As the garden starts winding down for its winter sleep, there hasn’t been as much to write about. The late season bloomers are just hitting their peak now, and I’ve even got a few new ones to share.
Tree Ivy Shrub Flowers
In the last ‘This Week’ I shared the Tree-Ivy shrub starting to bud- and now it’s got tiny little white flowers! What a strange but interesting plant.
Variegated Sedum
I had also shared pictures of this variegated Sedum. I took some better pictures to show the pretty leaves.
White Sedum
And the flowers.
Path with Sedum and Azalea
Here’s another shot of the sedum in the lower garden at its peak. The purple encore azalea is blooming behind it.
Bees love Sedum
The bees love the sedum and were ALL over it. I’m seeing more of these big fat bumblebees now, much more so than earlier in spring and summer.
Toad Lily
I was very excited to find this in the garden last week- a Toad Lily. So far, I’ve only seen this one in the lower garden, but I’m so happy to see it. I’ve been reading about Toad Lilies all year and was really hoping that I had one.
Red Shiso turning pink
I also took a picture of this Red Shiso in the lower garden because it has turned this wild shade of pink. Some are more green, some are more dark purple or dull, but this one is just bright pink.
Volunteer Petunia
Up on the deck, in the planter with parsley, I had a late volunteer petunia come up. It blooms a single flower at a time.
Fairy-like Aster
The pretty little white aster has peaked this week, and is now starting to fade. The bees are still visiting however.
Japanese Anemone
The Japanese Anemone is fading now too- the flowers have fewer petals. But last week they were still going strong.
Cute Mushrooms
I found these cute little mushrooms while doing some fall clean up.
Dogwood Seeds
The birds have been going crazy over these dogwood seeds. I think they’ve just about eaten them all now. In addition all the usual species (black capped chickadee, tufted titmouse, carolina wren, goldfinch, house finch, blue jays, cardinals, nuthatch, red-bellied woodpecker, downy or hairy woodpecker, coopers hawk, cat bird, eastern towhee, crow and morning dove) the seeds have brought sightings of a blue bird, and I think a female red-winged blackbird.
Not sure what this is
This tall weedy-looking plant has been growing in the front bed since mid-summer. There are only two stalks, and they are now blooming these fine feathery little flowers.
Detail of weed?
I didn’t want to pull it until I figured out what it was- it’s not as weedy looking as something like horse’s tail. It’s kind of interesting, but I hope I don’t regret the decision next year (if) when I have a million of them.
Clematis
This spring, this clematis was blooming up by the mailbox. In the summer, the seed heads looked like this:
Roses with Clematis seed head
And now they look like this:
Clematis Seed Head
The seeds are fluffy and ready to float off in the breeze. I gathered a lot of seeds from this plant, the butterfly weed, and the Cleome in the veggie garden. I’m hoping to share and give them away.
Giant Camilia
This gigantic Camilia is covered with flowers right now. It’s blooming way more than it did last year. I will have to cut it back after it’s finished though because it wants to swallow the entire corner of our house- and our window.
Camilia Blossom
It’s hard to believe it’s been just over a year since we’ve been in the house. We’ve seen a full year cycle in the garden, even though I don’t think I paid much attention when we first moved in. Between moving, getting settled, appointments, and the decline of the garden in the fall, I didn’t pay much attention or take too many pictures last fall. Now that I’ve seen the garden for a full year though, this winter I can really start planning the changes I want to make next year.
Speak Your Mind