September GBBD: Almost Autumn

I haven't had much time to work in the garden lately, and it shows.  Summer is winding down, but not without some blasts of hot air and humidity before it leaves.  Faded and dried up blooms hang on plants waiting for someone to start tidying up for fall. Weedy wildflowers that I intended to pull are still blooming, probably setting seed for hundreds of progeny next spring.

The coneflowers look especially bad, unless you're into shades of brown, but the goldfinches are still enjoying them, so that's my excuse for not cutting them back.

Flowers aren't the only plants turning brown; we're surrounded on three sides by fields of corn which have been slowly turning to a shade of tan.  Soon it will be harvest season.

The vegetable garden is also pretty well done, except for a few tomatoes and eggplants.  The tomatoes didn't do very well this year--perhaps all the rain we had in early spring--but we've had enough to eat fresh.  The one plant that is still doing well are the 'Golden Guardian' marigolds, added to help deter pests.  And speaking of pests, there must be a few left in the ground, because Sophie always finds something to dig out here.  She refused to get out of this photo:)

The Sneezeweed that captivated me a few weeks ago is slowly losing its petals.  But I like the look of these seedheads, don't you?  They will definitely be left for winter interest.

But even as the summer blooms fade away, there are new additions to take their place and keep the garden interesting--and tasty for the pollinators and other visitors.  Native asters in shades of pink and purple are just beginning to open up.

And there is goldenrod everywhere.  I am amazed by the comments I see on Facebook and other places by the number of people who still confuse goldenrod with ragweed.  Besides being the allergy culprit, ragweed is ugly!  Goldenrod, on the other hand, is innocent and lovely, even if the native species like this can be a bit of a thug.

'October Skies' asters are just beginning to bloom, but the butterflies have already found them.

Agastache, aka Hummingbird Mint, shows no sign of letting up any time soon.  I only wish this plant would survive the winter here.

Another sign of fall--the Viburnum 'Cardinal Candy' is covered in small berries.  This is the first year I've ever seen berries on this plant, which was its main selling point when I purchased it several years ago.

There was a time when there wasn't much blooming in my garden in the fall.  Thankfully, over the last few years I've remedied that.  A new addition this year, Salvia azurea has turned out to be one of those late bloomers.  Actually, I am just happy to see these pretty blue blooms, no matter the time of year because I had thought I had lost this plant.  The tag marking it somehow was moved, and until it bloomed, I thought it was something else.  Glad I didn't pull it, thinking it was a weed!

Late-blooming phlox in the shade garden is a volunteer,

 one I'm happy to have however it came to be here.

Turtleheads also add some color to the shade garden expansion.

One of the stalwarts of the late summer garden are the ornamental grasses.  'Morning Light' Miscanthus rises above another grass, a Panicum.

I always have trouble capturing the Panicums on camera, but I thought this was pretty cool.  I'm not sure if this is 'Shenandoah' or 'Northwinds,' but the reddish tints of the seedheads make me think it's 'Shenandoah.'

And, of course, there are many annuals that keep going up until frost.  I don't know why I haven't planted Gomphrena very often, but I like these tall stems that sway in the breeze, especially in front of the Amsonia Hubrichtii, which is already beginning to change to its fall color.

Nicotania is another late-bloomer, but only because I pulled most of the volunteer seedlings early this spring.  A few escaped my weeding and provide some welcome blooms among the fading perennials.

In the containers, 'Silverberry' Supertunia has been one of the best performers out of all my petunias this year.

And finally, I can't end this Bloom Day post without showing off one of the best late summer annuals, the zinnias.  Monarchs have been passing through the garden for the past few weeks, and they always stop to enjoy the zinnias.

One of my favorite zinnias is the 'Zowie Yellow Flame.'  I brag about these every year, but they really are a pollinator favorite besides being simply stunning.  This bumblebee sure was busy gathering every bit of pollen he could!

Bees and butterflies--what more could you ask for?  

Although I haven't been very busy working in the garden, I have spent a lot of time enjoying it, especially all the visitors this time of year.  Butterflies, bees, and the antics of hummingbirds make this one of my favorite times of the year.


To see what else is blooming this September, check out other Bloom Day posts at Carol's of May Dreams Gardens.

October GBBD: Still Blooming!

For the last two weeks, I have awakened many mornings wondering, is this the day? What I have worried about, is this the day we will be hit by the first frost and all my pretty annuals will turn to mush?  Many years we've been hit by a frost before October's Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day, but fortunately not this year.  We've had a few cold nights, but so far we have escaped the kiss of death for tender plants.

The downside to this is that I keep putting off many of the fall chores on my long to-do list.  I have planted a few bulbs, but I need to pull out some annuals to make room for many of the rest.  But with the zinnias and cosmos still blooming alongside the asters, I can't bring myself to pull any of them out just yet.

Can you blame me for wanting to enjoy this beauty as long as I can?

Although I took this photo two weeks ago, there are still a few butterflies enjoying the 'Zowie Yellow Flame' zinnias, including a few late Monarchs making their way south.  

They're not the only ones enjoying the late-blooming annuals.  Frank and Coconut enjoy making the rounds of the garden with me in the morning and checking out how many cosmos are still blooming.  And no, I couldn't get them both to look at the camera--my only photo with Coconut facing forward also had Frank lifting his leg to "water" the cosmos:)

There are bulbs to plant in the lily bed border, but heat-loving lantana is occupying that space right now and is looking so good, despite the cooler temps.

One small chore accomplished--the Dragonwing begonia has been repotted to bring in for the winter.  This plant did so well in a container this year that I am going to do my best to save it for next year.

The nasturtiums apparently like the cooler weather--they've doubled in size in the last few weeks.  They're on the edge of the veggie garden and not in the way of any bulbs, so they can stay for as long as they last.  Another chore I haven't completed is cleaning up the veggie garden now that the tomatoes are done, but we've had so much rain lately I haven't been able to.

There are a few new blooms this October Bloom Day.  For a couple of years I bemoaned the fact that the Japanese Anemone I had planted must have died, but apparently I needed to be more patient.  It's had a few blooms the last year or two, but this year it has really come into its own, growing to nearly 5 feet tall with masses of blooms.  A newer pink Anemone has a couple of blooms, so I hope it will also take a growth spurt next year.

And the appropriately named 'October Skies' Asters are covered with masses of lavender-blue blooms.  They can be partially seen alongside the zinnias and cosmos in the first photo as well.

But most of the other perennials are ready for their long winter's sleep.  A few stray coneflowers have decided to bloom, however.

And this Rudbeckia is a virtual Energizer Bunny--it just keeps going and going.

The cooler weather has encouraged the Knockout roses to put out a fresh flush of blooms. 'Radsunny' looks better now than in the summer.

If you read my earlier post on Lessons Learned, you might remember that I was waiting to see what this plant was.  Earlier in the spring I thought it was some volunteer Amsonia and shared some starts with my good friend Beckie.  Fortunately, hers didn't make it:)  The Switchgrass behind the goldenrod, by the way, is Panicum virgatum 'Shenandoah.'  I love the burgundy hues of this grass.

A surprise latecomer to the garden is this Cleome next to the 'Vanilla Strawberry' Hydrangea.

The hydrangeas are more typical of what is going on this October as most of the garden is putting on its fall color.  The 'Vanilla Strawberry' blooms have turned a deep pink, finally more Strawberry than Vanilla.

The blooms of the 'Limelight' Hydrangea, on the other hand, have turned a much softer shade of pink.

Fall is when grasses really shine.  The plumes of Miscanthus 'Morning Light' can be seen waving in the wind at the back of the Arbor Bed.

Another lovely example of foliage is the Amsonia hubrichtii turning to gold behind the Beautyberry.

One example of colorful fall foliage I'd rather not have is this. Mr. Procrastinator got a little carried away this summer with the weed-killer around the outbuildings, but somehow he missed this poison ivy.

The leaves have just started to turn in our area in the last week or two.  This ash tree in my front yard is always the first to turn.  I'm not looking forward to the first frost and its effect on my garden, but I am looking forward to the fall color show transforming my front yard to a display of red and gold very soon.

What's still blooming in your garden?  For a look at what is blooming around the world, check out other Bloom Day posts at Carol's May Dreams Gardens.

September GBBD: Blooms, Bees, and Butterflies

It's time for another Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day, the monthly round-up of what is blooming in your garden.  A few days ago, I wasn't sure I'd have much of anything blooming today.  It has been cold here. After a couple of days of rain, the temperatures plummeted, never reaching higher than the 50's and dropping into the low 40's each night.  We never had a frost, thankfully, but I was beginning to worry. 

The sun has returned, and yesterday we may have reached 70 degrees again, making it a good day to walk around the garden and see what is in bloom.  I was surprised to see that the 'Little Business' daylily was reblooming, albeit a single, small bloom.

 

In the expanded section of the shade garden, turtleheads have been blooming for a week or more.  This is a new plant here, planted this spring when we thinned them out in the Nursing Home Garden where I volunteer.  One of the benefits of volunteering--free plants!

 

Another new bloom this month--the Japanese Anemone.  It has taken awhile to get going, but it made the "leap" this year and is finally tall enough to be really noticed.  I have a second small Japanese Anemone nearby in the Arbor Bed, which looks like it will soon bloom, too.  I'll be darned, though, if I can remember where I got it or when I planted it!

 

 

 

A few other blooms are carryovers from last month, like the 'Limelight' Hydrangea, one of my favorites of late summer.  I'm trying to prune this to more of a tree form, and one branch is complying by standing up straight and tall, seeming to reach for the sky.

The Brown-eyed Susans, Rudbeckia triloba, continue to put on a show.  I've noticed the goldfinches like these almost as much as the purple coneflowers.

Another favorite of mine and the hummingbirds, 'Wendy's Wish' is doing well despite the crowded conditions I planted both of them in.

Some of the containers are still looking good, while others are beginning to look a bit tired.  The pots of coleus in front of the house are approaching shrub proportions.  A few years ago I bought too many coleus and stuck them in a couple of pots by themselves when I didn't know what else to do with them.  They looked so good by fall that I've done the same thing every year since.  The burgundy coleus really stands out, especially among all the green shrubbery.

 

Many of the annuals are still putting out new blooms, like this white cosmos.

And, of course, the zinnias, including my favorite 'Zowie Yellow Flame,' which will keep going until the first frost.

Signs of fall are definitely evident in the garden.  The few ornamental grasses I have are beginning to shine, like this Panicum 'Shenandoah,' which glows in the sunlight.

Miscanthus 'Morning Light' is also showing off its plumes.

 

The berries of the Beautyberry are just beginning to turn purple.

Meanwhile the seedpods of Blackberry Lily have opened up, revealing how it got its name. 

The vegetable garden is nearly done now, too.  The squash bugs finally got to the cucumbers and squash, and the green beans are finished.  The tomato plants are still producing more than we can eat fresh, but the blight is slowly taking them over.  But the volunteer cosmos and some marigolds in the veggie patch are looking good and hiding the slow decay beyond them.

And the Butterfly Garden is a mass of color right now with all the goldenrod and asters. 

 

 

But best of all, this little area of natives is really living up to its name right now.  I hadn't seen a single Painted Lady all summer, but today they were swarming everywhere. 

 

 

 

In fact, as I was taking photos yesterday, I became so entranced by all the activity throughout this garden and other areas, that I started following the butterflies and bees around and forgot all about focusing on what was blooming.

 

 

A bumble enjoying the cosmos.

 

And a lady beetle enjoying a pink one.

A marigold in the veggie patch.

  I don't use any chemicals in my garden--which is why the squash bugs eventually ran rampant over the squash and cucumbers.  But we had more than enough squash and cucumbers already, and it's a small price to pay for all the happy bees in the garden.

A bumble too busy enjoying the zinnias to notice he's not presenting his best side for the camera:)

And one last promotion of the 'Zowie' zinnias, a butterfly and bee favorite.

 

 Who knows what the next Bloom Day will bring.  An early frost could very well bring an end to many of these blooms, and the butterflies will have surely left by then.  So I'm going to enjoy every beautiful moment in the garden I can until then.

 

Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day is brought to you the 15th of each month by Carol of May Dreams Gardens.