State of the Garden: Early Autumn

 Several 80-degree days for this first week in October, huh? The normal is one such day in the entire month, but we're in for at least seven in a row. It's been record after record of weather-related phenomena this year. Okay, I say, so that's how it's going to be. 

While I await rains to start on the Great Fall Rearrange, the chores mount. Lots of pickling, harvesting, roasting, freezing in the veggie department. We've had a decent harvest, after all, although the timing is crazy and not everything was successful (onions, what happened?). Black beans, however, were incredibly delicious and a surprise that I can grow them in the Pacific Northwest. A sign perhaps of what I should look to grow in the future. Most chores involve regular irrigation rotating day to day (two acres is a lot to cover), tending to hens and Sweet Pea the turkey, the cats, etc. Waiting on the "garden chores" list are three pages of smallish projects, all set to go in motion as soon as the rains start.

I have a damaged shoulder from hand watering so much. No exaggeration. And this is a dry garden - that is to say it was planted with primarily drought-adapted plants but they've gone through so much stress these last few years that everything needs a helping hand. So the watering continues but is tapering off as I continue to dance the Pagan rain goddess dance. I think because I have so many established Douglas fir and maples on the property mine is a drier than average garden in an already summer dry climate, so my challenges and changes are quite pronounced.

There will be a big reckoning once the rains begin and I can plant again. Many water hungry plants are going away and being replaced with dry loving alternatives. But before that happens I like to take stock and record what it looks like now. Here we go: 

In the center of the labyrinth, a stand of Solidago r. 'Fireworks' stands out. What a great perennial if you have room for it. A definite pollinator attractor with glowing, late-season color.

It is pretty stunning, really. Even with "naked" lower stems. It stays reliably upright if given enough sun. Very drought-adapted, up until this year I did not provide supplemental water, and even now just a couple of times. It would likely have survived this summer without.

Looking towards the meadow garden with many asters in full bloom. Many are our native Symphyotrichum subspicatum (Douglas' aster) or crosses with them. A few are named cultivars and all are loaded with pollinators. These rarely ask for summer water so they stay.

This is likely Symphyotrichum novi-belgii 'Winston Churchill' and its color really stands out.

A lot of tawny colors, seed heads and general fluff this time of the year in the meadow. Not much water need here.

On the other side of the meadow area is a dry gravelly garden with Erigeron 'Profusion', Thymus 'Pink Ripple', several hebes and a few digitalis seedlings. Very low water needs but I did hand-water a dozen times or so over the summer.

Carex flacca has a lovely texture and color. This is in mostly sun but also does well in part shade and dry shade at that. It gets a comb through and clean up in spring, but is otherwise low maintenance.

Oscar has rebounded nicely with the black mushy parts of the leaves drying out and healing. New leaves continue to form on the inside and I'm seeing pups 10 feet away. I think I'm in for a colony of Oscars (Agave parryi ssp. truncata).

The edge of the meadow garden with plenty of Amsonia hubrichtii, Anemanthele lessoniana, allium and asters. It required very little water, really only the couple of new plants I added last autumn needed supplemental water. This is likely due to the fact that the soil is completely covered now so the foliage helps to shade the soil below and keep moisture in. I'm guessing, though.

No green lawn here, by golly. A path looking eastwards towards the meadow on the right and a gravelly garden on the left. The Cornus nuttallii, our native dogwood is the tree in the grass. It is so spectacular in spring; however, it is not doing well. Probably infected with anthracnose, we don't have any solutions other than to leave it. We lost another of these trees this spring in the western woodland but are leaving it as a snag for wildlife.

The firepit, unused for over a year, is still a cool focal point. The bed around it planted with Muhlenbergia rigens and Festuca rubra 'Patrick's Point' has been especially fine.

Alas, alas, the Arbutus menziesii or Pacific madrone did not make it. The dead branches were removed and this is what remains. It's such an attractive bark that I wanted to leave it for a while as a kind of sculptural element. After speaking with Paul Bonine at Xera Plants about it, he and I both think it was likely a victim of verticillium wilt. Boo hoo!!

Persicaria affinis is a low-growing spreader (polite, mind you) whose flowers shift from cotton candy pink to brick red with multiple shades occurring at once. Very charming and fairly low water. This has spread a little more as surrounding plants that died are removed.

From the southern edge of the property a view of three Cupressus macrocarpa (either 'Donard Gold' or 'Golden Pillar' or both) given to me several years ago by Nathan Champion of Champion Acres Nursery. They are gaining size and giving presence to this part of the garden and helping to shelter my little plot of land. I don't really think I've watered these ever besides when they were initially planted.

A more illustrative photo of Muhlenbergia rigens or deer grass and why I have a love affair with this native West Coast grass. I may have to plant more of this in other areas of the garden.

A few heat lovers in there. The gravel garden in general has done well this past year.

For fun I want to show how this otherwise low-growing Dorycnium hirsutum or hairy canary clover uses a callistemon as a support to climb through. I like the look, actually. All of these plants have done very well even with hot reflected sun off of our metal siding and south facing. This is where the Atriplex halimus lived until it died a horrible death this spring, but I replaced it with another and have my fingers crossed. It lives behind all of this drama.

Straight ahead is the labyrinth garden, starting to show signs of the end of the season.

Just for fun. Berberis jamesiana gets larger and more magnificent every year. These yellowish berries will turn to a deep raspberry color soon.

Ceanothus gloriosus is fabulous, but this year I've had a lot of die off in places. After thinking about all the different areas it's planted in and slightly differing conditions, I have come to realize that I never irrigated this patch and another. Plus, mole activity has been an issue and large branches die off left and right. It will recover most likely so I'm not panicked nor am I going to remove it, but it's a lesson that they could handle a little irrigation from time to time.

I am breaking up with Rudbeckia hirta. I planted it here (the previous owner had a clump near the house when we moved in, I moved them to the labyrinth garden and they gladly spread around) 6 years ago when I thought they were a drought tolerant perennial. That is not the case, they are the first to wilt when the weather warms and the soil dries. It will be a pleasure moving these to a heavy clay soil in the chicken yard where, if they make it, great, if not, we tried. I will put gravel in place of these (this is one of many clumps) and maybe plant agaves or something along those lines. Buh-bye rudbeckia.

Ceratostigma plumbaginoides mixed in with a small Myrsine africana. This little area has been lovely and the plumbago has been especially happy in this sunny/high afternoon shade area under an Olearia 'Dartonii'. I have another patch in full sun and it definitely prefers some shade to look its best.

Moving around to the front door and berm garden, this symphony of hot pink and oranges makes me happy this time of the year. The penstemon on the right is supposed to be Penstemon 'Razzle Dazzle', which it isn't, but it's been so vigorous and floriferous that it stays. Its color is much lighter than 'Razzle Dazzle' but it is still lovely. Hesperantha coccinea 'Oregon Sunset' (syn. Schizostylus coccinea) are the star shaped flowers on iris like foliage. This perennial likes moisture year round so this is the only place that really has it - in compacted soil at the base of a berm. It is very happy here. 

Another aster, this is Symphyotrichum ericoides 'First Snow'. Low growing with short foliage and abundant bloom, it is well visited by bees from September through October. 

Wide shot of a chunk of the berm garden.

More of the hot colored area in the berm garden with shade loving plants on the left that continue on for several more feet.

Top of the berm garden looking east. It's hot, dry and crunchy out there. It would be more so had we not watered as much as we have this summer.

Moving on to some shady areas, Podophyllum 'Spotty Dotty' has had a rough summer. I mean she still looks okay, but that's due to the hundreds of gallons of water we threw on her. It's almost the dormant season anyhow, so we're backing off and letting her go flat. 

Never asking anything from me by contrast is Helleborus foetidus which looks better every year.

This scene here will look markedly different in spring. All of the Hakonechloa macra 'Aureola' will be dug up and sold or transplanted to heavy clay soil in another shady area. I cannot keep this watered enough, I mean every other day it wilts. It is in a really tough spot under Doug fir trees and struggles. It comes out and some other drought tolerant replacement will fill its shoes. Even the Oxalis oregana (not pictured) has gone completely dormant in some areas of the shade garden that didn't receive enough irrigation.

So. What if I never irrigated the shade garden? Ever? Greg Shepherd of Xera Plants and I had this conversation the other day. He is experimenting with just this notion to see what survives. He said he's prepared for the summer dormant look. That's something to consider. Am I? What would die? I keep the shade garden on crutches all summer with irrigation. I mean nothing is particularly water hogs (no Ligularia, for example) but the soil is changing, the temperatures are changing, it's not the same as it was even 10 years ago. Our plant palette is shrinking. I mean we can grow tons of incredible material still, but artificially on irrigation. Besides the environmental impact of water use of this kind, my arm and my time and my well-being are seriously compromised by how many hundreds of hours were spent this past summer just dealing with water. Maybe I am ready to experiment a little and let some plants go dormant (or just go) because the alternative is not sustainable.

I'll have to ponder on this over the winter and make some changes. Of course, I will document it here to share my findings.

A micro-environment of shade lovers by the front door. Maybe this is the way to do it? My little "fern table" put together last autumn has filled in nicely.

By the front door, a selection of part shade loving plants at the end of the season that are easy to keep watered in little pots.

**News Flash** on the chicken front, we adopted five Speckled Sussex hens a few weeks ago! They are so wiggly that it's difficult to get a still shot of them. No one could replace our dear departed Frida the Speckled Sussex but five little girls might be as close as we will ever get. They are super friendly, if I sit down they will crawl all over me and even perch on my head. We are smitten and they have recently been introduced to their big sisters and are fitting in beautifully, roosting with them at night and hanging out together all day. We got lucky. 

A parting shot of my shed porch where I hope to spend a lot more time this autumn with a glass of something good and a relax with Facilities Manager enjoying the garden, a happening that has been sorely missing this summer. 

It's been a tough time for my garden and many others. I mean most of it still looks pretty good but there is some serious rearranging going on in my little brain that you will all just have to tune in for updates. I for one will be relieved when we enjoy a little rain. Amen to that.

A huge THANK YOU to everyone who came out to my groundcovers talk for the Master Gardeners of Columbia County and also to those of you who came out to our pop-up plant sale in Portland last weekend. We appreciate the support and love meeting you in person. If there's a plant you are after and I didn't have it, send me a line and you can always come out our way and browse the greenhouse for treasures. 

(chickadeegardenspdx@gmail.com)

That's a wrap for this week at Chickadee Gardens. As always thank you so much for reading and commenting, we love hearing from you all! Happy gardening wherever you are.