Our garden: summer and fall

Today was a blustery day. The wind blew steadily all afternoon, dislodging many of our trees' colorful leaves. It's sad to see the leaves on the ground instead of up in the air, where they look so pretty against a sunny blue sky. Now that Halloween has passed, however, I should be grateful for green grass and a few almost-warm days as we move quickly along towards Thanksgiving and Christmas.

 

This year I haven't posted very much on our yard progress, but the shrubs, vines, and perennials have been steadily growing, filling in the two big beds we added to our backyard this summer and last. I love to see the colors slowly change as the weather gets colder. A few photos from the last few months...

 

 

This is early on in the summer; the butterfly bushes grew another three feet or so. The bed is filling in a lot and slowly covering up the A/C unit in the corner...yay!

 

 

 

 

I planted a deep purple butterfly bush late in the season to join the periwinkle and pink bushes I planted last year. Our beds have been full of butterflies for months! 

 

 

 

 

Another new planting was a grouping of three sedum plants along the stepping stone path. I have always liked how sedum changes in appearance throughout the season.

 

 

I don't know what this little guy is, but he visited us for several days in a row. Is he a hummingbird? A large moth?

 

 

 

 

The plumbago leaves are starting to turn as the weather gets colder. This new addition has been a real winner...reliable flowers all summer long, plus lovely fall foliage (see another photo of the same plant, a few weeks later, below).

 

 

By the fall, all the plants are smushing into each other in the beds, a look I really like. Here: ornamental grass, hydrangeas, lambs' ear, and willow.

 

 

 

 

View into the front beds from our front door 

 

 

 

 

  

 

  

 

View of our backyard one morning last week...I love how the sunrise lights up all the grasses and trees!

 

 

The last of the Incrediball hydrangea blossoms

 

 

 

 

 

Happy autumn!