Wednesday Vignette: Alice Oakleaf Hydrangea Blooms

Alice Oakleaf Hydrangea blooms, Hydrangea quercifolia 'Alice'

I love looking at the morning and evening light filter through the spent hydrangea blooms. I almost didn't have any this year. My sweet Pirate went out and deadheaded and pruned one hydrangea to impress me with his gardening finesse while I was out on a bug hunt with an entomologist. I came home just in time to stop him from pruning the other two. He was surprised to hear that I like those dried up ol' things. Perhaps this shot can change his mind. Anything is possible, right? 

Don't forget to go visit Flutter and Hum. 

Fall Clean Up

Last night, I taught my first community education gardening class, Preparing Your Garden for Winter, at Clark College's new Columbia Tech Center campus. I met a lovely mix of gardeners: a first time gardener that lives in my neighborhood, fellow Master Gardeners, and several gardeners that I've met when presenting at the Camas Library. We shared our experiences, laughed, and learned from each other. It was a fun two hours. 

Princess Victory Louise Oriental Poppy seedhead

I told the class how my family prepared their gardens for winter when I was a child.

My grandparents would rip out their massive vegetable garden and pile it up beside the chipper. And then my Grandpa would drink beer and run the garden through the chipper back into the empty garden. My Grandma always sent me back inside to smack filberts with a hammer to keep me out of the way. I'm guessing that my Grandpa had a little too much fun with the chipper and his beer.

Now, I loved my Mom's method of fall clean up. She would build a giant bonfire in the center of the vegetable garden. (Yes, gasoline was involved in starting the blaze.) My dad would sit in a lawn chair with the garden hose in hand, just in case. The neighborhood kids would dance around the fire and we'd roast hot dogs and marshmallows for dinner. I'd go to bed with soot in my hair, a full belly and dirty feet. I loved fall cleanup. 

At the end of the class, I realized that my basic lesson wasn't about cleaning up the garden at all, which is what someone would expect. I encouraged the class to get a soil test, edit their gardens, move plants around, shop for more plants, and to go shop the garden container sales. Fall is a fun, busy, and creative time in the garden. 

Next week, we're going to divide a few plants, talk about seeds, sharpen our shovels and run through our November chore list. I'm looking forward to it.  

a fading Japanese Anemone blooom

There is still time to come join my Early Bird Plan for Next Year's Veggie Garden class starting on November 9th.  Details are here. 

So, what advice would you give to a class about fall gardening? I'd love to hear it!

Wednesday Vignette: Bird Feeder

Here's a vignette that I snapped through my dining room window. The bushtits, twenty to thirty at a time, gather on my Japanese Clethra and wait their turn to snack on the suet squares filled with insects. The Dictator, our resident male hummingbird, is coming in for a flyby. Dick, as I call him, prefers the garden to himself and tries to kick us all out except when his feeders need to be filled.  Then he cha-cha-chas back and forth in front of me.  A couple of days ago, he flew inside the den to get our attention, then resumed his cha-cha-cha on the patio. I'm his meal ticket and he knows it. 

Don't forget to stop by and visit our hostess, Anna at Flutter and Hum, to see her Wednesday Vignette and all the others.  

Summer Loving

It's that time again…Saxon Holt is hosting his Picture This photo competition at Gardening Gone Wild.  The theme is Summer. 

Summer Lovin'

Here is my submission titled Summer Lovin'. I don't know about you, but I'm always happy to see the ladybugs procreating among the aphid colonies in my garden.  If you look closely, you'll see an aphid peeking out from under the leaf. I wonder if they noshed on the aphid after their lovin'.

In a Vase on Monday: Hand Salad Fun

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Every Monday, I look forward to seeing my artistic friend, Rickii's, contribution to Rambling in the Garden's weekly meme. This week, I decided to join in on the fun.  

This bouquet is inspired by the hand salads that I've been sharing with pedestrians and neighbors out of My Victory Garden. We've been wrapping Sungold tomatoes in nasturtium leaves with a Sour Mexican Gherkin that look like miniature watermelons; a delicious combination. And it doesn't look too shabby stuffed in my old glass Listerine vase.     

Don't forget to visit Cathy at Rambling in the Garden to see her lovely bouquet.  

P.S. Do you like the bouquet picture?  I took it with my iPhone and edited it on the free app Snapseed.  I'd be happy to teach you how to improve your smartphone photography at my class Smartphone Garden Photos class at Clark College on September 28th from 6 to 8 pm.  Here's the link to register. I'm also teaching courses on preparing your garden for winter and planning next year's veggie garden.  I'd love to see you in my class!