Kaseys Korner

Quick Halloween Jack o'Lantern

Anyone who has children probably has one of these lying around:

The ubiquitous plastic candy collecting vessel!!! 

My daughter hasn't used hers for years (someone gave her a super cute witch basket) so I'm not even sure why I was still hanging onto it? 

Finally this fall, I thought of a good use for it:

With a few additions:  witch hat, ribbon bow, some rocks to weigh it down & flameless candle to make it glow, it stands in nicely for a carved pumpkin.

Especially helpful when (for some reason) we never found made time to carve one!

We've lucked out again with the weather this Halloween.  So nice, even the honeybees were out earlier today:

They were working the lavender over furiously (and everything else that remains in bloom, which surprisingly is quite a lot.)

I was amazed to find a bloom on the toad lily:

Earlier this summer, the rabbits chewed every last stalk down to nubs ~ and I thought toad lilies were supposed to be something they didn't like?!!

They had never bothered them before so I wasn't sure what to expect. 

I'm glad it didn't kill the plants but even happier they had enough reserves to produce more buds.

Both their and my good fortune the warm Fall gave them a chance to recoup & bloom before frosting.  There's one day in our five day forecast where low temps are projected to be 30.  I'm pretty sure they can survive that and carry on. 

November blooms here we come!!!

Even tho the days have been nice, the nights are cool.  Maybe that's what's elevating bird activity in the garden?

I'm seeing almost all my winter birds again including hawks:

No fair, the poor birds hardly stand a chance with him camouflaged so well!!!

Happy Halloween everyone.  Hope it's a safe, fun one.

 

 

 

Brugmansia 'Charles Grimaldi'

Talk about a late bloomer! 

The first bud just started unfurling six days ago:

Lucky are we to even see it, at this late date in October.

I've never grown a yellow Brugmansia before, for years I kept an 'Ecuador Pink' but finally let it go two gardening seasons ago.

Not sure why I decided to try another?

They are so labor intensive in our climate.  I have to lug them indoors and down to the basement to force a dormancy period on them if I want them to ever reach their full potential.

Maybe I caved because 'Charles Grimaldi' was supposed to be a fast growing cultivar ~ apparently possible to reach 10' in his first year!

We fell FAR short of that height but it could be partially my fault since I didn't have him ideally situated (full sun) for the first part of the summer.  Then, poor guy, got hailed on (notice the tattered leaves in the photo above) which also set him back.

There he is on the left (that sun glare blob), perhaps three foot tall??

Soon I'll start him on his trek indoors as these fabulous warmer-than-normal days won't go on forever.

Above:  North garden pathway

Above:  Do you see what I see???  I *think* it's the Western Hognose snake from earlier this summer ~ soaking up some late October sun along the foundation of my house.  This is directly left of my faucet & I almost stuck my hand on him when I reached down to turn on the water!!!

Something prettier ~ a fenceline of cosmos:

Taken Wednesday, along the road where I drive my dog to his groomer.

The owner of the property said she was worried they weren't going to bloom, they opened so late. 

That was interesting to me because mine behaved the same way.  I hope these will bloom awhile longer, they really are eyecatching along that stretch of highway.

Now back to my clean up, I'm finally getting some things put away. 

About time, right??!!!

Japanese Anemone 'Honorine Jobert'

A perennial with "model" qualities.

Below:  Just beginning to bloom in mid-August:

Model-like in that they are tall and elegant ~ see how they rise above the purple rocker.

Easily reaching 5 feet.

Pure white, single blooms with a luxuriant circle of golden stamens.

If I could only have one fall bloomer, this one might be it.

It's only drawback ~ frost sensitivity.  The faintest hint of a freeze and they are droopy, limp and DONE.

I like my late season perennials to be a bit hardier. 

But 'Honorine Jobert's' beauty is hard to parallel. 

This year, with no frost to date, they are providing a great backdrop for the pumpkins.

Maybe we can set a new record for latest frost???

The colors are spectacular right now.

Above:  My neighbors glorious Ash tree.

Everything from trees, shrubs, perennials & annuals, contributing to the kaleidoscope of the season.

Including the addition of some very cool pumpkins.

Inside, with less than two weeks to go, we're getting ready for Halloween.

Our little tabletop tree is up and decorated.

There's no hurry tho. 

The way the season has so beautifully unfolded, the slower November arrives, the better....

 

 

 

Dahlia 'Honka Surprise'

the most prolific bloomer this season.

Beginning to flower in July and continuing even now!!!  

I was attracted to the "star-shaped" blooms when I bought the tubers in early spring.

They have performed beyond my expectations.  'Honka Surprise,' with it's rolled petals, is another kind of dahlia I've never experimented with growing before (like the anemone dahlia, 'Floorinoor' from an earlier post.)

Although I love "new" plants, in some ways I'm not very adventurous.  Once I find something I love, I tend to stick with it. 

In previous years, with Dahlias, it's always been collarettes all the way.  But, this year, different in so many ways, I've learned loyalty to one form has limitations. 

I've decided to quit being "exclusive," & will definitely expand my horizons next season and try more varieties!

Most of the above photos were taken before September.  Since then, the grasshoppers usually beat me to the blooms which makes it difficult to find an 8 petal blossom fully intact.

Oh, before I forget, I'm also happy to report we escaped the most recent threat of frost!!!  

Cheers to that!

Now my crazy fall decorating streak can continue too!

I'm not sure why this season I've been so into experimenting with different combinations of blooms, gardenalia and pumpkins?

It's almost become a compulsion????  Pulling vintage items (like the old iron birdcage) from the house to decorate the garden.

Wonder where it stops??

Who knows??  I hope you don't mind??

Above:  'Painted Lady' butterfly soaking up some sun.

It has to end soon tho because there are chores (much more important) to finish before the cold is here to stay!

Cosmos 'Apricot'

Remember the cosmos I shared in a previous post that grew over 6' and had ZERO buds/blooms?

I'm happy to report a big change in that status.  :)

It's about time because there's a chance of snow on Sunday night!

Maybe it's because we're at the end of the season, I don't know, (??) but every new bloom at this late date seems especially exquisite.

Cosmos 'Apricot' the perfect example.

Feast your eyes on that breathtaking blend of pink and apricot and just drink it in.... 

I think late season blooms are fabulous by design ~ for us to remember, hold onto and carry us thru the winter months ahead.

I'm absolutely certain this bloom will do that for me!

Cosmos 'Apricot' ordered from Annie's Annuals.

There's been other activity in the garden.

Nocturnal, excavating activity:

I wish I'd seen the perpetrator(s).   Whoever it was made an almost perfect 2" diameter hole in my big Cinderella pumpkin.  I should have taken a photo before I cleaned my patio because they also spewed the "guts" of the pumpkin out of the hole & all over the concrete.  I've never had this happen in all the years I've put pumpkins in the garden.

Maybe I've just been lucky??

The apple garland is still intact around the fireplace (as is the one over the arbor)

so whatever investigated the pumpkin, passed on the apples.

I think I should install some cameras out there??  Anyone else curious about what you'd see??

Above:  Section of back garden.  Still very green thanks to all the rain this summer & fall.

Another look at the vintage iron urn. 

The cabbages are really beautiful right now.

If we make it past Sunday night, it's forecasted to warm up again.  With any luck, there will still be blooms to share for the next post....  I, for one, would love to see that huge 'Apricot' cosmos at its peak! 

Apple garland & Dahlia 'Apple Blossom'

Got apples??

No problem!

Scoop 'em up and string 'em on some wire for an easy fall decoration!

How pretty is that??

My neighbor has tons of tiny apples laying around her yard that she was lamenting about raking.

I volunteered to lighten the load, brought some home and decided to string them up.

Stringing was easy once I got my cordless drill out and using a very small bit (3/32), drilled a hole thru the centers.

After that, it was just a matter of inserting the wire thru the holes until the garland reached the desired length.   Make a loop on both ends of the wire (for hanging) then twist wire several times to secure it.

It doesn't matter if the apples have brown spots or aren't perfect.  In fact, imperfections add to the charm. 

I wonder how long the garland will stay intact now before the birds & raccoons find it?!!

In the garden, I've been waiting, waiting, waiting for blooms on one of my favorite collarette dahlias, 'Apple Blossom:'

It's taken forever.  So long, I was getting worried I might not get to see it this season.

On those nights frost threatened, I even wrapped the buds in bubble wrap in hopes of saving them & giving them more time to open.

The efforts paid off, yesterday the first bud finally opened.

Above & below:  with Dahlia 'Cafe au Lait.'

Aahhh.  If it frosts now, at least I will have seen one bloom from everything in the garden. 

Well, almost.  If you can believe it, there are still one or two more moving at a snails pace....

 

Helianthus maximiliana

We've had a couple close encounters with frost lately. 

I was afraid it was:

Thankfully not!

Above & Below:  Amstel Begonia 'Red Rhine Round'

I will be sad to part with this gorgeous begonia whenever the season does finally end.

It's been such a stunning, non-stop bloomer.

Back to the subject of the post title, a spectacular (tall) late bloomer to always count on, Helianthus maximiliana:

Topping 6' in my garden, it doesn't even begin blooming until September then continues until frosted.

A pollinator necessity this time of year when many food sources are gone.

Above:  Painted Lady

Today, a lone and rare (at least this year) Monarch paid a visit. 

Not to mention the many bees who frequent...

So lovely

Like bottled sunshine in a bloom. 

After a few cool days, we're supposed to warm up again for the next week.  I think I better use the nice days preparing for frost in earnest.  It can't be avoided indefinitely now....