Midwest Gardening: What's Blooming in Mid October 24

Midwest Gardening: What's Blooming in Mid October 24

Most photos taken the week of October 7th-10th. 

After an extremely wet summer up until September and SUPER HOT,  plants and flowers are actually happiest right now, mid October here in Chicagoland. It's been dry for at least 6 weeks, so watering has been a must.

oldnewgreenredo

I did water these poor Coleus after this photo. 

oldnewgreenredo

My planters under the back eave were magnificent, and are still blooming. White Caladiums (from tubers) and Coleus grown from seed. The Giant Coleus were huge this year, they loved the hot and wet climate we had. 

Impatiens are still prducing some flowers...waiting for frost to end that.

oldnewgreenredo

Over three feet tall, these were gorgeous, no matter where I planted them.

Leaves are already dropping with the dry weather.

oldnewgreenredo

The last pot was the thinnest, but it gets the most sun and wind in this location, probably the reason the plants were smaller.

oldnewgreenredo

I got a second blooming on my 'grown from roots

 Delphinium. This plant will get transplanted next year. This is a fenced area is where I cater to root/tuber starts. 

Rich ground, a fence, and some serious shade actually helps to start new plants/tubers safe from critters.

oldnewgreenredo

Water, water water is all we have done the last month.

oldnewgreenredo

My annuals are still in bloom, Peppermint Zinnias, 4-foot tall Marigolds and lots of other colors of Zinnias. They were ALL really late this year. The Coreopsis are already done, and I have spread their seeds hoping for more next year.

oldnewgreenredo

Zinnia pod, prime for picking for seeds. I select the bigger flowers and let them dry on the stem...then pluck and harvest seeds. 

oldnewgreenredo

Zinnias are wonderful and prolific, also pretty hardy for light frost, perfect for our location.

oldnewgreenredo

This is the second growth of Sage...IT"S VERY HAPPY this year. Lower right is Majoram, which I have to cut back several times in the summer or it will swallow the whole bed.

oldnewgreenredo

Our garden is pretty much finished, but the carrots are super lush and thick. I have 4 varieties, anxious to see what they did. This area gets partial shade during the summer, so we will see.

oldnewgreenredo

Behind the carrots is my ragtag Swiss Chard, hit or miss. 

My broccoli plants  performed ZIP, we had two scant meals. Between being chewed by critters and then attacked by bugs, they were a waste of space. Same for the Brussel Sprouts. I will try a different location next year.

I emptied all the fence and patio pots last week and dispersed the dirt to: the box in the greenhouse, permanent planters, or the compost pile. That's always a big job.  later I will mix in fertilizer and new or composted dirt to freshen the soil.

I had surgery on the 15th, so all this had to be at least under control before then.

oldnewgreenredo

Such a jumble of half dead plantings, time to recycle the dirt. I will have hubby bury 6 pots of peppermint in a plastic bag in the compost pile. Saving me $$$$ in Spring when I restart them in the greenhouse. Leaving them in a bag, stops them from spreading where we don't want them. 

Peppermint is my Bee protection, as I am severely allergic. We keep Peppermint pots by the grill, the dining tables, the entrances to the house. That way they don't interfere with their busy bee pollination missions.

oldnewgreenredo

Here's the back porch with all the potted Coleus and some peppermint, this is total shade here.

Jumping to October 18th, I walked around the backyard and took a few more photos for the next post.

Also have a Fall project....NEXT

DEPARTING LILIES! 

If You enjoyed this post please FOLLOW IT in the upper right hand corner, to get just one email of each AD-Free post.

I will post at the following Link Parties, I hope you visit them.

All the opinions and photographs in this blog are my own, unless otherwise designated. I have not been paid or reimbursed in anyway for my opinions, posts or any products shown or anywhere I shop.

Thanks ALWAYS for visiting!

I will try and respond to every comment and answer every question. Please don't use my photos without my permission.

 Sandi Magle

OldNewGreenRedo

 

Midwest Gardening: Back Yard Clean UP and Projects

AD-FREE BLOG

Late Fall projects and Backyard Cleanup!!!

oldnewgreenredo

This is our side stairway off the back kitchen door. It was one of the first things we did back in the 80's to improve the house. The original stairs were concrete underneath, crooked, and without railings...hardly to code. We covered it with wood, but it was poor quality and warped, split, and got ugly---the reason I never showed photos of it. 

Originally the stairs curved, but Hubby redid the bottom base in concrete and ripped out all the old wooden steps and replaced them with higher quality (safe for ground/water contact) wood now in a straight line.

 We also have had issues here with nesting animals and wasps...so lots of wood later, insulation, caulk and this is the result so far. 

The railings are still missing, but the wood is sealed and tight now. He is also going to remove the vent as we no longer have a dryer in the basement...again trying to critter proof.

oldnewgreenredo

Before: The adjoining flower bed was shortened to expand the stair base and straighten them and new boards added on the side. We switched out the dirt here, replanted the Iris, Sedum and small Del Oro Lilies. In Spring I will probably add a new vine to this bed. This area is on the East side and is very hot with blasting sun until 2pm each day.

oldnewgreenredo

AFTER: Just a little tweaking and some nice light on the space! I've always wanted to do something with the concrete? But, then flowers fill this area up anyway.

oldnewgreenredo

Onto more clean-up. Our lot is a bit over a quarter of an acre, and we use every inch of it. When you are both in the mid-70's---120 feet back and forth is a lot of work. THIS is my 'workhorse'. This is our second garden wagon---the other one disintegrated. Just a little yard cart that the sides come off of...nice tires and just the right length handle to pull.  I couldn't do all my pots/decor without it. Back and forth to the compost pile a million times during Spring and Fall. 

oldnewgreenredo

Before: The East side of the house was still a disaster...the beds to the right have been basically cleaned out. I pulled out the last of the old stump below the Dragonflies. We needed to add fresh dirt to there. I will plant some 'transplanted' Iris in that spot...should be pretty in Spring. 

oldnewgreenredo

AFTER: I did get all the leaves blown into the backyard late yesterday and Hubby cleaned up all the construction mess. This concrete is beginning to need a facelift---maybe next year!

oldnewgreenredo

Today I planted 5 Iris roots in new dirt. It will be odd not to have a pot or a chair for annuals here next year. I will plant some taller plants or a vine in back.

oldnewgreenredo

Crazy marigolds are still going strong---even after at least 3 frosts? 

oldnewgreenredo

Glaring sunshine, but our Fairy landed here along the fence. The bushes had swallowed her by the porch and she may need another more permanent home again. Perhaps in the front yard? The Zinnias here and there have escaped the frosts.

oldnewgreenredo

Four-feet from those Zinnias are the Giant Hosta and you can see the frost results. We will let the leaves stay until Spring---for the bees to have some protection.

There are so many trees surrounding our property and we have two large Silver Maples, which we had severely trimmed last Spring. So leaves should be about half of normal.

oldnewgreenredo

This is today, while yesterday we had chopped them all up with the lawn mower and then the lawn vacuum sucked them up and bagged them. Seven huge bags went into the compost pile, and this is just from the backyard. 

oldnewgreenredo

With all the garden waste the compost pile is already more than half-full. It was down to under a foot deep with soil this summer, we used so much for projects. I've already dumped 80% of our pots into here. It's work, but really 'free' soil and free fertilizer...one of the reasons all our pots produce such great flowers and veggies.

A totally GREEN thing to do. 

We never burn any yard waste.

oldnewgreenredo

These stairs were blown off twice yesterday...LOL.

oldnewgreenredo

I managed to get the garden almost totally stripped. I rolled up the fabric and collected the stakes for next year. Much of the ground up leaves from the yard end up in here, and then Hubby will till them in later this Fall. We have a forecast for good weather for at least another week or so.

oldnewgreenredo

Once Hubby is done with all his other projects, we need to tackle the inside of the Greenhouse, make it more critter proof and change to a thick foam insulation. Apparently regular fiberglass insulation is just a HOME for mice. 

oldnewgreenredo

Amazing, last of the Roses...9' in the air, and tufts of bedding oozing out of the birdhouse. We have a myriad of birdhouses everywhere on the property...I love all their chatter, and sparrows will land very close to us if we actually sit still. 

oldnewgreenredo

Meanwhile, this flamingo does look out of place amongst so many leaves from our trees.

oldnewgreenredo

This old bird bath was our first backyard purchase in 1984. The birds love it!

oldnewgreenredo

The last crops that are frost resistant, our two types of Swiss Chard and Broccoli.

oldnewgreenredo

Both these were stunted in the unrelenting heat this summer, but have gone nuts this Fall with growth and production. We will have at least one more fab pick of broccoli despite the bugs having their way with it. 

We organic garden---so the bugs just take their share.  I douse my produce in lightly salted water when cleaning and that makes sure we aren't getting any extra protein.

oldnewgreenredo

Hiding along the fence are the tomato cages. Normally, I sort by color---LOL, this year I realized I hadn't---so we have a pastel photo-op for Fall.

oldnewgreenredo

I harvested many blossoms for seeds, but these I left for the birds. The Zinnias here are pretty much done.

oldnewgreenredo

Our giant Marigolds are still blooming strong and the bees were still busy!!! These were all planted from saved seeds.

oldnewgreenredo

We are getting there...how are you doing?

Happy Fall Clean UP You All-

And this is just the BACKYARD! 

If You enjoyed this post please FOLLOW IT in the upper right hand corner, to get just one email of each AD-Free post.

I will post at the following Link Parties, I hope you visit them.

Funtastic Friday

Crafty Creators

Farmhouse Friday

Metamorphisis Monday

All the opinions and photographs in this blog are my own, unless otherwise designated. I have not been paid or reimbursed in anyway for my opinions, posts or any products shown or anywhere I shop.

Thanks ALWAYS for visiting!

I will try and respond to every comment and answer every question.

Thank you for your cooperation,

 Sandi Magle

OldNewGreenRedo

Midwest Gardening -Late August 2019 Part 2

Ad-Free Blog

August 29, 2019. 

We scurried around battening down the hatches. Supposedly a storm brewed for later in the day. I took some photos, without pristine cleaned up flower beds. I've been deadheading heavy, because that's easy for me to do from a chair, or from cement/decking.

I hope I've captured some new views. Look at this sweet mini sunflower. I had planted four packets of different sunflower seeds.  The tall one was a red, but the wind today stripped it of petals. My crazy marigolds are a hardy bunch, from seedlings we grew ourselves.

We really didn't use the porch much---it was so hot! I quick moved the table planter back in the shade after the photo. Next week, we will morph into early Fall, here. 

I have sat at the table under the umbrella...I love being perched up there and watching the bird feeder.

This is my one SUNFLOWER success....it's not over 6 feet like usual, but it's blooming. There are 5 buds getting ready to open, on this one monstrously thick stalk. The leaves are huge!

Down the front walk...the trellis's are bare, (missing sunflowers) but the potato vines are still going strong. The Petunias are pooping out, Lobelia is long gone, and the marigolds are carrying the load. I bought some mums to go into the pots and fill in the holes.

Here's the backside of the mailbox planter...still going strong. 

Our front has quite a bit of shade...and my focal pots are still doing well. Look at the size of those Hosta flowers, and all the holes in the green/white Hosta---bugs. Giant Sedums are just beginning their flowering. 

Planters in the shade did well---I really have to watch that one on the right that gets a half day of sun, and keep it watered.

We haven't taken down the birdhouse branches yet...the burn pit is so full we have to wait for no wind to burn. Windy City applies to the burbs here do--as the wind crosses the plains with not much to stop it.

On the right side of the porch is the pond area...the planters there are carrying the whole show. Phlox finally did bloom.

On both sides. Phew, I thought the Phlox on this side was dying. No rose bloom either yet, think it's been too hot.

I pulled some weeds, missed the clover...and added some clarifier to the pond. Our bitty frog, he has grown and made a friend with the resin turtle. He has a few different places he sits, and he must have chased the second one ---off. I haven't seen him/her.

The East fence is full of pickles, dill, squash, marigolds (for the bees), and Day Lilies which are done blooming. Sigh. It was so hot, the blooms lasted only a few hours, but they were gorgeous and we had continuous blooming with all our rain.

Across the way along the house is a mess of Sweet Peas which are mostly 'peaing' now and not doing sweet blooms. The large leaves are some MUTANT Morning Glories that show up everywhere!

This little watering can is lost in the first year Hollyhocks and squash plants.

The last Hollyhock bloom. Small and white! I hope the new ones have some color. I will be dispersing the seed pods, once they are full dried. I might try some at the back pond. I love the pod shapes like bottom up Hazelnuts.

To the left is an area of sun and shade. Cosmos in the pot, drooped and bent low and are finally blooming.

This long 3 foot planter is simply gushing blooms, they have swallowed my fairy statue. 

On the porch stairs the Rex Begonia is battling the bugs, something is happily chewing on it. It needs to be sprayed with soap, and I will move it to the front porch, when it's debugged. The fountain grass was housed over winter, I will cut it back and try that again.

I've decided to use these Coleus from seeds in my planters in front with red mums...I'll do this on Monday. Holidays are for working, RIGHT?

There's some  beans I picked, the Impatiens are still happy everywhere. I didn't clean everything up with rain and wind on the way.

These are more Coleus we grew from seed. They are huge, and I will try and move them to the front in pots and planters. The little pots are Iceland Poppies from seed---that aren't doing anything???

The birdbath in the garden has peppers in pots around it,  and our only Black-eyed Susan.

The last of the Day Lilies!

This watering can has a new type of Coleus that is thick stemmed and very hardy.

It's copper-leafed...I love it.

I'm grouping plants next to the grill for protection from the supposed bad weather.

Left is our Lemon grass our natural mosquito repellent. 

This planter of Caladium (planted in April-finally is doing well. 

Same bag of Caladium corms, same dirt and this one is not! I use half composted dirt  and half name-brand potting soil for all the big pots. I'll have to see if the drain hole was plugged. 

There's more, but I will spare you! 

Another post in two weeks-Fall is around the corner.

PS, it's 9:30 pm and no storm...so we will water like crazy tomorrow!

Check List for next year-please tell me what you will be doing.

How did your perennials do? 

(Lost too many to talk about-again!)

How did your annuals do?

 (Plants did well, seeds did not due to very cold wet Spring.)

What won't you be planting again?

(I'm not doing Geraniums anymore.) 

What will you plant more of?

(I'll be planting more Sedum plants and more Hostas, they seem to survive everything-cold, wet, dry and heat)

I love all your comments, 

and I will be happy to try and answer questions!

Join me at these fine blog parties:

Tuesdays at our Home

Talk of the Town
Vintage Charm
Thursday Favorite Things
Friday Favorites
Metamorphisis Monday
Over the Moon

 Please do not use photos without linking back to this blog without my permission. 

Thank you for your cooperation, 

Sandi