2021 Finale

 It was a bit too early to put the garden to bed last weekend. Even though we were past mid-October, we hadn't had a night in the 30s yet to begin the final frosts necessary to cut back some of the perennials and annuals.  The same was true of the predicted peak of leaf-peeking season. Around our area, we had little color besides green and yellow. We decided to travel a bit to see if there was some leaf color in the hills of northwest Connecticut. Our destination was the Old Drake Hill Flower Bridge in Simsbury.

The baskets lining the bridge

were still sporting some

color, though muted.

Back home, it was the same, 

maybe a little more golden

light in the late October

afternoon sun.

Definitely time for 

the finale!

Revival

This post is a belated celebration

of my summer garden 

after a stormy, sweltering summer.

Grocery store miniature rose

(can't remember how old!)

Dahlias (new)

Coneflower (new)

Cardinal Flower [new)

Bush rose (new)

It revived before the Fall equinox

which is Wednesday, Sept. 22nd.

Water, Water Everywhere

The rain gauge is overflowing.

I forgot to dump it after the 

third 4-inch rain.  Then we had

5 inches with the hurricane.

Then an additional inch!

It stops at 9 inches

(on the other side).

We staked up the hollyhocks.

And moved the lima beans

out into a sunnier area.

I was able to find lots of 

bloom.  The flowers are still

doing their thing despite

this crazy weather.

Summer Phlox

Cardinal Flower

Orange Zinnias

No rose blooms

after the torrents

of rain!

Daylilies

Blue and White

Balloon Flowers

Dahlias

Coleus and Petunias

More Daylilies

and Sunflowers.

I wish!

 

The Circle of Life

LIMA BEANS planted in April as a Didi School project. Harvested in late July from a planter with a trellis of sunflower vine. Still amazing after all these years gardening!

Wildflower Cliff

On the cliff behind our garden bed,

there is a wildflower field.

Including wild mountain laurel

Sweet William

Foxglove, near and far

and in nooks in the cliff.

So nice to see things grow

without care from a gardener!

 

Is It Really June?

 

First there were three days of rain and then

a hailstorm that actually accumulated

on the deck and in the mulch

of the landscape in front.

It looked like April --  or winter!

Next we've had four days with

temperatures over 90 degrees.

August?

The poppies suffered the most

damage.  I lost about a dozen stems, 

broken by the hail and heavy rain.

I brought them in and amazingly,

they bloomed in water.

The peonies, too, were fine

inside after the storm.

June Days

There is no better time to sit and read in the garden than a sunny day in June.

After reading a few chapters, I cannot resist a walk through the border. 

June is a'bloom.

Back to the book!