October's Wildflowers

Even though we've had several hard freezes, there are still some blooms hanging on, and the fall colors are something to enjoy.  A few days ago, we had very high winds, and I was amazed at how the plants held their own for the most part.

This post is for Gail's Wildflower Wednesday, and as I frequently do, I'm putting my own spin on it, including some native foliage, and not just posting wildflowers.  I'm also posting a little early because I hope to visit some blogs this evening, and if they visit me back, I want a more current post.

I will start with the current star of the yard.  I am pleased that the New England asters, or "former asters", as Gail points out, have seeded themselves around a bit.  The ones by the sidewalk usually have problems with brown lower stems, but I cut them back in the spring, and that seems to help prevent or delay it.  When the sun is out, these plants are loaded with different kinds of bees and painted lady butterflies.  Can you see the honeybee on the right?  The bigger dried leaves are common milkweed.

The Mexican hats are still blooming.  I hope some come up from seed next year.

The asters on the right are not native ones.  I recently figured out what kind they are, but am not remembering right now.  I put this photo in to show the native switchgrass that I want to take some divisions of to other spots in the spring.  It is being crowded right now.

I am enjoying the little bluestem grasses that are in several spots.  They have gotten to be a nice size, and I love the fall color change.  The next photo will show a closer shot of the Riddell's Goldenrod, which was the last to bloom.

I'm thinking the bloom time was shorter than the other goldenrods.  I'm kind of liking all the puffiness.

There are several plants, including this liatris that have put a few new blooms out, even though the rest of the flowers have gone to seed.

I usually show the amsonia hubrichtii on the east side of the house, which is quite spectacular now, but I'm putting this one in to show the Indian Grass on the right of it.  There is also one on the other side of the bicycle, to the left of where the photo ends.  I just planted them a couple weeks ago, and am concerned about them, because I only remembered to water them for a few days.  We have had a couple rain showers, and I am now watering them, but they are pretty brown.  I hope they are still alive.

I frequently show the mountain mints.  I'm not sure what kind this one is, because I don't remember whether I planted it, or if it planted itself.

I mentioned in my last WW post that the short toothed mountain mint looks good all season.  See?  I'm glad the baptisia behind it did not get eaten by the caterpillars the one down the way did.

The Joe Pye Weed is almost finished blooming, and I see the foliage has turned a darker color, but it is still quite a large presence in the yard.

I hope you aren't tired of the wild quinine.  It's another one with a long season of interest.

The golden alexander foliage is redder than last month.  Larry cut off the seeds from the plant that they were on, so I hope the plants come back next year.  I have read that they are short lived, but will reseed.  Next year, I'll leave more flowers on to go to seed.

The rigid goldenrod has fall colors, and puffy seedheads.  I see there is new green growth at the base.

Here's a closer view of the seedheads.

I'm glad I planted gray headed coneflowers before hearing a woman at our local nature center say they shouldn't be planted in small yards.  They have had a good, long season, and most are still blooming nicely.  Others are finished, but still provide structure for the garden.

I'm pretty sure this is thick spiked blazing star, one of the several kinds of liatris in the yard.

Some birds have been enjoying the beautyberries.

The two wild sennas I planted last year had those pretty clusters of yellow blooms this year, and now have some cool looking seed pods.  I will admit that I took some off before they could ripen, hoping for fewer to have to pull out or find homes for next year.

I was pleased to see this painted lady butterfly on one of my clumps of a native plant called pussytoes the other day.  It didn't bloom this year.  I hope it does next year, but if it doesn't, I still like the foliage.

We are having some mild days to enjoy.  I have been watering the most recently planted things with water from the rain barrels, which need to be empty before winter.  Larry and I raked some leaves out of the street and a bit from a couple neighbor's yards and put them on the vegetable garden across the street.  It was Larry's idea to put them there instead of on a compost pile, like we usually do.  I hope they stay put and are easy to incorporate into the soil next spring.

I am excited for spring to get here, to see if the native flower seeds I planted sprout.  The penstemon looks like it's coming up already.  I hope it is OK.  I had read the seeds need the cold winter temps in order to sprout.  I am hoping for some new flowers to show for next year's Wildflower Wednesdays.