Native Flat-Topped Aster, Doellingeria umbellata

Doellingeria umbellata under Northern Sea Oats (Chasmanthium latifolium).

I first pointed out our self-sown aster, Doellingeria umbellata in my GBBD September post. Here it is, pretending to be a cloud in my garden. Some seedlings sowed themselves two years ago by riding the wind from the railroad grade a couple of blocks from our home. They have been welcome intruders (well... it is more accurate to say it was one intruder, and that I have worked on sowing a few more around).

The Shade Path for the first week in October.

It's sprouts look much like the other asters I grow in my garden, which is how I came not to pull it out at first sight! I tried treating it like my other asters, shearing it down by half in June, and often again later in the season to make it good and bushy. It has worked well.

Close up of the flat-topped aster and sea oats

 It is positively covered in pollinators of all sorts, but especially honey bees and bumble bees. Highly recommended for sunny or part shade areas that are on the dry side. It does look better with something partly covering it from the knees down (like my impatiens). But beside having knobbly knees, it is perfectly lovely.

How to Plant/Transplant Lavender in a Wet Climate ~ Fall Gardening Tasks #1

The weather is just miserable outside so far this week... very wet, gloomy and 45 degrees F (7 C). The plants love it of course, especially after a few weeks of dry weather. At least something is enjoying it!

Lavandula angustifolia over lady's mantle (Alchemilla mollis).

I thought I might take advantage of my time indoors to start a series of posts on all of the tasks that need to be done this fall. And I feel a little better remembering that I did do one already: transplanting my lavender.

Driveway Garden: the mature lavender to the left, new one going to the right

In the Driveway Garden, I have been doing some re-working, including: Routing out the bishop's weed (Aegopodium podagraria L. ) that has popped up everywhere, adding some late-summer interest (read more here), and working on adding a little more continuity.

One of my best ideas is to move the lavender getting squashed by our old rose bush,  allowing it some room and echoing the mature one across the sidewalk... Which brings me to sharing how I have successfully learned to grow lavender in our wet, freezing Pennsylvania climate.

The squashed lavender

Lavendula is a Mediterranean plant, liking the extremely well-drained sandy soil of a hillside in full sun. And I will never forget Joe Reardon-Smith's comment on lavenders needing only a few small pellets of goat fertilization once a year. Rather a memorable way to put it.

So let's get to the planting. Our main goal is adding drainage.

The new hole

Always dig your hole as deep as the root ball and twice as wide around. I like to loosen the sides of the hole with my japanese garden knife (my favorite garden tool by far!).

Gravel and sand for the lavender's planting hole.

Before putting in the lavender, add a one-inch layer of sand and gravel to the bottom of the hole. This will raise the plant's crown above ground level by an inch, and help keep water moving under its root ball.

Gravel and sand in the hole.

Toss in the gravel and sand, and you may even want to do a couple of layers as you adjust the height of the root ball later on. (I pulled out my lavender and added more gravel and sand after this first layer to raise the height.)

Digging out the Lavender angustifolia for transplanting.

When lifting a mature perennial or shrub, always dig as straight down as possible from the outer foliage circle around the plant. The feeder roots that are found just under the surface, under the leaf spread, are very important. Do not just cut it out of the ground two inches from its stem, for example.

I usually cut in several spots around a plant before lifting it out of its hole. It may work to use your shovel, but some root balls hold together better if you get in there with your hands (gloves please!).

Plant the crown of the lavender plant on a slight mound.

Once you have your lavender in the new hole, check the height. It needs to have its crown above the surface enough not to sit in water, but not so extreme that it will be exposed to freezing temperatures during winter. Mound the soil up to cover it, and press a 10-inch round trench one-inch deep around the plant.

Leaning tower of lavendula.

One more issue with my less-than-perfect lavender plant is the fact that it is leaning over. I remedy this by pulling the stems back and adding a small stake to the inside of the plant. This helps open up the center and encourage new growth in parts that were previously over-crowded.

Transplanted Lavender angustifolia, upright.

I hope this method proves successful for all of you longing after waving wands of lavender in your full sun gardens. They can really take the heat, so think about putting them near walkways or driveways where they will thrive when other flowers fail.

Driveway Garden in June 2010

Lavandula angustifolia with a mini lily in June 2011.

Happy fall planting!

Task #2... thinning the seedlings coming up.

Rebloom of Clematis 'Etoile Violette'

Clematis 'Etoile Violette' climbing through our old rose

After a fabulous show in June (see GBBD June), Clematis 'Etoile Violette' is clothed in purple star flowers again. It started in September and continues to look great this first week of October.

Clematis 'Etoile Violette' dropping daintily in an autumn rain

Clematis 'Etoile Violette' seen in the right of the rose bush

The Driveway Garden is full of purples at the moment, with Geranium 'Rozanne' blooming steadily on since sometime in July. The white grass on the left is the new Miscanthus sinensis 'Dixieland' the I added in early September.

Clematis 'Etoile Violette'

It is nice to remember June again! 
(See June 2011 to relive it at Gilmore Gardens.)

Bees on a 'Frosty Morn'

 Sedum 'Frosty Morn' that is.

See the plant feature for Sedum 'Frosty Morn' from last week.