Time Marches On

The inevitable reds of fall

It's hard to believe we're deep into fall already.  Feels like just yesterday I returned from summer vacation.

Cheery blooms and bright colours greeted me August

It was dry and dusty in August, dirt hard as a rock after two months with next to no rain.  Digging weeds and moving plants was next to impossible.  Hurricanes Isaac and Leslie changed that.  While we didn't suffer any damaging winds this year we did get the rain, which was desperately needed.  In fact we received as much rain in one single afternoon as we had for the months of July and August combined.

Much needed rain finally brought forth dahlia blooms

And now on the final day of September I'm wishing the rain would stop already!  Mother nature has turned around and for all the rain we missed during the summer, it is pounding down now.  It does mean there is a flush of blooms which is always wonderful.  This Limelight Hydrangea is pushing out new lime green blooms next to aged pink ones.

Limelight Hydrangea with new and old blooms side by side

But it also means getting work done in the garden is difficult.  The ground is no longer hard packed but muddy.  Even on days when it isn't raining there is not much to be done as I'm causing more of a mess than anything.

Even the plants are having some difficulty.  Rust has shown up on some plants and these monkshood in the photo above appear to have almost mouldy looking tops on the flowers.

I'm hoping for a little relief come October.  A few clear days on a weekend or two would be divine to finish cleaning up the vegetable garden.  Rather than ignoring this chore, as I did last year, I'm hoping to get the veggie garden tucked up proper this season.  Hopefully that will mean come spring I'll be ready to get a headstart on cool season vegetables.

A number of beds have been cleaned out
and 'bedded' down but there's still lots left to do

Despite my best intentions I never did finish my flower garden this season.  Too dry conditions made edging and digging impossible and now muddy conditions are also making the same chore quite difficult.

The black mulch clearly shows what got done and what didn't.  This photo is looking back at the 'finished' portion.  Although in all honesty, I have gone back to the supposedly finished side on numerous occasions and moved plants that I can already see were planted too close.  I planted bulbs in the rain recently too.  Adding Golden Echo daffodils, tulips and Allium roseum to the mix.  This project will likely have to be finished next season though as along with rain we are running out of daylight hours.

Much like the bees swarming the Hummingbird Mint these days it's a race to see how much can be accomplished while the light and warmth still remain.