Fall in my Summerland Garden

We have arrived in mid-October and not been covered in snow like our friends in Alberta and Saskatchewan.  Reminder to friends - the Okanagan is good place to escape in the fall!  And we have wine tours! 

I have successfully got all my bulbs in the ground, including garlic and various flowers.  I even planted some hyacinths and tulips in big pots for the first time.  I hope it is a successful project.  If not, I do buy some of those potted daffodils and hyacinths at the garden store in the spring and tuck them into my planters.  After they are finished blooming, I usually remove them and plant them in the landscaping.  I think the bulbs like to dry out a bit in the summer and the planters are probably too damp for them with all the season's watering.  I planted all my garlic in one of the horse-trough planters where I can control the watering, selectively letting it dry out near harvest time.  I'm hoping that can reduce the amount of rotten garlic heads.     

There are still some plants blooming, including the annuals like pelargonium (geraniums to the North Americans) and my favourite tropical milkweed (hardy in zone 9 and above, but not here).  Tropical milkweed (Asclepias curassavica) is started from seed indoors in the spring and and starts blooming later than the perennial mildweed (Asclepias tuberosa) but then blooms till hard frost.  I love it.  As of yet, I haven't drawn clouds of butterflies to the yard, but they are supposed to like this flower. 

Asclepias curassavica (tropical milkweed) blooming in September

Caryopteris (Blue Mist Spirea) blooming in September

 Of course, the Echinacea and Rudbeckias put on the fall show in September.  As of October, most of the blooms are done.   

Echinacea "Cheyenne Spirit" in September

Coreopsis in September (still blooming in October), with purple Agastache behind

 I have several hydrangea, including two "Limelight".  Limelights' flowers start pale green and fade to this antique pink in September.  This one gets afternoon shade and looks bigger and healthier than the one that gets more afternoon sun.  I think the part shade condition is more suited to hydrangeas in the Okanagan. 

 Unbelievably, this ice plant is blooming today, October 16!  It hasn't looked this good in a long time.  It is part of the variety of succulent plantings around the kids playhouse.  There isn't a watering system in this area, so drought hardy plants that like well-drained sandy soils are selected for this area.  I have some Erigeron glauca (like tiny daisies), blue fescue and blue hair grass, hens and chicks, low sedums, lavender, various Penstemon, and the odd wild asparagus that was there before we came long.  

Delospermum (Ice plant) in October

Playhouse with developing landscaping, June 2016

Oreo, the guardian of the garden

 The vegetable garden is down to unpicked pumpkins and butternut squash.  We have been creative about making loaves, soups, scones, and pies using these great veggies and I really need to go and pick the rest.  This just means I have to do something with them...meanwhile, I am busy doing other things. 

I took this picture of harvested wine grapes at our neighbour's place, before they got hauled away.  So beautiful to see.  Our own apples were harvested several weeks ago.  We had an early apple harvest here in the Okanagan, as most of the crops were ahead of schedule. 

Summerland grapes, harvested October 14

From here on in, the indoor plants will be the focus of my attention.  The orchid collection gets to cool off and hopefully that will trigger blooms soon.  I cut my amaryllis greens off and am letting those pots dry out in the garage.  So how is your garden?  Snowed out? 

Knit for Monarchs?

Have you heard about #knit4monarchs?  Its a David Suzuki campaign to get people knitting a chrysalis to keep monarch caterpillars warm.
(posted on April 1, you should note)

Otherwise, they are serious about planting milkweed, the only plant on which monarchs lay eggs and it is the only food for Monarch caterpillars.  The major threat to monarchs is said to be the destruction of wild stands of milkweed, especially caused by agricultural practices across North America.  The use of Round-up ready crops and therefore, the herbicide "Round-up" to destroy the nearby weeds (including milkweed), has destroyed the home-base of monarch butterflies.  Given this, the Okanagan should really be a heaven for monarchs.  Milkweed grows wild all around here and there are no such thing as Round-up ready grapes or tree fruits.  Milkweed really lives up to its "weed" name, as it actually thrives in neglected spots all over the place.

Our wild milkweed, Asclepias speciosa (Showy Milkweed) is rather coarse looking large plant with large pink ball of pink stars.  They are very drought tolerant, which is demonstrated by the ones growing alongside the cactus in the scrubland across the street from our house.  They survive in zone 3-9 and grow up to 6 feet tall!

Asclepias tuberosa seedlings

I decided to grow milkweed other than the local native one, so I have some seedlings going for the yellow variety of Asclepias tuberosa.  I started the orange variety last year.  I am also growing Asclepias curassavica, the Tropical Milkweed.  I think these other milkweed are a bit more attractive, but are also good for the monarchs.  Milkweed seeds are VERY easy to germinate.  They germinate quickly in warm conditions with no need for a cold period.

Stock tank raised bed

The stock tanks are full to the brim now.  The previous layers of rocks and sand are now covered in potting soil.  Last week, I planted spinach and carrot seeds in this first one.   

Plants in the greenhouse

 My greenhouse is growing plants for the yard and cilantro for regular use in Thai and Indian dishes.  Yum!  I planted potted herbs outside this week too, with the exception of basil, which is too tender. 

Chionodoxa in bloom

Spring is the season for the lovely small bulbs like scilla, crocuses, chionodoxa and more.  Also, if you stay indoors, you can know its spring in the Okanagan because the seniors are now wearing sandals (with socks)!  Yes, despite the freak storm of sleet at lunchtime today, the sun did come out in the afternnon and I got a photo of my Chionodoxa blooming.  I picked up some drumstick primulas and a few more bunches of grape hyacinths to fill in the "rock garden" flower bed.  Once the peony and other perennials get going, it might not look so bare.