Heading into Fall

Despite the dry Summer, the plants look healthy in The Perennial Path, thanks to regular watering. Over the weekend we trimmed back dead blooms and did some weeding. It seems that weeds grow even without water! We found permanent homes for the recent purchases from the garden center (Aug. 25th posting) and removed the bird netting from the blueberry bushes, since the berries have all been picked.

We planted the yellow daylilies and the lavender, both perennials, around the base of the birdbath. I like the yellow/purple color combination. The astilbe at the bottom has already bloomed and the sedum at the top right is about ready to bloom.

The hanging planter filled with purple verbena, pink petunias and yellow million bells, all annuals, is at the side of the lilac tree on a metal butterfly shepherd's hook. The purple aster is planted below and the white mum is across from it on the other side of the path, both perennials.

Hanging basket, purple aster, white mum

The wisteria vine that was planted in July has reached the top of the arbor. Maybe it'll have flowers on it next Spring. The turtlehead (chelone), a perennial, is flowering. I added some slow release fertilizer to the annual pots a couple weeks ago and it has really made a nice difference in the plants, giving them a second life, and should take them through the Fall. They have to be watered almost daily because of the dry weather and their heavy root system.

Wisteria on arbor at entrance

Turtlehead

Impatiens in pot by arbor entrance

Coleus

I'm hoping my new perennials make it through the Winter!  Wouldn't that be nice!


Last, but not least, we had a monarch caterpillar who found his way up and under the window box at the side of the house and decided that it was a good spot to form his chrysalis.  Saturday about 10:00  a.m. he eclosed and after his wings were dry, flew away.  "He" turned out to be a she!