"One of the most delightful things about a garden is the anticipation it brings."

Friday, October 2, 2009

Fertilizer Friday - Fall is definitely here!

The signs of fall continue to show here. It's been raining off and on the last couple of days, preventing me from getting much done outside. The grass has suddenly taken off growing after being brown all summer. The wind has blown lots of needles from the pine and cedar trees all across the yard and tangled in with all the plants. While walking the Littlest Gardener to preschool I've notice most of the trees starting to change color. That seemed to have happened practically overnight. I also noticed a couple of mornings ago the heat coming on and I've had to put blankets on of the beds. As much as I love the spring and summer for gardening I kind of look forward to the coziness of being inside more during fall and winter.

Some newly planted Pansies 'Ultima Baron Merlot'.

Alyssum

Cosmos 'Sensation'

Echinacea 'Fragrant Angel' isn't really all that fragrant, but it is very pretty.

Penstemon 'Sweet Joanne' is re blooming as are several other Penstemons.

Verbena bonariensis shows no signs of slowing down. Like I've said before, it goes with pretty much anything and is welcome to reseed all over my garden. I'd have to say it's one of my very favorite plants.

Chocolate Eupatorium is finally blooming. I can't believe how much it grew in one summer. I moved it into the butterfly garden from the backyard where it has a little more space.

Aster dumosus 'Professor Kippenburg' is what this was labeled, but now I see it's called Symphyotrichum novi-belgii. I think I'll just call it an Aster. Lantanas are blooming behind it.

Today is Sweet Pea's 11th birthday. How does time fly so fast? She is such a great girl and loves being outside as much as possible no matter what the weather. As soon as she gets home from school she's out the back door to play. You never know what you might find after she's been in the backyard. Bags tied with string to the branches of a tree, twigs tied together spelling the word "Mom" propped up in a flower bed, newly constructed fairy homes or buckets of rocks and seeds that she's gathered from around the yard. Her latest project was taking some of the homeless plants in the side yard and planting them in her own garden. She's already decided she wants to be an architect with a farm.

Join Tootsie at Tootsie Time for Fertilizer Friday to see her flowers and other gardeners "flaunting their flowers".
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39 comments:

  1. Sweet pea has style - love the hat!!!
    You have some gorgeous early autumn flowers - I really must try harder on this next year! :)

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  2. I can almost smell the sweet scent of your Alyssum. I can't wait to plant some in a couple of weeks. I put an extra blanket on my bed last night....fall is here!

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  3. Happy Birthday to Sweet Pea! She looks just like mommy. I hope she has the best.

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  4. Happy Birthday to Sweet Pea!

    Love the picture of the Aster with the beautiful Lantana in the background - that is a knockout combo!

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  5. Happy birthday wishes to Sweet Pea!!
    I loved those pansies - I've always found them amazing. Looks like they wink and smile at you :)

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  6. Sweet Pea, Happy Birthday, what a great smile!
    Hard to believe your heat has been coming on...we finally can have the windows open...though today may get too warm and will need the AC back on!!
    Love the Chocolate Eupatorium.

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  7. A very happy birthday wish to Sweet Pea! She is beautiful; I don't think I have ever seen a picture of you Catherine, but I see where Tina commented that Sweet Pea looks just like you. Both your girls are lovely and seem to have your love of the outdoors and a creative/artistic side. What blessings they are. Hope you all enjoy a nice weekend.

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  8. All of your flowers are beautiful, but that Pansy is a new one for me. Keep us posted on how that works out. It must be a newly developed flower. I like the reddish colors. That daughter has really grown. Eleven years old means that you can't stop her growing now.

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  9. Happy Birthday to Sweet Pea! She is so very cute in that hat! -Jackie

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  10. Just a slight cool down here in Florida..no real signs of fall...my flwoers are loving the not so hotness. Sweet Pea is adorable...you have been a wonderful example for your daughters!! How sweet to find "MOM" in the gardens.

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  11. Sweet Pea is the most adorable little/big girl ever! An architect with a farm and already moving plants around, she has a bright future, well done Mom! :-)
    Frances

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  12. She is just gorgeous! Happy Birthday to her!!!
    your gardens are looking vibrant and lush...I am jealous....mine are back and soggy from the frost...just plain icky! thanks for linking in and sharing with us...
    have a wonderful weekend!

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  13. Happy Birtday Sweet Pea! Those kids grow so fast. Cosmos is such a pretty color. Have a great weekend.

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  14. Happy Birthday, Sweet Pea! You are the highlight of your mom's garden, I'm sure! (Mom, my own Buttercup will be 11 this spring...where does the time go?)

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  15. Happy Birthday to Sweet Pea....love those pansies!

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  16. Catherine, even though autumn is just at your door, the flowers are having none of it. Those pansies are really colorful and remind me of spring. Happy birthday Sweet Pea.

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  17. Hey - I have tow of those - the alyssum and an 11-year old girl! Both are as pretty as yours.

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  18. Catherine your blooms just kill me. They are beautiful all the time!

    We are selling pansies at work now and all the fall plants that go along with them.

    Hope Sweet Pea had a good birthday. She is cute as a button.

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  19. Happy Birthday to Sweet Pea!She seems to be a great gardener like her mom.I liked the delicate penstemon- I haven't seen anyone growing it.
    Have a great weekend!

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  20. Happy Birthday Sweet Pea!

    Gorgeous shot of the Penstemon. I love the lilac pink.

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  21. Beautiful blooms! Like you, I love autumn and the short respite it brings. Happy birthday to your daughter! Mine turns 11 in a couple of weeks. The years go by too quickly!

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  22. Those are the prettiest pansies I have ever seen and your photos are so bright and vivid. Looks more like springtime in your yard.

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  23. Your Sweet Pea is getting a lot of Birthday Wishes - and I'll add mine, too. :-) You still have beautiful flowers blooming. It's been cold and rainy here these past couple of days, Catherine. It doesn't make me want to work outside at all (so I haven't!) ;-) However, before very long I really need to get a load of mulch to spread before I add the fallen leaves on the beds! THEN I'll be ready for relaxing and Winter!

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  24. Beautiful hot pink pansies! I just planted a pale blue/lavender variety. Yes, those verbenas are non-stop..still tons of activities from bees and skippers. I love all the creative fun Sweet Pea has in the garden, a testimate to her mom's love of gardening and teaching skills..keep it up, Catherine! Hope you had a wonderful BD celebration :)

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  25. Catherine the garden is looking lovely and so is your big girl Sweet Pea I hope she has a lovely birthday. Glad to see she has her future mapped out.

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  26. Happy birthday to the little one!

    The temps might be changing but the colors in your garden looks like it's blooming for summer still.
    The 'Ultima Baron Merlot'pansy is sooo pretty. Never seen a penstemon like yours before...very nice.Verbena is going strong here also. Hey, I had the same cosmos last year.

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  27. Wow! You have some beautiful flowers still blooming. Thx for sharing!

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  28. The flowers are breath taking indeed. And tell you what, these all are those flowers which are coming ahead to bloom. We sow them in October and see them bloom in January. Thanks for sharing these beauties with us.

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  29. I had to laugh when I read your comment to me about never coming in from the greenhouse...trust me...if I had a potty and a bed...I'd be good to go! lol

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  30. I have been away from my computer and am trying tonight to catch up with some of my favorite blogs...I enjoyed looking at your last colorful blooms so much!

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  31. Your flower photos are just gorgeous. I love cosmos and verbena and those pansies are stunning, what show offs they are! I love what your daughter gets up to in the garden, sounds like I was as a child.

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  32. Hello there! You're garden is still looking fantastic. Lucky you to still have bright Echinacea blooms. Most of mine are fading and going to the birds quite literally. Your little oldest one is too cute! Love the new area, too. It looks lovely already!

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  33. Your daughter is precious and will make a great designer for gardens and structures. And your blooms are looking especially good.

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  34. Sweet Pea is adorable, Happy Birthday! Your Autumn blooms are colorful smiles brightening your garden. Very nice closeups.

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  35. Sweet Pea is so beautiful! She's lovely. Your pink Cosmos are very cheerful and next year I really would love to have some here. If only I could find Verbena Bonariensis!! The local nurseries just gave me a blank look when I asked about it this past spring. Did you start some from seed? I have a perfect gig for some where it can reseed all over, if only I could find some to use. I'll try again in the spring. Also Delphinium. It's not loved by deer so I have been trying to get some going but cannot find a source so far. I'm going to keep trying with that too. Have a great day! Bonnie

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  36. Awww, how adorable is Sweet Pea. I call my daughter that too (one of the many nicknames she has). I'm late but I hope she had a great birthday.

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  37. PS I forgot to add, the verbena bonariensis that I started from seed this summer has a few buds on it! I'm so excited. I hope they will get a chance to bloom before a killing frost. Seeing it on all the garden blogs (like yours) is what made me want it for my own garden.

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  38. Happy birthday, Sweet Pea! I love that photo of you!

    I enjoyed your blooms, Catherine. Verbena is one of my favorite flowers, too, because of its structure and because the butterflies and bees love it. so I let it grow all over my yard, too. While reading your post, I remembered that the fall after I planted it for the first time, I read an article where I forgot who, had tested some plants, and they were disappointed with these for some reason. I'm thinking they had only them in a bed, and no other flowers for them to play with. Maybe that was the problem. I'm glad I didn't let that article influence me to stop growing them.

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