It is usually about this time of year that I start to put all my garden observations for the year together into a plan for late summer/early fall adjustments. There are, of course, the seedlings in pots that need to get into the ground, there are usually some plans for additions somewhere, there are often swaps or transplants, and sometimes there are even things that get pulled and disposed. This year there are a bunch, and some in each category.
Yesterday was an absolutely glorious day, and I spent 5 hours just putzing and thinking and planning in the townhouse gardens. I love those days. They challenge me in a variety of ways. And they evoke both discipline and hope. By noon I had a full, but realistic list.

Today dawned rainy, and kept on that way, even adding periods of heavy rain and some periods of thunderstorms. I had been out early during a break in the action and even determined there was no pollen source for my designated crosses today, so “let it rain”. Indoors, I took the time to putz, unpack some deliveries, do some laundry, have multiple cups of tea (after one cup of coffee 🥰) and … put together a week by week garden adjustments/additions plan. Now, remember I still work a very full time job, and we have lots of life stuff, so this 10 week plan is really just 2-5 hours per week. Sometimes it is expected to be relaxing and slow – remove a failing hosta and clematis for disposal and transplant another clematis and 3 smaller, groundcover hostas into that space. Sometimes it is expected to be kinda exhausting and dirty and sweaty, like dig out remaining daylilies in big overgrown garden at the historic cemetery and transplant them into the fence garden there. Both examples are “one week”. They may even be broken up into separate segments or even days, but they are “one week” of work.
It takes a little thinking and adjusting to get that plan firmed up. I go through a lot of iterations. But in the end I have a plan that I know I can work, that I have both time and energy for, and that is timed to match the usual temperatures – for both my sake and for the plants’ sake 😉 That plan is now firm, and pics are even taken of those notes on my phone so I could potentially reference them from multiple devices. Uh-huh. For real. Now I can rest and enjoy the various gardens and also just “work the plan”. Something this very analytical mind does well with lol.

So, about enjoying those gardens. The Purple D’Oros are starting to wane, both this year, and in relationship to its lifetime in its current locations. It definitely needs to be dug, divided, moved out of what has become an increasingly shady filled location under the linden, and moved into much sunnier digs. And it has already got those locations, thanks to the plan discussed above. But I expect it will need to reestablish, so I added a second cross this year to my list for Purple D’Oro pollen – Pink Tirza. Naomi Ruth wasn’t blooming one day Purple D’Oro and Pink Tirza were so …. I am also happy to say it seems both Naomi Ruth and Pink Tirza have seed pods from those crosses. Now we wait to see if anything happens beyond that. I have had LOTS of Purple D’Oro self seeding and even some crosses, but never had a seedling from Purple D’Oro that produced a bloom, in 4 years of trying. Admittedly, some of that was neglect (up north with no water but rain, and here with too little sun). Some is also unknown (they may be blooming at the little house we sold). But here they have not bloomed. So we shall see. It will be interesting, that is for sure.

And I may need to do more researching this winter on pollen. This has been a very iterative process for me. I am loving it now that I have a few years in, and a much nicer, simpler organization system. And oh, by the way, nature has had mercy. I have not had to dead head. I have had either one or both of my diploid chosen crosses available or the spent blooms have fallen off the Naomi Ruth and the Pink Tirza pretty quickly. That was going to be hard for me because I also like the self seeds. I know, I’m working on it. Also, oddly, the Purple D’Oros only have one seed pod formed so far this year, and they are almost done blooming. There are usually at least a dozen between them, sometimes more. Another indicator, they are ready for division and new digs.
The Marque Moons had two scapes survive the squirrels, bunnies, (deer?) and they have started blooming so I have started two crosses. So two diploid, two tetraploid. I did allow a little scope creep, but I may not save harvested self seed this year. If I do harvest those, I think I may just plant them right into the ground in spring, up north. TBD on that. A no weeding daylily space? Would be interesting I suppose. Free, and that part is good. Not sure yet. We shall see.
One of these years I probably should cure myself of allowing self seeding here, but I don’t think this is the year. It is at the historic cemetery though. I trimmed all those dayliles. I want them to preserve all their energy for a number of reasons – 1) they are not watered so they do sometimes have to go through drought, and 2) I just bought a bunch of diploids to match the diploids that are there so eventually, maybe when I semi-retire, I can spend more time in those gardens, and maybe even do crosses there. But for now I mainly need them as beautiful soil and mulch holders for this space.

Yah, I know. But that is only after a super rainy and lots of downpours season. Still, I decided daylilies were much nicer, way easier, and way cheaper than more border. Fingers crossed, it works long term. For now, we cope.
Now on to this weeks bountiful beauty

Above: Third bloom from self-seed 2 year old seedling. It even held up to the thunderstorms and absolute downpours this morning – a very good sign.

Above: ”Free” Autumn Joy sedum rootings! Lemonade out of lemons. When they get broken off I root them. So far I have quite a few. I will plant them at the historic cemetery.

I have done this sedum rooting for well over a decade – super easy. Here is a sedum that looked like the small rootings just two summers ago

Above: Purple D’Oro

Above: Marque Moon

Above: I need to reach out to the breeder and find out what this freebie is. It is not anything I ordered nor a match to what the two freebie tags said.

Above: Just Plum Happy

Above: The Bluebells clematis reblooms all summer. Love this one. It blooms on old vines so super easy and full.

Early morning, just waking up.

Wishing you a great week ahead!