The Culprits !

I took one of the chrysanthemums I was plant-sitting into the house for the past ten days.  I was surprised to find it yesterday a little droopy and discolored.

It's outside now and here is why--

It spit seeds all over the room!

I found the wall, woodwork, table and stools underneath,

and the floor covered with little black seeds.

The were also laying in sticky, green pollen 

which had to be washed as well as vacuumed.

The story gets better.

I just took a photo of one I found on the floor.

They are bugs!

Dead.

Not ticks. Squishy...

Yuck.

November Garden

The November garden hangs close to the house.  We've had frosts and even snow, but some hardy and protected plants keep going as evidenced below:

I've lost one complete planter on the deck but

the other keeps going.  The mums stuck 

in the middle are drooping after their full bloom.

Protected on the front porch, a couple pots 

keep blooming. They are keeping company 

with some chrysanthemums I'm plant-sitting.

(More on that story in the next blog posting.)

The matching mum sets off the red of 

a lonely pot of geranium blooms.

The holly near-by is going 

to be great this year!

But it seems to be on the wrong end of the stem...

Improper pruning, I suppose!

The herbs are looking pale

but I should have some for Turkey Day.

But I will have rosemary!

This clipping grew roots in water on the windowsill.

I just potted it in some soil.

A bit of green with

a screen still in place,

an empty deck

and oak trees still providing

some color.

Fairy Gardens at Florence Griswold Art Museum in Old Lyme

 I took my fairies to the Flo to see the Wee Faerie Village that appears there each October.  It was a lovely fall day to visit the grounds of the American Impressionist museum.  The magic happens on 11 acres located along the tidal Lieutenant River which flows into Long Island Sound.

We visited many lands and times.

This was home to Viking faeries.

Here under the spreading tree

was a Dutch faerie village.

Lily Fairy found an Celtic faerie harp

in an Irish faerie village.

We followed the map.

Who is the Wee Faerie in the corner?

Lily's favorite was based on the Taj Mahal in India.

She also liked Romania

and Hawaii.

Wee Faerie Vee liked lunch!

Barcelona was imaginative.

Especially the temple bells.

Machu  Picchu fairies?

We'll have to go back for Fairy Lily

to grow into these wings!

Spooky Garden at Elizabeth Park

I visited Elizabeth Park's Pond House restaurant Friday with a good friend.  We saw these spooky sights in the plantings surrounding the restaurant and pond.

Bare Bones Landscaping Company 

does good (?) work.

This scarecrow should take care of the crows--

and the sparrows and the chipmunks and the squirrels?!?

There is broom parking

if you're feeling a little witch-y!

And sunbathing if you're tired 

of gardening for the year...

It really was a beautiful and breezy fall day.

The wind blew the leaves like snow.

An omen of things to come?

Freeze Expected Tonight

I've got this crazy snapdragon

that is still growing.

It's about 4 feet high

and has bloomed all summer 

along this single stem.

It will probably look more like

the Chinese Peony

'Sarah Bernhardt'

which bowed to the last frost

over the weekend.

Bravo!

You've had an excellent season.

Hello, Autumn

This was two weeks ago.

Now it's head is drooping.

Finally, a True Monarch

It was the flash of orange

in slow motion 

that took me down to the garden

again today

to try to catch a Monarch.

The two were hard to catch with my camera.

It was high noon--bad light.

It was really windy--bad exposure time.

And they were not coming

close to me--bad focus.

I was trying to get a good shot of the dot pattern.

But this one definitely has the right pattern.

The line pattern goes to the lower wing edges

(so it's not a Viceroy).

It's not a Queen because it has line patterns

to the edge on the upper wing

(unlike the Queen).

And it's not a Painted Lady

like the last one I mis-identified.

I think I finally saw Monarch butterflies

in my garden for the first time in 5 years!

Identified the Mystery Butterfly

in a children's picture book from the library that I was reading with Lily!

A Painted Lady

Under wing pattern
with five dark eye spots on lower portion

Black apex patch with white leading bars
on upper side

So glad to know the identity--
and to find it in a children's book!

Autumn Hues

The bees were busy in the Sedum 'Autumn Joy' this morning.

It will get a deeper maroon color as we enjoy autumn weather to come.

I love the hues of purple near the Sedum along the south side of the house.

The Asters are deep pink-purple.

The Russian Sage is silver-blue-purple.

Both are specimens from local garden club plant sales

so I'm not sure of the specific types.

They just grow well and take care of themselves!

Just like the bees!

Sensory Garden at Dawes Arboretum

We were in Licking County, Ohio, recently for a 50th high school reunion in Newark. As on any visit to our hometown, we had to visit Dawes Arboretum.  One of the gardens that was new was a sensory garden for children.  I loved the idea and took some photos to make one of my own!

Love those signs.  Must find some.