Category Archives: annuals

First Freeze and Snowfall

annuals, backyard bed, fence bed, gate bed, house bed, loki bed, perennials, the Lot

Brr. That cold snap is turning into a day of snow. This morning I looked out the back window into the garden and noticed what looked like white blooms on the anemone.

111916_anenome

Upon closer inspection, the white “blooms” were the seedheads of the plant. This is the first year the anemone has been on the Lot, so I didn’t know that about this plant.

111916_anenomeseedhead

The first hard freeze has come and gone. The random volunteer gourd plant growing from the house bed has been zapped.

111916_squash

As well as the handful of begonias I was gifted this spring.

111916_begonia

And the hostas in both Loki’s bed and the gate bed.

111916_hostalentenrose

The maiden hair fern and Japanese painted fern both were bitten by the frost as well.

111916_hostafernsgrass

We feel the Lot is ready for the weather cooling and the plants (at least above ground) shutting down. Everything is put to bed for winter to arrive.

Garden Bloggers’ Bloom Day – November 2016

annuals, backyard bed, bloom day, front bed, perennials, southwest bed, the Lot

November on the Lot is always rather quiet so there is not much to post for Garden Bloggers’ Bloom Day. Today was quite cold and soggy while earlier this week it was warmer. It will be a matter of days before we get our first hard frost which will finish off the dwindling annuals.

This first set of blooms is the alyssum planted from seed between the two vegetable beds. Mom G. has this annual in her garden and it has resown itself every year.

111916_alyssum

The next bloom is from an ice plant just obtained from an end-of-summer sale and placed in the main backyard bed.

111916_iceplant

Most of the purple coneflowers have gone black and died, which was perfect decor for Halloween! However, this last bloom is hanging on.

111916_coneflower

The jupiters beard begins blooming in spring and keeps at it until the snow covers it, as evidence by the bloom below.

111916_jupitersbeard

Also still  blooming are the lamium and lavender. More blooms can be spotted over at May Dreams Gardens, the wonderful hostess of Bloom Day.

Autumnal Equinox and Mum

annuals, containers, design, fieldtrip

Today marks the first day of Fall in the northern hemisphere, otherwise known as the Autumn Equinox. Today is also Mom G’s birthday. Speaking of Mom G, she and I took a field trip this past Tuesday to the local botanical gardens. The seasonal exhibit of Chrysanthemums & More just opened.

Chrysanthemums Exhibit

The breezeway at the entry of the gardens is always dressed up with seasonal pots and flourishes. This time we were greeted by a variety of mums, asters, gourds, and ornamental kale.

092016_dsc_0002 092016_dsc_0003 092016_dsc_0005 092016_dsc_0006 092016_dsc_0001 092016_dsc_0004

The autumnal containers continued through the interior of the gardens. We came across  huge mums referred to as “football mums.” We were told these mum plants continuously had all blooms except one pinched off the plant. This allows the plant to put all of its energy into a single bloom.

092016_dsc_0009

The bloom was so huge the plant stalk had to be staked to it could hold up the flower.

092016_dsc_0010

Another section of the building was given to a wonderful display of the seasonal plants. Living walls and suspended balls covered in the mums decorated several rooms.

092016_dsc_0016

I felt the apples were a unique touch of color.

092016_dsc_0014 092016_dsc_0013 092016_dsc_0017 092016_dsc_0018 092016_dsc_0015 092016_dsc_0012

I was momentarily distracted by this wonderfully Seus-like pine tree. How great are these needles?

902016_dsc_0021 092016_dsc_0020

The mums displays carried outside into the grounds of the gardens. The exhibit had just began, so many of the mums had just started to open.

092016_dsc_0026

The ornamental kale and cabbages were absolutely beautiful. They looked great with the asters.
092016_dsc_0030 092016_dsc_0028

It seems whenever I visit another garden, I walk away with ideas to try on the Lot. Next year I’m going to grab a few of those cabbages to pair with our mums.