Some Flowers That The Butterflies Love

Since blooms are rare right now with only
a few house plants to liven things up, I thought
I would show some of the butterflies that visited
the garden last summer.





These little lovelies swarm to Achillea's.

And as you will see they love Gaillardia.

Salvia draws them in as it blooms in early summer.

Pots of pelargonium Geraniums.

They simply swarm to Lantana.

This butterfly was getting a drink from the drops on
a watered Purple Heart.
So make sure shallow water is around in the garden
for them to drink.







Happy Butterfly Gardening Everyone !

Bringing in the Flowers

Like most of you I have been busy sorting
and repotting those tender flowers and plants
to bring in for the winter.
Yesterday was a difficult day just deciding what
I wanted to overwinter. It is hard to let go of some
of the flowers that have been faithful bloomers over
the summer but I do not have the space and the proper
lighting for some of them.



Temperatures in the lower 30's that is coming in
forces us to choose.



Some of the favorite geraniums were repotted to
bring in but there are others that will be pulled
from their pots and cleaned of the soil to hang by
their roots in the basement this winter.



The Gerbera was put in a new container and
brought in to see if it will over winter in the house.
I have never tried to overwinter one so I am not sure
if it can be done. Do any of you overwinter yours?



The Mandeville was brought in in the hopes that
I can keep it alive until next spring.



The Lantana is ready to move indoors.



And so was the Purple Heart.

I brought in the little Fuchsia but do not
have the highest hopes for the poor thing.



Other will go by the wayside when the frost
hits us.



The Nicotina that I planted for the first time
and fell in love with will be gone but seeds were
saved for next spring.



The petunias will also be gone,



But I have their seeds. Although the odd three
colored blooming petunia plant never went to
seed. Too bad, I wanted to see what it would do
next spring. I did save a petunia plant all winter last
maybe I should try to keep the odd petunia indoors.

The purple or blueBrowillia will die out but it is so easy
to grow from seed.



The mounds of Impatiens are so tender it will
not take much to stop them cold.



The one Dahlia 'Edinburgh' I have will be brought in
after the frost also. I see so many beauties in
all of your garden beds but mine has yellow leaves
so it must not like where I had her.



The Nikko blue hydrangea that has finally gotten
buds had better bloom fast before the frost get her.
Time to get out the covers.

What are you all bringing in for the winter?
I would really like to know.

Happy Gardening Everyone!

Friday Blooms

It is Friday already and time to "Flaunt Your Flowers"
with Tootsie, over at Tootsie Time. So go on over and
join us on ' Fertilizer Friday' in flaunting your
flowers while they are still blooming.


This morning is another cool morning wit a crisp
breeze and the humidity is gone. Feels like a Fall
morning as it has all this week.
The squirrels are running around in the woods around
the house and in the big Oak tree in the yard eating
their fill of acorns and hickory nuts. I watched one for
quite a while yesterday as it carried a walnut, almost as big
as its head, gliding and jumping from tree to tree to a nest.
We use to have flying squirrels in the woods but have not
saw one now for a few years.
The katydids, praying mantis, walking sticks and crickets
are seen now all around the flower beds, and they are
making quite a racket. There is a constant drone of sound
now through out the yard and in the woods.

On to what is blooming.



The poor Moonbeam Coreopsis is on her final blooms....



but the Gerbera Daisies are still looking pretty.



The containers of Nicotiana and Petunia's are still
blooming but are getting fewer now.



I cannot decide whether I like the red Nicotinia or the
dark pink the best so I have them both.



The on going saga of the mixed up Orchid Mist double
blooming petunia goes on with this one putting out single
blooms.






The Nora Leigh variegated phlox has put on a few more
blooms since she was dead headed.



The poor Knockout Rose ' Rosa Radrazz ' that has been
move around so much, is putting on a few blooms. Don't
tell her that she will be moved this fall once again.



The purple 'Stock ' blooms are getting fewer and her
stems are full of, what I hope are seed pods, since she is
new to me.
Gardeners, do I break off the pods and dry them to get more
seeds or do I wait until they turn brown on the plant?



And what would I do without my geraniums?






Gardeners Choice Geranium



Sedum 'Neon' blooms are starting to turn neon pink.



Stachy is new and did not bloom this year but its woolly
leaves are so pretty and it growing fast now.




The Amethyst ' Browalia' finally showed up, better late
than never this summer. She really took her time.



The birds are dining on the Elderberries down along the
woods......



and the Poke berries are starting to ripen.



This Great Spangled Fritillary was getting a drink from
the Purple Heart that was just watered.

Happy FF Day and Happy Gardening Everyone!