Happy Autumn All!
The variations in our spring and summer weather patterns have never really normalized this whole year, I anticipate that there may never be another predictable norm in our area again. We had an “all- in -one” spring-summer start that pushed things 2 weeks earlier than in past years. This never really slowed and now we saw the first signs of autumn in early-mid August. I just wonder what our fall foliage display will be in our areas this year.
We have been lucky with heat waves and rains not being too extreme for any long lengths of time. We dodged the flooding bullet that our friends farther south in Central Illinois and north in southern Wisconsin.
With our milder winter temperatures, our plants have looked really good overall, BUT major insect and massive numbers of small mammal numbers have decimated some normally unscathed plants in our garden.
My thoughts have led to whether our cultivated plant collections, that typically are not affected by such pathogens, may now be in harm’s way due to the continued shrinking of our natural areas that get more manipulated or destroyed all under the ruse of progress. How can progress be an improvement if the environment in our natural areas is destroyed in the process?
If one really internalized the statistical warnings about climate change and destruction of essential elements of our plant’s health, why wouldn’t we be seeing changes in many “norms” we assume as unchangeable? We at CBLD are documenting our observations to further inform what we can control in our work. We feel responsible to be the best caretakers of the gardens we create and maintain. Stay tuned for new expanded company sustainability initiatives on this front for 2025 and beyond.
Our new book ‘The Art of Fine Gardening’ is in the final stages of editing and it really is shaping up to be a beautiful reflection of what CBLD has done, and does, in the field of garden design, landscape architecture, and garden care. We are looking for a release date in May 2025, we think you will enjoy a perusal.
This past August we lost our dear Violet, the Norwich terrier, at 18 years old. She started our affection for the breed with all the love and antics they provide us all with. Pepper, Watson, and Cherry are taking the opportunity to vie for more attention now that the pack is one short. As with anyone that has ever had a dog, we are reminded that what Violet gave us over the years is far greater than what we gave her. We are blessed to have known such a smart and insightful fellow animal. Always knowing our whereabouts for her to be settled, in the end, we had to do for her so she could relax and nap…our pleasure every time.
May we have a season of nice warm days with cool nights and frequent moisture. Think about those perennial divisions needed earlier this year since things are senescing earlier and don’t forget to amend your spring flowering displays with bulbs, ornamental shrubs, and trees. A garden needs a good editor and what better person to do this than the owner of the garden, with a little help from our friends and professionals, of course.
Stay healthy and happy!
Craig & Co.
