Bonus!

It's hard to believe that we still have not had a frost yet. Not that I am complaining! We are loving our bonus flowers that are bravely attempting their comeback.

Ta-dah:  

 The coral rose (and company)

 Funky dahlia

Besides the fun yellow and orange dahlias, we also found a lavender hydrangea and one brugsmansia blossom.

In the veggie arena, kale, cabbages, arugula and green tomatoes abound. 

Broccoli florets that got away from us

Is anything still blooming in your garden? 

What about you southerners? Are you just about to plant the winter garden?

Fall Color

Enjoy this fall Saturday, with its most beautiful weather...

and crazy late dahlia. The blooms in the yard are now down to a trickle, so each one is appreciated that much more.

Off to do some fall yard cleanup!

Blooms from Normandy

Fall in Normandy means flowers at harvest time. 

I am amazed at how flowers are part of the essence of living here.

Many, many dahlias in their glory...

along with Mother Nature's creatures...

both beautiful and humble.

The colors explode, especially against the foil of the indigenous stone.

What is going on in your fall gardens?

Holding On

Late summer here means dahlias. We tucked the tubers in everywhere and have been blessed with a profusion of color.

They even are climbing through the fig trees!

Lime green zinnias are a soft, serene color, but powdery mildew is rearing its ugly head.

My mini purple cabbage border: why not?

Happy Friday!

Definitely Dahlias

One of our favorite and reliable blooms in the garden is the dahlia. We plant the tubers in May and by the end of July, they are blooming away. They usually require staking as they do get tall, but they reward you with their beauty.

This dahlia is taller than I am and the blooms are 7-8 inches across. Fortunately, it is sheltered by the citrus tree. The lime green zinnias are beginning their blooms in front of it. We dig out the tubers in the fall and store them in a cool (but not freezing) space all winter, keeping them barely damp. They just get bigger and better with age.

More varieties starting to flower...

One of my favorite containers is this big urn in the back. It holds plumbago, scaeveola, lantana, as well as verbena bonaris, angelonia and sweet potato vine.

Lantanas are a way-underused annual, in my opinion. It loves heat and sunshine, making it convenient during the hot months!

The hydrangeas are also in full swing, but sure do need lots of water!

That's OK, we comply!

What is blooming in your garden these days?