Wordless Wednesday Who's the Star: Flowers or Foliage?

Zinfandel Oxalis (O. vulcanicola)

(Linking in with Wordless Wednesday and A Week of Flowers.)

Just a Few Blooms Remain

It's the end of the growing season, and most of the plants are dormant. Though we've had several freezes and snows in this USDA zone 5A area of Southern Wisconsin, there are always a few blooms that hang on this time of year. Some are very hardy, others are near the house or rock walls or other warm structures, and still others can take some cold weather if it isn't brutal or extended.

This will be the last month of this growing season that I'll post about outdoor blooms, and as long as I had a few I thought I'd participate in Carol's Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day. The 'Ozawa' Alliums (Allium thunbergii) I posted about three weeks ago are still hanging on, although they're shriveling and forming seeds (see above). They're still pretty and holding their color, though.



The Oso Easy 'Double Pink' roses are near a rock wall. Unless the buds bloom in the next week, I think they've lost their chance. (The plants bloomed a couple of times already during the spring and summer, so it's OK.) If they start to open, maybe I can force them?



While this potted Fuchsia (F. triphylla 'Gartenmeister Bonstedt') has mostly passed on, a few of the stems and blooms near the warm house are still blooming.

Calamintha (C. nepeta) is a tough little bloomer, and I wouldn't be surprised to find blooms under the snow even into December.

That's it for now! Thanks to Carol for hosting Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day!

Wordless Wednesday: Prairie in Autumn

prairie midautumn 2021
[Click on images to enlarge for detail.]

prairie late summer 2021

prairie midsummer 2021

prairie end of spring 2021

prairie midspring, following a prescribed burn 2021

prairie late winter 2021

prairie late autumn 2020

In a Vase on Monday: Goodbye Cut Flowers

Having plentiful cut flowers through the end of October has been a special treat this season. Now I face the cutting garden finale, with low temperatures dropping to or below freezing for the next five days. Bye-bye, growing season.

The Snapdragons (Antirrhinum majus 'Rocket Mix') in the first photo will last a few days, but the Hydrangeas (Hydrangea macrophylla) will dry and last indefinitely. Yay.

I will especially miss the Zinnias (Z. elegans 'State Fair Mix' and 'Zowie' Yellow Flame). They are so tall and vibrant and cheery. A flower stem from Coleus scutellarioides 'Wizard Mix' and filler stems of A. densiflorus round out the simple mix.

Oh well, time to turn inward and focus on the upcoming holidays. Plenty of dried and purchased cut flowers will be available in the the months ahead. Thanks to Cathy at Rambling in the Garden for hosting this meme.