Is Autumn Finally Here?

Our temperatures lately have been lovely.  But not at all fall-like.  Until yesterday, it was still quite sunny and very warm.  We had a spell of almost a month without any rain, but this week we accumulated over two inches, and yesterday was rainy and chilly.  Today is just overcast and chilly.  (But then, a couple of 80+ degree days are forecast for the end of the week!)

The tomatoes stopped growing and started dying around the first of September.  Other people in the area have still been harvesting the last of theirs.  I'm wondering if it's the difference between the heirlooms I plant and their hybridized varieties.  The plants looked so unsightly that I harvested what was left, whether it was ripe or not, and pulled them out of the ground.

I never did pay proper attention to the fall cabbages I planted.  They got eaten up, but I've left them to see if they do anything at all.  Looks like they should have been planted a lot earlier if I wanted any heads.  I thought I was giving them enough time by getting them in the ground on the 11th of July, but I guess with the harsher late summer growing conditions (and the severe insect feeding), they needed longer.

Poor babies.

I've probably gotten the last of whatever else was still growing, with the exception of the lettuces.  I pulled the last of the beets, and while I've left the pepper plants growing, I don't expect them to do much more now that the temperatures are down.

So, now it just remains to watch the rest of the marigolds gradually die off and collect seeds from the okra when the pods dry.  And maybe harvest some more rhubarb if I get energetic.   (I'm actually waiting to see if the stems of the "red" varieties actually get red as the weather gets cooler.)

The last few weeks seemed to bring out the praying mantids, which are one of my - and perhaps everybody's - favorite insects.

Sadly, I came across a Monarch butterfly flopping in the grass that had apparently dropped from wherever it was emerging from its chrysallis.  I did a little online research and learned that when that happens, their wings will never unfurl properly, so they can't fly.  I placed it on the lantana so it could at least feed.  I don't know if it did.  At least it didn't when I watched it over the course of a couple of days, and then I didn't see it any more.  

And, speaking of Monarchs, the earlier ones had completely stripped the leaves of the butterfly milkweed, and it has since put out a new flush.  

My rose garden is still in bloom.  I don't know how long the self-seeded  annual sage will keep going, but it's about to flower.  The roses should continue until a hard frost.  At least I'm hoping.   I'm pretty sure the lavender will, although it's flowering less.

Since that picture was taken, I've pulled up and stored all the dahlia bulbs (center top), and the wildflowers are all dried up.

That is a picture of 'Charles Darwin' almost the color it's advertised to be.  For the most part, the blooms have been all confused.  Sometimes pinkish, sometimes pale yellow, but mostly a kind of  dull tan color.  I did a little online research of this rose, which I should have done before buying it.  I came across a forum where one of the contributors led off by saying, "This is the ugliest rose I've ever grown."  The form of it is quite arching, which is not something I wanted in my garden, either.  I decided I would move it out to a road bank, and then I smelled it.  Heavenly.  Just like an aromatic old fashioned rose.  None of the others have that fragrance.  So, it gets a reprieve.  I'm hoping that it will do better next year as far as color is concerned, and maybe I can manage to keep it a little more contained to its spot with some choice pruning.  But that might ruin the look of it.  I'll just have to see when I get there.

Since the Japanese beetles have been gone, the roses have been putting on quite the show.  Enough to even bring some in.

'Shazam!', 'Pink Enchantment' and 'Pat Austin'

'Shazam!' - in its third year, but first to actually thrive (since I put it in the rose garden) - has really been amazing.  This last few that I brought in took on a very dark hue - well, hues, since there are two colors - to it as it wilted. I hadn't seen it do that before, either outdoors on the bush or cut in a vase.  I've seen some pictures of roses advertised that look this intensely striking, but they seemed too loud.  I don't know...this color combo is looking pretty darned attractive to me at the moment.

It's a good thing after ordering three more rose bushes than I planned for that I REALLY don't have any more room for another.  Or ....  do I?

I don't expect to be posting much from here on until early spring, but I do have to install some winter protection for the roses after the first hard frost - whenever that might come this year - and I'll try to remember to take some pictures of that process.  

Until then...
Have a great Thanksgiving.