Gardening With Confidence ™

Each Sunday, I post Puttering in Helen’s Haven.  This post serves as my on-line journal of garden maintenance to-dos and dones!  When there is something special going on during the week, I usually post about it as well.  This week being that of Thanksgiving.  Thank you for visiting.

Thanksgiving was a wonderful day.  Good food and family.  We always enjoy spending time with my brother and his wife and it is especially fun to get the Yoest cousins together.  Hannah 16, John 14, Lara Rose 13, Helena 12, Lily Ana 9, Sarah, Aster 8, James, 6.

Charmaine Yoest, John Yoest, Hannah Yoest

Six things to be thankful for

As is my tradition, I began to decorate the outside of the home on Saturday after Thanksgiving. Each year, I do it a little different.  Decorating for Christmas is one of my favorite things.

This year, I added wreaths to each of the nine front windows.  The ladder didn’t reach, so I had to resort to hanging out the upper story windows to install.  Aster, 8, worried quite a bit with my antics.  He decided to hold my legs so I wouldn’t fall out.  At one point, Aster’s says, “Mom, aren’t there professions out there to help, this looks dangerous.”  Honey, I said, “I am the professional.” What a sweet boy.

Helen hanging out a second floor window to hang wreath

No fear of heights is one of my strong suits...may be the death of me though!

Also brought out my Santa collection.  I have this thing for Santa.

My mantel during a photo shoot last december.

This was for a photo shoot.  Normally the  mantle is full of Santa.

On the 8th, I’m  giving the Christmas talk at the Wake Forest Garden Club.  Spent the morning figuring out what designs I’ll do.  My talk will be on using only what can be picked form the garden …and a can of spray paint, of course.  Next week, I’ll post the designs.

These are a few of my favorite things was the kick off post for the Christmas season.

In the garden, most of the time was spent in the  Mixed Border where I racked, dug up Cannas (spreading too much) cut back Cannas (don’t want any harboring leaf rollers), mowed.  Cut peony and salvias.

Work in grass seed in shady, hilly path on the south side.  Not so sure it will have enough time to put down roots to support good growth for next year, but I do know I would have not chance without trying,  Actually, I had help from David and Aster.

Weeded the dwarf mondo grass of fescue.  This is actually, easier than it looks.  The fescue is easy to pull compared to the mondo grass.  So if you go to pull and feel it pulling back, you most likely have a bit of mondo grass with the fescue.  Regroup and pull again.

Finished piece for Country Garden Magazine

Finally, the bulbs got planted:

• 12 Daffodils Mount Hood
• 12 Daffodils Fortune
• 12 Daffodils Ice Follies
• 12 Daffodils Dutch Master
• 24 Tulips Banja Luka

I wanted to plant Anemones, but I forgot to soak them.  They are soaking now and I’ll plant tomorrow.

Packing up work to take with my to jury duty next week.  They didn’t say I couldn’t bring a computer!

Carole Brown posted her Ecosystem Gardening post including Helen’s Haven.

Seasonal Wisdom’s Blog writeup about Helen’s Haven faves

The Book of Six © Six End of Season To-dos

Helen Yoest is a garden writer and coach through her business Gardening with Confidence™

Follow Helen on Twitter @HelenYoest and her facebook friend’s page, Helen Yoest or Gardening With Confidence™ Face Book Fan Page.

Helen also serves on the board of advisors for the JC Raulston Arboretum

When doing some fall clean up in Helen’s Haven, I found this Praying Mantid egg case on the Lantana.

It was a gorgeous week and today was the best fall day.  Did a little more fall clean up in Helen’s Haven.  Aster and I cut back the tomatoes.  Looks like we will be having fried green tomatoes this week, yum.   We then planted red cabbage, greens and broccoli we had in a holding area thinking a freeze would have zapped the tomatoes by now.  It has happened yet.  I was getting impatient, so out came the ‘matters.

Aster working in his Victory Garden

Aster's Broccoli

Almost the last of the tomatoes

My friend M.A. Newcomer over at Idaho Gardener is having a writing contest on Why I Garden. I entered.  I needed to be able to answer the question for myself.  It was fun.  Here is  Why I Garden

Did a post on Helen’s Haven Woodland Gardens Fall Woodland Gardens One and Too.

I posted this sighting on Glenwood Avenue.  A Fall Blooming Native Dogwood? After doing so, I found this hollyhock blooming.  What a whicky-whacky year.

Hollyhock

Last winter I started a hedgerow on the south side of the Red Bed.  I’m happy to report all that was planted is doing well.  This means the planting survived last years harsh winter, but may have been blessed by a stressless summer.  Now that  I know the hedgerow will be filling in more, I decieded to begin to remove the daylilies that were there.  I’m about halfway done and will finish in the next week or so.  In the meantime, I transplanted three Crinums in their place.

The Crinums were in a place that could not support their height.  They needed to be moved.  I should have known from the get-go and probably did, but was in denial.

South side of Red Bed hedgerow. Before daylilies were removed

South side Red Bed hedgerow after some daylily editing and adding Crinums

Other maintenance in Helen’s Haven this week.

• Mowed
• Weeded
• Pruned roses
• Deadleafed Elephant ears

Went to an open house of my client.  They have moved in after an 8 month renovation.  Their home is absolutely gorgeous!

For another client, I designed a new fence and gate.  My inspiration was the existing porch railing.  The fence/gate is an extension of the porch to the right of the photo below.

Helen Yoest is a garden writer and coach through her business Gardening with Confidence™

Follow Helen on Twitter @HelenYoest and her facebook  friend’s page, Helen Yoest or Gardening With Confidence™ Face Book Fan Page.

Helen also serves on the board of advisors for the JC Raulston Arboretum