Almost Autumn

September 23 will be the first official day of autumn. My part of the world has not received notice just yet. The days are very warm, though cooler mornings and evenings hold promise. Weather can turn in a moment, however, so maybe day after tomorrow will bring the cool refreshing days I am longing for!

I should go back and count how many of my posts begin by talking about the weather. We gardeners are acutely tuned to climate fluctuations, and too often we are wishing for a change. I am trying to appreciate each day. This summer I have made myself walk outside even when it has been exceptionally hot and humid. (I confess I haven't always enjoyed it, and some of those strolls were short!)

Really? In truth this summer has not been exceptionally hot and humid at all. Why, June and July were quite pleasant. 

OK. But as the calendar states, it is almost autumn! I admit, despite the hot afternoons, the garden looks inviting with mellow shades of yellow and myriad shades of green in the soft September light. I am eager to drag Lou out into the garden and get things done. My list is long.

A mid-September view of the arch. Notice that the Confederate jasmine (Trachelospermum jasminoides), which we cut back almost to the ground earlier this year, is recovering nicely.

This little Japanese maple is growing near a large white pine (Pinus strobus) in the front garden. I love its golden September foliage against the blue-green of the white pine needles.

Above left: Zinnias are blooming in a pea-green pot next to Blue star Juniper. Above right: Boulevard Blue Cypress tree gets the bonsai treatment in a pot at the top of the woodland stairway.

This birdhouse is located near the main entrance to the woodland garden.It is tempting to dive into yard work, but once the sun gets up and the humidity rises, one realizes that it would be better to wait a few weeks for the benefit of plants and humans both. Sometimes it is hard to be patient, but for the most part I am content to pull a few weeds while I wander around taking photos.I like the detail in this metal arch that leads into the arbor garden. The metal is dark brown, but the light was shining on it so that parts of it seem much lighter in this photo.

Wild ageratum, also called Mist Flower, is blooming now. This is one of my favorite wildflowers. Butterflies, like this skipper, also appreciate it.

The Ageratum rambles around the Red Cascade rose, which blooms prolifically in the spring and then sporadically through the summer. It has recently put out another flush of blooms.

I finish with some more late summer images.Clockwise from top left: My Winterberry hollies (Ilex verticillata) finally have berries on them this year. They are beginning to turn orange. I moved these shrubs FOUR times before they found a happy home; My winter daphne seems to be doing well, despite its recent move into a new pot; Annual Persian Shield is flourishing; Can I brag again about my Arborvitae fern (Selaginella braunii)? I love this plant!

May you all have a blessed week, and may you find refreshment for your souls.   Deb

A Quick Walk-through the Garden and an Act of Insanity

It is still too hot and muggy to do anything in the garden other than a quick walk-through. Lou keeps a sharp eye on the weather service, and he tells me the weather will turn cooler next weekend. Meanwhile, here is what my last quick walk-through turned up.

The crepe myrtle trees are past their peak but are still adding color to the garden. These wonderful trees love our heat and humidity and bloom through most of the summer:

That’s a good thing, because there is not a lot of color out there, except for various shades of green. I love foliage, but it is nice to have something bright.

I also like the crepe myrtles this time of year because they are shedding their bark. There are some newer cultivars that have outstanding patches of cinnamon colored bark, but the bark of even the old species is interesting.

The Japanese maple outside our dining room window has assumed its golden September hues:In spring this tree is fire engine red. Later this fall it will become a kaleidoscope of gold, orange, burgundy, and purple. This unnamed seedling, which I once had to rescue from beneath the boot of a contactor who did not recognize the twig as a tree, has grown into a fabulous specimen.

Here are some close-ups of leaf patterns, always among my favorite photo subjects:Clockwise from top left: Tropicana Canna Lily; Francis Williams Hosta; Blue Hawaii Colocasia; Unnamed Japanese Maple; Variegated Fig; Coleus.

A couple of bugs paused long enough for me to capture their images. First, a bee on the Tutti-Frutti Butterfly Bush:

And then a skipper on a Lantana blossom:

I have been keeping a small Persicaria ‘Red Dragon’ specimen in a pot until it could grow a bit more. I will transplant it into the garden soon. It has grown several new stems over the summer, and now it is blooming.  The blooms are tiny but deserve a closer look:

Here are some more blooms around the garden. Most are common annuals, but I like them because they revel in the heat and humidity.Clockwise from top left: Marigold; Gomphera; Zinnia; Portulaca with Powis Castle Artemesia; Impatiens; Caryopteris (Blue Mist shrub).Finally, I recently moved the Variegated Winter Daphne into a larger pot. It had outgrown its old one, but what was I thinking? I was lulled into insanity by a day of rain. Somehow I thought it would be OK to transplant this finicky plant with a reputation of sudden death, especially after root disturbance, during the hottest month of the year. I whispered sweet things to the daphne and promised it will be much happier in a new home. I am giving it encouraging words daily. It has been a week and it still lives.Variegated Winter Daphne in its new pot

I am holding my breath.