Bits of This and That/Petals From the Past

This has been a weekend of doing just a little bit of  this and that, like moving a few rocks, doing a little weeding, a little pruning out deadwood.  No big projects done, although there are lots of them waiting out there for me.  The temperatures are a little bit cooler, but not so much that I want to spend the whole day in the garden yet.  That can wait for later in October.

 It is a little early to start putting in shrubs and trees, but friend Chris and I did a scouting trip to Petals From the Past in Jemison, AL and made our lists of what to come back for at the end of October. Check them out at petalsfromthepast.com  We also got information about the vines she should plant at the trellised end of her shade garden,Cross vine (bignonia capreolata) is just what she wanted, so she picked them up Saturday and can plant them right away. They will bloom with red outside and yellow lobed inside trumpet shaped flowers in spring and then again in fall, and the hummingbirds love them.  Just 2 plants will eventually cover her whole 16 ft width trellis.

I found a yellow trumpet honeysuckle (Lonicera sempervirens) to put by the mailbox to replace the one I lost, and also several seed packets.    Some seeds are for early next spring, but also the carrots and the bok choy  I wanted to put in now.  The carrots were planted last night. The honeysuckle is a native and not to be confused with the invasive and unwanted Japanese honeysuckle which will take over the whole garden if you let it.  Hummingbirds love the honeysuckle, and Bobwhites, Northern Cardinals, Pine Siskins, Purple Finches, Goldfinches and sparrows love the seeds according to my Lone Pine Wildflowers of Tennessee the Ohio Valley and Southern Appalachians guidebook. 


Petals From Past has a lot of native plants in stock and also carries a good selection of organic seeds, and garden tools.  They have wonderful demonstration gardens and also sell produce such as blueberries, blackberries, figs, persimmons and pears when they are in season.  They are known for their expertise, customer service and heirloom roses.

 The very first Swamp Sunflower blooms.  It is mixed in with the Goldenrod in the back garden. It was very windy Saturday morning when I took these, so I had a difficult time getting a good shot.  That, and the fact that they are way over my head. Around 6 ft. tall.

Goldenrod (Solidago gigantia) is not only a beautiful fall bloomer, it also hosts beneficial insects like assassin bugs and big eyed bugs which help to control harmful insects leading to less need for  pesticide use.

 The Spider Wort is having a second bloom period.  I had cut a lot of them back because they had become too tall and were falling over other plants.