Fall is in the Air!!

 We have been staying around the high 70s for the past couple of weeks. We are dropping into the low 60s during the day and high 30s at night starting tomorrow. Rain is coming as well. Fall is definitely in the air!! The apples are just about ready for picking. I was able to pick a container of plums before they passed their prime. 

Sunflowers are ready to be pulled. There are some blooms left but mainly droopy heads of sunflowers. I have over 60 bulbs to plant this weekend. I think I will cut back the iris and maybe the gladiolus too. I have three that are still in bloom, but after this weekend they will be spent. I want to get all the flower beds clean and weed-free before winter hits.

I  have one more mowing of the grass this weekend and then that should be it for the season. I will wait right before we head out on vacation in October to plant all the mums I have in containers into the ground. They might come back next year and might not. I am not too worried about it.

I did begin collecting some of the sunflower seeds. I have quite a bit just from three sunflower heads. I have a lot more to let dry out some more and then I will harvest the seeds. I will work on a head each night until they are done.

I am kinda relieved that we will be moving in July. It gives me the opportunity to enjoy the hiking and biking trails this spring and summer without worrying about plants so much. What survives next season survives. Wherever we land next year, I will set up a really good irrigation system so watering plants doesn't become an obsession again.

One thing I will keep in my landscape wherever we may end up is definitely sweet alyssum. I cut back this hedge of alyssum either late July or early August and it has flushed back even better!!

I have really enjoyed the little flower bed between the patio and greenhouse. The black-eyed Susans, alyssum, violas, and babies' breath are even more vibrant this late in September.

Everything else is going good. I finally got my resume written and uploaded to a few job search sites. I will hit it hard after vacation. I am looking forward to a new avenue in my career. Its scary but exciting at the same time!!

Sunflowers are on my mind!!

 I cannot write how much I have enjoyed my sunflowers this season!! They have just made me smile every time I gaze upon them and see all the pollinators gorging themselves!!

Gorgeous Color!! Wish I had more than one of these!

This one plant has just produced so many flowers!!

Love the pointy blooms on this one!!

This one plant has many blooms and many more waiting to burst open!!

Busy Bee!!

So Monday morning I thought it would be great to gather some sunflowers, marigolds, and coneflowers and make a bouquet. I added cilantro and sweet alyssum as filler greens. I love the way it turned out!!

Enjoying the Flowers!!

 Not many pictures were taken this weekend of the gardens. I cleaned up the front flower bed around the gladiolus and planted what tulip bulbs I had on hand in that area. My gladiolus is thinning out this year. I think this Spring I will need to add some fresh bulbs. I have a lot of small plants growing from the original one, but they are not producing flowers. I think adding at least one bag of bulbs will give it a good refresh.

I am still loving the small beds around the back patio. They are just so whimsical and magical with the sweet alyssum and showy baby's breath. I also just love how the violas peak through all the white and green.

This was early morning and the violas were still sleeping!!

I am just loving this little plant that packs a punch!!

I am looking forward to when these marigolds bloom!!

Another plant that is giving me joy each day is the succulents I planted in the white hanging planters for the arch. They have grown so well!! I do fear that they are receiving too much water from all the rain we have received these past couple of weeks.

Other than watering and maintaining the gardens, not much has gone on. I have been figuring out layouts for the beds for next year. I did get a couple of galvanized raised beds. Keith put them together this weekend. I have to figure out the best and cheapest ways to fill them. I think I will do the no-dig method of filling the bottom with trimmed limbs and then laying cardboard over that. We shall see how it goes. We need to trim the front yard tree that is right by the drive. It has a lot of hanging limbs that need to be cut back. They will definitely fill up the beds. I just have to be mindful not to plant any perennials in the raised beds because the soil level will change when the bottom decomposes.

Speaking of decomposing, Darren and Stacey have either uncovered something dead on their property or had some very stinky compost dropped off behind our place. I cannot even sit outside without wanting to puke from the putrid smell. I will be discussing with her the horrible smell this week!!