There aren't many new flowers blooming at this time. I thought I would photograph the fruit of past flowers and some fruiting bodies of fungi that have sprung up and a few late bloomers too. It has been raining almost continually the past 3 days and very quickly everything has become lush and green. There is a definite feeling of Fall in the air it is wonderful.
See how much water there is in this wheel barrow!And just in the nick of time.
Notice the window boxes have filled in nicely.
The nearly invisible three-tiered planter and bountiful impatiens are what greets everyone at the front door.
Autumn Joy sedum and Nicotiana langsdorfii
Northern Sea Oats and a flower I can't name.
Hyssop (I think) and a moth sheltering from the rain under leaves.
Crab Apples and Wild Grapes
Gourd in the compost bin and the Dreaded Buck Thorn!
Blue fruit of Solomon's Seal and red fruit of False Solomon's Seal.
Turkey tails and Shelf fungi.
I've given up trying to identify mushrooms. There are about a trillion of them and they all look alike! So I just enjoy their beauty.
Here are some more fairy sized mushrooms like I posted a few weeks ago. Except these are an acre and a half away from the first ones.********************
Some people might say I'm crazy, but I'm looking forward to Fall and Winter. As much as I love to garden, Summer is quite stressful for me and with the drier climate it has sometimes become a real chore. I can't wait for the colored leaves, shorter days, and cool breezes. And, yes, snow.
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Snowy, Flowy, Blowy,
Showery, Flowery, Bowery,
Hoppy, Croppy, Droppy,
Breezy, Sneezy, Freezy.
George Ellis (1795 - 1815)
"The Twelve Months"
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Bye for now,
Alyssa
16 comments:
Alyssa,
I think there are other people feeling the same as you. (Me) I think summer is stressful, too, especially when it's been well, you know (hot). I look forward to jacket weather.
That photo of your window boxes surrounded by ivy is stunning. I remember reading your blog a few months ago when you were working in the gardens and preparing them for spring and summer. You work has paid off! It's so beautiful.
Mushrooms always attract my attention and can you believe I have them growing out back? They're in a low area where water from the sprinklers accumulate.
Good job photographing your lovely place.
Mary - Thank you for the compliments. Would you believe when we first bought our house we hated the ivy and tore all of it off!! That was surely dumb. Don't mushrooms always seem to find a place to grown no matter what. I love them.
Alyssa, yes, your ivy is so nice. Do the birds feed on it for bugs? We have ivy on campus where the lizards live and thrive on it. We even have snakes that nestle in clumps of ivy, too. They keep the mice from invading.
Your comment about the red hat made me laugh out loud! You know, I thought about my safety out there with the hummers as they cause me to duck sometimes. I wear eyeglasses. They are my protection! LOL!
Mary - I'm not sure if they go after bugs in the ivy, but they do nest in it. A purple finch couple have nexted in it the past 3 years.
I haven't seen anything else in there but I'll bet mice use it for a highway.
Steve is deathly afraid of snakes (who knows why!!) so I'm glad for him they don't hang around in the ivy - he has to trim it at least once a month in warmer weather. If he had to deal with snakes it would cover the whole house by now!
Fungi neat and interesting I think. Your window boxes are lovely and WOW the ivy is awesome. I need to plant Nicotiana next year. The humming bird Moths so enjoy it.
Adorable Moth, I think those are the ones that frequent our tomatoes and peppers. The Fairey shrooms are delightful.
Dee - Thank you. It was pretty "slim pickin's" this week for blooms, but there is always something else interesting to show. I think everyone likes to see mushrooms - close up they are neat little things.
I love the ivy surrounding the window. It is gorgeous!
Ah, the mushrooms - I like them and am curious at how they pop up here and there. Mine are all white and have been called puffballs.
The thought of winter and snow isn't a good one for me this year. The summer sped by and I haven't finished my wall yet.
You have an artistic feel for plants ... your windowboxes are lovely!
I can only dream of having my home look that gorgeous!
Kate - Thank you for the compliments. You make me blush. Steve is the "keeper of the ivy" and really should be thanked. Right now, with all the rain and warm weather, it is growing over the roof and needs a trim.
I hope you will have a nice, long and mild Fall so you can work a lot on your wall. I can't wait to see it.
Gretchen - Thank you so much. But I can't take all the credit. Steve does so much with the yard and gardens that he must always share in the compliments. This has been a very good year for us.
alyssa - your window box looks awesome! i've been toying with the idea of building one for the garage window. do you find it difficult to keep the plants in it watered? i'm not so good with container plants, usually.
Wow, Alyssa, everything DOES look lush! Very lovely indeed! And that ivy is marvelous.
Love the quote about the months. LOL.
I'm rather looking forward to fall. Not winter, though.
Your photos are lovely. I am not a very good gardener. I have a vegetable garden out of necessity.
I do like wild flowers and weeds. Their blooms are usually not as grand as cultivated plants but if you look close they are exquisite. The yellow flowers you have no name for looks like bur-marigold, (en francais, bident penché) biden cernua. They grow by the river, seem to like to have their feet, damp. If they are not this they must be domesticated cousin. They always add to the joy when I go for my daily swim.
Gina - Watering the window boxes is the easiest of the watering tasks for me. I keep 2 watering cans just for that use. I use the most expensive potting mix, add water absorbing granuals, and sprinkle slow release fertilizer when I plant.
And make sure the planter boxes are a generous size - the larger the container, the slower it drys out. If you make yours out of wood, line the box with plastic to hold in moisture and protect the wood.
Good Luck!
Kylee - Thank you. The ivy has had a fantastic year. Some winters it says fairly green - but usually it turns an awful brown. I use a rake to get the dead leaves off.
Tossing - Thanks a lot. My first love is wildflowers and that's what I started enjoying when I was a child. It's interesting to read how hybrids were developed from their wild cousins.
Thank you for the identification of that yellow flower.
Alyssa,
There is an award for you on my post night (8/26). Stop by to pick it up. :o)
Mary - Thank you so much. I'm honored and speechless . . .
I'm in a love-hate relationship with virtual memory because of how prices are always,and I mean always dropping. I absolutely hate buying SD Cards for my R4 / R4i at (seemingly) a bargain price only to see it become 10% cheaper a few months later.
(Posted from Nintendo DS running [url=http://cid-2602f0e287041cef.spaces.live.com/blog/cns!2602F0E287041CEF!106.entry]R4i[/url] SysBro)
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