Colors of the Garden

Look - it's a posting that has nothing to do with puppies or kitties! ;-)

While futzing around in the garden the other day, noting the chill in the air, the dying off of the tomato and squash plants, etc I realized there was still quite a bit of color going on... In particular, what caught my interest first were the reds, so I thought I'd gather them together and see how they looked (yes, I know, gay floral arrangement - har har har!) So here we have dahlias big and small, swiss chard and beet leaves, pineapple sage, castor bean and zinnia.



Couldn't resist getting some solo shots of the individuals in the "boquet"... Here's one of the big dahlias I'll need to dig up soon.


And the castor beans, which didn't get anywhere NEAR as tall as I'd hoped. (And so far? No beans!)


And the pineapple sage, which I grew soley to attract hummingbirds, and yet they're more interested in other stuff around the garden!


Then I moved from the hot reds to the cooler purples, pinks and greens... The catnip's in bloom - I want to save and dry some for the cats, and yet also let it go to seed. And Erica and I were talking about the butterfly bushes the other day, and she said I should post photos - the dark purple on the left is one of the shorter new plantings. And the light pink near the bottom is actually baby's breath, which you usually expect to be white.


Here's two different ways to look at the same spot...


...it all depends on your focus!


The small white flowers hugging the ground in these shots is sweet allysum, which I find intoxicating.


I've also taken some of the hens and chicks from the plastic "strawberry pot" (my Aunt Phyllis in Kansas got the exact same thing at her Home Depot), and am starting to spread them around the yard. SUPPOSEDLY they're winter hardy - we'll see!


Here's the cool green colors - while there are no pretty blooms, I had to make "thyme" to get this shot. ;-)


Close up on sweet allysum:


Close up on the larger butterfly bush, which I planted a year ago.


Castor beans and cosmos...


I don't actually know the name of these guys - I planted them from seed and don't think they have a very layman-friendly name. Looks like tall masses of sunflowers sort of. Ike knocked the individual spires over when he blew through, so I sort of braided the plant stalks together to give them more support. The plants must've been 7 feet tall before they were blown over.



A different dahlia. Most of these dahlias I planted from bulbs are STUBBY because of the poor soil, but are still putting out some decent sized blooms. Only most are tipped over behind something else where youc an barely appreciate them


Feeling some tropical heat with these guys. I forget their name - I don't think they're gazanias?


The pineapple sage are putting on a fireworks display!


Don't remember these guys either - some sort of daisy? Very pretty when in bloom - right now most are little brown lumps.


A rainbow of colors in the swiss chard still!


The biggest pumpkin, which really isn't all that big, and is kinda tapered towards the bottom, is turning a nice orange.


These are dahlias I planted from seed. MUCH smaller than the type you buy as bulbs in the spring.


Now check these guys out... I think they're a fall crocus that Mary gave me - and I totally forgot about them (she warned me I would!). Beautiful! And that green vine in the background? I think it's what my parents call "Barb", named after my sister-in-law's mom. She gave them a plant that took over some of their flower beds and they're HAPPY to share it.


Must remember fall is here - all those beautiful flowers and colors above might make it seem like it's still summer. These mums are a sure sign of fall. Luckily these guys were hardy enough to survive last winter!



But let's not rush into fall TOO fast - here's some more tropical flair...


I planted all these impatiens from seed, and never thought they were going to make it. Petals are looking a little splotchy from recent rains, but they're still forming nice big masses. Wish they'd reseed!


And finally - some more yellow showing us fall is here, in the form of these mini spaghetti squash. Each one is about two servings, and since Brett won't touch the stuff, the six I got from my vines will give me just enough dinner side veggies with leftovers for lunch the next day. Aren't they cute? (Yes, you only count five - the first one was quite tasty!)


Ok, I'm sure the next post will be about dogs, cats, or perhaps what Brett got for his birthday. I'm lucky to have made some time to post this just before bed... There's freelance work, and plenty of prep work for the Halloween party in just under a month! Oh, plus doggie walking and training!