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

Friday, September 18, 2009

Fertilizer Friday - Last Friday of Summer.

It's hard to believe that this time next week it will be officially Fall.  The garden is still full of flowers and not quite ready for fall cleanup, but I know that job isn't too far off.  That's one job that I never really look forward to.  I'm always left trying to decide if I should yank all the annuals out and cut back all the perennials at the same time, or do them one by one as they officially die or are killed off by the frost.  It's so much easier to do it all at once, and yet I hate cutting anything with any flowers left on them.

All the Dahlias are still blooming.

The only white Dahlia that I don't remember planting, I only remember planting pink or maroon ones.

Can you see all the Sunflowers planted by the birds?  They are all different sizes, and many more that don't show in this picture.  Cosmos 'Bright Lights' is blooming behind them.

Another volunteer Sunflower, the flowers look like the 'Mammoth' ones I planted.

Rose bud of 'Abraham Darby' with Red Valerian (Centranthus ruber) growing around it.  I like to plant my roses mixed in with my perennials.

The unknown pink rose continues to bloom.

Rose 'Gertrude Jekyll', I just love this rose and can't wait until it gets bigger and taller.

Rose 'Honey Perfume' covered in dew early in the morning.  I was walking the Littlest Gardener to preschool (her second day of it!) and had the camera to take pictures of her.  I thought the rose in the morning lighting was so pretty.

This is the exact same rose about six hours later.  I was happy to see quite a few more buds on this bush.

Now I hope you'll visit Tootsie at Tootsie Time to join in or see all the other gardeners "flaunting their flowers."
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30 comments:

  1. You still have a lot blooming and I don't blame you for not wanting to cut back when there are still flowers blooming. I don't like to do that either. Looks great! Brrrrr fall is coming!

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  2. Awesome roses Catherine. I wish I could smell them here.

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  3. I covet your dahlias! Your yard still looks great.

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  4. Funny to see the roses fade like that. I notice daylilies do the same, especially really deep colored ones. There's still lots of buds on my dahlias, too so we'll have blooms for a few more weeks..yay! Great photos of the sunflowers, Catherine!

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  5. Lovely pictures, Catherine. I bought three little Abe Darby's in pots to get ready for our front-yard project next spring, and they've been blooming their heads off for such small plants. Did you ever see the movie Zorro with Catherine Zeta-Jones? After kissing Zorro she says, "He was very vigorous, Father" or something like that - that's Abe Darby, vigorous! My middle daughter also started preschool this week - the two would enjoy picking flowers together.

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  6. Beautiful Blooms still going...the whole prune, pull up and or cut back just a little gives me a headache if I don't just get out there and do it!! Not quite time here though.

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  7. What pretty photos Catherine. Each one if so vivid and shows such detail. It must be fun to get out there each day and see what is new! Enjoy your weekend.

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  8. You have some gorgeous dahlias. Just beautiful and so are the roses. I especially like Gertrude Jekyll. So dainty. Those are some great sunflowers the birds planted for you.

    Have a great weekend Catherine.

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  9. Your roses look so wonderful. I love the golden Honey Perfume rose. Does it bloom all summer?

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  10. Oh those dahlias! Wow...they are amazing.

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  11. Lona - It does bloom off and on all summer, not as much as some of my others. It's so pretty when it does bloom I don't mind.

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  12. To die for florals .. dahlias are exquisite! Have a great weekend. TTFN ~Marydon

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  13. Hi Catherine. I really like the white Dahlia. You mention frost and then I realize how different things are in Bermuda. Frost is not in the vocabulary.

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  14. Dahlias and roses, the best of the best. We leave most everything, but have very few annuals, those are in pots and will be replaced with violas very soon. I like to have the annuals in the gravel self sow so leave them longer than they are attractive, worth having to look at them, IMHO. :-)
    Frances

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  15. Those plants look so great especially those dahlias. Wish I could smell the roses.

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  16. Your dahlias and roses are lovely!

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  17. Catherine,
    So many pretty dahlias but that pink rose is a beaut! Great blooms and always fun to see your pretty garden.
    Meems @ Hoe and Shovel

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  18. I really like the so many different kinds of flowers you have collected. They look like they are doing so well. Love the shots of the roses.

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  19. They are gorgeous! I think I don't have words left to describe your garden bloom...
    *urban green waves"

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  20. Such beautiful dahlias and roses. I just found a few new buds on my rose bush too. I was thrilled to see them because I thought it was done. I hate those should I cut or should I wait blues when it comes to the end of the season also. On one hand you want the task done with, but on the other you don't want summer to end and you don't want to get rid of any flowers left to enjoy. what a dilemna!

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  21. What a lovely garden! Gertrude Jekyll is probably my favourite rose scent-mine had about 100 blooms at once this year and ive let it grow as a climber.I am following you so that I can follow your gardening progress, best wishes Betty from England http://countryrosecorner.blogspot.com

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  22. Great photos as always. I haven't planted dahlias in years, but picked up some on a whim in July ago because their deep orange color was so eye-catching. They have been blooming their hearts out ever since, with no fertilizer and moderate water. I've definitely joined the dahlia fan club.

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  23. Hi Catherine,
    Your flowers are still looking great. I think the dahlias are my favorites. I always wait until after the first freeze, which I'm hoping won't be here any time soon. We normally have some decent days after that to clean up the annuals. I normally wait until spring to clean up the perennials.

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  24. I have to try harder to grown some dahlias next year. I've never grown them, can you believe it? Your Honey Perfume rose is on my wish list for the future. Beautiful!

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  25. wooo hooo!!! look at your blooms!!! those are some flauntable flowers if I have ever seen!
    It is hard to believe that the summer is gone....makes me sad...I have a long winter ahead...and this fall is just as warm as the summer was for us!

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  26. Those dahlias are to die for! So beautiful. Love your roses too. Think we saw some Honey Perfume roses at the Botanical Garden on Friday. Hard to believe it is September, the blooms just look fabulous!

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  27. I was thinking the same thing as Janet ~ doesn't look like September in your garden from these pics! I am lovin' that white dahlia too. I think I need a few more for next years garden. You're so smart to move Abraham Darby where you can smell the fragrance. Aren't they so intoxicating?

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  28. I love all of your dahlias and sunflowers and you have several varieties of roses that are blooming beautifully.

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  29. What is the small orange flowers planted behind the sunflower? Geum? That pink dahlia is to die for! Do you live where you have to dig up Dahlia and caladium bulbs before the ground freezes so they don't rot?

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  30. Betty - Those orange flowers are Cosmos, and I wish I could remember the variety. I got them free in the mail as an advertisement. They grew very tall too.

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