Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day & Foliage Follow-Up October 2018: Hello Autumn!

October Garden

Welcome to my garden and I hope you enjoy your visit! It's time for Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day and walk in the autumn landscape to see what is blooming. Up until a four days ago, temperatures were still hovering in the low to mid-70's. Overnight on the 11th, the rumbling of thunder could be heard with what was probably the last thunderstorm of the season. The cold front accompanied by torrential rains brought in the true feeling that the fall season had arrived. Now the days are cool and crisp with temperatures in the upper 50's and lower 60's, and the foliage is starting to turn color. The garden preps for its time to rest. Come along on a tour through my Long Island garden.

Welcome!

October is a transitional month in the garden. While springtime represents renewal, autumn brings a sense of calmness. While my garden is predominately evergreens, the flowering shrubs and perennials are showing signs of autumnal change. With the constant moisture this autumn, there should be quite a show of foliage in the upcoming weeks.

Perennial Border Fountain Grass

One of my favorite signs of autumn are the fluffy plumes on ornamental grasses and the changing color of Sedum foliage as it transitions to a lime green. 

Sedum 'Brilliant' in Autumn

After some rejuvenating back in August, Daylily 'Stella D' Oro' is still going strong and blooming well into fall. 

'Stella D' Oro' Daylily Still Blooming!

Here is a post I had written a while back on the process.

Dwarf Butterfly Bush

The Dwarf Butterfly Bush on the patio is doing very well, has doubled in size, and is still blooming in its planter. I will be bringing it into the garage at the end of the month/start of November to overwinter. Only time will tell to see if my experiment works. My hopes are to return the planter to the patio next spring with a viable plant.

Monarch!

I adore the Monarchs that frequently visit!

(Stachys) Lamb's Ear Autumn

Come take a look at the perennial border. This is one part of the garden that changes constantly. Right now, the Stachys (Lamb's Ear) is prominent with its soft white foliage. Dried Astilbe seed heads are in the backdrop.

Skyland's Oriental Spruce

Here is Skyland's Oriental Spruce in front of Coral Bark Maple. The foliage of the maple is just starting to change.

Spirea 'Magic Carpet' Autumn

'Magic Carpet' Spirea doesn't want to quit blooming in the driveway border. The days have been warm enough to push out new growth.

Young Girl and Kitty Friends

This has been the year of new statues in the garden. I fell in love with this one of a young girl and her best friend. It is located in a prominent place where I can view it from several windows when looking out at the garden. Some of the other statuary that you will come across can be found tucked away among the garden and lurking around corners.

Variegated Liriope October Blooms

In the eastern garden, Liriope 'Variegata' (lillyturf) is in full bloom for October.

Front Walkway

It can be viewed here bordering the front walkway, along with Japanese Garden Juniper, Heuchera 'Caramel' and Golden Sweetflag.

Signs of Autumn

Here are some signs of autumn, as the remaining foliage of Oriental Lillium 'Stargazer' turns to hues of yellow and orange. It will be asleep for winter soon.

Perennial Border

Back around to the perennial border, you can see the last of the blue blooms of Platycodon (Balloon Flower) next to Juniperus 'Blue Star' and Ornamental Fountain Grass 'Hameln'. A grafted Blue Globe Spruce towers above the rest of the garden.

Tree Hydrangea 'Tardivia' October

In the north garden, the white panicle-shaped blooms of hydrangea 'Tardivia' take on a greenish hue for fall.

Hydrangea 'Tardivia' Bloom Up Close

Some of the flowers have pink highlights too!

Weeping Blue Atlas Cedar

Along the southwestern side of the property is Weeping Blue Atlas Cedar accompanied by more variegated liriope, which is displaying spikes of purple blooms this time of year.

Weeping Japanese Maple

Soon the Weeping Japanese Maple will be loosing its leaves, only to expose its interesting trunk structure. Every season has something to offer in the garden.

Shade Garden-Leucothoe

In the back shade garden, Leucothoe 'Auxillaris', Hakonechloa macra (Japanese Forest Grass) and Hosta 'Minuteman' make an excellent combination for low light...

Shade Garden-Caramel Coral Bells and Friends!

and to your right is another shade planting of Heuchera 'Caramel' with friends!

Knock Out Rose 'Radrazz'

Last, but not least are the Double Knock Out Roses that continue to bloom right outside my window and my next door neighbor's Montauk Daisies. 

Montauk Daisies

Every year I take a picture of them, since they remind me of my mom. 

October Garden-Thanks for visiting!

I hope you enjoyed your stroll through my October garden. Please feel free to stay a while and catch up on some of my other posts. Special thanks go out to our hostess Carol at May Dreams Gardens, who makes it possible to see blooms on the 15th of every month with her meme Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day. Also, special thanks to Pam Penick at Digging who has hosted Foliage Follow-Up for all these years, a meme I will still continue to honor. I am also linking with some other wonderful hosts and hostesses at Floral Friday Fotos, Macro Monday 2, Nature Notes at Rambling Woods, Dishing It & Digging It on Sunday with Angie the Freckled Rose, Image-in-ing weekly photo share every Tuesday with NC Sue and Gardens Galore Link Up Party on the 17th with Everyday Living.

In the news: I am honored to have been selected for the 2018 Golden Trowel Award, joined by sixty-nine other blogs. Congratulations to all!

More News:  I am at it again writing and 106 pages in for a possible third book. Are there any gardening topics that particularly fascinate you or that you would like to learn more about. I'd love to hear!

  ~As Always...Happy Gardening ~

Author: Lee@A Guide to Northeastern Gardening,© Copyright 2018. All rights reserved.

This Month in the Garden: Alluring Alliums!: Fall Planting, Care & Maintenance

Allium Planting, Care & Maintenance

Allium is a genus consisting of over 850 species of plants which includes ornamental forms used for gardening and those cultivated for food, such as onion, garlic, chives, scallion, leek and shallot. Allium can be found growing in the Northern Hemisphere, with a few species occurring in Chile, Brazil and tropical Africa. Originally classified by Carolus Linnaeus in 1753, allium were considered a plant with valuable attributes. By the late 1800’s Russian botanists began collecting species of Allium from Central Asia and introduced them to horticulturists through the Imperial Botanical Garden. Soon after, Britain had heard of this new family of garden-worthy plants and continued to expand the number of available selections through hybridization. Allium has gained increased recognition over the years for its ornamental qualities and was named bulb of the year in 2016 by the The National Garden Bureau and the Perennial Plant Association has voted Allium 'Millenium' as the Perennial Plant of the Year for 2018! 

Globemaster Allium

Allium (Ornamental Onion) are hardy in USDA hardiness zone 3-9, depending on the species, and prefer to be grown in full sun. Allium are drought tolerant and should be planted in a well-drained, slightly acidic soil (pH 5.5-6.5) which is kept on the drier side. Bulbs should be planted in early autumn (September-November) at a depth of approximately four times the diameter of the bulb. Smaller growing Alliums should be planted at 3-4 inches (8-10 cm) apart, while taller species need at least 8 inches (20 cm) between the bulbs. A sprinkle of bone meal around the bulbs at time of planting (but not near the root) will give them a good start. As mentioned, Allium bulbs are best planted in autumn (by late November) but can be planted in late winter/early spring for late May/June blooms. Flowers may not be as large in the first season, so the application of a balanced fertilizer once foliage emerges will encourage plant strength and blooms.

Allium Mont Blanc

Allium bloom time starts in late spring into early summer and plants are available in a wide variety of sizes and colors, ranging from the white Allium (example 'Mont Blanc'), to blue (Allium caeruleum), yellow (Allium flavum) and purple (Allium giganteum). Plant heights vary between 10 inches (25.4 cm.) and 50 inches (127 cm.) and produce rounded blooms that form at the top of a leafless stalk. Many Allium have basal leaves that commonly wither away before or while the plants are in flower, but some species have persistent foliage throughout the season. Generally, species that hold onto their foliage typically bloom later into fall and form dense clumps rather than individual blooming plants. Varieties that lose their foliage tend to form individual stalks with larger blooms. Allium can be planted as seed, but is best planted as bulbs, which vary in size between species from the smaller 2–3 mm bulb to the larger 8–10 cm bulb of larger blooms. 

Allium Globemaster (Allium giganteum)

Allium require little to no maintenance and are mostly pest and disease free. They are members of the onion family, so the foliage and blooms and are not preferred by deer, rabbits or squirrels. They are also an attraction to butterflies, bees and other pollinators. Removing spent blooms after blooming can encourage plants to store more energy for the following year, but it is not necessary, and some gardeners prefer to leave dried blooms for the remainder of the summer for interest and to encourage re-seeding. There is no need to dig Allium up in the fall, since they do not require any dividing, but can be moved to other locations at that time.

Allium caeruleum Blue

Allium have a wide variety of uses in the landscape and can be planted among evergreen or flowering shrubs and along with other perennials. This versatile plant is easy to plant and maintain and will bring years of enjoyment to your landscape. The possibilities are endless!

Photo Credit: Longwood Gardens (Flowering time Left to Right: Late Spring-Early Summer)

As Always...Happy Gardening!

Author: Lee@A Guide to Northeastern Gardening, © Copyright 2018. All rights reserved