Blooming Friday

We have been feeling the effects of the remnants of tropical storm Ida for the last couple of days. In addition, we got our first killing frost earlier this week, so I am going to cheat a little and show pictures that I took a few days before the frost and all of the wind and rain.

This is a shot of the vegetable garden, which is lined with ornamentals to shield the actual vegetable garden from view. Vegetable gardens can get really ugly, with the falling over tomatoes and the out-of-control squash vines. The only tomato cages I have ever seen that actually worked well were heavy duty metal cages that Gene's uncle made for his own tomato garden. The aromatic aster, Mexican petunia and perennial sweet pea are still in bloom in this picture. The yellow foliage in the far background is that of sweet pepperbush.

The big perennial bed is finished now except for a few late roses and aster 'Miss Bessie' at the far end, not visible in this picture. The brown is Bidens gone to seed. I have been collecting and broadcasting the seed (and even writing down where so that I can tell Gene where not to mow next spring).

The perennial sweet pea has bloomed for several months this year, taking a hiatus only during the hottest part of the summer. It's too bad that it's not fragrant, as I still do not know what sweet pea blossoms smell like and it's a common descriptor of the fragrance of other plants. Alas, it is both too hot and too cold here, and it's only once in a blue moon that annual sweet pea actually succeeds in this climate. I've noticed that this sweet pea is already snaking tendrils into the ornamental border of the vegetable garden. As long as it doesn't smother the 'Veilchenblau' or 'Duchesse de Brabant' roses I don't have a problem with that. 'Veilchenblau' can probably hold its own just fine anyway.

The Mexican petunia bloomed right up until the freeze on Tues, together with the asters providing a lovely violet-blue counterpoint to all of the yellow that is prevalent this time of year. This petunia has not set seed so it must be one of the sterile cultivars created to curb its overly enthusiastic tendencies.

Aromatic aster

Swamp sunflowers with the yellow foliage of sweet pepperbush in the background.

Aster 'Miss Bessie' at the end of the big perennial bed, half-open on a cloudy morning. 'Miss Bessie' is a tall exuberant aster that was originally found in the Deep South and valuable for its very late bloom. Its flowers are impervious to frost so it's very reliable here.

I am glad the dahlias had a chance to strut their stuff this fall before the cold cut them down. This a pink noid that I ordered from a lady who grows dahlias in the mountains of our state. The flower is very large, almost as big as both of my hands put together.

Rothsay Reveler

Ferncliff Illusion

A couple more noids that I really like.

Chrysanthemum 'Venus'

The hybrid musk rose 'Felicia', whose fragrance never disappoints.

Clotilde Soupert, which IMO is the most perfect of roses, is even more perfect when covered with dewdrops.

I love single roses but this rose has all of the romance and sumptiousness of an old garden rose: layers and layers of soft pink petals and a sweet perfume that doesn't change or fade. I wish you could experience the fragrance too. It's heavenly.

For more Blooming Friday posts, visit Katarina at roses and stuff.