Author Archives: talesofanashvillegardener

My first visit to Plum Island yesterday. Birders and Bicyclists out in numbers on a warm, calm day. There were only a few late asters blooming, but the leaves and grasses were resplendent. On the muddy flats on the marsh side we saw many Greater Yellowlegs dashing, swimming, and spinning. No pictures, alas. Birds stymieContinue reading “Plum Island October 18, 2020”

This is Isodon effusus, the Japanese Spur Flower- a late bloomer. Here it is in the Bow Garden. In the South it is a re seeder.It is sold as Zone 6a. This garden is Zone 5b, but plants can do surprising things. And another striking blue late bloom- “Blue Monday” annual salvia.

What a difficult year to start a new garden. A darkness over everyday life. A terrible drought. An early frost. Yet here is the African Mallow I bought from Annie’s Annuals. An optimistic plant, if there ever was one. It was about 10 inches tall when it went into its container, and now is 4ftContinue reading “Lessons, not Mistakes”

This garden was spared by the frost that blighted my garden in mid-September. It is at a high elevation, and cold air sinks right down into the Merrimack Valley. My garden, in New Boston is on a small river, and is in a frost pocket. The asters in the photo are self seeders and canContinue reading “October Garden”

The marsh flooded behind us on this day. All you see here- became a lake in under 20 minutes. We walked out on a trail that had water almost to our knees. These photos were taken at Sandy Neck, Cape Cod. The four photos above were taken in Orleans,Cape Cod. A view toward Nauset Marsh.Continue reading “Sea Deserts and Marsh Prairies”

Above: In the dry garden. The blue Mistflower, the only blue eupatorium. Not native to New Hampshire, but hardy and a late summer fall bloomer. Photos never give its color true justice! It likes good, well watered soil. Salvia “Amistad”, Salvia “Ember’s Wishes”, Euphorbia “Diamond Frost”.

It is everywhere. Along the roads. In waste places. In an Audubon preserve in Concord. The Japanese Knotweed. Sometime in the past someone introduced it, thinking it was an ornamental, and in small clumps, it might be. If my eye was unbiased, I would find it attractive. But I know better, having seen it smotherContinue reading “New Hampshire’s Kudzu”

The first photo above is of the Late Aster-Aster patens. Though this 4 ft aster is at the rear of my dry garden, it was a volunteer and in our current severe drought, it has had only the rain the sky gave it. The second photo is of the Rough Leaved goldenrod in the moistContinue reading “The Blue and the Gold”

My computer with all my pictures died yesterday ,and I am now working on a Chromebook that filed my pictures somewhere in outer space. Until I can get a new hp with Microsoft I will not be able to display images, and will not be posting. Meanwhile I will keep hunting to see where myContinue reading “Stuck”

The Washington Post writes that this summer is the hottest in New Hampshire history, and I believe it, since two summers here have proved that this is not the New Hampshire of my youth . As I write this- it is over 90, and tomorrow will be 95. I have no air conditioning, and myContinue reading “Re-Thinking Southern New Hampshire Summers”