Ghostwater Garden

This from a friend:

Garden Lament

Oh, my garden,
you are full of weeds,
on my list of priorities,
you are number 33.

Your roses have aphids,
raspberry shoots abound,
the new iris will be lucky,
not to be mowed down.

Oh, my garden,
in the eye of my dreams,
blooming with fall flowers,
not these weedy reams.

L.T.

Stats and Referrers...

You know, I kind of wish you could go back and talk to the people that are googling or yahooing for your page. I'd love to know why this person was looking for Michigan gardens, and if they found what they were looking for.

I've been thinking about doing a set of links for michigan sources/ gardens. I was even at a seasons-end event at my most local greenhouse, looking at a sea of about 80 other faces, thinking about standing up and asking if anyone had a web page, but I chickened out. I'm just not that bold. But I am curious. Maybe next time.

Ask Jeeves

Somebody queried Jeeves on what blooms in Michigan in August.

Jeeves, in it's inimitable, impossible way, referred them to me. Poor people. Maybe they will try again.

Let me see.

Sedum Spectrabilis (Autum Joy, Matrona, and that crew), obediant plant (Physostegia virginiana), a rebloom on the species variety Delphiniums, japanese Anemone (Honorine Jobert), the annuals cardinal flower and cardinal vine, a few stella dora daylilies, Gallardia burgundy, Monarda jacob cline...

I have miniature roses blooming. There's a few coral bells (Huechera) blooming here and there. The Coreopsis moonbeam is still going, complimented by the occasional late bloom of Campanula blue chips.

The irish moss (Sagina Subulata) is blooming, but that is for the minaiturists to appreciate. The Joe-Pye weed (Eupatorium ) makes a more impressive showing.

All over my garden, the Hostas are sending out sweet white spires, hauntingly and subtly fragrant. The Echinachea and the Rudbeckia are still holding out with a strong display. As September progresses, the anemone and the obedient plant just keep on going.

Also, the lilac Miss Kimm starts to pick up a purple fall color and the burning bush start to redden up. (these plants have been in fall color this year since June - we have had a stressfull year for the plants - much rain and cool temps - they are confused)

I don't know if that is helpful, but that is what is going on in my garden.

Labor Day Weekend

I don't know what this holiday means to most people anymore. I'm a gardener, and the end of the season is in sight. Labor day weekend means labor.

My plans for today:

Finish setting up the compost bins Mark made for me this spring. Remove the firewood and stack elsewhere. Make one bin a dirt holding pile. Move the contents of the two bins to the third bin. Move the plastic composter and it's contents to the first bin. Set up the metal barrel ring in the second bin.

Plant the lenten roses (helleborus 'Royal Heritage' ^TM) and the hepatica acutiloba near the tree peony.

Plant the delphinium bellamosa out to the border, move the whiskey barrel off to the side of the patio.

Move the oenothera from the lamp border to under the lilacs. Shuffle the remaining plants in the lamp border. (move the blue pennstenum off the daffs.)

Clean the pond filter. Water the canna lilies.

More as I think of it.

It's noon. Time to get to work.