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 2025 Bloom Day

 

Yellow Chrysanthemum

It's October Bloom Day: the 15th of the month is when garden bloggers share what's blooming in our gardens, as hosted by Carol Michel's May Dreams Garden blog. Fall is gradually showing its signs--the leaves are turning, the seeds are setting, and the last flowers of the season are displaying their blooms. Let's take a look, shall we?

In the front yard, the neon-pink Petunia growing in a pot still has some blooms--the cooler temperatures don't seem to have had an effect on it yet. The Gaillardia 'Arizona Sunset' has slowed down but still has some blooms too. 

The newly-opened blooms for the month are the Chrysanthemums, and I have several--this deep red-purple one in the front, a beautifully-shaped yellow that a fried gave me for my birthday, and a pink that I've have for several years.

 

Pink Petunia

Gaillardia 'Arizona sunset'

Deep red mums.

The changing foliage seems to be the main feature in my garden at this time of the year. The 'Brandywine' viburnum is very appealing with its red foliage and the berries turning blue.

 

Viburnum 'Brandywine'

The east garden.

 The 'Autumn Blaze' maple on the west side of the house is brilliant with color.

 

'Autumn Blaze' maple from the front.

'Autumn Blaze' maple from the back deck.

I used to have several huge mounds of Aromatic Asters blooming at this time, but in the last few years, deer in our area seem to have developed a taste for this plant which they never bothered before, so these are the only flower buds they left--a fraction of the original blooms!

  

Aromatic Aster.

Aromatic Asters with Fothergilla in back.

 

Grasses are another striking feature of my autumn garden; the Muhly grass 'Flamingo' in Herb's bed is among the showiest--the ordinary Muhly grass is shorter and more feathery. The Little Blue Stem grass is another grass that I enjoy--its tiny fluffy seeds look like little stars. I notice that it's being used a lot more in landscaping around our local buildings.

 

 

Muhly grass with pink mums.

 

Muhly grass 'Flamingo'

Little Blue Stem grass.

The Threadleaf Bluestar (Amsonia hubrichtii) in the Little Indians bed is turning gold, and the woods in back are starting to show some color too. But thus far it's rather subdued. The oak foliage will probably not turn until later.  It's time to harvest some of the Jerusalem artichokes--their blooms have all gone to seed.

 

Amsonia hubruchtii

The back yard in early morning.

A few roses linger on, but the porch baskets are looking very past it. There's no sign of the Crocus speciosus that I planted in the back bed a few weeks ago--I wonder if they will still bloom or if their time has passed? 

 

 

Shrub rose 'Petal Pushers'

Front porch.

 

We're expecting our first frost tonight, and with it, the beginning of winter's repose in the garden. Happy Bloom Day, enjoy the last of the flowers--thanks for visiting!

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!