Beckoned by a Red-breasted Sapsucker

This is my busy season with work, so a leisurely visit to my garden is a luxury not often enjoyed right now.  I notice changes quickly along the driveway as I speed in and out making deliveries and picking up supplies.  Mostly I see a blur of brown with a tinge of green from conifers as I come and go.

My dog insists we take a daily walk, so I take a different route through the garden each day trying to catch hints of progress, or should I say demise as she pulls me forward trying to get me to move at a faster pace, more to her liking.

Last week, as we re-entered the property, much to my surprise and delight I noticed a Red-breasted Sapsucker!

I ran in to grab my camera & he waited for me! I snapped as many shots as close as I could get until he flew into the fir tree across the garden.

As long as I was there with camera in hand, I began searching for color and looking to see what else was new since I last explored.

The first to be noticed were maples changing colors and conifers.

And conifers changing color.  My Dawn Redwood  will drop her needles soon.

I see I forgot to put away my yellow chairs.  How could I have missed those bright cheery yellow chairs?

As I looked up into the trees, I noticed all the berries still available for interested birds….

The Poke berries,

Mountain Ash berries,

And the few berries left on my Red Twig Dogwood.

As my gaze shifted from sky to earth I saw my heucheras were still looking good, including my current favorite, Peach Flambe!

Growing near it more Liriope blooms were pushing their way up!

And sweet little cyclamen!

Not to mention several patches of fall crocus still blooming!

As I ambled further into the sunny area I was delighted to find Zebrina smiling at me!

Imagine my surprise when I found this lone Nigella!  It is Autumn, is it not?  Someone forgot to tell her!  Or perhaps someone thought I’d like this reminder of summer, knowing I wasn’t quite ready for Fall!!

Sad Face Cement block that I made several years ago indicates my reluctance letting go of summer.

Thanks for stopping by.  Until next time….

Surprise!

Daphne odora

September & October have been very rushed and busy with work, causing me to almost miss the best part of fall.  In my last post, I managed to catch a little of it and yesterday I caught up with a little more.  I didn’t know Daphne odora bloomed in the fall!

Cyclamen hederifolium

My friend Angela at Parkdale Gardens Design Service is a plant collector and gave me this Cyclamen as well as many of my perennials.  She owned Parkdale Gardens for decades and now offers local and internet design services after closing her nursery.

Anemone

As I strolled through my garden, what a surprise to find so much in bloom since our day of snow last week.  The temperature has soared back up into the 50’s giving my garden one last breath before it’s winter sleep.  The anemone above was given to me by a friend long ago before I knew what I was doing and has managed to survive my many mistakes.

Tricyrtis

The toad lilies are finally blooming!  At least one of my varieties has opened her beautiful eyes and honored me with her presence before a hard frost hits.  Glad I didn’t miss one of my favorites!  Not sure which variety this is as I’ve moved them from place to place and managed to lose all their tags in the process.

Three Birds Flying

I believe this is Three Birds Flying, given to me by another plant collecting friend, Judy.  It can become rampant but is easy to pull out and blooms late spring through fall for me.

Blue Salvia

The last bloom of the Blue salvia that I picked up at Le Tour des Plants.

Echinacea

Even found a small clump of Purple Coneflowers in bloom.  The weather so strange this year, left me with few flowers from this otherwise prolific bloomer.

Aster

I love this tall pink aster.  It’s so bright it glows and calls me to it.  Even though my clump is small I divided it a few weeks ago to add it in other areas of my garden.  If I had time I’d rush out to the nurseries right now and buy more!

Gaura 'Whirling Butterflies'

The wispy Gaura is a great segue between plants.

Gaura lindheimeri

I love ‘Siskiyou Pink’.  Gaura is another of those plants I plan to buy more varieties of.  Yes, even collect them!  I can’t help myself.  Why have only one when you can have ten.  Or twenty for that matter!

Buddleia davidii ‘Honeycomb’

Another surprise as all my other Butterfly bush flowers are gone now, was to find ‘Honeycomb’ still blooming away.  Nothing like cheery yellow added to the fall reds and oranges to spice up the end of season.

Pink Rose

Even the deer surprised me by leaving yet another rose for me to enjoy during these last days.  That’s two for me and … er…ummmm…. hundreds for the deer!

Baby's Breath

Another pink, although a much smaller scale is the sweet ‘Baby’s Breath’ that I started from seed.  It grew into a robust shrub until I moved it to a new location where it’s remained rather pouty for two years.  I look forward to seeing it next year, fully loaded with little babies.

Hollyhock bud

I think my biggest surprise was finding this Hollyhock bud!  I didn’t know they bloomed this late!!  I’d better go check to see if it survived the deer last night.   In case you’re wondering why I haven’t sprayed liquid fence, I’ve simply run out of time due to my work schedule.

Unknown pink flower

Last but not least another gift from my friend Judy.  I don’t know what this is, other than a low growing summer bloomer.  It seems familiar and I should know its name but alas I don’t.  If you know, please tell me!

Thanks for stopping by!  Until next time….

I See Red…

Blueberry leaves

…Red and pink, yellow, green and lavender that is.

Mountain Ash berries

I’ve fallen behind in my studio and garden.  While catching up in the studio, I looked up on Tuesday to see snow falling and realized Autumn had descended  …  without me!

Sedum

After the rain melted the snow I went out searching for damage only to discover I almost missed the glorious fall color!  Oh I’ve enjoyed seeing the color changes along the roadsides as I travel here and there, but hadn’t been paying attention to my own garden.

Euonymus

I’d better hustle!!

Green Goddess? Another Garden Fairy hanging about!

I have tools to put away, and need to clear out the water lines.

Barberry berries

Certain tender plants must be covered with straw if I want to see them next spring.

The pinks & purples of Poke

My glass and ceramic garden art should be packed up and stored.

Black-Eyed Susans prevail

I have a few homeless plants from my last plant shopping expedition that need to find a hole for the winter if I can’t place them now!

Single rose bud left after deer munched off all the leaves.

There are still a few daffodil bulbs that haven’t been put back in the ground yet.

Frozen Empress Tree

And there are rock piles that need to be cleared out of the way, left from the last beds I dug.  (You remember, I have to dig rocks out of the soil before I can create new beds to house new plants!)

Lovely lavender Beautyberries

And so I begin my panic that fall is once again here before I am ready for it.

Fall begins her descent...

Thanks for stopping by.  Until next time……