08.25.2025 | Ordinary Monday

It is an absolutely gorgeous morning here in the Carondelet Garden.  The Garden Doodle and I did our morning walk with temps in the upper 50s!  Simply stunning weather for August in Saint Louis.  We should sunshine all day with highs in the mid 70s.  Winds are out of the NNW at 5 to 10 MPH.  A perfect day here in south Saint Louis.

The weather was so perfect this past weekend the Garden was absolutely begging for attention.  We gave it all we had.  Our Winter Squash is doing well.  The Peppers are coming in full force right now.  The weeding is going well again.  We still have to water since it has been very dry around here.  The final mulching of the season is going to begin this week as well.

One of the biggest problems we have had is in our small grassy yard area.  It is a very small rectangle that we have left for our little Doodle to do her do.  We have planted mini white clover instead of grass.  We had Tall Fescue and it was great except for Doodle urine.  The clover is totally okay with that and looks very good.  Our issue is this invasive Japanese Stiltgrass.  It grows quickly and is incredibly invasive.  It will take over a yard so quickly and then move into the garden as well.  It is quite the thug plant.  I've found the best way to deal with it is by hand pulling.  We filled four trugs of it.  Do not put it into your compost pile as it will infest itself.  You have to dispose of it.  Getting it before it seeds is the only way to control it.  I've noticed it all over the neighborhood.  I can't use normal herbicides on my lawn as it will also kill the clover.  I am stuck with hand pulling in the yard.  

Anyone else dealing with Japanese Stiltgrass?  If you have ideas or suggestions, please share!  It's been a struggle this late Summer.  Invasive plants are quite the problem!

The good news is the beautiful weather allows us the opportunity to get outside and take care of business.  Here's to a wonderful week in the Garden.  I hope you get to get outside and enjoy this late summer respite.  That's all the news from here in the Carondelet Garden.