In the Fall Garden
As the last days of gardening for the year are upon us, we can go out and enjoy the last flowers and check on the health of our plants. Soon we will be cutting down the year’s growth and mulching the base of perennials, vines, and shrubs.
By the third week of October, some of the annuals were still looking great. Here are some snapdragons, zinnias, cosmos, feverfew, arugula, and poppies. Click an image for a lightbox view and a caption.
We have been mainly focused on perennials for quite a while (40+ years). Recently we removed some lawn and expanded our perennial beds and we anticipate doing more next year. Many of the species shared here were planted in spring and will require some additional winter protection. Click an image for a lightbox view and a caption/ID.
We have also expanded our shrub borders. Many of the shrubs are still small and won’t reach full size for a couple of years. We adjusted and added irrigation lines for these, but a summer of watering restrictions didn’t help. Some were started from root sections or from cuttings so will need some extra care. Included here are snowberry (a transplant), oregon grape (another transplant), clematis (vines), two kinds of elderberry, and perennial sweet peas.
Most of the perennials and shrubs have their cousins in the hills nearby and we will be visiting them next spring and summer.
All photos by the author, all from home.