Plants....for Ginia

Matteuccia struthiopteris aka Ostrich Fern
36-48" tall
Part to full shade

Pardancanda norissi aka Candy Lily
12-36"
Full sun
Mid-Summer to Early Fall blooms; colors ranging fuchsia to purple

Veronica incana aka Silver Speedwell, Wooly Speedwell
12-18" tall
Sun to part shade
Violet/lavender blooms mid-Summer

Hosta Austin Dickinson
18-28" tall
Light to full shade
unknown flower color (have not bloomed for me yet)

Ceratostigma Plumbaginoids aka Hardy Blue Plumbago, Leadwort
6-12" tall
Full sun to part shade
Blue late summer to mid-fall flowers with bronze-scarlet foliage following

Tricyrtis formosan aka Japanese Toad Lily
24-36" tall
Purple spotted blooms late summer to mid-fall

Cercis canadensis aka Eastern Redbud tree
15-30 ft. tall
Part sun to full shade
Fuchsia blooms late Winter-early Spring

Linum perenne aka Blue Flax
18-36" tall
full Sun to part shade
blue flowers early Spring to late Fall

Toads in the garden....Lilies that is

My Tricyrtis are beginning to bloom! Another of my fall favorites, I got this many years ago through a garden catalog and have never been disappointed by its blooms. This spring I divided one of the two clumps and now have a total of 5 clumps. I really wish I would have divided the other one also, but I will certainly do it next spring.

More signs of fall, buckeyes & The Little Brown Jug

We moved here the end of October, 2005. While hiking through the woods we occasionally found buckeyes laying on the ground, but not very many. Last year we went out and hunted for them, and found a few more, but still not very many. This year, I went out looking 2 months earlier (I was smarter and watched the trees for ripening nuts!) and found lots more! I still missed a bunch, probably could have gone out a week or so earlier, the squirrels have still gotten a good amount of them.
I found a few trees still loaded quite heavy with them. One of the trees was small enough for me to grab and shake the crap out of it until the nuts rained down around me. I probably looked quite funny shaking the tree, but it worked! I now have them all spread out to dry, otherwise if they are all put together, they will get moldy and rot! Buckeyes are super easy to start from seed, barely needing to touch the ground for them to split open and sprout. I would start a few from seed, but there are so many seedlings, it is easier to just transplant them. Now to make some Buckeye necklaces to show our OSU spirit!!
Another sign of fall around these parts is the Little Brown Jug flag hanging all over town (this one is in my front yard).

The Little Brown Jug®, the premier pacing classic for 3-year-olds, provides a fascinating chapter in the more-than-a-century-old history of harness racing. The Jug, enriched by the tradition of the famed Grand Circuit and the picturesque backdrop of the Delaware County Fairgrounds, steadily maintains the flavor of the sport and competition from the days of its origin. The Little Brown Jug® is a part of Americana. And it shall ever remain so.

The Little Brown Jug not only happens at the Delaware County Fairgrounds, it also happens during fair week. It is a major sporting event, shutting the town down on race day, Thursday. All the schools and most businesses are closed, traffic is horrific, and if you want to eat dinner out on that night, you better do it early. Once racing is over around 6 pm, the fairgrounds are emptied and all the restaurants are packed to the gills.

It's not too late to get in on the fall plant trade...

Planttraders.com is having their fall plant exchange. You have to be a member to join the swap, but registration is free. This is one of the greatest gardening sites around. Mostly gardening related, there is also some crafting too. There are sections relating to ponds, birds, insects, plant identification, house plants, propagation, seed collecting, seed starting, succulents, tropicals, soil, composting, companion planting, green houses, bulbs, seed trading, bulb trading, plant trading....I could go on and on and on forever, but I promise, it would be best for you just to go and register and check it out yourself.
The fall plant exchange gives everyone an opportunity to make a list of plants that you have to trade and a list of plants you would like to receive. Teena (the administrator) sorts through all of the lists and pairs you up with the best match. You will then get a list of someone you are swapping with and will send them at least 4 plants, some seeds and maybe some cool gardening supplies. You then will send it to them and they will send one to you. If you are a gardener, it is better than Christmas when you get your box! A box full of new plants - just for you!

So don't waste any time, get over there now and get signed up!!!
Planttraders.com

My garden ROCKS!!!

Literally! I love rocks...I collect them, I stack them, I lay them out, I line flower beds with them, I set them on tables, I have them on shelves in my house, I even have some on my bathroom walls. I have them everywhere. So amongst my pictures of flowers and things, I am showing just a few of my collections today.

H.F. YOUNG CLEMATIS, third flush of blooms this year. The one I like the most out of my Clematis collection, it is like the Energizer Bunny...it keeps going and going and going....

Rock wall lining path to back yard. I put this up last spring.

These stones will eventually be used in some sort of mason project that I have in the back of my mind. I pick these up out of the creek bed or along our lane and deposit them on this flat rock for now.

Stones lining the path by the rock wall used as filler-cover to prevent weeds from growing.

Stack of stones near front door decorated with mussel shells.

Toad Lily buds, another of my fall favorites getting ready to bloom. I divided these this spring and now have 7 or 8 plants getting ready to bloom.

Pine cones ripening. It won't be long before we are gathering mass amounts of these off of the yard. I have a couple of flower beds that I dump them into and use them for mulch.

Autumn Joy Sedum getting redder

Unknown variety of Sedum that was here when we moved in. I really like the pink color of this one as compared to the Autumn Joy.

Still gathering loads of cherry tomatos!

Smaller stones sitting on the rock wall

Granite surface

What's still blooming

Although fall is almost here, I do still have lots of things blooming and budding. There is still over a month until the first frost of the season, so there is plenty of time to enjoy them.

Candy Lily aka Blueberry Lily winter sowed for this season. I am very pleased they are blooming the first year in the ground. Kudos to winter sowing!

Purple Mist Shrub - I love this! It is just starting its show for the season.

Great Blue Lobelia still going strong. This plant is around 5 foot tall. I think it will continue to grow and bloom until the frost comes. Certainly one of my favorites, this was dug from the creek side last year and seems to be thriving in this location.

H.F. Young Clematis still putting out buds. Japanese Beetles did a number on these earlier in the season, so it is nice to have a flush of blooms without pests eating the petals.

H.F. Young seed heads

One of several Jasmine that I have in pots. This is the most fragrant plant I have ever grown. I bring them in for the winter and they will continue to bloom and give the indoors a wonderful aroma.

My only surviving Canna's from last year. I love the lush, tropical foliage of this plant and hope these will winter over in the garage better than last year's batch.

Zinnia's in the wheel barrow still putting out blooms. I only leave them on the plant for a day or so, then cut them and put them into vase indoors. I like how cutting them encourages more flowers.

One of my many volunteer Cosmo's that is just now starting to put out flowers.

Unknown variety of mini-Hosta blooming for the first time since we've lived here. Neglected until we came along, it is now flourishing.

Sweet Potato Vine that I started from cuttings. Holes in the older foliage is from those pesky Japanese Beetles. I will be taking cuttings from these before the first frost to keep for next spring.

I can't tell you how much I really, really like this Purple Majesty Millet. Winter sown, they have grown beautifully!

Another PMM, with Dianthus blooming at its base. The purple foliage really stands out, getting darker and darker as it grows.

Summer is winding down...here's my proof

There are a few signs of fall coming. Although we are still reaching the 90+ degree mark, things are starting to wind down.

Annabelle Hydrangea drying out

Autumn Joy Sedum color beginning

Foliage around this sign is turning colors

Down the woodland path we see these Buckeyes maturing

Sweet Autumn Clematis blooming

What a heavenly scent it has!

Leaves of 3-leave it be! Poison Ivy - watch out!!

After neglecting this bed for most of the season, I decided to pull all the weeds, including masses of Poison Ivy. Until this year, I have never had the nonpleasure of getting this terrible irritation. I was covered in a rash...my face, neck, arms, hands, stomach, legs, ankles, and even my feet. Never again will I pull this without lots and lots of protection!

Golden Rod on the hillside just beginning to bloom. Another week or so and it will be bright yellow.