What are you working on in the garden these days?

[Chris_W]

Now that we finally have had two significant rainfalls in 2 weeks the weeds are going crazy, so we are busy weeding more than expected for this time of year. But I'm also really, really busy dividing clumps for 2010 and 2011 sales, and planting lots and lots of hostas for the next couple years. This week we divided clumps of:

Kiwi Gold Rush
Piecrust Power
Veronica Lake
Heart's Delight
Paradigm
Lakeside April Snow
Mr. Big
Tom Schmid
Paradise Backstage
Brother Ronald
Kiwi Full Monty
Hypoleuca
Embroidery
Midwest Magic
Venetian Blue
Wolverine
Gilt by Association
Lacy Belle
Yellow Splash Rim
Moon Shadow

And those are just the plants that we divided. We also planted about 3,000 new tissue culture plants in the past week, some 1st season but others 2nd season plants.

So between weeding, you can see we are really ramping up production around here, getting excited for next year!

But what are you working on? We want to hear about your garden projects, hopefully more fun than the stuff I'm doing

[woodthrush]

I've been planting all the hostas I bought this year, and still some from last year too. But last fall, I started having trouble with voles eating the hostas. So this year, as I plant, I'm caging the roots and putting a layer a gravel around the crown.
Slows me down a bit planting, but I hope it will deter the voles. If it 's not one critter, it's another - lol
Pam

[Spider]

I'm getting ready to make some pesto. The basil is getting tall. Also Paul's Glory can't decide what he wants to be. He's turning solid blue again, all in the middle of each eye, surrounded by the variegated ones. I think the heat or humidity is doing it as they are the new leaves put up during the summer. It's being a chameleon! Observation and pesto are about all I can do.

[govgirl75]

I am freezing some of the stuff from the garden. Will have a bushel of beans, squash and tomatoes. Will have to can the 'maters. That takes longer.
But we will have lots of sauce for winter dinners.
I just got my identification stakes today and bought a labeler last week, so I am set to label anything I have a name for. I am really excited about doing this project. I will be depending on your kindness to help me identify some of the plants I have no names for. Told the husband to keep moving or he might find himself accidentally labeled through the foot. Ouch!
You are right about the weeds. Too bad the rain that makes the flowers grow falls on them as well. Everything needs weeded and the lawn is growing so fast, we are mowing twice a week.
Several of the ladies who work in my dentist's office have shade gardens, one has a new, rather large one. They are very interested in any plant divisions I can provide, so I dug a van full this morning and dropped them off. Method to madness...... more room for hostas.
That is this month. Next month brings painting projects (barn and picket fence) and assembly of a compost bin.
I feel like a slacker after Chris' post, though.
Glo

[redcrx]

I just cleared a small area and planted some Whirlwind sports - Dust Devil and Whirling Dervish and some others.

Weeding is always an issue - lots of holly seedlings and some poison ivy to watch out for.

Getting ready for our third garden party this season. My wife's family this time. I had my office over early in July. Then my family was over late in July - my sister who is living in Germany was in town. ( A side note - she was taking a trip to Netherlands, I told her to stop by and visit Jan van den Top, she did and bought Striped Weasel and some others.)

[Pieter]

It may still be mid-summer, but there are plenty of signs of the colder seasons to come and with that come the final choices for divisions and transplants to give them all a chance to get rooted before the fall rains start in earnest. I've been doing a fair bit of that over the past 2 weeks or so, divided some 'Blue Mouse Ears', up-potted a couple of BME seedlings and a bunch of early summer divisions of 'Lemon Frost' and 'Lemon Delight' as well as a bunch of Echinecea seedlings and Artemesia divisions and a handful of sages, divided a bunch of Sempervivums and Sedums as well as some Lorax and I'm beginning to cut back the pods on various lilies. Over the next couple of days I'll divide some Ajuga, which I used for the first time on some hanging baskets this year and I like them so much for the spill on baskets that I'll use them in more baskets next year.

It's been a comparatively dry summer for us out here on Canada's normally We(s)t Coast, in June we had 10,8mm of rain -that's just under 1/2"-, July it was 20mm and to this point it's up to a measly 26 mm, just over an inch, with naught in the forecast for the next 10 days or so. That's a combined total of 56.8mm of precipitation whereas the average for that time frame is more like 143mm. That's just over a third of what's normal. Needless to say a lot of hand watering was and continues to be done and in June in particular we could no longer rely upon our rain barrels and had to resort to city water. Hand watering is spotty at best and over this cycle there are the inevitable overlooked pots and some of those plants are now starting to show signs of senescence already, like most of the members of the Hyacinthina family for example.

As I'm going through our beds and planters I apply compost where appropriate, primarily to cover roots that have become exposed, and I'm taking a critical look of what I have growing where with an eye towards digging some of our raised planters up completely and give them a make-over. There's one for example that has gradually been overtaken by Crocosmia and while I do like the hummingbirds they attract, they have become too much of a good thing. I've also been quite brutal with a couple of sizable runs of Rubrus, that stuff does get away too easily I'm afraid. There's seldom, if ever, a dull moment in a gardener's yard and while the toil is perhaps less pleasurable, it is a highly rewarding part of the process with what you get back when you take the time for a repose.

[HostaDesigner]

Hey Chris. I've been hybridizing with the last of the the late bloomers. The Pynophylla's, 'Fire Island', plantaginea, and a few stragglers here and there. The garden is starting to look a little beat-down with all the tulip trees dripping, but hey, it comes with the territory. The neighbors are looking to get a few seedlings I set aside for them this weekend, too. So I have some digging to do!

[mooie]

I've been working feverishly to get my hostas in the ground since moving last fall. The siding and the roofing is completed and even tho I'm still waiting on the new downspouts, I forged ahead to get these poor plants in the ground. Surprisingly enough, the plants that sat around the trees since March mostly held up pretty well, even stacked up on top, beside, over and under each other. I have 8 left to plant.

I planted my Viridis jap maple and still have the Autumn Moon to get in the ground. Had a guy come by and plant the Crimson Frost Birch as it was too big for me to handle. It's stunning. I still have a leftover greenhouse bench full of potted hosta and assorted sunny perennials left to go. But I'm getting there!. I potted up the lilies I bought from Chris and so far 2 of them have already bloomed for me!

In between all the planting, I've been painting my 2 new entry doors a gorgeous bittersweet color. Really sets off the new siding. Hope to get the shutters back up before vacation is over and I head back to work on Monday. When all the hostas are in, then I can take a step back and spend the winter thinking of places to put new beds come next spring. The joys of a new yard. And the challenge!

Teresa

[sugar]

Well, a lot of work today.

I will be digging out a 5 year old grape (Rembrant)... the grapes don't have a good taste... so I will be replacing it by another grape, with tastier grapes
I'm also adding a thornfree blackberry , a white grape and a fig (I will aslo construct a stainless wire system to lead the plants against the wall)

Furthermore, I'm going to dig out two hosta that have been performing very poorly over the last three years, and I will be replacing them with better plants from my 'container' collection

[renaldo75]

Not working as hard as you guys are - that's for sure!!

I'm digging all of my hostas, potting them, and they'll be moving to their new home in the Des Moines area in the next month.
I could use about 24 more hours in a day actually...

[Linda P]

This week, I'm taking off to attend our coutny fair. Otherwise, with all the rain we've been getting here in NW Illinois (our share, Pieter's, and more, 2 1/2 inches in about 12 hours Wednesday afternoon and night) the weeds and the lawn are more than I can keep up with. I have much to do settling Dad's estate, which is going to take up a lot of time.
Then there are the 20 plus hosta trades and gifts that need to go in the ground, a couple of streaked hostas that MUST be dug and divided in the next couple of weeks.
Still working on planting out last winter's crop of seedlings, and there are a bunch of daylilies that have to come out of the ground and go to new homes. Actually, they need to go so I can get those 20+ hostas in the ground.
Every hosta in the garden that is fertile has big fat seed pods. I'm removing many of them and tossing them, to keep from begin tempted to plant them!

Linda P

[Pieter]

Every hosta in the garden that is fertile has big fat seed pods. I'm removing many of them and tossing them, to keep from begin tempted to plant them!

Linda P

Me too, except for ones that look interesting, such as streaked ones and I'll keep a couple of nice maroon ones off 'Sea Octopus', just because.

[dmi188]

Not doing near as much as I should! Back injury and construction workers next door building DS's house have kept me out of the garden during the daytime. Weeds are rampant. I am playing with a few plants that are streaked or otherwise unusual to get some seeds. A few of my seedlings from last winter are blooming as well. Tomatoes, peppers and zucchini are coming in, deer ate or trampled most of the beans.

Back to school next week, so gardening will be moved even further down on the to do list, unfortunately.

[ViolaAnn]

My garden is in the care of a neighbour while we are visiting our daughter and family in Vancouver. Before leaving we got our first feed of beans, a small yellow zucchini and a few cherry tomatoes. Some of my hostas, particularly Invincible, are showing end of season colours.
Ann

[Pieter]

Some of my hostas, particularly Invincible, are showing end of season colours.
Ann

You oughta swing by here, Ann, my 'Invincibles' are still in bloom...

[digs57]

Since it has finally stopped raining non-stop, I've been rearranging - moving plants, and not just the hostas, towards a more pleasing whole. More of that to come.

Planting many of my nicest seedlings.

I've removed several of the weakest substance'd hostas from the garden, going on the premise that if a hosta doesn't look good by mid-summer, I no longer want to keep it, as looking at an icky & ratty plant just plain irks me, and who wants to be annoyed by their collection! So a few more will disappear over the coming days. The spaces will be filled by said nice seedlings and splits of my named good growers.

Cross-pollinating some of the more interesting varieties I acquired within the past two seasons.

Waiting for my two plantagineas, along with Invincible, Fried Green Tomatos, Fragrant Bouquet and Guacamole to start blooming; Stained Glass already is.

Pretending that summer isn't ending.

[Chris_W]

Pretending that summer isn't ending.

Same here

[ViolaAnn]

Pieter - I actually think my Invincible is in full bloom (Not home to look), but I have a significant number of leaves that have gone brown early. And, as I recall, it happened last year too.

[Pieter]

Waiting for my two plantagineas, along with Invincible, Fried Green Tomatos, Fragrant Bouquet and Guacamole to start blooming; Stained Glass already is.

Pretending that summer isn't ending.

Well Dorothy, shows to go you the very differing flowering times in different parts of the country. 'Guacamole' and 'Invincible' started to flower for me on July 18th and they're still going, though they are near or at the top of the scape now. I've had no luck whatsoever with plantaginea, it's been a slug magnet, goes down early for me -it is showing signs right now as a matter of fact- and I'm thoroughly unimpressed by it for the 3 years I've had it now, I'm close to ditching it. The 2nd flush of growth on my 'Sea Octopus' has sent up scapes and buds and I have the same for 'Lemon Lime' and 'Dixie Chick'. Still have flowers on 'Ray of Hope', clausa, 'Cheatin Heart', 'Country Mouse', 'June' and 'Patricia'. Just the same, there ain't no doubt the seasons are a-changing, most of the Hyacinthina family are showing the first signs of senescence, boy you gotta wonder why we love those, one of the last to break ground and the first to go down.

Pieter - I actually think my Invincible is in full bloom (Not home to look), but I have a significant number of leaves that have gone brown early. And, as I recall, it happened last year too.

Ann, I've seen some browning of "Invincible' leaves as well, but just one or two on just a couple of divisions -I think I have 4 or 5, haven't counted.

[digs57]

I must correct myself, my Invincible bloomed yesterday, judging by the wilted dirty kleenexes hanging below today's blooms; I just didn't visit the garden to see them, due to rains again, till this evening.

Pieter, if you were to put your plantaginea in the sunniest & driest spot you have available, I bet it would give you more joy & less hassle. Heck, mine are in much less than that and do. Can you put it in a container with sharp sand around the crown? I'm with you on ditching plants that are consistently hideous, but, even slugs have their preferred environments. As a matter of fact, I think it's time for another round of "which of your hostas are still hot lookers".

Fragrant Bouquet, for example, of which I now have two, looks terrific in one spot (mostly sunny) and pretty ratty in the other (under a spruce, and the area's full of slugs). Katherine Lewis is glorious.

My Revolution seems to be one of the early sleepers - no matter that it's getting good water & light, its leaves are already browning.

I really need some late season plants.... just to keep the garden awake that extra week or two longer......any suggestions?