Wind, vegetables, and falling leaves

Apparently, the winds here and in the mountains of North Carolina are secondary to Hurricane Sandy.  Amazing.  There's been snow around Asheville already at high elevations, with more rain and wet snow to come.The lows in Asheville (located in a mountain basin) are supposed to dip to 31° on...

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Storm time

I've been reminded again today, as Sandy approaches the northeastern U.S., of the power of storms.We've had nothing but some strong winds and a bit of rain today, mainly from a Gulf-based system, not Sandy.  But leaves blew off, raining down on the lawn and mulched beds. I wish we'd got some more...

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Evening porch view

A wonderful September day (in late October) found the porch a perfect spot for dinner.  It's still normally nice at lunch, but at dinnertime -- how pleasant (although a bit unnerving, too).eveningThe reds and purples have been deepening noticeably over the last few days, along with the yellows...

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Fall color

 A beautiful fall day had me admiring the purples in the dogwoods and the exuberance of the (non-cut-back swamp sunflower) in the border that we see from the porch.from the porchNormally, I would have reduced the stem height in June, but didn't this year.  The tall stems are now flopping dramatically,...

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Fall saffron crocuses

It's been busy, trying to keep Woody calm (ha!) and tidying and planting as I can.But I was glad to see the first saffron crocus in flower.  I'd noticed their foliage a couple of days ago, and made a mental note to watch.  The fun of having a blog is I can search and realize that I posted...

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A tidier garden

Happily, even with a recovering Golden in tow, I've managed to clean up quite a few more of the seedling/sapling volunteers (think redbud, magnolia, sassafras, Althea, lacebark elm, American holly, Chinese privet, nandina, English ivy, etc.)  Not to mention the runners - Bermuda grass, vinca (major and minor), air potato vine, and morning glory.And the entrance to the front door actually looks...

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Fall weather and planting garlic in wide rows

 A green spider with an ominous red spot in a dew-covered webThere has been a turn in the weather over the past three days with temperatures in the 60s and humidity near 100% each morning. These conditions cause dew to collect on spider webs and this makes them really stand out.I am particularly...

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Mid-October gardening thoughts

My garden(s) at home need some attention.  We've had delicious Hakurei turnips the last few evenings, with plenty of arugula and cilantro, too, along with bright red pizza peppers, too.But helping Woody (our sweet rescue Golden) recover post-knee surgery is a primary focus currently, returning from traveling, while Tim is finishing up fall field work for his second book.Woody needs to be quiet...

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Reflections

I've been reviewing photos (from my trip for a program tomorrow) and it's been amazing to review some of the images from the gardens I visited.celebrating senescence...

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Rothenburg ob der Tauber

Street view(Another post that apparently didn't go).I'm ending up my trip in this amazingly well-preserved (and famous for it) medieval town. Even with a lot of tourists, fewer now than there would have been in summer, it's fun to visit.Market place from towerThere's more than enough to see and enjoy...

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Heading home and Jakob's Weg

Way signJakob (St. John)It's been a great trip, and I found it meaningful to end up with a photo of Jakob (who was a pilgrim, and maybe is St. John? That's what the leader of a city tour said today.)Rothenburg ob de Tauber was a wonderful place to try to experience what it was like (many centuries ago).I've...

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A cloud of Monarchs

Monarch on HelianthusIt's been cloudy and cool the last couple of days, but Friday and Saturday were sunny and mild. There were clouds of Monarchs and other butterflies visiting the Buddleia and exuberant Helianthus (Swamp Sunflower) in the border that I see from my study window. (The Helianthus...

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Attracting Damsels & Dragons

Common green darners (Anax junius) mating and laying eggs under the water’s surface.Many people have long been interested in birding and butterfly gardening, but with the availability of new dragonfly & damselfly field guides, more folks are now identifying and pursuing these...

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Rothenburg ob der Tauber

I'm ending up my trip in this amazingly well-preserved (and famous for it) medieval town. Even with a lot of tourists, fewer now than there would have been in summer, it's fun to visit. I'm spending a couple of days here before heading back to Frankfurt and home.This has been such a great trip, with...

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My book is available for preoder

Now available for preorder at amazon.com at a big discount!Organic Methods Vegetable Gardening in FloridaYou can preorder Organic Methods for Vegetable Gardening in Florida from Amazon.comI will be available for speaking to garden-oriented groups and gardenfests from April through June 2013 in north...

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