The Obsessive Neurotic Gardener

Posted on by Posted in Blooms .
Even at the tender age of 41, I still get that nervous feeling in the pit of my stomach as the new school year approaches. I can remember the emotions like it was yesterday. 
No more lazy days of summer. 

No more homework free nights.

Time to purchase the Trapper Keeper and other school supplies. 

Time to up the quality of your “school clothes” (and don’t forget to scuff your new sneakers so it isn’t so obvious that they are brand new).
Anxiety and excitement all at the same time.  
With two kids in school, I relive those same feelings right along with them and I feel bad and jealous that they have to go through this rite of youth. And to this day, one aspect of this return to school still bothers me … 
WE STILL HAVE ONE MONTH OF SUMMER LEFT!
No matter how warm it still may be, summer officially ends the day the kids get on that yellow bus. And that sucks. As much as I love the Fall and all it has to offer, don’t short change my Summer. All of the catalogs are displaying Fall/Winter clothing and I understand why, but c’mawn already. I would even be OK if they pushed football games back by a few weeks so baseball (the summer classic) could finish up their season and not be pushed aside for all things Autumn. 
With all of these heartfelt emotions bubbling to the surface today, I made the mistake of walking outside and visiting my plant friends. And wouldn’t you know it, those SOB’s are acting as if Summer is in the friggin rear view mirror. Not you guys too!
Look at this nonsense:           
Itea ‘Henry’s Garnet

Viburnum ‘Shoshoni’

Hydrangea ‘Endless Summer’

Viburnum ‘Aurora’

For real, you couldn’t have waited a few more weeks? There is plenty of time in late September and all of October to get all Fall foliage-y and stuff. Enough already.

Luckily, we still have some who are acting much more weather and seasonally appropriate:

Variegated Weigela and Petunia

Eastern Tiger Swallowtail

Eastern Tiger Swallowtail

And it wasn’t only foliage changes occurring way ahead of my preferred schedule. Viburnum berries could hold off for at least a few weeks and be just fine:

Viburnum ‘Emerald Lustre’

Viburnum ‘Emerald Lustre’

And Miscanthus blooms before September is simply a travesty:

Miscanthus purpurascens (Flame Grass)

Even the deer seemed out of whack. They didn’t move a bit as I approached them:

It was in the low 90’s and humid today and I loved every minute of it. It is Summer and this is what Summer is. Autumn will be here in due time and we’ll enjoy it when it arrives.

But for now, back the hell off and wait your turn.

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6 Responses

  1. I noticed sumacs in Somerville turning red on my train ride home. My grasses are tasselling now too, and the beautyberry is starting to set berries. I’m not ready yet!!!

    The deer in my neighborhood are nearly fearless too, I had to actually *bark* at a young buck last summer to get him away from my veggie garden.

  2. Here! Here! And imagine my reaction when the school sent home a school supplies list prohibiting the “Trapper Keeper”! Not that she knew what that was anyway.

  3. With premature coloring going on…could this be signs of cool
    nights and/or severe lack of rain? This is what’s happening in
    MY area.(East coast of MA). Some leaves on trees and shrubs are
    literally turning color, or not..and dropping off.
    Weather nonsense, yes!!!

  4. In previous years your Shoshani Viburnum’s leaves curled/twisted after it bloomed. It doesn’t look like it did that this year. I ask because my Shoshani has done that the 2 years that I’ve had it and I suspect some kind of insect causing it but I can not see any bugs or mites. I have googled this hoping to find an answer but the only info I can find about curling Shoshani leaves is a post that you made previously casually mentioning this. How did you stop yours from curling? I saw a bunch at a nursery that were also curled last year but I think that those had insect damage also. Whatever is causing them to curl has also spread to my Viburnum Newport this year. They leaf out with normal leaves but then after blooming all/most new growth is twisted. There are no aphids or obviously visible bugs.
    By the way, it brought me to your blog and I have been reading it ever since.
    Laura B

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