October is the Garden's Finale

Here in central Ohio, October can start off pretty summery, but by month's end there's usually a drastic change. Still, there's no guarantee that it will end chilly and bare. Some years, we're still fairly warm, with plenty of fall color yet to enjoy. Other years, you'll find the end of October to be a harbinger of winter. Today will be a little bit of both. It's rainy, with warmer temperatures for morning, but by tonight it will change over to bitter cold. My flowers will come to an end, which is fitting for the last day of the month.

The rain should stop soon, and I'll go out to gather a final bouquet or two. From a distance, the zinnias still look good, but up close I probably won't find many to pick. I'm always sad on this day, but part of me is ready to let it go. I have bulbs to plant yet, and my own personal rule is that the zinnias have to be gone first, since it's easier to plant bulbs with them out of the way. The difficult part of my rule is it is invariably pretty darned cold when I finally getting around to planting my tulips and such. Oh but I'll be so glad I did when next spring arrives!

On the warmer days this month, which extended until just a few days ago, I still had many butterflies passing through Robin's Nest. My biggest draws for them were the zinnias, butterfly bush, and verbena bonariensis. These continue to bloom right up until a hard freeze, so they're die hards here. We've already had a couple of frosts, but they weren't strong enough to cause much damage. Tonight will likely be different, since they're calling for a freeze warning instead of frost. It's time, I'm ready.

Sulfur butterfly

Buckeye butterfly

Corn ear worm moth

Monarch

Painted lady

Swallowtail caterpillars

Orange sulfur

Since my family doesn't live nearby, I don't decorate much for holidays indoors. And yet I love to decorate the outdoors. I think it's because decorating the outdoors feels like gardening. I do harvest decorations instead of Halloween, and leave it out until Thanksgiving. After that, it will be time for winter greens that stay out into March.

I've done a lot of traveling about this month, trying to soak up the autumn vibes in all of my favorite places. But I decided to do a second post about that, since there is so much to share. So today I'm just showing off the 2019 finale of Robin's Nest. November and December may have a few things to see, but I know it will be meager compared to summer's bounty winding down.

It really was a banner year here. We had a lot of rain early on, and everything got a big boost from it. I overplanted, as I often do, so it was a  jungle. The jungle can be a bounteous beauty, but I find it to be prone to pests and disease. I'd say I'll try to rein it in next year, but that's not likely to be how it turns out. Time will tell. And I have no garden sunsets to close with this month. Instead, I'll show off the eagles that have been gracing the nearby ponds. I've discovered that if I go down there about an hour before sunset, there's a good chance I'll see them. My camera has a 50X zoom, but more would sure be better when it comes to these beauties. I think they're a fitting finale too.

Controlled Chaos in my September Garden

I've been in Ohio for fifteen years now, and I still can't get used to the roller coaster weather. I suppose the residents of every state think the same, that their weather is unpredictable. But my take is that central Ohio is just a wild card when it comes to weather. This June we had much more rain than usual, and many farmers couldn't even plant their crops. Now it's September, and we're in drought conditions. And my garden is paying the price for the crazy weather. What a mess!

Now you're probably thinking that my photos make the garden look lovely, and that I must be exaggerating. Trust me, I am not. It's a jungle out there!

And when you have a jungle, diseases and insects run rampant. In these photos, you're looking at the survivors. There have been many casualties, especially the vegetables. I'll always be an organic gardener, but I have to admit that I'm getting a bit frustrated with it. I swear every possible insect and disease finds its way into my garden.

I'll take time over the winter to strategize a better way to garden. I need some change out there, otherwise I'm just going to give way to my frustration. I've already decided to try new varieties of vegetables, instead of using the same type every year as we've been doing.

 I also need to rein in my tendency to cram every square inch of my garden with plants. I think it's this very crowding that's making the problems spread like wildfire. Luckily the insect and disease damage isn't usually noticeable from a distance. I hide it well.

And don't get me started on the poison ivy! For most of my life, I was immune from the stuff. I've even called myself The Poison Ivy Whisperer. But I guess my luck ran out. I just keep getting it on my arms, and half the time, I don't even know where it came from. It has changed me as a gardener. I no longer stride confidently through my garden beds. Now I might stand back reluctantly instead. I'm hoping that the offending vines will show themselves once frost hits. I'll have to remove them, but I'll be prepared for battle. There's no other way.

Before you think that all is frustration here in my September garden, I have to say that beauty abounds also. Butterflies continue to delight me daily. I raised and released 39 monarchs this year. It was just as delightful as the very first time. It's strange to not have anymore caterpillars or chrysalis in the house. I miss them already. But I am enjoying seeing them pass through on their way to Mexico. And that includes every different type of butterfly that shows up here. Although I wasn't very happy to see a Painted Lady butterfly quite literally chase away a monarch the other day.

I've definitely had successes. My zinnias have gone gangbusters this year. I've filled many vases, and taken countless photos of them. They're just plain pretty, while also attracting butterflies. It's hard to argue with that kind of combination.

September has been full summer weather this year. Today is the last day of the month, and it was in the 90's! But by the end of the week, autumn will arrive with cool weather. It's time. Besides, without cool weather, how will I enjoy the fall color show? I'm ready to let go of summer weather. I'm never happy  to lose flowers to frost, but it's always good to have a winter rest. I'm excited to think my next post for October should have some fall colors to share. I can't wait! But here are a few closing sunsets  in the meantime.