The beginning of the end
August 18th, 2003 by Kathy Purdy · 3 Comments
The goldenrod has been blooming for a while now, and the Joe Pye weed also. And today I saw the first flash of orange-red in a nearby maple, as well as in my ‘Autumn Brilliance’ Juneberry. There’s no mistaking it; fall is right around the corner. Time to re-evaluate the to-do list and whittle it down to a must-do list.
I tried to be reasonable this year in my expectations of what I would get done in the garden. I decided not to start anything from seed. And, for the most part, I focused on one project: get all the daylilies out of Kathy’s Folly and into a proper bed. (I know, I haven’t told you about Kathy’s Folly yet. I will, I promise, but not tonight.) They’re not all out of there yet, but I still have hope that they will be before the ground freezes solid.
In order to accomplish even that much, there’s an awful lot I turned a blind eye to. But the gardener’s motto is ever: “Just wait till next year!” And thus I console myself.
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About Kathy Purdy
Kathy Purdy discovered the joys of writing in fourth grade, when she started corresponding with a former classmate. She's been writing letters ever since, first on looseleaf, then electronically, and now as weblog entries. That makes you, the blog reader, her pen pal. Her first independent (though frustrating) attempts at gardening were made in high school, though the gardening bug didn't bite hard until her mid-thirties, when she found herself mistress of a rural home on 15 acres. •
USDA Hardiness Zone:4 • AHS Heat Zone: 3 • Location: rural;
Southern Tier of NY • Geographic type: foothills of Appalachian
Mountains • Soil Type: acid clay • Experience level:
intermediate
• Particular interests: colchicums, narcissus, cottage gardening, NY
native plants, gardening with/for children
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3 responses so far ↓
1
bill
// Aug 18, 2003 at 10:22 pm
when you mentioned the goldenrod i thought “wait a minute, that blooms in autumn.” all through the spring, i got used to everyting blooming down here in Texas earlier. i had to stop and remember that the reverse must be true in the fall.
2
jason
// Aug 19, 2003 at 11:08 am
Now that you mention fall coming, it reminds me that I need to dig up and divide alot of bulbs. Do you have some recommendations for when to divide and a good method for keeping track of them?
3
Kathy
// Aug 19, 2003 at 12:26 pm
Yes, Bill, Spring comes later and Autumn comes earlier. Last frost can often be as late as the first week in June, and the first frost has been as early as Labor Day, but is usually around the 3rd week of September for us. And you’re right, things are more smooshed together. Right now, goldenrod is blooming in the fields, but daylilies, phlox, bee balm, black-eyed Susans, and yarrow are blooming in the garden.
Jason, I’ll try to answer your question in a post.