lapis sky / shocking yellow / heliopsis!

it has been a dry fall, and the black gums and early maples are just
beginning to turn color. the trees have suffered from the dry july and
august heat spell. some mid-aged red oaks look dead- leaves going from
green to brown in a week. a few showers along have kept the yard nice
and the bonsai happy, but the main show in my yard right now is a huge
bed of 7' tall swamp sunflowers. the multiple small blooms are one of the
most brilliant colors of the entire flowering year and in this golden october
light, the mass of bright ocher can be almost blinding!

swamp sunflowers are heliopsis and are grouped with the daisy family. there
is a wild yellow sun flower growing on the roadsides that looks quite similar, but is just 3' tall. they are called heleniums and are related to asters. both names come from the greek "helios" meaning sun. heliopsis is a definite sun-lover, at least 6-7 hours daily.

my bed gets all day sun - a glowing island of bright yellow in the middle of the lawn.

heliopsis prefers a moist, swampy environment, but is easily grown anywhere with a regular weekly soaking during summer and early fall. a little fertilizer [some
bonemeal or bulb-type] and plenty of water, and they can hit 12' - they spread
like wildfire ...my 20' oval bed came from a gallon pot at the garden club plant sale and swap, years ago.

heliopsis need almost no work after planting. they are better massed in a single large bed. mowing keeps their spreading habit under control and within a mixed bed their rhizomes would quickly take over. certainly the dramatic effect of their burst of color needs no companion flowers. the eye is unavoidably drawn to their brightness. the blooming period is enjoyed for almost three weeks, nature's lovely
gift in the middle of a browning month, before the autumn leaf color begins. swamp sunflowers against the impossibly blue sky are incomparable!

i remember the little lady saying "you're going to hate me for this.."
it has been 17 years, but i still couldn't thank her enough!

vty, j-lea

Autumn Morning Musings

Finally, the rain came, not to slake the thirst of the earth, but just to moisten the tongue. The month began with some of the mists and morning fog that often shrouds the morning of an autumn day in Ohio; the leaves dropped in mostly brown tones, and the chrysanthemums and asters came on smaller and turned to deadheads sooner. Yet, in spite of all that, the October days have been lovely.

One afternoon I took time in the middle of the day to sit and stare upward. Through the trees fading leaves was a Swedish blue sky with a glinting pale wheat sun. All was quiet and restful, all was waiting in that transition when time and conditions stand suspended between the season of harvest and the season of dormancy and the onslaught of the cold season. Now the wind is quiet, and the leaves sift lazily through warm air, just touched with the crispness of the season.

I had time to catch the swift climb of two small birds creeping up the side of the engraved bark of the maple tree. I watched them spiral quickly from the trunk,up a branch and then disappear from view. This is the second unusual bird noticed this fall.

The soybean fields further south are still to be harvested, but here the corn and beans have all been cleared from the fields and the fall plowing ( for those who still practice it) has begun. I think this is the best way to farm this ground, turning up the earth to winterkill insects and ready the soils for next years plantings. the soil is often too wet in Spring to work, and when there are heavy rains, all the chemicals the no-till farmers are dependent upon wash away. Aside from that, I love to see the dark gray soils in their deeply cut clods turned up for winter's snows.

As you can see in the second set of pictures, the sweet gum trees are not to be denied their autumn garb of flashy color. Not drought, not unseasonably warm weather, will drab down their splash of scarlets, and oranges.

I have had too few days to sit and observe the season's change, and too few to record it in my journal. The days have been busy and burdened with many obligations to clean and ready for the coming winter. But here, for you, is the sum of those that I most enjoyed.

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© 2010 written for Ilona's Garden Journal. Copyrights apply.

Alisa Barry of Bella Cucina Features Branzini Baked Cod & Salsa Verde on...

Delicious light cooking is in season for both fall as well as springtime. I always look for fish dishes I think my family will eat.



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© 2010 written for Ilona's Garden Journal. Copyrights apply.

October Photos

Not much to view in the garden in terms of colorful blooms, but I took a ramble and captured some of the garden .... which I hope to write about soon. It is simply a case of being a little down and uninspired with the drought we are experiencing right now. I am not alone in this, the plants, the ground, the crispy grass are all whispering sadly, not at all the usual October vivacity.

It was however a great year for the apples. The self sown apple tree was loaded heavily with apples, even after the strong winds produced a windfall some weeks ago. They are surprisingly good MacIntosh flavored fruits.

We managed to go on a family walk in a nearby Metro woods. I thought I would not like walking in the unusually hot temperatures, little color, and prematurely bare trees; but surprised by a wonderfully pleasant day, the walk was so much of a pleasure due to the blue skies and gentle breeze... it was beyond my small expectations. The natural world has so much solace and interest to give us. We look for perfect conditions, but are given , instead, delights within the framework of an ebb and flow of beauty, life, decay, and transitions.

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© 2010 written for Ilona's Garden Journal. Copyrights apply.

A Southern Garden Blog

Friends... I really think you will like Recreating Eden. Landscape designer hailing from Atlanta, Georgia. Do introduce yourself to Sandra Jonas' fine blog!

The photos are beautiful and the writing is wonderful... good reading.

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© 2010 written for Ilona's Garden Journal. Copyrights apply.

Humdinger Blog

I would love to see a hummingbird like this- they aren't found in Ohio, but aren't the colors (and the photographer's art) a joy to see? I saw this on 'Gardening With Binoculars' which is filled with so much interesting information on both fauna and flora. Give Ann McCormacks site some time- it will fascinate you.

Adult male Allen's Hummingbird on Salvia leucantha. Photo by tdlucas5000

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© 2010 written for Ilona's Garden Journal. Copyrights apply.

Wall Street Guru Gives Gardening Advice

Swiss Chard Not Swiss Banks

There is an awful lot of speculation about the economy and where the financial shape of the world (and our future) is going and proffered advice on how we can protect ourselves from hard times.

Jim Rogers, Well Known Investment Guru

Jim Rogers, an expert investor, has good advice for the wise (at least some feel it is wise), but gardeners and garden bloggers have been way ahead on one point of the recommendations given: "You should become a farmer - farming is going to be a great, great profession." As he opines on the value of agricultural commodities and the good sense of investing in "real" assets, many of us on the grass roots level, far from the frenzy of Wall Street are quietly building our gardens and our knowledge of food gardening.

We Are Way Ahead

It isn't something you do overnight, as many who are entering into their gardens in a whole new way are coming to find out (front yard food gardens, allotment gardening in cities-and all sorts of variations wherever a bit of soil and a green thumb can connect) . With the impetus of financial concerns there are many more people who are discovering the enjoyment of the outdoors, and fresh additions to their tables. Through making a patch of a kitchen garden in their yard to save money on the food bills, more are interested in gardening than I've seen in a long time. It might not save you money this year, or the next, but as you become more skilled in growing food, and adding to your toolsheds, it will eventually accumulate into what many know to be a satisfying lifetime passion. We might even save substantially on our grocery bill if we keep at it.

We are the future garden gurus.... and just might make a difference in the community, too, while learning to encourage the earth to give of her bounty.

But whether we have abundant crops, make a few mistakes, or suffer some of nature's vagaries.... along the way we will enjoy some fruits of our labors, and share some with our neighbors. That is the golden rule worth investing in!

There are more farmers in the making... we are just marching to a different drummer, or hoeing a different row, and on a more local scale than the big farm business that engines the trades in commodities. We are certainly very real, nevertheless.

Want to start your own addition to the ground swell of green and growing gardening?

A Starter Vegetable Garden
Basics of vegetable gardening
Your Own French Potager
Learn To Grow Your Own Food
A Kitchen Garden

If you'd like to see a good example of how it is done... check out Marie Simon Gowan's photos at the Facebook Page for Ilona's Garden Journal

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© 2010 written for Ilona's Garden Journal. Copyrights apply.

Rossella's Salad

Here is the link to Rossella's Salad with the figs and fennel. She is undoubtedly a better cook than me, but I think I would lightly braise the fennel. Rocket is not widely available here, but baby spinach is, and I would use that.

Rossella's Simple but Wonderful Salad.

*Note to self: arugula is probably an easy addition to the food garden. Grow ones own arugula :) i do grow the fennel, but it is not comparable to those available at the grocery. It comes true from seed each year, now. I have the bronze fennel for decorative purposes.

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© 2010 Ilona's Garden Journal. All rights reserved.

Were The Tomatoes Worth It in 2010?

Sadly, to me, this year they were not worth the money and work invested; although I would always plant them. There is nothing as good as a well grown, homegrown tomato, and that is reason enough to try anew each year. It isn't the tomato plants fault that I had a less than stellar year, again. It is partly the growing season, and partly my own darn laziness.

Trips Get In The Way

I still have not mastered the art of the harvest. Leaving town (and thus not minding the garden) has been the late summer norm for me for several years. There just does not seem to be a good time to take a vacation from the garden. The late summer heat wave and the accompanying drought did a number on the tomato harvest, too. OK, those are this years excuses.

Yet, if I am to see the children, grandchildren, and attend their important events... trips out of town are on the schedule for the growing season.

Tomatoes Are Not Just Art

But the real problem is how out of habit I've become with working in my kitchen. Instead, I've concentrated on tackling bad habits such as accumulating clutter, not building the good ones such as more time cooking from scratch at home. I feel a New Year's resolution coming on.

"Just Art" - that is an oddball thing to say, isn't it? Art is one of the great pleasures of life. Creating and enjoying it... and what is more artful than a big bowl of beautiful tomatoes on the counter? It is ephemeral art, but that is how we should live.... life being full of artistic expression in daily things. In my opinion, anyway. This type of thinking is what gets in the way of the practical matter of slicing up tomatoes for our meals and making sauce from a good crop. But I do enjoy the beauty of the food garden!

Fall is a great time to improve the garden soil.

New Years Day, and its resolutions, is a long way off, so what can I do for next years good intentions, now? I have some new raised bed boxes this year, but I believe they could use some increased attention to building up the soil. Fall is a great time to put amendments into the soil. Now that frosts are coming, the vegetable garden will be cleared, tilled (if there are no heavy rains), and I will get the beds all ready for next years plots (in both meanings of the word).

Cutting Costs

Look ahead if you want to cut the costs of growing your own food. Here are the things to do:

• Save those leaves and create your own compost. Tomatoes love organic soils.
• Save seed from the heirloom types. Hybrids are not going to come true from seed, but that is how we get the heirlooms.
• Find a source of fertilizer and compost makings... used coffee grounds, manures,anything added to the ground now will mellow over the winter.
• Put away your tomato stakes, and tools so they can be used year after year.
• Invest in whatever equipment you need to make best use of your harvest. Collect and experiment with recipes that will motivate you to be a good steward of all the fruits of your labors.

I'm listening to my own good advice this year.... and next.Really.
How was your harvest? And do you have tips for me to encourage better use of the food garden fruits?

Edited to add....
I planted 'Black Prince' and 'Black Krim'- did not like either. Too much gel for my tastes. I won't go for those next year.

I will look for 'Pink Caspian's again, or else try to raise my own seedlings come February.

'Early Girl' is on my short list of plants to buy at the nursery for 2011.

© 2010 Ilona's Garden Journal.All rights reserved.

I Enjoy Squirrels From Afar

John and Liza have the cutest photos of squirrels at their blog. Check them out.

I don't know if it is the lack of trees in our county or my barnyard cats, but squirrels don't thrive here. When I lived in the city I thought everyone had squirrels in abundance...just like I had always experienced. I visited and lived in city places mostly, and gray squirrels were always part of the fauna in the garden. Then I moved out here. In the boondocks... where farmers cut down almost all the trees back in the seventies and sixties (an old lady who had called my place "her family homestead" told me that). In the spots where there are stands of Bur oaks still standing there are red squirrels. They aren't very smart about roads and cars if the little corpses are any indication.

And although squirrels are entertaining and so cute, they are voracious consumers of crocus and tulip bulbs. Grow daffodils (which they disdain) if you have problems with disappearing bulbs. (Like in the first season!)


© 2010 Ilona's Garden Journal.All rights reserved.

New Project At Hand- A Prairie Spot

It has been a dry and heartless September, so what is a gardener to do? Start a new garden bed, of course. Actually, it wasn't that blithe a decision, since I had been reducing gardened areas... so why would I carve out a new, quite large bed from the already reduced lawn area of the front yard?

I have been dissatisfied with the front yard ever since I moved here... just couldn't get used to the way the driveway was so very long and so very strong a presence cutting right up the side of the rambling farmhouse I call home. The plantings I placed within the "teardrop" are now too large and have never lived up to the pictures of my mind... but that is rather another story. This one relates to the spots of plantings resulting from trees planted and their necessarily mulched clearings. Two of the trees made it, one died and left an unsatisfactory empty bed something the shape of a newly made grave. I didn't want to sod it back up... because, well, it just goes against my nature; and I had lots of lovely daffodils in there, so in the early summer it would just be a blotch of long grass and dying daffodil foliage- NOT what one wants right smack in the front yard.

Conundrum.

Nevertheless, I am nothing if not inventive in such situations. I started getting a vision of how uniting this graveyard bed with the large shrub and spruce tree group would give my eye a much more pleasing axis to cut that horrible stiff straight driven driveway line. Not quite straight, which actually made it worse, but this new bed now curves away in a way that I really like. It just meant cutting huge amounts of sod. In my old city front yard it might have been half the front yard! I can almost feel myself laugh maniacally when I think of it. Anyway, it is now fait accompli. Sod removed, ground tilled, the start of my prairie ( not really prairie, but the impression of one) is begun with starts of my ornamental grass...which had finally gotten started and thriving. I also chopped up the coneflowers which were really too large for their place, although I always liked the way they complemented the pyracantha. Now, however, they have full sun, and are now much more in scale with their place in the garden. I dug up some struggling Russian sage, and put that in next to the grasses, too. I am presently deciding what else to put into the bed... then comes mulch to keep the roots from heaving over the winter.
I will have to take some more pictures of the process... so you can see the puny starts of plants in their bare stretch of ground, which is always how a new garden looks here.

Here goes with the ugly process pics ending with a couple pretty things just so you know that eventually it will look nice in the end....

Area in question marked out with twine.

It was chilly that week, and the hose was sort of stiff, and since I was going to solicit the help of teen kids, I knew I better be exact with where I wanted those portions of sod removed. My husband kindly cut the little stakes, we staked it out ( next picture) and joined the cause.

 We wanted this new bed to be parallel with the crabapple tree bed which is filled with groundcover (and from which I rescued the barely surviving Perovskia. Just goes to show you can kill almost anything with enough shade and competition. I am crossing my fingers that it will love its new place in the sun and grow well next year. The plants you see in the bed are the Shasta daisies I planted last month.

Now in the photo to the right... the sod coming out, reused in other areas that were low and uneven from the work the county did on the ditch a number of years ago ( with some going to enrich the vegetable garden, too. It was so dry that I just piled some to put into the boxes later. I also filled in the square edge of the previous bed


It was hot and sweaty work that day, but I had four very hard working family members. Thanks guys :) No grumbling either... that was nice.


I promised something pretty. From earlier in the season the lovely Echinacea, which now finds itself divided into bits and pieces for a drift inside the new project flower bed.

Coneflowers that were moved into the bed

Pink Asters

No doubt the asters which already bloom nearby will find themselves a place inside the area. They grow like weeds around here. Right now they are the only real source of color in my garden as we are in October already. Now that I think about it, I will maybe not transplant anything more and wait til next spring. Although it might be a good idea to strew in some hardy annual seed to fill in until the perennials take hold.

Next, I will need to tell you about the gourds. I have LOTS of gourds.

© 2010 Ilona's Garden Journal.All rights reserved.