What have you done today in the Garden?

Yesterday, I dug a few of the compact dahlia tubers. Since these were raised from seeds, I didn't know what to expect.



Some look pretty good. Others are smaller, maybe less likely to survive winter storage? I don't know. The smaller ones are the more interesting ones that I thought I might move to containers next year.

There are about eight more to dig up.

Two days ago I sprayed the lavender seedlings with BT to prevent fungus gnats. Unfortunately, that appears to have killed the tender seedlings. #$&@¡!¿¢ (insert curse words, especially colorful ones from other places). Lesson learned and will try again.

I washed and sanitized a lot of the plastic containers for starting seeds.

I added a roomy, sturdy shelf in the LED-lit plant stand, anticipating seedlings in a month or three. I meant to do that last year, and the year before.

I bought a couple bags of peat moss for storing dahlia tubers.

Then scattered grass seeds on the now-smoothed and raked area that I worked so hard to de-wild, fill in, smooth, to return to lawn. Formerly a big garden bed. Downsizing isn't just stopping growing things there, it can be a lot of work. I don't know if the grass seeds will germinate, or how fast. I can re-sow in Spring if needed.

Today - dig the rest of the dahlia tubers. Re-sow lavender seeds. Maybe sow some pelargonium seeds for an extra - early start.

 

@Daniel W I too am considering digging up about 6 Dahlias that have outgrown their space ( all the others will stay put). I can't wait for them to get frosted as we're having a very mild spell of weather, so I will chance it and pot up and store undercover this Winter. That will make 10 being stored, I just hope I can find them all a permanent home in a border next year.

I think I have finished all the bulb planting....unless I come across another stash that I've forgotten about ( highly likely)
The Tulips I purchased this year are Apricot Foxx ( spelt with a double x), double late Finola, double late Black Hero, Happy Generation, Helmar, Flaming Flag, lily flowered Marilyn, parrot Estella Rijnveild.
I thought I would list them now before I forget. Bonus being I can look back here for future reference.
I have last year's too mainly the parrot type....not really sure if I like them or not....next year will be the decider.

Also pulled up some of the spent annuals too. Hubs helped by sweeping up and bagging up the thick layer of leaves that had accumulated on the East Patio.

The days are so short now and the few hours out in the garden whizz by so fast now.

 

Forgot..I've also planted up some Alliums too, Purple Sensations, Purple Rain and Mount Everest.

 

Daniel— that sounds like good dahlia care. Good luck with them.

Oreti— those are nice Alliums there, mate.

 

I had to look them up the colors are in the reds and oranges will be really pretty next spring. Will be something to look foreword too. Alliums are a splendid idea they will be great too. A fav.

 

Wow every one is definitely preparing for next springs blooms and more .

Aww so sorry the seedlings didn’t make it Daniel. It’s a lot of prep and work and so disappointing to loose .

I don’t want to take a chance on planting any bulbs this season. It would be like planting signs in the garden , “Tulip bulbs here for supper”, for the ground critters, or “ Snack time right here” . I don’t know how they do it but the
( Gophers , Ground squirrels ) and moles come from every direction the minute anything new is planted.
For now all is quiet in the underground hollow sanctum .
Above the inner sanctum there are literally tons of mushrooms exploding on top of the old war zones where the underground bunkers were left behind during the Mole Wars of 2024.

A lot of good weather and sunshine today will be another glorious day to admire the beauty of Autumn's glorious color. Another day of mulching … on leaf duty.

 

Thank you @Pacnorwest I hope that the older tulips that i left in for the last 2 years flower this year.

 

@Logan .
If the tulips bulbs planted last season are not in a place where rain could cause rotting, then golly gee the bulbs will certainly bloom next spring. Then on second thought mice can take a toll on them too. Which brings to mind ….
During the potato famine in Ireland and during WWII tulip bulbs were cooked and eaten.

 

Thanks @Pacnorwest i have no problems with mice and i didn't know that they could be eaten, i know dahlia tubers can.

 

Much as I enjoy Spring blooming bulbs, I decided to enjoy the photos on Garden Stew instead of my own. Tulips, especially beautiful.

I started over planting Lavender seeds. It's possible my first ones had damping off, but it's too coincidental that they died right after I sprayed with BT. There weren't enough seeds of one variety, so I ordered some.

I dug up the rest of the dwarf dahlias that I want to save over winter. Hosed off the tubers, pruned the stems back to six inches, placed in garage to dry out.

As with the lavender seeds, I sowed geranium (pelargonium) seeds. Maverick series, scarlet, coral, and white.

Started pruning an apple tree.

 

I kind of like that sunflower too. It is supposed to be a feeder of some kind, but the wire openings are so tiny, I don't know how any birds could reach the seed.

We had a lot more heavy rains here, maybe 13" ? Not sure, but when I went to work at our church Community Center, we had about 3" of water all over the floor. We rolled up our pants legs and got to work--and messaged more friends to come with shop vacs to help clean up. It was over the top of my shoes, and some things were floating around. Our Pastor estimated we had about 5,000 gallons of water or so in there? I think it was at least that much! We worked all morning with the shop vacs and got most of it up. The carpet is still wet, and much more clean up needs done. Maybe the fans and dehumidifiers will help?

There is a lot of local flooding and washouts around here.

I did not get in my garden today. I am watching some good garden videos though, and got some more ideas how I want to do stuff.

 

@Daniel W , your grass seed should grow okay. Last year when my son had to have all that ditch work done, I thought it would be bald much longer. He had planned to get grass seed, but it is nearly 100% recovered in grass by the beginning of summer this year without buying grass seed. There are a few small patches not yet covered, so maybe I will pick up some seed? Grass is pretty hardy.

@Pacnorwest , A lot of flowers are edible: violets, rose of sharon flowers and leaves, morning glories, redbud flowers, daylilies, cat tails, and many other plants. I bought a book awhile back about wild plants that are edible. It is a survival guide by the Army. Allegedly, it is a "complete" list, but I know many that are not on their list. And they had some foreign ones I had not heard of. Apparently, I have not yet put it in my photos on here. It is "The Complete Guide to Edible Wild Plants" by the Department of the Army. I just fixed that. I posted it on fb and saved it to my computer. That shrunk it small enough to post here. Faster than photo programs.




Tractor Store has a lot of interesting books on gardening and canning etc. (But some of their books I would never buy.)

 

@AAnightowl thank you for additional info on editable plants and the book pictured written by the army would be an interesting read. I have collected a nice library of many plant books , before the internet .

 

You can plant the pruning parts and they'll grow. But I'm sure you knew that. You're very knowledgeable.

 

Thank you for the info and compliment, Willow.

I actually have too many now. Hate to do it, but I will edit my collection by removing three of the plants, after they bloom. Kind of a muddy orangish color. The others are brilliant and I will keep them - at least six more.

A few were ones I started myself.