Posted on 18 Comments

Garden Bloggers’ Bloom Day – October 2021

The long, slow slide to the end of this growing season continues. I always figure October 10 for our average first frost, but there’s been none yet, and there’s no sign of any for the next 10 days, at least. It’s been great for ripening seeds, and the cooler temperatures have made it a pleasure to tackle some outdoor projects, as well as to simply enjoy what the garden has to offer.

So many features go into making this such a rich time of year. There are late-bloomers flowering for the first time; repeat-bloomers putting on a second show after taking a break in mid- to late summer; and long-bloomers that have looked good for months and are still going strong. There are gorgeous warm-season grasses; lovely leaves—many starting to turn showy colors; and an abundance of fruits, seeds, and seedheads. With so much going on, is it any wonder this is a wonderful time to be out in the garden? If you have time for a virtual stroll, I invite you to join me for a view of some gems this season has to offer here at Hayefield.

Starting with the plants that have been flowering non-stop since mid- to late summer (or longer)…

Other flowers blooming now are making a return appearance after a few months’ break.

And then, there are some new things putting on their main show in the last month…

Some foliage highlights right now:

What would fall be without the bounty of fruits and seeds?

It seems likely that we’ll end up with a freeze before mid-November, so I’m figuring this will be my last Bloom Day for 2021. I’m going to take a break from posting for the next two months, probably, as I still have many dozens of new seed listings to write, and I also want to finish filling out my library of seed-starting information. I do hope to write some plant-related posts after the first of the year, if time allows.

And oh, due to the overwhelming interest in the test-gardener program I announced in my late-summer seed newsletter, sending out those seeds is going to take the place of my usual seed giveaway this winter.

As always, my thanks to you all for visiting today. I wish you a long, beautiful fall in your own garden, and a restful winter too!

Posted on 18 Comments

18 thoughts on “Garden Bloggers’ Bloom Day – October 2021

  1. Thanks for another very enjoyable tour, Nan!

    I appreciate you taking the time to visit, Sandy. Have a beautiful day!
    -Nan

  2. Nan, as always, your garden photos and plants are so inspiring! My Monk’s Hood and Pineapple Sage are blooming now too. In the Smoky Mtns. here and a freeze expected Sunday night. I’ve been trying to get things moved around in hopes of enjoying some a while longer. I must have missed your notice about test gardens. I hope it goes well. I know it will be fun for all involved.
    Hope you have a good winter.
    All the best
    Jean

    Happy Bloom Day, Jean. Ooh, I haven’t grown pineapple sage for several years, and you’ve reminded me that I should try it again next year. Thanks!
    -Nan

  3. As always, a beautiful collection of photos to wake up to. Thank you for sharing your garden.

    Thanks for stopping by, Carol. I hope you and your garden are enjoying a lovely fall.
    -Nan

  4. As always, I come away from this post with a list of plants I want to grow next year.
    Frost is also late here in the Chicago area. A few irises are blooming again. And i saw a lone firefly a month after they’d finished their season. It’s both wonderful and terrifying.

    Hey there, Erin! It’s interesting that you mentioned the out-of-season flowers. Just last night, I saw some open flowers on the forsythia, and a few other out-of-season flowers as well. But oddly, my remontant bearded irises did not rebloom this year. Go figure!
    -Nan

  5. I always look forward to your monthly notes and photography. Many thanks.

    Hi Linda! Readers like you make it all worthwhile. Thanks for taking the time to visit today.
    -Nan

  6. Wonderful eye candy!

    Thank you, Judy—and happy Bloom Day!
    -Nan

  7. So beautiful! As usual I am adding things to my “must grow” list, and I broke down and ordered a rubus “Golden Vale” before I even finished reading your post! Thanks for the inspiration.

    Lucky you, Gabriella–‘Golden Vale’ is almost impossible to ind here in the US. It’s a beauty, but keep an eye on it, because it likes to send out long canes that easily tip layer to produce new plants. (That’s great if you want to share but means it can form a large, prickly patch in just a few years if not supervised!)
    -Nan

  8. I always love to take a little e-tour of your garden. Very interesting and beautiful blooms this autumn! Thank you for sharing Nan! Greetings from France

    It’s a treat to hear from you, Marilyn. I always think of you when I see the Silene gallica variety you shared with me. I hope all is well in your world!
    -Nan

  9. Many thanks for all of your time and dedication in putting these wonderful photos together and sharing them in a great format. Every time I scroll through one of your garden gleanings, I always see something new and enticing. Grow on!

    What a nice thing to say, Kimberly. I appreciate you taking the time to visit and comment. See you again in 2022!
    -Nan

  10. I always enjoy seeing your garden, Nan, even the flowers I don’t have a hope of growing. The dark blue-flowered morning glory (‘Fuji no Murasaki’) is magnificent and may be something I need to try. I’m definitely planning to try the Maximilian sunflower next year – if my local botanic garden can grow it, I should be able to as well.

    Hi Kris! I highly recommend ‘Fuji no Murasaki’: here, at least, it is far more vigorous and floriferous than any other Ipomoea nil selection I grow. The Maximilian sunflower is also a beauty, if you have the space for it.
    -Nan

  11. As always your pictures are a visual treat…eye candy. I live in Zone 7, and my yellow bleeding heart vine makes it through every year, but it always has a late start. It is iffy here, but yours does fine in zone 6. I love seeing all your different plants, and love the combinations you create. Now to reread your post with a tablet, to write some plants I would love to have. Thank you for taking your time to write this article, I really appreciate it, and have forwarded it to many of my gardening friends.

    Thanks so much, Judy! And in regards to the vine…what you have, I imagine, is Dactylicapnos (Dicentra) scandens. D. torulosa looks very similar but is an annual species, so hardiness isn’t an issue.
    -Nan

  12. Nan, thank you for sharing your beautiful garden with us again. I live in Montgomery County and I love to see what plants do well in your garden so I can try a few new plants in mine. Thank you for taking the time to share all the details of the plants in your garden, especially the asters, since I am planning to plant more asters in my garden! Gorgeous pictures!

    Hello, Christine! I’m so happy to enable you with some new plant ideas for your garden. The asters are definitely a good choice. The bees will thank you!
    -Nan

  13. Good morning Nan, I had a smile on my face and a pen in my hand seeing all the flowers that are growing and blooming in your garden so late this year. It’s been a wonderful gardening year for me, still have lots of dahlias and cosmos in bloom. I went crazy with a huge blue annual salvia from seed too and they are still going strong. Only a few wood asters and purple dome left, the tall asters are done. The pink colchicum are having a banner year too. Got a light frost so no more cucs and zucchinis but still have tomatoes in the same garden, strange. The late fall mums are coming on, some I grew from seed a few years ago. The Montauk daisies are finally blooming after years and years, probably as we had so much rain. Lots of fun still and the leaves on the trees are just gorgeous now. Like a giant garden when I go for my walk. Good luck with all your projects! You are a busy girl. Love seeing your posts, have a great day! TTFN…Sue

    It’s always so nice to hear from you, Sue! I’m so glad you too are enjoying a long fall; your growing season is so short that every extra day is a precious gift. Have a beautiful day!
    -Nan

  14. Delayed frost here, too. I can hardly believe it, and in a way it’s almost too bad, as now I know what I’ve been missing when Jack Frost trashes my garden by now most years. As usual, you have many plants I’ve never heard of. Those blue beans seeds are something else!

    Hi Kathy! Yes, the long fall is wonderful in many ways, but ugh, its kind of too warm down here for October. We finally got a bit of much-needed rain, and I’m looking forward to more seasonable temperatures ahead. The ‘Nonna Agnes’ Blue’ bean seeds that have matured in the past week are a sort of blotchy gray-blue, not the amazing, almost iridescent blue that the nights in the 40s brought out.
    -Nan

  15. Your gardens and photography are always an inspiration. I always learn so much from you and save your newsletters to enjoy and study over the season. Thank you so much for sharing your gift and knowledge.

    Thank you so much, Dee. You made my day. Happy autumn to you!
    -Nan

  16. Hi Nan, Thank you so much for brightening my day, with your wonderful photos of your lovely garden. Here in NW England it is raining very heavily, has been doing for a few days, more to come, so it was an extra pleasure to tour yours. Again thank you. All the best Nan for Autumn, and the future. Hope to see you again in the new Year.

    Ugh, I’m sorry to hear you are having a dreary spell, Allan. I wish I could send you some of the glorious weather we are enjoying right now. May you enjoy brighter skies soon, and a restful winter in preparation for the new growing season.
    -Nan

  17. It’s always a joy to see your garden, Nan, throughout the year. I can almost feel my breathing slow like a meditation, scrolling through all the pictures. If you don’t mind, I wonder if you could share how many years it took for your paw-paws to produce that delicious fruit? I planted two mail order plants almost two years ago — they’re now waist-high and of course, have yet to bloom — and I can hardly wait! Thanks for providing us with such pleasure and inspiration.

    Aw, thanks for saying that. Regarding the pawpaws…they were probably 2 years after germination when I planted them, and it took the largest one maybe 5 or 6 years after planting to start flowering. I didn’t get fruit for a few more years after that, though, until the next-largest one started flowering and I could start hand-pollinating. I hope that yours grow speedily. Sounds like they have settled in well!
    -Nan

  18. Everything here looks quite nice!

    I have some Solanum habrochaites flowering at the moment.

    Solanum laciniatum is still flowering a bit as well.

    Giant Hyssops are still flowering too.

    Morning Glories aren’t flowering as much with the colder temperatures.

    Hey there, Garrett. The solanums really do keep going, don’t they? I miss the morning glory blooms now but am very glad to see their ripe seedpods!
    -Nan

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