Friday morning, 35 F at 7:45 a.m.--just before the sun put in an appearance, moving past the barn.
The meadow had a silvery sheen,, but in spite of several nights of frost warnings, thus far no damage.
Mid-day warmth lured me outdoors with my little camera.
There are still a few flowers blooming in the containers near the front steps and in the raised beds near the greenhouse.
Most of the plants are well past prime, but I won't clear them away until hard frost has blackened them.
Walk with me around the dooryard and enjoy these last treasures.
The buddleias in the high bed along the greenhouse wall were tagged as 'dwarf' when I bought them several years ago. They have done well in spite of the summer's long drought.
I dead-headed them several times and there are still fragrant panicles.
These are no longer attracting butterflies, only a few tiny moth-like browsers.
A ragged cosmos almost over-powered by the butterfly bush.
Cosmos seed this season didn't flourish. This plant has needed propping up all summer.
Nasturtiums, considered almost tropical in nature, sulked through the summer months, then revived to produce a few colorful blooms.
A landscape rose, 'Pink Cupcake.'
Verbena [?]
Signet marigolds, grown from seed.
Pots of pansies.
Lemon monarda, started from seed in the greenhouse.
It has the attributes of a sturdy spreader.
As the blooms go to seed they resemble a tidy pincushion.
Heat and drought prevented a fall flowering of foxglove, but the mature plants have revived with recent rain and there are numerous new seedlings.
Heirloom clematis 'Candida' didn't produce a fall flowering.
I've done some careful pruning of all the clematis plants, but left a few fluffy seedheads.
Jim has made some repairs to the greenhouse roof, I've tidied the benches and we've moved in the winter 'coops' for the elderly barn cats.
Our evening walks around the loop of the meadow are taking place earlier; the path of the sun is becoming shallow and it sinks quickly in the southwest.
'To everything there is a season...'
You have more flowering than me. I should have cut off the spent flower heads on the Buddleia, in the hope of more blooms, but didn't. This has NOT been a gardening year here. My Monarda was n the duldrums all summer, and finally grew on a bit once we had rain. I was hoping for flowers and then a delivery driver knocked the planter upside down and the poor plant hasn't recovered yet.
ReplyDeleteNasturtiums putting on a late show though, and still some roses in bloom, and Rudbeckia.
I have several clumps of nursery purchased monarda--a deep raspberry red and a dwarf purple. They get looking shabby with mildew on the leaves, but come back reliably each spring.
DeleteA pox on drivers who run over plants, even if unwittingly!
I've been planting dwarf nasturtiums in pots--next year I'll do more of the old trailing varieties as I think they are more prolific bloomers. [Always the hope of a 'next year' for gardeners!]
We had frost last night, also. I try to keep the seed heads on a lot of flowers for the wintering birds, but they sure are ugly. We have an heirloom variety of nasturtiums that reseed themselves every year. They are still blooming after the frost. They're some sort of trailing type, unfortunately they only get gold blooms and look just like summer squash vines. Guess you got to take what you get!
ReplyDeleteHugs
Jane
Jane; Several years ago I planted a climbing/trailing variety of nasturtiums, all gold/yellow blossoms, very vigorous. I also like the old Empress of India variety. Sometimes if I let seed heads develop I get a late 2nd burst of little plants--not this year with the heat and drought.
DeleteI have let coneflowers and such stand through the winter for the birds, but as you say, it gets messy and ugly. I also ended up with the seeds germinating and sending up an invasion of new plants! Flower gardening for me is a rather untidy venture.
Here in southwestern most Vermont we’ve had several killing frosts but still most days are comfortable for outdoor work. All to the good as the heat in September brought out the gnats that make gardening downright unpleasant. I’ve put in some new choice peonies, several alliums and of course more daffodils. Can there ever be too many daffodils? My dahlias have been dug and are curing in the barn and will be placed in paper bags for storage in the basement. Chores for the upcoming week will be to cut down the peonies, tall phlox, Ironweed, catmint and anything else that has been frosted.
ReplyDeleteMundi; I'm hoping for warm, sunny afternoons in November to continue with cutting back peonies, roses and such. I know that [sadly] I'll never keep up with the invasive weeds--many of which continue to grow through the winter months.
DeleteThe only daffodils I have are transplanted clumps of the native ones which grow so profusely along the verges of the back roads.
Surprisingly we haven't experienced mosquitos, black flies or gnats here--stink bugs and Asian lady beetles get into the house every fall and early winter making a smelly nuisance.
I did have some damage with my plants and moved some indoors for the season. Though, I am enjoying the cool weather.
ReplyDeleteMichelle; Our present location seems less prone to early frost than when we were in the Big Creek valley of G-ville. Thus far, no frost damage although the plants in tubs near the front door are about done with their late burst of bloom. When the rains are over I'll have a job of outdoor tidying.
Delete