The garden made it through last night.  I covered the dahlias, cannas, elephant ears and succulents and brought in the orchids.    The dog was not happy with all the ghostly apparitions (aka sheet draped plants) though.  Tonight we’ll do the frost dance all over again and then we should be ok for a few more weeks.  There is a certain point in the garden where I’m willing to say “enough – let it all freeze” – but that time is not yet.  There’s still too much pretty stuff to look at and the grass is even green.

Rudbeckia Nitida herbstsonne (yellow) and Verbena bonariensis float above the spent daylily leaves, Rudbeckia “Prairie Sun’ in the foreground

Smokebush, Sedum Autumn Joy and Anemone

Grasses from friend Kim

Aster

Variegated physostegia  – also known as obedient plant – from sister Amy

Pink Physostegia – I have a white one somewhere but it hasn’t bloomed yet

Autumn blooming crocus

Verbena bonariensis in the morning mist

Boltonia from friend Sue B.

Variegated Sedum from friend Joan C.

Morning dew on Smokebush leaves1

Not ready to give these up yet

Nor these..stay away frost

Esther could care less.. she just wants to go for a funwalk in the woods and jump in the river

Its gorgeous out there.. a good day for transplanting stuff…..

The first week of September has been spectacular in my part of the world.  Although its dry and the lawn isn’t looking too great, many of the plants are singing their September songs.

Clematis ‘rooguchi’ –  a new addition this year.  I saw it at my friend Sue B.’s, loved it, and was thrilled to find it at a local nursery

Morning glories winding through the Rhododendron

Dwarf scabiosa

Torenia – I don’t grow many annuals any more, but these little faces are bright and bloom all summer long and into fall

Another Torenia

Orostachys starting to bloom

Sedum sieboldii variagata

A sedum with a “lost” name

Sedum ‘angelina’ – still in its green phase..it will turn a beautiful orange soon

An afternoon view of the main garden