Fall Harvest

I always say Spring is my favorite time of year, with everything coming back to life, turning green, being able to throw open the windows, but, knock wood, we are having a pretty nice Fall so far.  Although I don't really have anything to harvest, our son has had a bountiful crop of cherry tomatoes, jalapeno peppers, broccoli, and pumpkins.  This has been the first year they've really had the space and climate to have a garden, and for their first time, I think they did quite well!

Isn't this a beauty?!

I like them when they're green too!  I wonder if there is a way to keep them from ripening further

They have a lot of various ornamental grasses and hostas.  I hope to get a couple starts of the variegated one - I believe it is Zebra Grass 

I don't have a lot blooming in my yard for Fall interest, so I got a pot of mums for the front porch to keep the impatiens and lancifolia hosta company

In the back, the hydrangea blooms are turning brown, the hummingbirds are enjoying the lancifolia hostas, the bees are enjoying sedum autumn joy, and the grasses have their seed heads

This is a little pot and set of birds I got at an estate sale this Summer.  I have no intention of using the pot for planting. . . just a perch for my birds

I also picked up this shallow waterer for the birds - it's about the only  thing rabbits are good for in a garden

I've been watering the shade garden where my caladium is so I can dig them up and store them for next year.  The ground is hard as concrete with the drought we've had

As the day light gets shorter, I am hoping we will see more Fall colors.  The one and only thing I don't like about Fall is that I know what season is coming next.  Although Winters can be harsh in Nebraska, I can't imagine living anywhere that doesn't have the four seasons like we do.

I hope you are enjoying Fall!

LONG time no post...

It has been a LONG time since my last post.  Mostly because the weather here has been SO hot and dry, that there hasn't been a whole lot going on in my flower beds.  Fall has come, and we are getting some relief - relief from the heat, but not the drought.

Last week, we visited our son and his family in Iowa.  I got to visit their community garden again.  They started getting rain a month or so ago, so they had lush lawns and colorful flower beds.  It was interesting to see how they had freshened up an older flower bed, and the different annuals they used in other areas.  You can see the difference from last year from this link.

I really liked this shrub, but have no idea what it is

This area was opened up a lot more than last year.  It has an interesting half circle wrought iron bench. 

This area has been spiffed up a bit and made into kind of a Fairy Garden

It was nice to see some of the 'old' regulars doing so well

There weren't a lot of blooms left on their double Coneflower, but it did better than mine this year

While we were there, we were camping at Pinicon Ridge Park.  I must commend Iowa on their park system...they put Nebraska's to shame.   There was an area of wild flowers growing, and the campground hosts had potted flowers and two Hummingbird feeders that had many visitors while we were there.  This year, they constructed a foot bridge that goes over the Wapsipinicon River, which ran through the center of the park, cutting it in two.  It is named for Mary Lundby, who was a member of the House of Representatives, and Senate.  She was an advocate for conservation and the environment for the state of Iowa - it's only fitting the bridge is named for her. 

There are colored lights down the center of the bridge that are lit 24/7.  They were really pretty at night, but I couldn't get a good photo of them.

Just a hint of color change was starting

A wonderful bridge for the handicapped to fish from

It was a successful weekend for our favorite fisherman!!

 I thought this tree trunk was interesting - I wonder what caused it to grow this way

Sorry to be so long.  In a week or so, I'll post photos from Decorah Iowa, where we visited their fish hatchery and their famed Bald Eagle pair that nest there every year, lay eggs, and raise their young.