The Garden at Lucas House

There’s little bluestem and there’s big bluestem. Big bluestem would be too big for the garden. So little bluestem it is. As a warm-season grass, it gets going slowly. But now it’s flowing, sending out gorgeous spikes, some up to three feet tall.

A day of weeding in the garden yesterday. Mostly crabgrass – but it’s getting easier to spot now it’s flowering because the flowers (and I use the term loosely because it’s a grass) lay flat to the ground, rather than erect, like the little bluestem. Some weeds have fibrous roots, which spread out. Others have…

I was delighted to see this Monarch butterfly caterpillar on one of the Swamp milkweeds this morning. (Takes away some of the disappointment of the deer and rabbits nibbling off the aster buds.)

I’m delighted to say the garden is joining the David Suzuki Foundation’s Butterflyway Project. Thanks to the Haliburton County Master Gardeners for facilitating this.

I always knew the first year would be weedy. Until the plants are established and because I didn’t put a thick layer of mulch down (here’s why), weeds will pop up. I’m taking a pretty relaxed attitude towards them. In the main, I want to stop them seeding and creating more weeds, so I’ll keep…

This is what makes it worthwhile. A monarch butterfly on the Swamp Milkweed planted in the garden.

Someone passed by the garden at Lucas House the other day and said: you’re going to need more plants. Not true – mostly. It’s true, the planting looks rather sparse right now. The thing is, we’re used to instant gardens – big plants, already flowering. Boom, you’re done! This garden was planted with smaller plants…

Planting 1,200 plants was daunting. Fortunately, I had two people to help me. We had it done in three days. I used a powerful drill with an auger attached. This made making holes much easier.

I did a detailed planting plan, which I mostly stuck to. The plants are in drifts and groups of up to 20 individuals, with the little bluestem grasses filling in between them. I chose plants that have a variety of blooming times, so there is always interest throughout the growing season. I used spray paint…