The October Garden

Little is flowering in my garden after this hot and very dry summer.

We are still trying to recover from the drought, and though we are finally receiving some much needed rain, we are still considered to be in drought conditions.

As such, many flowers that usually would still be blooming this time of year have long since set seed and are shutting down for the year.

The surprise for me this year has been my roses.

They have loved this drought.  I have not watered any of them, and even my English roses, which normally only bloom reliably once a year, are now blooming for the fourth time.

Whodathunk?

The Victoria Blue Salvia wintered over from last year.

I love this flower.  The blue is so vibrant and the flower lasts long into the cool autumn months.

My miniature rose, Rainbow's End, is in its fourth bloom.

This is a lovely rose.

The flowers start out yellow, then progress to orange, red, and then pink before fading.  

It has no fragrance, but it is a must-have rose for the garden and is good for a small spot.

Rainbow's End bloom beginning to turn from orange to red.

Dogwood with berries.

The birds will soon pick the berries off the trees.

Burning bush or winged euonymus.

English Perfume, an English rose.

As the name implies, a heavily scented rose.

My all time favorite English rose, which is named after a great gardener, Gertude Jekyll.

This is one of the most highly-scented roses you will ever find in the garden.

My hydrangea has many mauve blooms on it.

I suspect that is a result of recent cold nights.

Milkweed bugs congregating on the butterfly bushes.

Unusual colors for a fall bouquet.

I had to search the garden to find yellow for the arrangement.

Hydrangeas for another fall arrangement.

And it was finally time to bring my houseplants back inside for the year.

After the watering ban was lifted a few weeks ago, I happily chucked the plants back outside, only to have to bring them back inside this past weekend.

In late March I took this bay tree out to the back deck.  Please note the height.

On Friday I had to bring it back inside.

It was very happy outside this summer.

The plants at the bottom are petunias.

Please note the red line in the picture.

That shows just how much the tree has grown this season.

I'm seeing a pruning come next spring.

Welcome to the Garden

The garden is flourishing,

despite my neglect as I have had more pressing matters 

on my mind lately.

 The ever lovely Dr. Huey Rose. 

 Salvia.  I think.

Damn, I didn't label it.

Gertrude Jekyll.

I wish you could smell this rose.

The scent would take you back to your grandmother's garden.

Pincushion flower.

A rose carpet or something in bloom.  

Another genetic wonder of the rose world in  bloom in my garden.

Rainbow's End, with all the delightful colors on display at once.

As the flowers age, they go from yellow to orange to pink.

This is a miniature rose, in case you are interested.

Campanula or bell flower.  

And finally, meet my friend, Croakie.  

Just don't make any sudden movements.

He's a bit skittish.

The other day I went out onto the deck and opened the umbrella

only to find Croakie looking up at me as if to say,

"Hey, what are you doing here, invading my space?"

Never the less, we spent the next few hours in peaceful

cohabitation while I read and he sat in his cup.  

Finally I decided to call it a day and I enclosed Croakie back into his 

umbrella cocoon. 

Can You Say a Day Late and a Dollar Short?

Yeah, we were on the very edge of the solar eclipse today,

but I still held out hope that we be able to catch sight of 

the eclipse of the sun.

 Hm, apparently not so much much.

 Don't know what's happening with those "mountains."

 I do like these clouds, though.

 And I really like these pictures of my miniature rose,

"Rainbow's End."

 As the blossoms age, they go from yellow, to orange, to pink.