We had a freeze here so all of my pretty plants are gone. It’s totally okay. It comes to October and I’m tired of watering and maintaining them anyway so I let them go.
Here in Iowa we have been so blessed with great weather. There hasn’t been much rain and the temps have been just at sweatshirt weather. It’s been wonderful. We have had snow some years already by now so days like we’ve been having I soak in.
I’ve been outside to garden every few days or so trying to squeeze it all in as I can, watching the weather to know if it looks like winter is setting in, I have to put in a big push to finish what is left.
One night after Kalissa picked up the kids I cleaned out the dead impatiens.
Rosie, my beagle was on tap to help. HA!! I took these pictures and did this before Izzy had her inground fencing collar so she had to stay in the house. Happily, she has her collar now and it set to be outside with us.
My big beautiful Supertunias at done for the year as well. I’m recording this here so I remember and you all know too. I bought two $4 plants for each pot last spring. I potted them myself and saved a lot of money on baskets. They were so pretty this year.
Here is how they looked at the height of the blooming season…
in August.
Another thing I did this fall was hit up the sales on tulip bulbs and hyacinth bulbs. I was so happy that I hit the sale at Walmart at the exact time I needed to.
I dug a trench and got this much planted a the front of my garden and then thunder kicked in and rain was imminent. I ended up going in and went out the next week and finished up.
This time I had a little helper.
Actually, I had two helpers. My grandsons Carver and Gannon were happy to help.
Their mom Kalissa snapped a couple of pictures of us.
I’m so happy what NEEDS to be done is done outside. I wouldn’t mind trimming a few of the perennials and will if I get time before the weather turns.
I think this is going to be so pretty in the spring. I planted about 130 tulip bulbs, 90 hyacinths, and 5 purple alliums. I think it’s going to be just gorgeous. I can’t wait!!
If this all turns out as I hope, next fall I am going to try to hit the clearance at Walmart again and get another bunch of tulip bulbs and plant them along the sidewalk where I put impatiens in the foreground in the picture below. Oh, I think that would be pretty too.
I’m a little nervous as I would need the tulips to be done and able to plant the impatiens in the same spot…we’ll see. That’s why I tested the idea out in the garden first.
Every year that I live here I try to add something or do just a little more. I love it and love that I am a gardener. When we were first married I gardened a lot as my daughters do…I had plans but didn’t follow through with them. I’m so glad that I’ve evolved some and can really enjoy the plants.
People who saw my gardening skills in my 20s would never believe that I’ve gotten to where I am today!! I hope that gives you all encouragement to keep trying!!
I can’t wait to take pictures next spring and show you the tulips the boys and I planted.
Jo
Sorry about my rant yesterday. Guess i didn’t have internet on the ipad but did on phone. I love technology not.
Was looking for the quilt of you and Izzy on porch for a friend that is doing half square triangles and wanted her to see your quilt. I finally found it.
Love your blog
Janice
I love gardening too Jo. I have this saying embroidered in my home” to plant a garden is to believe in tomorrow “
True
Love that saying!!
Your bulbs will be gorgeous in the spring – and worth every bit of effort! Planting the impatiens right next to the bulbs next year will help cover the brown bulb foliage while the bulbs absorb the nutrients – win, win!
I only plant daffodil and other narcissus bulbs in my part of Ohio – I love tulips, but so do the deer that run rampant over our area; the daffs are deer-resistant. My hanging baskets and petunias are still okay, but the forecast for this weekend sounds as though they’ll be gone after this weekend – I’m ready to take a break too!
I have been meaning to plant some daffodil bulbs so with your fine example you have set…..hopefully I will find some bulbs to plant! I love tulips, but in our area (coastal SC), you have to replant the tulip bulbs every year. So if you plant 100 bulbs this year, they will be beautiful in the spring but then won’t bloom again. You would have to buy more and plant again in the fall. I bet with your different climate in Iowa, they come back each year. Your yard will be so pretty again after the snow clears!
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My gardening skills are about non-existent. I have plant Ed things and followed all the directions and nothing has come up. Why I don’t know. I have managed to keep to potted plants (gifted) alive one for 2 years and a new one for 5 months so far. Not bragging or complaining. What I do is enjoy the beautiful yards and gardens that other people have. Thank God for all who garden!!!!!
The colors and textures in the garden are the same I feel in quilting. If I put my tulip bulbs in like you, before I get into the house, the squirrels would have a buffet. I have to make cages out of hardware cloth and then plant. That is why I am late putting the bulbs in. You did a wonderful job with the flowers.
I had to chuckle when I read Linda’s comment! I had the same issue, squirrels would dig them up almost as fast I planted. I had gotten my bulbs from Michigan Bulb Company (I think that was the name, also don’t think they exist under that name anymore). They guaranteed them, so replaced them even though I said the squirrels dug them up!! We have a deer issue too. We have wire cages around everything, tacky yes, but shrubs and trees are so expensive. Hopefully everything will eventually grow big enough so the deer will leave them alone
Your flowers were gorgeous! Can’t wait to see how your bulbs look come spring.
Here in CT the deer love tulips, they think you planted lollipops for them. I only put in daffodils. You are a wonderful gardener.