Getting My Hands Dirty

And enjoying every minute of it!

The weather is cooling off as we head into autumn, and I have several projects in the works. I purchased some blueberry plants and some big pots to plant them in. I love blueberries and look forward to topping off my oatmeal every morning from my own bushes. It’ll be a couple of years before my three little plants will produce. However, it should be worth the wait.

I found a tutorial on YouTube that recommended a 50/50 mix of peat moss and pine bark mulch, so that’s what I did. Hopefully, that method will do the trick and produce big, beautiful, delicious, luscious blueberries. Meanwhile, I’ll continue buying bags of frozen berries from the supermarket and dream of the day I’ll be munching on my own.

Never Return Home Empty-Handed

This past weekend was a busy yet enjoyable experience. I attended a native plant sale hosted by the local chapter of the SC Native Plant Society (SCNPS). This chapter has only been in existence for around two years, but their events are already a big hit around here.

Lots of folks attended the plant sale, and from the looks of the full carts being pulled along from one stall to the next, many plants were sold. It’s wonderful to see so many local people taking an interest in and planting native plants.

I found several new-to-me plants that I want to eventually incorporate into our pollinator paradise. But first, I must transform our hard-packed clay and sand into a usable planting medium. I picked up some great tips on enriching our soil from the SCNPS members and other native plant experts. What a wonderful group of people!

I’m excited about learning all this new stuff. There’s so much I don’t know, and this is a fabulous way to stuff my brain with valuable knowledge that I can also share with you all.

Of course, we did more than just talk. We shopped. Needless to say, we didn’t return home empty-handed. One project we planned on starting this autumn is a hedgerow or green fence between us and our neighbors. We purchased two yaupon hollies (Ilex vomitoria), two Eastern red cedars (Juniperus virginiana), a Virginia sweetspire (Itea virginica), and some pink Muhly Grass (Muhlenbergia capillaris) to get thing underway. We also purchased two hibiscus (H. moscheutos and H. laevis) for our garden spot.

Highlighting the second part of our weekend, Silke and I planted the goodies we bought at the plant sale.

The trees, shrubs, and grass we planted are just a small start to our green fence, but I’m proud of it and proud of us. I’m looking forward to adding to our hedgerow in the years to come.

Autumn has to be my favorite time of year as nature’s beauty transitions from summer flowers to late bloomers. I’m pleasantly surprised how the barren ditches and roadside shoulders are now coming to life. On my walks, I’ve found some goldenrods, asters, blue mist flowers, swamp sunflowers, and other native plants growing wild along the roadway. I’m keeping an eye on them, waiting to gather seeds for my winter sowing.

Life is good. If you haven’t taken advantage of it yet, go outside for a walk. Try to clear your mind and absorb all the beauty, peace, and tranquility nature has to offer. I bet you’ll return home with a big smile on your face.

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Greta

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Greta

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