It’s hard to believe that sometime next month, a cooler-than-usual breeze will blow in the smell of fall. People will stop talking about being at the beach and start talking about different things you can make with squash and pumpkins.  Just as soon as stores clear out the back-to-school notebooks,  you know the candy corn and cutesy goblins are going to line the shelves. I don’t know about you, but I feel like I’m driving with one foot on the gas and one on the brake, at least, garden-wise.

My tomatoes are just ripening now. But I know I need to get my fall lettuce and spinach planted before it’s too late. I just pulled onions yesterday, but I know if I don’t get my garlic ordered, all my usual suppliers will be out soon.  My apples aren’t anywhere near ripe, but I  know I need to get in gear and put together that cider press that’s been sitting in pieces in my basement. It feels like it’s finally summer, but it is also the time to plan for fall.

Do you have fall chores that are about to come knocking on your door? Will you answer or turn away in an sneer of denial and disgust? What do you still want to get done this summer? What parts of fall do you look forward to? Any you dread?

Happy almost first day of summer, too! It’s been feeling like summer at last, hasn’t it? Sunshine… on my shoulder makes me happy. And it makes me hum old songs, too, apparently.

Some folks have been asking for updates on things in my neck of the woods, so here’s a quick rundown (even if you’re not that interested in rocks and chickens, scroll to the end for a cool water lily photo).

Out with the rock, in with the roses

Thanks for all your suggestions about removing the big rock from the area where I wanted to plant a climbing rose. I think the rock has great character. I’ll be finding a place to give it some face time along my front entrance soon. Anyone know what kind of rock it is? I’m igneous (sorry).

My neighbor Larry happened to come by yesterday and I told him about it. While I was out getting straw to mulch the garden, the rock mysteriously moved from the hole to the front of the house. Thanks, Larry! I know it was you. I saw the Bobcat tracks!

Is Trouble in trouble?

All the chickens are well, but not all are happy. Betty the rooster has been chasing the gals around the pen and pinning them down to do unspeakable things to them. Betty is pretty sure that Trouble is a girl, incidentally. I don’t mind a roo doing what comes naturally, but …well, have you ever seen ducks do it? It ain’t pretty. And Trouble just isn’t that into Betty.

So today I put Trouble, Martha, Zelda and Rhoda in the garden. I rigged up some shade and water and they learned to dig. It was all very exciting. When I put Trouble back, Betty made it clear he, um, missed her. So I put her in the other pen (they sit side-by-side), but then the other chickens didn’t care for the intruder. Now, you know Trouble is my favorite chicken, and it’s not easy watching her get it from all sides. So now Betty has his own cage. He doesn’t like it. He says Trouble teases him. But she doesn’t. Perhaps re-homing Betty is the answer, so if you know anyone who needs a nice Ancona boy (not in their freezer or stew pot), let me know.

Which will come first, the coop or the egg?

The coop is coming along, but still is not ready. We’re putting hardware cloth on the windows to keep out predators. The electrician is coming tomorrow to run wire to a couple of outlets and hook up a light. The main holdup is the galvanized siding I want, giving the coop a cool, modern look. It’s special order. It’s going to be a race to see if the hens get in the coop before they lay their first eggs.

Something fishy

Oh, and I added some goldfish to the watergarden recently. I must’ve put 100 little fish in there, and I see about five whenever I look for them. I think they are all hiding. Maybe they heard about Betty. I hope to add some koi soon, but I want to see if the goldfish survive before I invest in koi, as they are not cheap.

The waterlilies are looking lovely though, and the water is almost warm enough to dip hot feet into. Bring on summer!

Late last fall we added a water feature to our back yard. Okay, we asked Mom’s Landscaping in Shakopee to design it, heft boulders and connect fittings while we hung out inside. I’ve coveted a water garden for at least decade, and what I got was definitely worth waiting for!

There’s wonderful balance between strength and flow, focal points and hidden nooks, invigoration and relaxation. I was even able to integrate some great lighting from one of my favorite artisans, Grant Massey. A wonderful world unto itself, we got to enjoy the water garden for about two weeks before it was buried beneath snow.

“The watergarden looked nice with a dusting of snow this winter.”

This week, even though the pump that powers the waterfall hasn’t been turned on yet, everyone is discovering the pond. With binoculars, I can sit in my home office and see the frog (hmm, is it a wood frog or leopard frog?) sitting with its eyes just above the surface. Song sparrows have come to visit. And a cowbird. And I’m pretty sure we have the cleanest robins around, as they bathe with abandon at least a couple times a day.

Since it was the last project before fall rolled up the welcome mat, we didn’t have a chance to get fish or plants to complete the project.

I know at least some of you have watergardens or ponds. What suggestions do you have for me? Things you’d like to include in your own garden (real, or still in the dreaming stage)? Things you know I should avoid (besides algae)?

Well, okay, our veggie and flower gardens aren’t getting enough water from the big faucet in the sky. But this past weekend, I saw a lot of pretty cool water features that were on the Twin Cities Pond and Landscape Tour.

It’s an annual event for me and my partner. We save both weekends (this year, it was last weekend and next weekend, July 21-22 and 28-29), hop in the car, and visit dozens of private homes that invite gawkers in to see their ponds, streams and waterfalls. Along with the water features, we also get to see a wide variety of aquatic plants, fish and landscaping that includes everything from tiki huts to pizza ovens to putting greens. And every year, I get inspired and insist that I’m this close to breaking ground on my own. And really this year, I am.

I think water gardens have a special reflective beauty to them. I’d love one that’s big enough I can slip in for a dip when the mercury climbs too high. They also attract wildlife — and hey, my cranberries will love the little bog I build for them. Of course, they take time to tend to, but so does everything involved in gardening. For me, that process is part of the fun.

I have lots of questions, of course. Should I try to build it myself, or hire it out? Do I need a landscaper or a garden design firm or learn to drive a Bobcat? (I bet there are at least 100 choices). Should I try to keep it open all winter? How do I control algae? How big a pump do I need?

If you have a water garden, what other things would you say I need to know about? What advice do you have for me? If you’re also interested in water gardens, what are your questions?