"One of the most delightful things about a garden is the anticipation it brings."

Thursday, September 2, 2010

A walk down the path.

The path garden has had a very good summer and is probably looking the best it ever has this year.  Because there are several large trees here the ground tends to dry out quickly during the summer.  Trying to give the plants here enough supplemental water during a dry summer is pretty much impossible.  So, with the cool weather and wet spring we had everything is looking much fresher than it normally does at the beginning of September.

A look down the path shows there are still several things blooming.  The only downside to this time of year are the pine needles that have started dropping and will soon be tangled in everything.

This is the first year I ever remember the Oakleaf Hydrangea 'Snow Queen' flowers turning pink.  Most years by now they are very dry and turning brown.

The big Ponderosa Pine that will be keeping me busy for many months to come.  With every rain and or wind that comes through I will be raking and sweeping needles and pine cones.  I know that people in other places use pine needles to mulch, but after all the untangling and raking to clean them up I just want them out of my yard, so into the yard waste or compost bins they go.

I'm glad I made the effort to plant so many evergreen shrubs here that keep it interesting all year.  The shrubs along the the deck are Sarcococca which bloom with the sweetest smelling flowers late winter.

Hydrangea 'Ayesha' blooms are drying.  I'm so glad this one got a chance to bloom this year.

Even the Solomon's Seal is still green.  This time last year it was long dormant by now.

Heading back down the path you can see that the Hydrangea 'Pia' in the container loved all the rain we had.

How did I not notice these flowers earlier?  Finally the Clematis 'Comtesse de Bouchard' is blooming!  I've been looking and looking and never even saw a bud up until the day before.

And just because the lighting on the pond was so pretty I thought I'd finish the end of the walk here.

It sounds like we may get a couple of more days in the mid 70's after lots of rain.  That means I should be breaking out the rake soon to start on the pine needles.  Luckily raking them is one of Sweet Pea's favorite jobs, in fact she tells me to go back inside when she's raking.  It's funny that she loves to do that type of work outside when her room is so messy that a rake is needed to clear the mess. 
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41 comments:

  1. A lovely walk along the path. The garden is still looking wonderful for the end of summer. My garden would love some of your rain.

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  2. Catherine, I can't even tell you how much I love this path!! It is so wonderful and interesting, your hydrangeas are looking especially fabulous. My white ones are also turning pink, I think due to the very cold temps we've been having at night.

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  3. I have about 8 or 9 hydrangea planted on one entire side of my house, compliments of original owners. I see your pink hydranges in a pot on your deck..what variety is that? Does it stay that size in that pot?

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  4. Big smile! It's such a tranquil stroll in your garden - lovely, simply lovely.

    BTW - Catherine, I hope you don't mind, but I included a link to your garden blog on my latest post, "Life in the Blogosphere..". I was looking back at my journey in garden blogging and included the garden blogs that have influenced me. --Shyrlene

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  5. How lovely path,I can imaging how it's look in the dark with lights,like secret path. Hydranges are only ones which are still blooming in my garden.I know the pine needles problem i have two big pines in my backyard.Have a nice weekend.
    Greetings from Finland

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  6. I really enjoy the walks in you lovely garden. So many Hydrangeas you have, and all still in bloom! It's amazing, and I can see why you're to satisfied with that =) Thanks for your kind words at my shops blogg. I'll put a google translater further down on the page so you're abel to translate the words to =)

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  7. The little walk down your path this morning Catherine was lovely. It does look so lush despite having those incredible looking pine trees towering above. The changing colours in the petals of the hydrangeas is something I really like to watch over the course of autumn.

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  8. Great walk !! i enjoying it...lovely Friday darling....love Ria...

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  9. Dear Catherine, So very much to look at and all, as you say, looking remarkably fresh for the time of year. I can see what you mean about the pine needles - clearly a fairly endless job throughout the winter months. Thank heavens for Sweet Pea. I should forgive her the untidiness of her room in return for keeping the path swept!

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  10. Everything looks so good Catherine....

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  11. Catherine, there is nothing prettier than a path with interesting plants to see as you walk along.

    Eileen

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  12. Lucky you to have all those pine needles. I have one pine here in the center of my frontyard and I enjoy using the pine needles in the garden. They do tangle in the shrubs under it but after a while it works itself out. Those sweetbox in the exact perfect position! Have a great weekend.

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  13. I enjoyed each step along the path! It inspires me to plan and plant a few more shrubs along a (shorter) path in my own yard!

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  14. Looks beautiful still, love the slate path ( I think it is slate ? ), thanks, Gina

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  15. Dear Catherine ~ Your gentle path always touches me. It is filled with loveliness and serenity. Thank you once again for another delightful walk in the beauty that surrounds your home.

    Hugs ~ FlowerLady

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  16. Your paths and pond looks so wonderful! A great "tour" today.

    It will be 99 here again today. Hope it will cool off soon and I'll mail out some seeds.

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  17. Beautiful as usual Catherine.

    Hope you have a great weekend!

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  18. I always wanted a garden path. Maybe some day!

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  19. Funny but not all that surprising. Sweet Pea is taking after her Momma. How cool is that? It must warm your heart!

    For me it will soon be leaves and more leaves. The three gargantuan sweet gum trees in my front yard are massive shade-producers but ooh, the leaves... from October through January rake, rake, rake, turn around and the lawn is covered again... Needless to say I'm not looking forward to it. I'm not fond of fall.

    Love Ayesha. I've got a two rooted!! cuttings from my garden buddy Carol. One has a bud. Hooray. Beautiful flowers. Pia's looking mighty fine too I see.

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  20. What a nice path for a walk. Your garden is lovely.

    Have a great weekend.

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  21. It's amazing what a little rain can do in these parts. Everything here perked up after this week's rain, and we're promised a warm weekend to enjoy the last of the garden before the serious rain starts.

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  22. I'm laughing about your comment about raking your daughter's bedroom. My daughter that age needs a snow shovel for her messy room. I 'help' her clean it up and it's messy again 10 minutes later.
    I'm sorry you have to deal with the ponderosa pine needles. Ponderosas are all over Spokane - the neighborhood just north of me and its schools are all called Ponderosa - but our neighborhood doesn't have any of them. I guess I'll be glad since I don't deal with the needles.

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  23. What a pleasant "walk" down your garden path. You've done a great job of putting in plants that look good all year. Thank you for sharing.

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  24. Hi Catherine,

    One of the many reasons that I enjoy visits to your garden is that a lot of thought went into the design, which is so evident.

    I would love for Sweet Pea to bring some pine needles over to my garden for me to use as mulch ;-)

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  25. Your garden certainly does look lovely and green. One of the benefits of having so much lawn, as I do right now, is that getting rid of the pine needles is a simple case of getting out the mulching mower. I may not be so complacent about the pine needles when I have more things in the beds and borders and the pine needles are getting tangled up with them!

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  26. The walkways are sublime, Catherine.

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  27. It is like a Better homes and Garden shoot. Only better. :)

    Love the blue you have got going on.

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  28. Hola dear Catherine, seeing your clematis blooming at the top reminds mine that always surprises me like yours. Your pathway looks wonderful with the green shrubs you added!!
    cariños,
    maria cecilia

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  29. What a beautiful path and one I would like to see on a daily basis. The reflection in the pond is quite dazzling.

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  30. Your landscaping is gorgeous! Thank you for sharing your lovely photos with us!

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  31. Catherine, How delightful to see a garden looking so fresh. The northeast has been so hot and dry this year that everything seems to be going dormant well ahead of schedule. Here in my Pennsylvania garden (where no one has watered all summer), even the latest of very late daylilies, Sandra Elizabeth, has opened its last flower. Since I have so few blooms of my own, I particularly appreciated getting to share yours. -Jean

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  32. I enjoyed your walk, and your pond is wonderful! I really like the way the Ayesha hydrangea compliments the color of your house. I love the fact that it is September and am enjoying at least the possibility of cooler weather. I think it will be in the 80s tomorrow, which will be nice if the humidity isn't too bad.

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  33. Everywhere you look in your garden is lovely and lush Catherine. I love the blue hydrangea with the blue boards to your ... I forget what that is... but the two blues are heavenly together. Your pond is so magical in that light. Beautiful! ;>)

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  34. LOVE all the photos along the pathway and especially the sarcococca! I had some that were 60 years old at my garden in Cambria. Oh, when those tiny white flowers opened the entire side of the garden smelled like a dream.

    Thanks for the walk through paradise.

    Love,

    Sharon Lovejoy Writes from Sunflower House and a Little Green Island

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  35. Catherine, your path and pond are lovely! The hydrangeas are still gorgeous. I understand about the pine needles. However, in my garden, I send the kids out to gather buckets of them to lay as mulch.

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  36. What a lovely path, I feel I really walked down it to the pond. I don't have a pond as I'm worried about mosquitos! I have a pine tree too; it kills almost everyhting I plant under it; I'm thinking of taking it out and planting something else. I think the needles are too acid to use as a mulch, I'd be interested in hearing how everyone uses them and with what results. www.myhesperidesgarden.wordpress.com

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  37. what a pretty, sleepy walk :)

    you have the best luck (or most skill) with hydrangeas!

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  38. Your path looks excellent Catherine. Everything looks very green and healthy. Much different than the way things are looking here. We've had it hot (I like that) but no moisture so it's really dry and I've been hand watering almost every evening. My garden looks like it's ready for bed instead of fresh like yours. The pond shot is beautiful, that was the perfect finish.

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  39. Ah, so that's why we haven't had any rain this summer. You are hogging it all! It's so, so dry in central Ohio, I'm tired of watering! Dahlias don't return here, we have to dig them up and store them over the winter, just like cannas.

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  40. Thanks for the very sweet tour along your path. Your Ponderosa may cause you a little work, but I know why your hydrangeas do so well! :-) Enjoy a wonderful Fall!

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  41. I'll be delighted to join you for a walk along this path. With such beautiful plants lining the path, it is therapeutic.

    I know how it feels like to have pine needles in your compound. We used to have this issue in our old place. We had a small hill lined with pine trees just across our old place and can you imagine the amount of pine needles found on our car bonnet and garden.

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