Silverado Rose in My Autumn Garden

Certainly there are many pink-colored roses, but the Silverado rose has a color that echoes the Spring season to me, so vibrant and also very fragrant, a truly wonderful member of my backyard garden, especially in the autumn and winter months!

Succulent Garden with Wildflowers!

It’s been about two months since I planted my succulent garden and sprinkled wildflower seeds around it. The seeds have exploded with life, peacefully co-existing with the succulents. Over the next several weeks, more of these wildflower seedlings will be in flower, making for an even more dramatic display. I can’t wait!

Apple Tree Flower Blossoms!

My 3-in-1 apple tree sapling has produced flower blossoms. Oh, the shades of pink are simply too stunning to describe! As mentioned in my previous post, I started out with two of these 3-in-1 apple trees and the second one died, so I was not sure how the remaining sapling would do. From the looks of things, this tree seems to be doing well. Apples follow from the blossoms so I will keep my eye out for fruits. A very informative site for growing apple trees can be found here:  http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/hort/hil/hil-8301.html

Autumn Garden: A Season of Review

I just finished watering my front and back yards. The front looks fine, lawn is still green and my various bushes and plants are thriving. That’s the good news.

The bad news? My back yard had a combination of hits and misses.

The hits:  Most of my roses (primarily hybrid tea) are standing strong (a few perished), the wildflower seeds that I planted recently directly into the soil are peacefully co-existing with my also recently installed (and very lovely) succulent garden, the Waltham butternut squash vines are fruiting, both of my Nagami kumquat saplings are bearing some small fruits, both of my 3-in-1 pear trees (delicious fruit) and 1 of my 3-in-1 apple trees still stand (1 perished), and the seedlings for my eggplant and carrot plants are still growing.

The misses:  Hands down, the biggest miss this year has been my beloved tomato plants. As in previous years, I started from seed and planted them in containers (as in previous years) and though I enjoyed tomatoes for a week’s worth of meals, the vines just fizzled out!  Despite good efforts, I (and other gardeners as well) can experience feast or famine at any time, and I’ve gone through the latter this time around for this crop. Undeterred, I will plant tomatoes from seed again next season!

When the winter rolls around, I will evaluate if I will be replacing the defunct plants, plant wildflower seeds in their place, or leave the spaces unoccupied for the time being.

CONSUMER ALERT UPDATE: The non-fruit parts of tomato plants are poisonous if ingested. More information on toxic plants can be found here: http://www.plantsciences.ucdavis.edu/ce/king/poisplant/tox-com.htm

Waltham Butternut Squash, Fruiting

One of my Waltham butternut squash plants is fruiting. We had a few days of rain here recently and I had not had the chance to visit this plant until yesterday, and was happy to see a little butternut squash (along with its corresponding blossom) peeking out.

I’ve grown various crops in containers over the years, but winter squashes have been quite reliable.

Eggplant in Container, Thriving

I”m happy to report that one of my Black Beauty eggplant plants, started from seed, is thriving in its container. So leafy! I’m hopeful that this plant will be productive, to yield delicious eggplants to enjoy!

Seven-spot Ladybird Beetle

Also known as Coccinella septempunctata, I captured an image of this lovely ladybug within the hour in my backyard garden. It was introduced to North America as a predator against aphids. More information about this helpful insect can be found here: http://www.nysaes.cornell.edu/ent/biocontrol/predators/c7.html

Water Hose and Sprayer Replaced

After years of good use, it was time to replace my backyard water hose.  A few bubbles had formed near the coupling where I attached the sprayer, so I knew that some of the layers of that section of hose was worn out.

After I’d turned off the water and sprayed what I’d thought was the last of the accumulated water in the hose,  water would still slowly drip where the coupling and the sprayer met.

I purchased a 75-foot hose as well as a sprayer with a rubberized grip. My existing hose reel was still in good shape so attached the hose to it.

CONSUMER ALERT: The water hoses that I have bought through the years have attached a rubber washer through one of the plastic or twist-tie fasteners that hold the cardboard label to the hose. (The washer is a flat rubber ring, to be inserted into the coupling first, followed by attaching the sprayer, to prevent dripping).

When I purchased my first water hose, back in the old days(!) as a first-time homeowner, I nearly threw away the washer along with the cardboard label, not really knowing what it was or its purpose. Memories!

Carrot Seedlings, in My Container!

After a few failed efforts at growing carrots in containers (they have not grown very large in the past), I’m making another attempt this season. Check out the carrot seedlings at the top and the bottom of the photo (the one in the middle is an errant grass weed!). Started from seed, I’m hopeful that the seedlings will produce full-sized carrots to enjoy!

Japanese Aucuba Cutting, Transplanted

After months of growing in a round water-filled bottle, the Japanese aucuba cutting that I transplanted into its own container appears to be taking to its new home.

I’d let this cutting’s roots grow a bit longer so they were actually conforming to the shape of the bottle. But I’m confident that the long, strong roots will serve this plant well. In time, when large enough, I may consider transplanting it directly into the ground.

CONSUMER ALERT: Japanese aucuba has been reported to be poisonous, though the level of toxicity has been reported to be minor.

A very informative and useful website on toxic plants can be found here http://www.plantsciences.ucdavis.edu/ce/king/poisplant/tox-com.htm