October in Our Home Garden

 This week I found a beautiful swallowtail butterfly caterpillar on my parsley.  I have a fairly large patch of parsley in order to attract them.  I also like to use the parsley in my cooking so am very careful about checking for chrysalises and caterpillars when I cut and pick. Sometimes I miss them and feel horrible when I have discovered my mistake.


I have a nice crop of basil ready for making what might be the last batches of pesto for the year.  I have several in the freezer to last for the winter. That will be a Saturday project this week.

Not from my garden, but something I like to cook especially in the fall is apple slices and raisins steamed together in my vegetable steamer.  I steam them until the apples are just getting soft.  It doesn't even need any added sugar or even spices.  My Bible study group loves this dish when they come here for breakfast.

 My bok choy (left) is ready to harvest.  We will have some good stir fry this week. I love the patterns of the leaves, and the green and white combination of colors.

 baby bok

 Wax myrtles are doing ok so far.  I have been watering the new little guys most days.  The last couple have just been too windy and cold (the effects of Sandy) to get out there with the hose, but the wind had died down this morning so they got a drink.

 The zinnias and now the hyacinth bean have been happily escaping onto the Vestavia Hills Parks Department land behind our house.  The grass the city planted there has all browned out , so I am happy to have the color.  I don't know the long term effects of these escapees , so I may have to do some control next summer.  For right now, I am pleased.

 The compost pile potato patch (right)  planted from potatoes I left too long on the kitchen shelf.  I hope I get a few from this planting. Next year I want to put in a patch of fingerling potatoes.  The grandchildren are especially fond of the purple variety.

 New little osmanthes (left)  I have planted 5 along the fence and have one left to put in the back border near the wax myrtles.

I just love the colors on this little guy.  I hope he makes it.

Happy planting !  Gma Susie

Northwind Perrenial Farm, Burlington, Wisconsin

 My Sister, Sandi , and I visited one of our favorite spots to shop for plants and garden decorations in Wisconsin.  It is just outside Lake Geneva, near Burlington, and has amazing demonstration gardens.  Northwind is set in an old farmstead and sells native plants, ornamental grasses, shrub roses and many garden accents and gift and decorative items.  The barns and outbuildings are full of wonderful treasures and you can even walk into an old silo where it is fun to hear your voice echo. Kids love it there, and there are even goats to visit.

You can visit their website to find out more at www.northwindperennialfarm.com/

These are just a few of the informational signs available as you wander through the demonstration gardens.

One of the picturesque outbuildings used to display items for sale.  Some of the decorations I have in my garden came from Northwind.  I had a couple of the plaques break in half when the tornado came through and took out the fence outside the kitchen, and I have not glued them back together yet.  That will be a project for a cold , rainy day this coming winter.  Two of the metal items survived just fine.

One of the many planters scattered through the farm. (right)




In my own garden this week, I am bringing tender potted plants inside.  Before I do that , however, I will spray them with Safer brand insect killing soap, so as not to spread insects to the plants that have remained inside all summer.  Even after spraying and bringing them in , they will be isolated from the other plants for a while.  www.saferbrand.com/store/garden-care/5118  Safer brand was one of the products recommended at the organic gardening class I attended this past summer.  It is OMRI listed.(organic materials review institute)  Even organic insecticides should be used judiciously because they may still kill some of the insects you would rather have around.  I only use them when things get way out of balance in the garden, and in instances like bringing in plants for the winter.  I don't mind a few harmful insects around as long as they don't destroy everything and take over.  It is all about BALANCE, BALANCE, BALANCE.  Of course if I were a commercial grower, trying to sell my produce or flowers I might mind even a few unwanted visitors, which is one of the reasons it is so very difficult to be an organic farmer.  It requires constant vigilance.

Lantana camara at the front of our driveway planter.

This morning when I was outside watering my new plantings of  johnny jump ups( violas) and California poppies, I wandered over to the area where we have the Japanese maple and Knockout roses.  In the center of the area  I discovered a volunteer Lantana poking up.  Lantana camara is evergreen down on the gulf coast and blooms most of the time there, here it dies back and must be cut back after the first frost  and heavily mulched to have it return in the spring. It may be lost if it is a very cold winter, but I have some that I have had for over 6 years.  They are also a good container plant and can be brought in for the winter.  They like most any kind of soil if it is well drained.  I have to be patient in the spring because they take their time coming back up.  Just when I begin to think I might have to replace them I will see a few leaves starting to poke out.  I start to remove some of the mulch in late March, and just leave a light layer into April. Lantana likes sun to part shade.  It is fairly drought hardy and has beautiful pink, yellow, reddish, orange or white blooms, many are what I call a confetti of several of the colors.  They are very attractive to butterflies which is one of the many reasons I love these plants.

Happy planting,
Susan the wanderer

Kishwauketoe Nature Conservancy and News From Home

The Kishwauketoe Nature Conservancy is located in Williams Bay, Wisconsin on the shores of Geneva Lake.  It is 230 acres and includes wetland, prairie, oak woods, kettle, meadow and deciduous forest along with an arboretum and two creeks.  There are 4 miles of trails, and a boardwalk in the wetland and viewing tower.

Kishwauketoe is a Potowotomi Indian name for clear water.  When I visited, the fall colors of the  native grasses were so beautiful, and there were plastic bags provided at the entrance so that visitors could collect seed and take them home to plant.  I am assuming this is an effort to restore the native prairies in the area.  I did bring some of the seeds  back with me to spread in an area of my garden that used to be shade.  The seeds include some milkweed, which are good  butterfly habitat plants.

 

This photo was taken from the viewing tower, as was the one below.

Kishwauketoe has only one part-time employee, so relies heavily on volunteer help.  It is a beautiful treasure.

Lazy Cloud at Lake Geneva, Wisconsin

Today in my own garden I continued organizing and cleanup for the fall.  For the last two years I have let a wild grape vine climb and grow over my remaining camellia all summer because they like to be in dappled shade, and we have lost ours where the camellia is planted.  It is too large and old to move and until we have big trees to the West again, it gets the late afternoon , hot sun. The grape vine seemed to protect it last year, so I let it happen this year as well.  This week I have cut the grape vine back, and pulled it out.  I don't think I lost too many buds off the camellia, and I now have a lot of grapevine available for craft projects.  It is stored under the house and as soon as the leaves dry out I will strip it and use it to make wreaths.

My bok choy, carrots, beets and peas continue to do well, but the starts of spinach seem to have disappeared.  There are only a couple of plants left.  There has also been a nocturnal critter digging around in baby bok, so I have lost a few of those.

I also made my trip to Petals From The Past in Jemison, AL to pick up my new shrubs.  I purchased 6 small Osmanthus, or tea olives and 4  Myrica, or wax myrtles otherwise known as bayberry.  Both shrubs are endemic to most of Alabama, and both are fragrant and good food sources for birds.  Both also have appealing natural shapes and don't need a lot of pruning and are evergreen. They grow well in sun or partial shade, wet or dry areas  and are not real fussy about soil types.

The wax myrtle's berries have been used since colonial times to make candles and you have probably enjoyed the smell of the candles, especially at Christmas time.  The clippings are also a natural flea repellant, so are good to put on the floor of dog houses. 

The shrubs will be used around the edges of the property as the start of a natural fence, and to camouflage one of my neighbor's fences.  They will have to be babied and carefully watered for most of the next year, until they get established, then will be mostly care free.  Next fall, I will add a  few more.

But  now , onto Lazy Cloud. My sister, Sandi, is one of the innkeepers at Lazy Cloud Bed and Breakfast. It is located in beautiful Williams Bay, where Allen and I lived before we moved to Alabama.  You can look it up at www.lazycloud.com/.  Lazy Cloud is a romantic getaway with 2 rooms and 8 suites.  Rates range from $139.00 to $249.00 and there are no children allowed.  The suites have double  whirlpools and fireplaces, and each has an individual name and decor. They also have romantic garden areas and here are a few pictures.

Yes, this is a very large chess game.

 The following pictures are of the Geneva Lake shore path at Williams Bay.  I used to walk this almost every day.  Sometimes even in the winter snow.  The shore line of Geneva Lake is over 20 miles long, and there is a local law requiring property owners to provide path access around the lake. It is a beautiful walk, and I have done the whole thing in one day once in my life when I was in my late 20's.  Other trips have been the half way around or only to the next village variety. I used to love to walk from Williams Bay to the village of Fontana to have breakfast at Lucy's Donuts.  We used to occasionally do the trips in an organized group and then have a picnic following the walk.  Walkers must stay on the path and are not allowed to use the private beaches or piers, or bother the homeowners.  This path is a treasure, and I still miss living near the lake.  Our house was only a couple of blocks away and when the leaves were off the trees we could see the lake from our second story bedroom.

Starting out at the lake shore park in Williams Bay

 The rocks in the area are all rounded like these.  The area was covered with glaciers and this is the result.  They make for beautiful landscaping  additions.  This was at the dock at Gage Marine.

 Just a little reminder . 

One of the little spring fed streams flowing down into the lake.

 Mums and marigolds!

 Hydrangea.

A group of piers, which will soon be up on shore.  They are all taken out in the winter, and stored up on the shore, or they would be broken up by the winter ice..

Some property owners pave the path, others leave it natural. Most all have planted gardens down near the lake.

 The next entry will feature the nature preserve in Williams Bay.
 My wish is to be able to live in Williams Bay or Fontana in the summer, and in Alabama in the winter.
  Happy fall planting to you!
Susan

Why I Hug a Special Tree/ The Delavan Wisconsin Arboretum

The Delavan Memorial Arboretum in Delavan, Wisconsin is one of my favorite places to visit because my Mom and Dad's ashes are buried there, under a tree.  Many of their friends are nearby. I think this is a grand idea for  upcycling.  The ashes are useful, and I feel that when I hug the tree, I am hugging my Mom and Dad.
This beautiful sign is at the entrance and the arboretum is bordered by a shallow lake, Lake Comus.  There are walking trails and benches a boat ramp just outside the arboretum (below) and fishing pier. Fishing is also allowed  from anywhere along the banks of the lake.  It is generally a quiet, peaceful and pleasant place to be.

On the other side of the lake, far over on the left is the traditional type of cemetery, up on the hillside. It is  a beautiful place as well.  There is a spring there, just inside the gate, and when we were children, my father would take us there to gather watercress for watercress sandwiches. This is  another of my favorite memories.  My father was good at making everything seem like an adventure.

Mom and Dad's bronze plaques and their tree.

One of the small gardens in a sunny spot near the lake.

 A wetland area.

The original arboretum is full, so an extension was added.  I have a feeling it will fill up quickly.

The next few pictures are of back yard gardens bordering the arboretum.  This is all former farm land.  I believe it was the Dibble Farm.

A wonderful hedge of native grass.

Back to the beginning of the trail .

Do you see the bee in the center of one of the aster blooms?

Gaillardia pulchella, or blanket flower, or Indian blanket , in among the asters. Gaillardia is found over most of the US as a wildflower except in th Northwest.  It is also cultivated, and escapes cultivation and spreads to the wild.  It blooms from May into September.

On the next blog you'll see pictures of  Lazy Cloud Lodge and Lake Geneva path gardens.