Summer's Over

It finally happened.  We got a frost hard enough to do in the annuals.  For me, this is the official end of summer.  This solitary clematis bloom surprised me.  The rest of the flowers look more like this.

After frost

Before frost

Before frost

After frost

Snapdragons are always there for you!

Before frost/After frost

If you read my summer posts, you know that we were up to our eyeballs in little orange tomatoes.

Even frost can't rid of them!

This is a busy time of year for gardeners.  Time to stop admiring the garden and get out and work in it.  I've learned to split the chores of cutting back perennials and shrubs between fall and spring. I used to save all of it for spring, and them kick myself in April when I was overwhelmed with everything I had to do.

If you need help with your fall garden chores in the Waukesha County area, contact me at:
petalpowergardening@gmail.com or 262-893-7249.

Fall Color

I seemed like summer might just keep going on and on, so it was a rude awakening when the weatherman said that there is a chance of frost tonight.  I went out to enjoy the garden before it changes.  I picked the remaining tomatoes, peppers, and basil.  I found some kohlrabies that were still in the ground and pitched a few before I decided to see if they were still edible.  To my surprise, they were just as good as they were in July! 

There is still so much color in the garden, not all of it from flowers.  Some plants that fade into the background in summer now have their turn to shine.

This highbush cranberry is beautiful all summer, but in early fall it turns yellow and develops dark berries, and then turns this gorgeous red.  The grass above is 8 feet tall and  makes a stunning privacy screen.




 The tiny apples on this crabapple tree were barely visible until the leaves dropped. 

I would never skip planting nasturtiaums.  They're at their height right now when most other annuals are looking ragged.

If you don't plant a few packs of zinnia seeds every year - WHY NOT?  They come in a huge variety of colors and heights.  They've been blooming for over two months now.  They last a week as bouquets in the house and I've never had any kind of critter bother them.

Here's another fall favorite I would never be without.  Asters look a little like a weed during summer when they're not blooming, but just plant something else in front of them and wait until fall.  Then they'll redeem themselves and you'll be glad you put up with the foliage for the past few months.

Snapdragons are another plant I would never be without.  They bloom from mid-summer until frost.  While they are an annual, they reseed so freely that the one flat I bought 15 years ago, continues to grace my garden year after year with the most beautiful colors I've ever seen. 

                                                                                

 Not all the fall beauty is flowers.  This river birch is more striking in fall and winter than it is in summer when the trunks are obscured by leaves. 

Enjoy your fall garden while you can.  It's almost time to clear out perennials you don't want to leave standing and pull up annuals that got zapped by frost.  If you need help with that, call or e-mail me at:  petalpowergardening@gmail.com  or   262-893-7249.