Autumn on the porch.

Still taking my time going through last season's pictures, although this season is definitely in the makes (finally). I found a few pictures from the back and front porch (and a few other areas) that I took just as autumn was arriving.  The temperatures were warm enough to still have all my containers outside, but cool enough to be setting pumpkins out.

 

This photo is from our back porch, inside the screened in gazebo (no longer screened in, as the sun parched materials finally gave in last fall, and we're in the process of figuring out an economical way to provide shade this year- more than likely involving twigs and burlap). I picked up this "lamp" on clearance at hobby lobby so many years ago. I put a pot of ivy under it, and a candle on top, and it looks like a topiary lamp. One of my favorite garden accents.

This is also on the back porch, in front of the coffee table. Big agave soaking up the real sun before she has to over winter under the florescent lights in the basement.

Under the big agave is this big ruffly echeveria.

On the front porch I had the pumpkins and a few succulents and mums tucked in. I loved how the colors worked together on our new front steps (railing were put in just after this). The jarrahdale pumpkin looks so great with the purple echeveria. My children grew the tall white squash, and big round orange pumpkin here.

Another autumn delight was this rose, Pearly Gates, with the Virginia creeper.

The two of them shared bed space with this self seeded Nicotiana.

I bought the bright yellow mums here in spring for a very low price (may have been $1), and was delighted to see they rebloomed in the fall- not always the case in our short growing season.

This is a frog on the back porch at night.

As I started bringing in the containers (tenderest first), I decided to hang these alocasia on my dining room wall. They are still there now, anxiously awaiting the outdoors again.

This was the color of the sky as I took the pictures of the pumpkins.

Pumpkins, mums, and succulents.

Funny how these pictures of autumn have me so ready to get back outside to pot up containers for spring!

 

Happy gardening!

For mum's sake.

I think I got lucky a few years ago planting mums in the garden as soon as they were on store shelves, when fall was really just a whisper- they must have had enough time to establish roots before winter. Come spring they all came back, and bloomed by late summer through fall. I tried a few more in protected places, and still had success. Coming to Minnesota, however, I surely did not think they would over winter. I brought them mostly to assure I had them one more fall.  Little did I know we'd have the most mild winter, and come spring I would have the largest mums I've ever had. I've read about the Minnesota mums, bred to be super hardy here, but to my knowledge these babies aren't supposed to be reliably hardy.  So you never know, this may have been their last time to shine... we won't know until spring.

I know this Rusty one below is 'Hannah'

A few snapdragons crept in the shot, too.

Happy Fall!

Awesome Autumn Asters

Asters are always worth the wait for me. They may not start blooming until the fear of first frost arrises, but when they do- the color is so welcome.

Here are some pictures of the asters blooming in my garden today.

 

Welcome Autumn!

Autumn Garden Goodness

I once read you can determine a good gardener by how their great garden looks later in the season, because any one can run to the nursery in spring and fill their yard with flowers. I think, I may have finally succeeded. The whole garden is loaded with colors! Combined with all these cloudy days we've had, it been a camera's heaven.
David Austin rose "Christopher Marlowe" put on a stunning show, covered in blooms for over a week.

Dahlia's are all gearing up for another round of blooms, including this "Tahiti Sunrise," which towers over me at about 6 feet high.

Nasturium, alyssum, kale, and more flow over front sidewalk.

This unidentified beauty was a gift from a southern California gardener. I had the name pinned down somewhere, and now I can't find it. Nevertheless, I'm testing it's hardiness this winter, and love it's fall performance.

Dahlia "Kelvin Floodlight" was a great $1.60 find a small town nursery. I was suprised to get this big of a bloom from such a small bulb, and know good things are to come as this clump matures.

Hope you are all having a fabulous autumn!

Happy gardening!