Bringing in the Flowers

Like most of you I have been busy sorting
and repotting those tender flowers and plants
to bring in for the winter.
Yesterday was a difficult day just deciding what
I wanted to overwinter. It is hard to let go of some
of the flowers that have been faithful bloomers over
the summer but I do not have the space and the proper
lighting for some of them.



Temperatures in the lower 30's that is coming in
forces us to choose.



Some of the favorite geraniums were repotted to
bring in but there are others that will be pulled
from their pots and cleaned of the soil to hang by
their roots in the basement this winter.



The Gerbera was put in a new container and
brought in to see if it will over winter in the house.
I have never tried to overwinter one so I am not sure
if it can be done. Do any of you overwinter yours?



The Mandeville was brought in in the hopes that
I can keep it alive until next spring.



The Lantana is ready to move indoors.



And so was the Purple Heart.

I brought in the little Fuchsia but do not
have the highest hopes for the poor thing.



Other will go by the wayside when the frost
hits us.



The Nicotina that I planted for the first time
and fell in love with will be gone but seeds were
saved for next spring.



The petunias will also be gone,



But I have their seeds. Although the odd three
colored blooming petunia plant never went to
seed. Too bad, I wanted to see what it would do
next spring. I did save a petunia plant all winter last
maybe I should try to keep the odd petunia indoors.

The purple or blueBrowillia will die out but it is so easy
to grow from seed.



The mounds of Impatiens are so tender it will
not take much to stop them cold.



The one Dahlia 'Edinburgh' I have will be brought in
after the frost also. I see so many beauties in
all of your garden beds but mine has yellow leaves
so it must not like where I had her.



The Nikko blue hydrangea that has finally gotten
buds had better bloom fast before the frost get her.
Time to get out the covers.

What are you all bringing in for the winter?
I would really like to know.

Happy Gardening Everyone!

What Gardeners Do When it Rains

They blog and talk about flowers,
look at other gardeners flowers,
and plan what to do outdoors when the rain stops.
I am not going to complain because we were
really needing the rain in this part of the
Buckeye state.
The rain has not slowed down the traffic on
the highway out front with people going
to the Arts and Crafts Show at Old Man's Cave.
Since I did not want to melt I opted to
stay home this year. No, I am an old salty
and not sweet and sugary ;-)


I missed Fertilizer Friday, Sorry Tootsie!
But I did get some pictures of some of the
flowers that are still trying to put out some
blooms and of some of the Fall decor that
I have stuck on the front porch.





The mums are starting to bloom. They
spent the winter in the basement and were
pinched back longer than they should have maybe,
but they will last longer for fall blooming. I pinch
them back until the last of July.





Look who is coming back now that the days
have grown shorter cooler.



Not exactly a fall pansy and though I would love
some that look more like Fall I may have really
blown all of my pin money for flowers for the year.



This will likely be the last echinacea for this summer.
Poor thing looks so forlorn and lonely all by itself.



This Clustered purple Bellflower decided to surprise
me with a single new bloom.



Another Stock plant finally decided to bloom.
I do not think I will be trying to grow Stock
ever again. Who knew it took months to bloom.
I know everyone except Robin and myself.



See the pretty purple potato vine in the wagon
my Dad made me? Now picture it with just a
whole lot of stems and no leaves.
Yep, the deers like sweet potatoes too.



I am still loving this free morning glory that
the birds or wind sent to the garden.
Free is a good thing.



Stella d' Oro has been spluttering around
and putting on a few blooms to let me know
she is a trooper in the garden.



The Iboza vine in this old coal bucket keeps
trying to spread her vines. I have pinched it
back all summer and have started some new
vines from it to try to over winter.

Remember the stray cat that grew three kittens
in the flower bed. Well sadly something has
happened to the yellow one. The ornery black one
has taken over my potting bench just like momma.



And the gray one thinks Mom makes a good
pillow while hanging onto the back of the chair.
I am more of a dog person but these old strays
know how to get around me.
Now when I look out the back door in the mornings
not one old cat is waiting and staring back at me
but one old cat and four little eyes are watching
for me. What is that mother teaching them.
Who me, an old softy ? Oh, well what can I say.


Don't forget to vote for your favorites on Blotanical!
Good luck Everyone!




Happy Gardening Everyone!

New Additions to the Garden

Well after I stop kicking my self in the backside
I will get to some new additions to the garden.
I have been suffering a slow down in my computer
and was practically ready to call the satellite provider
and give them a piece of what mind I have left.
Then upon getting the idea that it just might be
my fault (who would have guessed) and that I should
reboot my computer first, I proceeded to do it. Well
needless to say she is running like a whiz now.
My computer shuts down after it is idle for a while
so I never shut it down. I guess it was tired and needed
restarted. Do I feel dumb? Oh well it goes with the territory.
Now onto the good stuff!

Like many of you I have been scrutinizing my flower
beds and making changes. Moving things and adding in
some new plants to extend the growing season.
Some of my flower beds just made no sense at all.
Plants that I loved and just stuck in that upon really
looking at, just did not work. Also I tended to have more
pinks, blues and purples and not enough of other
colors. So I have been working the flower beds into
sections and getting some colors to flow together.
You would think that Burgundy Gaillardia would go
with Red Roses but when they start getting more yellow
in them over the years they tend to clash a little, alright
they clash a lot.



So I moved and divided the big beauty and some
other plants from the garage bank and moved in
some more roses I had scattered around to make
this into more of a Rose bed. Next Spring I want to
add in some different color of rose bushes and hope
that they do not turn into all red roses like the Irish Gold
did this year.



I have been working more on the long bed that
runs along the woods. This bed runs from sun
(due to a dying tree) and into shade.
After seeing so many beautiful lilies this summer
and having planted some last fall and falling in love
with them, I went on this lily kick of planting this fall.
I have planted over sixty lilies in different sections
along with the transplanted irises, and sowed some Foxglove
seeds in the mix that one of you generous blog friends
sent to me, which will no doubt feed the deers for years.
Most of the lilies were a cheaper assorted bunch
which will be surprises when they bloom. They will be
future moves most likely ;-)
Along with them were planted some known lilies
such as:

Pink Elodie, Brings Joy,Ceres, Daring Deception,
Fata Morganna, Siloam Double Classic,Spinx ,
Strawberry Candy, Wineberry Candy, Windsor
Castle, and:



Siloam Merle Kent and Purple d' Oro



White Stargazer 'Snow Princess' and pink Stargazer lilies.

In the pink section of the sunny part were added:



Peony ' Celebration'

And Achillea 'Summerwine'. I had here also Echinacea
purprea and sedums. Flowing from the pinks into a
new yellow section has been added:



Achillea 'Sunshine' and a ' Goblin' Gaillardia.



Echinacea's 'Harvestmoon' and 'Sunrise'



And stuck in the middle of the yellows is 'Maynight' Salvia
to add the pop.

A new section of blue flowers flows from the yellow
in which I added a new Sea Holly Erngium 'Sapphire Blue'
and a new Agastache ' Blue Fortune'. I am hoping that these
will go well with the new blue re-blooming Irises.
Like all gardeners I will probably have to tweak and
change some things here if the blues clash.



After stripping a little bed of all of the old fashioned
purple irises that were divided and moved I added an
all new color for me. Yes, I have really made myself go
out on a limb here and added orange and rust to my flowers.
If you knew me you would know how big this step is ;-)



Achillea 'Apricot Delight' and red Helenium and some
Apricot ' Windsor Castle' lilies with Coreposis 'Burnt
Sienna'.



After I see the color of the blooms next summer I may
add in some of the old Burgundy Gaillardia. I was thinking
about adding the two 'Becky Towne' variegated phlox to this
mix but I have never saw the blooms of the Becky Towne
so I am unsure if it will clash or blend in. Of those of you who
have this flower is the blooms more pink, apricot or red?
Will it clash with the rusts and apricots? I really need advise
from you before I receive and plant them this fall.
If you all think they will clash then they
will have to go to another bed.

To the shady beds new anemones were added.
So you see I have really been busy this Fall in the
garden. When they all get grown in, the redone
flower beds should flow together better, or not.
In my mind and on paper it flows anyway but I
will have to wait until next summer to see the fruit
of my labors.

Happy Gardening Everyone!