End of the Growing Season

We have had several predictions of a freeze, but each one seemed to miss us, and the flowers have just kept on doing their thing. I think geraniums, especially, get more beautiful in the fall when the hottest weather is gone. This porch box contains plants that spent last winter in our basement. My plan is to move them inside and trim them back this weekend so they can rest in the basement windows again until next spring. Tonight it is supposed to be 28 degrees at the airport, which is close to us. The plants that are still outside are tucked away next to the house at the bottom of the basement stairs, out of frost's way. It is about 7 degrees warmer there than out in the yard.

This salmon beauty is about three years old. I have already brought it into the house since this photo was taken, and it is in one of the upstairs south windows. The coleus has been magnificent, but strong winds blew it over and shattered the pot after these pictures. I have some cuttings in a glass jar to see if they will root, but the plant itself is going to meet its fate either tonight, or soon.

Another multi-year geranium, this apple blossom will spend the winter downstairs. I have a cutting from it that rooted, and it is in one of the upstairs windows. I hope we will have many new plants to enjoy in spring 2011.

Of course, some summer plants in the yard don't seem to know that their days and hours are numbered, so they have been going merrily on. There is probably a lesson there someplace. This is a seedling coneflower from this summer that burst into bloom in the fall, while its parents were all sporting seed pods and feeding the local flock of goldfinches. For some reasons our coneflowers love this south facing wall by the driveway. A little butterfly found a late season snack on this one as well.

Petunias are so hardy, I think they might survive a nuclear fallout event, like cockroaches. Except they are much prettier. We grew these purple ones for their great petunia scent. Twice they were decimated and defoliated by little green caterpillars, and twice they have battled back. Usually they will survive a light freeze...these are under the euonymous bushes out back, where we moved their planter after they were attacked the second time. If they won't give up, why should I? Thoughts like that are helpful when the news is disturbing or discouraging, and I guess that is one reason I am so crazy about plants. They just do their thing and don't think about it too much.

After a summer of dis- appoint- ment in the tomato patch, our two vines finally started producing in October. These are on the cherry tomato vine we planted. We also have harvested a lot of medium Jet Stars from the other plant, and just tonight enjoyed a nice ripe one in our salad. Fresh tomatoes...in November...in the Midwest. Gotta love it.

Next up: Fall Colors III: At last, the Maple has turned!