Putting A Garden To Bed

Maple leaves at Brown County Indiana State Park

On the Brown County State Park drive.

Maple leaves at Brown County Indiana State Park.

The spirit of the Midwest is dearest in the autumn. Even those folks who aren’t of the soil take a moment to look up at the deep blue skies, smell the smoke from some log fire and take satisfaction in a summer well done.

For the gardener, it’s a time to pick the one last rose and to marvel at the bounty of the land we call home. It’s taking the time to watch a “willy worm” and explain to a child the mystery of that furry little creature.


Farmers and gardeners may use the time to walk fields and beds, taking stock of what went right or wrong. A faintest gathering of plans for next year begins as the wonder of another harvest has blessed us again.


It’s this very time of the year when we see men standing with one foot on the fence, a piece of grass in the teeth and a faraway look on their face.


It’s the time of the year when poets extol the colors of harvest and wax sad at the ending of summer. As local poet, Carl Sandburg, knew so well, “Corn wind in the fall, come off the black lands, come off the whisper of the silk hangers, the lap of the flat spear leaves.”


Fall is the oil and watercolors of artists painting the golden fields of corn, the orange and red of turning leaves, and the purples of asters.


At night we may gaze at the deep blue sky and marvel that there must be more stars in the harvest skies than any other time of the year.


With a porch swing or a garden seat, it’s the time to take a cup of hot cider, an old quilt, and sit and contemplate. Contemplating is an old art whose time comes again in the fall of the year.


Autumn allows us to stop the responsibility of seeding, tending, and gathering and simply enjoy. It’s a brief rest between the work and enjoyments of summer and the efforts needed to keep us warm, provided and safe in the winter.


The summer tasks of preserving our garden bounties have almost come to an end. And although transportation and stores have made “laying in winter supplies” much a thing of the past, many of us still have the internal call to get all things ready.


Those that garden, farm, preserve food, hunt, and butcher understand the satisfaction we have at the end of the growing season knowing all is well.


For most of us, it’s being able to winterize our lawn mowers and tools, put them away, and know we will have months without those chores. No more weeds to pull, no more watering the pots, no trimming and picking. Putting summer to bed and knowing the seeds will lay cozy until spring when all awakens new again. God, in his wisdom, has given us autumn as a place to rest and enjoy. And if you can do it with a piece of fresh warm apple pie – well, so much the better!


(Photos are from the first part of our two week vacation.  Brown County Indiana is always beautiful this time of the year and famous for the fall foliage.  In addition to the drive through, we hiked the lake area and made many stops.  Simple and beautiful Midwest entertainment.  Visit:  http://www.browncounty.com/ or text browncounty to 39649 )  

General Grant

We spent a few days in one of my favorite towns, Galena IL.  The weather was perfect for walking and walking we did!  Although many perennial flowers were no longer in bloom, there was an abundance of annuals in the gardens at the many beautiful homes.  This is a Dahlia that was almost dinner plate size.

Because we go to Galena several times a year, and the weather was so great, we decided we'd take our own self guided walking tours.  We both enjoy the grandeur, character, and beauty of old homes.  And, if old homes are your thing, nothing can give you so many that are so well preserved as in Galena.  This particular home is an example of the steps and hills that must be navigated to take a walking tour in Galena.  It appeared no house or fence was made that didn't include stone and iron - both plentiful.  Most homes and commercial buildings are either build into a hill or on top of a hill.  We decided Galena residents must be very healthy, have tremendous leg muscles and have extraordinary driving skills in the winter.   

Another large Dahlia seemly unaware fall had descended.

Galena in Latin means "iron".  This is one little fact that I gained while touring the Galena Historical Museum.  It was pretty awesome to see the period pieces, the iron mining history and photos and General Grant's things.  They actually have his boot - one he wore while in the war.  The above log cabin is an example of many in the area - some old and some new - this one is both.     

I noticed many of the old homes and top floors in the business district are apartments.  I suppose it's very difficult to own one of those beauties, keep it historically correct and in repair.  Plus, there isn't any really huge business aside from tourism.  With the fact that many people rent, it was even more surprising to see so many little cottage gardens and the quantity of annuals.

Often the large homes have been converted into Bed and Breakfast establishments.  We try to stay at a different one each time we're in Galena - along with the historic DeSoto House Hotel.  This year we stayed at the Farmer's Guest House and it was great.  Historic, immaculate, good food, friendly hosts, comfortable beds, and the other guest were especially enjoyable. 

Through a breakfast conversation, I found I was sitting next to another "daylily enthusiast".  This lovely couple was from another famous Illinois town, Metropolis.  It is so nice to visit with another gardener and find our differences and our common ground.  This little plot was the entire front yard of one historic downtown home.   

These are two of the large city buildings located overlooking the Galena River:  The top was a former school house and is now condos.  The trees were just beginning to turn and that will only get more beautiful as October marches to winter.  Galena is especially beautiful after Thanksgiving when they do Christmas decorating as only Victorians can.  I think next time we visit, we'll do a walking tour during daylily season since I saw many plants around the old homes. 

 As for the commercial aspect of Galena, the shops are mostly filled and seem to be thriving.  Food is everything from convenience, cafe', Italian, up-scale, to the VFW bar located downtown.  I mention the VFW because that's where I met the "generals".  They have members who do historical talks as the eight Galena Generals of the Civil War and they had stopped after one presentation for a short stout.  They told me their story as if they were still in character.  They do this as a way of preserving the history for the next generation.  Galena:  A good place to visit and a good place to live and apparently a good place to garden.   

It's All In The Tilt Of The Chin

As numerous as flowers in a garden, there's at least that many opinions on what comprises a perfect garden-flower-outdoor photograph.

Professional:  A professional must produce photos which have subject matter and quality good enough for someone to pay money to possess/use them.
           
Cataloging:  The criteria is a photo only good enough to document either the location and/or the basic physical characteristics of a plant/flower.

Documenting:  This involves the ability to have close-ups and clear accurate color.  It is used to show how the plant/flower looks in different seasons, times of day, locations, weather, maturity, etc.

Hybridizing:  Photos for this process need the same as "documenting" plus often have date stamps and may need to be clear enough to record the markers associated with each plant.

Landscapes:  Composition must be in harmony with the entire photo, not simply focused on one particular plant or flower.  This often provides a more rounded look at beds and the layout you may wish to achieve.

Art:  This involves micro scenes or fractions of plants/flowers which may not necessarily show off the plant as the primary interest of the photo.  The colors may be edited as-well-as distorted.  There may be computer aided editing which may insert, delete or alter the scene.

Competition:  Photos taken for competitive shows must first follow the rules of entry.  Most can not be edited.

Backdrop:  The garden or flower/foliage is used as a backdrop for people, animals, or insect photos.  Placement of the individual is key to a good shot.  Distractions from the subject should be considered prior to the shot.

Weather:  The vegitation is used as a frame or as perspective for the sky and weather.  Having the capability to photograph with low light allows a greater range of events to be used.    

Personal Enjoyment:  These photos can be a varied as the photographers.  A good camera is a must, but, not necessarily the best or most expensive. The ability to zoom or have additional magnification lens.  They may also include photos from other people's gardens, public places, and vacations.  The camera needs to be light enough to not be a burden, produce quality photos, and I prefer digital.  A computer and program that allows you to download and store to an external source.  A software program that allows editing is nice as you take more photos and use them in more ways.

______________________

For an enjoyable day improving your photography skills:  The Galva Arts Council, P.O. Box 29, Galva IL 61434 will be sponsoring a photography class on Nov. 6, 2010 (Sat.) from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.  Taught by Trent Foltz, Geneseo professional commercial and Midwest landscape photographer.  Bring camera and be prepared to be out doors photographing barns.  $20 registration fee must be received by Nov. 1st to attend.  Call Roger Luft at 309-337-8559 for more information.  All levels of expertise welcome.  Lunch will be on your own.

This is a distorted shot of New Improved Blaze Rose

 Landscape photo of a hare frost.

 Documentation of the characteristics of the daylily.

       Foliage used as a backdrop.

And in the end, this says it well, "There are no rules for good photographs, there are only good photographs."  ~Ansel Adams (American Photographer 1902-1984)

Katisue

Today, 10-10-10, is one of my granddaughter's birthdays.  I have the above daylily, Katisue, in her honor in my family bed.

Hemerocallis Katisue is not widely sold and I'm not sure why.  I had found it at Oakes Daylilies and by the time I decided to buy one the next Spring, they no longer listed.  I contacted them, they still had a few and sold one to me. 

Because of it's size, Katisue looks best when it can be near the front of a bed and not crowded.  The scapes stand about 26 inches and the flowers are 2 3/4 inches.  Flower measurements are only across the top of a flower - not neccessarily from tip to tip.  Since Katisue has curled petals and sepals, the measurement is smaller.  It is a nice deep yellow brushed with a little cinnamon color. 

Registered by J. Lewis in 1989 - it is a Diploid. 

 It is a healthy plant, has increased in size, dormant, and blooms rather late in the season.  Mine has numerous buds on each scape and the plant is full of flowers.  The flowers sometimes last well into the evening.  The only down side to the plant is it doesn't easily shed it's dead flowers - they must be deadheaded to look neat. 

It's a sweet little daylily and in that aspect it mimics my granddaughter perfectly. 

Your Neck of the Woods

Our "Fransred" Maple always puts on a beautiful Fall show.

This Staghorn Sumac glows a bright orange every Fall.

This year, to date, the trees are just beginning to turn their Fall colors.  And, we are in what is traditionally known as Indian Summer.  

I was rather curious where the term originated and found the general definitions:  "It is a warm dry period after the first frost or freeze."  The term was first in print a couple of centuries ago and it is from North America.  As you might guess, it is supposedly from a period when the North American Native Americans harvested their corn.  That is termed a "guess" because it was never recorded.

Obviously, if you must have a freeze/frost first, the term doesn't get much use in the South.  Since its first publication, it has been used by authors and weather enthusiasts as a colorful description of this meteorological event.

For those of us looking towards cold and snow for several months, it's one of the sweetest weather related treats!  Some things you might want to accomplish during this bonus period:

• Clean the leaves out of your gutters.
• Put away summer yard things.
• Clean the porches and decks one last time.
• Plant Spring flowering bulbs.
• Add a layer of mulch to your beds.
• Have a cookout.
• Pick any flower that's blooming and bring in the house for decoration.
• Put your Christmas lights up (remember how much fun it is to do this when it's freezing?)
• OR, Sit outside and do nothing but enjoy the warm days and stars at night.  

It's above 80 degrees and we're headed out to an outside birthday party tonight and a cookout tomorrow afternoon.  Oh, yes it's time to celebrate Indian Summer in this household. 

Harvest Time

This is a photo of my "volunteer" pumpkin. We had a wedding cookout early last November and decorations included pumpkins. The weather turned nasty shortly afterwards and the pumpkins sat in a little flower bed beside the shed. And this beauty is my very first home raised pumpkin - hopefully at some point prior to heavy freezing it will turn orange!

I don’t get overly excited about Halloween decorations at my home, but, I’m certainly not above enjoying the fun others display in their front yards. Typically, I focus more on harvest-type decorations.

The most obvious is corn stalks and pumpkins. Although there’s been talk of a pumpkin shortage, apparently the display variety is still in abundance. Two of my favorite vendors, Prairie Country Gardens (Galva) and Stahl’s Farm (Lafayette) seem to have good quantities. (Side Note: Display and cooking pumpkins are two very different varieties)

Mums are another beautiful accent. Whether you choose the annual variety (usually found in the big box stores in the fall) or plant the perennial variety, the blast of color really enhances the fall garden.

Some other pretty cute accents for harvest decorating:

Scarecrows: The homemade version is one of my favorites. A simple “T” structure driven into the ground allows it to stand up to wind. This can be welded by the handy person or made of wood or an old metal fence post. Without the free standing “T” structure, tie it to a fence, lamp post, or sit it on something.

Homemade scarecrows just beg for old clothes. Old bib overhauls and a flannel shirt fit the farm décor and may be stuffed with straw or plastic grocery bags. A straw hat, old gloves and a red handkerchief are all a must although there is considerable draw for farm caps.
Heads can be made from (1) stuffed pillowcases with a hand drawn face, (2) a painted face on a pumpkin, or (3) an old Halloween mask.

Straw: A few of the square bales of straw add structure to the harvest scene. Use beside corn stalks, as a seat for the scarecrow, or as a table for pumpkins and mums. I’ve seen some pretty creative round bales this time of the year decorated as cats, pumpkins, and goblins.

Corn: The most obvious is a shock of corn stalks. It takes a lot of stalks to make a sturdy free-standing shock. I most often tie a few stalks to a post. Hang ears of corn, either field type or the more decorative Indian corn, from doors and posts.

Pumpkins, gourds, and flowers: Instant color!

Other things: Wood wheelbarrows, a child’s wagon, grapevine wreaths, colored fabric leaves, bittersweet, apples, jugs, old garden tools, burlap, or wood crates.

A reminder: If you plan to leave your outdoor decorations through Thanksgiving, they need to be weather proof and securely anchored.

As we bid farewell to this beautiful summer of 2010, let’s usher in a beautiful 2010 harvest season. And with this season, we are praying for a safe harvest for all our farm families.

ER Room at the PC Hospital

This week I've taken as many walks through the yard and woods as I could accomplish. Taking my camera and taking many pictures of the last blooming hurrah. I've posted wild or naturalized asters. This one is a self seeded naturalized perennial - offering up lunch to a butterfly.

The bottom two pictures are the parent of asters, the wild version. They are thick in our woods this year due to the heavy rains.

Some are white and others a light lavender.

Tonight should put a stop to the growing season if we actually get a freeze. I had hoped to issue my readers all kinds of warnings and suggestions for your flowers in hopes of prolonging some of the blooms.

Alas, my computer finally locked up and is heading to the PC ER. I'm using a little laptop and my fingers haven't adjusted to the change yet. Hence - no warnings from this gardener unless you want to struggle around in the dark...

Typically, I don't try to prolong the annuals' blooms - they go when they go. This year, I did try to cover my pots out front and cover my one enormous chartreuse potato vine in hopes of looking at them just a little bit longer. I'm just not ready to part with their last burst of color quite yet.

I've found that flannel backed plastic table cloths (the kind you get at Dollar General on sale for $1) work quite well for covering plants during light frosts. We'll see how well they work if it really freezes tonight.

If my postings become a little sparse for a week - realize I really do need to be at the ER holding the hand (or is it the drive) of my computer. I told my daughter's friend (the computer guru) that people my age (I'll let that definition just lay out there) just want a computer invented that takes no special talents to operate. Just do your job and stop making me try to fix, update, delete and now repair the thing. Don't put a bunch of programs and games on my PC without asking because it slows it down and what's the point if I never use them. With all the computer gurus out there, wouldn't you think just one would have thought it might be a market worth tapping???

Alright, I'm getting off my PC soapbox and see if an aspirin will work - for me not my PC! And I'm putting a disclaimer out there right now - misspelled words and other odd grammar mistakes are a probability for the rest of next week. fekawz m aveng a rd tym...z