November 1, 2008 In Fall, Marjorie Suggests, Marjorie's Life, Plants, Plants in my Garden

Of Autumn and Fabulous Trees

The book is done. It?s been head down doingnothing but working away on the last passes of ECOLOGICAL GARDENING which will be published by RandomHouse in March 2009. Every word is being read like the entrails of a sacrificial animal. No detail to small to niggle around.But yesterday was so glorious, it was the best? of all Hallowe?ens:?? everyone on our street sat out on front porches (drinking wine in the case of Laurie next door and I). We got quite pleasantly giddy asking little kids: “You gorgeous thing, what are you?”?? It was an evening of? magic:? people had lights, music, crazy scary setups and, of course, masses of candle-lit pumpkins.? But the best part of all? was the voices of excited little children floating in the air.Today it?s a breaking up of the pumpkins and hying the pieces off to the compost.? The compost has heated up very nicely with the incredible mass of stuff cut from the garden.? I don?t like taking down too much, but the mushy foliage from hostas has to go. Slugs love nose-diving underground from that platform of gooeyness.This is such a good time to get out any weeds. If you are plagued with violets you can see them now, pull them out and dump them.? Ditto with too much of any invasive plants including goldenrod. I love this plant but it does spread, so keep some in good spots where that golden yellow will shine and get rid of the rest.??I?m going to feature autumn plants I adore in the next few weeks.? Here?s one of the best:Stewartia pseudocamellia.? It may look fabulous when it?s bedecked with pure white blooms, but? the autumn colour is wonderful and the bark is beginning to exfoliate. A perfect plant.stewartia-pseudocamellia.jpgI?ll be on Fresh Air (CBC 99.1) tomorrow morning between 8:30 and 9:00 a.m.