October 15th Blooms

This had been an unusual fall for this area, we usually have had a killing frost by now. Lots of my annuals are still blooming, they are looking a little ragged but still are in bloom :). For perennials, the asters are in their full glory, also the sedums, the hibiscus are still blooming, mostly while laying on the ground but still blooming. I have some roses still in bloom as well.

Mums, Fall, Pumpkins

It seems as if fall has arrived! I am enjoying the mums and pumpkins, I wish I could say that I had grown these mums, but they were purchased. My grandsons will be around the next two weekends so we will be pumpkin craving and painting.

Finally, A Breath of Fresh Air!

Finally we have some nice cool air from up north. The temp is 51 right now as I sit here writing this, the wind is coming from the north, low humidity, low dew points, ahhhhhhhhhh life is good :). We took both cats and Quasi the boxer to vet today for routine vaccinations and to have Quasi's heart checked, he has boxer cardiomyopathy, he has been on medication for the condition for over 3 years now, usually they do not live a year so I feel blessed, the vet said his heart sounds great. My dear sweet little Callie tired to bite both me and the vet when we were getting her out of the carrier.

The photos are up close and personal views of my brugmasias. The blooms are all done now, so no more wonderful fragrance, I will slow down on the watering and they will spend the winter in the basement.

Sunday Blooming Sunday

Things are slowing down for sure...............................but here are a few things that still look nice. I am holding the rose because it was so windy today I could not photograph it without holding it.

Hot, warm, humid and windy...........................AGAIN.

Caterpillars, Critters, Cakes and other Things

Well, I have not posted in over a week which for me is unusual. I have been busy with my annual cleaning/organizing/ painting frenzy :). Plus I have been playing cribbage online, something I have not done in a long long time. I love the game, any cribbage players out there? I play on pogo.com, I used to play on the zone.com but they quit offering cribbage a couple of years ago. And I have been making candles, so I guess I have all kinds of reasons for my lack of posting. As I mentioned in a previous post I brought my Brugs inside because it was so windy and they were getting knocked over all the time. They scented my house for over a week, which was wonderful. The Blackswallow tail caterpillars are gone, I hope they have spun the chrysalis and are safe for the winter but if they did, I can't find them. It is hot and humid again, which I hate, I want some fall weather. I included a picture of a molasses cake I baked and a couple of pics of the four legged kids just to share.

We are going to Wisconsin tomorrow for apples, cheese curds and picture taking, I think it is a bit early for optimum fall color but we have other plans for the next two weekends so it is this weekend or the last weekend of the month. I hope to have some fall pictures of the Mississippi to post.

Brugmasia

My Brugs are in full bloom again................YIPEE, I love these flowers. Since I took these photos last Saturday, I have brought them inside for the winter, it had been so windy and they were getting blown over, it will be too cold for them soon anyway. I put the plants in the basement by a south window with a grow light close by, I will water them until they are done blooming, then I will slow down with the water until early next spring. The fragrance in the house is almost over whelming...........wonderful, wonderful scent.

Black Swallowtail Caterpillars

After seeing a "garden for the senses" at the Omaha Zoo last fall I decided to plant one this spring, I have really enjoyed it. I planted all kinds of herbs, scented geraniums, a jasmine plant, cayenne pepper and some ornamental grass. I planted parsley and fennel with the hope of getting some butterfly eggs and it worked!!!! Our grandsons spent this past weekend with us, we were outside looking around, I was pulling leaves from the plants in my garden for the senses for them to smell, I was getting the "that stinks" remarks when my oldest grandson discovered the caterpillars of the Black Swallowtail Butterfly, I was so excited, of course we got the camera right away. My grandson took these pictures. I think they turned out really well.

I have been debating about bringing one of the caterpillars inside to watch it turn into a chrysalis, I found instructions online, but have decided I would rather leave it outside. I wish I could have gotten a picture of the butterfly itself earlier in the summer but I could never get a good shot.