Happy Bloom Day from Chicago's blustery south suburbs, where tomatoes are still ripening and top-heavy pots have been moved to sheltered spots. Wind is blowing, leaves are falling, and the summery first week of October is but a memory now.
hardy cyclamenIt's time for moving and dividing, harvesting and preserving, and time for bringing in tender plants and cuttings for rooting.
This fall the garden saw a major overhaul as lots of stuff was moved around to create a path. It seemed like a good idea at the time. It's fortunate the amount of work it would take was underestimated, for otherwise it surely would have remained undone yet another season.
Short's aster, new this year, nearly naked complements of the bunnies,valiantly blooming anyway.
the last rudbeckias
Calamintha
Chocolate Joe Pye Weed blowing in the wind
First-ever toad lily
'Autumn Joy' in the shade
purple oxalis
a lone geranium ('striatum') bloom
'Autumn Bride' heuchera, my friend Meg's signature plantI hope you're enjoying beautiful autumn weather and the pleasures of autumn (or spring, if you're visiting from the southern hemisphere,) gardening. Happy Bloom Day, and thank you for visiting. For more Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day posts, please visit Carol at May Dreams Gardens.
I see winter approaching as the days shorten and colors take on new hues in the light. Happy Bloom Day.
ReplyDeleteThe weather is beginning to change here, too; I think the first frost can't be far away. Looks like your basement will soon be full of colorful blooms for over-wintering. I think you were the first person to recommend to me 'Autumn Bride'--what a lovely plant! Happy Bloom Day, Linda!
ReplyDeleteThe toad lily is so sweet. I had one once but it never came back! I love Heuchera, yet didn't realize there was a fall bloomer. Nice! I've had good luck with mums coming back year after year and I do love their random color (I bought a bunch with brown dried out blooms and no tags for 25 cents a pot a few years ago at Lowe's but was surprised how well the colors ended up matching with what's near them!). Happy fall!
ReplyDeleteEnjoy the fall while it lasts. I love this time of year up in your area. The Autumn Sedum is really nice.
ReplyDeleteWindy here and temperature beginning to cool too. Lots of lovely flowers still though
ReplyDeleteDon't you just love the light this time of year Nell!
ReplyDeleteDefinitely time to start shlepping stuff into the basement Rose! No frost in the forecast so far, but that wind is wicked and frost will be here before we know it.
I hope it comes back Monica. There are three, so if one doesn't make it hopefully the others will.
Meg made me fall in love with Autumn Bride. I also love Mocha. It's another big, bold heuchera, only with CHOCOLATE-colored foliage :~) . It's blooming now too, and has been most of the summer. It just keeps churning out the scapes. Next time you're here I'll give you a piece of each if you'd like.
I definitely will Rohrerbot!
Yes you do have some lovely flowers still Helen! I think it's cool that we both have a single 'striatum' bloom in our gardens!
Even though it's a little said, it's also nice to be enjoying the last blooms of the year and preparing for the end of the season. Happy Bloom Day!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful bloom. How exciting to have your first toad lily blooming! Happy GBBD!
ReplyDelete'Autumn Bride' really is a beautiful heuchera. It is the only one I would grow for its flowers. Happy GBBD.
ReplyDeleteGood to see lots of colorful blooms still hanging on there in Chicago. The wind really picked up here today. I need to get with the program and start bringing in some things I want to save. I really like that Autumn Bride!
ReplyDeleteHi GG,
ReplyDeleteHaven't got a lot left but am still walking around the garden enjoying the roses and a few other stragglers.
Eileen
It's bittersweet Rose, like my favorite chocolate . . . :) It's taken most of my life, but I've finally learned to enjoy each moment no matter what the weather. Taking care of indoor plants and planning next year's garden always punctuates winter, and it seems the gardening season is never altogether over. I enjoy the winter break, and look forward to the arrival of spring.
ReplyDeleteThank you Holley! I love the little toad lily. I thought I had some (at least, that's how they were marked at the nursery,) but they turned out to be Solomon's seal instead. It's nice having the toad lilies here now, blooming as most other things are winding down.
I think so too Carolyn. The first time I saw it in one of Meg's gardens, I was hooked. Now, it always reminds me of her. Her loss still tugs at my heart, and her signature plant always makes me smile.
The wind finally died down this evening JGH. What a relief - the garden is battered, especially the poor angel's trumpet that just started blooming.
Those last blooms of the season are special Eileen - enjoy!
So many of the Heucheras have food/dessert names. Maybe that's why I like them!!
ReplyDeleteHi Garden girl
ReplyDeleteSo autumn arrived your garden too. I should go outside and rake the fallen leaves, put some spring bulbs into the soil, and make the roses ready for winter time, but.... I have to stay inside because of such a stupid infection *grrr*. So I have to stay a bit patience. Meanwhile I enjoy your beautiful garden photos.
Have a nice Sunday!
Alex
That's true Monica! Maybe you'd like a piece a Caramel too! ;) Oh, and 'Creme Brulee's here too - looks a lot like 'Caramel.' It's another villosa like Mocha and Autumn Bride. And who could forget 'Plum Pudding,' another villosa, which kind of gets lost under a hanging basket. Oh my gosh, there's also 'Key Lime Pie' and 'Lime Rickey' . . . wow, I never thought about all the heucheras here with food names, mostly sweet foods/desserts. They are all as visually delicious as their names, and the pollinators seem to think their blooms are delicious too.
ReplyDeleteOh no Alex, I'm so sorry you're sick. I hope you're feeling better soon. In the meantime get lots of rest and take good care. Hopefully Noah is giving you lots of cuddles.
Oh, Monica, I could also serve a 'Sparkling Burgundy,' (as long as it's not too dry,) with all those desserts, then we could put 'Guardian Angel' at the door to make sure no one steals our sweets. ;~)
ReplyDeleteCongrats of that toad lily bloom. It's the star of the lot :-D Have a great autumn and enjoy gardening. Hope you would be able to keep all your precious plant safely.
ReplyDeleteA lovely post, dear Linda. Enough to say, I so love the gardener's heart and 'Lust for Life' :)
ReplyDeleteOf special interest to me - the toad lily and purple oxalis.
ReplyDeleteLovely post...and congrats on the Toad Lily...it's adorable!
ReplyDeleteThank you Stephanie! The weather is chilly so plants started coming in this week for their winter in the basement.
ReplyDeleteThank you Joey. I mean to enjoy every moment!
I love the foliage on the oxalis Esther. The blooms are sweet too.
Thank you Scott. The toad lily's definitely a keeper.
Love the hardy cyclamen. I wonder what happened with the tuber I bought a couple of years ago at the CFGS.
ReplyDeleteI love 'em too MBT! They don't seem to like mulch. I have to mark their spot and un-bury them from the mulch that inevitably seems to build up over them. Last year I couldn't find one of them, and when I finally did, it was really spindly, with very little foliage, and it didn't bloom at all. Now they're all marked so I can find them and clear the mulch before they emerge. Don't know if yours was mulched, but I could see how a heavy mulch blanket might prevent them from emerging in the fall.
ReplyDeleteThat calamintha is really really sweet. I love those dainty white blooms. 'Autumn Bride' is special too.
ReplyDeleteSo nice to see so many blooms in the middle of October~Love the Toad lily~They are exotic looking beauties. gail
ReplyDelete