Passive / Aggressive Gardener?

Weekends have become so precious.  The Monday through Friday routine on Life's "Habitrail" feels faster and longer, but then that could just be me?

What a GREAT photo - on the technology "habitrail"
(from the creative minds at Microsoft clip art)

I look out the window today, on a cool crisp Autumn Saturday, and it makes me smile.  The Arabian Nights Dahlia continues to bloom insanely, though the stems look more like abstract art?  Winds and storms blow the plants to & fro, and then new growth points straight to the sun...  (The stems are also very brittle, so 'note to self:  plan a better support system next year'.)

That 'baby' Shepard's Hook doesn't stand a chance
(trying to hold the dahlia up)!

Now, my question is ... why is it one minute I want to conquer the world (in my gardens), then in the next minute I look disinterestedly out the window, denying the season clean-up work that needs to be done?  Is that 'passive-aggressive'?  Is that 'burnout' from work?  ..or do I just need a few days off to recharge my batteries?  (Never mind, I think I just answered my own question.)

In the meantime, I have been appreciating the Autumn foliage!  My "$3" Garden Mums from Lowe's have come back for the 3rd season.  Their snowy-white blooms look amazing with the Royal Purple Smoke Bush as a back drop.  They also 'glow' in the night against the dark Autumn night.

Awesome contrast:
Royal Purple Smoke Bush back drop to the Snowy White Garden Mums

Up close and personal:  talk about the best 'bang for your buck'

Other Autumn 'pleasers', included a recent trip to pumpkin farm, Sonny Acres.  The entrance garden was fascinating:

Call me "Guppy" - I had to stop and check this out

Coolest plant in the garden!

And while the last of the season's blooms are out, some plants are throwing up a new growth, while others are done for the year - even without the 1st frost:

A snapshot in time ... 10/07/2011

As I toured around the gardens recently, I found a renegade Maple shoot changing colors (it was so cute I couldn't pull it).  The Center Glow Ninebark is fully recovered from last year's powdery mildew, and 'dressing' colors for Autumn.  The Cottage Garden is strategically placed near a Sunburst Locus tree, that showered all it's yellow leaves last weekend - they should mulch in the yard nicely.  The early Spring riser, Crimson Pixie Asiatic Lily went dormant early.  The new stone path in the Cottage Garden looks charming bathed in leaves, while the Dark Red Hollyhock/Malva continues to push a few new shoots.  And finally, the last dinner-plate Rose Mallow bloom faced the setting sun, one last time...

I  hope you aren't as conflicted as I have been about gardening.  I look forward to visiting your gardens this weekend!

Peace in the Garden! ...

"10 Things...." on 10/10/10 (ya, I meant to do that)

The Garden Blogging community is a generous and creative lot!  Garden Blog pal, Kimberly at Garden in Paradise (10 Things) invited me to share "10 Things" I like, on my blog.  Soooooo ... here goes, in no particular order:

Inspired by today's incredible weather, the 1st thing that comes to mind:
1) Morning coffee & a quiet read on a Sunday morning!

2005 - Sunday morning on the deck

Nothing makes me happier then starting my Sunday morning communing with the 'flora and fauna' - whether it was sitting on my deck (in the picture above) or now, in my 3-Season room with all the windows open!  Someday in the future, there will also be a paver patio just outside the door of the 3-Season room - so I have 'choices'!

(Conversely - when the neighbors get the 'power tools', like leaf blowers, out on Sunday morning - I want to say 'Have you ever heard of the "Day of Rest"?' ...and in my mind - I use a lot of colorful explicatives.)

2) Hanging out with my husband and kids - enjoying the young adults the kids have become, and listening to their perspective on things.

Back when they were little...

3)  "Girls' Night Out!" or "Girls' Road Trip"

Night on Beale Street - Memphis, TN

Nothing says "havin' a blast" like getting out for a night or a long weekend with 'The Girls'!  A few years ago, we loaded up the truck and headed down to Memphis, Tennessee - to visit Elvis at Graceland and sing the Memphis "Blues" on Beale Street.

4) Cranking the tunes on my iPod!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/bjornolsson/2097514869/

I L-O-V-E, love music - and have a quite diverse music library.  Depending on my mood, I listen to anything from classic rock to classic Bach!  But I am especially dangerous when I'm driving!!  I love to crank the tunes when I'm in my truck .... usually some serious rock n roll (Zepplin to POD) !!  I'm also a iPod "playlist" queen (ask my friends) -- I've become the De facto DJ for all social events, and I'm 'ok' with this.

5) Photography!  ... it never gets old...

Indian Rocks Beach, FL  2010 - "In the rain"

It started with a Minolta SLR back in 1982 (yep, that long ago!) and evolved to my current digital Canon Rebel XT (a generous anniversary gift from my hubby in 2006).  Thank goodness for inexpensive electronic file storage, because I run amok when it comes to taking pictures - then sort it out after the fact!

6) Hanging out with my extended family!

We're like 'cats n dogs' getting loud n rowdy!

Whether it's with my brothers and sister, or extended out to our cousins, etc. - we are loud n rowdy!  There is always animated conversation, laughter and an ice cold beer or two....  Sometimes we sound more like 'cats & dogs' wrestling, but it's always lively!

7) Road trip - the "Clark Griswold" drive out to Estes Park, CO

Rocky Mt National Park - Estes Park, CO

If you can't be home for Christmas, then 'Christmas in the Rockies' is an amazing alternative.  On a semi-regular basis, we pilgrimage to Estes Park, CO to meet up with extended family.  It's a driving vacation, so you can decompress from work - and after the 2nd day in the car - be eternally grateful to reach in the mountains!

8)  "Big Boy Toys" ......... 4wd trucks, motor-cycles and high-performance cars

My 1st truck - 4wd Ford Bronco (351 h.o.)

No joke!  I love driving stick-shift ... motor-cycles ... and big ol' trucks.  I have had quite a variety of vehicles in 'my youth' and enjoyed them all.  I'm a little more reserved these days, but I still get whiplash looking at a brand new, tricked out pick-up (like a F-150 SVT Raptor) or a hot bike (like a 2011 Harley Fat Boy LO).

9)  The change of seasons!  (really!!)

Sunburst Locus - on a Sunny Sunday in October 2010

A warm breath of wind & sun in October 2010

Mums & Smoke Bush in the front garden - October 2010

As the leaves on the Sunburst Locus rain down on us right now,  I have to say I just love the change of seasons in Zone 5!  Even the snow in winter is picturesque - though I will be the first to admit the month of February seems about 90 days long (for the shortest month of the year)!

10)  Garden Blogging!  Reading (fellow garden bloggers) and writing....

What a difference a year or two can make....

As I mentioned in an earlier post, the Blogosphere and garden blogging has been very, very good to me!  I have learned more and met some of the most amazing people in the garden blog community than I could have ever imagined.  I am forever amazed, impressed and amused by the talent out in the virtual world!  I hope anyone that stops by my humble little corner of the world enjoys the visit(s) and takes advantage of the garden talent that is linked on my home page.

Now, for the final task of this meme - inviting 10 garden bloggers to participate (in random order).  As my friend Kimberly so eloquently put it - I hope the invitees participate, but I certainly understand if you already have or choose not to.  There are fascinating gardeners out there, and I look forward to what is on their list..... I love that this list is 'global' !!!!

Wall Flower Studio (CAN)
Crystal Coast Gardener  (US - NC)
My Dry Tropics Garden  (AUS)
Gippsland Gardener (AUS)
The Idiot Gardener (UK)
Dung Hoe (US - CO)
Dakota Garden (US - ND)
The Obsessive Neurotic Gardener (US - NJ)
Elephant's Eye (AFR)
This Grandmother's Garden (US - UT)

The 'rules' are very basic:
1) Post the person that invited you
2) List the "10 Things" you like/like to do
3) Invite 10 bloggers to participate

The Winds of Change.....

This may feel a little premature, but as we round the corner on August I'm getting that vibe ... the 'winds of change' are just around the corner!  Now, first of all - I don't think I have some special extrasensory perception...

...and this isn't a political blog, quoting famous political speeches from 1960.  But I will bogart a good phrase when I can!

Last week I felt like I had gotten stuck in the movie "Groundhog Day".  Every morning I woke up, it was like the same friggin' day!  Hot, humid, 90's... get ready for work, drive with A/C blasting, get out of the truck and have your breath get caught because you felt like you were breathing through molasses.

But yesterday - the world tilted just a little bit, and I realized the Autumn is on its way!  Now, I'm not saying the weather has changed - yet, but it's imminent.  The extended forecast for next week has IL slipping into the lower 80's (possibly high 70's by the end of the week).  We packed up our 'oldest' for another year at college.  And then there's the garden....  which is starting to make 'noises' of 'end of summer'.

 My Stella D'Oro daylilies started re-blooming....

"Stella" - waiting to bloom again!

The Rudibeckia is still in bloom-heaven....  (they will be on my list for next spring - to add to the front garden for some late season interest).

Special thanks to my buddy Lizz for tripling the size of my Rudibeckia area!

The Berri-Magic Holly is preparing for fall - and feeding the local bird population, by 'berrying up'.

Berri-Magic Holly - as berries are starting to ripen

Some of my annuals look like they are on steroids!  They are flipping HUGE!  (By the way, I am a convert to "Miracle Grow - Moisture Control" potting soil.  I've never had potted plants go as crazy, growing so large - especially in the heat of the 'summer of 2010'.)

Persian Shield, Licorice and "Blackie" Sweet Potato Vine
Sitting in 2 pots if you can believe it?

Wizards Magic Coleus - 5x's it's original size

And, the single most interesting 'new development' as of today.... the $3 potted Mums I bought from Lowes last year, and plugged into the end of my front garden - are getting blooms?!?  I seriously hadn't even thought that they would come back this summer - it was an impulse buy last fall, to extend the 'blooming' season in my fledgling gardens.

"Bonus"!  -- Alexis Garden Mum - back for round 2

Other 'findings' in my garden walk-about today:

"Mixed" Cosmos
One of the surviving plants from a full flat

Sonic Sweet Purple New Guinea Impatiens

Paprika Yarrow
Late Season preparation

"Renegade" Pansies!
I have no idea where these guys came from !?!

PJM Rhododendron
Looking stout at the end of the summer - here's hoping for spring!!

And the Sugar Maple is recovering quickly from the "Cotton Maple Scale" it suffered from this year.  If you haven't heard of it, but have seen this suspicious looking 'foreign matter' on your Maple trees - beware, it can take down a healthy tree in a couple of years

"Cottony Maple Scale" - infested the entire tree this year
(The parasite feeds on the maple sap.  Ewwwww!!):

A healthier Sugar Maple - today, 8/21/10

So, it's 'all good' in this neighborhood. My mind is starting to come out from the summer fog and I am scheming on next year's changes and additions (currently from the comfort of the air conditioning!).  I hope all is good in your garden!