In the Garden
Ralph Purkhiser, Purdue University Master Gardener
With about a month left of summer, we are officially in the summer doldrums. The hot, humid weather makes garden work difficult, and the recent rains have resulted in lush growth, especially in the weeds. A couple of my gardening friends last week told me they have given up on their gardens, and are just letting them go until it cools off, when they will clear them out and dream of better things next year. It is tempting, but I am holding out for the century celebration at Sandhill Gardens coming up on September 28, so I continue to work toward the goal of making the gardens presentable for that occasion.
Last week, I scoured the gardens for materials for twelve arrangements to decorate the tables for the annual Orange County Good Samaritan fundraising dinner. Many of the summer blooms were past prime, and the mums, asters and other fall flowers are not yet blooming. However, I was able to turn to the wildflower meadow for inspiration and materials. I needed twelve small bouquets for the tables, so I had to find enough plant material to fill twelve vases. Veronica (ironweed) and solidago (goldenrod) provided the base materials for about half of the arrangements. Ornamental grasses—big blue stem, fountain grass and northern sea oats—gave the bouquets some airy height without obstructing the view across the tables. I cut most of the annuals that were presentable, including dahlias, zinnias and impatiens, to give spots of contrasting color. Three colors of crape myrtle were used in a few arrangements, and for the first time, I used some wild touch-me-not and prairie pea in vases. A few sprigs of Queen Ann’s Lace gave a couple of arrangements lacy edges. The unconventional arrangements received a lot of compliments at the dinner, and I was able to recycle one with a large dahlia, some begonia leaves and a few springs of fountain grass for church on Sunday. Since the vases were just recycled olive jars, I was able to take them to Springs Valley Meadows to distribute them to the residents there. With a little imagination, one may use almost any plant material to make pretty bouquets for any occasion.
For many years, a pair of concrete chairs shaped like hands have been on my Christmas list. I finally bought them recently, and thanks to a couple of strong nephews, I got them moved into place along the top of the cliff. I now will be able to sit in them and watch the sun set in the valley below the cliff. I may be a little partial, but I do not know of many venues more beautiful for watching sunsets in this part of Indiana. My nephews also moved an old turtle bench into a more accessible area beneath a river birch. I like having seats throughout the garden, where I can rest and visitors may sit and enjoy views.
I still have a lot to do before my celebration. The bank along the road is pretty rough, and the area where the original homestead sat needs attention. I am hoping that the annuals I cut will stimulate the plants to put on some fresh flowers that will be in bloom at that time.
I did get a lot of weeding done in the vegetable beds and even got several beds planted for fall crops. My late-planted tomatoes are beginning to ripen, so there should still be vegetables in late September. I have had some good help mulching between the beds, and hope to get that task completed in the coming weeks. As I grow older, I find that some garden tasks are a little more difficult than they used to be, but there is still no place I would rather be than in the garden.