Is it me, or does this not look like a Zinnia?
There's a chill in the air. For the first time in months, I had to put on a jacket when I went out to work in the garden. I'm wearing a sweater in the house and trying not to turn on the heat. This sudden change in the weather to highs in the 50sF/13C is a good reality check, a reminder that frost is not long off. But I will not panic, no, not me. I'm getting things done, bit by bit. I've finally gotten the cute little Abies koreana 'Lippetal' into the ground in the new addition to the street bed.
It's only been hanging around since May. No, I did not just leave it sitting there all summer. I moved it into a larger pot in June or July (can't remember exactly), and it wasn't rootbound when I planted it. That's one of my secrets with woody plants; I prefer to repot them and grow them on a bit before planting, so I don't have to spend over an hour untangling pot-bound roots, like I had to do with this newly planted Cotinus 'Ancot.'
I found it reduced for a quick sale, so the price was paid in my time and its ability to adapt to having its roots severely trimmed. I plan to get one more next spring so that there will be the magic number three of them.
Dianthus 'Cranberry Ice' spent the summer as the star of a container grouping. Now it joins the Lavender in the bed in front of Cornus kousa 'Completelymismarked,' with Salvia 'Sensation Rose' that sulked all summer in a front porch container. (I guess the porch doesn't get enough sun anymore.)
Behind them I transplanted a Peony that wasn't happy in the new fountain bed. (That's Symphyo-whatever oblog-whatever 'October Skies' next to the Peony.)
I dug up and brought in a Fuschia that was languishing under Tricyrtis 'Tojen.' I hope it survives the upheaval. If not, so what, it would have died anyway over the winter. I also divided and brought inside an Oxalis. Only four perennials in pots are waiting to go into the ground, while six eight perennials need to be transferred from their containers to the ground for the winter.
Anemone 'Party Dress' in front of a container with Oxalis and two Primulas and a Fern that need to be stuffed into the ground for winter.
Two baby shrubs need to be moved to larger containers and plunged in the ground also, while one more shrub needs to be planted. I'm still waiting for my bulb order to arrive. Nope, absolutely no need to panic whatsoever. Plenty of time.
Have you started getting your garden ready for winter?