Summer ends too early

Especially this year, 2020, many people are dreading the onset of fall and winter in the northern hemisphere. I do not need to spell out the reasons why. @Acerholic often refers to September first as being the beginning of Autumn while here, where I live on the west coast of north America, we cling to the Autumn equinox (~September 21) as being the end of Summer and the begining of Autumn.

Honestly though, we have to admit that evidence of typical fall weather starts earlier than September 21/22. So, with that in mind, I'm looking forward to seeing signs of Spring at least 3 weeks ahead of the Spring equinox on March 20, 2021 with high hopes that the world will be in a more positive situation than it is right now.

 

@Margot Good morning Margot, I think you have said it for all of us. So much to forget this year. But some wonderful photos and history on the forum to help us through all of this. Long may that continue.

I hope we can give each other on the forum at least, some cheerful photos to help us through Autumn and perhaps into Winter. I think we may need it !!!!
Regarding Autumn dates, over the past several years we have noticed a very Autumnal feel after the second week of August here in England. Yes August. Lol.
The seasons do seem to have shifted !!!

'Good thread'

 

Growing up in SW BC coast area, we would always count on rain for the Pacific National Exhibition (PNE )... it seemed the entire summer heat build up and other natural factors made a huge rain fairly predictably for when the PNE (was) in full swing!

Then as soon as school started after Labor Day (early Sept) it got sunny again - which was not my idea of « fair » (I was not a successful school indoors person :)

I have never looked at statistics - but weather seemed that way

Mind you this year when no PNE (due to disease) - I think it was bright sun and only a few major rain days and normally it would be concluding this coming Labor Day wkd.

 

For Acer in England .... this time of year reminds me of Thelwell cartoons of the country small farmer slogging thru rain and mud with a sorry looking dray horse and the good old country vicar standing on lane asking for some corn stalks and straw bundles to decorate harvest altar —

 

If Thelwell is what is thought of by anyone on the forum when they think of England, then as an old horse owner and rider it's OK with me, lol.

 

You could take a cue from Douglas Justice's September 2020 in the Garden - UBC Botanical Garden blog and focus on the textures in your garden. That's in the UBC Botanical Garden - the In the Neighbourhood blogs have finished, more in line with your sentiments, I guess. Read this post again and stop in the middle. :)

 

I wonder what all this rather pitiful whimpering has to do with the subject of this forum which is gardening?

 

@Sundrop good evening, not pitiful, just thankful that we have this wonderful forum to give us all cheer with wonderful plants from around the world. But not forgetting that everyone is not so fortunate.

 

@Acerholic - I have no doubt that I speak for many when I say that your encouragement, kindness and diplomacy - not to mention, garden knowledge - are very much valued and appreciated on these Forums. Thank you for your input.

 

@Margot good morning Margot, how very kind of you. 'THANKYOU'.

 

Some more September color -

The supermarket had a huge selection of chrysanthemum in various colors and container sizes so I splurged on the small size (4 inch for 2.99 each) and tucked them in my coleus + zinnea containers

This is my second year as a coleus convert — I noted this yr 2020 some of the odd cut leaf types - not a fan here - so I tucked some conventional coleus in to the preplanted pots of “jagged leaf” from supermarket - photo below (we have one market that has a great supplier w quality plants and marks the plants down in a week before next truck - so I am a vulture even during covid cuz outside shopping and no line up unlike the garden center line ups.)

 

@Georgia Strait Good evening Georgia, looking at your photos perhaps Summer has not ended early in your garden. So much colour and a bargain. You cannot get better than that !!

 

We're doing coleus here? I'm not usually a fan either, but here's my favourite, planted in a small curbside area on a nearby street that is a designated bike path. I can't remember if the city has installed a bench here and contributed plants, as they have done in several spots along this street, but the coleus was planted by the building.

 

@wcutler it's funny how plants go in and out of fashion. Coleus were very prominent here in the 70's and early 80's. Then Fushias seemed to take over.
Now in 2020 and the Coleus is back. I suppose it's down to new gardeners not being around 40 + years ago to remember them losing favour in the garden.

But so bright and cheerful to look at though, as the days become shorter.

 

I'd almost forgotten about Coleus . . . but definitely going to be on the lookout next year for a few to put in containers by the front door. I really like the combo with white chysanthemum in Georgia Strait's photo and with the yellow groundcover in Wendy's. Can someone tell me what it is?

 

Oxalis, possibly O. corniculata or O. spiralis.

 

I didn't even realize there was something there in addition to the Lysimachia nummularia, (the yellow-leaved cultivar, 'Aurea' is shown from a different location in posting #102). Here is a close-up with a flower. I'm not finding any Oxalis promoted as having yellow leaves.

 

Oxalis spiralis - Wikipedia

 

Margot - I have tried growing Coleus mix (wizard or similar name) from seed this past 2020 season ... and grand total of 40 microscopic (to my eyes!) seeds in proper soil, I have 2 plants that are nice looking tho really very small ...

Any successful plants I have in photos above and last year too - have been from the garden Center and were hard to get this past spring covid.

The 4” plants (pot size) are approx 6$ each

However I read up on propagation - and the stems that broke off in car ride home - well I put them in a clear glass of water and the roots have appeared !

So instead of hauling full Coleus in to house for winter (first frost gets them) - maybe I will see if the kitchen window “Jar of water” growing space will sustain some coleus branches til spring (and NO aphids etc)

Have to do this around time of Cdn Thanksgiving .

 

I have to agree that it is Oxalis corniculata Common name Yellow woodsorrel among others.

 

This "yellow" is because of yellow flowers, as the common wood sorrel has white flowers.

 

Yes agreed Sulev. And it is very invasive, people do not know what they are getting into when they plant it, Lol. But it does cover a lot of ground quickly.

 

I suggest it’s not unfair to say the garden plants that promise to resolve a multitude of sins (problems/issues) quickly should be stepped back from fast!

Either online (the myriad of websites / blogs / forums) .... or at the garden plant store (or a “helpful” neighbor !)

Often these are ground covers it seems

 

@Georgia Strait so very very true Georgia. But some people do want to cover an area quickly and this surly does, Lol.

 

Well, that is wrong, for starters - the Lysimachia has opposite leaves, and these are alternate. What IS this? Surely something I am supposed to recognize.


The Oxalis doesn't really look all that yellow on its own - it was really next to the plant above that by comparison it looked yellow in that photo. The original photo of it was from what is, I noted today, an in-the-street planting next to the curb, "traffic-calming" on the bike route. And yes, there is a chair. The first plant photo is from the location posted above; the last one is across the sidewalk on the building property. So the city built this little garden, and the building has obviously filled it in, as there are some plants that are in both locations. These oxalis must have been planted this year - there are around five or six quite small discrete plantings of it, no signs of wandering.


Here is another ground cover in the street planting, the droopy stuff at the bottom left corner. I think it's Origanum rotundifolium.