Trees

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October gave a party;
The leaves by hundreds came.
The Chestnuts, Oaks and Maples,
And leaves of every name.

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The Sunshine spread a carpet,
And everything was grand,
Miss Weather led the dancing,
Professor Wind the band.

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The Chestnuts came in yellow,
The Oaks in crimson dressed;
The lovely Misses maple
In scarlet looked their best.

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All balanced to their partners,
And gaily fluttered by;
The sight was like a rainbow
New fallen from the sky.

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The leaves are changing early this year.

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Views from my yard yesterday and today, poem is “October’s Party” by George Cooper.

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Kudzu World

“Southerners must close their windows at night to keep the kudzu out…”

_{Quote from The Amazing Story of Kudzu}

_{Photo at left: Kudzu to the top of a tall tree, at right: kudzu covering a power pole}

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Driving into town this past weekend and seeing mile after mile of Kudzu (Pueraria lobata) covered land, it’s easy to see the truth in the above quote. This horribly invasive vine can grow up to a foot a day here in the spring and summer, quickly covering everything in it’s path, including trees and every other native plant, fences, power poles, houses and yards, barns, millions of acres of land in the southern U.S. These photos were all taken within a few miles, some through the windshield of the car so they’re not the best quality, but you can definitely get an idea of this invasive monster vine and how it grows here in the humid south. Click on any of these photos to view larger versions.

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Kudzu Monsters along the railroad tracks.

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Kudzu covered trees along the edges of a field.

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Covering a slope (and every other small plant and tree) along the highway.

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Monstrous shapes of kudzu-covered trees and shrubs.

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It is depressing to me to see so many acres of land covered in this ugly vine. The state sprays the vine when it covers roadside signs, power companies spray it when it covers the poles and cables, and the railroad sprays a little to keep it from covering the tracks. I know that it takes many years of specific herbicide use to kill it but I see no real widespread effort to eradicate this cancer in the south. Private landowners spray it with herbicides in early spring and summer to try and slow it down and then mow it repeatedly to keep it from covering houses and yards, but still it grows, on and on… covering more and more land and killing more and more trees and other native plants.

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A kudzu-covered roadside.

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A Kudzu world.

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I took all these photos on Saturday. Since then, we have had more than two inches of much needed rainfall. It’s the first real rain we have had in many weeks and we surely needed it, but I shudder to think about the growth spurt all that water will probably give the kudzu. :) Photo above: Kudzu blooming again right now!

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Some of the information here was reposted from an earlier article I wrote in 2007 about kudzu. See this previous post for more about this terrible vine, including more about how it grows, closeup photos of the leaves and plenty of comments about possible uses for this vine:

Kudzu, The Vine That Ate The South

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Late Summer Garden – Lots of Photos

Even though we do need rain and are about 4 inches below normal for the year, the temps here have cooled down from the high and mid 90s to the low 80s. My garden loves this cooler air and my beds and containers are thriving. The asters and mums are also blooming, but I don’t even want to think about that just yet. Here are some photos I took this week of the flower beds and borders. As always, click on any photo to view larger.

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Purple Fountain Grass and White Butterfly Bush

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Salvia splendens ‘Sizzler’

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_{Left to Right: 1. Pink Angelonia flowers 2. Front bed with yellow Profusion Zinnias and volunteer impatiens 3. Gaura flowers in knockout bed}

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_{1. Tiny flower bed with zinnias, petunias, coneflowers and black-eyed susans 2. Pentas and alternanthera 3. Vincas in front bed}

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Agastache ‘Heatwave’ and front border

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Penta flowers and butterfly

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_{1. Pink Verbena and Coleus 2. Late blooming daylilies 3. Evergreen border}

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_{1. Small bed with begonias, polka dot plants and vinca 2. White butterfly bush with red impatiens 3. Pink Cleome flowers}

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_{1. Black-eyed Susans in front bed 2. Supertunias 3. Ajuga ‘Burgundy Glow’}

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Looking through the gate:
This is a late season project for us. Looking through the front gate, you can see the old stepping stones. These are now gone and the forms are in place for a new curving sidewalk. The concrete will be poured for this new walkway next week. I liked the stepping stones, but in winter it was too muddy. The sidewalk will be much cleaner and safer. The lamp post flower bed will be extended into the curved edge on the right side of the walk.

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How’s your late season garden? Hope you all are getting out and enjoying these last weeks of summer. It seems it has gone by way too fast!

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“By all these lovely tokens September days are here, With summer’s best of weather And autumn’s best of cheer.” – Helen Hunt Jackson, September, 1830-1885	September fattens on vines. Roses flake from the wall. The smoke of harmless fires drifts to my eyes. This is plenty. This is more than enough.” – Geoffrey Hill, September Song
“A late summer garden has a tranquility found no other time of the year.” – William Longgood

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Bonnie Napping

Bonnie loves this warm spring weather and is spending a lot more time outdoors during the day. I came around the corner of the house and found her napping on the patio today. :)

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I have studied many philosophers and many cats. The wisdom of cats is infinitely superior.
– Hippolyte Taine

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Related post:
Bonnie Posing

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