GARDENING

We've had murders. The guy who'd arranged to do our patio and taken a £1,500 deposit didn't come at any of our arranged times. We've informed the police and now he has arranged to come Monday to discuss everything and begin work the following Monday. Watch this space ......

Are you still going to let him do the work???
I guess there's no returning the money, huh?

He's said we have a contract and we'd have to take him to court. He knows the police have been informed so let's hope he does the job and does it well. I'll not hold my breath but I'll let you know of the outcome.

Here's hoping it all works out.

Nippon Chief arrived at my door testerday
afternoon, whereupon I immediately proceeded
to set it into its designated spot.

Humus rich soil, with ample sunlight,should
be a suitable location:


It's set to just a couple of inches deeper
than its tuber's topmost eye:


It's given enough space to become a
prominent feature, with a dark green
backdrop provided by a privet shrub:


Squirrel barriers will remain in pplace
until spring.

Today some irises came, and within
an hour they were in the ground, becomng
part of the yellow iris border.


(click photo)

Did the maple tree today.

before and after pix:

Yesterday I added a couple of dozen crocuses to the
display shown here as of last April. The enlarged view
shows the loctions (click photo):



At the spot marked (1) the object is to fill in the space, incrementally, between
the sidewalk and the fence. Note my assistant, Miss Mollie:





Those will share space with these plants:




Those placed at spot marked (2) completes the border
on the other side:

Here's an update on my crested fern as of this
morning. It looks right at home in this particular spot,
where I hope it complements a neighboring peony, Mrs. Franklin D. Roosevelt, well:





That maidenhair fern set out this year looks right at home.

Some additional compost around it, in addition
to mulching,should give it a boost so as to become divideable
size in order to create a nest for the peony,Janice , next to it.


Click to enlarge.

Our first show of autumn color in the yard.
I'm kind of hoping the whole tree becomes the same color as that reddish swatch, but most likely it'll become its usual gold yellow.
A later look will follow. Stay tuned.

She looks great help, Neko, but where is my special little friend? (I've been looking amongst your plants to find her! )

Oh, msolga, you'll find her indoors now; she's very much the dowager of the manor these days. She does,however, accept a tour of the garden while riding on the groundskeeper's shoulders.
taken as of this morning



Since Max's passing, she's very much the indoor cat, content with a few minutes of fresh air on the patio after breakfast.

Awwwwwwwwwwwwwwww! There she is!

I'm sorry she is no longer enjoying the fruits of your hard work in the garden now that Max has gone, neko.

But, I must say, she is looking very splendid indeed in her new spot! I'm certain she's treated royally by you. And quite rightly, too! She's very special.

So Miss Mollie is a new resident in your home?

Im gonna plant tulips this weekend in the damn rain. We were told not to plant tulips until about HAlloween so Im a couple days early.
With my work and med problems this summer, we didnt split tne Irises, I wonder if its too late .SE PA cusp of zone 6

Hope those irises won't heave come spring, farmer; August is
usually the latest I can set them here. Took a chance, though, this
year, in setting some out last month.


Earlier this week I dug out three roots from this fernleaf peony:


(click images)

they were put in among some
primulas out back:



The objective is a color ensemble of lilacs, primulas, together with the
peonies, blooming within the same week,which would be in late May.



Those primulas will need thinning out to accomodate the emerging peonies; however, that's for next year.

The bricks are for the squirrel...

I took a root from peony Janice....

click on pictures

... and transplanted it near some hostas at the back of the garden


(The size of that root was a surprise; however,
the fragment will take root nicely, but I
don't expect a flower from it next year.)

by the maple tree:



At the spot marked X.

...and here's a view of this year's installment of
my iris border project, featuring Spanish Coins:

The bricks effectively keep squirrels away; without them, I would have lost the plants within days of setting them out.

Here's an update on Oldtimer




It's looking its age,but despite having been
mugged by a squirrel this past summer-- I
brought it back indoors to save it-- it's
gamely hanging on to life. You can get a
closer view of new foliage emerging by clicking
the photo.

Here's another update.

Last year, on November1,2006, if anyone
here can recall, I started some peony seeds
I bought through mailorder. Seven seeds came
in a padded envelope. This pic shows day 1:




Thirteen months less a couple of days later,
the first encouraging signs began to show.
Three of them have visibly sprouted.
click on photos for a closer look.



This is a species peony P. mlokosewitschii.

Update on the iris border. The bricks have been removed, risking
frost heave, because they were covering some emerging crocuses.



added April 10:As luck would have it, those irises were set
almost on top of some white crocuses. At the time
I could only make a guess as to their location. I may be
able to remedy the situation this summer. Click on pic for a
look at the situation.

My last year's peony has shown up.

last year
]
today- click on picture