Like most Midwestern gardeners, my season in the garden for 2018 is coming to a close and, as always, I have so much left to do. Over the past few summers, taking care of Momma has been my first priority with time spent in the garden has been very limited. This year Momma lives with me, so my gardening strategy has been to squeeze at least one gardening task into one of her daily naps. I know I’ve accomplished a lot more this year than the past two or three, but I still feel a tad bit overwhelmed. I have four new daylilies (purchased in June) which are still awaiting planting in my flowerbeds, hostas I’d like to divide, weeds that need to be pulled, bushes needing trimming, mulching that should be done, and my newly arrived mail-order of new tulip and daffodil bulbs awaiting burial in a sunny garden location. I’ve had all sorts of reasons (excuses) – hot rainy weather paired with mosquitoes; cold rainy weather paired with soggy ground; and plain ol’ busyness paired with the tiredness that comes from late nights taking care of my mom as she wrestles with the fiend, Alzheimer’s.
With only a suggestion, my wonderful husband painted a few of my garden trellises to renew their almost spent life cycle. Here’s one he painted red for me. It looks amazing as a backdrop for some orange zinnias that are still lookin’ snazzy on the edge of a flowerbed awaiting fall cleanout.
One of autumn’s faithful beauties is most definitely sedum. So, so, so pretty.
Our fireplace woodpile houses a few chipmunks who love to use the top log as their stage for their morning ‘chippy’ serenades. I noticed something fun when I was looking through photos…their stage has a lovely heart shape in the wood-grain on the end.
One of my favorite shades of green in the garden is this one – a lovely chartreuse-y green that lights up the garden wherever it is planted. This ‘Tiger-Eye’ Sumac graces the north-east corner of our backyard deck.
I don’t recall planting cosmos this year, but I’m loving this fuchsia pink volunteer…and so are the visiting bees.
This beautiful cherry red zinnia makes me smile too. With very little effort, late summer and early fall are rewarded with this cheery flower. I’m a perennial gardener, but there is always room for zinnia in my gardens.
And I always, always wish I had planted more zinnia.
Well, I hope you enjoyed my very first contribution to ‘Six on Saturday’– a fun blog meme hosted by The Propagator, and introduced to me by Carolee, whose blog “Herbal Blessings” makes me aspire to be a better gardener. Please take a moment to check out both of their blogs. You’ll soon find yourself virtually wandering through some pretty amazing gardens all over the world and I guarantee you will learn something along the way.
Great first Six on Saturday posting! I absolutely LOVE that red-painted trellis! How did your husband do it, was it spray painted? Wonderful!
LikeLike
Yes, he spray painted it. I’ll try to take more photos of them … if it ever stops raining around here.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Welcome to the ‘gang!’
Loving the colour of those zinnia. I always wish I had planted more too; they are so cheery.
How fab would it be to have chipmunks in the garden! Although I do have the odd hedgehog which cheers me up no end.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Chipmunks are awfully cute, but they’re also pretty destructive little critters.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hi. Welcome to the ever-growing gang. Do you find your Sumac suckering a lot? I used to have a different variety here but ended up removing it as one year it started sending up new shoots five or six feet away (here in UK they do have a reputation for spreading) and from there on in it was a constant battle to contain it. But aside from that I liked it (and its differing colours through the year) so finding a variety that didn’t sucker so much would be good.
LikeLike
Yes, they do sucker, but so far only close to the parent plant.
LikeLike
Welcome to the Six on Saturday crowd. Your photos are lovely. Doesn’t a can of spray paint do wonders!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes, indeed. Perhaps next Saturday I’ll show you the purple ones. They all have a new lease on life and add a punch if color here and there.
LikeLike
Hello, lovely debut Six, welcome to the crew. Hope to see you again soon!
LikeLike
Thank you, I’m already thinking about my next post and having fun exploring the other Six posts.
LikeLike