My Roses are Pink my Hydrangeas are not Blue- Walk With Me and I'll Show you!

Yep no red roses here just pink and no blue hydrangeas!

 It's okay I love pink so I'm good!

The bugs got at it in late July and riddled holes in the leaves but it began a 2nd growth spurt and all the new leaves are fine.  Too bad I didn't notice that hose!  I'm so used to seeing it I don't even notice it!

I've always enjoyed this rose.  The buds are deeper in color and are so perfect you want to preserve them.  

Notice the rose that centered itself right between the three legs of this trellis.  The ornamental grass is heavy with seed and tends to lay over on anything it can find to rest on.

An older bloom…the flower will continue to fade to a soft pastel as it ages…kind of like us humans!

I put in some Foxgloves this summer and to my surprise I have a 2nd round of flowers blooming!  I think they're so cute and quite a treat to have!  

A lone survivor.  A few years ago I picked up a miniature Black Eyed Susan plant.  I  think I weeded out the plants not knowing what they were this spring.  This little one popped up in the alyssum.  I kept picking out grass that kept showing up in the alyssum and somehow this little guy made it!

My Autumn Joy Sedum is just starting to flower.

Nearby is an ornamental Kale that came back.  I didn't know it would come back and was surprised to see it!  It doesn't look like much- something chewed on it a but I still enjoyed that it came back!

Along side the garage the planters are doing great.  The sweet potato vine really rook over.  I'm not sure I'll use that again in the window box planters. 

 The geraniums did their best to survive!  I enjoy these fancy ones- their pretty little florets look like they've been air brushed wish color!

These fuchsia plants did okay but not as good as I would have hoped.  The Bacopa plant that I mixed with it blooms really tiny flowers which are cute but I think I like the more traditional Bacopa better.  

Dan's assault on the weeds really works!  It's all trimmed back now and looks great once again!

My Althea Hibiscus Krystal Blue- Rose of Sharon is finally blooming.  It had a tremendously slow start this spring and I wouldn't have been surprised if it didn't make it after last winter but it did!

I'm considering moving this Limelight Hydrangea to another spot late this fall.  The weeping Mulberry to the left has grown so large that it's made this area too crowded.

It's always a good bloomer.  It doesn't mind it either if I cut it back which I may opt to do this fall instead of moving it.  I haven't trimmed it much for the past 3 years and it's really gotten large.

To the side of the house are some burning bushes which you can see are starting to turn color.  

I cut some of the Annabelle Hydrangeas and hung them up under this window box.  These are under the eves but I should move them indoors since we have more rain coming our way.

These three were the largest ones.  They are each the size of a dinner plate!  

That big pot is where I hide my hose for watering things on the deck. I pulled it out from under the window box area because I couldn't get to it!  Yes that is a lobster trap behind there.  We picked it up on a trip to Connecticut in 1999 and it's been stored in our little barn.  I decided to put it outside to get a little age on it.  It was too "new" looking.

This picture was taken about a few weeks ago.  I may end up staining it anyway so it doesn't much matter.  It was supposed to get turned into a coffee table for my nautical room but it never happened.  How I'm thinking of it with a glass top and making it an accent table.  

I borrowed one of the garden benches from out back by the fountain to add to my fall display.  This will evolve as the weeks go by.  I've already got it in my head to shuffle a few pieces around! The pumpkins aren't ready yet to cut- their still ripening.  I know this because they featured a local farmer this morning about it!!  I always love adding some pumpkins and gourds as autumn sets in.

  

I sold a piece of furniture and the woman that came for it brought her mother.  They asked to tour my gardens and made me feel good about my efforts!  Good thing Dan had gotten those ugly weeds killed off on the patio!  I rarely have "live" visitors so I enjoy it when someone comes by that appreciates my gardening.

Thank you for all your visits!  I was so surprised to have multiple comments the other day and I didn't even join a blog party!  I've been pre-occupied a lot lately and haven't had time for many visits so I haven't joined the parties.  I'll try to get around and visit more!

Hugs!

 

It's that time of year again!

Well- here we are one more winter has gone by and we're back outside working on our yard.

I raked and raked to get the old grasses and oak leaves out of the bed.  I was so mad to see how the oak leaves managed to cover my entire garden bed.  I'm sure they provided some insulation so perhaps that's a positive way to look at it.

 My Queen Elizabeth Rose looks terrible.  I think those deep freeze temps we had this winter took it's toll.

I cut it down real short in hopes that something will come alive.  This is why I don't invest much in roses.  I may be premature- I guess I'll know in the next two weeks.  There is some white stuff on it too that looks like mildew- probably not good either?

  As evening was setting I noticed a turkey fly up into the tree.  They sleep up there which I find interesting.  Sorry about the poor quality picture.

She's settled down on the branch for the night.

I took this on the 22nd.  We had a snowfall during the night.  It was the last laugh from nature I guess.

Thankfully it warmed up and we had some nice rains that got rid of all of this!

I took this on the 27th!  So thankful for the rapid change!

We brought out the lawn furniture from the storage shed and I put out some pottery pieces to stare at and and dream about what I'll be planting.  

Fall's a comin'

Hello and Happy Fall!

Things are changing here rather quickly (perhaps too quickly) but no matter how it goes I enjoy the beautiful colors of fall. 

I went out and took a random bunch of shots of trees, shrubs and plants that are already changing. No sun today...possible rain coming- so it's not too cheerie!

Just last week- as you can see in my previous post- it looked a lot different! 

I'll begin with a back up view of my deck Fall display....

The raccoons have been visiting it each night and have stripped the corn off the stalks and also made several messes of my pumpkins and gourds!

 They've eaten them clean and some have ended up on the driveway or the yard....I hope they will tire of coming since they've eaten all the corn!

Each year I try a different display.  It's a bit of fun and sort of a last hurrah before the "white season" begins!

I couldn't resist this speckled swan gourd!  Is there a way to preserve these- dry them etc.?  I've seen gourds dried and they almost look like wood but I don't know if there are any particular steps to take.

They raccoons also broke up my mums in the pot by the lantern...ho hum...I guess that's part of the deal! 

Notice the arbor in the background...the Sweet Autumn Clematis really took over and has been blooming like crazy!  It glows in the evening especially if there is some moonlight!

I've let it go wild and not trimmed it...The birds like to jump in there with their seeds and eat. I guess we could call it the Arbor Hotel!!

 The ferns are done... ready to go to sleep...

 The grasses are turning color too...

The Hostas are starting to die back...

 In about a week we're going to be at peak color here.

Way out back in the field are some Sumac turning red... It's hilly around here...it drops down quite a bit and then right back up!

Back by the fountain area...

Speaking of the fountain...at this time of year it becomes almost impossible to keep the leaves from clogging things up...we'll have to put a screen over it or empty it and turn it off.

My favorite Limelight Hydrangeas are turning...

I turned around and realized our Ash tree is in full color.  We're hoping and praying we won't loose this big old tree to the Emerald Ash Borer.  We've been keeping a close eye on it and are having injections done to create an unpleasant taste to the inner bark of the tree.  It's supposed to turn away these borers.

It always puts on a beautiful display of color...but it's always the first to lose it's leaves!

So say a little prayer for my baby!

 The Queen Elizabeth Grandiflora Rose is still blooming! This is the most successful rose I've ever grown.  I gave up on the Hyrbrid tea roses, but that's what's nice about this, it's a cross between a Hybrid Tea Rose and a Floribunda Rose.  Very hearty and disease resistent!

The Sweet Potato Vines are done....I did slack off on watering which sped things up.  They aren't what you call draught tolerant! The spike and the Supertunias are hanging in there though!

Out by the driveway where the tulips were last spring I've planted some mums. I should probably add some more, don't you agree??

This is my first Limelight Hydrangea I planted several years ago.  It likes this spot and has been a joy to watch.  It's winding down now.  The flowers will turn a papery brown color and hang on for a good part of the winter...they make for an interesting accent when the snow flies! Those are spirea bushes at the base that give it that extra fullness.

Across the street some are maples full of color and more of the sumac.  The woods in the background are still very green so we will still have them to enjoy in the coming days.

 Up by the bedrooms is my Coral Bark Japanese Maple tree...it's in full color already.  Sorry about the blur...it seemed like most of my pictures had a soft blur to them today.  I'm sure it's not photographer!!

Up in my office looking out of my window...my view!

I hope fall is coming to your area too- especially those in the south who have been abused with extreme temperatures all summer!  My friend Tess that I blogged about earlier this summer says they won't have their fall colors until November.  It's still in the 80's there! 

I'm joining Rose Vignettes for
Fresh Cut Friday