I'm Cheating...

...and using the time function to post this three days earlier than I am writing it...

Saturday was the beginning of fall by the calender, and living in Michigan we find that fall comes pretty much on schedule.

The nights have been chilly for several weeks now, and the color begins as early as August, like the one peony I have that colors so prettily.  I think the one that is blushing is Festiva Maxima, a fovorite of mine for its etheral perfume in the spring.  Other peonies put on an even brighter display, and it's worth shopping the nurseries in fall to look at their color show. 

As summer comes to a close here, I am taking the opportunity to look back and the year and reflect on my successes.  It was not a good year for fish, as I've noted, but the waterlily I had been nurturing gave me bloom after bloom.  I think I got five or six, nicely spaced out over a similar number of weeks.

This was the plant that I thought was Helvola.  I still think Helvola is one of the parents, but this plant is too big to fit the description.  It's leaves and flowers are about 3" across, which is twice as big as Helvola.   It's a great plant though, and put on a great show with only one feeding of pond tabs.  I forgot to add more in the middle of the season, and my other lily never bloomed.  I'll give that one the extra feed next year and see if she'll come around. 

I love the buttery yellows, and was thrilled to see that a gift plant I took somewhat reluctantly - a cactus for Michigan? - also bloomed in this hue. 

Fabulous!

One of the annuals I started this year from seed was a Calendula from Johnnies Selected Seeds - Triangle Flashback.  I've been fascinated by this flower all summer. 
Utterly charming. 

And finally this cooler weather always makes the roses happy.  I moved my miniatures out of the dry front/south border and potted them up in whiskey barrel.  This proved to be the perfect place for these little guys.  I have them placed in the 'pond' garden area, and have enjoyed watching them bloom and grow as I sit and contemplate the water and the fish.

This flower is only 2 inches across, every line as beautiful as it's bigger siblings.  Some of the little roses even have the tearose fragrance, another thing to appreciate with a chair pulled up nearby and a raised planter. 

Comments

[Stuart]

I can see why you were enjoying your calendula. It's beautiful.

And growing it from seed as well! All the more satisfying.

[bill]

gosh, I guess I never knew that peonies have colorful foliage. Mine always withered to the ground in the heat and there was no foliage at all in fall

[Jenn]

Stuart: The calendula were easy from seed. I got 100 percent germination to full-grown plants!

Bill: Ah. I guess I never thought of them as ephemerals! They are green background foliage for the entire season for us, providing good backbone for other plants. I need to get south and go garden visiting. Be a good theme for a vacation. Hm.

[Zoey]

I also like calendula. I planted a few this year, though not from seed. All of your flowers look beautiful.
I have also noted the nice coloring of foliate on my Festiva Maxima. Most people don't realize that the foliage on that one looks so nice all year.

[Ki]

Very beautiful saturated photos. Thanks for posting them.

[Jenn]

Ki - The light was great that day, that color is natural!

My little camera does a pretty good job - it's the Kodak EasyShare DX7630. It does fall down a bit on getting macro focus on pale items - which is frustrating for me - but otherwise I continue to be amazed by what I can do with it.

[Laura]

Lovely flower pics!

The yellow waterlily is gorgeous - had to laugh that it's misidentified - happens to me all the time too, always a surprise when a newly purchased lily blooms to see if the tag is *true*.

[Peggy]

I love these pictures. They are so bright and vibrant, its almost like I can smell the flowers fragrance's right through the computer. My Dad grows beautiful peonies, roses and canas (canies)but he is the only one with a green thumb in our family when it comes to flowers. I do enjoy his beautiful flowers every chance I get. I can grow a mean vegetable garden though. Thanks for posting these pics.