Celebrating the Flowers of Autumn

For someone like me who hates an untidy home or garden, October can be a frustrating month. All those fallen leaves for goodness sake--they litter the lawn and are trodden into the house. Not to mention the messy flowerbeds with all that dead and dying stuff. This year, however, I am determined to relax and enjoy the season, delighting in the vibrant colors of flowers and foliage--after tidying my flowerbeds a little, of course. Mother Nature helped my new attitude by sending a wonderful spell of warm weather for the first two weeks of the month. I've been spending time just sitting out there delighting in the autumn hues. I do believe, though, that the leaves are less vibrant this year due to higher than average temperatures, but blooms are lasting longer. When a cold front came through this week, I feared the rain and wind would damage my plants, so I gathered some of the flowers to enjoy indoors.

Vases of flowers brighten every room

 Here are some of the blooms that I picked. Arranged by color, they are labeled clockwise from top left:

Phlox paniculata  'Bright Eyes'; Zinnia 'Purple prince'; Hydrangea 'Limelight'; Zinnia 'Jazzy'; Rosa 'Knockout Pink; Chrysanthemum 'Sheffield Pink'; Celosia; and Spirea 'Golden Mound'

Euphorbia; Zinnia 'White wedding'; Japanese Anemone 'Honorine Jobert'; Yarrow 'The pearl';

Nasturtium 'Empress of India'; Lantana 'Bloomify red'; Zinnia 'Jazzy mix'; Fuschia hybrid; Zinnia 'Double Zinnia Salmon'

Mums; Tall black-eyed Susan Rudbeckia maxima; Marigolds; Agastache 'Blue Fortune'; Salvia 'Amistad' Perennial Geranium 'Rozanne'; Coreopsis 'Redshift'

Cockscomb Celosia; Nasturtium 'Empress of India'; Pinapple sage Salvia elegans; Rosa 'Knockout red'; Lantana 'Bloomify Red'

I took these pictures on the 15th which is Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day. I realize I am really late, but will link anyway, hoping that Carol will forgive me. Please go to her blog at May Dreams Gardens to see what is blooming around the world. I already took a peek--some stunning gardens this month, including Carol's!

There are still lots of pollinators buzzing around (and some interesting spiders)

A few flowers I missed:

Morning Glory Ipomoea. Once you plant this vine you will never be without it.

The viburnum leaves are a lovely red and the shrub is blooming?!!

Two miniature roses. The left one is 'Joseph's Coat of Many Colors.' I think the one on the right is 'Toy Clown'

I planted pansies in pots and along borders

And here are a couple of plants that are especially stunning right now:

Chrysanthemum 'Sheffield Pink'

Left: Friendship sage Salvia 'Amistad'                    Right: Pinapple sage Salvia elegans

This posting is a celebration of the October flowers in my garden. My next one will probably be about foliage as we are planning a trip to New England for a few days to celebrate trees in their autumn glory. I don't believe there is anywhere like this country for the colors of fall. 

Whatever the season in your part of the world, enjoy, dear gardeners.

Love,

Pamela x

 

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