A Visitor

We have a visitor! My husband's grandson (14) from Colorado Springs is here for the week. Ed is trying to make the most of every moment. Of course, the weather has been rainy! But, they have fished and hunted, and today they've gone to the Camden, Al, graveyard to visit his grandmother's grave (his special request). We hope for a little sun by Friday so that he can visit Battleship Park. Ed will be "whipped" before he's gone home on Sunday.

A few pictures before the rain

Elephant Ear in bloom


Pinecone Gingers in rear

Elephant Ear bloom close

Fall Coleus colors

A little Bougainvillia late bloom

Shasta Mum

Phillipine Petunia in back

Mums

When Autumn Ambles In

When Autumn ambles in

In her golden days aglow,

She wears cloaks of scarlet colors

And skies of indigo.

She wears silver-sparkled sunbeams

And cotton-candy hair.

She paints the night in frosty white,

Spreading magic everywhere.

God ushers in His miracles

And each year as they begin,

My soul with joy will overflow...

When Autumn ambles in.

-Nora M. Bozeman

Isn't it exciting to see mums popping up everywhere and the decorative bales of hay, maybe a scarecrow or two?

Here are some basics on mums:

When night temps drop, generally in mid-September, look for plants that are just starting to break bud.

Don't try to buy a lot of different colors for a given area. Stick to one color for impact.

Darker shades such as bronze and burgundy look better longer and spent blooms are less noticeable. The same is true for mums with double, as opposed to single, daisy-like blooms.

Buy the bigger plant!
They will be happiest in a sunny location. But they will bloom anyway if you buy one that's budding. However, if you keep them in the shade, you may have to compost them after blooming.

Keep flowers coming by watering and pinching. Soil should be moist, but never wet. Check daily while weather is warm, every other day when it's cooler. Remove faded blooms to encourage more buds to open. Fertilizing is not necessary.

Difference between a floral mum and a garden mum-

The blossoms of floral mums are large and showy. Grown in greenhouses and forced to bloom, they are available year-round primarily for gift giving. The blooms of garden mums are smaller and more prolific. They are cheaper than the floral mums and make up the lion's share of what's for sale.

When planted properly, both types will return year after year. Once flowering is done, cut plants back to 8 inches. Cool days and short nights may coax a few spring flowers. Pinch several times through the summer. Stop pinching on Labor Day in the Coastal and Lower South, sooner in upper regions. When buds form, flowers should follow.

A Sneak Between Showers

I sneaked out with the camera between the showers today. Took several pictures and then I saw-- Oh no! A huge mimosa weed!! The next thing I knew I had been bent over on my knees for over an hour, pulling weeds! Ed came in from the Dr.'s looking for me, so I came in and started a pot of homemade soup for supper.

It's bye, bye for the Vincas

Gulf fritillary

Here are some pictures from my little trip outside:

Blue Salvia & Phillipine Petunia

A roadside weed!

Brown Thrasher was taking a bath

Fall preening

I've been pulling out dying off zinnias, marigolds and other annuals. Pulling weeds is a full time profession for me! The flowers are part-time in comparison, it seems.
Pulling weeds is a good thing for someone in a wheelchair--it gives a lot of pressure relief! Sitting in place for too long can cause pressure problems. You know what I mean, if you are in a chair. So my gardening is a healthy thing for me!

Fall - Pecans

Happy Fall!

Ed went fishing today. When he returned, he told me again about the "thing" in the water that he sees at a certain spot and it always rolls and goes under. He thinks it might be a Manatee or not, it might be a gator. He caught fish but released them since we have a freezer full.

Garden Bench covered in Blackyed Susan vine

Phillipine Petunias

I picked up pecans and spent the afternoon shelling. I got about 2 cups out of them.

My 2 trees aren't very productive.

The Pinecone Gingers are blooming all over the yard.

Missed blooms

Arrrgh! The Oxypetalum's (2 plants) on the back deck have bloomed a total of 6 times and I have missed everyone of them. I just didn't think they were ready.