Fall has definitely arrived on the Lot. Last week when it wasn’t raining, I was preparing the two 4’x4′ raised vegetable beds for winter. This past, soggy weekend I began to ready the perennial beds by trimming yellow foliage and raking out large clumps of soggy leaves. But Fall prep will be another post; this is a bloom day post with pretty things!
First up is the classic, Fall, hardy Chrysanthemums shot. They are a bit raggedy, but still pretty, posing here with Alfred the Hedgehog. In this bed the Jupiter’s Beard (Centranthus ruber) is still blooming and the Plumbago (Ceratostigma plumbaginoides) is just finishing.
This is not a bloom necessarily, but this is quite cool because it’s some Fall interest in the way of sound. These seed pods belong to the False Indigo (Baptisia) that bloomed this past May. When the wind blows through the stalks of this plant, the seeds rattle within the seed pod like a percussion instrument. I’ve also snipped the stalks with pods attached as accents in Halloween and Fall arrangements.
This Wand Flower (Gaura lindheimeri) was blooming last month as well, but it’s still going. I’ve admired the wispy plant in the garden centers for a couple of seasons now. This was the year it was finally added to the Lot. In the same bed the Coreopsis is finishing it’s blooming. Down along the gate bed, the Stonecrop and Maiden Hair Grass are both in bloom. Other plants blooming on the Lot include Nicotiana, Toad Lily, Lamium, Pincushion Flower, and multiple Stonecrop.
I felt this parting shot of a cold, soggy annual would capture the feeling so far of this Fall season. Brrr… a lot of gray and rain. However, the tree foliage colors were beautiful, having reached their peak in our area around the weekend of October 6th. We’ve already had a few frosts that zapped a lot of the more tender annuals.
Time to travel on over to May Dreams Gardens and see what other gardeners from around the world have blooming this October. Since a lot of us shared the hot, drought-like summer, I’m curious what Fall is like so far for them. Be sure to check it out.
Those black seed pods are amazing – I can imagine they would make good Halloween decorations! Your gaura is pretty too. I’m waiting for mine to start blooming – it’s such a pretty filler in the garden!
Aren’t they cool? I think you should grow Baptisia to add to those beautiful dahlias I’ve seen on your site.
It is nice to meet Alfred. Gaura is a plant I haven’t had luck with and wouldn’t you know it I crave it. ha.. You asked about the toadlilies on my blog. They are grown in mostly dry spots. The one in the most moist area (near a downspout) does the best. They are all in mostly shade areas as there isn’t much sun in my garden due to big trees on a suburban lot. Happy GBBD.
Isn’t that how it goes, Lisa? I feel the same way about delphinium. Thank you so much for answering my question about the toad lily. I relocated one in the garden and thought I may have messed up on my choice of site, but I think it was a combo of the insanely hot/humid summer and the fact it was stressing over it’s new home. Thank you for visiting!
I’ve never heard of Wand Flower before – such a dainty beauty!
I must look in garden centers here for it.
Have a wonderful day!
Lea
Lea’s Menagerie
Hee, hee… that’s kinda funny Lea, because I often use Bloom Day posts to compile a shopping list for the following season. Thank you for visiting!
Hi Jane,
Nice to meet you. Thanks for stopping by my blog. I enjoyed your photos. I have never heard Gauras called Wand Flower. I like that. I have planted a few, and they usually only live a few years here.
Hello Sue! Thank you for the comment. I’m still working on learning and using the scientific names for the plants. Since there seems to be a dozen or more common names for one plant, I found it eliminates a lot of confusion when the scientific name is used. This came in especially helpful when discussing gardening with some German relatives.
LOL, I go back and forth with my use of names. I usually use the common names. I have a book somewhere that helps figure out which words in a plant name should be capitalized, but it’s never handy when I do a post. I know I am inconsistent about that when I do use the scientific names.