October 2026 Bloom Day

Aromatic asters and Muhly grass

 

It's October the 15th, Bloom Day, hosted by Carol Michel's May Dreams Gardens blog. I'm writing this a day earlier because I'd planned to hike in WV with a friend today, but the weather predictions weren't good, so we postponed our hike. Happy Bloom Day, welcome to my garden!

The rains from tropical storm Isaias last weekend brought almost three and a half inches to our area, and very welcome it was. As usual, the rain brings out wonders in my garden; let's take a look.

The Aromatic asters (Symphyotrichum oblongifolium) I planted in Herb's bed in the spring have opened just in time for this post, as well as the Muhly grass with the big plumes--I believe this variety is called 'Flamingo.' Anyway, it's a beautiful combination. The insects love these autumn flowers!

Aromatic asters and Muhly grass

Herb's bed in October

Herb's bed with red Salvia

The pink Chrysanthemums near the veggie pagoda are starting to open, the red ones are farther behind in opening. I couldn't resist buying a couple more potted mums that were on sale at Lowes. I'll tuck those in somewhere after they finish blooming, for now they decorate the front walk.

Pink mums

Pink mums with grasses

Orange mum along the front walk

I spotted a few of the Crocus speciosus I planted last fall in the back bed, but the ones I planted some weeks ago in other beds haven't popped up yet. They have such lovely delicate flowers, I wish mine would multiply and cover large expanses... maybe someday.

Crocus speciosus

The leaves are showing more autumn color: the Redbud tree in the back yard turned yellow practically overnight, and my Yellowwood tree (Cladrastris kentuckea) is showing nice color.

Back yard with Redbud tree

Yellowwood tree on the west side

The west side looking down from the deck

In the same bed with the Yellowwood there are a few Shasta daisies--I should prune them back hard next spring to see if I can get denser blooms. The hydrangea's flowers turning rusty pink make a nice contrast with the foliage.

Shasta daisies

No ID hydrangea

Blanket Flower (Gaillardia 'Arizona Sunset') still blooming

Though not a flower, I bought this gorgeous ornamental cabbage at Oak Spring Garden's Rokeby Festival a couple of weeks ago with an eye towards turning it into a painting or colored pencil drawing--the colors are so fabulous! Ditto for the large Turk's Turban pumpkin sitting on my work table (our dining table) behind my drawing board. I wonder how I could combine them for one painting? Nah, that might be too much--each one is a worthy subject on its own. 

I need to get started on them right away, specially the pumpkin, it won't hold its color for too long. But I'm torn between working in my garden or painting, both need so much attention!

Ornamental cabbage

Turk's Turban pumpkin

That's about it for today, thanks for dropping by!

October Country

Muhly grass

We're entering October Country, when the seasonal changes become more dramatic in the garden. I named this post after Ray Bradbury's classic "October Country" a collection of sci-fi short stories with a weird, ominous feel... I read it some fifty years ago, but I still remember some of them despite the years! When I first met my husband, a sci-fi fan, he introduced me to his library of favorite books, wanting me to learn about a genre that I'd never seriously considered before.

In my garden, the changes in foliage begin showing up in late summer with the dogwood turning bronze, then gradually red, then the maple 'Autumn Blaze' starts to turn red. Clear cloudless skies dominate while the summer flowers in pots and beds are still hanging on. My front porch baskets look particularly full this year towards the end of the season-- probably the best in years-- just before the first frost cuts them down, such a shame! But to everything there is a season.

Along the front walk, with dogwood tree.

Maple 'Autumn Blaze'

Front porch hanging basket

My thermometer marked 37 degrees yesterday morning, signaling that it's time to start bringing in my tender tropical  plants in pots. This is the time for me to get a lot of work done in the garden, fertilizing, mulching, weeding, planting new bulbs, etc. I wish I could afford to hire an extra hand to help, I hardly have time to enjoy fall flowers as the asters and mums begin their display. 

The plumes of the Muhly grass begin to unfurl their airy pink flowers, looking lovely in the late afternoon light. The perennial red Salvia is blooming profusely, and the last of the migrating hummingbirds came by a few days ago to sip its nectar. That may be the last hummingbird we'll see this year.

The path in Herb's bed.

The veggie pagoda from the deck

I finally took down the Blue Lake green beans that had grown to the top of the veggie enclosure, to make room for some lettuce and spinach. Next, I'll be harvesting some of the Jerusalem artichokes, or sunchokes, as some call them.

I love the little wild aster plant growing along the path. I was amazed to see how many bees and wasps were foraging on the flowers! I managed to capture just a fraction on the action in this shot with a little skipper butterfly and a bumblebee.

Skipper butterfly and bumblebee on wild asters.

The Nasturtiums are blooming their heads off in the basket on the back deck, and the other plants back there still look fairly decent considering the late season.

Nasturtiums

Plant stand on the back deck in October

My variegated black cotton plant never developed much variegation, but my friend's did, and she loaned me hers so I could do a sketch of it in my new botanical sketchbook. Here's a shot of the almost finished sketch.

Variegated Black Cotton watercolor sketch on Bockingford paper.

Another sketch, in colored pencils, of a Miniwarts pumpkin.

Miniwarts pumpkin in colored pencils on Bristol 300 Vellum finish paper, 14" x 11"

Yesterday our Plein Aire painting group went out to paint at the farm of one of our friends, and this is my sketch from it. This farm is in Rappahannock County, the next county from mine, and the mountain behind is in Shenandoah National Park, where the Bear Wallow Overlook on Skyline Drive is. I'll have to stop and take a look the next time I'm up there, to see if I can spot Donna's farm below.

Persimmon Springs Farm, plein aire watercolor, 14" x 10"

I have another colorful pumpkin I bought for painting, but haven't had a chance to start on that one yet. I hope to have some time next week for it. Next week on the 15th will be October Bloom Day--tune in for Bloom Day.

Fall Equinox 2026

Colchicum 'Waterlily'

 

The Fall Equinox came last week with over an inch of rain, and my Colchicum 'Waterlily' sprouted three lovely flowers. The previous year it didn't bloom at all--I dug it up and re-planted it just a foot or so from where it had been--it was being crowded out by other plants-- it seems a lot happier now.

 

 

As the summer flowers in other beds fade, the classic fall flowers begin their show, and berries decorate my bushes. Along my front yard the Salvias in pots are still hanging on, feeding the hummingbirds that are now migrating, while the leaves of the dogwood tree turn to autumn shades.

 

Along the front walk

 

The Viburnum 'Brandywine' on the east side of the house is displaying its berries in pinks and blues. My Pink Turtlehead in the woodland garden managed to produce one flowering spike; the deer ate all the other buds, despite having a deer repellent on a stake right next to it! I'll have to try to protect it more next year, in hopes it will become a respectable clump. The Anemone 'Honorine Jobert is still looking good.

 

Viburnum 'Branydwine'

Pink Turtlehead (Chelone obliqua)

Anemone 'Honorine Jobert'

 

In the back yard the swamp sunflowers have opened up, making a nice display. Last Friday I had agreed to lead a workshop drawing flowers for Art in the Park, an annual weekend event at Shenandoah National Park. I had to provide my own flowers, as one is not allowed to cut any plants from the park, so I went out that morning and cut a bunch of my sunflowers and little wild asters that I let grow all over my yard, along with a few of my Agastaches and ornamental grasses. 

 

Swamp sunflowers (Helianthus angustifolium)

Wild asters growing next to my veggie pagoda

The workshop turned out very well, I had about 20 people, four adults had brought children with them, between the ages of 6 and 10--I was impressed by how well-behaved and attentive the kids were. It was wonderful to see them doing art, brought back memories of myself at that age.

Driving south on Skyline Drive on my way in, I almost ran into two wild turkey hens eating something in the middle of the road. I slowed down and carefully drove around them--they didn't even budge, they were so absorbed in whatever was there. Two other cars behind me did the same. I wish I'd had the time to stop and take a photo, it's seldom one sees a wild turkey these days, much less two! But I was running late...

Yesterday I found a neat surprise in my back yard--a circle of lawn mushrooms growing in front of the back bed--these are the edible Agaricus campestris, same variety that are sold at the grocery store as button mushrooms. Naturally, I went out this morning and collected enough for dinner tonight. These will have more flavor than the grocery-bought ones, which have had the flavor bred out of them.

 

Edible lawn mushrooms (Agaricus campestre)

 

Lawn mushroom harvest

In the backyard the Muhly grass is starting to open its airy plumes, and Herb's bed still has some Agastaches, Sedum 'Autumn Joy' and ornamental grasses. The yellow Chrisanthemums are holding their own, while the other mums are getting ready to open.

 

Muhly grass

  

Sedum 'Autumn Joy'

Yellow Chrysanthemum

 

Pink mum in bud

 

The two Beautyberries 'Early Amethyst' in the back yard have a nice crop of berries--the color is so lovely against the yellowing leaves.

 

Beautyberry (Callicarpa dichotoma 'Early Amethyst')

Recently I've been working on a new piece on a material new to me--Aquabord. This mineral and clay surface is quite different from working on paper, it absorbs water and dries at a very different rate from paper. It's challenging whenever one tries something new, but the idea is to be able to seal it and mount it in a floater frame rather than put it under plexiglas and a mat. Below is the new work in progress.

 

Monarchs on Prairie Blazing Meadow Star, 16" x 20"

 

As the nights get colder, the leaves will soon begin to turn shades of red and gold. I wonder if we'll have a colorful fall this year? 

September Bloom Day

Blue Lobelias

 

Hard to believe September Bloom Day is here--Bloom Day on the 15th of every month is hosted by Carol Michel's May Dreams Garden Blog--welcome to my Zone 6B garden in Virginia, friends! It's been a dry August and even drier September so far, with no relief in sight--my garden isn't looking its best, despite lots of very expensive watering.

My native blue Lobelias, which normally bloom during August, started to bloom quite late this year but are still going, though the foliage is yellowing (admission: some of my photos were taken from two to ten days ago). This year I kept them sprayed so the deer wouldn't eat the flower buds, and that worked. 

The one original plant I bought and put under my 'Bloodgood' Japanese maple has multiplied amazingly over the past twelve years--this year I have several white-flowered mutants in this expanse under the three Japanese maples in my woodland garden on the east side of the house.

 

East garden woodland with blue and white Lobelias

Blue Lobelia clump

White Lobelias

 

Tropical Salvias are a great attraction for our hummingbirds at this time of the year--I love seeing them come by to feed. This summer I expanded my previous purchases of  'Black and Blue' and tried again last year's 'Bodacious Hummingbird Falls' which hadn't done well the previous year. I added 'Amistad' and 'Faye Chapel' to my selections. The 'Bodacious Hummingbird Falls' in the hanging basket seems to be the star this year--the hummers have visited this one so much--they can't leave it alone!

 

Salvia 'Bodacious Hummingbird Falls'

 

'Amistad' and 'Black and Blue' in pots along the front walk have attracted their share of hummers too, and the Fuchsia 'Billy Green' on the front porch. 

  

Front walk in the evening

  

Salvia 'Black and Blue'

 

 

Miniature yellow Dahlia along front walk.

 

The big red Salvia 'Faye Chapel' also on the front walk, proved too tempting for the deer (they'll eat some salvias!), they kept eating back the buds until I moved the pot to the deck, where they can't get at it. It finally started to bloom earlier this month, but it hasn't attracted as many hummers as the others--why I can't imagine, with that luscious color! Perhaps it's getting late in the season--I have the feeling that most of our local hummers have already left for more southern parts, and the ones we're seeing now are migrants from farther north. The nights have been getting cooler and these hummers sure are hungry!

Salvia 'Faye Chapel'

Double Tuberose blooms

My double Tuberose finally put out two blooming spikes--better late than never, the scent is delicious!

The foliage of our dogwoods is turning, which is normal for this time of the year, but a number of other trees are exhibiting early signs of fall, probably more due to drought than the season. We're still getting eighty-degree days.

 

Front walk in early morning.

Reworked stone path

 

A few weeks ago, tired of seeing the stone path across my long island bed drowned in crabgrass again, I decided to take up all the stones, get rid of the crabgrass, and put down some weed barrier cloth before setting them back. I thought a bit of gravel between the stones might look nice and keep the path weed-free. 

Good Lord, was it hard work--now I know why they call it "hardscape"! A bag of pea gravel weighs a ton, carrying it out from my car to the back yard was almost more than I could do! My husband Herb couldn't help--doctor's orders--so I had to do it all by myself. But it's finally finished--next spring I'll try to do the same with the stone threshold of the veggie pagoda. I wish the contractor had had the presence of mind to put down weed cloth there before he laid out those stones!

In addition, I expanded the bed in front of the enclosure to put in three new Salvia plants--'Pink Nebula'-- and re-planted the 'Purple De Oro' daylilies that the deer were eating back. The light blue Salvia that was there got moved to the left side of the path. The soil in that part of my garden is 100% rock and clay, very inhospitable, I worked in two cubic feet of clay-breaker mulch in there plus compost--more back-breaking work! I sure hope to see the rewards next spring.

 

Herb's bed  with Texas Red Salvia

'Autumn Joy' Sedum with Muhly grass

Moving to the right of the enclosure in Herb's bed, the Sedum 'Autumn Joy' blossoms are turning pink while the Muhly grass is getting ready to put forth its airy plumes. The Agastaches and blue Ageratum are still blooming, but starting to slow down, showing stress from the drought. The pink Gaura is blooming beautifully.

The 'Autumn Joy' in the other bed keeps getting eaten by the deer, despite my barriers, so it looks very skimpy. The few Chrisanthemum plants I have left are starting to open too.

 

Agastaches in Herb's bed

Pink Gaura

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The autumn-blooming Colchicums I planted last fall have started to pop up in the back bed, with a little bit of watering, but they're not very impressive at this point.

 

Colchicum bornmuelleri

 

Colchicum album

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Another expansion project I'd like to undertake is joining up Herb's bed with the one just outside the veggie enclosure. I don't know if I'll be able to do it this fall, as I'm teaching three art classes; one class in Maryland's Eastern Shore is a two-day class, and will require two nights' stay at a local hotel. I may have to put off this project till next spring. I want to have more herbs in my garden, and perhaps a tiny water feature like a tub for a waterlily. One can always dream.

 The Badlands bed has the Prairie sage showing its sky-blue blossoms right now--the native sunflowers that complement it so well had most of their flowers eaten by deer. But these are still blooming in the veggie enclosure, along with some companion plant Marigolds and Asian eggplant.

 

Prairie blue Sage

Native sunflowers (Helianthemum annuus)

 

Marigolds and Asian eggplants in the veggie garden

A friend gave these native wild Poinsettia plants, but the deer kept eating them--after spraying them I finally got to see the red flowers--they're tiny but so cute!

 

Euphorbia Cyathophoria

 

My Viburnum 'Brandywine' is now at its most spectacular--when the pink berries start to turn blue, and the bush exhibits both colors--with the foliage turning red, it's just stunning this year!

 

Viburnum 'Brandywine'

 

I created a painting of this plant recently to put in a show presented by the Botanical Artists Society of the National Capital Region (BASNCR), the chapter of the American Society of Botanical Artists (ASBA) that I belong to. Our show, titled "Autumns Splendor" is now at Montclair Library in Dumfries, VA, where it will hang until the end of October.

 

Viburnum 'Brandywine' and Clearwing Hummingbird Moth, watercolor and graphite.

 

The porch baskets are showing seasonal wear and tear--these purple petunias have the most wonderful scent I've come across in a petunia. They came from a mix called 'Pretty Grand' that a local nursery was selling. Oddly enough, the other colors barely have any scent, but at night these purple ones permeate the air on the porch. I hope I can find these again next year, though I'd prefer all-purples ones.

 

 

'Pretty Grand' Petunias

Porch basket with Bacopa, purple Ipomoea, Petunias and Pelargonium

Indoors, a miniature Dendrobium is blooming--the plant was so vigorous that I divided it into two during the summer, and both are blooming now!

 

Pink Dendrobium orchid

 

Dendrobium orchid with two blooming spikes.

 That's it for this month, thanks for visiting!