New Herb Garden Nearly Done - October 4, 2019 @goldenoakfarm

Row 2 – anise hyssop foreground, fairy and chicory behind

I got a late start in the garden due to window staining stress. These big windows are killers!

I got the south side of Row 2 done. I found Canterbury Bells I didn’t remember were there. And amazingly, they were doing excellently! There was also a good amount of blue flax also.

I did Row 1 also as I worked my way forward from the back of the walkway.

The snapdragons that wintered over are doing really well! I hope they winter over again. The parsley is doing well, and the predicted heavy frost for tonight should not bother them.

I cleaned up the elecampane as it was looking particularly bad. The pyrethrum is still flowering well. I can’t remember if frosts bother it.

But the most wonderful plant in Row 1 is the santolina. It is enormous and beautifully healthy. It was a surprise that wintered over and I’m hoping by being so robust, it will survive again.

I had to weed the perimeter on the south side to clean out Row 1, as so much stuff had grown in through the fence.

East side perimeter fence weeded

Part of the east side perimeter had been done when we put the fence back up, so I decided to finish the entire perimeter off.

North side perimeter finished

This had been graded and seeded by the excavator, so I wanted to get the stray grass seedlings out before they were too established.

The south side of Row 2 and Row 1 need to be mulched. Then this garden will be finished until the frosts kill everything off.

I took the bird bath out and put it away for the winter along with the sundial. The fairy came in the house, as she does each winter. We’d never tried out the fountain and it got brought into the house also, after sitting by the front steps for weeks.

I remembered I still had (mostly dead) plants in the cold frame. There were 2 hollyhocks and 2 dianthus still alive. I planted them in their pots in the dug up New North garden area. We’ll see if they survive until springtime. We’re already for a freeze now.

Late afternoon in early October on the farm