Changing Out the Beds

We have begun changing out our color beds. These are the beds that always contain annual or seasonal color. This means that at the end of each season we the color starts to die or fade and replace it with new color appropriate for the season. We are now pulling our summer plants and putting in winter/spring plantings. In the past I have used pansies or violas with tulips or daffodils in all our color beds during winter and spring. Pansies and violas are beautiful but they are incredibly labor intensive with several different fungi and aphids they require lots of chemicals to keep them looking good through the entire season. So this year am planting some other cool season annuals in beds where I can get away with it. These would be less prominent beds on campus. Yesterday we installed 'Coronation Cherry Magic' Dianthus, 'Bright Lights' Swiss Chard, Giant Red Mustard, and yellow snapdragons. We will begin planting the bulbs and violas after Thanksgiving.

Planting Dianthus.

Planting Giant Red Mustard

Eventually I will do a blog on tailgating. There is a lot of preparation and even more destruction. The rye grass takes the hardest hit.

Bench pulverized during last weekend's tailgate.

Bobby watering in the snaps.

Pulling up the asparagus fern. We will pot these up and save them for next year.

Asparagus fern is a great plant. I would use it in all my summer beds if I could get away with it. It will take full sun and shade so it works great in beds that get both. It requires no special attention and doesn't need lots of water. It goes dormant in the winter so we have to pull it out of our color beds but I save and plant it again in the spring. It makes a great plant to border large, tropical plants like canna.

Ek and Rosebel

Jose tilling the bed before we lay out the plants.

Jose laying out the Dianthus.

Hanging Christmas lights at Dallas Hall.

Installing Christmas lights

Christmas lights

Blowing leaves for Bush's visit last week.