Wow, October already? Does anyone else feel the way I do that this year has passed all too quickly? I am sure it really hasn't but it just seems that way. Even in October in Tennessee we have busy gardens so today I thought I'd share a few pictures with you from the farm. Helianthus 'Maximilian' is a wonderful fall bloomer that the bees love.
Right next to the 'Maximilian' are Tatarian asters (Aster tataricus). I really like these asters. They grow in sun or shade and get quite tall. They hold their own when planted at the back of the border with other tall perennials like the 'Maximilian', and also some Joe Pye weed. The foliage of the tatarian aster is quite lovely too.
Speaking of bees this particular shrub is a bee magnet. It is 'Raspberry Profusion' Abelia hybrid. All abelias are low maintenance shrubs that have a very long bloom period. The flowers of this particular one are fragrant and long after the bloom is over the sepals remain on the plant to give the plant winter interest. The sepals are the pink colored petals that are below the actual flower. In this picture you can see the full flower and also just the sepals. Abelias grow in sun to part sun and are not picky about their soil. Bees and butterflies love abelias.
Also at the farm are some peonies. I have begun digging my many peonies from Tiger Gardens and have created a new peony/baptisia bed. There will be about 43 peonies in this bed in seven different colors. As I was digging my peonies it struck me just how massive the roots were on each clump. When I divided this one I thought I'd take a picture to show you the massive root system. The roots were fully six inches deep in large tubers. I split each of my peonies with a shovel and while that may seem extreme, as long as I have a couple of eyes on each division the peonies will regrow and bloom beautifully. This one will certainly bloom next spring due to its huge size.
Finally, another picture of the Tatarian asters. I adore these plants and fall in general....
in the garden....hoping your fall is delightful.
I'm "jealous" of your asters! I realized mid-summer that the two I had in our beds did NOT come up this yer. I will try again.
ReplyDeleteOctober in Tennessee appears to be beautiful! And I agree...the summer seemed to fly by.
I just added a second Abelia to my gardens and love the scent it puts off. I should have more of them as they are easy care plants for sure. The one I had for the past two years stood in standing water for over a month and it did not seem to bother it too much when I lost a lot of other things near by. I love the scent they put off, so sweet to my nose! Two days ago I also dug out two of my four peony. The ground was hard as it was really dry so I had to resort to a good hose soaking the night before to get them out. I was working up a sweat getting those two buggars out and had to laugh at myself for my little whining about it as you had been working on your 43 peony! Ha...Have a good weekend...
ReplyDeleteWow, I love these bloomers at the farm. I wish I could grow peonies here, but alas.
ReplyDeleteYour photos are wonderful by the way.
FlowerLady
I love the Fall also. Pretty pics of the flowers you have. Big job digging up the Peonies.
ReplyDeleteI too like the asters. I took out a lot of them to let my veggie garden get more sun. I couldn't do away with them though. Mine are the tallest they have ever been due to the rains we had this spring. Peonies are some of my faves but they don't do well here. I guess I don't have enough sun for them. Happy fall.
ReplyDeleteHow wonderful to pick and replant your garden with new eyes..
ReplyDeleteThanks for the info on the Abelia. I'd heard of this shrub, but knew nothing about it, and only recently was looking at some photos and information about it. It sounds like a shrub that would make a great addition to the garden. Forty-three peonies--wow! Can't wait to see your new garden in bloom next spring.
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