Since a frost was predicted for Sunday night, we covered a few things, my spouse made a support to hold a tarp to cover the largest zinnia and dahlia patch (see D. ‘Voodoo’ below), and I picked nearly every tender flower in the garden to put in vases. 
Therefore, the garden this week isn’t as floriferous as it once was. However, as promised, the blue-violet heart-leaved asters (Symphyotrichum cordifolium), have become big lavender clouds, airy and light. They are absolutely covered with humming pollinators, happily partaking of the grand buffet.
It turned out to be a light frost, so we might have a few more weeks of purple, pink and white cleome (C. hassleriana), white, dark and light pink cosmos (C. bipinnatus ‘Sensation Mix’), zebra mallow (Malva sylvestris ‘Zebrina’) and a few zinnias (Z. elegans ‘County Fair Mix’), as I picked nearly every bud that held promise. 
Calendulas (C. officinalis) mixed throughout are soldiering on. Purple and blue morning glories (Ipomoea purpurea ‘Grandpa Ott’ and I. hederacea), greet the early hours and if it stays cool, last through the afternoon.
Amazingly, the white phlox (P. paniculata) is still putting out blooms, as is the white flowering tobacco (Nicotiana alata). Pink coneflowers (Echinacea purpurea) are about done and lamb’s ears (Stachys byzantina) continue to do their thing.
We are have nearly come full circle on the garden year and it won’t be long before the garden looks like it did in April. How I’m going to miss it when it’s gone!
I’m linking with Cathy at Words and Herbs, joining participants taking weekly photos of the same garden over the course of the growing season to note its evolution.
Below are some of the previous views for comparison:
April 1, 2016
June 11, 2016
June 28, 2016
July 26, 2016
August 2, 2016
August 16, 2016
August 23, 2016
September 6, 2016
September 13, 2016
Eliza Waters 
Beautiful shots !
Thank you!
I love how the woodland behind the garden changes with the seasons too. 😀
Yes, the colors are a-coming on.
……..and for the plants and seeds, after a well deserved rest, the growing and colorful blossoms will all start again…….
Yes, the cycle goes on!
So glad it was a light frost. Your spouse is a peach!
Me, too. Yes, nothing by half measures with this one!
Blessings on your spouse!
I know, what a guy! 🙂
It’s always so interesting to be able to compare the views over the season. Love that Vodoo Dahlia.
Thank you, Linda. It is fun to see the garden cycle and I am so in love with ‘Voodoo.’ Can’t get enough of it!
As your warm cycle nears its end the weather in the southern hemisphere is testing the waters for warmth – hot days followed by a cycle of cold ones as if to say ‘not too soon’. We are awaiting summer with great anticipation, but the garden is already gearing up with spring leaves and putting out flowers such as jasmine and plumbago.
Yes, I love reading about the southern hemisphere’s spring right now. It feels right that somewhere someone is enjoying new things growing, as ours start to go dormant. Our wonderful Earth! Your garden must smell lovely with jasmine, etc.
How beautiful your asters and anemones are together!
Thank you!
The Asters are a wonderful cloud of colour; do they blacken immediately if there is a heavy frost. Do you leave all the plants standing to enjoy frosty outlines or does it all collapse in a heap?
These are perennial, therefore the foliage will turn yellow and the seeds will be like little dandelions that blow away in the November winds. The stems remain standing through the winter and every flower calyx is a little dried star.
Beautiful. Those asters are fabulous Eliza! Every year I say I must plant more, but then remember how they really need a lot more moisture than my garden can offer. I water mine (if I remember) when it’s very dry in summer. The backdrop of the woods is also starting to take on an autumny feel, but you still have so musch colour to distract the eye from it. I think the next few weeks will be interesting too, to see how long our gardens keep hanging on. Thanks for sharing Eliza!
Thank you, Cathy. Maybe you should try one of the smaller wild asters. This one here is tough as nails, grows in sun or shade in any soil. I never watered them and things were quite dry here. It may be worth a try. They grow very easily from seed.
Do you know the botanical name for those asters? Are they the lavender ones in your Tuesday view? (Symphyotrichum cordifolium) I would live to try growing some of those!
If I thought Customs would allow it, I’d send you seeds. Yes, they are S. cordifolium. I go out every day just to look at them!
It is a shame. The garden looked very bare last April. I guess it’s all just part of the cycle of the seasons, though. 🙂
Lovely to see how your view developed month by month. Oh, I love that Aster, I am going to look out for that.
Thank you, Chloris. It is probably my favorite wild aster.
Yes, it goes round and round. However, the good news/bad news is, it seems to go faster with each passing year. 😉
It seems that way, doesn’t it?
Like, wasn’t it Sept 1 last week and it’s over already?
Exactly! 🙂
In a normal year it is a bit sad to see summer go, but it has been so hot and dry here for so long that I’m thrilled that cooler temps and (fingers crossed) autumn rains are on the way.
Yes, I think a lot of people are feeling that way.
What a series of photos ! I’m glad you were spared a heavy frost . More flowers ! Your garden has been such a success this year ! A fun post, Eliza ☺
Thank you, E. It has been a good year in this garden, despite the dry weather. I’m glad I put a good mulch down early in the season. It made a big difference.
A light frost. Yay! No frost here yet. We are too sheltered and probably won’t get one until mid-October.
I’ll take the nice weather as long as I can. 🙂
Love looking at these photos and see the transformation. The early autumn view is still so full of colour, the morning glory is lovely and the cloud of the asters too.
Thank you. It is amazing to track the progress. I’m glad I’ll have growing things for a little while longer.
It still looks great, Eliza. What I wouldn’t give to have a mass of asters like that!
Thanks, Kris. The asters are so awesome this year – I’m in heaven!
This is an exceptional garden, absolutely gorgeous. It reflects great care and love that it is given. Good for you and your dear spouse for keeping the plants safe from frost.
Thank you very much!
It’s not even my garden and I am going to miss it as well!
That’s sweet – thanks for the camaraderie!
Oh! How i love that big blue cloud of asters! Beautiful! I’m already thinking spring Eliza and planting a gazillion daffodil and allium bulbs.
That is one way to deal with autumn – prepare for spring! Do you have these wild asters? They are my favorites.
Sadly I do not have these asters. I haven’t had much luck with any asters – just the tiny white ones that have become a weed for me. I planted some big leaved asters under my pine but with our drought and my failure to water I don’t think they made it ):
A lot of folks think this aster is a nuisance weed, but judiciously placed, it can be delightful. As most of my yard is wild field, I don’t mind much if it self-sows around.
It’s looking wonderful Eliza. I’m glad that frost was just a light one!
Thank you, Joanna. Me, too!
I love the dew on your dahlia, what a beautiful photo.
The asters have really come into their own. It’s a nice grand finale for the summer garden and intro to the autumn foliage color!
Thank you, Frank. I am savoring these last warm days and enjoying the autumn colors spreading across the land. Have a great weekend!
I’ve really enjoyed this series! It gives me so many ideas of things I could include in my own back yard, and it’s been fun watching your bed change each week.
Thank you, Heather. I’m glad to inspire other gardeners!
These are all so beautiful! Those morning glories are quite lovely! There’s a body mist I love called “Morning Glory!” I havent bought it in a while and can actually smell it just by reading the name of those flowers! lol I would not have known that’s what they are if you did not post it. Your knowledge is so extensive! I wonder if the body mist fragrance actually resembles the flowers? Probably not exactly. It is blue though. It’s sad how so many things in your garden\community have to end soon but the changes throughout the year are beautiful. I love how you get to witness all the cycles and changes. They all have their own beauty. ❤
Thank you, Kim. I don’t know that morning glories have much of a scent, but moonflowers (a cousin), bloom at night and have a lovely scent.
You’re right, every season has its beauty. Thanks for stopping by!
You still have late summer jewels!
I do, and I’m appreciating every one of them! 🙂