Sunday, September 28, 2014

First day of fall


The official start of autumn felt like fall here, cool and drizzly. Normally I don't think pictures turn out very well on dull days but I noticed when I turned the horses out that the colors were really popping in the gray mist, so I took the camera out.




Slenderleaf gerardia (Agalinis tenuifolia) is a very showy annual that I have not been able to establish
in the garden, but it always pops up in the ditches alongside the pastures and in the floodway fields.




It's time to mow the pastures again.


Sugarcane plumegrass growing wild in the ditches next to the pastures.



The more delicate bloom of purple muhly grass


American beautytberry and river oats near the hay shelter


The Bidens are starting to fade but still colorful with 'Autumn Amethyst' Encore azaleas.


Seasonal pumpkin orange cat


Anemone 'Honorine Jobert'

26 comments:

  1. You are right, something about the light makes the colors pop! The dahlia is amazing, such a beautiful coloration. Even though they are very much in fashion right now, I have to admit, that I am not a big fan of grasses, but the purple muhly grass is an exception. I really love it! Anemone 'Honorine Jobert' has always been my favorite anemone. I don't grow it in my Southern California garden and truly miss it. Sometimes I wonder, if I just should give it a try here. Thanks for a lovely post!
    Christina

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    1. Purple Muhly is by far my favorite, although I am fond of Panicum 'Cloud Nine' too. Sugarcane plume grass grows wild here. There is a great stand of it lining the neighbor's field a few hundred yards away. It just sort of hangs out until it shoots up these towering silvery purple plumes. The grass itself isn't very big.

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  2. Wonderful photos, a lovely collection to put a smile on the face of every visitor, including mine :)

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  3. These are such lovely photos. They make me just want to walk in all of that natural beauty. I'm waiting for my pink muhly grass to bloom. It should be soon.

    Happy Fall to you ~ FlowerLady

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    1. M. capillaris just started to bloom here, and M. filipes will start 2-4 weeks after that.

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  4. It was nice of the cat to wear fall colors.

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  5. Beautiful! I especially like the gerardia, which is new to me.

    Perhaps, too, you can answer a question for me. I've just recently started noticing people mowing their pastures, and you commented that it was time to do it, too. Why do you do that? Is it an aesthetic reason? Or is there an agricultural reason that I'm not understanding? Thanks (in advance) for any enlightenment you can give me!

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    1. I need to mow because weeds tends to overtake the grass, plus if all of the forage is really tall the pony can't get anything to eat with her grazing muzzle. She has a grazing muzzle because she is insulin resistant and has suffered from laminitis and founder in the past, so sugar intake from the grass and weight control are critical for her. We have endophyte free fescue and spring and fall are its main growing seasons. Plus, the bugs are just so bad when the pasture is very tall. Honeysuckle and trumpet vine gets to be a problem too.

      The pastures aren't most of our farm though. Much of it is wooded, with a couple of good-sized fields on the way to the creek. Those fields will not be mowed now, as they are full of wild flowers.

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  6. Great fall blooms. I have something in my garden I tentatively identified as False Aster (Boltonia asteroids) but after seeing your frost aster I think maybe that's what I have. Your anemone is lovely.

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    1. Frost aster is a great late season filler in the garden. I'm always surprised by how much I like it.

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  7. Hey SB,
    It's been a while but I always find the sin of envy shadowing on my very soul as I ponder, although it takes a lot of work, how wonderful it would be to have my own plot of land. Before I was paralyzed I did see it in my future with a couple of longhorns out back. Been fascinated by them since I was a kiddo.

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    1. Our neighbors used to run longhorn cattle in the field adjacent to one of our pastures. I wish they still did, the cattle were good company for the horses.

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  8. Lovely colours ! The first and the last photo are gorgeous. Have a beautiful autumn, Sweetbay !

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  9. I am happy for the arrival of fall! The orange kitty is a perfect reflection of the new season, sitting amidst the yellow flowers. Your encore azaleas look fabulous, and I also love that white anemone.

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    1. Thanks Deb! I've been grateful to even get blooms from the white anemone the last couple of years -- for several years black blister beetles kept eating them up. (The beetles didn't kill the anemones, just started in on them in late summer.)

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  10. Your pictures turned out exceptionally well on what I gather was a dreary day. Love that Dahlia - they don't grow well at all for me but whenever I see one like that I think, well, maybe I should try growing them again next year.

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    1. Dahlias don't grow that well for me either. :/ I only have 3 left and only one of them is blooming so far. I always want more though, when I see the exhibits at the State Fair.

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  11. Hi Sweet Bay!! My favorite time to take pics is on overcast "dreary" days. I feel like I get better results than when it's sunny. Anyway, your pics turned out great. That pink Dahlia is beautiful. Do you have to dig the tubers up there (for winter) or can you just leave them in the ground?? Isn't it strange how it felt like fall the first day of fall?? Usually it's more summer-like still. Enjoy the wonderful weather.

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    1. Thanks Kathleen! I normally avoid taking pictures on dull days because my camera always makes pictures look darker than it really is. I leave my dahlias in the ground. One winter we were expecting sub 20 temps so I dug them, wrapped them up, and put them in the crawl space -- and they all died. The only ones I have left were ones I left in the ground.

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  12. That dahlia is just beautiful! I love anything peachy pink. :) Dahlias seem fussy to me since I'd have to dig them but a friend had one survive our winter low of -2 so maybe I should leave them in the ground, too.

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  13. You still have lots of Autumn colour left. The dahlia is gorgeous, such subtle colours .

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  14. I have been spending too much time on Facebook, and missing out on blog posts. I love your place, and need to stop by more often!

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