With the cooler weather heading our way and the daylight disappearing earlier, my days in my garden are coming to an end. Seems like summer just started and now it's time to clean up the yard and put things away for the winter. It's time to get out and start dividing some of the plants that flourished this summer. I have shasta daisies, yarrow, turtlehead, sedum, etc... that need to be spread around. It's amazing how many plants you can end up with by dividing. I think I started with two shasta daisies and I probably have gotten at least 50 new plants from them over the years. Mother Nature has been busy spreading seeds from my annuals also! I love how that works. I went for a walk down my road today and notice many white turtlehead plants growing wildly through the woods. I never noticed them before, so I'm guessing the two I planted were shared by Mother Nature too! I'm starting my "fall chore" list. This will include cutting back plants, taking some things indoors, some to the garage, covering up some with burlap, and collecting seeds for next year. It's important to cover up or take in your ceramic flower pots, if you get really cold winters. I learned the hard way that they don't hold up well if left outside in the winter. I had several large pots, crack from the freezing and thawing of the dirt/water in them last year. I am aslo going to try to winterize some of my favorite plants in pots, including this next photo of a purple passion flower.
I just love the dimension of this blosom. Everyday there is a new one opening to amaze me! I have this in blue and red also! The blue one is supposed to be hardy for my area, but I think I'll move it into the garage, just in case.
Lantana is a favorite of the butterflies and humming birds. Here are 3 Monarch that I reared from eggs and released. They hung out on the lantana for several hours before starting their long flight to Mexico for the winter!
Just another view of the purple passion flower!
Cleome ~ spider flower.
I have planted hundreds of seeds for these in my gardens every year but for some reason I only have one come up each year.
This little guy is one of MANY that have been digging holes in my flowerbeds this summer. I don't really mind except for when they kick all the little rocks out into the mulch.
The monarchs found my butterfly weed in my flower beds! YEAH!!!!
This is the Blue Passion flower vine that I love also!
This is a gardeners best friend!
I had a nest of these hatch back in June but only came across a handful of them since.
Geraniums, Impatiens, and Creeping Jenny
Coral Nymph Salvia that has reseeded in my gardens for years now!
This unusual morning glory showed up with my tomatoes in July ~ I only ever saw one bloom, but it sure was beautiful!
Butterflies weed doesn't only attract monarchs ! This gray Hairstreak enjoys the nectar too!
I hope you all have had a wonderful summer and that you get out there and get dirty doing your fall chores!
Bye for now~
