Wednesday, October 17, 2007

A Very Slow Sedum

This Sedum spectabile (Stonecrop) "Brilliant" is very slow to bloom, in my opinion. On the other hand, flu shots are not as late as they were last year in this country (due to some supply problems). I got mine this week and am prepared for the season of coughing and hacking!


Also later than usual (as far as I can remember) are my fall asters. Other garden bloggers have been documenting full bloom in weeks past, but mine are just starting. They'll look great when they finally are in full bloom -- under a layer of snow!


The American Mountain Ash tree. It never lost its leaves last winter, hanging on until the spring winds finally blew them off.


Flourishing flowers: I usually think of spring when I see primulas, but this one is giving a nice fall show! Only certain primulas are hardy in this climate, but mine are sheltered under the ash tree and they seem to do okay. I don't know what type this is, because I picked it up labeled as an annual at a big box store -- though it might even be perennial!


Geranium sanguineum (Cranesbill) foliage: beautiful contrasts.


Morden Blush hardy rose, looking rich and scrumptious among the dying perennial foliage.


Not so scrumptious: a pear slug (part of the lifecycle of the pear sawfly), a pest which has skeletonized leaves on these sandcherries. They also have been affecting my tart cherries. The trees/shrubs still are doing okay despite a few years of this pest, but I wish some pear slug-hungry birds would come and relieve me of this disgusting problem!

1 comment:

Cicero Sings said...

I have a puple primula blooming at the moment as well. I don't have too many flowrs planted yet. I did plant a couple of Hellebores ... but they are a zone 4 so I don't think you could grow them up there. They bloom in early spring and are magnificent ... if they like their locale and aren't moved every year!

As for the aloe ... it doesn't seem to have a smell. I presently have a thick stalked plant and have had the limp, thinner stalked kind in times past with no noticable smell.