Aster

I had to eradicate the aster fricarti from my garden.  I wasn't happy about taking it out,  but it had to go.   My garden is small, and the aster, that's been here for 10 years, has finally done too much.  It's coming up in the center of ornamental grasses,  and smothering succulents.  It's retreated to areas that I can't easily access.  Under agave and aloe.  Ugh.  I've always encouraged people to plant asters  They're so friendly, and reliable, now I will add aggressive and opportunist. 

They're lovely and when there's enough room to naturalize,  they're perfect.  A small garden is trickier, even when you're diligent about keeping it in its designated area.  There will always be rogue runners who will escape you.  

Nature can be delicate

This is a tiny creeping fern I found when eradicating junipers in NorCal.  I don't know its name, or it's growing habit.  It does appear to attach for support and grow up.  It's very fine and dainty, with a beautiful, bright green color.  This was a lovely find. 

I ♥️ this very much.

Keep Moving.

Today was a wake up call.  I've always understood the need to keep moving or else things are going up seize up.   While this has always made sense, I've never had it come up for me.  I've always been very busy and active. 

For about the last three weeks I have not been working.  Events as of late have put me in a funk, and I've started to question whether or not gardening was my profession .   I've also questioned if my decisions were right, and ultimately, if I was good at what I do.   It's been a very dark period, but I can finally see the clearing through the trees.    I'm clear that gardening is all I know how to do with any degree of certainty, plus it's my passion.

So today, I actually got off my butt and got back to work.   I was quickly reminded about both my age, and how my extended time away getting my head straight, took it's toll. I was surprised at how by about the 6th dietes, my wrist started hurt.  I was also surprised at how my middle finger on my left hand, started to hurt.  This is really weird because I'm right handed, I have no idea why this would ache.

I also noticed around the fifth hour, how tired I was.   This was a big surprise as well.  I used to be able to work like crazy, for hours.   Not working for this short amount of time, has ruined my stamina.   This will come back, I'm sure of it.

This year, more then any other year, my fingers look as if I'm starting to get arthritis.  Luckily my joints that look disfigured don't hurt at all.    I am very aware that my wrist hurts tonight though.  Is it carpal tunnel syndrome?  Or just a weak wrist getting back to work.  I'm hopeful for the latter, and with a bit more work, everything will be greased up and  back to normal.

This isn't meant to be a depressing post, because despite my mental set back, I'm so happy.  I truly do love to garden.  I needed to reassess, and I'm now confident in my abilities and my choices. 

This post is also a word or two to the wise:
If you don't use it, you lose it.  

Just keep swimming.  

Hedging Hedges

Thursday we were up on Grizzly Peak doing a seasonal visit at one of our bigger, more modern gardens.   This site is all about clean lines and geometry.  There are large groupings of grasses, rows of red lorapetalum, squares and rows of Hebe, eunomyous, dianella... you get the idea.  At this job site hedgers are extremely important, for both efficiency and time.   

While i was hedging one of the many rows, a few things occurred to me:

• Obviously, sharp, clean tools and a ladder for access, if needed.  

• When I am hedging, I often grab the foliage and pull it forward,or up.  This is to avoid, long, lateral growing branches.  I was first taught to let the long branches grow and weave it through, filling in any blank spots.  I do not agree with this technique anymore.  It's much too easy to cut this long branch creating a tremendous void.  The hedge doesn't look uniform either, in fact it looks unkempt.   It's best to have all the foliage pointing forward or up.  This avoids smothering of other foliage and ultimately a lot of internal dead leaves.  This is good for sun exposure and less pests and diseases too.  

• Its important to use your hedgers, cutting in two directions when hedging.  Start at one end and then turn around and go back the same way you came.  If the hedge is always cut in the same direction, it will begin to look windblown and will lean to one side or the other.   Cutting it in both directions produces the clean look, and forward facing foliage as mentioned above.  Cutting it in both directions you simply cut more of the plant.

• If your hedge is tall, cut the hedge to a batter, tapering up to the top.  This is so the lower half can get ample sun to it.  

• If you're trying to force growth on your hedge, figure out where you want the most growth and hedge accordingly.  If you want growth to happen on the right side of the hedge, only cut the left side.  If you're trying to force growth out both sides, only prune the top.  

• Occasionally its recommended to refurbish a hedge.  To really get into it and clean it up.  Cut the dead branches out of it, and get the dead leaves out.  Cutting it hard, both down and to the sides to give it a fresh start   Most hedging plants respond very well to this treatment.  If you're cutting 50% of the hedge, it's best to do it over time, depending on the size.  Conifer hedges do not respond well to this type of cutting.  

• Its always best to have good air circulation through plants, and a hedge, although more dense, is no exception,  Clearing out the dead is usually sufficient air flo

• Hedge clean up is normally a drag.  Tons of small clippings that either litter the mulch, bury plants lying directly below or fall into the center or the hedge.  Either option is time consuming to deal with, but important to handle carefully,  Nothing makes us more crazy then to watch someone trample over more tender plants while cleaning up.  If possible, placing a tarp or an old sheet down on the ground below you will catch some of the falling debris.  If that's not possible, be careful.   A bouncy rake is easier on the plants then a normal leaf rake.  

• Always take care and look for birds nests before hedging.

Bamboo is in question

For the last few days, we have been eradicating approx, 15 year old bamboo, of the running kind.  Root barrier was in place and the areas they were planted in were small with cement borders. The bamboo had grown as tall as a 3 story home and was fast becoming timber bamboo.  There was no water directly on any of the plants, but the lower planters did get an overspray from the bigger garden.  Did that make a difference you ask?  Yes, a dramatic difference in how deep and more prolific the roots traveled. 

Even with all these precautions in place, the bamboo still jumped out, went over, drilled through... It did everything its known for and we didnt want it to do.  This should come as no surprise that its even cracked the concrete, and wormed its way into the adjacent steps. 

I love most every plant on this planet and feel there is a place for every single one of them as well.  The pictures I've looked at of bamboo gardens are serene and tranquil and I would love to visit one.   However, bamboo is in question for me at the moment, especially in an urban location.  I get it, its beautiful and grows quickly for privacy or simple greenery outside a window, but the mayhem we've been dealing with and my sore muscles make me see bamboo for what it really is, an animal. 

Delicate looking, but tough as nails.

These 3 plants; pacific coast iris, bleeding heart and columbine are plants that remind me of spring.  They usually have pastel colored blooms and look fragile, but surprise! they're not.  Water will help them look lush and improve their overall health, but its surprising how little they need to survive.