Shorter days

After the coolest Summer in forever, wet weather has arrived a bit early this year. Great for the garden and even better for reading by the fire with a cup of cocoa or, better yet, mocha with a splash of bourbon.

Must transplant 50 tiny Digitalis (purpurea v. apricot and mertonensis) seedlings into larger 2" soil blocks today. Mertonensis germination was quite low (10/40) which probably explains their rare availability in nurseries. Apricot germinated at 100% so we're hoping for a wall of pink verticality outside the office window (behind a mass of medium blue Ceanothus) come Spring.

3 new garden areas established this year including:

• A woodland garden started last Summer when Charlie moved 8 yds of soil to add relief and bury the most miserable piece of lawn in the yard (dogwoods, Woodwardia, Huchera, a sprinkling of Alstromeria and 2 Brunnera macrophylla one (v Jack Frost?) with fantastic variegated leaves.
• Our fantastic, curvaceous rock-walled raised bed vegetable garden. Pulled up the last of the melons and cucumbers yesterday to make room for a lettuce patch. Tomatoes, peppers and eggplants hanging in there but not for much longer.
• Irish moss, Navajo sandstone fountain conversion of another over-shaded and struggling lawn.