It's a pleasant afternoon. The sun is shining while the wind is rustling through the trees. There is definitely the feeling of fall in the air. These are the days that I want to hang onto before they turn into the winter cold. I took advantage of the welcoming afternoon and explored my yard. Here are a few of things I saw.
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| The volunteer zinnia bed still has a lot of color although some of the blooms are starting to fade. |
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| The zinnias come in various shades of pink in this bed - from this light pink... |
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...to this dark pink.
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Even the ones that are starting to fade are providing nectar for small skipper butterflies.
These are the only butterflies I see now. |
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This love-lies-bleeding plant seeded itself from last year. Last year they were
huge and unruly, so I tried to pull up all of the seedlings I saw this year.
This one snuck by and is behaving itself,
so maybe they'll get another chance next year. |
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| The marigolds are in full bloom now after not blooming all summer. This follows the timing for many plants which has been different this year. The very hot and dry middle of the summer stunted many of them that have only come alive in the past few weeks with some rain and cooler weather. This is odd for marigolds which usually do well in hot weather. |
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| However, the mums are blooming right on schedule. |
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This group of mums has almost doubled in area in the 3 1/2 years that we've lived here.
I would like to redo this bed, but the mums are so happy here, I don't want to disturb them. |
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The yellow mums are in the back and these pink ones are in the front.
I planted them a couple of years ago and they have come back strong each year. |
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The vinca are still blooming, but their foliage is starting to yellow.
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| The earliest trees are just starting change colors. Yes, fall is here. |
You know I love the fall pictures! The colors are so intense. Gorgeous!
ReplyDeleteI've never heard of a love-lies-bleeding plant. I've probably seen them and not known what they are. It's kinda neat looking but I suppose if it gets unruly that it creates a mess for you.
I think our tree colors must be farther along. We're having a lovely, sunny week, so seeing the colors against the blue sky makes the trees look super showy.
I was not familiar with the loves-lie-bleeding plant, either, until last year. It came from a package of mixed seeds. The form of the overall plant is cumbersome, but the blossoms are interesting. Up close, they look like little pom-poms.
DeleteI am seeing the very first hint of fall. The muscadine leaves have turned yellow and the rest of the green leaves are not as brilliant as they were.
ReplyDeleteMost of my flowers are on their way out, but I figure it is from the dry weather more than the temp and daylight, but the lantana is still going crazy. When I stand very still I can usually find 6 or so butterflies on it.
It's just been in the last week or so that the leaves have started to change. We haven't had much rain, either. About a month ago, I planted grass seed in several bare patches in our yard and it's barely rained since. We have watered, but I'm not sure any of it has sprouted. However, in a few days, we should have rain from Delta. Maybe some of it will get started before it freezes.
DeleteI love lantana and so do the butterflies. It grows much better in the south than it does up here. When I lived in TX, we had it all of the time.
Oh, your garden is just gorgeous! Look at all those zinnias and the double colored marigolds! And those mums! Simply stunning!
ReplyDeleteAs for the love-lies-bleeding (Amaranthus), I tried planting a packet of them and nothing came up! We eat the leaves and the tender stems, cooked, as greens! Very similar to spinach - we either saute them or add to dhal (lentils). The seeds are edible, too, but, we mostly eat the leaves. Try some, the next time you want to have greens as a side dish. :)
That's good information about the Amaranthus. Where this one is planted has been treated for termites, so I wouldn't want to eat anything from it. However, I will try to collect some seeds and plant it in a safer place next year. Does it have a milder taste like spinach or a stronger taste like turnip greens or kale?
DeleteIt has a stronger taste, I think. Of course, we cook it with curry powder and other spices, so that affects how it tastes. :)
DeleteWith the right spice,s most anything can taste good. :)
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