Mexican sunflower, asters, pineapple sage, cimicifuga as well as impatiens are still hanging in here at the shore.
I also noticed a black swallowtail catterpillar on the fennel the other day.

The berries on the aronia 'brilliantissima' and all of the various hollies (blue boys, English, verticillata 'Winter Red', and pedunculosa) are what's spectacular here at ParadiseWaits.

It'll all be shut down shortly. A switch will be pushed and we'll get our first hard frost.

Enjoy the season NJT

Birdsong72, I went raptor watching at Merrill Creek today and the change was definitely in the air up there - everyone dressed for winter!

Let's see, the salvias and dahlias, snapdragon, hardy fushcia, agastache tutti frutti, roses, hydrangeas, butterfly bush, verbena, daphne, kerria, cornus winterbeauty is turning yellow and blooming and the same time.
Callicarpa and viburnums are also colorful with berries along with the hollies. Rose hips are turning red as well.
Then there are the leaves...

Birdsong72, I see you grow Ilex pedunculosa. How old are your plants and what is your impression?

after the frost, I have salvia Black and Blue, Fanny's Aster and Golden Wings (with one bloom) going as if there was no frost at all. Tartarian aster is looking beat up. The dahlia's flowers were fine but the leaves were blackened so I dug them up. I should have put a sheet over them because who knows when the next frost will be?

Hi Loretta. I love pudunculosa (sp). My specemin has been in it's current spot in my garden for nearly 7 years. It has been fruiting very well these last couple of years (as you know, the berries are singles and not clusters). Catbirds, white throates sparrows and even a late black throated blue warbler (om 11/2) love the fruit.

A good bit of growth on a few of the long limb leaders this year. My plant currently is about 10' and is a real "looker"

It's usually the 1st plant I address when we have wet snow as those wispy limbs are no match for heavy snow.

I love the plant. I had a tree surgeon come in a few weeks ago for an estimate on pruning out some huge dead oak limbs, etc. and he called it a 'ficus'. Couldn't help but smile as I explained what it was.

I had a surprise clematis open up - Nelly Moser I think - one of those pink stripe down the middle types - and a cluster on my coral vine honeysuckle. The dahlias, hardy fuschia and verbena bit the dust. The roses are picking up speed. A coneflower is trying to beat the winter.

Thanks for the feedback birdsong.