Cosmos and her fierce green friendLots still flowering. Though the garden, overgrown, flopped over, spilling out, towering, looming, and blocking paths, is in early autumn disarray, it celebrates what was, and what is.
A joyful mess:
Dahlias, Roses, Salvias, and Cosmos are this month's highlights, with surprise late Yuccas and Hemerocallis.The seed-grown Marigolds, started late, came through in the hot September and warm October days:
Wonderful roses--'Munstead Wood':
'Earth Angel':
Molineux:
'Brass Band', looking very Halloween: Also Halloween-appropriate, Alstroemeria 'Indian Summer':
I thought to move a piece of 'Indian Summer' to a spot next to 'Brass Band'. What do you think?
More Halloween, an Orb weaver:
This year, Lantana was another plant that waited for the warmest weather to look its best:
Many Dahlias. The "normal" version of this clump, a mix of yellow and red, also produces all yellow and all red flowers:
Dahlia 'Cafe Au Lait' in its faded and freshly opened colors:
The finicky 'Cafe Au Lait' was also late to flower: After cramming a few flowers into a vase, I discovered I liked the color combo of these. Roses 'Valencia' and 'Easy Spirit' with Cosmos and 'Cafe Au Lait'
Very Easter Basket:
Floppy 'Holyhill Spiderwoman' supported a last hurrah from Clematis 'Wisley'--a few more flowers:Coleus (now in Plectranthus) have become a great contributor fighting the hot summer blahs.
Cuphea purpurea 'Firecracker' did too, though I noticed it does not attract the number of hummingbirds 'Vermillionaire' does:Feisty, plump hummer hiding behind a fading 'Bright Star' Yucca stem:
I grew Catharanthus last year. These came up from seed from last year's flowers. Another very late arrival:
More Dahlias--'Duet', the old reliable:
With one of the 'Not Marble Ball's:One of the 'Not Marble Ball' Dahlias looks a lot like the old standard for purple dinner plate Dahlias, 'Thomas Edison', but this one is different still. It has the 'ball' form, but of a rich wine-red color. The petals have a white reverse that fades to a blend of white and wine: 'The Prince', dewy. We've had a stretch of foggy mornings lately:
The "Woolly Pocket" of Pelargonium peltatum I experimented with last year is improved this year hanging on the more shaded gate. It still gets enough sun to be happy and bloom, and has continued to do so for months:
The last Cosmos linger, providing stalking grounds for several Preying Mantis. I noticed tall Cosmos grown from seed bring not only color but wonderful movement to the garden, gracefully dancing in the light breezes of late afternoon.
Happy accident, 'Wendy's Wish' Salvia and 'Rouge Royale' rose are the same shade of deep Magenta.
Well, that's enough. Happy Bloom Day!Oops! Almost forgot the Hemerocallis:
Such beautiful flowers!
ReplyDeleteGlad you enjoyed them! :)
DeleteThe praying mantis on the Cosmos was a brilliant capture that belongs in a photo contest or a magazine. I'm kicking myself for failing to sow any of my Cosmos seeds this year. And as always, your roses leave me sighing.
ReplyDeleteThe mantis was glaring at me when I took the picture.
DeleteYour Dahlias were fabulous enough, surely! There's next year for Cosmos.
I think the mantis helped out on the roses, eating the thrips--the roses were really good this year.
I looked at the fist photo, that pale violet cosmos. Thought it was in interesting angle, showing the back of it. Not till I read your capture "Cosmos and her fierce green friend" did I realize there's a critter staring me in the face! What else don't I notice, I wonder, in my own garden or anywhere... ;-)
ReplyDeleteI love this time of year in the garden and your description of it: "overgrown, flopped over, spilling out, towering, looming, and blocking paths, is in early autumn disarray". In a word: awesome!
"Very Easter Basket": beautiful.
'Brass Band' and 'Indian Summer', each a star in its own right. Putting them close together may diminish their individual star power.
Chavli
It was hard for me to see the mantis at first. It blended in with the Cosmos stems very well.
DeleteI've been following the "more is more" philosophy with flowers--a little bad taste is always fun. ;^)
ah, just breathtaking! Your roses are perfection. I got one stupid flower from my cafe au lait, never saw her again. I can't find the mantis, lol. I almost threw out a mating pair when I was ripping out the tomato plants, she quickly climbed out of the green bin. Love the salvia & rose together.
ReplyDeleteThe mantis is hanging upside down in the lower left of the photo, on the lowest stem of the Cosmos, the stem with the smaller of the two flowers. She picked a good place to hide--right out in the open! You threw out the male before the female had a chance to eat him? ;^)
DeleteThe 'Cafe Au Lait' has been a weak grower here, though the ones 2nd year in the soil have strengthened; perhaps next year, moved to a sunnier location, they'll actually be good.
Oh no way, they came up "together" I put them on the pumpkin vine. lol
DeleteHaha! A new love nest for them!
DeleteA beautiful tribute to October blooms. Always happy to see a mantis and an orb weaver web. I completely forgot to do a Halloween version of a bloom day post this year. My mind has been elsewhere.
ReplyDeleteMany of us distracted too distracted by too much these days. Your garden is going to sleep for the winter but at least you have your greenhouse plants to check on and care for, and your beautiful cats to keep you connected to nature in all its wonders. Best wishes!
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