The nights are getting really chilly. We even had the furnace on briefly this morning as the inside temperature was around 18 degrees Celsius. But now the sun is out and it is lovely outside. The breeze is fresh, not warm like summer, but with the nip of fall in the air.
More digging today. Yesterday the hydrangea went in, today it is Goat's Beard or Aruncus if I am going to use the proper botanical name. This variety is labeled Horatio and the ticket says that is is zone 4-8 and will grow 32" high. If it is anything like the Goat's beard that I grew in Nova Scotia, it will get much taller than that. But perhaps the colder zone may limit its growth. It is a pretty shrub that dies back each fall and then sprouts quickly in the spring, producing feathery white plumes. It looks like a giant astilbe when fully grown and the flowers last for close to a month and turn brown very similar to astilbe.
Next is an ornamental grass, so pretty. I should have bought more of these, I like them so much. My tendency is to buy many different plants so I end up with a hodge podge, I should buy at least 3 of each plant so that there is more symmetry in the garden. Well, perhaps I will just leave room to add more next year. This variety is called Hamelyn Fountain Grass, it has silvery-white flowers that look like caterpillars to me. They turn tan as they dry. They should grow to 30" tall. I will definitely get some more of these, they are so pretty. This is the bare bones of this bed, I will dig more around these plants and will fill in with annuals next year.
It is in the shade nowl (from our garage) but this photo was taken at around 3 pm. It has direct sun up until around 2:30 pm so that is about 6 or 7 hours of sunlight daily.
I also moved the clematis from where I had initially planted it. It was getting very little direct sun in that location, so I put it at the base of the clothes line post, which is smack dab in the sunlit area. I piled some small stones around the base to keep the roots cool, but should plant something there to provide the shade that the roots need. Even though it has only been planted for two weeks, it has already made a lot of new roots and I think it will do alright in the new location.
Then I took an old peony from an existing bed and put it where the clematis was. It looks exhausted but what do I have to lose by moving it? It didn't flower where it was since it is right underneath a maple tree; it may have some life in it yet.
Then I estimated the length of hedge next to the driveway and it is at least 30 feet long. So that means at least 6 to 8 hydrangea should be planted there next spring. This project I will leave until next year. I don't think there is enough growing season left for these perennials to establish themselves before winter.
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