Last steps

I only have a few more projects left to finish up the season.  Just a couple more days of removing the last of the fallen leaves and trimming a few branches before the long winter sets in.  I am looking forward to the snow and colder temperatures!
I thought I would share a couple of the photos from my work these past few weeks...

This flowering kale I pulled while doing a fall clean-up was still showing some amazing color and seemed to ignore the few hard frosts we had recently.

Planting the last of the bulbs!  These crocus were part of a larger grouping I planted along with Chionodoxa (Glory of the Snow) and Galanthus (Snowdrops) and were a mix of purple and white varieties.  I always plant bulbs with a healthy sprinkling of Bulb-tone, a natural and organic 3-5-3 fertilizer made by Epsoma.

Signs of Fall

I'm not quite sure where the month has gone.  Time gets away from me this time of year as I hustle to prepare gardens for the long winter ahead.  We had our first frost this morning in the Portland area, which seems quite late.  Inland areas have had a few frosts at this point going back to several weeks ago.  I will spend the next couple of weeks continuing to cut perennials back, planting bulbs for next spring, wrapping shrubs, and pulling the last remaining weeds of the season.

Sweet Autumn Clematis

As fall sets in here in Maine there aren't too many shrubs and vines left flowering.  Yes, there are plenty of hydrangea blooms and some lingering Rose of Sharon (Hibiscus syriacus) around, but now is the time of year that the Sweet Autumn Clematis really shines.  The small white blooms exude a fantastic fragrance that even Monarch butterflies seem to love (one stopped by to sample some nectar right as I pulled my camera out). 

Clematis paniculata is a quick climber and can grow up to 30 feet.  It is best to plant is an area where it can spread freely, up a large trellis or arbor, along a fence, or even up a tree.

Rainy Day Field Trip

While we are in the midst of several wet and dreary days here in the northeast (the remnants of Tropical storm Lee), my friend and I decided it was the perfect weather for a field trip to a greenhouse.  We took a half hour drive north to New Gloucester, Maine to visit Wood Sprite Orchids.

This quaint little spot is a real hidden gem.  The very knowledgeable owner (who lives right next door to the greenhouse) has the largest collection of tropical orchids in Maine.  The blooms were fascinating and beautiful.

Besides the orchids he also had a few Staghorn Ferns growing and some wonderful specimen plants, like this large Jade (below on the right).

Wood Sprite Orchids is open year round at 43 Depot Rd. in New Gloucester.  Orchids from seedling to blooming size plants are for sale.  Their website is:   http://www.woodspriteorchids.com/enter02/

Irene's Damage

While most of the Casco Bay region of Maine didn’t experience much damage from Hurricane Irene, the plants at the Lobster Shack in Cape Elizabeth sure did!  The 40+ mile per hour winds combined with salt spray from the ocean created damage like I have never seen before.  

 

It was amazing to see how the plants (shrubs, perennials, and annuals alike) directly in the path of the strong southeast winds were brown and black while others seemed unscathed.

Can you tell which way the wind way blowing?

These Rosa rugosas were heavily damaged on the southeast side, while right around the corner they remained lush and green.

After cutting back all the dead leaves, branches, and flowers the gardens looked very sparse, almost like spring!  I am going to go back and fill in with some late bloomers like yarrow, crocosmia, asters, a few more mums, and some flowering kale.

Native Clethra

While on a canoe trip yesterday at Bunganut Pond in Lyman I saw quite a bit of Clethra alnifolia growing along the water’s edge.  I thought I would share a few pictures of it in its "wild" state, as I had just shared some photos of landscape specimens in my last blog entry.  This native variety forms dense patches and thrives in sandy, wet soils.  The smell was amazing!  After flowering, the dried fruiting capsules remain through the winter and make it easy to identify.

 

There were also several wild blueberry bushes growing right along the bank that were perfectly ripe, and delicious!

More Favorite Flowers...

 

Clethra alnifolia, commonly referred to as Sweet Pepperbush or Summersweet, is one of my favorite flowering shrubs.  The fragrant flower spikes are in full bloom here in Maine and are intoxicating!  This is a great shrub to use in shade to part-shade gardens and is available in white or pink shades.  The common variety can grow to 6 feet, while there are a few compact varieties for smaller spaces that get to about 3 feet.  Most varieties prefer moist soils and blooms last for about three weeks.