Turn of the Season

Wednesday, work-from-home day. Grey, Misty. A midday check of the mailbox inspires me to capture a few images in front of the house.

Foxglove planted under the Red Bud tree. In July this plant was a lost cause at Menard's - and discounted.

Sheffield Chrysanthemum: it keeps on giving every Autumn. And, has been extraordinarily amendable to being divided over the years.

Sheffield is, I think, the last of the bloomers. Here it is mid-October and it's just beginning to hint at blooming.

This year I sowed zinnia seeds between the Blue Fortune and Monarda and the lightpole. Sharon thinks the flowers are too tall. I am inclined to agree. However, late Summer / early Autumn rains encouraged tremendous growth and blooms. 

I moved the two peony shrub at the back fence of the Cottage Garden (see previous photo, above) and plan to sow zinnia seed next Spring. I am curious to see if the flowers grow as tall.

Notice the white clematis bloom (Henri) at the post. I missed it completely when I took the photo! And of course the morning glory too. Aren't these Summer blooms?

Still blooming . . .

The insects really astonished me . . .

Garden walk

Thinking about the issues we've encountered with the house (so far) this year, I made a big mistake addressing the exterior before the interior. If I had been smart, I would have started chipping away at remediating the issues inside the house a few years ago.

But, I'm not smart.

At least the garden is beginning to look good.

Last Fall's redesign of the Cottage Garden is a great success. A couple tweaks still needed. But the space looks so much better than in recent years. The clematis -- Huldine -- is a prolific bloomer!

Bruno's tiger lilies enjoy the shade under the Sugar Maple and play off the Spiderwort nicely I think.

Purple Spiderwort, white Foxglove Beardtongue, yellow Sundrops, and (lower left corner) gold California Poppy. And lots of green!

Herbst

Autumn officially arrives sometime tomorrow. 

We've already experienced unseasonably cool weather. But, today was nice and I walked around the garden and started cutting back this and that.

It's hard to believe Summer is behind us.

Pollinators are still busy: spot the bee . . .

The Winterberry has fruited. Against the backdrop of perennial sunflowers -- Lemon Queen -- the red berries really pop. As you can see from the photo, flower petals have already started to drop. In a couple weeks, I'll cut the flowers down to the ground and the berries will be all alone.  

Bruno's hibiscus: The last bloom . . . 

In Spring I moved the clematis from beneath a rose through which it was supposed to climb to a bird bath. The vine is sprouting new growth and should perform exceptionally next year.

The gigantic sedum in all its glory. I brought this to the Cottage Garden at the front of the house two years ago. It loves all the sun it gets here. I'm in the process of replanting the bed and so will move the sedum a few feet to the left, where it will better serve as a focal point.

Get a move on . . .

AHG day . . . so that means if I'm going outside, I've got to get a move on because we need to be out the door by 12:40 pm.

Chilly but sunny and I committed to interring Pepper today. I had thought about a distinct location for Pepper, but both Arianna and Sharon recommended I bury her near Miss Kitty. And so . . . near the Blue Beech, just at the edge of a weeping branch of Forsythia. Like Miss Kitty's grave, Pepper's too is topped with rocks, some of which pulled from her grave site.

Since I was already huffing and puffing, and had th spade in hand . . . .

Removed the yarrow and helenium from the "Triangle Bed". It's here I plan to install Mountain Mint. And, as the plan is to fill out the Cottage Bed . . . and, since the colors of the yarrow and helenium are more suited to the front yard . . . .

I may be pushing it, but am willing to take the risk of beginning the season in earnest. In addition to dropping these eight plants into their new home, I moved the clematis away from the rugosa rose bush to the post that now supports a bird feeder. The vine will look much better trailing up the post than tangled in with the rose. 

I think.

We'll see.

Wild Purple Foxglove seed awaits for tomorrow.

Maybe.

Rustic Arbor

I'd been using the a variety of downed branches to protect the new Pink Lady apple trees against deer. But, a better idea is to make -- not buy -- an arbor for the "entry way" to the back yard. It is rustic. And time will tell how long the arbor will stand. But, when crawling with clematis and honeysuckle, it ought to look inviting.

The view outside Sharon's and my bedroom window; the arbor Sharon wanted in the side yard.