Fall Planting

Today is the kind of day that makes Fall the favorite season for some (I lean towards spring, myself). Low humidity, sunny, cool to start, warm to end. Most of the work I've done lately has been taking things out - bushes, trees, weeding. But today is for planting. This boring post is mostly my record for myself of what is going where, because without the record I'll forget. I've been known to inadvertently pull out things I planted, thinking they were weeds!

We've been way too dry for too long, so as I plant, I need to water, and finish with the sprinkler going for some time. I finally got some plants I had bought a while back planted. I pulled up some senecio from behind the tree trunk, and used that very prime spot to put in some Hibiscus moschutos. It should do well, if there is enough sun. I also relocated one of the lilies to next to the cranberry bush, trying to make sure there is a path to get further into the garden without trampling everything.

I've been throwing the senecio, and deadhead tops of ironweed and Chasmasthium grass, over the fence in hopes that they will spread there. Because it's downhill from inside the fence, I'm thinking they are less likely to spread back uphill into the more civilized garden. The existing ironweed and grass are totally volunteers spread by seed already, so I know they are opportunistic and hardy. I spent some time a couple of years ago rooting out the grass from areas that are now inside the fence, and I think I'm reaping the benefits of that work (in that there isn't more of it everywhere).

I received plants I ordered some months ago from Prairie Nursery, 32 small plugs of ferns and wildflowers, mostly flowers I already have some of, but want more of. Because they are plugs, I'm hoping I'll get them all planted quickly today.

Update: I did get all 32 plants done! (But it wasn't so quick.) For the record:

• Blue indigo along neighbor fence
• Geranium in wildflower garden
• Sunflower between log and fence
• Cardinal flower in bog garden
• Sedges down near fence
• Oak ferns between compost heap and spice bush
• Goldie's fern dark corner
• Bleeding heart in wildflower garden

I also watered for a total of six hours, moving the sprinkler every couple of hours. Things are looking lush!