Friday Flowers: End of the Season

Sedum blooms in my garden

The sundial in my garden marks time as the growing season comes to a close. There have been a couple of light frosts outside the city, but no killing frost has come to my garden this autumn. This weekend may bring an overnight freeze if the forecasters are correct. I took some pictures of late flowers around town this week.

Pink Hues at Rockway Garden

The public gardens at the entrance to the city still boast many blooms. It was surprising to see grasses and flowers with pink hues in October. The rose garden at the hospital has been pruned back to the ground and will soon be covered for winter. But the roses here are still forming new buds and flowers. Fall crocuses have fallen over on their slender stalks and are beginning to die back into the ground.

Primary colours at Rockway Garden

Zinnias and tuberous begonias provide a splash of strong colour above the rock garden and water features at this park. I have never bothered with tuberous begonias but know gardeners who keep the tubers indoors in the winter year after year, treating the plants like family members.

Late Monarch on asters

I was surprised to see a few Monarch butterflies around this week after seeing none for a fortnight. The wild asters are almost done blooming but attracted this butterfly one warm afternoon. These stragglers will have to hurry to beat the north winds that will soon blow across the Great Lakes.

The weather this summer was too cool and wet for beach goers, but it has been a good season for gardens. These last late blooms are a special treat before the cold and barren winter arrives.