All done gardening for the summer

Well this summer has been quite eventful to say the least - with dh being ill etc... I was not able to care or enjoy my gardens as much as I would have liked to. Anyhow I have already pulled everything apart - meaning divided plants and such and then cut them down so they would form good roots. I know I won't have much more time this year to enjoy it so I figured I may as well get things done early. The days are growing shorter too ugh!

I have a lot of tidying up to do but thats about it. A lot of the clean up will wait till spring. Done planting and moving things, top dressing of manure is the biggest thing left to do later on. A few leaves here and there losing green color, could be more from no rain than the time of year but I suspect its a combination of both. Had to water rose bed this am which means we will get a t-shower this afternoon no doubt. We can use it here. Getting into the list and planning mode for next year already, a sure sign any real gardening is done for this year. :)

all done!?
http://www.tigersweat.com/movies/animal/house11.wav
I certainly hope things work out better for you next year. Get some asters, they will brighten up your fall.
Over?

Wow! Done is a four letter word, Dawn! I'm not done at all - maybe by Christmas but if this December and first half of January is anything like this past winter I'll still be working into January.

Now I'm in the midst of cutting back all the daylilies, minor weeding, ripping out what I don't like and replanting. There are so many dahlias and other plants to enjoy right now and I do.

LOL Al you just cracked me up with that clip!!! OMG too funny! Thanks for the laugh.

Yeah I know pirl I am quitting early but I just don't have the energy for it the rest of the growing season - sad eh? Too much on my plate right now.

I understand your situation, Dawn.

I couldn't get through to the link, Al.

Pirl - they've gotten tougher on linking wav's, you use to be able to open them directly. It's from Animal House.

Will do.

Have loads to do. Waiting for September. Cooler temps and no kids around (Yeah!!!!!!) . Have more plants on order, of course. Have lots to move. And I want to start the dreaded task of removing all those stones around my beds. Hopefully I won't be in traction come Turkey Day!

Pirl, you are cutting back all the DL foliage now??

Dawn I understand too. In 2005 and in 2006 my son was in the hospital for 2 months right in the start of gardening season . I just can't leave him alone in a hospital so I was there to I was so starved for gardening that I actually went down to the hospitals garden and pulled weeds !( I almost had my husband bring in my felco's) : this year has been a treat for me because he has been realatively well : )
laura

I have some planting left to do. Once the temps get down below 90 and stay there for a while. also have to lay out a drip hose on my corner hillside. Only thing that will water the whole weird shaped area at once.
Martha

Pretty much done here too...except for the odd weed. Not much to do until the first killing frost gets the glads and dahlias...then they have to be dug and dried for winter storage. Have moved everything I need or want to move...except for one daylily, he ain't done blooming yet. Right now I'm scrambling for indoor places to put all the tropicals I have hanging outside....

Laura if you don't mind me asking....what is/was wrong with your son? Well of course I could see why you didn't have time to garden with your loved one in the hospital......hahaha I think it is cute that you did some weeding at the hospital. Now that is one sure sign of a true gardener! LOL

Victor - yes!

All the way to the ground?

Wait, wait! Done? How can we be done? Summer continues until Sept 20th, right? And I though my plants would bloom until the end of summer - and then the fall plants, like the mums would take over, and my flowering cabbages . . . how can we be finished? I thought all this ended in November . . . .

Plants have their own calendars.

Well, I have Linaria seeds and baby;s breath sprouting all over the place - so if we have a mild fall, I should have flowers for a while. Also the bachelor buttons are still blooming as are the pinks, the delphiniums all have buds, the mums have buds, the petunias are totally renewing themselves after a rather severe "hair-cut" two weeks ago. The roses are still making flowers, the dahlias are going great guns. I have lots of little seedlings on the verandah for next years flowers.

BTW, when do I stop dead-heading plants if I want seeds? I keep deadheading, and I get more flowers but at some point, I will run out of time.

Victor: down to 2 or 3". Taller if I see new green growth emerging from the center.

Is this for aesthetics only?

No. The old leaves, when left in place, do the plant no good at all. As they decay and hit the ground they're hiding places for slugs and bugs.

Slugs and bugs have rights too.

Not here! Guess who came to dinner, or maybe it was a very early breakfast?

Sidney Poitier??

Wrong! Four legged critter able to leap tall fences in a single bound and it's not a four legged Superman.

A deer, dear?

Yes, dear. I looked down at a giant hosta and couldn't imagine what had happened to it. Just the wide leaves were gone but not the rest. Then it hit me and I investigated and they've been munching phlox (just leaves, not flowers), roses (buds not leaves). Time for us to put down more Deer Scram and Milorganite.

Dawn, My son has multiple disabilities is quadraplegic and is oxygen dependent and very bad lungs, so we were in for respitory infections he has some seasonal allergies and that really sets us up for the spring ( we average about 2 months of the year in the hospital his record is 16 consecutive weeks!). He is 18 years old but cognitively he is very young so he is my 18 year old newborn . the up side is that he is an incredible happy kid who lights up a room with his smile and touches all who met him . although he is a lot of work he is with out doubt a blessing that I have learned so much from .
ps the gardener at the hospital gave me 2 ginko seeleings that I am growing as a bonsi and introduced me to prarie wine cups !
laura

Bummer. Sorry to hear that. I have to put more stuff out soon. Lots of babies around.

Oh yes this is when they come out of the woods to bulk up for winter with the whole family. The bucks are out and about all the time but the moms and and babies will be looking for a good buffet along with dad now.

laura sounds to me like you have a happy and fulfilling life because you have a great attitude. I bet your garden responds wonderfully too.

The garden is not done yet don't worry, still plenty to come like you say, all the fall bloomers and late summer things still going strong. Its the gardener that has had it, at least here LOL. I stop deadheading things no later than Sept 15. About a month to six weeks before first frost so things will get it that their job of making seeds is done and they can put all their energy into getting ready for winter and putting down more roots instead of trying to make babies.

I am late getting in on this thread. I don't usually go to the links unless they are specific to a topic for me, but Dawn said that Al's clip cracked her up; I had to bite. Al that was PERFECT, being a mom of 3 teenage boys and a big Animal House fan myself...that was great. You cracked me up too. It was absolutely perfect, tone, timing and tenor! Thanks. It made my evening!

Rose

Laura, your son is blessed to have such a devoted, loving mother. Best of luck!

Laura I was going to say the same thing as Victor....big hugs!

Thanks Rose. Gardening is easy - comedy is hard.

My garden is still going strong. The thyme seeds that I planted around the stepping stones in my new garden are sprouting - yea!! I didn't know if they would germinate this time of year and I hope they get enough growth to make it threw the winter - time will tell!!
If not I'll start over again. I didn't know that I should cut back my daylilies though - thanks for the advice on that Pirl. Coneflowers, butterfly bush, hydrangeas, astilbes, roses, etc. are still blooming as well as the weeds!! It's keeping me busy and happy!! Eleanor

Michaela,
My daughter just left for UMass-Amherst this afternoon with most of her stuff. She's off to band camp. We will be following her out there next friday with my son and my in-laws and the rest of her stuff to attend the band parent's barbeque and concert and staying overnight in Hadley to attend the first football game on Saturday{just to see the halftime show, of course!}. I wanted to know where your terraces are? I might have a chance to come and see them this weekend. We will be out there for the day for other games, but this one we spend the night. please let me know.
Thanks,
Martha

Use mapquest to get to my place - I am in the DG membership address book. That will take you to our rather sad looking terrace. - and to our place for tea!

Michaela