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
