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September Surprises

It is always a thrill to stumble across a plant that I may have forgotten about or one that does something unexpected. That has happened several times over the past weeks.  First, the vine pictured above is the Eastern Prince Schisandra vine ( Schinensis chinensis ), also known as "Magnolia Vine".  I purchased it in May of 2023 from One Green World in Portland. I don't know what attracted me to it, other than the fact that I'd never heard of it before and the description sounded nice.  I didn't forget about this plant; in fact, it has grown quite vigorously up an archway at the entrance to our woodland path. It shares space alongside the rose 'Lamarque'.  I did forget that it produces berries, so I was surprised when I looked up and saw them dangling over the top of the arbor.  The berries are used in Chinese medicine. They are called the "Five Flavor Berry" and said to have five flavors in one - sweet, salty, bitter, tangy and sour.  Chinese le...
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Too Early for Winter Clean-Up?


Winter continues its grip on our region and it needs to go bye-bye. Since returning from my trip to Alabama last week, I've been itching to get out and begin the garden clean-up but I hesitate. I think it is best to wait until temperatures are above 50 before cutting plants back for the sake of insects that are using the plants for shelter. 

The rose pruning can begin and I will start that this week. However, the weather is just icky - wet and cold - and getting out there requires some willpower. 

I did go ahead and cut back the ornamental grasses, which I felt guilty about, but it is done.



I also got an interior job completed, something I've wanted to do for a long time - installing a tool rack on the garage wall and attaching brackets to hold our ladders. This blank area of wall has always irked me and the fact that we are constantly stumbling over tools on the floor begged that the space be used. The reason I kept putting the project off was because I could not drill a hole in the dense concrete wall (and I tried several times). The solution that finally presented itself was the purchase of a rather inexpensive hammer drill. A highly recommended tool! 

After contemplating buying a ready-made rack to attach to the wall, I finally decided to create my own using a piece of wood that I bolted to the wall (thanks to the hammer drill) and attached brackets on the wood bar to hold the tools. A sense of accomplishment and it made a big difference. At least I can now get in and out of my truck without stumbling over tools and ladders. Our tiny garage is cramped enough as it is.



Text and photos by Phillip Oliver, Dirt Therapy
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  1. Kris PMarch 5, 2023 at 8:10 PM

    Even here in coastal SoCal it feels too cold to tackle a lot of our usual "late winter" projects but I'm slowly ticking them off. Of course, snow isn't a factor here.

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  2. AnonymousMarch 6, 2023 at 8:42 AM

    I finished cutting back all the clumps the Japanese Forrest Grass yesterday. I started in mid February, before the lates cold snap, when I thought (hoped) winter was mostly done. If one waits and the grasses start growing, it becomes a big job in a hurry.
    Good job on the tool rack. It must feel awesome after having to managed without one all those years!
    Chavli

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