It’s
still early August, but the bee balm has pretty much run its course. The front
garden still has enough to attract the hummers, but the back garden was totally
done.
I
went out this morning to see what had to be done and make plans to do whatever tomorrow. Well. One thing led
to another and before I knew it I was harvesting the bee balm. Actually I feel
I saved the white phlox that was getting choked out!
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| This is with the bee balm cut out |
I’m
glad all I was planning to do was look and plan for tomorrow! Heaven only knows
what I would have done if I went out there with a plan for today!
Then
I decided it was time to harvest the safflower plants. Most of them had already
flowered and the energy was going into the seed pods at the base of the flower.
I have absolutely no idea of what I’m doing, but I never let that stop me. I
pulled the safflower plants out (they actually pull quite easily) and cut off
the seed pods into a small wicker basket. I have no idea what I’m going to do
with them now, but I’ll keep them dry (maybe out in the sun) and if they burst
open, the birds will have an unexpected feast! It has been a wonderful
experiment, but I’ll not grow safflowers again. Next year, when they start coming
up (and they will) they will be treated as a weed. And you know what we do with
weeds.
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| Much prettier with the safflower gone |
With
the safflower gone, the ornamental peppers have a better chance at getting more
sun, air and rain. They have not started turning colors yet like the ones in
the front garden. It could be the ones in the back don’t get as much sun.
Something to think about for next year. Maybe put them in a different spot.
Speaking
of next year…all three of my gardens are getting a make-over. The bee balm in
the front is getting dug up and given away. That will make more room for a new
configuration for the white and pink phlox in front. I’ll probably still have
ornamental peppers, but beyond that my gardening mind is a clean slate.
The
back gardens will see the bee balm moved as well as the white phlox getting a
new configuration. I need something blue back there and may try foxglove. The
delphinium this year was a disappointment. It’s finished blooming 2-3
weeks ago. I need something that’s going to last longer than that.
The sedum needs a huge cutting back! That will be separated
into 4 plants next year. I’ll keep one and give the rest away. It will also find a new
spot in the garden. I’ll see how the bleeding heart does next year. This year
it started out weak, but right now it’s starting to look pretty good. I’ll wait
on that. The rest is a big question mark. I’m trying for ‘less is more.’
However, I tend to get carried away. What I need is a lot more space and a
gardener.
As
you can see in the following picture, my front garden needs to have much less
next year. The morning glories will absolutely not be allowed to grow. I
planted seeds one year and I’ll have morning glory plants for years to come.
You just can’t yank them out completely. Another plant to be treated as a weed!
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| Still going strong |
I’m
dreaming of next year already and I’m seeing spectacular!
