Nice work, Dan. It looks great! What kind of tree do you have planted in the first photo on the left? You knew Id have to ask!
Barb

When I saw your post today, I thought I better take a few more pictures before that hard freeze arrives, but when I went outside with the camera, I discovered the batteries were dead. I'll try to pick of some batteries in the next day or two, and post some shots of what's still blooming here.

Thank you Barb, that's Crataegus laevigata 'Crimson Cloud'. It sat on the north side of the house until that space was ready, so it got a little sad but it should be nice for that area, another way for others to track/anticipate the passage of time.

Dan

Dan, these don't compare with attractive perenials but I've got a little color between the cutting garden and the veggies.

I had that thread about my 2' wide "wheat field" and cutting it about the 1st of August. Immediately thereafter, I set out some 3 week old Stella sunflowers in that narrow bed.

I grew Italian White sunflowers years ago and wasn't much impressed with them. The Stella is a close relative and not what I grow for cutting, usually. Honestly, I didn't realize that when the seed was bought but figured it out before the plants went in.

They aren't anything stunning, as I say. But, they have been blooming for over a week - about 3" flowers, butter yellow. Actually, the plant foliage itself is quite pretty.

What is noteworthy about these Stella sunflowers is that they are about 40" tall and blooming at only 6 weeks after being set out in the heat of Summer. A few Autumn Beauty plants of the same age haven't bloomed and don't look as tho' they will.

Steve

Without a frost yet, this is turning into a spectacular year for fall perennials. My favorite is Pitchers sage, or Salvia azura, and I have several mass plantings around. I've tried to photograph it with a digital camera and can't capture the shade of blue, which is unique. Linked is a very good rendition.

I planted a bed with dark burgundy mums with a couple of these things, 3' in diameter, behind the mums. (isn't cnetter one of our forum homeys?)

Here is a link that might be useful: link

That's funny David, I said the very same thing yesterday and didn't post pix because the blue just doesn't show right.

And I'll have to look into some 'Stella' sunflowers, if only to have the opportunity to entertain annoy the fam with my Steeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeelllllllllllllllllllaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa !!!!! voice.

{{gwi:1222331}}

Dan

Hi All!

Finally got around to getting a few shots of the garden.

Here is a pic of the bed that curves around the porch. The Solidago 'Fireworks' has already past its prime, but look how tall the Castor Bean 'Carmencita' is at the very back of the bed.

This is a close-up of Coreopsis tinctoria that is in that bed.

'Hopscotch' Mum

Dianthus 'Sooty' (wintersown this year)

Rudbeckia 'Irish Eyes' (wintersown this year)

Gaillardia - think it might be Tokajer. Planted that one and Goblin in that area, and this seems too tall for Goblin.

Gaillardia 'Burgundy'

This last one is my second attempt to create my own Red Zinger tea. It's in the hibiscus family, Thai Red Roselle. Last year, we had a frost before it bloomed.

I stuck mostly with close-up shots, because I quit deadheading weeks ago, in order to collect seeds, so things are a bit messy looking right now.

Bonnie

Bonnie,
Your garden is beautiful! Thanks to you and Dan for posting the pics. It's nice to see good looking gardens. Mine looks like a** right now. The grasshoppers have destroyed most everything this year, so I appreciate your gardens and will have hope for next year!
Barb

Here's a couple more pics from my back yard, wonderful colors. (these were taken LAST week, before all the wind!)

What a gorgeous autumn this year!

I love the shot of your backyard, b2alicia! Looks lovely wtih the golden fall colors!! I like your glass patio cover as well - giving me ideas for our patio ...

Marj

That top one's a keeper, surely.

Dan

Thanks Dan! Most of those leaves have turned brown now. I'm glad I got a shot of it when I did!

Marj, the longer I have that patio cover, the better I like it! I thought about it for a couple of years, because there were lots of things I wanted it to do:

-it needs to block the hot morning sun in the summer
-it needs to let in as much light as possible during the winter on that dark east side
-it needs to keep rain off the back door, and doggie door, and porch
-and MAINLY, it needs to somehow keep snow away so Frisco can go out in the winter

A full enclosure, with the sides made of glass, would have much more expensive, in lots of ways.
-the weight would have been too heavy for the supports under the deck, so the deck would have been torn down, new concrete supports poured, then the deck rebuilt.
-it would have then been classified as a "room", with lots of permits required, and electricity, etc.
-I think all that glass would have been awfully hot in the summer

So here's how the deck looked when I first moved in.

I got it at a good place called Colorado Home Editions, and they worked with me wonderfully to keep the cost down as much as possible.
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And here it is after.

Every time it snowed, I had to shovel away from the door, then over to the doggie door, then down to the side of the deck.

Now, ta da! very easy for Frisco

and here is the view of it from the breakfast nook

Of course, it doesn't really keep the cold out, but that's really ok.