Hello everyone hope you all had a wonderful
weekend and survived all those goblins, witches
and monsters during Halloween.
Here are the last of the pictures of the Picotee
Cosmos that I had taken before the storms and
before they had to be cut down.
The bees did love them.
Yesterday I spent five hours raking and mowing
leaves. Since all of the beautiful leaves have fallen
already I am now at that point where I just wish they
were all down now and done with. I am so over the whole
amber and scarlet leaf thing. They just do not have the
same beautiful appeal piled all over the flowerbeds and lawns.
The yellow glow of the Sassafras and Maple leaves blowing
into the Pump pond and even working their way under the
screening to keep them out have definitely lost their glow
for me now. Not to mention the fact that oak leaves and
rose canes just do not go together and are a total pain to
get out without shredding your skin in the attempt to free
from beneath them and from the thorns that hold them
fast. Ouch!
And then there is this old (#!#!) push mower you use to
mulch up the leaves that refuses to start.
I have to laugh at myself now for talking, coaxing and
finally kicking an unfeeling hunk of machinery in
my attempts to crank it into life one more time.
Do goats eat dead leaves? LOL!
Thank heavens one more major clean up should take
care of the leaves. (All but those silly tough oak leaves)
Today I have a few late plants to stick into the beds.
The plants from that so called mail order nursery
finally arrived so I will be planting a Red Jewel Helenium,
Ageless Beauty Lily, and a Cherry Brandy Rudebeckia.
They are not in the greatest shape so I will have to
hope they survive and probably will be asking for
replacements next spring. They were that sad looking.
Red Jewel Helenium
Courtesy of Richard Owen
Also an order from Van Bourgondien’s sale arrived
so I will have a Wild Horses Lily, another Nicky phlox,
two Franz Schubert phlox and a few Violacea Pallida
tulips to plant.
Nicky Tall Phlox
Courtesy of Michigan Bulb Company
I keep accumulating tall phlox for the garden beds.
I had one Nicky but wanted another because I
liked it so much.
Last week the following tall phlox were
planted.
Blue Boy
Courtesy of Michigan Bulb Company
Blue Ice
Courtesy of Michigan Bulb Company
Flower Power
Courtesy of Bluestone Perennials
I have collected a few seeds from some of my
phlox this summer and will share some if anyone
would like to have some from the two following
tall phlox :
I have seeds from this white phlox and
from a variegated tall phlox.
Email me and I will send them until I run out.
Well it looks as if it may be a little warmer outdoors
now so time to plant those remaining flowers and bulbs.
Rain and then possible snow flurries are coming
in Wednesday evening through Friday so they have
to get into the ground. I am so not ready for this white
slushy stuff to come or the cold weather with it.
Everyone have a wonderful week and
Happy Gardening !
Lona
28 comments:
Love the cosmos photos and the one with the bee flying off on the right is so good! Of course I would love to have some seeds from the variegated tall phlox...
Lona, you and I are thinking alike. Phlox is going to be my middle name next year. They did so well in all of this heat. My sister-in-law has Blue Boy and just loves it. I have Franz Schubert and it is a long bloomer.
Eileen
Hi Lona,
The leaves here have suddenly begun to drop and I'm sad to think we're stuck with bare trees for the next few months now... Makes me wonder whether it's worth the oranges, red and golds...
Sorry to hear you have the cold white stuff on its way, I hope we're spared for a while yet. We do often get some at the end of November which thankfully doesn't last more than a few hours.
I was commiserating with you about the fall cleanup. I've been out all morning and still have a lot to do. So glad we don't have many leaves to contend with.I used to be hip deep in maple leaves. Well, Lona, pretty soon you can just be in the house and look out the window at the snow coming down...BORING! This has been a wonderful fall. Have a great day.
Balisha
We still have the leaf-thing to come most of our trees are oak so they hang around. Boy! your Phlox's are just beautiful.
Lona your Phlox are gorgeous - all of them but I especially like your Nicky Tall Phlox - the color is stunning. I would love to try to do the seeds you are sending out if you have any left. You know me and seeds but I just keep trying! LOL Your Picotee Cosmos is beautiful too. Is winter over yet so we can start showing our flowers again? LOL
I would love some seeds from the phlox. I have been mulching leaves for the last 3 days and finished today, finially. Winter is not far off, brrr, the pond was frozen this morning. Take care.
Five hours raking - no wonder the glow is gone! Those picotee cosmo photos are so sweet. Best wishes for your new plants next season!
Lona, your enthusiasm to garden amazes me! I though nothing grows when temperature is down. I am wrong. Btw, you plant those tulips bulbs now and you will only see the flowers in spring right?
These photos are so beautiful, moreso because these flowers are non-existent in this part of the world. The blue and blackish varieties look so exotic for me. Don't they really grow in the tropics, i wonder! Even the variegated leaves are already lovely on its own!
Dear Lona, I do agree entirely that there is a world of difference between a pile of beautifully crisp, golden leaves and a mountain of slushy, dank wet ones which weigh ten times more!
Phlox are so lovely in the summer border that I think it will be good to include more in your planting plans.
The photos with the bee are amazing. Bravo.
Do you think the variegated phlox will come true from seed? If so, I'll take some! My phlox did poorly over the hot, dry summer. Still, I'll take that heat any day over the snow they are calling for on Thursday night. Sorry for saying the "S" word, it's like swearing! They started some Christmas music at work, can you believe it?
Lot of work to be done in the Fall that's for sure.. Lovely photos as always. Spent yesterday cleaning up the garden and pruning fruit trees. 2 down 2 to go.. Hope your having a great week
Darla: They will be in the mail soon!
Eileen:I remember your Franz Schuber and thought they were so beautiful.I wonder if Blue Boy is more purple?
Liz: hopefully it will disappear before it hits the ground. LOL!
Balisha: I know girl I am not relishing being shut up indoors for most of the winter. ugh! Cabin fever will get me but I am going to try to get walks in this winter. Maybe with a pillow strapped to my bottom. LOL!
GardenofThreads: Email me your address and I will put them in the mail.
VW: Sometimes I need luck with my plants but with such poor starters I am leery of them making it.
Stephanie: The tulips are planted now and then the long wait begins until spring. I will be so ready for color by then LOL!
Andrea: You probably can grow plant that I cannot though so it is a trade off.
Thanks for dropping by.Have a great week!
Edith: The ton of wet leaves were the week before and true they are so heavy when wet. I would much rather be able to mow them up, plus those will not blow back into the yard either. LOL!
Ellada: Thank you so much. I am glad you dropped by. Have a wonderful week!
Robin: It is like cussing isn't it? LOL! I hope they are flat wrong again.
I do not know whether the seeds will stay true or not but it is worth a shot. I will get some mailed out to you.
Joe: Take care of those peach trees now. My daughter and I were at the Lancaster Craft Show at the fair grounds. It was so much bigger this year. We had fun looking.
Don't want to talk about the clean-up.
The Red Jewel Helenium looks like a winner.
To keep the ink on my markers...I use clear spray paint after I mark them...haven't killed a plant yet.
I love your photography..... Thanks for sharing a piece of your garden with us.
I received your wonderful card today. Thanks so much!! I was very surprised to see all your goodies. THANKS!
I love your plant choices. I am thinking about getting an old push mower to cut up the leaves. We have a riding mower and can't drive that in small places.
- when should I sow the Nicotiana seeds?
That is a beautiful cosmos Lona! I don't blame you for taking pictures before you cut them. Reminds me a bit of my favorite "sweet sixteen" that I found in the Thompson & Morgan seed catalog this year.
I've been slowly cleaning up like you but the bulk of my raking is still to come ~ because of my Oak tree too! I am usually raking over Thanksgiving weekend and beyond. ugh.
I hope your Helenium survives ~ it's a gorgeous color.
I feel your roses-and-leaves pain every year.
My hens love to scratch and I'm finding that they are very good at cleaning out the flower beds, tee-hee!
Patsi: Thanks for the tip on the plant stakes. Spraying them should keep the names from washing away.
Bren: Thanks so much. Thanks for dropping by I know you are a busy lady.
Janet: You can sow them outdoors after the last frost or sow them in the spring. I start them indoors in the spring and transplant them but our zone is much colder.Glad you can use the seeds.
Pogonip: Well the little stray kitten tries to help but mostly is just in the way. LOL! Chickens are smaller that goats though. LOL!
Don't worry Lona, I talk to machinery too, esp if it isn't cooperating. I LOVE the dark phlox, and the other blues are beautiful too. I am curious if they are hardy in my zone but am afraid to look lol.
Lona,
I hope you have better luck with your variegated phlox than I did. My turned back to all green the 2nd year. I'd love any seeds you want to share!! Margy in KY
Rebecca: I may have done better giving it a kick start. LOL!
Margy: Email me your address and I will mail some out to you.I have had mine for two years and so far they have retained their variegations.
Hi, Lona;
OMG that Blue Boy is to die for! Must have it. I'd write more in this comment section but I'm dusting off the credit card and racing over to Mich. Bulb. Tee hee.
PS: Nikki is quite stunning, too.
- a fellow phlox fanatic
Hi Lona, Thanks for visiting my blog. I love living the seasons of gardening but isn't it funny how we get sick of each one towards the end. I remember well being quite over Autumn and now, believe it or not I am becoming a little sick of all the flowering fertility of spring. At least by looking at each other's blogs we can live vicariously. I will be back!
I'm still in the admiring fall foliage stage, but when all our leaves come down, we are buried! No way we can rake them all. We rake them off the lawn and the moss paths in the woodlands (It's such good exercise!), and that's it. I will uncover the Lady Garden in the spring. One must love the look of fallen leaves at my place, or prepare to be miserable!
You have some beautiful phlox varieties. I love the variegated one!
Your flowers are so bright and beautiful. It look like it is still summer.
Post a Comment