the Last Of The Flowers

These are the last holdouts before the frost hits. It will be in the 40's this week, so no fear of their demise yet. My last rose bud bloomed last week. The flower stayed out one day... They will be a welcome site next spring. The bud above is a "moon flower" vine. you can see what the open flower looks like below. When I purchased it I was thinking of the moon flowers my grandmother had in her garden. This is NOT the one I remember, but it's very pretty. When I planted it I did not think it would make the vine it did. If it comes back next year, I'm going to make sure it has a trellis or some string to climb on. It only blooms in the late afternoon. The bloom has a very pungent sweet perfume smell. You can smell it long before you get to it. The bloom is very delicate. It will be shriveled and dead in the morning.. all that work to bloom in the evening and then die in the dawn of the day.. kind of sad.

Below is another photo of the mum plant we put in last week. it is blooming like mad. I bet there were 200 buds on the plant. It's a Belgian Mum, Padre Yellow... after checking the Internet I find that this mum is unique in that you don't have to pinch the tops off in the spring.. it will come up and will flower just like it is now next September... The only preparation I have to do is to cover it with mulch before the winter hits.. Then in the spring scrape off the mulch.

The last photo is of my Little blue plant.. not sure what it is. Husband calls it a "wild Jew plant". I love it and wanted to put it out in the flower bed.. I was informed by hubby that this is a prolific weed and is to be stomped out at the first opportunity.. I'm leaving it.
It's in a part of the old gymnasium here. it's contained and grows up the wall.. We use to throw out our dish water in this area.. maybe that has helped it take hold.. Husband says it can stay there.. but is watching to make sure I don't get a shovel.
This week we'll move the peonies. There are two.. a pink one and a red one. both are in places where they no longer have the sun they need. I'm hoping we can move them without much trouble. I'd like to put the red one in the new flower bed with the mums. Unfortunately husband gave me the old "don't ask me to plant another thing in that bed. And don't want another one up in the "root" forest" lecture already. He was serious.. 5 hours to plant two mum plants. It was Root city there for sure... I would like the red peony in the bed, but will be happy to put it out in a row of peonies I have out toward the barn. I hope you are enjoying your last flowers of the season...