End of October

Well, the end of October is not the end of the garden this year.  After a prolonged drought we have had a first month of the fall season that is wet and sunny and warm (not hot). I've emptied the rain gauge of two, three and five inches several times.  And the plants show it!  They held back during the drought, but are giving it their all with some increased rain, clear and sunny skies and moderate temperatures,

I've been emptying the planters as they look bedraggled or slipping in some mums to keep then looking full. We've had a couple light frosts but nothing has been hit hard.  The stars of the planters this year have been:

Fishnet Stockings Coleus, a Proven Winner. It hit 3 feet high and the burgundy veining was outstanding. https://www.provenwinners.com/plants/plectranthus/fishnet-stockings-coleus-plectranthus-scutellarioides

Redhead Coleus was in the same planter and stood its ground with the Fishnet Coleus, growing to 3 feet high and blazing red in the sun. https://www.gardenia.net/plant/solenostemon-redhead

Each planter had Salvia, two different colors. Ember's Way Salvia bloomed coral and grew to at least 3 feet tall also.  Its texture was a nice contrast to the coleus leaves.

https://www.gardenia.net/plant/solenostemon-redhead

The Sundial Mix of Portulaca created a lacy skirt to the rectangular, brown planters.  The large blooms went on all summer even in the drought. https://www.burpee.com/portulaca-sundial-hybrid-mix-prod000348.html

But the absolute stunner of the planters at the clubhouse entrance were the Praetoria classic Cannas.  They great at least 6 feet high in the 2 foot high planters, towering over the other showy plants. The variegated leaves looked great with the tangerine blooms which slowed during the drought but not much, only to give a blast of bloom with rain in September and October.   https://www.provenwinners.com/plants/canna/pretoria-canna-hybrid

Uh, oh! I just read that I can keep the tubers for next spring.  I let them die back naturally and then dig the tubers out.   Rinse them well with water to remove all dirt.  Air dry them. Then wrap them in newspaper and store them in peat moss.  That's a  "no! no!  No Go! " so I'll need to find a substitute.  More reading will help solve that dilemma.  I guess I should give it a try. I'll be visiting the compost pile to retrieve them tomorrow. All the plants came out in a solid mass!

Last Day of Summer

 Today it is rainy and stormy. Autumn begins at 9 p.m. tonight.

Yesterday was sunny, clear and cool.  Fortunately, I did a bit of

deadheading and then went looking for my phone to use the

camera. The garden was full of bloom and bees and butterflies.

Here's a sampling of the colors, but no scents or flutters or buzzing.

Roses put on another show

Perennial Geranium reblooming

Gerber Daisy reblooming

The Lamium blooms look like

tiny orchids.

Cleome at starting to go to seed

Burgundy Sedum, White Balloon Flowers,

Cleome in Background

and a beautiful blue spiked bloom

in a pot that I cannot name.

It's the one plant I'd like to 

have again next year, of course!

Hints of autumn

and the Monarchs on the deck!

Good-bye, Summer!

Lazy Days of August

 We might be sitting listlessly on a chair on the patio

near the garden, cold drink on the table,

but too hot and lazy to reach for it.

Meanwhile the butterflies are busy

sipping nectar and pollinating, 

right-side up, up-side down

and sideways--

never pausing.

It's more movement 

than I can do

to capture them!

Back to the chair

and a cool drink.

The Exuberance of July

We had a week of perfect summer weather last week.  

The border was at its peak.

I had to take a photo tour to record the color.

The daylilies dotted the border with bright petals.

The cleome survived the rabbits.

Well, I did cage it for weeks until it grew.

tall enough to survive.

The lavender is ready to harvest.

It looks wonderful against the apricot roses.

I'm not sure about the color of this phlox.

It's a bit neon magenta for my garden.

Especially in contrast to the cardinal flower

and the butterfly bush.

The black-eyed Susan, the perennial sunflower

and the sneezeweed are my palette preferences.

Although this part of the border is

a monotone.  It could use a bright color.

The plants and their blooms are

doing their job to cover up the 

eyesores of the air conditioners,

ours and our neighbors.

And provide some privacy from

neighbor's windows when we sit

on the patio to enjoy our garden!

Even the birds enjoy some privacy 

for their baths with Yoga Frog.

Lovely Afternoon at the Lavender Farm

 

A nice day in a garden, not far away.

Just a drive over the river and through 

the woods to Killingworth.

Lavender Pond Farm 

was really the epitome

of July with a blue sky,

a breeze, and the smell

of lavender everywhere.

Lots of people, especially families,

were strolling around taking photos, 

admiring the lavender and other flowers.

There were lawn games to play: giant chess, 

tic tac toe on tree stumps, and

even lavender-themed corn hole.

There were a variety of lavenders on display,

but all are used in their products. 

This is not a

U Pick Garden!

There were great opportunities

for nature photos and selfies.

Views,

Resting places,

and more nature.

created an environment

that satisfied all.

You can walk around Lavender Pond,

over a covered bridge

to a shady lane

inhabited by fairies.

And you can buy some

Lavender-infused lemonade

to quench your thirst.

Everything that makes 

visiting this garden

a moment to remember.