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 !

The Last Blooms

Today is Fertilizer Friday sponsored by our hostess,
from the frozen north where it is snowing,
Tootsie at Tootsie Time, so join us in Flaunting Your
Flowers.
We were drenched with rain last night and more is on
the way today.
There use to be an old saying here in the hills that
' when we had a hard rain that washed the leaves
out of the hollows winter was here'.
I think it washed them out early this Fall even
before they have all fallen.
It seems that the trees are turning overnight so
fast this year.
The Bob Evans Show is being held at Rio Grande,
Ohio this weekend and my daughter and I are going
to fight the mob once again to see all of the crafts and
events. I am wondering now if we will get the car
hung up in the field tomorrow where they park
all of the cars after all of this rain.
Should I wear hip boots girls?

Most of my flowers are spent or put away to
overwinter in the house, while many were
left to survive on their own until the weather takes
them, due to a lack of room. Most of those were
flowers that I was not thrilled with this summer,
so, yes I am cutting their lives short.
The last bulbs and flowers have been planted
and the deers have eaten of the impatiens that were
planted in the Tipsy Pots. This was a first so they must
be really hungry this fall or are just getting braver
to come so near to the house.
Although I think they are pretty animals I hope that
deer season in November will thin them out.



I transplanted this neon pink Geranium into
another pot to bring it in for the winter and took
some seed from it. I love the bright rose pink of
this one.



This orange geranium is on its own because it
just clashes with every color of flower that I
love and usually plant.
It is called Bright Eyes and it sure is bright and has
a white center. It grows like crazy but sadly just
doesn't play well with others.

This puny little Fuchsia is now spending her days
in the house and time will tell if it likes its surroundings.

A small sprig of Blue Lobelia has came
up from seeds that must have been dropped from
the flowers that were in the old birdbath planter from
last summer.
Just enough to tease me with a few blue
blooms for Fall.



The late growth of this Purple Clustered Bellflower
that was cut back has a few last blooms for
the late leaving Hummingbirds.
Which reminds me it is time to bring the hummingbird
feeder in for the year.



The beautiful tall Queen Charlotte Anemone that bloomed
so wonderfully has only a few blooms left on it while
the new Amenone's, Party Dress, Honorine Jorbet
and Margarette are just budding.




Edinburgh dahlia is setting under the trees to
help shelter it from the cold and frost. I do not have the
heart to cut it down and bring the tuber in for the
winter while it is still putting on a few blooms.





Just when I think Becky Shasta Daisy is done for the year
I find another bloom or two still coming on. She has
been such a hard worker this year and she does not
fall over and droop.




The Black Leafed Rose Geraniums and Marine
Helitrope are still in the window box planters and
need pulled. This geranium was such a great performer
this year too. Grown from seed they are now staked in
the window boxes to keep them upright because they
grew so large. I will have them next year again.







This is the first year that I have grown Alyssum from seed
and it has bloomed all summer and is still going strong.
In my gardening notes for this year I have added a
reminder to plant even more of it next year and to
include planting it in some sunken pots on the garage
banking so it will cascade down over the banking.



The Burgundy Gaillardia Blanket flower that was
moved is doing well and still putting on a few blooms.




Some Chrysanthemums are blooming now
and that will be the last of the flowers outdoors
for the year.
Everyone have a great weekend and
Flaunt those Flowers while you have them blooming.

Happy Gardening Everyone!

New Additions to the Garden

Well after I stop kicking my self in the backside
I will get to some new additions to the garden.
I have been suffering a slow down in my computer
and was practically ready to call the satellite provider
and give them a piece of what mind I have left.
Then upon getting the idea that it just might be
my fault (who would have guessed) and that I should
reboot my computer first, I proceeded to do it. Well
needless to say she is running like a whiz now.
My computer shuts down after it is idle for a while
so I never shut it down. I guess it was tired and needed
restarted. Do I feel dumb? Oh well it goes with the territory.
Now onto the good stuff!

Like many of you I have been scrutinizing my flower
beds and making changes. Moving things and adding in
some new plants to extend the growing season.
Some of my flower beds just made no sense at all.
Plants that I loved and just stuck in that upon really
looking at, just did not work. Also I tended to have more
pinks, blues and purples and not enough of other
colors. So I have been working the flower beds into
sections and getting some colors to flow together.
You would think that Burgundy Gaillardia would go
with Red Roses but when they start getting more yellow
in them over the years they tend to clash a little, alright
they clash a lot.



So I moved and divided the big beauty and some
other plants from the garage bank and moved in
some more roses I had scattered around to make
this into more of a Rose bed. Next Spring I want to
add in some different color of rose bushes and hope
that they do not turn into all red roses like the Irish Gold
did this year.



I have been working more on the long bed that
runs along the woods. This bed runs from sun
(due to a dying tree) and into shade.
After seeing so many beautiful lilies this summer
and having planted some last fall and falling in love
with them, I went on this lily kick of planting this fall.
I have planted over sixty lilies in different sections
along with the transplanted irises, and sowed some Foxglove
seeds in the mix that one of you generous blog friends
sent to me, which will no doubt feed the deers for years.
Most of the lilies were a cheaper assorted bunch
which will be surprises when they bloom. They will be
future moves most likely ;-)
Along with them were planted some known lilies
such as:

Pink Elodie, Brings Joy,Ceres, Daring Deception,
Fata Morganna, Siloam Double Classic,Spinx ,
Strawberry Candy, Wineberry Candy, Windsor
Castle, and:



Siloam Merle Kent and Purple d' Oro



White Stargazer 'Snow Princess' and pink Stargazer lilies.

In the pink section of the sunny part were added:



Peony ' Celebration'

And Achillea 'Summerwine'. I had here also Echinacea
purprea and sedums. Flowing from the pinks into a
new yellow section has been added:



Achillea 'Sunshine' and a ' Goblin' Gaillardia.



Echinacea's 'Harvestmoon' and 'Sunrise'



And stuck in the middle of the yellows is 'Maynight' Salvia
to add the pop.

A new section of blue flowers flows from the yellow
in which I added a new Sea Holly Erngium 'Sapphire Blue'
and a new Agastache ' Blue Fortune'. I am hoping that these
will go well with the new blue re-blooming Irises.
Like all gardeners I will probably have to tweak and
change some things here if the blues clash.



After stripping a little bed of all of the old fashioned
purple irises that were divided and moved I added an
all new color for me. Yes, I have really made myself go
out on a limb here and added orange and rust to my flowers.
If you knew me you would know how big this step is ;-)



Achillea 'Apricot Delight' and red Helenium and some
Apricot ' Windsor Castle' lilies with Coreposis 'Burnt
Sienna'.



After I see the color of the blooms next summer I may
add in some of the old Burgundy Gaillardia. I was thinking
about adding the two 'Becky Towne' variegated phlox to this
mix but I have never saw the blooms of the Becky Towne
so I am unsure if it will clash or blend in. Of those of you who
have this flower is the blooms more pink, apricot or red?
Will it clash with the rusts and apricots? I really need advise
from you before I receive and plant them this fall.
If you all think they will clash then they
will have to go to another bed.

To the shady beds new anemones were added.
So you see I have really been busy this Fall in the
garden. When they all get grown in, the redone
flower beds should flow together better, or not.
In my mind and on paper it flows anyway but I
will have to wait until next summer to see the fruit
of my labors.

Happy Gardening Everyone!

The Last Blooms in August

Can you believe that it the last weekend of August?
Where has the summer gone?
School is back in session for a new year. The children
must really think summer has flown. I remember not
wanting to go back to school and seeing the summer end.
With even the added extra two to three weeks we had in
the olden days of school being let out in May and not going
back until after Labor Day it still just flew by.
Trust me, the older you get the faster the days seem to go by
for some reason.

Today is Fertilizer Friday sponsored by Tootsie over
at Tootsie Time. Time to Flaunt Your Flowers.
Mine are getting fewer and fewer to flaunt these days.
So go over and join us in flaunting your flowers while they
are still blooming. Although I believe that Tootsie's flowers
are always in bloom ;-)



Some of the reliable blooms that are continuing to show
off some blooms yet are:



Gerbera Daisies





Old reliable " Crimson Bouquet' Roses.
Thank goodness they will continue until the frost
takes them. And also the Knockout Roses.





My baby "Laura' Phlox has put on some single blooms
since it was trimmed of the spent blooms.
And it still smells just as heavenly.



"Queen Charlotte' Anemone is in her glory now
and blooming up a show.





'Edinburgh' Dalhia is still blooming.



Osteospermum's.




Geranium's.








Alyssum's



Helitope ' Marine'



Gaillardia 'Burgundy' or Blanket Flower.
(Note to self: Needs divided and moved.)



Million Bells or Calibrachoa.





White Wave Petunia and the silly triple bloom petunia is
still going.



Even "Stella d' Oro' Lily is getting a few late season blooms.

And of course there are always plenty of weeds!







And Green Brier's



And Cockle-burr's in the Hocking Hill's.


Happy Gardening Everyone!