A Dinosaur Egg in the Fall Garden

A long time ago when my son Josh was four years old, dinosaurs roamed our home. They were made of rubber, but that was beside the point. Tyrannosaurus Rex, Brontosaurus, Triceratops and many others engaged in mighty hunts and battles across the bedroom, down the hallway, and even into the far corners of the kitchen.

One day Josh came into the house, his sweet round faced flushed and his blue eyes shining.

"Look! It's a dinosaur egg!"

He held up his hands. In his palms rested a great, egg shaped rock. It was smooth, and it did look like a dinosaur egg, even to me.

"I'm going to let it hatch!"

I thought about that.

"Well, Josh," I said, "I think dinosaurs take a very, very long time to hatch. Why don't you put it back out in the yard, and you can check on it from time to time. But I think I read somewhere that dinosaurs can take years to hatch."

Josh was satisfied with that, and he returned his prize to the woodlands. I don't know how often he checked his egg, but eventually he grew up. Dinosaurs were forgotten, and guitars and girls and the price of gasoline became more important.

But it all came back to me when I found a great, egg shaped rock in the woodlands. It hasn't hatched yet, and I decided to put it on a chunk of wood, to make a rustic pillar, marking the back entrance to the woodland garden. I just hope it's not Velociraptor that eventually comes out!

The egg isn't the only thing that's making me smile recently. After our droughty September, I was afraid all the leaves would turn brown and fall off the trees, without going through the usual color changes that bring so much pleasure to me this time of year. It's true; the colors are more subdued this year, and many leaves do have brown edges. But when the light shines through a certain way, the colors still take my breath away.

Here are some scenes from the fall garden:Top: The blue bench stands out against fall colors in the front garden. Middle: Forsythia beginning to change colors; A view overlooking the woodland garden from the front drive. Bottom: A view through the arch by the patio; A wooded hillside.

Some pretty fall leaves:Top: Dogwood, cornus florida. Bottom: Japanese maple leaves beginning to turn; River birch leaves against the sky.

The 'Waterfall' Japanese maple in the woodland garden is amazing. Below, the top photo shows this tree as its leaves began to turn at the end of September. The bottom photo shows the same tree this past week.

More colors in the fall garden:Top: Euonymous alata; oak leaf hydrangea. Middle: Winter kale; purple aster. Bottom: Moonvine, my vote for most romantic vine!

And finally, here are scenes from the woodland garden:

As fall turns toward a busy holiday season, my hope is for every day to hold a blessing for you, and may you be content enough to receive it!  Deborah

A Year in the Lower Lawn and Words About Maintenance

This is the final installment in my five part series featuring seasonal views of different parts of Deb's Garden. Today we will look at the lower lawn. At first I hesitated to include the lower lawn in the series, because I don't think of it as a real "garden" space. But it does help to complete the over-all plan, so here it is.

I define the lower lawn as the area beyond the front garden. It is divided in half by the drive as it travels away from the house and the front garden. This area is the farthest from the house and is the lowest of low maintenance. Except for mowing the grass during the summer, we don't do much here. Even mowing is kept to a minimum, as we cut our grass high and don't mow at all during times of drought. That means our grass hasn't been cut in two months! In the seasonal photos below, the double row of boxwoods defines the entrance to our property:

As we travel down the drive, on the right is the backside of the front garden, featuring Japanese maples, dogwoods, and a weeping cherry tree:

The main entrance to the woodland garden is on the left side of the drive, while across the lower lawn on that side, the edge of our property is defined by a screen of evergreen trees. We once had unobstructed views of rolling fields and trees when we looked out our front windows, until our neighbor built a workshop within a few feet of our property line. This massive building completely obstructed our view, and while its roofline had merit, the commercial-like side of the building was unattractive. I solved the problem by planting a border of evergreens. It is an eclectic grouping, including Canadian hemlock, white pine, Arizona cypress, deodar cedar, and upright yaupon holly. I also planted dogwood, Japanese maple and redbud trees to provide some seasonal color. Despite their diverse homelands, all of the trees have grown well, and I no longer think ugly thoughts about my neighbor when I look his direction. Here are seasonal views of the lower lawn, looking toward the evergreen border:

And finally, the right side of the lower lawn is bordered by natural woodland, including native oak, pine, and dogwood. The woods are edged by a row of oak leaf hydrangeas:

If you have followed the entire series, you are now thoroughly acquainted with Deb's Garden! Some of you have wondered about the size and maintenance of my gardens. Our property covers 3.5 acres, with at least one acre being untouched woodland. Lou and I do all the maintenance ourselves, and we have full time jobs that keep us busy. It is not as much maintenance as you would imagine! If you examine my photos, you will discover that most of the color comes from trees and shrubs, which naturally require less maintenance than annuals or perennials. I love flowers, but the backbone of my garden comes from sturdier, more permanent plantings. 

Here is a summary of our maintenance chores:

1. Pruning of shrubs - once or twice a year, depending on plant

2. Weeding of pathways - thorough weed job once in spring, then once a month or so as needed. Weeding is something I often do as I stroll about. A handful here and there keeps the chore from becoming obnoxious.

3. Mulching of pathways - once every couple of years

4. Edging of lawn - once in spring, as needed again in fall

5. Fertilization of shrubs and flowers - once or twice a year, depending on plant

6. Fertilization of grass - twice a year with a natural "weed and feed" product

7. Mowing of grass - every two weeks or so during the growing season, except during times of draught

8. Watering - as needed. Newly planted areas or marginal plants need to be babied. Well established, native plants can take care of themselves.

9. Mulching of planting areas - once or twice a year. Mulch helps to conserve moisture, cuts down on weeds, and improves the soil. We use a lot of pine straw, which is readily available and complements our acidic soil.

10. Enjoyment of garden - daily! And I do include this in maintenance, because a garden that is loved is going to be a happier, healthier garden.

Thanks to everyone who has followed this series. I very much appreciate your comments. Happy Gardening to all of you!

You may also enjoy:

A Year in the Woodlands

A Year in the Front Garden

A Year in the Lady Garden

A Year by the Patio

My Secrets to a Low Maintenance Garden