It’s fall y’all. And that means pre-winter cleanup in the garden is underway.This year has been a rather strange year in the garden. Spring started early. In March we had very good sunny weather resulting in early growth and bloom in some perennials, but in the last weeks of April disaster struck. Mid-winter-like temperatures descended from Canada across all of North America as far south as Florida and southern California, ruining crops and causing millions of Dollars of damage.
In my garden the Viburnums, Plum trees and several other plants were in full spring bloom, but the cold cause not just all blooms and new growth to die, but all the trees and scrubs also lost their leaves. Tender plants like the Asian Lilies never fully recovered and produced only limited blooms later during summer.
Then in August we experienced one of out hottest summers to date. Nearly every day temperatures in the shade were in the 90’s and out in the sun, plants had to endure plus 100 degrees Fahrenheit temperatures. And no rain! Usually Kentucky gets rain at least once or twice a month right through the year, but no rain fell in my garden for several months. We had to water just to keep the plants alive, but municipal water is never as good as good soaking of natural rain.
Nevertheless, most of the garden repaired itself in some form or fashion, but it never ‘shined’ as it should have.
Coneflowers along a path in the backyard.
Table for two in a shady corner.
Daylilies with gayfeathers and Beebalms in the background.
A portion of the backyard garden.
Blackeye Susans, Balloonflowers and daylilies along the path in the front yard.
Monica always put a few windowboxes in the front.
* Heading photo of river and trees in fall colors courtesy of Chuck Hagen of WGNTV and previously posted by Jeff Ragovin from www.jeffsweather.com
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