The seasons roll on inevitably, and fall has arrived far too soon for me. I was hoping for a warm September, but promptly on Sept. 1st we woke to chilly temperatures. I had to be bundled up warm for my coffee group where we sit on an outdoor patio. But the seasons roll on relentlessly and there are lots of signs of fall arriving by now.
- it's dark by the time my evening PSWs arrive, days are starting to get shorter.
- the garden is winding down with no more new blooms expected now.
- the leaves are starting to fall from the neighbours' White Ash and cluttering the driveway,
- there's a chill in the air, even though the forecast shows a lot of sunny 20C days.
The bright lights among the cooler temperatures are four new plants for us that are retaining their blooms right into September with no sign of slowing down. Two of them are here, the purple Verbena in the foreground and the white Mallow behind it. Beyond that are Fall Anemones.
The Verbena flowers are tiny, but a lot of them make for a nice display, and the bees love them!
I love the Anemones which we've had for some years, but they seem particularly exuberant this year.
The bids are almost as pretty as the flowers.
The Zinnias are another success story, with several plants still showing off bright red and orange blossoms. There are two plants mixed together here, as you can see in the second photo.
And the best of them all is the Cleome, a very light, airy and pretty bloom, which ranges from white through shades of pink, to pale mauve. Thanks to Mrs. F.G.'s deadheading efforts a few weeks ago we must have about 20 flowers by now. We'll certainly be growing more of these next year.
On a totally different note, I was sitting on the patio the other day and for the first time noticed the orange lichens on our Sugar Maple bark. I've seen this before on older maples.
And on the patio beneath me the maple keys were starting to gather, here three Sugar Maple keys and one Norway Maple key - the surest way to identify Norway Maple.
Beautiful shots. The days of wearing shorts are numbered now for me.
ReplyDeleteYes, the sharp coolness in the air feels great to me. I'm not a fan of heat. I love the pretty Cleome blossoms especially. Lovely to see all your variety of pictures.
ReplyDeleteYes, Autumn is fast upon us and the temperature difference this past week from the previous week has been very noticeable. And changes in the flower gardens are happening as well. I always like your wide variety of flowers. I wish I had the expertise of Mrs. FG and of course her knowledge and memory for all the flower and plant names. I have a heard time remembering the names of things. I can understand the cooler weather being disappointingly difficult for you. It's an infringement on your freedom.
ReplyDeleteI am really sorry to see the daylight hours decreasing so fast. I love the long evenings.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed seeing your lovely flowers.
ReplyDeleteThe mornings are September-cool and the afternoons not very warm but still very comfortable. Today we started out at 14 and reached 21. I don't think the sun actually broke through the clouds at all.
Temperatures up to 30 degrees forecast here for later in the week - hotter than any days we had in August. Your garden flowers are looking as splendid as ever.
ReplyDeleteThe cleome does look very attractive, but then again, everything does.
ReplyDeleteI learn from you, FG. Thank you for sharing your knowledge!
ReplyDeleteIt has turned chilly here too. September may not be so nice this year.
I love the changes in seasons, myself. I'm ready to hibernate.
ReplyDeleteThat said, your garden is wonderful! I've been so happy to see it over the seasons. Well done, both of you!
I welcome the cooler temperatures this year because we've had such a hot summer with so little rain. But I miss the longer daylight hours as well.
ReplyDeleteYour gardens are still blooming beautiful (pun intended). Mrs. FG has quite the green thumb. Enjoy!
I have not planted zinnias for years as mine keep receding all over the place...as does my cosmos. Your yard is lovely by the way.
ReplyDeleteTime moves along so swiftly. This month started cool here too but has warmed up a bit. Today was sunny ant 70. The zinnias are beautiful.
ReplyDeleteTime sure does fly and the older we get the faster it goes. It's a reminder to treat each day as a precious gift.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful blog
ReplyDeletePlease read my post
ReplyDelete"exuberant" what a great word to use to describe your flowers!! many thanks to mrs. fg for her grand efforts in the garden. and how wonderful to see you appreciate her so much!!
ReplyDeleteSuch lovely photographs.
ReplyDeleteI do enjoy Autumn/Fall, it is one of my favourite seasons.
All the best Jan
Lovely clear photos, your autumn is looking good! Lichen is supposed to indicate clean air, the limbs of my fruit trees are covered in it. Although we have unusual warmth here in Blighty for this time of year it still feels autumnal. Ever the optimist I'm hoping for a long-drawn-out 'Indian' summer!
ReplyDeleteI hear you about the change in temperatures but we're not done with summer yet! Warm stuff is ahead. Everyone is saying goodbye to summer and hello to fall but it is too early!! Sept. 22nd I will agree with you. :)
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