The Slowdown, Six on Saturday 8-18-18

Almost everything in the August garden has slowed down.

We’re in a bit of a drought. It rains, but not enough to truly soak the ground.

The tomatoes continue to ripen, and I have a lot of blanching to do.  The weeds are the only plants that don’t seem affected by the dry weather.  That’s to be expected, right?

two Roma tomatoes ripen on the tomato plant

Cherry and Roma tomatoes are doing well, but the heirloom tomato plants succumbed to some sort of rot, and the fruits are mealy and terrible.  Maybe there is a reason for hybrids.

Transplanting

Liriope muscari forms a neat mound in the part shade

We are starting to plan a complete renovation of our back yard.  It’s exciting and overwhelming at the same time.  I am moving some of my favorite plants to other beds so that I can have a division or two for the new garden spaces.

The plants that I moved into the garden have done so well, like this Liriope muscari.  I hope they can withstand transplanting.  The new gardens should be fantastic, but I have to keep them healthy until next year.

Brick Paths

fenced garden with brick paths and raised beds

One thing I need to figure out, is how to keep weeds from growing between pavers.  Any suggestions?

Urn Re-planting

an ostrich fern is planted in a gray cement ur

I dug up some ostrich ferns from a front shade bed and planted them in the urns.  I wasn’t sure if they’d like the relocation, but they seem happy so far.  The cucumber vines that were formerly in the urns had faded.

Ruellia

a bumblebee dives into the throat of a blue flower

Found this Ruellia marked down to $3.95 at the home improvement store.  It’s a tropical, and the tag says it can be moved indoors for winter.  I’m hoping that it gets enough sunlight inside to keep it going. The bumble bees love it.

Buddleia ‘Buzz Magenta’

a magenta butterfly bush attracts a yellow swallowtail butterfly

Also found this “improved” butterfly bush ( Buddleia ‘Buzz Magenta Improved’)  on the same outing.  It has been living up to its name.

That’s my six this week.  For more updates from gardens around the world, visit The Propagator.

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Author: A. JoAnn

Here is where I share the beauty I find in everyday life; and the humor, too!

19 thoughts

  1. I blanched my beans & peas for dinner, but didn’t know about tomatoes – can you tell I’m not the cook? Thanks for that info.

  2. Thank you for the website, Lora – I will check it out. Blanching is quickly dunking veggies in boiling water – usually less than a minute. For tomatoes, it makes the skin easy to slip off, rather than peeling.

  3. Thank you! When you take a million pictures, one is bound to turn out right!! I hope that you had a wonderful break with your family. Glad you’re back!

  4. Best of all, the price was, Free! I wasn’t sure that these would transplant to a pot after growing in a bed, but they seem to be just fine.

  5. I’m just beginning to appreciate it – and I’ve planted a couple before but accidentally destroyed them because they are slow to emerge in the spring.

  6. thyme is a possibility. The garden used to be more shaded, but we’ve lost a lot of trees.

  7. I’m just beginning to appreciate it – and I’ve planted a couple before but accidentally destroyed them because they are slow to emerge in the spring.

  8. It must have arrived here, finally. Though, the ground still could soak up more. But, what a relief.

  9. Thank you for pointing out that you use fine sand. I keep using coarse sand, maybe that is the mistake!

  10. You are spot on! I am just noticing monarchs in the garden. Are they starting to migrate? I heard the geese honking, too. It seems to all happen suddenly.

  11. I’d agree w/Jon about planting something in the cracks. Creeping thyme will give you a wonderful smell when you walk across it, which it tolerates. It can get a bit woody. I like Corsican mint – another aromatic creeper. This website has all sorts of ideas plus rates the cover w/tolerance of walking on it. https://www.stepables.com/scripts/STEPABLES_Lawn_Substitution.html
    What is blanching your tomatoes about? As always, you’ve got gorgeous photos here. Love that fern in the urn.

  12. For that type of path you could try sowing seeds of something youd be happy to have in the cracks. Something low growing that you can either mow or strim. Thyme maybe?

  13. I will join the throng and proclaim that first photo truly GORGEOUS. A prize winner! The Ruellia is new to me. Have a great week, Joann.

  14. The butterfly on the Buddleia photo is amazing- such clarity. The fern in the urn is very lovely and when it gets a few more fronds will drape nicely, I think.

  15. That Buddleia looks brilliant – especially with the butterfly on it! A neighbour used to grow lots of those, and I wish I’d asked for a cutting from one!

  16. What an amazing picture of this butterfly on the Buddleia! You asked how to keep the weeds out of the brick pavers? Without concrete, I guess it’s impossible but I filled the small spaces (smaller than yours) with very fine sand and I just have to pull up the few weeds effortlessly
    Otherwise a new to me : the ruellia. Beautiful tropical flower !

  17. The butterfly on the buddleia is fabulous. I am waiting for Monarchs in my garden. No butterflies yet.

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