Yesterday I was awake when the lightning boomed above our home. Our neighbor mentioned it when I walked Sassy. Net result - almost no rain. But we did not need any more. Today I woke up to heavy rain, the radar predicting several more hours of it.
The lawns are lush and overgrown, and so are the weeds. The crab grass has become a bumper crop. Bushes are sagging and weighted down since the branches are softened by so much water.
Roses like the rain, so they are sprouting new blooms after weathering the Japanese beetle invasion.
I plan on clearing weeds out of sections of the rose garden, one area at a time. Since Bermuda grass is having so much fun, I will gather that and place it in the deep shade to decompose.
Morning Glory demonstrated how annoying it could be, by growing past the fence where Mr. Gardener started it, around the roses along the fence, and into the lawn in our yard. Morning Glory is shallow but persistent as it winds around everything and looks for more sun, growing up, around the roses, and across the surface.
Every season is different. Normally, August is almost devoid of rain here. Last year, fall arrived very late. Now the leaves are starting to fall, and more rain is predicted.
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| Brides Dream set me back $5. |
The Rose Catalogues Have Arrived
Three categories of roses dominate my mind:
- The brand new varieties, which are always "in short supply" and priced high. $30 each.
- The reliable ones, which are no so numerous that the prices have been cut. $22 each, sometimes less.
- The left-overs, which are deeply discounted, but sent out very late in the season. $6 each, they are often sent out as "rainbow groups."
The most appealing to me are ones in the middle group. There is no telling if the new ones are going to be as happy in a given climate as they are in the catalogues. Some details are withheld, such as Pope John Paul II being so frail when cut for arrangements.
The last group is fun for discovering new varieties for very little money. They are not going to produce much in the current season because of their late start. My neighbor already put in an order for a rainbow group, and I can easily get those for his wife, who really wants to grow roses. When he asked in July, I said, "No roses are left to sell. Next year I will watch for the offers and get you one."
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| The prolific Easy Does It orange roses cost me $6 - and they out-produce every other rose. |
I can divide some plants now - not roses of course. Perennials that clump are good to locate among the roses, because they host various beneficial bugs. Here are some ideas for them:
- Bee Balm
- Mountain Mint
- Shasta Daisies.
Plants that seed themselves are often good hosts for beneficial bugs:
- Borage
- Fever Few
- Dill.
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| Queen Elizabeth deserves a place in the garden - tall, graceful, and stunning. |
