Today's post has to do with some of the garden projects I'm involved in right now. Fall is the season for changes here at Oak Lawn and I am in the middle of several, but I will begin with one I've completed. The picture above was the view facing south towards the road and neighbor's farm from the west border of our property last week. It was overgrown with a number of flowering shrubs including several large 'Unique' hydrangeas, Viburnum Carlesii and Onondaga, several shrub roses, lots of hardy hibiscus, and a huge Persicaria polymorpha. These were all removed and given new homes for the most part. I did keep a very unusual lilac and a gorgeous in bloom mockorange called 'Natchez'. I should have moved these to other spots but couldn't for the life of me figure where those spots might be, so for now they are staying put...
The completed project is pictured above. You can see two of three Magnolia soulangianas that I love despite the fact that they aren't all that uncommon... they bloom profusely and I want them to be the focus of this border.
Below is the view from the south into our property and the result of my efforts is pictured below that... I moved in all of the daylilies that I have hybridized myself and will over time winnow the better plants from the less desirable. I was amazed at how large they had grown this past season while they spent the summer in the annual bed on the opposite end of the property, many went from one or two fans to five or six.
I'm still considering whether to add a split rail fence here...
By reusing the fabric from the flap and creating a framework of two inch steel tubing and eight inch treated lumber, I was able to cobble together a wall that is much more air tight than the previous. I picked up a couple storm doors from a local big box store for $150, allowing me to let in lots of air when necessary as the doors fold in and won't be in the way. Another fall project checked off the list!
I won't go into detail on my tree removal project from last month... I did end up hauling thirty truckloads of wood and branches away. I have yet to heavily prune three additional mature flowering crabs that I will keep. Hopefully better air circulation will stall the apple scab issue at least well into summer. Removing a thirty foot tree creates quite a hole in the landscape. Here's how this area looked before...
After removing the flowering crab, a Pinus sylvestris 'Nana' was revealed....
This little conifer at about eight feet in height was hurting for a personality... after a heavy pruning it now has a bit of character as seen below. With the flowering crab gone, this area along with another behind it where a second large crab was removed, is for the time being pretty nondescript. I moved in some small conifers which will grow over time, and some orienpet lies for the short term. For the long term I'm thinking of planting four large growing tree peonies. I've never planted them in full sun before and I'm certain they'll appreciate that... to resolve the issue of fast fading blooms in the heat of the sun, I'll cement sections of PVC pipe into the ground next to them. When in bloom these pipes will support beach umbrellas for shade which in turn will mean longer lasting blossoms...
My wife Sarah stays very busy this time of the year with her job, her piano studio, and singing in a large chorale in a city near us, our church music work as well as accompanying for rehearsals and performances of the annual Christmas charity concert that I also work with and direct... never the less, she does an amazing amount of the fall clean-up in the gardens. Here is an example of her efforts in the large daffodil/daylily bed... everything has been cut back and the bed weeded and new mulch applied. I couldn't manage these two acres without Sarah's involvement...
There are several other projects in the works right now although the supply of fall weather grows short. I'm still waiting for the crops to be harvested so we can move in all the wonderful large rocks we've been given. Just this past weekend I found a lot more that are beautifully aged gray and covered with lichens. The area for the new conifer garden by the gazebo is ready to go... I will border the bed with small boulders and have the trenches dug to receive them. Others stones will be placed within the bed itself. Here are a couple of pictures of what will be a new rock garden... first I opened a section of the windbreak up so a skidsteer can access the area...
This is what the area looked like when I began the project (right side of photo)... it was definitely becoming overgrown and very little breeze was getting through to the gazebo...
... and here is the area seen from the opposite direction, "de-shrubbed" and ready for rocks...
There are at least three other major projects that I'm tackling just now, all three won't be completed until next season though. I am seriously considering adding an additional 100 feet of conifer rock gardens beginning with the annual gardens on the southeast border of the gardens and also running north and south on the east side of the driveway... just in the planning stages so enough on that for now.
Our fall color is at the least, spotty this season... a few trees and shrubs are beautiful, other haven't amounted to anything and will drop with very little of their normal autumn hues, and many other have yet to turn at all. With a freeze this weekend, the color may improve considerably. Here are a few shots from about the gardens...
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| 'Tiger Eye' Sumac with 'Autumn Spire' maple |
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| Japanese Tree Lilac |
and in closing... a new to us, very old instrument in full working order... this antique pump organ was a gift to us this week and we can't wait to have some old fashioned hymn sings with our friends!
Take care, Larry
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