September 19, 2017
Triggered by cooler than normal temperatures in August and early September, the garden is heading towards dormancy as the trees behind it attest.
Ipomoea tricolor ‘Heavenly Blue’
The tall Sunflowers along the back have gone to seed with a few Morning Glories clambering up them, taking advantage of their height. Ipomoea tricolor ‘Heavenly Blue’ has finally joined I. purpurea ‘Grandpa Ott’ in blossoming. I was beginning to wonder if it ever would bloom!
Cosmos ‘Sensation’
To the left, Helianthus annuus ‘Lemon Queen,’ ‘Italian White’ and ‘Pro-cut’ continue to provide flowers for vases. To the right, a clump of pink self-sown Cosmos ‘Sensation’ put out the last of its flowers. I’ve left the seed for the goldfinches and next year’s seedlings. Orange and yellow Calendula officinalis and white Nicotiana alata are scattered about, giving the garden some lasting color, along with a clump of Zinnia elegans ‘Cactus’ and several ‘Mixed Sprite.’
Far left, Holy Basil (Ocimum tenuiflorum) is on its third harvest, I hope with one to go before frost, and Orca beans (Phaseolus vulgaris), soon will be picked for drying.
Two mounds of purple Heart-leaved Asters (Symphyotrichum cordifolium), far left rear and in the middle, have been a delight. I pruned them back in June, which has resulted in denser, less floppy stems. Purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea) has faded to mauve, its prickly heads full of seeds. I need to deadhead them soon before they self-sow all over. I leave the cut heads in the field for the birds. If they self-sow there, all the better. White and pink Phlox paniculata are about done.
Along the front, Lamb’s Ears (Stachys byzantina), a few hot pink Zinnia angustifolia x elegans ‘Double Cherry Profusion,’ Japanese Blood Grass (Imperata cylindrica) surrounded by Love-in-a-Mist (Nigella damascena) seed heads and a few more clumps of white Nicotiana at the end.
Dahlia ‘Voodoo’
Worthy of mention, now in its second season, Dahlia ‘Voodoo’ is putting on a spectacular show in a bed to the left of the main garden. Because of its success, I will have extra tubers to share with a few admirers.
Thanks to Cathy at Words and Herbs for hosting The Tuesday View, a meme showing the view of one or more of our gardens over the course of a growing season. Visit to see links to other garden views from around the world.
The lighting must have been perfect…because your photos are awesome!
Thank you very much, Alice. Mix of clouds and sun yesterday and today.
So that makes for better photographs? These are wonderful!
Cloud filtered light – not too dark, not too bright. Thank you, Albert.
I’ll take some of that voodoo. Garden looks great!!
Thank you! Can you grow dahlias in FL?
I don’t know!
Via the web: in zone 10: Work in lots of compost in your sand. Protect from hurricane winds! Water once/twice a day in high heat. Plant where they get protection/shade from blazing afternoon sun. I guess it is possible. You wouldn’t have to dig them up every fall like I do!
I see that and know they are native to Mexico, have never seen one here though!
They are heavy feeders and like moist soil (but not soggy), thus lots of water if your soil is sandy. I’ll send you some if you want to try ’em.
Would love to try, will send postage!
Harvest will probably be the end of October, email me your address. How many you want?
OK, thank you, I have been trying to buy some – but no one sells them til spring, when it is too late here, I think. Always an adventure. Three would be perfect.
Will do. 🙂
Yay, thanks. I am starting a blog friends perennial bed!
I’ll be honored to be a member. 🙂
Your garden is very alive, Eliza, so beautiful. Nice that you share the seeds with the birds. Love the color of the Voodoo Dahlia. Enjoyed this post–
Thank you, Jet, much appreciated!
Lovely…
Thank you, Julie.
The blue morning glories are so pretty, Eliza.
Thank you, Cynthia. Worth waiting for, I guess. 🙂
Your gardening efforts are an inspiration. We have enjoyed our first spring rain and the emergence of tender seedlings – a lot to look forward to.
Thank you, Anne. I envy you the start of the season…always an exciting time with the whole season stretched out before you.
I have a similar aster to this one that flops all over its neighbours, I should have also given it the Chelsea Chop. D. Voodoo looks very good, I shall have look out for some tubers next spring to go with Pelargonium Voodoo.
Asters really do behave better when given the chop, I find. It fixes the problem of the gaping center as well. I do recommend D. ‘Voodoo’ – a strong performer overall.
Your corner looks great at this time of the year with so many fall beauties!
Thank you, Anca!
Reblogged this on Die Erste Eslarner Zeitung – Aus und über Eslarn, sowie die bayerisch-tschechische Region!.
Danka!
Your late September view is gorgeous. How wonderful to have zinnias seeding about, you can never have too many zinnias.
Thank you, Chloris. I agree about zinnias, I and the butterflies love them.
Your view is looking superb Eliza. If this is nearly the end, it is going out with a great finale!
Thank you, how kind you are, Christina. I was feeling a bit down that there wasn’t more, but through other’s eyes, I see it isn’t so bad. 😉
You are still getting lots of colour Eliza. We had an early start to season and an early coming to an end. I still have cone flower and cosmos but definitely need more autumn colour. I recently got an aster, but it is not as delicate as yours. And have planted a few more seeds for next autumn but nothing showing yet!
Asters really are wonderful as a year end plant. I adore the delicate, small-flowered ones the best. I have many wild varieties on the property. I don’t understand why this variety (S. cordifolium) is not cultivated more widely, it is stellar.
So much color, and it looks so lush and full. I think I love this view most of all now, with the autumn colors starting to show. 🙂
Thank you, Robin. You help me look on the bright side. 😉
Such a joyful world you have created. Wonderful photographs
Thank you very much, Archita!
It still all looks gorgeous Eliza! The dahlia is a lovely colour, and those asters are little darlings! Do you dry your basil for tea, or do you use it in cooking? I had never heard of Orca beans before, so I looked them up – we just had cannellini beans for dinner and the orca look similar, but perhaps larger. I must try and grow beans one year too. Thanks for joining me again, and happy gardening!
Thank you, Cathy. The holy basil is for tea. I grew orca beans last year for their unique look and barely had enough for a meal and seed for the current year. But this year the yield will be greater. Good for soup, they are a bit bigger than a navy bean.
I love the idea of morning glories climbing the sunflower stalks. I may try that next year.
A happy accident, I guess. So long as they don’t fall over from weight (I cut a few heads to reduce weight) or the wind, we’re good!
If your garden is on its way out, at least it’s going out with a bang, Eliza! Your photo has me missing the morning glories I grew for a time in my former garden but, without your kind of winter to keep the plants under control, I won’t be planting morning glories again here (at least not in the ground).
Thank you, Kris. I appreciate that!
You have a beautiful garden, Eliza! Such a wonderful variety of flowers. Great pictures! 🙂
Thank you very much, Pete. It keeps me busy. 😉
BEAUTIFUL GARDEN AND PHOTOS! I love the Zinnias in the 4th photo. What variety are they?
Thank you! Zinnia ‘Sprite’ and a couple gold Cactus’
Hi Eliza, It’s true, Fall is making an entrance. Summer flew by! You still have some lovely blooms to enjoy…..Thanks for sharing!
Thank you, Sally!
You have a beautiful garden, still lots to enjoy at this time of year.
Thank you, Andrea. Yes, let’s hope the frost holds off for a few more weeks. 🙂
Love your garden view and the photos!🙂
Thank you!
Such pretty flowers!
Thank you, Fi!
Still pretty, even as winter shows its early face – we were at Rocky Mountain National Park, and they had snow on the road over the mountains one day while we were there (thankfully, not the day we were driving over!).
Thank you, Sarah. The jet stream is acting weird… I sure hope we don’t have an early winter!
We are coming home to 90 degree temps – after waking up to snow in the mountains! I am not sure the weather has any idea what it has planned for us this winter.
I love your garden because it’s a cornucopia, and just for the sake of beauty! You go girl!
Thank you! My son is all for the comestibles, and would love to push out my flowers, but I remind him that they are important food for the soul. 😉
You have so much land. Couldn’t he make a food garden in a nearby space?
We’ve gardened all the sunny spots. He just rates flowers below food. sigh. In this fertile river valley there are plenty of organic growers, so it is much easier to just support them.
It looks glorious and productive. Interesting to hear that you chopped the asters back in June to prevent flopping. I shall try to remember to do that too next year!
Thank you, Allison. It really works well to keep tall asters in order, esp. important to help them be good neighbors to the other plants. 🙂
Looks great, even if it has taken a turn towards autumn. I like that we get the full view this week with veggie section included, it all looks so productive!
I love the colors you put together for the zinnia vases. So soft yet bright, I feel like they’re always cheerful
Thank you, Frank. The garden is getting on, though with this renewal of summer temps, it feels like we could go on for a while yet. I certainly hope so.
The zinnias are perfect right now for migrating Monarchs, of which I’m seeing a few every day. It is heartening, after years of seeing none!
The photos are mesmerising, Eliza! 😀
Thank you!