October Garden Bloggers’ Bloom Day

It’s 40F and rainy here. We had a very light frost on Sunday morning, which killed only the basil in the vegetable garden; it didn’t bother the begonias in the shade garden at all.

basilkilledfrost13Oct2018
RIP basil

Looking ahead at the 10-day, I’m seeing low temps in the mid-20s by Wednesday. I’d better get that garlic in the ground tomorrow!

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Here’s what’s been blooming and attracting attention for the first two weeks of October in my yard.

I became enchanted by the jewelweed (Impatiens capensis) growing unbidden in several spots.

I’ve always been enchanted by Tricyrtis formosanaThe ‘Samurai’ variety is blooming now:

tricyrtisSamuraibloomsbudspinkshadegarden8Oct2018tricyrtisSamuraibloompinkshadegardenclose8Oct2018

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And suddenly there are small flocks of flickers everywhere, but they are skittish, so I took this shot from inside; even so, he looks suspicious.

flickerbirdsidebestbacklawn4Oct2018

Goldfinches are abundant, too, especially in the echinacea seedheads.

femalegoldfinchbirduprightechinaceasideyardbest4Oct2018

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The asters are the stars of the flower show, both purple/blue, which are Aster laevis ‘Bluebird’, and pink, which I planted but don’t know their variety; I think they are also an Aster laevis. Before they left us this past week, the butterflies  — monarchs and a painted lady, in these photos — enjoyed them, and a few honeybees and bumblebees still linger.

sideyardpinkasters4Oct2018monarchbutterflysidepinkastersideyard4Oct2018monarchbutterflyfoldingwingBluebirdsaster4Oct2018paintedladybutterflywingspinkaster9Oct2018

twobumblebeesAsterlaevisBluebirdflowers4Oct2018purpleastereflowers14Oct2018

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Foliage is the other big draw this time of year.

Here’s the tulip poplar (Liriodendron tulipifera), on  4 Oct, 8 Oct, and 14 Oct:

yellowtulippoplartreeleavessky15Oct2018

The ‘Johnson’s Blue’ geranium is ablaze in tiny red leaves:

JohnsonsBluegeraniumleavesred4Oct2018

Bluebird aster flowers and rainbow leucothoe, ‘Loyalist’ hosta, & rhododendon foliage:

astersleucothoerhododendronfallcolours6Oct2018

Hydrangea blooms and leaves:

pinkhydrangeaorangefoliagerockwall8Oct2018

PeeGee hydrangea and Miscanthus sinensis ‘Gracilimus’ grass:

pinkPGhydrangeaMiscanthusSinensisGracilimusgrassbackborder8Oct2018

Back border, with the miscanthus grass, spent Joe Pye weed blooms, lilac bushes, veronicastrum, and a few trees turning:

backborderMiscanthusSinensisGracilimusgrassJoePyeweedyellowleaves8Oct2018

Shade garden, with hostas, heucheras, lamiums, Rodgersia, astilbes, (small) begonias:

shadegardenhostasRodgersiadeadnettleslamiumJapaneselantern8Oct2018

The trees beyond the shed:

backyardshedautumncolour14Oct2018

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The weeping ‘Red Jade’ crabapple is full of fruits; this was taken today, through a rain-washed window:
weepingRedJadecrabapplethruwindow15Oct2018.JPG

Aren’t the baptisia (false indigo) pods compelling?

 

baptisiaseedpodsopenedfrontyard4Oct2018

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Finally, a few flowers, perennials and annuals, still giving it their all despite the change in their weather fortunes.

EllensBluebuddleiabutterflybushbloom15Oct2018
‘Ellen’s Blue’ buddleia (butterfly bush)
Neonintensiaphloxpinkflowersrain15Oct2018
‘Intensia Neon Pink’ phlox
AutumnFiresedumbloomrainRozannegeranium15Oct2018
‘Autumn Fire’ sedum and ‘Rozanne’ geranium in rain
pinkcomfreyflowersrain15Oct2018
pink comfrey buds
Rozannegeraniumsblooming4Oct2018
‘Rozanne’ geranium blooms

And the annuals:

orangemarigoldflower15Oct2018
orange marigold in rain
yellowgazaniaflowers4Oct2018
yellow gazania blooms
pinkzinnias4Oct2018
pink zinnias
pinkcosmosflowers14Oct2018
pink cosmos volunteers

 

This will probably be my last GBBD until next April or May, when we once again have blooms.

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Garden Bloggers’ Bloom Day is hosted by Carol at May Dreams Gardens.

9 comments

  1. Your garden is full of colour and interest: that ‘Autumn Fire’ Sedum is a very strong colour. I don’t think I’ve ever seen one like that. Your first photo with the yellow tree highlighted by the sun is pretty too. Lovely photos all round.

    1. The rain probably enhanced the depth of the colour of the sedum 🙂 Thanks for looking and commenting!

  2. I see so many beautiful photos of asters and wonder why I never tried the perennial kind. I’ve grown annuals, and not thought much of them. Maybe my Butterfly Garden will have butterflies if I add them next year! Lovely photographs.

    1. They’re especially great in the garden here in NH because they offer pollinators food when little else is blooming. I didn’t even realise there were annual asters!

  3. Oh, I had to dismiss myself from Bloom Day again. I just can not keep up. Yours is exquisite, although I think I like the autumn foliar color more than the bloom. Is it okay to say that on Bloom Day?

    1. The Tricyrtis is a perennial. The jewelweed is an annual that self-sows. Most people yank it out as it can be invasive.

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