Over the past few weeks I have been putting many of our flower beds and island to rest for the winter. The mulched leaves are providing a perfect blanket for the shrubs and flowers. Added benefit is that as they decompose they will provide nutrients in the spring.

The winter brings a whole new look to our landscape, and I have enhanced the arbors and paths with approx. 1,200ft of xmas lights. So as dusk comes our landscape becomes a lighted winter wonderland creating a magical feeling as one strolls about in peaceful wonder.

Our next project will be to install a aerator in the pond so that the Koi will have a sufficient about of oxygen thru the winter as they hibernate.

May your landscape provide you some winter wonder.. for each season has a beauty of it's own!

Today as I am raking and adding to a new 10ft x 15ft compost pile #3 I am becoming well aware of our vast variety of plant material. Over last seven years I have added many different species and genus to our landscape.

Along with the fact that our landscape backs up to a farmers Oak savanna once used as pasture for cows. I miss seeing the cows grazing in the savanna, for it added much charm to our rural setting.

The leaves that I have gathered thus far (common names) come from maples, ash, walnut, oak, butternut, cherry, mulberry, and elm. While the leaves from shrubs include hydrangeas, lilacs, forsythia, viburnums, chokecherry, witch hazel, and dogwoods.

This wide variety along with the evergreens give the birds a natural food source and protection in a natural habitat.

Our pond at present has a tented net over it at , but still there is access to water at the water fall for birds and mammals.

For the past two weeks I have been chipping branches and leaves for compost. The organic material has been added to several of my island beds. I also have two rather large compost bins which have been filling up rather quickly.

My point being is that the natural nutrients from these decomposing plant materials are a great source for the shrubs and herbaceous plant material in my gardens. Thus simulating a rather natural woodland bed.

Fertilizer with man made alternatives is fine to a point, but nothing beats natural decomposition as a nutrient for growth and production of flower.

May your composting efforts be worthy of time spent to gather and let time produce nutrients for your gardens.

Fall is a great time for transplanting , pruning, and dividing. So if you have not already given time to propagating by dividing. Time to take out fork and shovel to help out over crowded beds.

I am working on a site that has river rock as their mulch. After removing two dead shrubs I have suggested replacing them with a hydrangea x paniculata 'limelight' and a hydrangea arborescens 'Annabelle'.
The concern I have is that the hydrangeas prefer a acid soil and the rocks provide too much alkaline along with heat. I will amend the soil with organic material and fertilizer for acidic plants, however, if given the choice I would much rather mulch them with a hardwood mulch. This would retain moisture and provide them with nutrients needed over the long run.
I use all sorts of rock as accents in my gardens to provide different textures and to stop run off, but given a choice would always lean to use of hardwood mulch for the plants.

This past week we have received over two and half inches of rain which has resulted in many shrubs drooping from water. Seems the balance of water for a landscape is a never ending concern. Too little or too much can both have a significant effect on the performance of both shrubs and perennials. I am always pleased when I see plants that can adapt to the conditions given wet or dry along with hot or cold. Thus survival tis result of adapting to environment in which placed.

My grandfather who was a farmer in Iowa once told me when I was young that we must live with the weather not to fight nor complain about the weather. Wise words which I try to live by the best I can in this ever changing environment.

Thus we must just try to retain balance on our landscape and in our life!

Today as I am planning for a garden party at our home I was reminded of effect lighting can have on a landscape.

I just hung a light over our table on our deck. The light is a soft yellow bug light that has a warm feeling as one sits to eat or chat.

This week I will be hanging party lights with cans and xmas lights... just remember that down lighting or up lighting can really highlight a landscape. The spot light that I installed to shine on the waterfall at our pond creates a mystical mood.

So keep in mind that lighting is a real bonus to any landscape feature!

The mystery to lost Koi was revealed two days ago as I was weeding and cleaning garden behind pond. Within less than ten feet a dark furry critter scampered by me into the raspberry patch. I was not sure so I looked it up in my wildlife book and on google. To my surprise it was American Mink. Since they can dive to depth of sixteen feet my poor Koi had little chance of survival.

My gardens are planted with design in mind to create a very Natural setting, and thus we attract quite the variety of wildlife. As we enjoy the interaction of life within the gardens we must remember that birds and animals live by instincts.

May you enjoy the beauty of Nature within your own gardens!!

Today I built two stone benches at a firepit lakeside. They were built to compliment a arbor and outdoor room with shrubs, perennials, and mulched path just completed. As I was finishing the mortar on benches I was once again reminded of how well different textures compliment each other.

When designing a garden never forget the importance of texture as you blend the leaves of a plant with wood and stone. A natural blend is much more pleasing to a person's eye than boring repetition.

Somehow there is more serenity to a garden or park when it is more near natural than straight lines and sterile. May you find serenity in your own gardens, for if built with spirit in mind they can be also a health benefit for mind, body, and soul.

This past week we have had about three-quarters inch of rain. Tis great for the gardens when Mother nature does the watering. As for her timing it could not have been better for gardeners such as myself, for the rain came during the night.

Our pond was ravaged during the night by some unknown predator, and thus we loss five Koi to the natural food chain. Since it is just part of nature's natural plan must accept and replace them.

In my gardens this year I have had to transplant many perennials that were into their third year, for they had multiplied. Given the right 'home' perennials thrive and multiply. So fellow gardeners relocate them or PASS the beauty on to others to plant in their gardens. This spring I shared some Monarda with a neighbor and it was a treat to see joy on her face.

Enjoy the summer blooms for weeks ahead!

I have been dead heading my perennials that have been fading to extend their bloom time. Though it takes time to dead head the perennial flowers the rewards are well worth the effort.
So reach for your clippers and proceed to extend the bloom time of your favorite early bloomers.

My rosas and roses have been given their second systemic/fertilizer to promote blooms and protect from powdery mildew/black spot. Seems roses are like teenage youth they require plenty of food for their growth and to bloom.

This time of the year it takes a good eye to know when your plants require watering. Too little is bad for plants for they may go into distress, however, too much is just as bad. So let your trees, shrubs, and flower beds speak to you ...'Water me or Not'.

May your gardens provide many blooms and joys as our season proceeds thru summer into fall.