Autumn is Here!

There can be no doubt. I am wearing a wool sweater as I write this and my cats are curled up on a blanket. I walked outside today to take some pictures (wearing my sweater) and could immediately see that Hurricane Michael brought Autumn to us. The two bees and single butterfly I saw today seemed stunned by the change in weather. They were clinging to the few blossoms left on my garden plants. I remembered, walking around with camera in hand, how much Autumn mirrors early Spring. For the wishful photographer, every tiny flower and little bug is pounced upon. This year the birds seem to have already eaten many of the seeds. The hurricane winds may have knocked down some of what ordinarily would have been standing at this time of year, but I also wonder whether the animals know that a hard winter lies ahead.

Sadly, my DSLR camera seems to be on the fritz. At first I suspected the battery, but upon putting in a fully charged battery it still wasn’t working properly. I don’t know if the problem lies with the camera body, or the lens. I was eventually able to get it to focus and let me take some pictures using a setting that darkens the background but does put the thing in the foreground in focus. It’s not totally unattractive, just not cheerful.

1. Chia

I’ll begin with what has probably been my favorite plant this summer – a chia sage. I mentioned it in an earlier post and showed a picture of its flower, but here is the entire plant. See how pretty the leaves are! I am hoping that some of the flowers produce/d viable seed and were not eaten or will not be eaten. I’d really like to see this plant naturalize in my garden.

2. Passionflower Reproduction

Nature has endowed the passionflower with not only the will but also the means to  reproduce in more than one manner, thus ensuring her survival. In my yard at least, this plant will always reign supreme. In fact, I can no longer remember how many rose bushes, tall lilies, and other perennial flowers have been choked out by the passionflower vines that grow along the fence line. All in the name of providing food for Gulf Fritillary butterflies – it’s well worth it.

Here is a passionflower seedpod. It’s the size of a plum.

3. A Pair of Bees

In the hour or so I was there, these two bees never moved from this anise hyssop flower, which I’m sure offered very little to them by way of pollen today. They did crawl around it, assiduously searching every tiny blossom.

4. A Butterfly

One butterfly by itself, whether the first one in the Spring, or the last one in the Fall, is such a lonely thing, don’t you think? This one was very small and very still for a long time. Ordinarily I don’t see them on the rosemary, but maybe it was there because the rosemary are flowering now, whereas the passionflower vines have finished.

5. Lantana

Last year I planted a couple of large pots with the orange and pink flowering lantana, which usually grow as perennials here. But they died. So this year I splurged on the yellow lantana which I prefer. If it’s going to die this winter anyway, why not have what I like? But it didn’t fill out and become bushy as I expected it to, which was a disappointment. In fact, it is only now flowering fully. I might drag the pots into the basement soon, just to see if I can keep it going another year.

6. Japanese Anemone

This is the last remaining Japanese Anemone I have, and it is living up to its name, “Robustissima.” I’ve been growing this plant for about 30 years now, without taking any special care of it at all. The white ones I also grew, and some darker pink ones, were crowded out by the aforementioned passionflower vine a couple of years ago, but in spots, you can still see these pale pink anemones pushing their heads up through the vines to the sun. They refuse to give up! Next spring I think I will have mercy on them and divide and move some to a more favorable spot of their own.

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This Saturday challenge of finding and posting about six photograph-able things from the garden is a very good exercise and one that comes to you thanks to the inspiration and leadership of The Propagator. Visit his blog where you can read not only his own Six on Saturday posting but will find links each week to those of many other gardeners.