Monday, September 26, 2016

The Scruffy September Garden

I really should plant more asters, goldenrod, anemones, toad lilies, and other pretty things that don't bloom till late in the season. I say this every year about this time when the garden starts to fade, and there's nothing new to see. I actually did plant a couple of asters, but I'm not sure if I'll see any blooms this year. Plus they're small, so they won't make much impact yet. Instead, I'll keep enjoying the annuals.

Visiting monarch on Cut and Come Again zinnias
Sun Parasol Mandevilla 
Fireworks pennisetum
This really is the season for annuals to shine. They know their days are numbered, so they pull out all the stops in their quest to live on. Most are quite full and lush now, and it's always such a shame to see the frost get to them.

Queen Red Lime zinnias with unknown skipper
Sneaky portaluca showing up from nowhere
Autumn Blend sunflower
Queen Red Lime zinnias with Autumn Joy sedum
But I'm not thinking about frost right now. It's still near 90 degrees this week, but I must admit that our average first frost is only three weeks away. I find it hard to believe that we'll be that cold by then, but you never know.

Grandpa Ott morning glory, reseeds every year
Grandpa Ott morning glory, reseeds every year
With all this heat and sunshine, the butterflies are still plentiful. You all know how much I enjoy those butterflies. But I have to admit that my pledge to protect bees, butterflies and other beneficial insects has allowed my yard to become bug heaven. As much as I enjoy all the good guys that call Robin's Nest their home, the bad guys are driving me a little crazy. I'm never exactly sure who is munching what around here. I finally remembered to plant some fall crops, and several of them have been munched down to nubs. My vegetable garden is fenced away from critters, so it has to be the nasty grasshoppers I see everywhere. Or maybe it's those hungry cucumber beetles.

Monarch visitor on buddleia
Silver Spotted Skipper
Painted Lady butterfly
Buckeye butterfly
Swallowtail butterfly caterpillar
As much as I love September, the whole yard is looking quite disheveled this time of year. Tall plants are flopping over, powdery mildew is rampant, and things are decidedly overgrown. I find it hard to get motivated to garden when I know that frost will take it all down in just a few short weeks.

Droopy Lemon Queen sunflower
Caproz dahlia with powdery mildew Tequila Lime zinnias
Zingaro dahlia with cucumber beetle enemy! 
One lone zinnia trying to offset the fading blooms around it
I used to think that I should live in a warm and tropical environment where I could garden year round. But over the last few years I've come to the conclusion that it's no longer true. Perhaps it is simply an age thing. I garden with joy throughout the summer, but by fall I'm just plain tried of dragging that hose around and fighting with weeds. It's time for a rest. And I'll come back strong in the spring as I always do. A long winter's rest is good for the soul, and revives the spirit.

Zingaro dahlia
Karly Rose pennisetum
Carpenter bee about to nectar rob Sunset Hyssop
The one thing that I never tire of is to wander the garden and find its sweet spots. No matter how scruffy the garden gets this time of year, I still love it. There's always a tableau to find that catches my eye, even if I have to ignore the disorder around it.

Fifteen foot Zepherine Drouhin rose reaching for the moon
Dazzling Magic dahlia, hardy here in zone 6. Apparently! 
Monge lilac giving me a surprise September bloom! 
Soon it will be cool, and the colors will begin to turn. The same areas I found to be scruffy will glow with autumn color, making me forget the disorder. Until then, I'll savor September, and enjoy the end of this extended summer.



12 comments:

  1. Hello Robin girl ... Your garden can't look too scruffy from these pretty pictures you have posted (I know ... we take pictures of our best spots, haha) I was lucky not to be hit by too much powdery mildew this year but I know what a pain it is to see on plants. Yours aren't too bad though! .. Yes this age thing .. this has been my worst year for neglect .. just haven't been up to it. BUT .... I so hope I get the push/urge for Autumn clean up and of course with Garden PA's help we can get it done. I love Autumn ... so I am looking forward to the colours and the cooler temps .. LOVE the Karly Rose grass .. I may have to bring it back into my garden next year .. it is so pretty in your garden !
    Take care
    Joy : )

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    1. Now Joy, you know exactly how I hid the ugly spots with my camera! Lol

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  2. Your area is just a bit ahead of ours. We are pretty much totally faded here with annuals, except for my zinnias. My butterfly garden looks pretty pitiful with everything done except for the autumn sedum. We had a warm week last week, but today is windy and only in the 60's. Coming your way!

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    1. Yes, the weather change arrived today. I love it!

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  3. It all looks so lovely. NOLO bait for grasshoppers. It's an all-natural grasshopper disease. BWAHAHAHA! Sorry, got a bit carried away. I hate grasshoppers. It won't hurt your butterflies, moths, etc. :-) ~~Dee

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    1. Thanks Dee, I'll look for that bait right away!

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  4. Wow ! You have me stunned looking at all your photos. Beautiful blooms but equally beautiful is your photography. The grasses really intrigue me.

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    1. Thank you Patsi! I love using grasses in my garden, and actually have quite a few.

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  5. It's beautiful, Robin! Dahlia, grasses, sunflowers....! As for the asters - I need to plant more of them too!

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  6. I always like to compare the difference in your green and shady garden to my dry and sunny garden. Both nice, but in such different ways!

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  7. My zinnias and morning glory are still going strong, even into October. But, like you, at this time of year I wish I'd planted more fall-blooming flowers. I don't even have dahlias. Love yours, especially Zingaro. P. x

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    1. Well Pam, I believe you have a lot more garden room than I do, so I think you should make room for more fall blooming perennials! And dahlias are a must for me.

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