Tuesday, October 14, 2014

Goodbye to the Growing Season

 

We are in our peak Fall color season here in the hills with trees all dressed in  golden, orange and scarlet leaves  Traffic has been fairly heavy here near the State Park system with cars filled with people admiring the colors. They will not be lasting long with the rains and winds knocking them off as fast as they have turned.

Leaves_Aflame5
Two Maple trees at the corner of the yard always turn the prettiest flaming red. They have had their pictures taken many times by passerby's. One day a group of young people came into the yard and just set and took pictures like the yard belonged to them.
Maybe since I live beside the State Park these foreign admires thought it was all state land. I just went out and told them hello and left them snapping pictures. Smile

Autumn

In the garden the Japanese Anemones are finishing  their blooming.

Anemone Japanese Charlotte 
I am always so glad each year that I have the Anemones in the garden because they start blooming as my other flowers are waning before Fall.

Anemone Magaurette
Marguerite with its double petals is heavy with bloom this fall.

Helenium 8_2014
The tiny blooms on the Helenium were loaded but even they are now about done.

Lantana Potato Vines
The Sunshine Yellow Lantana and Black Potato vines will soon be put away in the basement.
I have been cleaning up some of the flower beds that are finished and collecting seeds that I will sow into the trial bed before winter.
I have collected a lot of tall phlox and coneflower seeds to sow.

Zinnia Cherry Swizzles
The Cherry Swizzle Zinnia’a are still going strong and I want to keep some of their seeds after the frost takes them.

Verbena Burgundy
Verbena and petunias have been cleaned out of the window boxes.
They were looking so terrible that I just yanked them out but I left the geraniums in them. The weather here has been making me think that I will not have time to plant pansies. It has been showing all the signs like we are going to get another early winter so I am thinking what is the use. Smile

Nasturtiums
This was the first time that I have grown Narturtium’s, and although the red blooms on this variety was pretty I had trouble with the vines turning yellow, so I must have been doing something that they did not like. Regardless I have decided that I am just not a fan of them. I did not try them in a salad… has any of you tried eating the blooms?

Aster Red
The Red Asters that were grown from seed are just beautiful, so I will be planting them again and more of them next year. They are making a bright splash where they were planted. Too bad they are annuals.
Should I try to over winter them in the basement this winter to see if they will come back?

Snakeroot Chocolate Weigela Wine_Roses
The white blooms of the Chocolate Snakeroot amongst the dark foliage of the Wine and Roses Weigela looks so pretty.
I welcome their white blooms in the Fall but they are seeding and coming up in several spots in the flower beds so they are invasive here.

Rose Sunny Knockout
Some of the rose bushes are getting that last bloom on before winter.

I have started cleaning off some of the flowerbeds so the leaves can be raked and mulched up. As I am cleaning them off I am wondering why summer and now fall has been speeding on by so fast.
I always get sad this time of the year as the daylight hours shorten
and the flowers are cleaned out. I need sunlight gardeners! LOL!
No really I do, because I have a Vitamin D deficiency which goes along with the Fibromyalgia and the doctor has me on Vitamin D3 pills.  So hey,  maybe the vitamins will help with the SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) that hits me each fall and winter.

Anemone Party Dress
The Fairy’s and Gnomes have been put away for another season.
When I start cleaning up the garden décor and stacking it into the little red wagon to take it to the shed I always have more to put into the wagon in the Fall than I put out in the spring seems.
I tell myself that I have just got to quit buying the stuff but by spring it is all forgotten as I drag it back out to place in the beds once more and with the joy of getting to garden again and seeing new Spring blooms.
Everyone enjoy your fall  colors.  And for us up north enjoy every colorful bloom that is still in the garden before it all turns white.


Happy Gardening,

Lona

10 comments:

Patsy said...

As always your trees and flowers are beautiful. The Bennie has to take Vit. D after his last illness.
My Cherry Zwizzles died I will try again next year because they are so pretty.

Balisha said...

I'm doing the same as you. Cleaning up, putting things away, vowing to not buy any more, and enjoying the beauty before winter comes.
My anemones are pretty now too. I'm so glad that I first saw them on your blog....years ago...and bought some to plant. They have survived a frost here and are going strong with many buds.
Have a nice week,
Balisha

Gardener on Sherlock Street said...

Too cute that the state park visitors came into your garden. Pretty cool to live next to a state park. I'm with you on the shorter days. I need some sun to get everything done. You reminded me of pansies! I was going to get some. They hang on into winter here decent, but do not survive to return next spring for me.

VW said...

Your anemones are so pretty! I love double Marguerite. Best wishes with all the fall cleanup - I'll be paying my son to help with lots of that in the next month.

RobinL said...

Well, it wasn't quite goodbye yet, we've had some nice weather lately. Isn't it wonderful? I know it won't last, but in the meantime, we still get to enjoy our flowers. I'm with you, I don't care much for nasturtiums. I don't know why they are so popular, boring!

lynn'sgarden said...

LOVE the look and color of your layout, Lona! And the header pic...wow! We still share anemones, lantana and roses this late...though I'm in search of a low growing white rose. Is yours a carpet rose or shrub?
Let me know...thanks!

Karen said...

Lona, I guess your trees are pretty in the fall, WOW. I can see why the people stopped in your yard, but I know the feeling, too. Sometimes it would be nice if they asked, lol.

I have never eaten a nasturtium, I guess since they don't come in chocolate flavor, that would be the reason. Mine didn't do too well this year either, sometimes it's a fluke as to why.

I have to get the garden finished up, no more excuses, I woke up to an inch of snow on the ground and more to come. SIGH! Not ready. And I have a dread of the dark days to come too. Time to get the ol' stained glass going. Hugs to you, Lona!

Nadezda said...

Lona, I'm late here, sorry.
Your plants in the fall season in October are full of power and colors. Sure they will please you more days and the cold winter won't come soon.

jerilanders said...

Hey girl, been a long time, sending you the best of Christmas wishes and lots of potted rosemary for next years garden! Jeri

Balisha said...

Merry Christmas, Lona.
Balisha