Monday, October 30, 2017

Change Over

Autumn finally came, and except for weak knees,  I am doing OK.

Fall is usually lovely, but it only lasts for about a week or two, especially this year.  The trees started to change about five days ago, and today big winds came and blew them off.  Easy come, swiftly gone.  However, because of the elongated summer, I was able to enjoy, for an extra month, all the work that Mother Nature did on my gardens. 

Back in May I put some two inch plants into the ground and/or pots.  They weighed a few ounces each. 




Park's Seeds

It rained a lot in Pennsylvania and so with very little help from me, they became these:
                                           
                                          My daughter, my model.
                           It rained so often, cushions seldom were put on the chairs. 

                                               There is a bench under there.
                     Night time on the woods edge (with some help from solar lighting)
 
My favorite cactus
 
 
                                                         .
                                A view on my deck. (if there is room, there is a flower)
 
 
 
 
                                Hard to see, but this is inside my Zen Garden at night. 
 
Yes, I overdo, but I have cut back on the amount of annuals that I have planted in the past. These are a few of my garden areas; most of the remaining are full of perennials that bloom for shorter times in the summer and need less care.
 
 
Now, though, is the time to say good-bye to all these lovely flowers that surround me.  I started dismantling the gardens two weeks ago - very slowly.  What were once small and weightless, are now very large with roots that cling to other roots and refuse to let go.  I know how they feel.  I am down to the largest pots and am promising myself that I will not plant this many next year. 
 
 
I think I remember promising myself the same thing last year.  
 
 
I hope you all have a fun Halloween with lots of visits from gremlins begging for candy, unless, of course, you want it all for yourself. 


 

60 comments:

  1. Wow. Loving your garden. Mine is too much for me, but I am unlikely to admit it yet. And how I envy your rain.

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    1. PS: I hope winter is gentle and kind to you. As I hope the sweaty season is to me.

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    2. We had quite a bit of rain this summer and it sure helped to keep my water bills down. I seldom had to water the gardens. I hope your summer and my winter will be mild. I am never ready for the darkness of winter, and I hate the cold.

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  2. I wish my plants would behave like that!

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  3. I have been showing your wonderful photos to Norma and she admires your efforts very much. Your lovely daughter's inclusion reminds us of how our daughter and her brothers liked to get into garden scenes when they were here. Oh, Arleen I just liked the whole thing. Thanks!

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    1. Thank you, Geo, for your’s and Norma’ kind thoughts. When I visit California, I am in awe of all the beautiful plants that grow there. I wish I could take them home, but, unfortunately, they won’t grow in Pennsylvania weather. My one daughter, who lives in Santa Cruz, has a wonderful garden. The sea air does wonders for both man and plants.

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  4. Your plants looked lovely, what a beautiful garden, good luck with dismantling the pots.

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    1. I have to get it done soon, Thelma. The weather can turn quickly, and I don’t want to be out in the snow pulling big dead plants out of frozen dirt.

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  5. What a wonderful gardener you are. Gardens like yours are such a delight.

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  6. We are having an Indian Summer in the UK (in the South at least). The Autumn colours are still very much with us.
    Have a very scary Halloween but with more treats than tricks, my green-fingered friend!
    CLICK HERE for Bazza’s equanimous Blog ‘To Discover Ice’

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    1. Most of our fall has been Indian summer, Bazza, with temps in the high seventies and lots of sunshine. It has been delightful. I am hoping that Mother Nature will be kind to all of us this winter.

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    2. BTW, my header picture was taken in the prop room of N.C. Wyeth, the noted American artist and illustrator and father of Andrew Wyeth. I think I remember reading that you visited their homes and the Brandywine River Museum (near Longwood Gardens) on one of your trips.

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    3. Yes to Longwood Gardens but I think it was a commentator on my Blog who wrote about the Wyeth dynasty!

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  7. WOWOWOWOWOWOWW - you mean those little plants turned into those gigantic plants. My I wish I knew what I was doing - those are gorgeous.
    HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

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  8. You have at least two green thumbs, Arleen - what an amazing story those photos tell. Beautiful!

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    1. Thank you Jenny. Gardening is my passion and planning and planting are what I love to do. Watering them all the time, not so much. However, this was a very good summer for lazy people as nature took over.

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  9. Hi Arleen - they look stunning ... you really do have green fingers ... and the whole looks amazing - loved seeing them ... cheers Hilary

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    1. Thank you Hillary.

      I enjoy reading your interesting posts. There is always something in them for me to learn.

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    2. Thanks - good to see you at one of my early Canadian blog posts ... cheers Hilary

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  10. I don't know, Arleen. You might be one pot short! What stunning gardens. Pennsylvania outdid itself for you this summer.

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  11. Your garden is beautiful. I love that gorgeous pink plant - what is it?

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    1. That plant is a verigated, salmon, spreading Sun Impatient. They are a no muss, no fuss plant that grow well in my area. I gave up on plants that need attention every day and have to be deadheaded.

      I hope you are well, Molly.

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  12. Oh my goodness! A beautiful floral display. X

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  13. Your plants are impressive! I'm always a mix of happy and sad when it's time to clean out the garden.

    Blessings~

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    1. I also feel sad when it is time to putthegardens to bed, especially this year. Many of the flowers looked as good as they did in the summer. We have not gotten a frost yet but I did not want to be doing all that work in freezing weather.

      Thank you for stopping by.

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  14. 2" pots to those?! Magnificent! Perennials are wonderful, such easy care, well, here in California where there is no snow. We planted Mexican heather this summer and are looking forward to their growth.

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  15. I put two, 2” (or so) beginning plants in those pots. Mother Nature did her magic.

    I first saw Mexical Heather in California and really liked them. I tried to grow it here, and it did bloom, but not till late September. I think our summers are too hot for them.

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  16. Wow, your plants are wonderful! So pretty! I love your zen garden. I don't think you overdo it at all! If it brings you joy, I say go for it! :)

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    1. Thank you Rain. When I read your posts, I see how happy you are with all the tasks that you take on.

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  17. Your plants are magnificent. I'm glad Mother Nature helped you out this year. She must enjoy the flowers, too.

    You wrote, "What were once small and weightless, are now very large with roots that cling to other roots and refuse to let go." I can relate. I used to be small and a lot less weighty, too... :)

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  18. LOVE the flowers. Thanks for sharing them.

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  19. Oh, my goodness, Arleen...your garden is stunning...absolutely stunning. :)

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    1. Thank you Lee for your kind comments. It is now mostly gone and I have moved on to planting my fall flowers.

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  20. I also am amazed at your spectacular garden! I never have any luck with flowers or plants, so I'm very envious of your horticultural skills! I'm sure your fall flowers will also look fabulous!

    Julie

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    1. I like to surround myself in color, Julie. It is wonderful when nature cooperates.

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  21. Wow! Your flowers and the colors are so amazing and lovely! Happy November! Hugs...RO

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    1. Yes, Ro, we are now entering grey November. I am enjoying the colors of fall though and until the first frost, I can still have some some orange and purple in my yard.

      I hope you are having wonderful weather like we are experiencing right now.

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  22. It was so lovely to read your post and see your lovely photographs. I think your garden looks great.

    My good wishes for a Happy November ... the year seems to have gone by so quickly!

    All the best Jan

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    1. I hope you have a good November also, Jan. All years go by too quickly.

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  23. Those are some amazing plants. I used to live in Princeton, NJ, and remember how fast everything would grow there. Good to be back visiting you and my other blogger friends.

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    1. It was good to see your post, Inger, , and read that you are doing well.

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  24. Dear Arleen, eight and a half years ago I moved from Stillwater, MN, where I had several perennial gardens and two veggie gardens, to MO. I was 73 and had become aware that my knees no longer wanted to garden! So I simply planted shrubs in front of my new home. They needed no work at all, just some watering during the hot days of a MO summer.

    So I do understand what gardeners do throughout the seasons and how we/they make resolutions in the fall that are forgotten each spring. Just going to a plant nursery in the spring and seeing all the possibilities made any autumn resolution null and void for me!

    Your gardens are lovely and must give you so much pleasure. Peace today.

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    1. Good soil, plants that never disappoint, and lots of help from Mother Nature are what makes my garden grow. Thank you, John.

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  26. I too am retired and have and had a very hard time adjusting, but at 76 guess the time is here! I would enjoy becoming friends, but have not seen anywhere to join with you. Linda in Tennessee

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    1. My adjustment period continues, except on Mondays or when the weather is bad. I love my volunteer job and it gives me purpose.

      Thanks for stopping by and we can connect by you clicking on the tab under Followers.

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  27. Green fingers! What a wonderful display you have created. It's always amazing what comes from such small beginnings.
    I'm still leaf sweeping in the garden and my compost pile growing ever bigger.

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  28. Good luck with you. Thanksgiving feeding of 18

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  29. I plan on serving a lot of wine so people won’t notice my hit or miss cooking.

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  30. I don't plant, but there are so many things where I think I will do less next year. Ha! Usually I end up doing more. It's hard to plant less. Everything you grew was so lovely.

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  31. I have put in loads of bulbs this autumn. Every spring for ages I have been sorry I didn't plant more. But you're right, dealing with them after they have flowered is a pain! Look forward to your next post. Hope you're having a good run up to Christmas.

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  32. You certainly have a green thumb! I'm envious! The only plants that like me are my African violets and a Christmas cactus that refuses to bloom.

    Autumn has always been my favorite season. Growing up in Maine I had the opportunity to view the splendor of the artist, Mother Nature. Now, living in Florida I have two seasons and autumn unfortunately is not one of them.

    I want to thank you responding to my long overdue blog post. I can only imagine what people thought happened to me...

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