The Autumn Garden

I, for one, am so GLAD that autumn days are here again!

A sure sign of autumn in my garden is when the Beautyberry plants are draped with their gorgeous purple-pearly berries. A Cardinal couple is always hanging out on this side of the house devouring these berries.

You will find numerous Beautyberries in my garden - all were originally growing here when I built my home. 

Two of my favorite plants - Thryallis and Cestrum have been keeping lock-step all summer with their yellow blooms. And, it doesn't look like they're slowing down a bit, as autumn arrives.

This collection of colorful foliage can be found on the left side of the front yard. 

Berries on the Firebush are another sign of autumn in my garden. The Cardinals also love these berries, while the butterflies and hummers love the nectar. It's a must-have plant in Florida. In fact, everyone should have several of these plants in the yard.

The Nandina is looking a bit fallish, too!

Another fall favorite - camellias! This is Sparkling Burgundy which I can count on to begin blooming in late September. Not one of the fanciest one, but she is the ultimate in reliability.

You knew I wouldn't do a post, without including a pic or two of my red heirloom pentas. I swear the butterflies would go on strike if I deleted this plant from my garden.  

 I have seen more Gulf Fritillary butterflies this fall than I did all summer. So glad they finally decided to come for an extended visit.

And, my final new exciting discovery in the garden - butterfly eggs. What's so exciting about this particular discovery is that these were laid by a Pipevine Swallowtail on my Pipevine. I saw a Swallowtail hovering on the vine, but had to leave the house quickly to pick up my daughter from school. When I got home, I immediately went outside and with a little searching found these eggs. I was tickled pink that the Pipevine Swallowtail butterflies have found my garden. 

That old saying - "Build it (or for gardeners - "Plant it"), and they will come" is so TRUE! It might take a while, but they will find it. I hope you make some wonderful new discoveries in your own garden this month.

How the Garden Grows

The autumn vegetable garden is off and running, so to speak. It all started back in August when I planted tomato seeds - 4 different varieties: Sweet Baby Girl, Black cherry, Bella Rosa and Cherokee Chocolate - all from Tomato Growers, Inc.

All 4 tomatoes went into the ground around mid-September, and Sweet Baby Girl is the first to set flowers.

Planted at the end of August were Packman broccoli, Blue Lake bush beans, Green onions.  The green pepper plants from spring were resurrected with a dose of fertilizer - to which they responded well and have stepped up their production of peppers. The plants look a bit shabby but they keep chugging along, so I'll let them stay, as long as they keep pumping out their tasty little peppers.

The eggplants that were planted in June are still producing 3 to 4 a week

Mid-September seed plantings included another round of Packman broccoli and Blue Lake bush beans. I have to say that I really struggled with the Blue Lake bush beans - from Seeds of Change - having to replant them numerous times. My mother had the same experience. Has anybody else had the same experience with this brand?

Other new additions to the garden were Snow Peas (seeds), Winterbor kale (starts), True Siberian kale (seeds) and pictured below - Georgia collards (starts). 

The broccoli has not liked the hot mid-day sun, but other than having to dust them with an organic insecticide and give them a cooler spray of water, in the heat of the day, they look on track to begin producing by the middle to end of this month.

The end of September found me planting Red Core Chantenay carrots, Cherry Belle radishes, Early White bush Scallop squash, Swiss Chard and Bok Choy seeds, as well as French shallots which I read about on Daisy's Maple Hill 101 blog. I'm not sure if it's the right time of the year to plant them but since my green onions are doing well, I decided to give them a try. The bulbs were purchased at the super market.

The 3 rainy days we experienced last week were a big help in getting my little starts well on their way. I've been busy mulching the beds with straw to keep them from drying out. I've had more than normal pest problems - - - - caterpillars, stink bugs and some other little worm eating holes in the bean leaves, but a little organic dust seems to have remedied the problem.

How is your Autumn vegetable garden growing?

Shades of Autumn

The shades of autumn are like poetry without words . . . the colors, so rich and vibrant, don't need words to describe their beauty. They are earth tones . . . the colors that resonate most deeply with me.

This peachy-pink cluster of Drift roses is pretty enough for a wedding bouquet. You can almost feel their softness on your fingertips. And, yes, they do give off a sweet citrusy scent.

My poor orchids which I sadly neglected all summer . . . have blessed me with a stunning spray of the most vibrant autumn colors. I've moved this orchid on to the patio so I can enjoy its beautiful blooms.

A new plant to my garden...this copperleaf plant is a real beauty. The larger it grows, the more I like the green and russet combination . . . each leaf a slightly different color variation.

A ray of sunshine . . . these Hawaiian Sunset hibiscus are in full swing in the autumn garden.

The hummers are taking full advantage of this Florida-friendly Firespike in my wildlife garden.

Even the hydrangea are joining in as their pink flowers faded to green and now begin to turn a pretty shade of pink blush that will eventually dry into a natural attractive brown. Hydrangeas are a fascinating plant that adds a different kind of dimension to the garden with it's attractive leaf shape, it's large clusters of ball-shaped flowers and lastly, the ever-changing colors of its flowers. While hydrangeas are finicky and definitely not the easiest plant to grow in Florida . . . it definitely is worth trying again and again until you finally find a spot it is happy with in the garden.

And some of the shades of autumn in my garden come in jewel tones that are brilliant and glowing. This Mexican bush sage with its vibrant, deep color makes all other purple flowering plants pale in comparison. The poor little vincas which looked great all summer must take a back seat to this autumn bloomer.

Paired with the sage...the kaleidoscope Abelia shines brightly in the garden. These two work well together making each other appear more vibrant together than they do alone. It's an eye-catching combo that catches my eye every time I look out the window. I must try to root this plant.

For a totally different look...the sage exudes a deeper purple color when it's next to the soft white colors of flax lily. These two create a very calming affect for me.

How happy I am that autumn has arrived, and . . .  like other Florida gardeners I look forward to spending more time outdoors enjoying the garden. 

October at a Glance

~ ~ Notes on the October Garden ~ ~

October is leaving on a rainy note this year ~ which is fine with me since I'm tucked cozily inside my home with a cup of hot tea browsing through the photos of my October garden. 

This warm sunny hibiscus flower seemed like a good choice... the perfect color for autumn and of course, Halloween.  It takes a good portion of summer for the tropicals to recover and bless us with their blooms. I don't seem to have enough of these in the garden anymore. But they are always cheerful ~ always welcome!

One of the first trees I planted when we built our house was this Golden Rain tree. Why, you might ask since it's a prolific seeder? Well, it's simple! This tree is always one of the first signs (often appearing in late August) that the end of summer is nearing. I'm always excited to see the yellow flowers that appear first and are then quickly followed by...

the salmon colored seed pods. The color is stunning! Especially since we don't have a lot of fall tree color. And, what beautiful blue skies we have in autumn.

I look forward to seeing Sparkling Burgundy camellias in the garden each fall because they bloom so heavily. Sparkling Burgundy is a member of the sasanqua varieties which kick off the camellia season here in Florida. 

Who can resist photographing flowers with all the delicate water droplets on them following a rain shower? I know I can't!

Here's another tropical that is back from winter's gloom and doom. 

This mandevilla vine is such a pretty bright white that I never tire of seeing or photographing it.

It blooms all summer and looks so pretty paired with the red pineapple sage (below) that starts blooming in autumn and continues right through the winter.

What else is blooming in the October Garden?

The arbor is covered with a pink blooming vine. I'm not sure of the name. The nursery owner said St.Joseph's vine, but I don't know for sure. The island bed is in a fluffy stage...kinda like a "big hair" hairdo (wow...hairdo - that word really dates me, doesn't it?) due to the culmination of a lot of summer growth. The Mexican sage and sweet almond are large and fluffy as is the purple fountain grass. 

And, the "wild" area is making sure the hummers and butterflies have plenty to eat. 

From left to right ~ Turk's cap, Firespike, Porterweed and native Liatris.

Life's Simple Pleasures

Catching a glimpse of a couple of frisky otters going for an early morning swim in a natural spring in our neighborhood. They are so sweet-looking! A relished site in this tiny piece of  "Old Florida" in which we live.

Hope your Halloween is filled with TREATS and not TRICKS!

My Favorites...this month!

Autumn Favorites

Summers in Florida are long and hot, so when autumn rolls around there's much to celebrate...crisp mornings, pleasantly warm afternoons, low humidity, soft golden sunlight, and LOTS of color.

It's not our tree color that will take your breath away...

it's the flower color...in every shade imaginable...that puts a smile on my face.

So, please forgive me in advance  for this long post on my October favorites....but autumn makes me a very, very happy gardener. 

Flowers

Roses love autumn, too, and Sombreuill's (antique French variety) simple beauty and intoxicating fragrance is wonderful. I love the unique color and the name of the waxy-feeling flower of Allamanda 'Cherries Jubilee'.  The bright yellow Cassia "Alata' or, as I prefer...Candlestick bloom is a real eye-catcher and a favorite of the Cloudless Sulphur butterflies, and the chubby little bumble bee you see in the photo. Right on schedule, the Sasanqua camellias 'Sparkling Burgundy'...which are loaded with buds...will bloom into winter. And, lastly this cute little red tubular flower (sorry, but I don't know the name...perhaps someone can identify it for me) is popular with the hummers.

Orchids

The orchids got off to a late start this year, but the wait was well worth it.

Plants

Soft purple and green foliage seems to dominate the autumn garden. The pretty cordyline was one I received as a passalong plant from my neighbor Nancy. Striking leather-looking foliage on the Alocasia 'Amazonica' was what attracted me to this plant...it's a real standout in the garden. One of my newly favorite plants is the Lorapetlum 'Ruby'. I love the dark-colored leaves in shades of burgundy and green, and the dark hot pink flowers that it produces a couple times of year is the icing on the cake. And, lastly American Beauty Berry is so very pretty in the garden....and, the birds love it, too!

Grasses

Ornamental grasses are so fall...don't you think? The upper left and lower right...at different stages...are from the same large variegated variety of grass. It was a variety that was unfortunately unnamed when I purchased it, but I liked it so much that I decided to give it a try, and it has done well over the last two years. Other ornamental grasses shown are Pink Muhly and Red Fountain.

Wild Things

In my wildlife area, I let the native wildflowers take over in the spring and fall. I was delighted to discover the plant...Showy Rattlebox 'Crotalaria spectabilis'...with the pretty stalk of yellow flowers. They look like little orchids. I'm definitely going to save some seeds from it. The upper left photo with the yellow stuff on a rotting log appears to be some kind of fungi. I love the bright yellow color. And, the cute little pink flower...I think it's some kind of mallow is a favorite of the Bumble Bees.

Autumn's Simple Pleasures

Chrysanthemums are the quintessential autumn flower. While some folks might think of them as too old-fashioned or ordinary a flower...it wouldn't feel like autumn to me without these traditional beauties gracing my front and back porch.

I love their scent, too!

                Pretty at all stages of bloom.

Just take a look at their simple beauty!

This year I'm borrowing an idea from my neighbor, and planting these in the ground. He's got a nice sized patch of yellow mums that rebloom twice each year, and they look stunning in his garden.

Breakfast on the Patio

Coffee and hot chocolate...with marshmallows, of course...along, with some apple streusel muffins for breakfast enjoyed on a refreshingly cool morning.

What amazing autumn color is in your Florida garden?

 If you'd like to join me in posting your favorites for the month, please do...they don't have to be in collage form...but do leave a comment, so I can drop by and see your favorites.

First Harvest

While watering the garden, I discovered some green beans that were ready to be harvested. It seemed to early to check, so I was surprised at my discovery. I guess I better check my veggies a little closer from now on.

A few to eat with the promise of more to come.

The green onions and the leeks are progressing nicely.

Strawberries (on the left) planted last year are still looking good and are now producing babies. We're looking forward to some sweet berries in late winter. And, the sweet potato plant (on the right) continues to spread itself like a blanket across my limited garden space.

The delicate tendrils of the cucumbers are attaching themselves to their support, and climbing higher by the day.
I'm always amazed at how this process works.

But, there is a pesky little pest that is starting to make the pretty fuzzy leaves look like lace.

Does anyone have any tips on how to stop their destruction?

Herbs from early spring are still providing us with plenty of spice for our food, as well as some pretty flowers on the basil.

Soon I'll be eating summer squash....one of my favorites! 

More green onions...left over from early spring are still going strong. These onions are one of the easiest crops for me to grow. No pests attack them, and they even tolerate drying out in their container when I forget to water them. And, since the cooler weather has arrived...the tomato plant has ballooned in size and is beginning to set fruit. Can't wait for some yummy beefsteak tomatoes.

I hope all of your veggie gardens are growing well, and that your harvests will be plentiful!