It's hard for me to believe that the first frost is only a few weeks away. I'm still wearing sandals every day, that means summer, right?
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| Monarch on bicolor buddliea |
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| Green Envy zinnia |
Oh, but the mornings are so cool. That's the sure sign that I'm in denial. Summer is fading before my eyes.
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| Soraya sunflower |
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| Funny Face rose |
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| Dwarf pennisetum with cherry profusion zinnias |
It's a little sad, isn't it? I'll miss walking out the door and grabbing dinner ingredients as I need them. But mostly I'll miss the flowers.
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| Verbena bonariensis |
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| Pearl Crescent butterfly |
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| Karly Rose grass |
The hardest part for me is that most of my favorite flowers are late bloomers. I feel like I just never have enough time to enjoy the dahlias,
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| Dahlia |
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| Dahlias with Sedum Autumn Joy |
or the hydrangeas,
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| Front-Endless Summer hydrangea Back-Quickfire hydrangea |
or the Queen Red Lime zinnias especially. When frost does threaten, these flowers are always still peaking. So I end up gathering bouquets for inside, so that I can enjoy them to the bitter end.
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| Queen Red Lime zinnia |
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| Queen Red Lime zinnia |
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| Queen Red Lime zinnia |
I guess I'd better spend every moment I can outside enjoying the last of the blooms. There is still a lot of gardening left to do.
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| Ruby throated hummingbird on Candy Corn cuphea |
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| Painted lady butterfly on Black Knight buddliea |
My husband is always puzzled that I still spend so much time watering the garden. I've reminded him many times that perennials, shrubs, roses, and trees all need to go into winter strong. They'll do much better if they are well watered before the bitter cold arrives.
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| Hot air balloons! |
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| Hot air balloons! |
But let's not think about that yet. Let's just enjoy the last of summer, and the last of the flowers. They'll be gone all too soon!
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| Penny ball |
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| Tall Ribbon Mix snapdragons |
Don't we hate to say good bye to our simmer gardens ? Yours is so beautiful.
ReplyDeleteYou've been taking some lovely vibrant photos, such great colour and subjects! I'm still wearing sandals too as its been lovely warm weather. I think it'll be a late October frost in Northern Ireland.
ReplyDeleteThank you for the compliment on my photos Kelli! I've learned a new technique, and have loved how they're turning out.
DeleteSummer is still clinging on here in London too, I don't want it to go. Beautiful blooms in your garden, I especially love the combination of Zinnia and Dwarf Pennisetum, it's beautiful!
ReplyDeleteThe combo of zinnias and dwarf pennisetum was purely an accident, but I'll be doing it again, you can bet on that!
DeleteI hear you Robin. I love my dahlias too & this year I'm still waiting for some to bloom. I don't know if they're going to make it or not ~ we have another threat of frost tonight. I hope it doesn't & we get another couple weeks of blooms. I never like to let go either. You have been taking some gorgeous photos. The 'green envy' zinnia is beautiful. Next year, I have to plant more zinnias & find some 'Queen Red Lime' again!!!! Enjoy the time you have left with your gorgeous garden.
ReplyDeleteMy dahlias are gone now. But they did so much better last year, I had vases full of them when the first frost threatened. My Queen red lime zinnias have become my signature flower, and I can barely stand to say goodbye to them. I gathered a huge vase full, and there are only a few left. Please don't go my beloveds! LOL
DeleteI love seeing the blooms and the critters. I normally do not enjoy fall, because I know winter will be coming, and end the garden season. This year, the weather has been so nice, that I am kind of letting myself enjoy it. I am not getting to garden as much as I'd like, though, because I am watching our now 4 month old granddaughter 4 days a week. That, and the days are getting shorter.
ReplyDeleteI'm sure it's tough to find gardening time when you are watching your grand kids, but it's so worth it, am I right? This year, I tried to enjoy fall for it's own beauty, and not worry about the big W that follows it.
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