good bye, hyacinth bean

I got rid of a thug today.

A rose arch separates the patio outside the kitchen from a walkway going around the side of the house. The arch is old, and over the years I have had several different climbing roses growing there. They have all been beautiful, and they have all died. The current one is a Zepherine Drouhin, a thornless variety with old rose scented pink blooms. I planted it last year, and it grew a few feet, but not nearly enough to cover the arch. I decided to plant a confederate jasmine on the other side of the arch, hoping the two would eventually meet at the top, but this plant also grew only a couple feet. So, I then decided to plant a hyacinth bean vine, a fast growing annual, so I would have something on the arch while the other two became  established. It worked perfectly, with the hyacinth bean growing enough to climb one side and drape over the top. I liked its cute pink flowers and attractive purple bean pods.

I thought to repeat the strategy this summer. I planted one hyacinth bean plant next to the Zepherine Drouhin, expecting it to behave as it did before. But this time, the plant grew to zudzu proportions, swallowing the arbor and reaching long tentacles toward any soul daring to walk under it. There was no sign of the rose or the jasmine.

Today I looked at the hyacinth bean and decided it was time for it to go. It wasn't due to die until the first hard frost, at least another month away, but I was in the mood. It was a tangled mess and a lot of work. I was happy to discover that under it all I still have a rose and a jasmine, both about eight feet tall and healthy. 

Next year I won't plant another hyacinth bean on the arbor. Still, if I keep it pruned, one would look nice growing up the tall post supporting a bird house located by the driveway, so I will save a few seeds.I found a perfect rosebud, hidden beneath the hyacinth bean vine.

rainy days

The rain is coming down in sheets today. Again. I still remember the terrible drought from a couple years ago, so I'm not complaining. I am glad that I got some garden work done last week. Between rain showers I was able to spend some quality time pulling weeds, and I also did some transplanting. There were several goldmound spirea which were crowding into each other on a hillside bordering the woodland garden, and there were some wood ferns scattered about that I decided to cluster together. These were the easy transplants.

I also dug up a seven foot tall fothergilla. That job took longer, about an hour, but the ground was soft from recent rain and the root system was shallow, so it was not too difficult. I put the fothergilla in a sunnier part of the yard. This shrub didn't bloom much this year, probably because the trees nearby have grown up and are giving it too much shade.

I am never afraid to move a plant if it seems unhappy in its present location or if I think it will look better in another place. In Alabama, fall and winter are great times for transplanting. The air temperature is gentle, and the root systems have a chance to establish themselves before next summer's heat. I always transplant on a cool, cloudy day and water them well afterwards. I have moved some plants up to four times before finding their perfect homes.

So last week I moved three spireas, six ferns, and one large fothergilla. And it has rained ever since. And I am smiling, because I don't have to worry about watering them.Fothergilla has beautiful fall foliage.