Fall garden..

Today is Saturday the 26th
A good gardener always plants 3 seeds - one for the bugs, one for the weather and one for himself. ~ Leo Aikman
It seems every supermarket and nursery has loaded up areas around every entrance with pumpkins. Amazing different sizes and shapes and even colors. White?  Weird.

I wonder what happens to those that don't get sold.  I never seem to feel the need to spend money on a "decoration" that only lasts a few weeks, especially if the weather is too warm.  My frugal brain cannot bring myself to spend a chunk of money for something that is only used for a few weeks and then either dumped in trash or compost pile.......  A hay bale..............hmm, maybe, but making pumpkin pie or bread from one on those big suckers would be daunting.  Not to mention cutting faces in them which speeds up the decay process.  Oh, well.

I say this pretty much with "tongue in cheek" as I have lots of empty pots as evidence of plants bought with high hopes of having it live more than one season or year for that matter. This has been a constant problem.  If I have 2 seasons of a new plant, I feel lucky.

My biggest disappointment was lavender.  It was beautiful for 2 years. Even had blossoms!  Wintered over just fine and the third season started turning gray and died.  I did pot up a few twigs/branches/stems?  5 are still alive.  Two still in 6" pots and survived summer heat.


 Put three in the ground this year and they took their time settling in. They are in different areas (not the area where they died) and not very large.

This one is 3 times larger in late October

 Slow growers may be normal. 

There is a lavender field about 2 hours north of here and I may check with them as to my problems and the best for this area.

The area where the lavender died has a very healthy stand of blue salvia. (I have forgotten the name)These were transplanted from an older, large clump.  What I love about the blues is that they are a beautiful dark blue in spring and early summer, they fade to not too showy in heat and just when the garden looks so sad and heat stressed, weather cools down a bit and they darken again.  I look forward to this show every year.  This is one plant that "takes a lickin' and keeps on tickin' ".

Gardening is about enjoying the smell of things growing in the soil, getting dirty without feeling guilty, and generally taking the time to soak up a little peace and serenity. ~ Lindley Karsten

We have a pretty good chance for rain today and hope to get the last of the California poppies potted up as they are getting a bit to big for transplanting.
I wonder how a couple would do in a large pot?  They get pretty big and have never seen them in pots when they are fully grown.  

When the bluebonnets went to seed, I picked them and stored them in paper bags til dried and the seeds fell out of the pods.  Actually quite few seeds.  About a pound, which you can purchase for about 35 to 50 dollars a pound (gulp) depending on the store you buy them from. But, 50.00 for a pound that may or may not germinate more than 75%.  Like my idea better.  Now, just have to watch to see how well they germinate.
Have you ever really thought of how much per pound a packet of flower seeds actually is?  Even at 3 dollars or even one dollar, I bet it averages out to more than 50.00 per pound?  Maybe more for those teeny tiny seeds.

I scattered them in a pretty wild, unkempt area (with pretty thick thatch) My idea was to scrape the thatch loose enough for seeds to hit soil.  Of course, listened to my non gardener hubby and just scattered.  I will watch and fuss that I took his advice..................................... pictures to follow in a few months (if any do germinate).