The garden on November 1st

Two paths and a patio, November First Views

Good Morning!

Sun's up!

Sun’s up!

As the sun comes up , I walk around the garden getting my first view of it this November 1st morning.

Patio view

Patio view, showing tips of the Red Fountain grass I can grow as annuals.

I start by walking out the door to the patio in back.  (When you live in the country, you never know which is the front or the back until friends start to visit. They come in the front where ever it is!) In this case the patio faces the rising sun which is also the shady side in summer. Woe to those who have planned a west facing patio.

Looking to the south

Looking to the south

I got my first New England asters three or four years ago from a friend and in my garden notes after the first bloom in late October it says, “Get more asters!”  So surprising, so thickly blooming and so welcome in this time of few bloomers they were and are. Deer do not touch these.  Here they are mixed with grey lavenders.

The south side of the house

The south side of the house

Not much happing in ‘front’,…most all the plants have been trimmed of old blooms…lots of lavenders here that blend with the native plant colors for that muted grey-green look.

This is the sunniest where the iceberg roses are. See why the deer don't come here? Too narrow and slippery, I think

This is the sunniest where the iceberg roses are. See why the deer don’t come here? Too narrow and slippery, I think

Near the roses I have more Shasta daisies to pull out.  I’m in the process of removing them all …they are too much trouble for how briefly they bloom.  Problem is they love it here and are stubborn about leaving for good.

The two buddleias...the one I trimmed still looks better

The two buddleias…the one I trimmed still looks better

Here are the two buddleias that I wrote about last summer and how they can be trimmed right to 18″ …I’ll do both this year.

The patio bank, now pretty filled in

The patio bank, now pretty filled in

Now coming around to the other side of the patio are the asters again with views of the lower patio and the garden shed. It’s very narrow here and before the plants filled in you felt you’d fall off the edge.  I like all the colors of green here.

Mexican sage does well in pots and may over winter with protection...otherwise, it's an annual.

Mexican sage does well in pots and may over winter with protection…otherwise, it’s an annual.

Further along you can see in the foreground Rockrose, thyme,  Mexican sage, Artemisia ‘Powis Castle’ and Red Fountain grass.  In the middle of the photo you can see the existing Sticky Whiteleaf Manzanitas I’ve kept as a screen from the lower patio. Below the bird bath and table are the choicest irises, Lamb’s ears and more asters.

The main garden path runs along below the lower patio

The main garden path runs along below the lower patio

 Now heading down to the path that winds through most of the ‘cultivated’ garden, there is a creeping ‘Bee’s Bliss’ sage to the left, an autumn sage and some Heuchera. Our high class fire pit is a favorite with the grandkids and they all know how to start a fire, keep the hose near and put it out safely. We used to tell them we’d light the fire when they had spotted the first bat!

Looking out from that path is the view of Peckinpah Ridge

Looking out from that path is the view of Peckinpah Ridge

I’m looking down onto the next path which started out as a leach line, now the dividing line between the cultivated and semi natural gardens.  By semi natural I mean I plant natives and weed,…add a bit more water.

The shady bergenia and heuchera bed,...thyme and white sedum along the edges

The shady Bergenia and Heuchera bed,…thyme and white sedum along the edges

Now continuing to the south on this same path I walk by the shady area between the oaks. I like to line the paths with these logs and reckon that when they completely decompose they’ll add to the soil.

Same path, looking north, a potted Japanese maple has it's home here in the open shade of the oaks

Same path, looking north, a potted Japanese maple has it’s home here in the open shade of the oaks

Looking back the way I came, to the right is a ‘rain garden’ at the end of a buried drainage hose coming down off the patio. i have Columbines and a Rhododendron there and native redbuds are sprouting from the extra water there.

The Autumn sage and Penstemon 'Violet Dusk' are on their THIRD bloom!

The Autumn sage and Penstemon ‘Violet Dusk’ are on their THIRD bloom!

OK, I’ve walked down the path and come around to the bottom of the new meadow I planted last fall and below the rock garden gravel path. These Penstemon ‘Violet Dusk’ are fantastic!

View of the new meadow, greening up from the rain early last month

View of the new meadow, greening up from the rain early last month

I glance toward the new ‘stomped down’ meadow and my heart sinks realizing that the filaree weed seeds are still sprouting thickly. Who knows how many native seeds are intermixed?  What will happen next spring?  I can recognize the filaree, though, and must tackle them soon…today, maybe.

A new CA native bed, Manzanita 'Pacific Mist', Cleveland sage 'Whirly Blue' , Red Monkeyflower and Salvia 'Dara's Choice'

A new CA native bed, Manzanita ‘Pacific Mist’, Cleveland sage ‘Whirly Blue’ , Red Monkey flower

On a more happy, joyful note,…here is my new CA native bed I planted with my sister, Karen, when she was here from New Zealand last month.  We had a ball at our local nursery’s Harvest and Peace Festival, even wearing our hippie beads.  We strolled through, enjoyed the day and at the end bought the plants for this bed at the south end of the path that runs just above the semi natural area between the two  ‘leach line paths’.

We also planted double white daffodil bulbs I recently ordered from Brent and Becky’s and marked them with semicircles of rocks. Anticipation is one of a gardener’s biggest pleasures, I think.

Looking north, the ceanothus 'Ray Hartman' to the left, trimmed now, and a nice glider bench for gazing out at the mountain.

Looking north, the ceanothus ‘Ray Hartman’ to the left, trimmed now, and a nice glider bench for gazing out at the mountain.

Walking north, I’m heading to the bench where I love to sit. To the left is the ‘Salvia bed’ and you can now see the rustic split rail ‘fence’ strung together from rails and posts found on the place. Before the ‘Ray Hartman’ had swallowed it up.

The natural meadow south of this lower path

The natural meadow south of this lower path

Looking to the right, here in the semi natural meadow, in the foreground, are three grasses I have to move out. I planted three CA fuchsias, a Hummingbird sage, three Cleveland sage ‘Pozo Blue’, a yellow monkey flower and three Ceanothus thrysiflorus ‘Skylark’ further down by the deer grass and existing Golden fleece. This is where the wildflower plugs were transplanted.

Looking down toward the lowest path system, a good place to walk Maggie.

Looking down toward the lowest path system, a good place to walk Maggie.

Having paths to garden around has really added structure to an otherwise natural land.  I plant to one side or the other and mark the planted areas with logs or rocks the ‘Weed Eater’ will know where not to go.

My old lounge...now that it's cooler, I will have lunches here!

My old lounge…now that it’s cooler, I will have lunches here!

Thanks Town Mouse for this idea of First Views,..these posts of ours will be wonderful records of our gardens’ progress.

10 comments

  1. Curbstone Valley Farm -

    Your garden looks tidy. I love the plants you have on the patio bank. I didn’t realize New England aster’s would grow so well out here. A lovely idea to mix them among the Lavender plants, and looks like an excellent way to extend that color in a bed into the late season. I have a leach area here I need to sit down and plan some plantings for. At the moment it’s what’s left of the prior owner’s lawn, that we do nothing with. It’s just such a tricky area to plant. Need plants with shallow roots, that need to tolerate afternoon shade, and don’t get browsed by the deer. Heuchera, if the deer leave it alone, might be one to add to the pending plan though, we have at least one species that’s native on the property.

    • Sue Langley -

      Thanks, Clare! We have a ton of deer here so I pay attention to what they eat. I’m surprised sometimes by it. You might try the Salvia ‘Dara’s Choice’ It’s low to the ground about 18″ so may be shallow rooted enough to do for your leach line area. Mine bloomed like crazy until I tried to transplant it last fall then it promptly died in protest. I just planted two more.

  2. Katie -

    Hi Sue!
    Your garden is sure glowing in the morning light! I love your pathways and planting beds winding down the hillside. It has such a classy botanical garden look. You’re right, we are growing so many of the same plants and there are so many similarities in our homes and the surrounding land. The only thing I can see that we’ve done completely differently is the slopes. I’ve stuck with the flat land and let the rest go back to wild. You have been much more adventuresome on those steep slopes! It really looks beautiful. You are giving me so many good ideas for the day when I finally tackle our front slope. I’d like to plant it all in natives and hope it looks even the tiniest bit as good as yours!

  3. Mary R -

    Lovely tour. I am just north of you in the next county and have tons of deer and ground squirrels, the two toughest on anything I plant. Are the specimens you cite here deer-proof in your area?

  4. Town Mouse -

    Wow, those first two photos are just magical! Of course I like many of the others as well, and I’m especially impressed by “Bee’s Bliss”. I’m with you about the anticipation – just got my box of bulbs in the mail myself…

  5. Sue Langley -

    Katie, thanks so much! I love all our paths because it gives a bit of structure to the ‘garden’ A lot of it is wild and we just groom it. Thanks very much for the ‘botanical garden’ comment…I wish!

    Mary, hi! I have really studied the habits of the deer, listened to neighbors and read much about this subject. All the plants but the roses next to the house are deer resistant, because there are so many her all year round. I don’t know what county you’re in, but I’ve heard there’s a neat book by an author in the Grass Valley area called ‘Deer in my Garden’ I’d like to read it myself! I just did a post on deer resistant plants.

    Thanks, Mouse, I always heard you can’t shoot into the sun, but I’m so stubborn and contrary that it just makes me want to do so. I’m enjoying this meme.

  6. Country Mouse -

    I think that sounds wonderful! Thanks for the invite, Sue. We meeces just had lunch, but I didn’t see your comment till I returned to my desk. We’ll whiffle our whiskers and see what can be done! Likewise – I hope you’ll visit one or other or both of our abodes when you are heading to the coast for some refreshing sea air. Always a bed made up for visitors at our house!

    • Sue Langley -

      That would be SO fun! We do get to the coast now and then, sooo…who knows? That would be a great goal for next year!

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