Perry
Parc
August 1 - 15, 2003
As
I mentioned earlier, we have had more rain this summer than anytime
in all New Jersey record-keeping,
since the 19th century. As
a result, much of what I have for you for the start of August is a
study of mosses!
Plus, the evidence of what may be a neighborhood deer!
The garden smells are still delightful, but, you will have to use
your imagination for those...
think very soggy ground and leaf and wood-bark mulches plus plants
full of moisture,
which is transpiring and filling the air with their scents.
The boxwoods in particular have a heavy scent, as does the woodland
garden.
The overall aroma is a blend of sweet smells combined with the acidic
ones.
Click
on the images to enlarge.
In
front of the pond, on the upper patio, one sees a lot more moss and
more algae on the urn that faces north,
with a more scattered effect in the open sunlight and less growth
on the south urn.
The moss on the patio stones is very thick and its core is nearly
two inches tall!
The effect of a ray of sun at sunset, on the north urn (above right),
was especially beautiful today!
All of the above photos were taken at approximately the same time.
Click
on the images to enlarge.
With
all the rains have come gray days with little sunshine and, thus,
few flowers to bloom this month.
But the alpine strawberries, facing east (left above), are still bearing
flowers and berries.
The creeping dogwood groundcover (center) has started to bloom.
Its little white flowers will turn to large red berries in fall and
winter.
And "old reliable" Impatiens continues to bloom, but, has
not spread as fast as normally,
nor does it have much height. One lonely daylily also re-bloomed today.
Click
on the image to enlarge.
Another very special plant we have is a rare Chinese
rhododendron, shown above.
I had read about them and then we saw them one summer in the National
Rhododendron Society's Garden,
south of Seattle, Washington, while Tom had business there.
Another trip to a specialist grower in New Jersey yielded up three
different varieties of them...
including one named "Linda," which the grower gave me for
a birthday gift!
Here you see the largest of the three Chinese.
I failed to get a photo of it blooming with coral red flowers in early
spring.
But, it is really the small, oval-leaf foliage which is most unusual.
It has grown a lot in all this rain!
Click
on the images to enlarge.
A
better shot of a St. John's Wort blossom, between the rains, plus
another fern.
Note the good stand of moss on the north side of the tree next to
it!
Click
on the image to enlarge.
This group of new hostas at the western edge of the Holly Ridge had
a visitor recently.
I mentioned critters earlier in the month. We may have a deer! LOOK!
If so, it is a first. I still like having the critters in Perry Parc,
but the deer do seem a bit MUCH!
But, I suppose, it could just be the big racoon or the possum getting
daring... We will have to watch and see...
Click
on the images to enlarge.
Our mystery visitor also took a nibble on a hosta next to the path
to the arbor and,
a week later, the one on the right of his first one!
I have recently learned that deer like very tender leaves... and hostas
are a favorite.
So, it could well be a deer!
Page Kelly tells me, the farmers in Ohio put out bars of Dial deodorant,
bath soap on the fences, to drive off the deer.
Supposedly the deer think they smell a human. We have not yet tried
it, but, we might have to!
Meanwhile, we never got the dormant oil spray on because the weather
got too hot too fast.
So, our bug critters are feasting as well. Where are all the birds
when I need 'em?!
And so goes life in Perry Parc...
it's "Survival of the fittest!"
As I complete this on August 24, we have had a wonderful cool night,
seen Mars in the sky,
and the first acorns have started to fall! September is not far away.
Soon it will be fall!
And almost time to start attracting our fall and winter-residents...
the birds!
When we get up to full capacity, we have six or seven different bird-feed
stations going.
Maybe, I will be able to get some bird photos then.
I have always wanted to create a diary of
Perry Parc and, now, it seems I have a good start on it!
Also high on the wish list is having some of you folks visit Perry
Parc in its prime....
We would love to share it with you for REAL!
Some
photos of the NYC Blackout, August 14
Click
here
August 15 - 31, 2003
Click
here
To
return to Index,
Click here
Page 11, Perry
Parc Log 2003
