Saturday

How is your Saturday? I hope as beautiful as mine in Philly. Yesterday I did some gardening after work so today out shopping. Didn't buy any plants. Last fall and winter I learned that many do well on the sunporch even in the cold so I'm excited to see what'll be available this winter to bloom on  the porch until it's really too cold. By then I'll have paper whites, hyacinths, and amaryllis in the house blooming.

My regular wood man delivered some wood today. I may need more later during the winter. Time to get the chimney swept and cleaned before the first fire. It's cold enough for a fire although today it's about 60 degrees. Tonight and tomorrow frigid.

Bulbs still waiting to be planted but they'll wait till I find reasonable priced potting mix. Most will go in containers and maybe the ones yet to arrive will go in the ground. I haven't decided yet.

A new shop light will have to go back to the store. Although the box had a slight dent I bought it anyway against my better judgement. The fixture was bent inside the box.

Bromelaid has a nice sized pup but I won't remove the baby yet. I did that before and lost both pups. I thought this type was more difficult to grow but actually it did better than the solid green ones and has lived since last winter. This winter when I see them I'll get another one. It did well all winter indoors and this summer on the porch. I saw white spider webs on it though this summer so I've used a systemic house plant feed and have been spraying it with insecticidal soap until I take it indoors for the winter.

The window boxed weren't bursting with plants this season but those that were planted did well. Hosta, begonias, vinca, sedum, petunias, and impatiens. Hopefully the hosta  and sedumwill return. The box in the sun is red and pink with petunias. They must like the cool weather because they haven't stopped blooming.

Banished to the patch of ivy. It has mold on it  where squirrels ate big chunks but I turned it around so it couldn't be seen. When frost softens it, they'll eat it all.

Freshened her up with more mums, cut the trailing creeping Jenny in half, removed the sweet potato vine, no tuber to save for spring though, and some other plants along with a large slug. Now I know for sure what was eating the coleus and sweet potato vine all summer.

And the hyacinth vine is also loving the weather although I don't think the tiny seed pods it's forming will do anything. I'll wait and see. It may be dead any day from frost. Friday morning I had to defrost my window shield before I could drive.

We've had a mix of weather today. Rain, dark clouds, puffy white clouds and blue sky, sun and wind. It's beautiful a day to be outdoors at the apple orchard. Another day.

I'm pressing my luck with this Persian shield. It should be pulled by now if I want to over winter it indoors for next spring. It was a sad looking seedling from Select Seeds. Grew very slow but has done beautifully and probably would have been larger in the ground.

Lantana is also enjoying the cool weather and continues to bloom along with the tick weed below. They're both hardy in my region so I look for them to return in spring.

Yes she finally flowered. A native honey suckle is also on the trellis. Maybe next spring she'll do something. This was her first year. Also a seedling from Select Seed.

Those seed pods have to do more than that to be able to save some for next season. There's still time. I hope.

Removed the hibiscus and summer planting. It looks sad but that's it till spring. Usually I plant pansies here but not this year.

My Norway maple hasn't started to turn golden yet. It'll be pruned this year after the leaves fall. It's huge. Waiting patiently for the autumn colors.

Haven't planted my pansies yet. The blooms need to be deadheaded. I have to plant them soon before they die. One day after work maybe. It's supposed to rain some tomorrow. That's my excuse and I'm sticking to it.

Poor arrowhead plant is laying down on the porch. What did I expect. She's asking to go inside and get repotted. This was a whole container of other plants. Poor plant parent.

My Callie. Couldn't stand to see me sitting on the porch without her. I thought she was enjoying her nap.

Have to take the fern indoor but the geraniums may stay on the porch it I may feel sorry for them and take them inside. It would be nice to see them bloom this winter.

She arrived on the porch to sleep.

What's a girl to do. Must have something in bloom indoors.

From the library today. They had a book sale but nothing I liked. I checked this out. Seemed appropriate for a 50 something woman. I'll let you know how it is. I haven't read most of the books I've bought the last few years. But one day I'll retire and have lots to read.