In my Garden & Neighborhood...

We are having a very dry season, as is much of the Midwest… being at the Northern end of the Midwest we're not in quite as severe a drought, but I can honestly say I've never seen it so dry!!  My lawn is green, but I have a sprinkler system… my neighbors are all brown & crunchy :(

I'm just loving this newcomer to the garden this year, a Beardtongue, she's putting up lots of beautiful shoots of pretty bright pink flowers.

Same plant, she started with a single shoot at the middle of the season when she was planted… you've come a long way baby!!

After being viciously attacked by bunnies shortly after being newly planted in my garden mid-Summer I'm surprised this Aster even survived (thank you Deer Scram!), now she's just blooming like crazy!

This guy was just hanging around on my screen door on the back deck, isn't he a beauty?

Some trees in the area are putting out nice color… its not looking to be a really colorful Fall here, but I thought I'd share a few pictures anyway… Enjoy!!

That's all for now… I need to go water my flowers before they dry up on me…

Changes & Critters & Close Calls...

As you can "C" things are still Chugging along in my gardens… We've had quite a bit of Cool weather already, but these guys are hanging in there…  We had temps in the 30s one night, with a frost warning, so out I went with sheets to cover the vegetables (Tomatoes, Tomatillos, Bell Peppers) in hopes I can get more out of them before the season is completely over…. here's how my garden is growing these days...

This is my typically massive Sedum, not so massive since I cut it in 1/4s 2 years in a row, finally reasonably sized… but WOW the color this year is amazing!! Much more intense than its ever been before...

Along the path to the front door I still have several blooming friends...

Out on the mound I have more blooming friends...

More on the mound...

And more...

And more...

Have I mentioned its a big mound?

Final mound pic… :)

Kitty all tucked in keeping warm while she keeps me company in the front yard...

Leaves on the Ninebark changing color...

Another Ninebark pic...

My Bell Peppers are hoping to grow up someday… (please, please,…)

My Bumper-Crop of Tomatillos is still hanging around, we think they look like little Japanese paper lanterns...

Another Beefsteak tomato headed for a homemade soup or spaghetti sauce… Mmmm!!

Even the Annuals are still blooming strong...

Another Annual going strong...

My Hardy Hibiscus decided she had one more bloom left in her...

Leave changing on a Honeysuckle...

Honeysuckle leaves again...

Decorative Grasses continue to get "fuzzier"...

The one Russian Sage I decided to let stay in the yard is still blooming like crazy...

The woods are looking yellower & thinner each day…

I Love Fall, I wish it lasted longer here in Minnesota, but while its here I plan on enjoying it as much as possible!!

Fall-ing in the Garden...

As Fall just keeps Fall-ing here in Minnesota and some late bloomers are giving me reason to smile!!

Purple Aster

Pink Aster

Beard Tongue

Phlox

Color change on a Rhododendron leaf.

Bees & Bumble Bees on the Sedum.

That's all for now… more to come…

The Neverending Story...

Just when I think my garden has given up for the season it surprises me and keeps going… and there are signs that it may keep going for a while… this makes me smile!!

Yes!!  A few days ago my Pink Aster finally started opening up her blooms!!

This is from today, she's continuing to open up more blooms each day… I love this!!

Her cousin, the Purple Aster, has lots of blooms now… the Bees sure love the Asters!!

My Bell Peppers have babies… not sure if these will get the chance to grow up into actual edible peppers, but I hope so!!

My Roma Tomatoes have started turning red… Can't Wait!!

I took a chance and picked a few Tomatillos...

This one looked like it might be ready (I've never grown them before)...

I had a few of these in some soup I made today, they were definitely ready to be eaten :)

This massive guy is a Beefeater Tomato, this picture was from a few days ago...

I felt him today, he's ripe (despite a tiny bit of remaining green), so I picked him… he's about 7" across on his longest axis… I said he was massive!!

My Echinacea is continuing to put out new blooms...

My Sedum is getting to be a nice deep pink this year… the Bees love this guy too!!

This Phlox is telling me she's not nearly ready to stop blooming...

This Phlox agreed with her cousin… just look at all those blooms getting ready to pop!!

I've successfully gotten a couple Kalanchoe cuttings to take, they've been moved into the house now.

Some Pelargonium cuttings that also seem to be doing well, these were moved into the house.

Finally, I decided to let my Basil come in & see if I can't keep her going inside… she's doing so well I just couldn't leave her outside to die from cold exposure!!

In other garden news… I've made a bit more progress with my brick edging, but not much, I keep forgetting how busy my life gets in Fall… I'm hoping to get most of the edging done before the sky falls (you know, the white stuff) but won't be surprised if I'm still at it next year… its a Neverending Story!!