October Colors

October harvest.

 

With the month of October coming to a close, my garden has been keeping me very busy! At the beginning of the week I harvested the Sunchokes (Jerusalem artichokes) and sweet potatoes that I'd been growing in grow-bags. My sunchokes had reached lofty heights in September, with lovely blooms. I don't know if it can be seen clearly in my photo below, but those flower stems on the left reached nine to ten feet in height!

This year's Sunchoke harvest is the best thus far, enough for quite a few meals. The sweet potatoes were an experiment--I wanted to see how much I could get from a grow-bag of the same size. Not bad, but the yield may not be cost-effective, depending on the taste, I'll have to think about whether to grow them again next year.

Veggie pagoda with Sunchokes inside.

The nights are getting chilly, and our trees have been changing colors: the hickories have turned to gold, the maples red, and even the oaks are starting show a bit of color now. The back yard at sunrise this morning was completely transformed!

 

The back yard at sunrise.

My 'Autumn Blaze' maple is in its glory on the west yard, and the Kwanzan cherry in the front yard has turned to gold. The witchhazels have turned yellow and and starting to show some of their flower buds.

Fall being the best time to plant in our area, I've been expanding my beds, adding new plants and trees wherever I can find space. The badlands were extended to make room for some elm-leaved goldenrods that I acquired at our recent VNPS chapter meeting. Other native plant buys included a small spicebush sapling, two elderberrys, Sedum ternuum, a seedbox plant and a narrow-leaved goldenrod.

In addition, I had three tiny dogwood saplings that grew under the cherry tree in front and need new homes somewhere--one went in behind the elm-leaved goldenrod, the other two will get planted in the side yards, one in the east and one in the west. It will be interesting to see how these plantings develop over the next few years.

 

'Autumn Blaze' maple and dwarf Japanese maple Acer palmatum var. dissectum 'Viridis'

 Front of the house with cherry tree.

 

Not many flowers are left now--the snapdragons I planted this year are still blooming, but the aromatic asters (Symphyotrichum oblongifolium) were nibbled a lot by the deer, so the blooms are not as full as on other years. In the past deer stayed away from the aromatic asters, though they ate all the smooth asters (Symphyotrichum laeve) but I guess deer will eat anything when they're hungry.

These late-season flowers attract many insects: little skipper butterflies, moths, wasps and bumblebees living out their last days.

 

Snapdragons

Aromatic asters

Aromatic asters

The seasonal changes in my flower beds always bring out some surprising color combinations, like the yellowing leaves of the Amsonia hubrichtii with the rusty flower heads of sedum 'Autumn Joy.' A few flowers of Agastache 'Blue Boa' in Herb's bed contrast with the dusty-green foliage of lavender--speaking of which, there are still a few flowers left.

Flower beds in the back yard

Late-blooming lavender

 

The Kousa dogwood is displaying its fall color, though this year it's hard to compete with the colors in the woods behind.

'Kousa' dogwood fall foliage

The pink Mums I bought this year are still looking good planted next to a clump of Muhly grass--such a beautiful color!

 

Pink mum planted near Muhly grass

 

Although the temperature has been dipping below 32 degrees these past nights, there is still no sign that a hard frost has hit any of the plants, I'm still waiting for Jack Frost to make his appearance. When that happens--and it will--I'd love to have it be a picturesque hoar-frost such as we had a few years back in early November. We shall see.

October 2024 Bloom Day

Sternbergia lutea.

 

The 15th of every month is garden bloggers' Bloom Day, when we share what's blooming in our gardens, hosted by Carol Michel's May Dreams Garden Blog. It's mid October now and fall is making its inroads in my Zone 6B garden in northwest Virginia. Welcome to my garden!

This year I planted a few fall-blooming Crocus and Colchicums to brighten my flower beds--the Colchicums have already bloomed and faded--the Colchicum album was in bloom about a week ago. One of the lovely yellow Sternbergia bulbs I planted along the front walk opened a few days ago. Let's hope the others will follow and all will multiply for a more plentiful display next year.

 

The back yard from the deck.

Looking west from the deck.

Our trees are starting to show some fall color--the hickories and sumacs in the back woods, the Yellowood tree (Cladrastris kentuckea) and  'Autumn Blaze' maple on the west side of the house. The redbud trees have dropped most of their leaves, after barely changing to a dull yellow.

 

West side of house with "Autumn Blaze' maple and aromatic asters.

The east garden from the deck.

The Badlands bed in fall with Sumacs and woods in back.

 

The butterfly weed in the Badlands bed is dying out, with only a few aromatic asters and a tiny mum blooming. Herb's bed is still colorful, with Muhly grass, 'Autumn Joy' sedum, Agastaches and other perennials. The red Salvia there continues to bloom--the late-migrating hummingbirds who visited a few days ago were most grateful for the refreshment.

Herb's bed in October.

Agastache 'Blue Boa' and 'Firebird' with lavender and grasses in Herb's bed.

Red Salvia in Herb's bed.

There are a few blooms left on the climbing rose 'New Dawn,' and the berries on the 'Brandywine' viburnum have turned deep blue as the leaves change color.

'New Dawn' climbing rose has a few blooms left.

Viburnum 'Brandywine'

This is the time of the year when every garden center and grocery store offers those florists' Chrysanthemums in a variety of colors--and the sales are hard to resist!  I bought two new ones at Lowes, which I haven't decided yet where to plant.  

 

Pink mum.

White mum

I still have some of those Chrysanthemums I buy every year that I've refreshed by transplanting to different sites every few years, like this orange one here and the purple ones below...but they rarely ever look as good as the greenhouse-grown ones. The blooms of yellow mums are just fading--perhaps the white mum would look good next to them.

 

Orange mum in the long island bed.

Purple mums in the Little Indians bed.

I'm preparing my tender tropicals to be brought indoors for the winter season by staging them on the porch, where they'll get washed and disinfected before being brought in. The other annuals are at the end of their life cycle and will be left to the mercy of the elements. It appears that our first frost may not come until early November this year, but who knows?

Porch plants preparing to be brought in.

Last blooms of tuberous begonia in hanging basket.

In the meantime, enjoy the last of the late flowers. Happy Bloom Day!

A Rainy September

Mushrooms growing under the birdbath.

 

The past week's rains from hurricane Helene here in Virginia have been good for my garden, even it if comes a little late--the growing season is coming to its end. Mushrooms are sprouting in my flower beds, the spiders are busy weaving their lacy orbs, while the fall-flowering plants and bulbs are making their appearance. 

 

Orange Chrysanthemum with Colchicum.

Colchicum 'Waterlily'

Colchicum 'Bornmuelleri'

Back bed with Colchicum

The Colchicum 'Waterlily' that I had planted a few years back put forth a couple of lovely flowers, which were torn to pieces by the deer shortly after I took this photo. Colchicums are poisonuous and most critters avoid them, which is why I chose this plant, but in this case it seems as if the deer tore my flowers up just out of spite (they didn't eat them), or was it perhaps to prevent their young from eating the tempting flowers? I'm never sure just how much intelligence to credit these creatures with.

The Colchicum 'Bornmuellerii' I planted in the back bed a couple of weeks ago popped up, but these have not been bothered at all. I'm waiting for the white Colchicum autumnale 'Album' I planted at the same time to come up any moment now, can't wait to see the flowers! I hope these will multiply over the years.

 

Muhly grass, Sedum 'Autumn Joy' and swamp sunflowers in Herb's bed.

Gaura 'Butterflies' with Agastache 'Blue Boa' and Little Bluestem grass.

 

Herb's bed really comes into its own in the fall, when the Muhly grass sets out its feathery plumes and the swamp sunflowers and 'Autumn Joy' Sedum put on their show.

 

Herb's bed with the Little Indians bed beyond.

Looking toward the back yard from the west garden.

The leaves of some trees are starting to show autumn color, the Yellowood tree (on the left) and the Redbud in the back. The dogwood in the front yard has turned a lovely orange.

 

Along the front walk.

The rain stimulated the much chewed-up Ceanothus 'Gloire de Versailles' to re-bloom, but the Leatherleaf Viburnum in back that is in bud has not unfolded its flowers yet--I hope they'll bloom before our first frost gets them.

 

Ceanothus 'Gloire de Versailles'

Leatherleaf Viburnum flower buds

 

The Anemone 'Honorine Jobert' is pushing against its wire cage, attempting to extend its flower stems to their normal lofty height. Unfortunately, I know the deer will decimate it if I remove the protective wire cloche, so until I can come up with a more effective barrier, they will have to stay cramped--I took off the cover for the photo.

 

Anemone 'Honorine Jobert'

 

After much browsing, the deer left me a few hardy Begonias in the front yard to bloom and re-seed themselves--not the display of other years, but I'll take it!

 

Hardy Begonias under the cherry tree in front.

My east woodland garden has prospered with the rains, although the Pagoda dogwood has started dropping its leaves. The holly 'Nelly Stevens' is full of ripening berries this year.

Woodland garden in the east.

'Nelly Stevens' Holly and Osmanthus 'Goshiki'

Woodland garden from the back yard.

 

One casualty of the tropical storm winds was one of my front porch baskets, which pulled out the hook from the beam from which it hung. Herb was watching it spinning crazily in the wind when it finally broke. Fortunately, it seems to have made a soft landing on top of the greenery in front. I hope we can re-hang the hook later on, but for now it makes the porch look unbalanced.

 

Fallen porch basket.

 

I wonder what October will bring... will we have a colorful autumn, and when will our first frost occur this year?

September Bloom Day

Blue Lobelias in east garden.

All-whilte Lobelia.

 

A very wet August brought us respite from the heat and drought--I recorded over 11 inches of rain during the month of August this year--and my garden seems to have revived to nearly normal. Every 15th of the month is Bloomday, hosted by Carol Michel's May Dreams Garden blog, so welcome to my September garden: let's take a look at what's blooming.

The deer ate back the buds of most of my Blue Lobelias, but after the rains the plants recovered enough to offer a nice array of flowers. They really set off the area of my east garden where I've been trying to create a shady woodland. I had just pruned the Japanese maple tree which I grew from a 6" seedling twelve years ago when I took this photo. I even found one all-white Lobelia in there--a sport or mutant? Lovely in any case! 

 I have two other Japanese maples in my little woodland, as well as a Carolina Silverbell tree and a Pagoda dogwood. The bed is finally starting to look somewhat as I had envisioned, but will need a few more years' growth to achieve fullness.

 

The east garden miniature woodland

 

Also on the east side of the house, my  Viburnum 'Brandywine' is making a wonderful display as its berries turn from pink to blue.

 

Viburnum 'Brandywine' berries

Moving on towards the back yard, the "Autumn Joy' Sedum is looking nice next to the wild blue Ageratum--unfortunately deer are very fond of this Sedum so it must be kept protected or there would be nothing left. I call this the "Herb bed" because my husband Herb dug the first part of it. Our hummingbirds love the red Salvia as well as the Brazilian Salvia 'Black and Blue.'

 

                Sedum 'Autumn Joy' with blue Ageratum and Calamagrostis 'Karl Foerster'

Red Salvia 'Windwalker Royal Red'

 

Behind this bed I have a witchhazel variety named 'Diane' flanked by two Viburnums I grew from seed collected at Brookside Gardens in Maryland--by the look of the leaves I think these may be Leatherleaf Viburnum. And one of these has developed some flower buds--unseasonably, it seems to me. I'm curious to see what the flowers and subsequent fruit will look like. It may reveal more about the particular species.

 More interesting is to note the chewed-up leaves. A number of clearwing hummingbird moths visited my garden this summer, and Viburnum is the host plant for the caterpillar of this moth, so I hope they are feeding on my Viburnums and will make my garden their home.

 

Leatherleaf Viburnum? budding.

 

I recently planted one of three Gaultherias I bought this past spring under the witchhazel tree after treating the soil with acidifier. Let's hope it survives and prospers. The alkalinity of the soil here can be a problem for many acid-loving plants.

 

Prairie sage and wild sunflowers.

A lovely color combination found in the back-most bed I call "The Badlands" was this blue sage (Salvia azurea) with some late-blooming native sunflowers. My display is still very skimpy, but hopefully will grow fuller with time if I can get the deer to stop eating it. Deer aren't supposed to eat salvias, but they will browse it if nothing else is available, and the sunflowers too.

 

Beautyberry (Callicarpa dochotoma 'Early Amethyst')

My two Beautyberry 'Early Amethyst' bushes are displaying their lovely berries and haven't been too badly chewed by the deer. And there are still some flowers on my butterfly bushes, they're finishing as other fall flowers come into bloom.

 

Butterfly bush 'Miss Molly'

I spent the past two days cleaning up a bed on the west side of the house--the crabgrass was almost up to my knees!--and while doing so, I transplanted a lovely wild purple aster that I'd found in the very back of the yard near my neighbor's fence. The aster was so tall I had to cut off the top so it wouldn't pull out of the ground, but hopefully it will recover and show even better next year. This one was a volunteer, I think it came from seeds collected in Warm Springs, VA, a few years back. Some times these volunteers can be wonderful additions to a native garden.

 

Purple aster with Caryopteris shrub in the west bed.

Also on the west garden, my Ceanothus 'Gloire de Versailles' has recovered from the browsing and is producing some blooms. This plant is a hybrid of the native New Jersey tea plant (Ceanothus americanus) with the California native lilac. Its flowers are fragrant.

 

Ceanothus 'Gloire de Versailles'

In the front yard on the west, my Abelia "Panoramic Color Radiance' did not get too badly eaten this year, and has some lovely blooms.

 

Abelia 'Panoramic Color Radiance'

The dogwood tree in front of the house is starting to show its fall foliage. And the deer left me a few hardy begonias under the cherry tree to flower and re-seed themselves, only because  of timely spraying with repellent.

 

Dogwood tree and front walk.

Hardy begonias.

Some of my potted plants are looking good too--the white Heliotrope on the front walk is lovely, as are the porch hanging baskets.

 

White Heliotrope.

Fuchsia in hanging basket.

Porch hanging basket.

The tuberous Begonia in the hanging basket on the back deck is still blooming but starting to fade, while the Salvia 'Black and Blue' is holding its own. The humming birds love this plant and we've had quite a few of them visiting our deck. Most of them don't seem to be bothered by our close proximity and feed while we're there, but a few are very shy.

Tuberous Begonia on the back deck.

Salvia 'Black and Blue'

I hope you've enjoyed this stroll through my garden on a lovely September day. Can't wait to see what the Autumn Equinox will bring!