Last Flowers Standing
It’s the middle of October and the garden is getting drowsy, sliding into its annual decline. In fact I was thinking of calling this post Decline and Fall (get it – fall?), but Judy says I use too many puns.
Although, some of the roses are having a late season spurt of energy, particularly our shrub rose ‘Cassie’, which has quite a few flower clusters along with small red hips here and there. The hips don’t really make much of a display, because something eats them before they develop critical mass.
‘Sallie Holmes’ in the back garden is also putting out a final handful of blooms.
In the front garden, many plants have only seed heads remaining, like these fluffy Joe Pye Weeds (Eutrochium maculatum). October has been a warm month, which is keeping some plants from going dormant – but it’s also been very dry, making beds and borders a bit more shrivelled and crunchy.
Even so, the Mexican Sunflower (Tithonia rotundifolia) is still blooming, even though I gave up deadheading at the beginning of October. Sadly the seeds are not hardy here, but they do attract some Cardinals and Goldfinches. Butterflies are no longer seen, but bumblebees are still plentiful.
Brown-Eyed Susan (Rudbeckia triloba) is slowing down, but still has lots of flowers.
In the East Parkway Bed the Brown-Eyed Susan combines nicely with the dried seed heads of Sedum spectabilis ‘Matrona’. I generally don’t like Sedums, but I added more ‘Matrona’ in this spot a few weeks ago.
I should mention here that I took these photos because Judy was out of town (in Las Vegas, no less) on a business trip. So the photographs are not up to the usual standard.
The New England Asters (Symphyotrichum novae-angliae) still look good.
And there’s lots of Bluestem Goldenrod (Solidago caesia), here joined by a few blooms from the hybrid Geranium ‘Rozanne’.
As long as I don’t look too closely, I am really pleased with how this Lamppost bed has turned out this year. If I do look closely, I am appalled by all the weeds hiding among the new perennials. Fortunately the Zinnia elegans ‘Profusion Fire’ provides lots of distraction.
Aromatic Aster (Symphyotrichum oblongifolius) and Helenium autumnale ‘Short ‘n’ Sassy’ continue to make beautiful music together. I’ll say again that I am amazed by this Helenium’s lengthy period of bloom. And the Aromatic Aster is no slouch, either.
Elsewhere on the Parkway Bed, Plumbago (Ceratostigma plumbaginoides – say that five times fast if you can) and wild strawberry (Fragaria virginiana) combine to make a nice ground cover.
Short’s Aster (Symphyotrichum shortii) is another aster with staying power.
Calamint (Calamintha nepeta) has mostly recovered from a rough early season. First, it seemed to lose some ground to our long winter. Then it was almost overwhelmed by three lined plant bugs. All this surprised me, because Calamint is supposed to be a super tough plant that seeds itself like crazy. So far that has not been my experience.
In the back garden I’ve pretty much given up on watering the containers. All the container plants are at death’s door except for these ‘Dragonwing’ begonias, who don’t seem to care whether I water them or not. Who knew they were such tough customers?
I am linking this post to Garden Bloggers’ Bloom Day, hosted by Carol at May Dreams Garden on the 15th of every month. Click here to see more October blooms from all over the world.
gardeninacity 
There’s such a thing as too many puns? You’ve still got a lot of color going on in your garden.
I don’t think there can be too many puns, but some people are more narrow-minded.
You are an ambassador for Tithonia! You have convinced me that I need this plant! Isn’t Ceratostigma a wonderful plant and Rozanne just keeps on flowering. I’m pleased that the bumblebees are still in your garden.
If you like puns, you might like this….
http://www.jokes4us.com/peoplejokes/comedianjokes/timvinejokes.html
About the Tithonias – thank you! I’ve come to feel I deserve some recognition for promoting Tithonias. However, I may have to first start the organization that would give me the recognition. Something like, the International Society for the Appreciation of Tithonias (ISAT).
Your Tithonia look good still – mine are about to be chopped! As soon as the hot spell was over they got covered in black fly, which was great for the ladybirds but their numbers are dwindling now too. Love that aster/helenium combination!
I haven’t had that problem with the Tithonia, at least not yet.
So nice to have some color hanging on, we are expecting heavy frost in the north east over the next few days. Then the curtain closes for the season. Photos are very nice by the way!
No frosts predicted here for the next 10 days!
The photos of the garden look lovely – it looks like a nice, orderly decline this year…lets hope the frosts stay away just that little bit longer so you can keep enjoying all of the blooms!
No frosts in the 10 day forecast – our average frost date is 10/15, so this is a little unusual.
I tried Helenium autumnale one year, but it only lasted one season. Another tall aster still in bloom is Smooth Blue Aster. Only 2-3′ tall in the prairie, in the garden it will grow 3–4′ tall and is best cut back by half at the end of June.
I cut back the NE Aster and Short’s Aster. The Aromatic Aster stays fairly compact, so I don’t cut that one back.
Wow you have so many blooms still. My susans are gone but tithonia is still going too!
The R. triloba just keeps on truckin’.
plenty of lovely blooms still, eupatorium makes great impact, also love the zinnias and rudbeckia. mine is almost over now but I’ve already saved seeds 😉
Yes, the Joe Pye does have a big impact even after the flowers fade.
Your yellow/blue theme continues with more orange/purple in fall, it seems. Cannot believe the number of blooms you still have. Well done!
I love orange/purple (or blue) just as much as the yellow/blue. This is why I have planted some ‘Betty Corning’ Clematis to bloom near the Tithonia next year.
Your garden is still full of blooms. It looks so nice. Most bloooms here have given up. I will have to look to see what I can post. Happy GBBD.
I think these must be the last few days for blooming.
Lots of beauty in your October garden!
Happy Garden Bloggers’ Bloom Day!
Lea
Happy Bloom Day!
Hmmm… on puns? Some folks like them, others don’t. I say keep ‘um coming, you always make me chuckle (or groan with a smile).
On tithonia – when you say the seed is not hardy, do you mean the seeds it drops everywhere (if you don’t deadhead) do not germinate/don’t over winter in the garden? It doesn’t become one of the plants we say ‘seeds itself freely’ (meaning it’s invasive)?
On brown-eyed susans – how tall are they?
You still have lots of pretty blooms, Jason, but for sure it’s drawing to a close for 2015. We’re expecting 30 degrees Sunday night in Maryland, darn it!
With the Tithonia, I just mean that the seeds won’t survive the winter here. The Brown-Eyed Susan can grow as tall as 5′ in my garden, so I usually cut it back.
Nice photos, Jason. My husband shares your love of puns, and over the years, I have learned to like them. I even indulge in punnery from time to time 😉 Begonias are indeed tough customers. They are one of the few flowers that do well in pots at the little house in the big woods.
Maybe you could encourage Judy to be more tolerant on the pun question.
I love all the different asters you have –I really need to find some of the shorter varieties. I have some bulbs arriving soon –I hope it will stay dry and mild until after I plant them 🙂 I have stopped watering my containers as well. I thought about it, but then I got a cold, and decided their days were numbered either way.
Aromatic Aster is relatively short, also Heath Aster (though I have never grown it). Plus the dwarf NE Aster ‘Purple Dome’.
Hi, Jason! I love your Mexican Sunflower and begonias that you call ‘such tough customers’. I have them as well and never water – they perfectly survive.
Happy GBBD!
Happy GBBD, Nadezda!
I like your puns 🙂 Tithona still going strong here too.
I think keeping it cut back a bit has helped keep the stems from breaking off, which happens some years.
I love your beautiful pictures!
Greetings, Sofie #26
http://sofies-succulent-beads.blogspot.be
Thank you.
Your garden doesn’t look autumn-sleepy at all, quite the contrary. Beautiful asters and roses–sigh!
It’s just that you can’t see all the plants going dormant in these particular photos!
I have so few flowers still standing, and today I cut some of them and brought them inside to enjoy. I can’t wait till next spring!
Don’t talk about spring. It’s too early for me to start getting impatient.
I love Rudbeckia triloba…but it can be challenging to keep it going…since it usually seeds in the most unfortunate spots 😉
It’s definitely my favorite Rudbeckia. It does self-sow a LOT, but I find I often like the surprising places where it pops up.
Many nice vignettes from your garden. I think Judy’s photography skills are rubbing off.
Thanks, but I’ve got a long way to go – especially with more challenging shots.
You still have a lot of flowers blooming! They say we’ll see temps down into the low 20s this weekend so that’ll finish it for us.
Still no frost in the forecast here in Chicago.
Your title is perfect, Jason–I’m appreciating all the flowers that are still standing right now, too. I’m also taking notes on what is blooming in everyone else’s garden this October. Tithonia is already on my “must-have” list for next year, so I’m thrilled to see it still blooming so late. The short Helenium is one I don’t have either and am now tempted to add. Wouldn’t some rain be nice?!
You’ll love the Tithonia. You can order the Helenium from Klehm’s if it’s not at your local garden centers.
Is your Calamintha nepeta the sterile variety (subsp.)? I ask because Olbrich chooses to plant the sterile one so it won’t re-seed. It just continues to return as a perennial each year. (Here’s an article about it from Lurie: http://www.luriegarden.org/blog/plant-weekend-calamint.) It’s so interesting that you guys, so close to us, haven’t received the rain we have. Although, the UW-Arboretum (even closer to me) is drier than my garden. Weird spotty precipitation. I really don’t see any weeds in your lamppost garden. And regarding the puns: I’m always saying the same thing to the fishman, but he keeps on punning away! Happy bloom day!
They are still lovely for the approaching winter. Sometimes i also feel sad that the beautiful plants of my blogger friends in temperate countries will just succumb to frost. At least in your garden, they are already past their prime.
At times it makes me sad as well. But I don’t think I could tolerate the heat of a tropical country.
I don’t see a lot of decline here Jason, so I think you can save your title for a later date. Do you like the Tithonia after the petals have dropped as much as I do? I think they are almost as attractive as the flowers in the garden and in a vase.
I haven’t thought about the seed heads too much, I’ve been so intent on deadheading until now. I’ll have to look at them more closely.
I love the Mexican sunflowers. Last year we visited Monet’s garden in the autumn and there was a wonderful spread of orange and yellow colours through the garden…so you are in good company!
We visited Monet’s garden at the end of August a few years ago and also found it full of Mexican sunflowers.
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Cassie and Sallie Holmes are such pretty roses! I’m surprised by how much you have still flowering, a lot more than me! Your Lampost bed has come along beautifully.
Your photos and puns are absolutely fine by me!!!xxx
I thought your season was longer than ours, though perhaps it just starts earlier?
You have a ton more color than I do. My garden has passed out. 🙂 Do you cover your roses with anything?
I think your frost comes earlier than ours. I don’t cover our roses, but I only plant roses that are very hardy.
Still going strong there. I think that seems to be true here too so far. No frosts to kill it all dead. Nice to see those roses looking so fresh
.
‘Cassie’ is amazing. It blooms from early June onward, taking a break only in the hottest part of the summer.
Hello Jason, wow – you have so much still flowering! We’ve had a strange flowering pattern this year because most of the plants are new and went into the borders late (especially if they were grown from seed), they’re all flowering at the wrong times (very late). The Dahlias and annuals we have make up for much of the show but there are still lupins, delphinums, roses and verbena! They’ve not realised it’s autumn yet.
I won’t tell them if you won’t.
Your love of Orange really stands out in your garden this October Jason. I know what you mean about not looking too close into borders at this time of the year – some of mines needs a fair bit of weeding done.
I hope you continue to enjoy the garden for a wee while yet.
Thanks, Angie. Wait until you see all my orange tulips come spring!
It’s nice to see so much in bloom at this time of year. Even after temperatures in the teens here last night, I still have some flowers on asters and phlox. (Maybe they’re just frozen in place?).
Surprisingly, some annuals will keep flowering well into the colder weather.
So much color still in your garden! We had a hard freeze here in mid-October so only a few roses are still blooming. I love Rudbeckia triloba – great plant, isn’t it?
R. triloba is definitely one of my favorites, I think it is far superior to R. hirta or R. fulgida.