Friday, October 17, 2008

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.

20 comments:

  1. I always enjoy your Friday Flowers posts and remember how much I looked forward to them last winter--I guess we're headed right back to winter and will be looking forward to them again.

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  2. Anonymous7:53 am GMT-4

    Amazing how we still have some summer colors in the autumn season. It certainly was a healthy year for flower/plants. I too enjoy Friday flowers, to me it's a great way to start a weekend. With the white stuff soon starting to fly, the flowers will be covered and will lie patiently waiting for spring. I have to admit, I don't really mind winter. I like watching snow fall, checking out snowflakes, and lots of snow can be very beautiful. I also like it a little on the cooler side. Winter happens every year and we can't beat it so we might as well enjoy it. As long as it doesn't last too long.

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  3. What a wonderful last hurah!

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  4. I loved all the pictures, especially the Autumn Joy Sedum.

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  5. Beautiful post....I love the colours.......
    we have had two light frosts....and temperatures are dropping.......but they have done little damage....

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  6. Beautiful pictures.I also am one who doesn't mind winter,but I'm glad we have pictures to remind us of the beauty of flowers all year.

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  7. Nice to see some summer flowers still in bloom. And the monarch butterfly - what a treat! I have seen only a few this summer.
    Have a nice weekend.

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  8. Anonymous8:01 pm GMT-4

    Thanks for sharing flowers at this time of year. Everything will be brown and grey (and maybe white) too soon. My geraniums, dahlias, and hollyhocks that grow close to the house are still blooming!

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  9. Truly beautiful photo of the monarch! And I love the term killing frost: I've never heard that. That's one thing we don't get down here in south Florida ... but we got them up in Maryland where I hail.

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  10. What gorgeous flowers! I, too, think the monarch on the aster is magnificent.
    Thank you, Ruth!

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  11. Boy..I don't know if that Monarch will make the trip. We too are getting the freeze this weekend. Your photos are lovely Ruth..

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  12. These pictures are so beautiful, I love flowers, thanks for taking the time to share with us. The one photo of the monarch is so beautiful, I am glad you captured that one. Please come by to visit and comment.

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  13. I like the Sedum too. I have some at my mailbox bed and it loves it there. The plants are HUGE! Love all the late color you have Ruth. :c)

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  14. Anonymous6:39 pm GMT-4

    Loved your last 2 posts. Simplicity has been my goal for years. I realize that simplicity is where you are. When we were first here I was in many spotlessly clean homes where clothing for a family of 4 hung across a corner on a broomstick. It was truly wash and wear - one outfit to wash and one to wear.
    The flower pictures are superb. We are seeing some arrivals all ready for the Monarchs. Hope to see their reserve about 12 hours from us again soon. At about 10,000 feet above sea level there is usually light snow on the ground there from late November to early February.

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  15. Ruth, isn't it great to have beautiful pictures like these to help you get through the winter months. Every one of them is stunning - so crisp and vivid.

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  16. One advantage of living in Southwestern Ontario is that you can hang onto the flowers longer. We pulled our frost-wilted impatiens today. Back in Sarnia, we sometimes kept plants going into December.

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  17. I enjoyed reading your comments. The temperature is supposed to drop to -3C tonight so many flowers will be done. I picked my last raspberries this evening. Farewell to the growing season...

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  18. Lots of beautiful flowers yet! It's such a treat to still see them this late into October. Thanks Ruth.

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  19. I don't have a good idea where you're at, East, West Canada? We in NE Kansas have already had a frost. My neighbors were scrapping their windows one day last week, I don't as I'm in a carport.
    I love your pictures of the pink flowers.

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  20. Julie- I live in south-western Ontario, about 90 minutes east of Lake Huron.

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