I read in The Old Farmer's Almanac that today and tomorrow are good days for planting.  The moon is in the last quarter, in the sign of Cancer.  It's a very good time for planting seed beds, and flower gardens.  Also good for root crops.  I wonder if that includes my tulip bulbs....they do live underground until they bloom.

 

I think I'll go buy my pansies and get these pots planted:  red tulips for spring, and purple pansies on top for winter. Nope, pansies aren't ready yet.  Maybe I'll look for mums.

 

If you haven't ever stopped in at Buds and Butterflies, (on 19/129 toward Blairsville) NOW is the time to do it!!  Christina grows the most beautiful Chrysanthemums, and they are starting to show color.  This is the best time to buy mums:  you can tell what color they are going to be,  and you get to enjoy them longer.  

 

They come in all sizes: 

8" pots are 5.99 or 3/15.  10" pots and hanging baskets are 14.99.  Or you could go for the big ones:  12" pots are 19.99, and 14" pots are 26.99.  They are the prettiest!!!  Last year mine lasted until the frost in November!   That's 2 whole months away.  Plenty of time to enjoy!!

 

HAPPY GARDENING!!

 

 

 

Dogwood, Cornus florida.  It is the state flower of Virginia (my home) as well as North Carolina. They grow throughout our woods, and are most noticeable in spring when they bloom white and pink.  

 

Dogwood is an understory tree, meaning it grows under the tall trees, and likes partial sun and shadows.  If they grow naturally in partial shade, it makes sense to provide shade if you want to plant one in your yard.  I've seen them in full sun, but not as often as in partial shade.  I'd go for the shade.

 

The Dogwoods in my woods are starting to show fall color.  They also have lots of bright red berries.  I've noticed others doing the same thing.  There is a beautiful one in the meadow down near the gate, also starting to turn red.  (It's in full sun, blowing my theory.)  Lee and Cindy also have several pink flowering Dogwoods in the sun, and they are beautiful.

 

An easy way to identify Dogwoods (besides the bark!) is by noticing how the branches grow in flat cloud-like formations.  That's probably easier to see when they are in bloom, but you can still see it now.

 

I hope you see them as they transition into fall.  

 

HAPPY GARDENING!!

 

 

 

Ok, here is a short one. The home automation systems, like Simplisafe, have provided water sensors for a while now. What good is that if you are in Florida and you get a water leak? Well here is an evolution of the simple IOT (Internet Of Things) engineering that is very cool to solve that problem.

 

Its a device that simply clamps onto your water pipe and will turn off the valve if there is a water leak detected!

Check this out: Automated water shut off system

Video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/q8uZXkNbSlg

 

I have seen variants of this but this one is very simple and integrates with many of the home automation systems out there. I may get this just so I can walk into the cabin and say "Alexa" turn on the water :) 

 

 

Do you know how to identify a dogwood?

 

 

By its bark.   Hahaha!!

 

No, really!!  LOOK!!  It's unique.

 

 

HAPPY GARDENING!!

 

 

Have you seen this in the woods?  It's called Strawberry bush.  Its botanical name is Euonymus americanus.

 

It is a low growing shrub, 2-8 ft tall with squarish green stems and twigs.  It's kinda weedy looking.

 

The local name ("local" meaning Southern Appalachian Mountains) "hearts a-bustin' with love" refers to the rough, crimson seed pods splitting open to expose the bright glossy orange seeds.

 

You may know the cousins of the strawberry bush:  Winged Euonymus or Burning bush, Euonymus alatus.  They are sold in garden centers, and are often planted on roadways, medians, and interstate hillsides.  Joe Willig planted one near his garage.  It has gotten really big, and it now belongs to Mark and Karen.  I'm keeping an eye on that one, then I'll know when to start looking for their brilliant fall color around town.  It won't be long now....

 

Meanwhile, we are enjoying our Hearts a-bustin with love.  

 

 

HAPPY GARDENING!!

 

 

I checked on our Fritillary caterpillars and they have completely devoured the passiflora.  OH! NO!

 

But wait!!  There's good news!!  I learned that Fritillaries overwinter as caterpillars.  They finish eating and growing in the spring when their food source reemerges.  

 

That made me feel better, knowing that I was not expected to provide enough food for all of them to survive.  Jon keeps reminding me that they have been doing this for a very long time without human intervention.  Nature has it under control.

 

HAPPY GARDENING!!

 

I saw these caterpillars in my garden, and didn't recognize them.  However, I did recognize the plant they were eating: Passionflower.  I have been resisting pulling it out all summer, hoping it would bloom.  I got no blossoms, but this may be better;  I love raising butterflies.

 

I went to the Stokes Butterfly Book and discovered that Gulf Fritillaries use passion vine for a larval food plant.  Then, I looked up Gulf Fritillary to see what their caterpillars look like.  Guess what!!!  They look like that!!

 

Here is the adult on an onion blossom.  It was very close to where I discovered the caterpillars.

 

 

I'm so glad I found a picture of this butterfly.  I took the picture back in early June.  I wonder if this is the mom.  

 

 

HAPPY GARDENING!!

 

 

Chestnut Oak, Quercus prinus.  

 

Like most of the Oaks, they are tall trees, typically 60 - 70 feet, sometimes reaching 100 feet tall.  They have dark, deeply ridged trunks, and leathery leaves.

 

The leaves look a lot like Chestnut leaflets, with rounded teeth.  Acorns are BIG, and a major food source for deer.  The years we have small acorn crops are the winters the deer eat EVERYTHING in your garden.

 

This year the Chestnut Oaks are loaded with acorns.  This stand of trees is on Five Forks Drive, near Solitude.  

 

Be sure to look for them on your walks or drives through the neighborhood.

 

HAPPY GARDENING!!

 

 

 

I saw spring flowering bulbs for sale in the garden center, and I bought my red tulips.  But I'm not planting them yet.

 

It's getting close to time to plant bulbs, but not quite.  I think we need to wait til fall is officially here.  I'm afraid if we plant them now and it stays warm they may begin to sprout.  Then there will be nothing in the spring.

 

Go ahead and get the ones you plan to grow now, while the selection is good.  Keep them in a cool, dry place until

you're ready to plant them.  Besides, half the fun is the planning stage.  I love dreaming about where I'm going to put more daffodils, and what color pansies I'm going to grow on top of my tulips.  Check out gardening magazines and catalogs for ideas for spring bulbs.  They're so much fun!!

 

 

HAPPY GARDENING!!

 

 

I just learned about hyperlinks!!  So I'm practicing on YOU!

 

This is where I check for good planting days.  Thought you might like it.

 

Just click on the link and you will get to the website.

 

 

 

HAPPY GARDENING!!