WHO DONE IT??

Garden tours are so inspiring and the choices of Madras gardens this year were overwhelming.  For the 26th time I ended my day of OSU Garden Tours ready to bring in the bulldozer and start anew.

When I settled my thoughts back to earth I opted to be creative with a concrete birdbath that had seen its best days as a functional birdbath; it had ceased holding water.

I decided to plant the birdbath with Stonecrop 'Tricolor', a perennial sedum with variegated pink and white foliage and rosy-pink flowers.  I bought a bag of proper cactus, succulent potting soil and in no time had an attractive arrangement.  I bordered the sedums with a trailing variety of bright blue lobelia.  The combination was eye-candy to me--the bright blue made you look twice to appreciate the delicate coloration in the "Tricolor'.

Chewed Up Stonecrop

My creative smugness was short-lived.  Within 48 hours all I had left were stubbles of both the sedum and the lobelia.

I have seen a rabbit darting from bush to underbrush on the property but unless it was a flying rabbit, and landed atop the birdbath,  it couldn't have done the damage.

The rockchuck that decided to visit my sunroom one morning several weeks ago was too big and too fat to have gotten to the height of the plants, plus he wouldn't have had space to sit and enjoy his meal.

 I guess I am back to blaming the doleful-eyed "who me?" deer.  The sedums are now replanted, minus the lobelia, to a container that will reside in the sunroom.  Come the chill of winter the container will over-winter in the greenhouse.

With fingers crossed I think I have found a plant that I will enjoy and the critters won't.  It has been planted for five days with no sign of any nibbles.

Origanum 'Aureum'

The plant is Origanum 'Aureum' a golden creeper (let's hope) with 1/2 to 1 inch wide rounded leaves.  Late summer will bring on small lavender to purple flowers.  The leaves are fragrant and can be used in cooking.

To border the planting I gathered some of the more interesting rocks we have collected over the years and they have added the bling that makes you stop and appreciate all aspects of nature.

Don't forget to check out the Gardening:Get Good At It: What is Powdery Mildew? segment on Tues July 30 on KPOV 88.9 FM "The Point" between 9-9:30 am