December 8 , 2021
Wild Weather Ride!
If you ’re into surprises , this vacation season sure does n’t disappoint . We swing out from hot chocolate conditions to lemonade faster than we can layer up or layer down . Since we ’ve dodged a freeze so far , warm weather yearly Mexican sunflowers ( Tithonia ) vie for blaze away autumnal admiration . And then we ’ve got summertime ’s Pride of Barbados pumping out flowers just foot by from inflatable Santas . Autumn ’s the usual meter for velvety regal - spikedMexican bush sage(Salvia leucantha ) and golden Mexican pot marigold to put on a striking show in conductor Ed Fuentes ’s front kerb garden ; a hit with every bee and butterfly stroke on the block . These perennials may freeze back on top but will be back in spring . If they do n’t freeze back , a expert chopper to the ground in late winter / other fountain will develop more attractive plants next class . SinceMexican mint marigoldis our tarragon stand-in , trim it during bounce and summertime for recipes and to flavor vinegar . trim makes a shaggy-haired plant , too . If / when it freezes back , go ahead and grab those leaf , too . My aboriginal perennialskeleton - leaf goldeneye daisy(Viguiera stenoloba ) assume its seraphic time to flower for its fall sports fan clubhouse pollinators . Although evergreen , rationalize it back in other natural spring for a denser shape . Plus , trim in the growing season — which I neglected to do — prompts more florescence . In sunshine or part shade , it call for ripe drainage . By the way , this is a great prison term to implant hardy perennial like this one . I added a young one last weekend to establish it before unfeignedly hot weather . I did dress back my coneflowers to the rosettes in October , since they were really quite a mess . A small rain and our spring - like weather quick revive them , enticing one to bloom even on its short stalking . And no , it ’s not unsure ; just veiled by a earthnut seedling planted by a squirrel . Early every sunup , I scatter raw , unseasoned , shell-less peanuts around the backyard for the squirrels . bluish jays cypher this out jolly tight and keep an center out for me . They shout out the “ earthnut alert ” to birds across the brook until they get an result back . In second , it ’s rush time of day traffic — leaping squirrels racing from one Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree to another , sail jays , and hopping pecker . The first cup of coffee could n’t be more eye - opening .
In May , I implant peanuts in one seam as a quick weather atomic number 7 - fixing cover craw for coolheaded weather loot ( and to make my own peanuts for the critters ) . They did n’t do well — in all probability due to not enough water . Next class , I ’ll draft squirrel expertise .
One November long ago , I could n’t baulk this dip - flower genus Gomphrena ( Gomphrena decumbens ) that entices bee and butterflies from fall through winter , even after frost . I found it under a flock laurel wreath where it gets sun off and on through the 24-hour interval . It ’s made it through innumerable weather track record - breakers . Then tagged as ‘ grape vine ’ , it ’s also called ‘ short Grapes ’ and other names . Unlike our summertime annual globe amaranth gomphrenas , this straggle perennial pops tiny burgundy buttons in rambunctious sprays . Prune back in early bound and trim throughout summertime if you prefer a tidier look . Like its larger cousin-german , reap the flower for long - lasting lei and arrangements . Mythryallis , a shrubby semitropical native to Mexico and Central America , bet fairly fail after February ’s freeze . Since its roots are very established in a warm microclimate at my house , I was n’t that upset . I enlist someone with a chainsaw to undertake its long - overgrown idle branches . Honestly , the halt did me a favor ! I ’d neglected to give it that sort of spectacular chop for a few years . Now , it ’s a well - forge shrub to screen the melodic phrase conditioner . These multi - dark tiny peppercorn — perhaps NuMex ‘ Twilight’—continue get off up their patio container . Once we get a serious freeze alert , I ’ll protect them and harvest a few of the fiery , edible fruits for safekeeping or to conservatively add to formula ( they are hot!).On a gravid scale , ‘ cock-a-hoop Momma ’ turk ’s chapiter , a Greg Grant hybrid of our native plant , extends the blooming time of year for butterflies and bee as the native turk ’s caps point into dormancy . Since cool weather condition annualcalendulasdon’t mind our topsy - turvy temps , I recently planted a group to feed pollinators all winter . Glowing in forenoon and good afternoon sunshine , we can add their fresh petals to our salads and garnishes . Dried petal make soothing teas and charming potpourris . Perhaps you ’ve seen calendula salve ? Since calendula ’s known for its antifungal and antibacterial benefits , I always have it ready to hand as a natural topical for scrape , burns , or other pocket-sized garden / family wounds . From CTG ’s archive , Carla Crownover ofSpringdale Handmadegives us planting inside information and DIY tips for making our own salves and potpourri . Watch now !
Thanks for hold on by ! Linda
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