The Butterflies

Not in the habit of taking lots of pictures in stores but today I couldn't resist the butterflies at the garden center. They were every where. Bees were also enjoying the blooms. How beautiful. Soon to be gone until spring. At least in my region.

Possibly a monarch getting nectar to store up energy for it's flight to migrate to warmer regions for the winter.

The variety of Echinacea  were also beautiful at Home Depot today. I like to go at this time of year because soon everything green will be gone also. From now until everything in the outdoor greenhouse is sold, it's the time to get good bargains on shrubs, trees, and perennials. There's still plenty of time to get them planted while they get established before frost.

It's My Birthday

Yum! Cut It last night before my birthday. From my daughter along with roses and gift cards to my favorite place. No family dinner until next week though because I don't think I'll be able to eat. The virus that started Friday is hanging on.

On to the yard to plant a boxwood.

Can't believe that this container was planted for spring and summer. Raccoons are vicious. Last night I watched a possum take a bath in the yard. Didn't know that raccoons had trashed the yard until I came to many broken overturned clay pots.

A few of the cyclamen blooms are still here.

The other flower bed did poorly this summer.

Powdery mildew on the peony. I usually cut it to the ground when it's like this.

Refilled and they've been waiting. I'll move it for the winter and locate it in a different spot. The shells from the seeds make a mess in the flower bed and attracts all the neighborhood wildlife.

Will pull the tomatoes on another day. There's one tomato with a large brown area. I've never had them rot since I've been planting them.

Nothing liked all the rain. The strawberries were doing well until our last bout of rain. The canna still have bulbs. I'll let them dry out and put in the basement.

The Nursery

Fall has arrived at the nursery. Pumpkins, corn stalks, pansies, asters, mums, kale, ornamental grass, peppers,  shrubs, trees, vegetable starts, herbs, plants and flowers galore. Here's a few pictures. Wish I could show you the barn, the grounds, and the greenhouse but I think it's rude to walk around taking pictures on private property. Snuck in a few. I'll return another day for pansies, corn, and more pumpkins.  But from the produce mark where the prices are more reasonable. At least that's what I though until I stopped there.

With all the rain we've had I think this caused prices for pumpkins to be much higher than in past years. Maybe a lot rotted on the vines. Small pumpkins that I normally decorate my container and mantel with were 2 dollars for 1. Normally they're 3-4 for that price. I'll shop around for better prices. I did get a larger jack o lantern and a Cinderella pumpkin. I'll show you them at another time. Although there were lots of pansies at the nursery there wasn't much variety in colors like this spring so I'll wait.

What did I buy?

Lets take a closer look. Some from Home Depot and some from Primex Garden Center in Glenside.

If she does well, next season I'll buy more. I've never had them.

Ordered a pack of these 3 years ago. It's taken 3 years for them to bloom. The foliage died back during the summer heat but one day while looking out my window I spotted the pink blooms and went out to see them. Maybe they'll multiply over the years. They seem to do well in the yard although this was the first year that the foliage disappeared.

Shades of red and orange have always been my favorite.

I received an e-mail from one of the online nurseries I order from that their narcissus are 100 for 30 dollars. Think I'll order them and hopefully they'll do well and come back every year and will save me from buying tulips every season. But, I love tulips.

The paper whites bulbs are large although Ziva was the only forcing one. I waited late to order a different variety but Ziva is okay with me. There were many varieties of narcissus for planting in the ground to choose from.

I've never had pink ones.

Bought 2 box woods. I liked the variegated leaves and I can shape it round. Don't think the raccoons can do anything to it. We shall see.

She's a long way from home but still in the USA.

Could have gotten the small one for 1/2 the price but I wanted instant impact now. Not 2 years from now.

You always have to go to the discount rack. Some didn't look too good but they'll come back because they're perennials in my area. Against my better advise I left the pink day lilies, black berry lily and others. Can't buy them all. This is an aster. It was 14.99 discounted to 5.00's. That my type of price.

Pink painted daisy also discounted to 5.00's.