Fall in the Garden

9/24/13

Yoshino cherry tree

    

     Although the garden is still full of summer blooming flowers, fall has definitely arrived with its colder temperatures.  After a relatively cooler-than-normal summer, this area has had cool temps since September 1st.  It was 42 degrees here last night, and we turned the heat on a few days ago since it has been in the 40's at night for a week.  The Yoshino cherry trees in the front yard started dropping their leaves around September 1st. They are beginning to look a little bare.

     My fall flowers started blooming at the end of August and are doing well.  Here are a few photos of them.     

hardy begonias

Japanese anemones

I planted some mums in my patio pots

New Guinea impatiens are still going strong

purple alyssum seems to like the cooler weather

the late-planted cosmos started blooming three weeks ago

in the side yard garden the goldenrod just bloomed

the oriental fountain grass Karley Rose is at its fullest bloom

the zinnias are doing well

     I am reluctant to let go of summer.  I am missing the light of the long summer days.  But fall here is usually dry and sunny, and we have had many beautifully sunny days.  But come winter I may need to go to Florida.

Side Garden Additions

6/12/13

side yard garden

     The side garden is starting to fill in as I have added more plants over the last two weeks.  I'll be adding a few more annuals and perennials over the next few months as I watch the plants grow and see how much room is still available.  Here are photos of what I've recently added.

glossy abelia

     Glossy abelia is a deciduous or semi-evergreen shrub that has rounded, gracefully arched branches.  It can grow six feet tall or more, has glossy green leaves, and blooms from mid-summer to autumn with fragrant, funnel-shaped, white flowers tinged with pink.  I have never had an abelia in any of my yards.

oriental fountain grass Karley Rose

     On each side of the garden I have planted the oriental fountain grass Karley Rose.  It has graceful, fluffy flower spikes.  It can grow two to three feet and blooms from June to September.  This is a new grass for me.

gallardia Arizona Sun

yellow foxglove

     A gardening friend gave me some yellow foxglove.

goldenrod

     The same friend also gave me some goldenrod. I don't know the species as there are over 50 species.  It has bright yellow flowers that bloom late summer into fall.  It is sometimes considered a weed, but many insects interact with goldenrod, uncluding bees, butterflies, and moths.

salvia

      I filled in some space with annuals like red salvia.

marigolds





zinnias

coreopsis grandiflora

     Although supposedly deer-resistant, like everything I have planted in this garden, I presume the deer sampled the flowers which are missing off the top of this coreopsis and the zinnias.

roses

      For the past two weeks, roses have been blooming all over the neighborhood.  The rose bushes in my back garden have bloomed also.  I have no idea what kind they are.  The rose bushes were here when we moved in in February.