good once it got hot.  When it started to bolt, I just ingnored it.  It made these amazing flower heads and now it is making seed.  I'm hoping to harvest the seed to plant next spring. 

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Was This In The Forecast?

Tuesday evening, we had a surprise rain shower.

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