Autumn Gardening

Autumn is here today and I'm happy about it. True, the days are growing shorter, but they're also growing cooler, which is a welcome change for someone who believes that baking and boiling aren't outdoor activities. It's also planting season or so the sign in the gardening section of my local home improvement store claimed. It remains to be seen if they're telling the truth or not.

So far, we've planted a group of delphiniums and day lilies. They look alive, but barely. It's hard to say if their ragged appearance is due to shock or the season. I fear it's the former, but hope it's the latter. We won't know until spring. If they don't bounce back, then I guess we'll be buying and planting a new group in another six months.

Just a quick aside: I had no idea that plants could go into shock. I mean, I know fish can go into shock when placed in a new tank. I also know that San Diego fans can go into shock, especially when their baseball team loses by nineteen runs. But flowers freaking out? That's new to me.

Anyway, we also planted lavender (lavandula grosso) just to see how it takes to the tough soil conditions. If it flourishes, then we'll put in more. The delphiniums, by the way, have small flowers that range in color from blue to purple. The day lilies, in contrast, have bright yellow flowers that are bigger. The lavender should go nicely with both.

This week, we planted an angel's trumpet (brugmansia candida). It currently stands less than a foot tall, but according to the gardening book, it should eventually grow to be ten to twelve feet tall and just as wide. In the spring or summer, long, fragrant flowers of white will bloom. My main concern is the wind and the cold weather that will come this winter. We will have to be inventive to protect it from the harsh conditions.

So far, the toughest part has been digging through the dense, rocky soil. Part of the problem has to do with not having the right tools. A six-inch deep hole becomes a whole afternoon project when excavating with a plastic spoon and two stir sticks. Purchasing something sturdier before doing any more planting would probably be a good idea. I'm thinking metal spoons and stir sticks should do the trick - preferably rustproof.

Over the next few weeks, I hope to finish the primary planting so that everything will be in place and ready to blossom next spring.

"A garden is never so good as it will be next year."
- Thomas Cooper

"Your first job is to prepare the soil. The best tool for this is your neighbor's garden tiller. If your neighbor does not own a garden tiller, suggest that he buy one."
- Dave Barry