Though hot and dry were the main themes of the last month here, we’ve finally gotten some rain, and the cooler temperatures are more in keeping with the fall season. The animals are certainly happier, and the much-needed moisture came just in time to save many of the plants that were about ready to shut down for the season, and to refresh those that have been soldiering in despite the less-than-ideal conditions, such as the golden lace (Patrinia scabiosifolia).


Japanese burnet (Sanguisorba tenuifolia) is always outstanding at this time of year: above is ‘Purpurea’ and below is ‘Alba’.


‘Lemon Queen’ sunflower (Helianthus) is about a foot shorter than usual but has flowered well this season, as have the ironweeds (Vernonia). It’s been particularly interesting to see the wide variation among the seedlings that have self-sown from ‘Iron Butterfly’ narrowleaf ironweed (V. lettermannii). At 3 to 4 feet, they’re all significantly taller the cultivar, and while they do have narrow leaves, none (so far) are nearly as slender as the original. Some are densely branched, and others are quite open. I particularly like the one below, which has purple in the stems as well as the flowers.

Orange coneflower (Rudbeckia fulgida var. fulgida) is still looking fresh in some spots, too. Here it’s mingling with one of my favorite hardy geraniums, Geranium wlassovianum, which starts flowering in July and continues into September, then takes on rich fall foliage colors.


For many years, the only blazing star (Liatris) I had here was the common spike blazing star (L. spicata). But thanks to several of you who have shared seeds with me, I now have several other species, including prairie blazing star (L. pycnostachya), which hasn’t yet reached flowering size; dwarf blazing star (L. microcephala), above; and rough blazing star (L. aspera), below–a terrific surprise that I found blooming for the first time in one of my sadly neglected holding beds out back.

Even more surprising was that, of the five plants, one had white flowers instead of the usual purple…so L. aspera var. alba, I guess.


It tends to stay wet longest in that area out back, which kept the turtleheads (Chelone) looking good until the beginning of September, when they finally turned crispy.


It’s goldenrod (Solidago) season too, of course: above is the classic ‘Fireworks’ rough goldenrod (Solidago rugosa), and below is ‘Solar Cascade’ Short’s goldenrod (Solidago shortii), which is new for me this year.

A variety of other late-summer and early-fall perennial favorites include…
![Heliopsis helianthoides 'Summer Sun' with Vernonia lettermannii and Spiraea thunbergii 'Ogon' [Mellow Yellow]; Nancy J. Ondra at Hayefield Heliopsis helianthoides 'Summer Sun' with Vernonia lettermannii and Spiraea thunbergii 'Ogon' [Mellow Yellow]; Nancy J. Ondra at Hayefield](https://i0.wp.com/hayefield.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/heliopsis-helianthoides-summer-sun-with-vernonia-lettermannii-at-hayefield.jpg?resize=537%2C800&ssl=1)






It’s also prime time for the colchicums (Colchicum). I started here with the “ordinary” autumn crocus (Colchicum autumnale), brought from my old garden.

A few years ago, my collection expanded, thanks to colchicum aficionado Kathy Purdy of Cold Climate Gardening. The bulbs she shared with me are thriving and multiplying happily.



Dahlias, too, are thrilled with the cooler temperatures.



Funny thing about planting ‘Karma Choc’ next to Spanish flag (Mina lobata): the vine tips have wrapped around the dahlia stems, so they couldn’t sprawl if they wanted to. ‘Karma Choc’ generally doesn’t need the help, though, because its stems are very sturdy. Next year, I’m putting ‘Babylon Bronze’ here!
Speaking of ‘Karma Choc’: It’s the first vegetatively propagated dahlia that I’ve ever had self-sow here. It produced one seedling with dark leaves, stout stems, and very pretty flowers.

A couple more self-sowing annual highlights of the season include…





Some edibles are maturing now, as well, though I haven’t actually eaten any of them, because I want to collect their seeds for saving and sharing. There will be plenty of opportunities for tasting next year, if they cooperate.

Above is an unusual bush bean, with extra-thin pods and very small seeds (larger than rice kernels but far smaller than most beans). Below, the beautiful seeds of ‘Yin Yang’ beans (also listed as ‘Ying Yang’, ‘Calypso’, or ‘Orca’).

Below, tiny-fruited–and even tinier-seeded) currant tomatoes (Solanum [Lycopersicon] pimpinellifolium).

The dozen seeds I grew out produced some very interesting variations, as well: some ears without the individual husks…

…some ears with the individual husks, but without the outer one…

…and even one stalk with multiple ears growing from one point.

Many perennial ornamental grasses grace the garden now, though not all are as welcome here as they used to be. I still like the look of ‘Cassian’ fountain grass (Pennisetum alopecuroides), for instance, but it has self-seeded to the point of becoming a concern–not just in the meadow, but also in the mowed areas adjacent to the plants. See all the pale patches in the turf below? Those are all fountain grass seedlings. Their leaves tend to tear rather than cut neatly, so they have a fuzzy, whitish appearance.

There’s not much I can do about the unwanted seedlings in these areas, except to prevent more by deadheading the clumps before the seeds develop. That removes their main ornamental feature, but it’s a suitable solution for now. Each year, I replace some of them with prairie dropseed (Sporobolus heterolepis), but that’s a long-term project.

Prairie dropseed has many good qualities, but it has one drawback from my perspective: the scent it releases when flowering. Some folks describe it as “buttered popcorn” or “cilantro”: I’ve never gotten the former, but the latter makes sense to me, as I also perceive the aroma of cilantro as a reek rather than a fragrance. I really regret planting this patch right by my front door!

Like the fountain grass, northern sea oats (Chasmanthium latifolium) is a determined self-sower. I knew that when I planted it, and I deadhead a lot of it, but I always let some mature, because the seedheads are so striking.


Little bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium) is a grass that I adore in all of its forms, and I have few complaints about bitter panic grass (Panicum amarum), except perhaps for its tendency to smother smaller companions where I haven’t allowed for its significant spread as it arches in fall.

To solve that challenge in one bed, I tried cutting a couple clumps back to about 8 inches in June, when they were about 2 feet tall. Those clumps are just about 3 feet tall at this point, with fresh-looking foliage…

…and they are just finishing flowering now.

September is a wonderful time to take a close look at what’s going on in the meadow.

Well, maybe not that close! In our own meadow, the overall height is much shorter this year, due to experimenting with different mowing times. This year, I mowed in in late May and early July, in the hope of keeping down the smooth brome (Bromus inermis) and discouraging the dogbane (Apocynum cannabinum) and some of the burs.

Small-flowered agrimony (Agrimonia parviflora) may just as well be called alpacabane, because the boys always seem to get into some every year, no matter how careful I am in checking the meadow areas adjacent to the pastures.

The flowers are sort of pretty, as are the leaves…

…but oh, just look at all of those seeds!

Showy tick trefoil (Desmodium canadense) is also sort of pretty in flower, with pink blooms, but here again, it’s the seeds that are the problem.

If seeds will stick like this to flat cotton, you can imagine what happens when they come into contact with fluffy animals.

It took a good while of combing, scissoring, spitting (from the boys), and grumbling (from me) to restore order.

The dogbane wasn’t causing a problem, exactly, but it was taking over a big patch of meadow (about 20 x 40 feet). The two summer mowings did a good job in knocking it back. However, as often happens when we humans decide what shouldn’t grow in a given spot, something even less desirable took over, necessitating another mowing this fall.

I had to do a little research to find out the identity of this grass: small carpetweed, or joint-head grass (Arthraxon hispidus).

I had sort of noticed it here and there for a few years but assumed it was seedlings of the native deertongue (Dichanthelium [Panicum] clandestinum).



Oh well; there’s always something to worry about. Still, there are nice things in the meadow, too.




As you can see, there are lots of seeds ripening here now, but I thought it was worth a scouting trip to the woods as well.

The dry weather certainly didn’t bother the goldenrods in the (usually wet) meadows, but the woods themselves were so dry that even the stilt grass was dying.

The biggest vernal pool is just firm mud and deer prints now.

There were a few touches of color, though: fresh mushrooms of some sort…

…some partridgeberry (Mitchella repens)…

…and Chimaphila maculata, which has many common names, including spotted wintergreen, striped wintergreen, striped prince’s pine, and (my favorite) pipsissewa.

What I was hoping to find–and did find, in abundance–was spicebush (Lindera benzoin). I don’t ever remember seeing as many of the fruits (technically known as drupes) as I did this year. I gathered a couple of handfuls for this year’s seed giveaway.

It was rather more difficult to find the main patch of ramps (Allium tricoccum) this time of year. It’s pretty easy in spring, when they form a bright green carpet. You have to look very closely to see evidence of their presence now, though. (There are dozens of them in the photo below.)

Once you find them, it’s easy to collect the seeds.

There were also some bulbs visible, but I resisted the urge to snack on them, even though it wasn’t easy: the seedheads have the same enticing aroma of the yummy early-season foliage and brought back memories of tasty spring salads. (The drying seeds also smell fantastic, to the point that I had to remove them from my office, since they were making me constantly hungry.)

On the roadsides, I found some late-blooming wildflowers that I’d never noticed before, including horsebalm or stoneroot (Collinsonia canadensis)…

…and cankerweed (Prenanthes serpentaria [Nabalus serpentarius]).

I managed to get a few nice ones before noticing the huge European hornets that were hanging around. They like to eat up through the centers, so the outsides look ok if you’re not paying attention when picking. After grabbing one that they were feeding on, I left the rest of the pears on the tree.

The bagworms didn’t much bother the European red cedar trees this summer, as they did a few years ago, but they pretty much defoliated the patches of ‘Britzensis’ willow (Salix alba) that I’ve been trying to get established.

The butterflies are still abundant. It’s been particularly nice to see some more monarchs this year…

…and very cool to find this small, iridescent blue butterfly. I was thrilled that it stayed still enough for me to photograph it…

…until I tried to touch it and realized it was dead. Sigh. Thanks to reader Mary and her friend Melanie, I now know that it was a White M Hairstreak (Parrhasius m-album).


Back in the nursery, there are lots of neat seedlings coming along to star in next year’s Bloom Day posts. Below is a particularly well-marked seedling of variegated ‘The Flasher’ Maltese cross (Lychnis chalcedonica), from Plant World Seeds.

Thanks to Rox at Vivaio Millefoglie, I have a nice batch of Himalayan indigo (Indigofera heterantha)…

…and a neat woody euphorbia relative, known variously as Flueggea suffruticosa, Securinega suffruticosa, and S. ramiflora, among other names.

Oh, going back to Plant World Seeds…another new-to-me thing is ‘Gold Foil’ foxglove penstemon (Penstemon digitalis). Its claim to fame is yellow leaves in the spring. It’s not supposed to be obvious on first-year seedlings, but of these seven seedlings, I’m guessing that only two are likely to be solid green: the large one at the far right in the second row, and maybe the one on the far left in the first row. This flat also contains six pots of ‘Hutchinson’s Cream’ rose campion (Lychnis coronaria), but so far, no signs of variegation on any of them.

One advantage of the dry conditions we’ve had is ideal weather for collecting seeds. I was doing a good job keeping up with cleaning but now am way behind, and more seeds are ripening daily. Guess what I’ll be doing for the next two months!

Those of you who are equally seed-crazy–or who want to try growing from seed for the first time–may like to know that I’m planning to post my list of this year’s available seeds here on November 15. The giveaway will be open for only 10 days or so, and I fill requests in the order I get them. So, even if you normally don’t check in here right on the 15th of each month, you may want to make an exception in November. This is shaping up to be my biggest list yet, with some new things as well as old favorites, so it’ll be a worth a look even if you’ve asked for seeds before.

For now, though, it’s still time to think about gardens. For more beautiful fall flowers, check out Carol’s main Garden Bloggers’ Bloom Day post at May Dreams Gardens. (And a bit of advice, to finish: Don’t stand still too long near a happy golden hops vine [Humulus lupulus ‘Aureus’], or you too may find yourself wrapped up by the ears….)
I love to see all lovely combinations in your garden! Autumn crocus (Colchicum autumnale) with silver sage (Salvia argentea) and silver ponyfoot (Dichondra argentea) is a favorit.
Here in Sweden the rain falls today so no gardening for me.
Good morning, Inger. That was a very lucky combination with the colchicums and silver sage; I like it too. Enjoy your day of rest!
-Nan
I agree with Inger – the Colchicum/Salvia/Dichondra combination is divine. I also love the Sanguisorba – it is a top plant. Oh and the grasses… so autumnal! Happy seed collecting. If it would just stop raining here, I might get a chance to fill a few envelopes of hope for next season.
“Envelopes of hope”–that’s fantastic! I may have to borrow that phrase. If you want to send your rain my way, I’ll send you a sunny, dry day in exchange.
-Nan
beautiful! love looking through your posts with all the beautiful pictures and unique plants!
Thanks, Christine! I didn’t expect many people to make it through to the end of this one.
-Nan
You must have worked really hard to capture all of this! Your garden looks beautiful and very interesting. Looking forward to reading more.
Welcome, Gillian! Fall is my favorite time of year, because there’s just so much to see. I wish you a wonderful autumn in your own country garden!
-Nan
Your fall colors are beautiful.
For a while there, I thought our main color this fall was going to be shades of brown. But now that the rain has perked things up, I have high hopes for lots more color to come. We’ll see how the next month turns out!
-Nan
I think those Autumn crocus will look good with my lambs ears. I am going to give it a try. Poor Annie gets sand burs on our walk abouts. I hope we never get them started in our garden. Happy GBBD.
Definitely, Lisa: the colchicums are lovely with lamb’s ears. I’m very grateful we don’t have sand burs here; they look nasty and must be very hard on precious paws.
-Nan
Almost always find a new plant to covet when viewing your posts, Nancy, and today was no exception. Lovely to view, and always informative, too. I’m wondering how you feel now about the no-mow grass you started in your paths last spring. (I’m considering planting some….) Happy (Almost) Fall!
Ah…I deliberately didn’t show any overall pictures of the front or side garden, because the paths look really bad. It’s not the fault of either low-mow mix I used; I just gave up during the dry spells and didn’t water after the first month. I overseeded before last week’s rain and have hopes that the cooler temperatures will help the grass that did grow perk up. I wish now that I had waited until fall to start the whole project instead of doing a spring sowing. If you’re thinking of trying the low-mow, I’d very much encourage you to go for it now.
-Nan
There is so much going on in your late summer garden, Nan! As usual, I was enticed by plants I can’t grow in my southern California garden, like Patrinia, Sanguisorba and that beautiful Lespedeza. But your photos made me think about trying Solidago again, as well as Colchicum. I’d forgotten how pretty both are. Thanks, as always, for sharing your garden.
From what I’ve read, the ‘Solar Cascade’ Short’s goldenrod would be well adapted to dry sites–though for sure, your version of “dry” is more extreme than mine. It’s interesting that you can have luck with colchicums there. Happy Bloom Day to you, Kris!
-Nan
The garden in bloom is like getting a hug from mother nature, a wonderful reminder that the world is pretty good…Love your gorgeous photos.
What a lovely thought, Charlie. The mood outside is definitely more cheery since the rain! I hope you’re enjoying a beautiful fall day too.
-Nan
Very happy to hear that Indigofera and Securinega (how many names does it have? I did not know before reading your post!) are doing well!!!
Great post and wonderful photos, Nan, as usual!
ciao rox
Those were just two of your treasures, Rox; thank you so much for sharing them. And believe it or not, I did find yet another name for the Flueggea/Securinega: Geblera suffruticosa. That’s a lot of names for a not-well-known plant!
-Nan
Nan,
Great photos. Thanks for bringing some color to my day!
Have an ID on the butterfly – White M Hairstreak (Parrhasius m-album), that’s from my friend Melanie who is a volunteer at the Museum of Science and Industry (MOSI) BioWorks Butterfly exhibit in Florida.
My thanks to both of you! I’m happy to know the identity of this beautiful little visitor. I hope others come and have better luck here. All the best to you in your fall garden.
-Nan
My July and August was so very dry also here in western PA. I have well water so watering is not an option. My Limelight hydrangeas, which usually carry the show this time of year, are turning a crispy color instead of pink. I loved the picture of your Lemon Queen and it gave me a thought of adding some Lemon Queen and/or Rudbeckia Laciniata (greenheaded coneflower) for some more interest and color. I also thought your dahlias were picture perfect! Thanks for sharing.
Oh yes, I worry about stressing my well too; for the last 6 weeks, I’ve only spot-watered things that I want to collect seeds from. Looks like we’ll be waiting yet another week for more rain. I think you’d really enjoy ‘Lemon Queen’; it’s a beautiful clear yellow for this time of year, and quite vigorous as well. It can easily reach 6 feet, but you can keep it shorter with summer pruning.
-Nan
Nan,
Your photography certainly showcases your beautiful gardens. I have gotten so many ideas for plant combos from you.I have marked your seed giveaway on my calendar.Thank you for sharing. I like the ironweed.
Hi Sandy! I’m glad you enjoyed the post. Not too many combinations this time, because I got distracted by other topics, but I hope to have some more next month. The narrowleaf ironweed really is nice for a bright purple at a reasonable height.
-Nan
You have a beautiful garden!
Thanks for sharing this post and giving me the idea to also participate!
I just started a new blog last week about gardening and crafting. You are always welcome visit if you want.
Greetings, Sofie
http://sofies-succulent-beads.blogspot.be/2015/09/garden-bloggers-bloom-day-september-2015.html
Welcome to the world of garden blogging, Sofie. Bloom Day is a wonderful tradition in the community. Have fun–and thanks for visiting today!
-Nan
Your garden looks wonderful as usual.
But thank you, thank you for information on Arthraxon hispida. I noticed it for the first time near my mailbox, and had a stem sitting in a glass of water for future identification (if I ever got around to it). On reading your post I immediately rushed up and eliminated at least that patch. I spend many hours compulsively pulling stilt; the idea of another similar invasive moving in is most unfortunate.
I, too thought the butterfly might be White M Hairstreak (Parrhasius m-album). I’ve never seen one. They spend most of their time high up in trees nectaring, but apparently there are often more ground sightings in the fall when few trees are in flower, notably on Slender Fragrant Goldenrod at Higbee beach in Cape May, N.J.
(‘Butterflies of the East Coast’ by Rick Cech and Guy Tudor).
Cheers
Sally
I am SO pleased that you found that information useful, Sally; I was hoping someone would. I can’t believe that I hadn’t heard about that grass before, and that I didn’t really notice it sooner, because now I am seeing it all over the place here and elsewhere. Pulling it out in the garden is satisfying but it’s not practical in the meadow. I think I may go back to not mowing next summer. The dogbane could spread as much as it likes:at least it is native and has wildlife value.
Good for you, recognizing my little blue visitor!
-Nan
I liked your purple color combinations of the sweet potato, pepper, and deep purple Periwinkle, they look great together. Also the Karma Choc Dahlia with the Mina lobata, what a great idea to hold up those flopping plants. I’m sorry to hear of your Lyme’s and wasp/ hornet problems, theoretically I like the wasps and hornets because of their predatory abilities, but too often they nest where they will bother us and can be a pest in fruits. I have a lot of trouble with invasive grasses too, they are among my biggest weed problems, so it puts me off on growing very many kinds of ornamental grasses. Happy Fall!
Thanks for stopping by, Hannah. I really like that black-based combo too. And yes, I’m normally willing to co-exist with the hornets and wasps, but it seemed unfair that I had to give up *all* of the veg garden beds because of them this year. Ah well. So many people don’t realize how perilous gardening can be. It’s not so much a hobby as an extreme sport.
-Nan
I am always amazed by your gardens. I have a tennis court that I have removed and created a sort-of English garden filled with all sorts of flowering shrubs and perennials – but it just does not look “filled in” or professional as yours does. Without spending a fortune, and I have not had any luck with starting seeds since I do not have a green house or a grow light. I love variety but also order – any ideas?
Time has a lot to do with the “filled” factor; most of my borders are in the range of 10 to 14 years old, so the plants are quite mature. I also depend a lot on self-sowing perennials and annuals: particularly the rudbeckias and echinaceas and Patrinia scabiosifolia, and Verbena bonariensis and dill. All those just plant themselves and I edit out or move what’s in the wrong place. I direct-sow nasturtiums and zinnias in June for color from August on, so that’s just a couple dollars a year. I also usually buy a few sweet potato vines each spring and take cuttings from them; they grow quickly and take up lots of space without costing a lot.
-Nan
I’ve just found your wonderful blog and must reply to an earlier post which was already closed to comments….regarding paths.
Oh, my, yes……I’ve been there also. Liked gravel paths, but would find myself having to ‘shovel-scrape’ them for the seedlings. We had a large chipper shredder and many, many trees, etc. to use for mulch, but it was a constant job of replenishing the mulch and just never as much of it as I needed.
The property was an acre and a half and, as we tend to do, I’d planted it all. I find myself getting older and not able or willing to tackle that much again and we’ve moved much farther North and onto a small city property. It was all just flat grass…that’s it, just grass. Of course, I immediately had to start digging out sod and creating beds, planting shrubs, trees, squeezing as much as I can into this smaller property…and what is left between was either going to be gravel or mulch. Hahaha…you’ve reminded me why I do not want to do either of those. Even on a small property, the cost and work of the gravel or mulch is not a good answer and I will be keeping grass and mowing my paths instead. However, I will have to acquire a small mower to get into the areas that the riding mower will not. I’ve once again created work for myself, but the energy will not be spent working on those paths.
Thank you for your insights and lovely photography also…..
It’s a delight to meet you, Sherry; welcome! Sorry about the closed comments, but if I don’t do that, the number of spam comments gets ridiculous. Ah yes, the dilemma of the paths…I always think of the plants as being the most expensive part of gardening, but I’m afraid to add up what the *paths* have cost over the years. It’s probably just as well we don’t think about that when we’re new to gardening or we might never begin. Better to focus on the plants! Best of luck to you with your developing garden and your grass paths. I haven’t given up on mine yet, but if we don’t get more rain soon, I’m going to have a lot of work to do on them again next spring. More time, and more money….
-Nan
Ah, yes…the rain. I was not aware that you’ve been receiving little. My answer was to move to an area receiving more. We do still have mostly dry summers, but it’s much better than the 6-12 inches annually that we had been getting in SoCal…..and the water bills.
Hah – a perfectly reasonable solution in your case. In my part of PA, it’s not unusual for us to go for several dry weeks once or twice a summer, but this year, we missed 7 weeks in spring, and we’ve had just an inch or so in both August and September, with little hope of more in the near future, which is really tough. We should average about 40 inches of rain a year here, so our plants aren’t used to being this deprived!
-Nan
Hello Nan,
very nice to see you harvesting seeds & mentioning the seed giveaway in November. I definitely have my eyes set on those veggies.The Eight row corn is nice. I have really enjoyed the Pretzel bean I got from you & I also am growing out the Almas Pennsylvania Dutch Burgundy Lima.The Talinum Kingwood Gold is a permanent fixture in my beds now, I too had Petunia exersta come back volunterr in a couple of spots this year. Exciting stuff. I will have to make a list of a few things I am harvesting & see if I have anything you need. Talk to ya later, Rick
Hi Rick! Yes, I’ve been taking advantage of our (finally) rainy weather this week to catch up with my seed cleaning. I’m very pleased with everything I have already and hope to collect lots more in the next few weeks. I’ve tried to be a good steward of the treasures that you have shared with me and will be including some of them again in this year’s offering.
-Nan
Your information always makes my head spin Nan. I love reading these posts and getting a glimpse into your beautiful garden. Thank you.~~Dee
It’s a lot to take in, isn’t it? Thanks for taking the time to visit and read, Dee. Now, to start getting ready for the next Bloom Day!
-Nan