The life and times of an eastern North Carolina garden.
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April
1, 2001
High of 62· predicted Cloudy with chance of rain/storms later
This is what I've been calling "the large perennial bed". We put it down last summer and this is after we mulched it and installed a few plants. It also has an old timey type fence that runs along the straight back and a birdhouse that Stuart's dad made up in this end closest to you. And a lot more plants in it. I'll have to get recent pictures. Last month just PRETENDED to usher in spring so early. After the first week of March it turned cold and rainy and yucky and then warmed a bit and then got cold again. Because of that I've found myself uninspired until just recently. It's disheartening to keep waiting for spring and then get just cold and more cold. In the meantime, my Bleeding Heart survived the freeze we had the other night with only a few top leaves curling up and going on to another place. The Solomon's Seal continues to send up pale fingers in anticipation of April. The Hosta's leaves are up and starting to unfurl. Most all the plants in the ground have started sending up their greenery. I was outside walking in the yard with Erica Friday night and was so surprised to see the Peonies have about 6" of green up. Impressive. I'm so hoping that they bloom this year. I planted some stuff yesterday also: Two of the "Southern Charm" Verbascum went into the large perennial bed, one Gold Lantana, the gladioli bulbs we planted a few weeks ago are sending up green leaves, I also planted a Karl Forrester (Perennial of the Year 2001) on the back corner behind the white crape myrtle. I also planted seeds of some Nasturtium and Cosmos in that bed. One thing I'm very excited about having is a mullein in the bed that I found growing out in the woods on a walk on evening. Said to drive away evil spirits, this stuff sends out a shoot that can be anywhere from 2' to 6' depending on age of plant and it is colored in sulfur yellow blossoms in summer. With the grey/white/green foliage it makes quite the statement by itself. I also planted some Purple Basil seeds in the herb garden. Oh yeah and a Gaura "Siskiyou Pink" in the arbor bed. ++++++ The weather channel was calling for severe storms and rain later this afternoon so both Stuart and I got up and out of the house before 10am. He wanted to cut the grass and I wanted Erica to have a bit of time outside while she could. I started futzing around and ended up clearing all the cheddar pinks out from around the lamppost. I took some of them and lined a curve of the border in the large perennial bed with them. They had a patch of Phlox subulata "Emerald Blue" mixed in with them and they got transferred too. Stuart and I have already got plans for 4 more beds to be put down this year and the lamp post will be encompassed into one of them. 3 of the beds will be mostly trees and shrubs while the fourth is to bed in the corner purple/pink garden because it is so hard to mow around 8 crapes and two beds plus the electric pole wire thing. I'd really like to get the front of the yard and the entry way landscaped but the county is running water lines and they haven't been down our road yet. Sure as anything you can bet that if we do put the stuff down, they'll come through and be putting the lines in on our side of the road. Back to the wee little bed around the lamp post. I still have iris, daffs and some unidentified plant coming up... i think a lily of the valley, to move out of there. Later this afternoon.... Well that storm just finished moving through and it was not the worst I've seen but the sky and air turned green and you could see the sheet of water that was the rain, coming right at you as it progressed. Not only that but hail the size small grapes and smaller though it only lasted a few minutes. It is now COLD and windy out when it was about 60 degrees earlier. Yay.
High of 90· predicted HotHotHot They are calling for a record high today beating out the one for 87· back in 1959. I'm just glad that I get to take a break from the heat in this office after being out in it all weekend. It was hot and the pollen count was sky high. Stuart and I had a busy weekend out in the yard. We got up early on Saturday to beat the crowds at the local garden/nursery center and even though Erica was acting like a little butthead, managed to pick up some stuff and head home: 1 Rose for
the Grape Arbor bed: Joseph's
Coat even though I doubt it's longevity. We'll see.
+++++ With the Hollywood Juniper, I think I've decided to put an evergreen bed somewhere. I'd really like it to be towards the front because there are some gorgeous specimens available. I'm not sure where though. There are other evergreens I've been wanting to add to the yard but didn't because of not knowing where they are going. I'd also like to pick up a Japanese Black Pine, a few Mugho pines, Hinoki cypress, a weeping Atlas Cedar, a Deodar Cedar, Blue Star Juniper and a bunch of other ones. +++++ I talked D. and maybe J. into making a trip up to Plant Delights Nursery the first weekend in May. I am SO EXCITED!! Even though I saw no Rudbeckias and only 3 Alliums in their catalog. I AM interested in the Cypella herbertii, Salvia 'Maraschino', Verbena bonariensis and of course a few hundred more. I am also collecting Sedum spp. and so far only have 4 different plants including 'Matrona' and the 'Turkish'. I am most interested in acquiring the 'Brilliant', 'Neon', 'Frosty Morn' and the 'Purple Emperor'. As I was going over the list of my plants I realized that I have almost ZERO red flowering plants in my yard. The majority are purple, pink, orange and yellow. I was able to identify my Trillium while looking through the catalog and find that it is a moderately expensive plant. Whee! I received it in a trade and was very surprised when I got it. Trillium underwoodii.
High of 86· predicted Pollen Count: 10.8 Cedar/Juniper, Oak, Sweetgum pollen I emptied the pond last night, by hand, with a 5 gallon bucket. Since the pump broke the water has been getting steadily yucky and since mosquito's are already so bad I didn't want them setting eggs in the stagnant icky water.
And it was NASTY. Ick. Dead fish smell coupled with dead, rotting, stagnant plant material. I emptied it of gravel, rocks, pinestraw, leaves, sticks and Erica's toys: a ball, another soft ball, a plastic alligator, a little shovel, pennies and a few other odds and ends. Ugh. I can't keep that child away from the water. Anyhow. The fish hung out in a big pot of their nasty water while I scrubbed and emptied and then refilled. Stuart didn't put them back in until right before we went to bed because of it being tap water and cold. Hopefully they'll be all right. They're getting right fat and sassy. +++++ The yard has been fire ant free for about two weeks now and that is only after eradicating about 3 HUGE colonies in the back yard. Now they're back. Just on the edge of the iris bed in the back corner. I'll try to remember some Amdro this afternoon. I have it, I just have to put it out. +++++ The seedlings are up for the Cosmos seeds I planted as well as ONE Nasturtium seedling. +++++ The Henryi Clematis is going gangbusters out in the grape arbor bed as is the one in the back corner garden. Oh and I have one in the large perennial bed at the base of the bird feeder. And the new one I just placed in there at the back along the fence. I would love to find a Niobe and a few others. I have Two Comtesse
De Bouchad
I want: One Niobe
+++++ All the daylilies in my yard and in D's yard are under attack by big fat green aphids. I'm going to get out there tonight with a soapy spray bottle. If that doesn't work THEN I'll get the pesticides out. Spray pesticides at night before dark so bumblebees and honeybee's aren't poisoned while they are out and about during the day. Those aphids also happen to be disrespecting my Seven Sister's Rose and I am not going to tolerate THAT. They better watch out. +++++ The Crape Myrtles have finally begun to show signs of life and the grass has started turning almost completely green. Soon it will be to start spraying the beds that we want to create this year with Roundup to kill the grass.
April 16,
2001
We went to Wilmington this past weekend and stopped at a place called Zone 8 to check out their stock of Jackson and Perkin's roses. And found a Zephirine Drouhin for $16. I could absolutely NOT pass this rose up. It is one of the few I've been keeping my eye out for in local centers for about 3 years now.
The ZD is also called 'Belle Dijonnaise', 'Charles Bonnet', Ingegnoli Predelitta', Mme Gustave Bonnet'. It was introduced in Bizot, France in 1868. Called a "Bourbon" Rose. It is a climber up to 12 feet and the smell....oh man the fragrance is unbelievably wonderful. Very intense. The flowers are a loose double and very pink. The canes have almost no thorns and the major color occurs in spring and fall but flowers intermittently throughout the growing year. Can also be pruned into a shrub shape without losing it's attractiveness. I am very excited about having it. I also picked up a Rudbeckia 'Irish Eyes'.
April 17,
2001
It snowed yesterday. Here. In eastern North Carolina in April. In the middle of April no less. And there was a covering of frost on my truck and all over the plants and yard this morning when I woke up. This does not bode well for my plants and any tender leaves. I'm not happy about this. It should be
back up to 70 by Friday but the damage will have been done already. I'm
sure my seedlings won't be making it. Dammit. I am not happy about this.
I waited forever on purpose to make sure that it was past the last frost
date.
***** Greta had her puppies on Saturday in the nice warm weather and yesterday after being flooded out of her corner under the front porch from the rain, she looked at me, as if accusing me of making it wet and cold. Poor baby. I think there are 6 puppies from what I could see and since it was so cold I didn't want to disturb them too much. 2 White with black spots. 2 brown-brindle color and 2 black that look like Caesar with his white patch on his chest. I'll be keeping one of them for us. The one most even tempered of the black two. ***** Since the wild cat population has disappeared around the area i've noticed so many more birds. Stuart and i talked about starting to get some bird feeders and other items to attract more wildlife. As long as
the wilfdlife has 4 legs and fur or feathers.
High of 54· predicted Scattered showers unseasonably cold PollenCount: 5.7 Oak, Birch and Gingko UV Level 2 Local Weather It's been windy all week. I hate that. I'd rather deal with the still muggy heat. The only GOOD thing about the wind is it keeps much of the bugs at bay. ***** Busy weekend and week in the yard. I purchased the following: 1 Winter Honeysuckle
for the shrub line
I sent out a trade on Monday. Trading some Rudbeckia 'Herbstonne' for some Verbena boniarensis and some Rudbeckia maxima.
April 30,
2001
I spent almost the entire weekend in the yard. It was so nice. SO nice. To be able to work at full steam for an entire weekend. I got a lot done too.
The Sawtooth Oak's and the Zelkova look very good out there in the front yard. The Zelkova is a huge tree that was a ball and burlapped speciment. Stuart had to use the Bobcat to laod it onto the truck and I just knew we weren't going to have an easy time of it trying to move it around but he did it! ...the wheelbarrow is slightly lopsided now but that's all right.
I planted the red flowers: Dianthus and Pentas around the lamp post in the front yard. Should be a brilliant spot of color in about a month. The Scabiosa and the pink Dianthus were put in the large perennial bed.
Did I mention that we have what we think is a Bluebird nesting in the birdhouse located in the large perennial bed? Can't get too close because it freaks out and flys away but we are so excited! Moved the Varigated Weigela from the front entryway garden to the Yellow and Orange garden. Which is now going to be no longer yellow and orance since the blooms on that shrub are pink and there is also a sport of 'The Fairy' on the far end. Did this last Thursday or Friday.
I got a little bit too prune happy with the Mme. Isaac Piere rose out by the kitchen door....I hope it recovers. I was trying to rid it of the dead canes and to get rid of the stems that sported a starting of Black Spot. I hate that stuff. So. Hope it recovers. It's been showing an open bloom here and there for about 3 weeks now.
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