November GBBD: End of the Season

What a November this has been so far!  The month began with the Cubs winning the World Series, the first time in 108 years.  This die-hard Cubs' fan was ecstatic and walked around in a joyful delirium for at least a day.  Three days later, a new baby granddaughter entered this world, and Grandma was filled with joy, not to mention impatient anticipation as we wait to make the drive to Texas to see her for the first time.  And then three days after that was Election Day.  Like many others, I watched in disbelief as results came in that night, and woke up the next morning filled with dread and worry.  Talk about running the gamut of emotions in just one short week!

But I'm not going to talk about politics today, nor the fairy-tale ending to this year's Cubs' season, nor am I even going to show off my precious granddaughter today.  Instead, let's talk about the garden.  The beginning of November was amazing with warm weather and many annuals still blooming in the garden.

Just a few days ago, November 10, to be exact, I was admiring this 'Senorita Rosalita' Cleome.  I've planted this cultivar in pots the last several years, and it never did particularly well. This year I decided to plant it in a bare spot in the sidewalk garden, and what a difference!  Topping out at 3 1/2 feet tall and spreading even more in width, it is obviously much happier here with room to grow.  Lesson learned for next year.

On the same day, I walked around admiring the zinnias, knowing their days were numbered.  To my surprise, I found a late visitor enjoying the blooms.  This poor Monarch looks like he's had a rough time, and sadly, I don't think he had time to make it South before the cold set in.  Many of the zinnias were looking just as tattered, but there were still enough fresh blooms to enjoy one last time.

One last time...because this was the scene the next morning.  Our first frost arrived on November 11, and what survived that first morning was given a final blow the next morning with even colder temperatures.  Seeing the end of summer/autumn blooms is always a bit sad, but I'm not complaining.This was the latest first frost ever recorded in our area, so we had an unusually long season to enjoy the garden this year.

While the frost pretty much zapped the garden, there are still a few annuals blooming.  'Victoria Blue' Salvia is still looking good as are the geraniums, and surprisingly, some verbena in a pot survived the cold.  Of course, the few pansies I have are thriving.

As is the ruffled kale, which seems to get more colorful as the temperature drops.

The few roses I have don't mind the cooler weather either; 'Zephirine Drouhin' has even put out a few new blooms.

As the garden winds down for the year, it is a good time to enjoy the last days of autumn color.  The leaves turned late this year. My maple, the star of our front yard every fall, still is hanging on to many of its leaves.

Grasses are at their peak right now, and the seedheads of switchgrasses, for example, add beauty to the garden as they rustle in the breeze.

One of my favorite vignettes in the garden each year is this, Amsonia hubrichtii with a Beautyberry next to it.  My camera wants to wash out the color for some reason, but this Amsonia is a dramatic gold right now and positively glows in the sunlight.

While November doesn't have the riot of colors that summer has, there is still much to enjoy in the garden.  Even seedheads have a beauty all their own and sometimes an extra surprise if you look closely enough.

 I've really appreciated the extended season this year, especially this past week as I've found once again that there's nothing quite like gardening for soothing your soul.

Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day is brought to you each month by Carol at May Dreams Gardens.

October Bloom Day

It's time for another Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day.  Although I don't post as often as I used to or would like to do, I always try to participate in this monthly meme because it's a great way for me to keep a record of what is blooming each month.  It's interesting to compare a month to previous years as well, especially in a month like October.  Some years we have had a frost by this time and there's very little left in bloom.  But unseasonably warm weather this year has kept the garden plugging along.

The garden is definitely winding down, however, There are still many green leaves on the hostas, but most are in the middle of their fall decay.

But there is still quite a bit in bloom.  

What is more appropriate for this month than 'October Skies' Asters?

The New England Asters, which I have the most of, have long since turned to seedheads, but besides the later Aster oblongifolius I have a few others, including some Aster tataricus, a tall aster that somehow found its way into the back of my butterfly garden.  And yes, I do know the botanical name has changed to Symphyotrichum, but that is such a mouthful and I am getting older and stuck in my ways, so they will always be asters to me.

There are also some large clumps of Aster pilosus, known as Frost Aster or Hairy Aster, that escaped the weeding tools this spring.  This is not an aster for everyone, because many consider it a weed and it tends to spread pretty aggressively.  Still, the bees love it, which makes it worth keeping a few.  If you would like to know more about this plant, you can find it here.

Speaking of bees, one thing you won't see today are any flying visitors in my garden.  There are still some bees around, but I think many have started making nests for the winter. There are few butterflies as well.  I have a seen a Monarch or two floating through the air this past week, but I think they, too, are sensing the change in seasons and starting their migration south.  And Tuesday was the last day I spotted a hummingbird at the feeders.  I only wish he had said goodbye!  I wish them all safe travels and a warm winter and look forward to seeing them again next spring.

Autumn days have brought a fresh flush of blooms on the Knockout roses. 'Radsunny' adds some cheerful color to the Lily Bed.  

One of my favorite flowers this time of year is the Japanese Anemone.  I think this is 'Honorine Jobert,' but the tag has long since been lost.

The vegetable garden is pretty much done for the year except for green tomatoes that will probably never ripen.  But on one end closest to the house, I always plant a few marigold seeds, and this fall they have taken over four to five feet of the garden!  I'm not sure why they have spread so much this year, but I don't mind since they are choking out any weeds and certainly add a bright spot of color to this area.

Autumn also means the 'Victoria Blue' Salvia has come into its own.  This is one of my favorite annuals, and I have it planted in many places.  While other annuals have faded or will turn brown at the first hint of frost, 'Victoria' will keep going until a killing frost.

'Wendy's Wish' isn't as hardy and won't last past the first touch of frost, but I do enjoy this larger, fuschia Salvia, and it's a favorite of the hummingbirds.

The past two weeks I've been thinking about fall chores and slowly starting to prepare for the winter.  My bulb orders all arrived this past week, and I've made a little headway in planting bulbs.  Soon it will be time to put things away and dig up tender plants.  I know you can't tell from this photo, but this caladium leaf is huge!  A friend gave me a few bulbs this summer, and I put them in a pot, having no idea how big they would be.  I want to make sure to pack these safely away before winter--these are going directly into the shade garden next year, instead of being crammed into tiny pots.

Looking around the garden for a few photos on this breezy, rainy day, I found a few surprises.  There are a few new coneflower blooms, and the white phlox have a few fresh blooms as well.  But most surprising of all was this--a bloom on my huge lilac bush!  This is not a re-blooming lilac, but an old-fashioned shrub.  The warm fall must have it confused.

And, in case you're wondering, yes, I still have zinnias!  Some of them are even taller than I am.

'Zowie's' are blowing in the wind, but still standing strong, with a few new blooms opening up every few days.

It really has been a great year for zinnias, and I had to show them off one more time, because I'm sure this will be the last Bloom Day for them this year.  The first frost will bring them to an end, so they remind me every day to enjoy each and every moment of this fall.

The leaves on the trees have just begun to turn, and with the warm weather we've had for most of this month, it's hard to think of winter just a few weeks away.  If you'll pardon the pun, it's been a "berry nice" fall.  Viburnum 'Cardinal Candy' above is full of little berries to tempt the birds.

My non-gardening daughter asked me one day if these were blackberries, and I told her she was close, but I wouldn't recommend eating them.  I enjoy this stage of blackberry lilies as much as I do their earlier blooms.

The crabapples are full of fruit this year--enough to keep the birds happy for awhile.

And one of my personal fall favorites--the Beautyberry.

The weatherman has promised warm weather through the end of the month.  I certainly hope he's right, not only to finish all my fall chores, but also to enjoy the remaining beauty of the garden for as long as I can.  I hope you are enjoying Autumn as well!


To see what else is blooming around the world on this mid-October day, be sure to visit our hostess Carol of May Dreams Gardens.

Lessons Learned From the Back Porch

The autumnal equinox arrived this past Thursday without much fanfare.  The weatherman on the local TV station talked about it, of course, but then apologized for the continuing heat in the forecast.  I did go out and buy some pansies and a few other fall annuals to replace the awful-looking dead petunias next to my front door, but  I didn't get carried away.  It's hard to think of pumpkins and mums when it's 90 degrees outside.

The asters and goldenrod apparently got the notice that it is autumn.

By the time I get this posted, however, the weather is supposed to change, with more reasonable temperatures in the 70's this week, and I won't have anything to complain about anymore--ha!  While I wait for those welcome cooler days, it's a good time to sit down and reflect on the past season for Beth's seasonal meme "Lessons Learned in the Garden."

While I'm sure I learned many new things this past season, my mind is drawing a blank.  The problem is that by mid-July, I lost all my motivation for serious gardening.  By that time I was tired of constantly pulling weeds: the consistent rain this season was a blessing, but at the same time it meant the weeds flourished, too.  After an hour or two of weeding or trimming or picking green beans, the sweat was rolling into my eyes, and I gave up.  I guess that means I've learned that I am a fair-weather gardener--if it's hot and buggy, I'm staying indoors.

Instead of doing much actual garden work for the past two months, I have spent a lot of time on my front porch noting all that has to be done and making plans for those perfect "somedays" when the temps are are in the 70's, the bugs have stopped biting, and I'm full of energy.

From my shady perch on the porch swing, I can easily see the coneflowers when they're in full bloom and get a partial view of the lily bed and even the arbor bed beyond that.

If I stand up and crane my neck a little, I can even see parts of the shade garden as well.  The best part about this viewing at a distance is that I don't really see the weeds or the deadheading that needs to be done, and I can just relax and procrastinate to my heart's content.

With several planters on or near the front porch, I have much to enjoy close-up as well, such as this hibiscus.  Fortunately, the only upkeep these planters require is frequent watering, which I do pretty faithfully since it doesn't mean working up a sweat.

Besides looking at what is blooming, my place on the porch gives me a great vantage point for watching all the visitors to my garden.  When the coneflowers bloom, the nearby sidewalk garden is alive with butterflies.  And with only a few short steps, I can get up close to observe and photograph them.

Once the coneflowers have faded, the butterflies are replaced by the goldfinches who are constantly feeding on their seedheads.  From the porch's front step I can zoom out with the camera to get a photo if I'm lucky.

The porch gives me a great vantage point, too, for observing all kinds of bird activity throughout the seasons besides the goldfinches, from hawks swooping through the air looking for prey to cardinals feasting on the tiny crabapples.  But my favorite bird activity is only a few feet away as the hummingbirds visit the feeder just beyond the swing.

I love watching them hover in the air and then battle each other for rights to the feeder.  And if I happen to have my camera and am very, very quick, I might just get lucky enough to get one decent photo of them all summer feeding at one of their favorites, the 'Black and Blue' Salvia.

Sometimes I don't even have to look very far as bees visit the planters on the porch or even more fascinating creatures come for a short while.  Yes, you never know who will come to visit!

Tiny syrphid flies are just one of the many pollinating insects to be found in the garden.

Looking through all these photos, I am reminded that I have learned another lesson this summer--I have learned much more about pollinators.  I took a few hours' training to become a "Pollinator Pocket" presenter, a program developed by our local Extension Office.  I learned so much about different insects and other pollinators and their life cycles.

I also learned more about the needs of these different pollinators, including plants that will help to feed them.  I already knew that asters and other late-blooming plants provide a valuable food source in the fall.  But a local beekeeper at the workshop reminded everyone that bees need food in the early spring as well, and he encouraged us all to plant more crocuses because they are one of the few sources of food very early in the spring.  You can be sure when I placed my bulb orders this past week that I ordered plenty of crocuses!

Not sure what type of bumble this big guy is.

Earlier in the summer I also attended a talk by Dr. Sydney Cameron, an entomologist specializing in bumblebees, on the rare Rusty-patched Bumblebee Bombus affinis.  We watched a short but fascinating documentary on this bee called "A Ghost in the Making," which you can find here on YouTube.  The rusty-patched bumblebee was once very common in parts of the U.S., but for reasons unknown its numbers have dwindled, and it is now being considered as an endangered species.

This talk inspired me to look more closely at the bumblebees in my own garden, and while I can't identify them by type, I know that my visitors are the much more common species normally seen throughout this area.  Still, I am searching for that elusive rusty-patched bumblebee!

Linda of Each Little World and Lisa of Greenbow enjoy chatting with Susan.

One of the places where this rare bumblebee has been spotted in recent years is at the University of Wisconsin Arboretum.  On a visit to Madison earlier this month to meet up with a few fellow bloggers,  Beth introduced us to Susan Carpenter, Native Plant Gardener at the Arboretum.  As she was talking about her work here, she happened to bring up the rusty-patched bumblebee and mentioned that part of the film I had seen was filmed at the Arboretum.  Talk about coincidence!

We didn't find any rusty-patched bumblebees on this day, but we did see many other species, and Susan mentioned that one of their favorite plants this time of year is the native thistle.

Looking back, I realize that maybe I did learn more this summer than I realized.  I know I'm going to be more conscious of pollinators and do what I can to increase their numbers in my garden.  And while I've enjoyed the past two months on the porch, this morning is much cooler and pleasant, so it's time to get off that swing and get to work!


For more reflections on lessons learned in the garden this past season, be sure to stop by Beth's at Plant Postings.

GBBD: Summer's End

Summer is winding down, and I, for one, will be happy to have an end to the relentless heat of this past season.  The days are getting shorter, and on some days you can feel a crispness in the air, the first hints of autumn approaching.

While I will miss the explosion of color that was summer in my garden, there is still much to enjoy about the garden.  A few coneflowers still bloom here and there, but most are now dried seedheads, a tasty treat for all the goldfinches.

Blackberry lilies are no longer blooming, but their seedheads are every bit as delightful to look at.

Walking around the garden, one can see that not everything has finished blooming, however.  The 'Limelight' Hydrangea is in all its fall glory, reaching up to the rooftop once again, despite a pretty good pruning this spring.

I just love these big blooms!

Nearby, the Turtleheads are also blooming.

Also in the shade garden, the hardy begonia (name forgotten) is also blooming.  I bought this plant for its foliage and was so happy it survived the winter here, so the tiny blooms are a bonus surprise.

It pays to looks closely or you will miss some other surprises as well.  Apparently, this little gnome thought I needed some help weeding (and yes, I do).  I have no idea where this little rake came from--garden fairies, perhaps??

In the sidewalk garden, 'Senorita Rosalita' Cleome is flourishing.  I've planted this annual in pots the past two years, and it's never done well.  Obviously, it likes being planted in the ground much better--and all the rain this summer no doubt helped as well.

Lavender is beginning to bloom again.  This is the first year I've had success with lavender surviving the winter, and I hope it continues to do well.

In the Arbor Bed, the berries on the Beautyberry are beginning to turn.

Fall is the time for grasses to really shine, and 'Morning Light' Miscanthus is putting on quite a show.

Goldenrod is also popping up everywhere.  I usually pull most of it from the Arbor Bed, but I missed this one, and I think it complements the zinnias nicely.  More on those zinnias later...

In the little Butterfly Garden, the sneezeweed Helenium 'Autumnale' has been blooming

 for several weeks.

And, of course, the Obedient Plant is making its annual appearance.  A few asters are just beginning to bloom, and soon the butterfly garden will be full of asters and goldenrod as well.

So many of my container plantings are looking pretty sad these days.  Coleus and begonias are still looking great, but the petunias are pretty pathetic--time to hit the local nursery for some new cool-weather annuals.  However, there are other annuals planted in the garden that are doing very well, including one of my all-time favorites 'Victoria Blue' Salvia.

The Lantana are also doing well and finally spreading out.  The only problem this year is that they are often hidden by some taller volunteers, like the Rudbeckia Triloba.

A few Cosmos are also finally blooming, though not nearly as many as I had hoped.

A new annual I planted this year is finally blooming as well--Tithonia, or Mexican Sunflower.  I've admired these bright orange blooms on Jason's blog for several years, so I finally started some seeds this spring.  The only problem is that I didn't realize how tall they would get!  Next year I'll find a better spot for these 4-6' pollinator magnets.

Also in the Arbor Bed, Nicotania is still blooming here and there.  These are all volunteers--from seeds planted over five years ago!  I started to pull most of these out one day, until I noticed a hummingbird moth sipping nectar from them.  Of course, I didn't have my camera handy, but I was mesmerized by this creature and its long proboscis.  I haven't seen it in a couple of weeks, but I'm leaving the Nicotania for now, just in case it returns.

Of all the late annuals, though, the most colorful and most abundant in my garden are the zinnias. These old-fashioned favorites have to be one of the easiest annuals to grow.  I direct sowed seeds from Renee's Garden and Botanical Interests (though which ones are which, I don't remember),  and some of them have grown to 4 1/2 feet tall.  Though only pink ones are shown here, there are blooms in orange, reds, and purples as well.

When it comes to attracting butterflies, you can't beat zinnias.  And although they aren't particular, the pollinators do seem to love my 'Zowie Yellow Flame' zinnias in particular.

On a recent afternoon, the 'Zowie's' were covered with all kinds of butterflies.

The colors of the 'Zowie's' are almost a perfect match for Monarchs, 

but Swallowtails make a nice contrast, too.

It's a good thing I planted lots of these zinnias this year, enough for a crowd!

Thanks to Carol of May Dreams Gardens for hosting this monthly meeting of Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day and giving me the incentive to keep a monthly record of what is blooming in my garden.