As fall hurtles towards my gardens, the zinnias continue to hold center stage. Ever year at this time I'm amazed at their abundance and colors. I'm so thankful I spend time in the spring sowing the seeds in trays, putting them under grow lights, then planting the seedlings in the Cutting Garden. So much reward for such an easy task.
Zinnia Zinnia elegans 'Zowie! Yellow Flame" |
The cutting garden and kitchen garden share the same space; there the chocolate mint is blooming. Named more for the color of its stems than for it's flavor, this mint adds a refreshing hint of chocolate to drinks and desserts.
Chocolate Mint |
Also in the Kitchen Garden, the monarch butterfly caterpillars are continuing to grow as they munch on the milkweed leaves. I hope they make it in time for the Great Monarch Butterfly Migration.
In the Cottage Garden many plants I featured in my last posting (click HERE ) are still blooming, so I haven't included every one, such as the hydrangeas. Those iconic cottage garden flowers: foxglove, delphinium, hollyhock, and rose continue to bloom in the herbaceous borders. I'm especially thrilled the delphiniums are blossoming again and the foxglove never stopped.
Top left: Foxglove 'Foxlight Plum Gold.' Top right: Delphinium 'Magic Fountain Sky Blue'
Bottom left: 'Red Knockout' Rose. Bottom right: Hollyhock and Russian sage
Top: Perennial geranium 'Roxanne'. Bottom: Yarrow 'The Pearl' |
I'm pleased with the potentilla shrub I planted last fall. It's yellow flowers bloomed all season. My English mother called it 'Cinquefoil.'
Potentilla flowers starting to fade but still loved by bees. |
In my previous posting, I mentioned and showed many of the plants in Abundance Garden including Joe pye and my giant lobelia. They are still lovely and in addition pretty fall asters are just starting to bloom.
Left: New York Aster. Top: Supertunia 'Vista Silverberry.' |
Some self-seeding snapdragons refuse to give up. |
In Serenity Garden, as turtlehead blooms fade, the Japanese anenome buds are beginning to open at last. (Gardening teaches us patience they say!)
Japanese Anemone 'Honorine Jobert' |
Annual Fuscia |
Sedum 'Autumn Joy' is found in most of my gardens. |
In the Woodland Walk the beautiful native snake root appears in drifts of white. We removed this plant from around the pastures as it is poisonous to grazing animals, but we allow it to grow freely in the Woodland Walk.
Snakeroot Ageratima altissimo |
In Kat's Field the goldenrod is blooming. A sure sign that fall is upon us.
Noticeably absent are two large features: the stand of sunflowers in the Kitchen Garden and the zebra grass by Froggy Pond. I noticed the sunflowers were drooping and broke open a stem to find it full of the sunflower stem borer lava. This happened last year also -- no, I didn't plant in the same spot and I even used a different variety of sunflower. I wont grow sunflowers for a couple of years, researching what will get rid of the pest. We removed the zebra grass because it began to go to seed and, while I love its cool plumes, I don't want it to spread. It is on the Pennsylvania invasive species watch list. Mine had grown enormous and messy and had to go. Now I like the openness that reveals both the pond and my beloved miniature weeping spruce. But I'm sad to see the sunflowers go.
Click HERE for picture before we removed the sunflowers. See title picture above for the grass |
Finally, I've chosen two plants with striking leaves for Foliage Follow-up.
Left: Canna 'Striatta.' Right: Smokebush Cotinus coggygria 'Royal purple.' |
I'm linking with Carol's blog May Dreams Gardens for Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day and Pam at Digging for Foliage Follow Up. Now I'm going over to Carol's blog to see what is blooming today around the world and to Pam's to see what is happening in Texas. Wont you join me?
Fall is in the air in the northern hemisphere. Enjoy the change of season in your part of the world!
Pamela x
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