It's the beginning of October and I find myself wondering where the time is going! But time marches on and the gardening season is slowing down. Here in Zone 4, we've had a few nights of light frost already. Those first frosts killed off my basil and tomatoes, and started turning the peony leaves that glorious red colour of fall.
We have pine needles and yellow leaves falling and that wonderful fall smell in the air.
One lovely job in the fall is to pick out and plant new spring bulbs. Since so many of my crocus bulbs of 2011 turned into chipmunk and squirrel food, I decided to try more daffodil bulbs this year. I picked out some called 'Dutch Master', which are large and tall, a bag of mixed coloured ones 'Halo Cups Blend', and a bag of the adorable, dwarf 'Tete-a-Tetes'. I am also trying some 'Delft Blue' hyacinths....I haven't grown them before and am not sure how they will do, so I am only doing a small grouping of three for now.
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| Narcissus 'Tete-a-Tete' Daffodils |
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| Narcissus 'Halo Cups Blend' Daffodils |
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| other lovelies |
TThere are still a few things blooming in the garden now. The 'King Arthur' delphinium has given me one last, late bloom. The 'Autumn Joy' is turning darker. I love the way it starts out as pink and turns into this lovely dark burgandy. And the fall asters are always a delight, but the flowers aren't as bountiful as they usually are, and I think I probably should divide them in the spring.
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| last blooms of Delphinium 'King Arthur' |
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| Sedum 'Autumn Joy' |
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| Aster Michaelmas Daisy |
Today, the weather is supposed to be nice, and I'm looking forward to an afternoon of cleaning up and doing some final weeding!
Happy Gardening.
You still have some wonderful blooming going on. I have to divide quite a number of things in the spring too. Your Daffs will be lovely when finished. I just haven't had much luck with them. I know they say the Squirrels don't eat them but for some reason they dig mine up. Oh well, getting too old for most of that anyway, trying to change over to mostly flowering shrubs and enjoy photos of all of you others perennials.
ReplyDeleteCher Sunray Gardens
Hi Diane, Garden clean up today, huh? And daffodil planting too I imagine. I have many garden tasks and I need to get out and work in the yard too. Your dephinium is pretty - a bonus bloom this time of year! You asked about my rudbeckia in a box. The box has no bottom. I just sit it over the flowers. There were daylilies blooming out of the box erlier!
ReplyDeleteAutumn Joy is a favorite beauty of mine this time of year. Do you have some rule of thumb, on whether you split plants up in the fall or spring? It's been cold and rainy here in Ohio, hoping for a few nice days to get some stuff done.
ReplyDeleteAll the best,
Hi Diane, Nice to see you back missed reading your posts - lovely delphinium by the way -
ReplyDeletewon't be long before everything finishes flowering for the year - but then there is always spring to look forward to and the cycle beginning again.
Hi Diane
ReplyDeleteOnly zone 4 - wow. At least here we are 5a which allows for a few hardier plants. It might be time consuming to plant a lot of bulbs now but it sure is worth it in the spring providing the bunnies don't nip the new growth off.
King Arthur is a regal looking delph.
Judith
Beautiful it is hard to believe we are coming down the homestreach. At least it goes out with a bang.
ReplyDeleteHi Diane, When it comes to bulbs I am a usually a great procrastinator. This year I am doing a bit better. I have actually bought and planted a few packages.
ReplyDeleteI hate to be discouraging, but in my experience, squirrels love daffodils. To discourage the little bleeps, I find if I plant my bulbs just a little deeper (using a shovel and not a trowel) and then pat the disturbed earth down ( making it harder to dig them up) that the squirrels leave them alone.
Its interesting to see a garden on another continent with the same plants that I'm growing. The sedums and asters in my garden and on my allotment are looking amazing too. We've had some unusually hot and beautiful weather in the UK for the time of year (the summer we never had) but it looks like that has passed and proper Autumn weather has returned.
ReplyDeleteYou will love those Tete a Tete daffs, so charming! I need to get going on fall bulbs myself, but between vacation and work, I am really behind around here.
ReplyDeleteLove your garden of flowers. I love all Daffodils, can't go wrong with them in my book. I welcome you to visit me at "From my little corner of the world" anytime. Blessing and good luck with your daffodils.
ReplyDeleteSo right, how the time has flown. Autumn already.
ReplyDeleteI just planted a bag of those 'tete-a-tete' for a disabled friend so hope they do well.