One of my favorite movies of all time is The Four Seasons with Alan Alda and Carol Burnett, The concertos by Vivaldi were mesmerizing as they wove through the story of these couples lives, and whenever I hear them I think of not only the movie but of all the seasons of the year.
My favorite season is spring with fall running a close second. I am sure you can guess which are my least favorites, summer and winter, funny because as a child summer and winter were my favorites. Oh, but that must have been before I became a gardener!
Could this be the last rose of summer, I hope not! This double Knockout has put forth one beautiful rose after not blooming much all summer.
I am really liking the look of this Chocolate Chip Ajuga that I put between the cracks of the new bluestone walk under my arbor in the back garden. Right now, it seems like a very controlled ajuga and you can walk on it without any damage.
I wish I had paid a little more attention to Boltonia Pink Beauty by caging it in last spring rather than letting it flop until the summer. It is really stunning under the dogwood but not as pretty as it could have been.
One lone white campanula amongst the allysum
This was a $1.97 mum from Home Depot last year that I wintered over in the veggie garden and then transplanted into the border. It is now about two feet tall and two feet wide. I did pinch it back all summer, but I just don't have room in my summer garden for mums. I might have to do them in pots for the summer.
This is Festive Ursula in the blue resin pots back by the arbor. I am sure it is an early mum, but I just liked the color. This one I might winter over in the veggie garden.
Helga is one of my favorite mums beginning to bloom by the garden shed. Even though it is classified as an early mum, it lasts a long time and is not susceptible to insects or slugs as are some of the white mums.
I began cutting my Limelight today for drying, strip off as many leaves as you can because they do not dry well.
When they are stripped of leaves, you can put them in a tall bucket or vase to dry - no water, usually takes no more than a few days.
The Unique Hydrangea is handled in the same manner, leaves stripped and put in a vase or bucket to dry. They are more pendulous than Limelight
Unique Hydrangea with Limelight Hydrangea
16 comments:
Fall and Spring are my two favorite seasons. I wish our summers were cooler - just a little then I would like it too! I don't mind the heat as much as the cold. Great pictures!
Hello Eileen, I agree, Fall and Spring are my two favorite seasons too, I'm just not a fan of hot weather and winter gets a 'little' long in the tooth after three or four months.
Your mums are so healthy; I wish I had planted more of them but as you said, it's hard to find room for everything.
I didn't know I could just pop the hydrangeas in a vase to dry, silly me, I have them hanging from the rafters in the garage! Last year, I used some of the hydrangeas as dried flower arrangements in the urns around the yard, and they held up fairly well, but I think they look their best in a vase in the house. Thanks for the tip, Eileen!
Dear Eileen, The Limelight Hydrangea heads will look exceedingly elegant in a tall container. I do think that these Hydrangeas are such wonderful additions to the garden since they give such excellent value over a very long flowering period outside and can then be brought into the house for another beautiful display. Perfect!
Lovely autumn feeling, Eileen, and like you ~ summer-winter as a child. Now, spring 'the bestest' then summer. Autumn is stunningly bittersweet, honing in and nesting, and I do love Winter white.
Thanks Dave, I know you were even hotter than us this year. I am hearing that we are going to have unusual warmth this fall!
Eileen
Hi Karen,
I used to hang flowers in my basement until I found that most of them dry just the same in a dry vase.
I will probably spray some of them gold for the holidays. I saw them doing this last year at a local nursery for there evergreen containers for Christmas. They were charging a buldle for this.
Eileen
Hi Edith,
I know you are not a big fan of dried flowers and neither am I. But, the hydrangeas look so good even when dried that I can't resist them.
Eileen
Joey, your Hubbard Lake makes any kind of summer wonderful! If I could just look out at the snow falling I would love it, it's just the driving in it.
Eileen
Just beautiful Eileen. The Hydrandgea blooms will look wonderful when dried. I agree with you about the seasons but I can never decide whether I prefer Spring or Autumn - both lovely of course in their own ways.
Jeanne
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What do you intend to do with the dried flowers? Beautiful mums. I'm with you - my fav season is spring and fall and in that order. I am so ready for summer to end and some cool crisp mornings to arrive.
Eileen I love the shape of your Limelight Hydrangea. I'll bet they are beautiful dried. I was just looking at your pictures below your post - you have some great things placed in your gardens! Love the look!
I know my favorite season is spring - would love spring all year. I suppose fall is next and winter last. It's hard because I don't do heat well or cold. ;-)
Thanks Jeanne, they look really good for about a year and then get kind of whispy, like they are going to fall apart.
Eileen
Hi Becca, I use some in vases and a bunch of them on top of an antique armoire, stuck in wreaths or garlands for Christmas,spray them with metalic for the holidays, etc. I am sure there are other ideas that I have not thought of. I do give a lot of them to family and friends.
Eileen
Hi RG,
I wish all of those lovlies below the post were mine, but it is my sister-in-law's garden. She is quite the collector and I must revisit as she has done a revamp on this garden.
Eileen
Hi Eileen. Your mums are so pretty. Such great fall colors. I finally got myself going today and put out some Fall decorations on the porch and the scarecrow and mums set up in front of the garage. I have so many flowers anymore that there is no room for the scarecrow in the garden beds. LOL!
I had one lone blue bloom on one of my Bellflowers today I noticed as I was watering. I wish it would rain. LOL!
Have a wonderful week.
Hi Lona,
We are supposed to get rain the next few days so maybe its headed your way. I have the same problem in my beds, no room for mums, just in pots.
Eileen
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