It’s the middle of October already. I’m already starting to mourn the passing of autumn, which is rough because I’m still not over the passing of summer. Anyway, at the risk of being repetitive, I’m posting some pictures taken earlier in the month.
The Sidewalk Border was the second border that I added to the garden. We moved into our house in July, 2003. Next day I went to work on the Driveway Border. The following spring I started digging up turf along the sidewalk for the Sidewalk Border.
On Saturday we flew back to Chicago from Japan. It was a 12 hour flight, during which I did not sleep at all. Nevertheless, I was fairly alert on the drive home from the airport, focused mainly on what we would find upon returning to the garden. My anxiety gradually rose as I took in …
It’s hard to leave the garden when you’re going away for a long trip. Judy and I are heading to Japan tomorrow and we’ll be staying there for a couple of weeks. (It’s another vacation piggybacked on Judy’s business trip.) I can’t stop thinking of everything I’ll miss while we’re gone. So I spent much …
I’ve lived practically next door to the Montrose Point Bird Sanctuary ever since we moved back to Chicago 14 years ago. In fact, I’ve driven right past it on most days for all those years. And yet, last week was the first time I actually went there.
I’m proud to say that my state just adopted Milkweed (Asclepias spp.) as its official wildflower (the official state flower is the Violet).
August brings not just the Susans, but also Joe – as in Joe Pye Weed (Eutrochium). Note that Joe Pye Weeds used to be Eupatoriums, but now thanks to the ever-busy taxonomists they are Eutrochiums. This is arguably an improvement since Eutrochium is one syllable shorter. (I’ve written my Senator demanding passage of a bill barring …
The Susans always make their presence known in August. There’s Black-Eyed Susan (Rudbeckia fulgida), also known as Orange Coneflower. And then there’s Brown-Eyed Susan (R. triloba), which I like to think of as R. fulgida’s big sister.
The light changes in August, and so does the feel of the garden. The days have begun to shorten and the sun is lower in the sky. The light still brings heat, but there is a softening, especially in late afternoon.
I love Cardinal Flowers (Lobelia cardinalis), but they don’t love me. Which is to say, they always die on me after a couple of years. They’re fairly finicky. They like lots of sun, lots of moisture, and bed sheets with a thread count of at least 1,800.
gardeninacity 