Getting Through October

I plan to get up early tomorrow and spend the day cleaning the garden and getting rid of the dead stuff. I will feel better if I don't have to look at the brittle corpses of plants that once were healthy and full of blooms. We have had no rain since the bit we got two weeks ago, and the weatherman is saying the current drought will extend at least until November.

We just need to get through October. Many leaves are shriveling on the trees and shrubs, then falling in gray heaps. The grass is crispy tan. But I am fortunate to have a lot of evergreens that adapt to whatever the climate delivers; so at a glance the garden doesn't look too bad.

This is a view overlooking the woodland garden. The 'Saybrook Gold' junipers have proved durable through all seasons.

A little farther up the drive from the 'Saybrook Gold' junipers is my beloved 'Feelin' Blue' Deodar Cedar. Behind it is a Trident Maple, a Forsythia, and a huge Southern Magnolia.

This Anise 'Florida Sunshine' has prospered in the woodland garden with minimal care. The leaves have a wonderful fragrance.

Mahonia 'Soft Caress' is another woodland garden plant that has done well though our drought. It took a couple of years to become established and needed babying at first, but now it has begun to thrive.

Here are a few additional shots I took as I walked around this afternoon:My Fuyu Persimmon tree is still growing in a pot, though I plan to transplant it someday. The fruit is almost ready to pick.

Our sweet bell peppers did poorly through the summer, and I was getting ready to pull them up when I noticed new growth in September. I began a fresh regimen of watering and fertilizing with fish emulsion, and look at them now! One of them is turning red. For maximum flavor I like to leave them on the vine until they have fully ripened.

Assorted ornamental kale adds a pretty accent to the fall vegetable garden. It's edible but not particularly tasty.

Look close. Do you see the ants? I did not see them until I enlarged the photo on my computer. Now I need to see if this Asclepias has aphids!

These common asters are blooming despite almost total neglect. A pure golden green sweat bee ( Augochlora pura) appreciates the nectar.

Early October 2015

I can feel the new season in the moist air and in the cool breeze. I inhale autumn smells as I putter in the garden: the moldy smell of damp soil, upturned to make way for new plants, and the aroma of freshly laid pine straw and wood chips. It is good to be in the garden now that the hot summer is over. Every day brings cooler temperatures and more leaves fluttering to the ground. We will soon be buried under mountains of them, and Lou has already started the raking, a chore that will not end completely till late winter.

Meanwhile, here are some images taken in early October:Sepia image of dried Snowflake Hydrangea blooms, which have turned brown in early October.

A neighbor's old shed borders our property.

Viola 'Pink Halo', Dinosaur Kale 'Lacinato', Lorapetalum 'Purple Pansy', Flowering Kale 'Peacock Red', Asian Jasmine and pink Dianthus grow together in a fall arrangement. An old gourd nestles amidst the plants.

Part of the profits from the sale of Salvia 'Wendy's Hope', shown in the two images below, go to fight breast cancer.

I have seen bees, butterflies and hummingbirds all partaking of the nectar of Salvia 'Wendy's Hope.'

Clockwise from top left: Pentas; Persicaria 'Red Dragon'; Purple Aster; Toad Lily (Trycrytis) 'White Towers'; Variegated Toad Lily; Salvia 'Amistad.'

'Coral' Drift Roses have bloomed all summer and continue to pump out the blooms.

This White-breasted Nuthatch posed for me as I took its photo.

A fallen redbud leaf

This Peacock Moss has found its way onto the moss path. It may be too pretty to walk on; but if it is happy, I will leave it alone.

A view into the woods with some early fall color changes

Solidago (Goldenrod) and purple and white asters grow on a wild hillside.

A volunteer tomato plant is still producing these tasty cherry tomatoes.

Last, but certainly not least, my little Fuyu Persimmon tree, in a large pot, is loaded with fruit this year. They are not ready to eat yet, but I could not pass up a picture:

Have a great week!   Deb