SAGBUTT Sunday

(OK, photo was taken by good friend and photographer Cheryl Hatch of Isis Photos. But it's all my stuff!)

Just as it seemed summer was slipping away, sunny skies greet us with warmth and cheer. Let's hope this carries through the weekend when we gather for another round of SAGBUTT (Seattle Area Garden Bloggers United to Talk).

Our mostly monthly shindigs are open to anyone gaga over gardening with a bent for blogging. This Sunday we'll meet at the Washington Park Arboretum's Graham Visitor Center for an 11 a.m. tour of the gardens.

The tour is a choice of an hour to 90 minutes. Afterward, we'll regroup at the visitors center and move to nearby picnic tables to talk about the season's success and failures, fall & winter gardening plans and what's on your reading radar. Feel free to bring your latest read if you like!

FYI: I'm teaching until 11 a.m. that day, so will catch up as soon as possible. Hope to be there between 11:30 and 11:45. Anyone want to volunteer to greet our SAGBUTT crew? Otherwise, I'll bring snacks and beverages for our chat! Look forward to seeing everyone.

SAGBUTT Details
When: Sunday, September 20, 2009, 11 a.m. to whenever
Where: Washington Park Arboretum, Graham Visitors Center - 2300 Arboretum Drive East, in Seattle
How Come: We'll gather for a nature walk, then get down to business of talking gardening.

My first time ...

A bit of drizzle but otherwise just cloudy skies today prompted me to try my hand at some fall vegetable planting. I guess I could have waited for Sept. 12 when I attend the "Winter Gardening" class at Seattle Tilth, but I'm more of a "on a whim" gardener. Tilth also holds its annual Harvest Fair that day so be sure to check out all the good grub and fun activities for children and adults, and perhaps learn a few things about preserving food and raising urban livestock.

Meanwhile, my vegetable garden is currently overrun by tomatoes, cabbage, Brussels sprouts and borage, with some corn, chard and nasturtium sprinkled in the mix. I cleaned out the dying pea vines to make room for arugula, beets, more chard and peas, and a few lettuces or seven. I also plunked a rhubarb plant in the ground after sadly ignoring it for far too long. That one I will leave in the hands of Mother Nature at this point, unless any dear readers can offer advice.I'm also looking for more ideas on what to plant to get me through the winter. I have the cloche from last season all ready to go so that should help extend the season. But remember this is a first for me, so the easier the better!

I had to share a photo from my friend Cheryl, who captured one of my Little Sprouts classes. Here my little guy and his cousin tend their gardens along the south side of the house. My husband built raised beds for the class, and the little ones have grown quite the veggie plot: lettuce, beets, radishes, strawberries, peas, scarlet runner beans, sunflowers, thyme and lavender. And it's all much more organized than mine!

As I ponder winter gardening I like to gaze upon the catwalk bed, which is in full glory right now. It's filled with Echinacea, Hebes, Heuchera, sage, strawberries, marigolds, a redtwig dogwood, thyme, lemon balm and iris (that never bloomed due to late transplanting). It's quite pleasant right now, and I believe many of the plants will hold up into the fall and some even into winter.

Another favorite in the backyard is this bed that surrounds the corner of our deck. And by deck I mean the structure that now serves as a patio of sorts since the yard was leveled with it!. Anyway, This corner sports a Japanese Maple Acer (actually in a pot at edge of decking), a palm, agave, Indian Plum, Hebes, sedum 'Autumn Joy' and several Coreopsis. The palm and agave are for the spousal unit, but I do enjoy the coolness they bring to the gardens color palette.