Seasonal Transitions for 'Six on Saturday'

Every day ... every hour ... the landscape transitions to autumn. Tomatoes still ripen in the potager, while Mother Nature warns that cooler, darker days are on the way.

In the meantime, the colors are particularly vibrant this October! Tree and shrub foliage is shifting to its dramatic palette of vibrant hues. But because we've had no frost, many annuals and perennials are still budding, blooming, and thriving.

So, for this week's "Six" I decided to focus on blends of growing-season stalwarts framed by signals of autumn:



Lesser Calamint (Clinopodium nepeta) with a backdrop of fallen Crabapple (Malus spp.) and Chokeberry (Aronia melanocarpa) leaves.



Still-blooming New Guinea Impatiens (I. hawkeri); and beyond are frost-portender 'Ozawa' Alliums (A. thunbergii) and browning Ostrich Ferns (Matteuccia struthiopteris).



'Zinfandel' Oxalis (O. vulcanicola) near the multicolored, changing leaves of Wild Senna (S. hebecarpa).



The red berries and green foliage of Cranberrybush Viburnum (V. trilobum), partnered with the warm, colorful tones of Virginia Creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia) climbing a tree in the woods. (The Viburnum berries will remain through part of winter, although the foliage soon will color, brown, and drop).



'Invincibelle Lace' Hydrangea (H. arborescens subsp. radiata) still blooming and green, while its neighbor, Beautyberry (Callicarpa 'Pearl Glam') sports autumn shades of dark brown and green, coral, and magenta.

And a bloom of 'Sensation Mix' Cosmos (C. bipinnatus) plopped amongst burgundy blooms of 'Autumn Joy' Sedum (Hylotelephium spectabile).

The transitions of autumn are certainly dramatic. I'm linking in with "Six on Saturday" over at Garden Ruminations. Thanks to Jim for hosting!

Wordless, Late-Season, Garden Visitors

(I'm linking in with Wordless Wednesday and Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day at May Dreams Gardens. Thanks to both for hosting!)

A Marriage of Mums and Mistflowers

I'm cheating this week with my arrangement (as I have with other vases recently) ... for various reasons. Long story short, I had way too many Mums and Blue Mistflowers, so I basically clipped, clipped, clipped and plopped them in a vase with some pebbles in the bottom for a bit of fall vibe.



It's a marriage of Daisy Mums (likely a Crysanthemum x. morifolium hybrid) and Blue Mistflowers (Conoclinium coelestinum), and corresponding foliage.

Conoclinium coelestinum

Crysanthemum x. morifolium

They're plentiful and fresh, so the vases continue! For more garden arrangements from around the world, head on over to Cathy's blog, Rambling in the Garden, to celebrate "In a Vase on Monday."

Magical September Flowers in a Vase on Monday

This may be the mildest and most beautiful September I've experienced. High pressure has dominated, so we've had clear blue skies, light breezes, and temps in the 70s and 80s (21-30C) all month. Some folks are eager for cooler fall days, but the conditions are perfect in my book.

Anyway, the garden is happy with a little help from the gardener with watering. And the flowers in the cutting garden continue to bloom with abandon.



The arrangement at the top includes various Zinnias (Z. elegans),



Foliage from Cosmos (C. bipinnatus) and Hydrangeas (H. macrophylla),



Blue Mistflower (Conoclinium coelestinum) blooms, which currently dominate the cutting garden, and

Cheerful Cosmos (C. bipinnatus) blossoms, which brighten any day.



The second arrangement is more typically summer "warm" in its appearance.



A few creamy white spikes of Mistflower add some sparks,



Along with more Zinnias that look like sunshine itself,



And a few sprigs of various Coleus (C. scutellarioides) foliage for more color and framing.

It's such a joy to have bright flowers and foliage from May through mid-October (or maybe longer this year?). And most of these were grown from seeds started indoors in March or tiny seedlings planted in the garden in early May. I will miss them.

Head on over to Cathy's blog, Rambling in the Garden, to celebrate "In a Vase on Monday."

Six Signs of Autumn

It's nearly the autumn equinox, and signs of seasonal change are increasing. While the overall view of most of the garden here is still green, color is creeping in. For example, the Staghorn Sumac (Rhus typhina) foliage is beginning its dramatic display (above).



Crabapple leaves (Malus spp.) carpet the front garden.

Hosta of the Equinox (H. aequinoctiiantha) is blooming away, while most of the other Hosta species' blooms are long gone.



'Autumn Joy' Sedum (Hylotelephium spectabile) is in its resplendent, full glory.



Blue Mistflower (Conoclinium coelestinum), currently one of the prettiest blooms in the garden, is claiming center stage.

And it's only a matter of days until the Mums' (Chrysanthemum x morifolium) buds burst into bloom. Changes are evident all around, and while summer is my favorite season, early autumn in this part of the world is darn pleasant.

What's happening in your garden? Head on over to Garden Ruminations to learn about "Six on Saturday" highlights from around the world.

Wordless Life Cycles and Host Plants