Roses - II

  This lovely tea rose (Agnes Winchel) has bloomed her heart out this year. And it smells as good as it looks.

Roses Still in Bloom

 

Some of the roses, this white tea rose (John F. Kennedy), are still blooming quite profusely. It's the miracle-gro that I fed them (fairly regularly) this year.

Signs of Fall - IV

  Not this big hummer. The large raywood ash gets full sun all day. I guess that's why the leaves are still green. The heat must keep the tree's sap running later into the year.

Tree-basin Edging - Progress

 

Yesterday, we finished edging the last of the Redbuds. Now, we only have to edge the large raywood ash and a circle of River Birch (baby) trees. In another week or two, we'll be ready to start hauling pea gravel to this area to cover all the earth (to keep out the summer growth of weeds).

Signs of Fall = III

  Even the Hybrid Poplar has begun to feel the cold, crisp temperatures (ha-ha) it was 90 degrees yesterday.

Signs of Fall - II

  The small raywood ash is shaded most of the day. Maybe that's why the leaves are already a deep claret color and beginning to drop.

Signs of Fall are strong

  The Honey Locust is yellowing quickly now and losing many leaves each day.

Hazel Nut Program

I'm ashamed to say that my part in the Arbor Day Foundation Hazel Nut Program is a total failure. I've had 6 hazel nuts plants and all 6 have died. At least I believe they have, unless one sturdy fellow that I transferred from the ground to a pot survives next spring. Amazingly, it did sprout some leaves this past spring; then, during an especially hot spell, I neglected to give it enough water and it succumbed to the hot, dry weather. I've since watered it religiously, but so far, nothing has popped up in place of the wilted stem that was about the size of fishing line and about 4 inches tall.

Now, I'm trying to decide if I should continue in the program. I've received a survey and an invitation to continue, but I'm somewhat discouraged by my past efforts. My fault, I'm sure, for not preparing a nice planting bed for them. But so far, that's how I've dealt with all my trees . . . . sticking them in the ground and giving them water, lots of it for the first couple of years, not as often after that. Some of the trees have flourished; some perished. But those that did make it are strong and robust and have been acclimated to the harsh conditions where I live. It's been "survival of the fittest" and some of the trees, such as the redbuds that went in the ground 5 years ago and that were the size of pencils and barely 12-inches high, now stand over 6-feet, and put forth hundreds of lovely blossoms each spring.

I will probably not continue in the Hazel Nut Program, at least for this year. I have yet to receive 4 crepe myrtle trees this fall, and have decided to give them a better start in a patch of good soil. They will be planted near the redbud forest, or maybe among the forest, and they will be a colorful addition to that part of the yard.

I will document their progress when I begin planting them.

For now, this is the section where the crepe myrtles will go.

Four Roses

My rose garden is still going strong in October.

 

Progress of Edging all the trees

 

My plan to edge all the redbud trees and the large ash, as well as some of the new River Birch, is moving along well. So far, four of the redbuds are edged. After that chore is completed, I'll begin laying down pea gravel around the perimeter of the trees. And (crossing fingers and toes), no more weeds next spring.

This task has gone more slowly than I hoped because swinging the heavy pickax, I injured my shoulder and had to nurse tendonitis and bursitis for more than a month.

But now, I'm back in top form, and have acquired a helper who's strong enough to swing the pickax for me.

Progress of the River Birch trees

 

This one of the River Birch planted this past spring is the tallest so far. Not as tall as I'd expected, believing that it's one of the fast growing trees. My hybrid poplars have outpaced all the River Birch trees.

Raywood Ash in the fall

  The raywood ash is the first of my trees to show autumn colors. The very topmost leaves are turning that beautiful claret color.

Fall has arrived with our first rainstorm

Thunder and lightning and a few periods of heavy rain. All unexpected, and I hadn't yet placed my rain barrels. Still, the rain was welcome, washing clean all the trees and flowers, clearing off hundreds of the tiny pilated leaves from the Honey Locust.