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Award winner author of gardening humor books

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May Dreams Gardens

Garden Bloggers’ Bloom Day – October 2020

October 15, 2020 By Carol Michel 17 Comments

 

Welcome to Garden Bloggers’ Bloom Day for October 2020.

Here in my USDA Hardiness Zone 6a garden in central Indiana, we are still in the midst of a late-season dry spell that is in its eighth week.

Ever the optimist, I think that surely it is going to rain soon. And we have gotten rain twice, but only one-tenth of an inch each time.  So because I think it is going to rain soon, I don’t spend much time watering, and the garden is a testament to that.

But all is not completely lost in the dust!  Up first are some marigolds I direct sowed in the garden in late spring when it became apparent that the local greenhouse was out of marigold plants and wouldn’t be getting any more.

I know. I know! Marigolds are so easy to grow from seed, why was I even thinking about buying plants?

There are some other annuals I bought as plants way back in late March that are still blooming. These include alyssum and snapdragons.  

I would imagine the snapdragons would have even more blooms on them if I had taken the time to deadhead them.

I have had good luck with alyssum planted in early spring the past several years. And by good luck I mean they are still blooming in October. That’s a long run for an annual.

No fall bloom day post is complete without some mums.

It’s hard to tell from the picture, but these blooms are tiny, not even an inch across. It’s a keeper, whatever its name is.

I was pleasantly suprised to find this many blooms on this clematis back by the vegetable garden.
I had given it up for dead and left it alone which is apparently exactly what it needed to grow more leaves and bloom.  Sometimes leaving a plant alone is the right thing to do!
We’ve had two light frosts in the past week or so which has pretty much finished off the zinnias.

But, these red zinnias are off in a corner so I think they were mostly spared from the frost.  I should bring them inside to enjoy.
Finally, this picture shows how out in front, the crabapple tree has lost most of its leaves, but a hanging basket of yellow mums are just starting to open up.
My friend Dee Nash says that yellow mums cheer people up, and I think she’s right. These mums that I plopped in a hanging basket are providing much-needed color and cheer on my front porch. At least I am cheered by them! You can hear more about yellow mums, plus a few other gardening topics on the latest episode of The Gardenangelists podcast.
And that’s my dry, fall, near-the-end-of-the-season Garden Blogger’s Bloom Day post.
What’s blooming in your garden? Why don’t you join in for Garden Bloggers’ Bloom Day and show us, whether it is one flower or many flowers? It’s easy to participate. Just post on your blog about the flowers blooming in your garden on or around the 15th of the month, then come here and leave a comment about what you have and a link in the Mr. Linky widget.
Remember… We can have flowers nearly every month of the year. ~ Elizabeth Lawrence
(By the way, if you haven’t done so, please sign up for my monthly newsletter using the form in the upper right-hand corner.  Check out this month’s newsletter to see what kind of garden-y goodness I share each month!)
 

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: garden bloggers bloom day

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Arun Goyal says

    October 15, 2020 at 7:00 am

    Beautiful blooms. I agree yellow flowers in general can cheer up anyone passing by them. We can feel Autumn season in our region . I have started a link up party related to gardening ,it would be my pleasure if you join my link up party here at http://jaipurgardening.blogspot.com/2020/10/garden-affair-fruit-harvest.html

    Reply
  2. Jeff White says

    October 15, 2020 at 12:56 pm

    Wow, your dry spell continues! That's harsh. Yet so many things keep blooming. I don't grow many annuals, but yours show just how amazing they can be, under all circumstances!

    Reply
  3. My Gardener Says... says

    October 15, 2020 at 1:48 pm

    Despite the dry and your early frost, you have some lovely color. I'm amazed at your long-blooming alyssum and snapdragons–that must be a record! Thanks for hosting!

    Reply
  4. bookworm says

    October 15, 2020 at 1:51 pm

    Despite your lack of rain, your garden is still producing. A agree about yellow flowrs. I seem to favor pink myself. I've never seen a purple mum – ever, and I love those blooms. I have a purple cultivated fall aster that didn't make it into my post and to think I could have a mum like it. Thank you for hosting GBBD once again! Alana ramblinwitham.blogspot.com

    Reply
  5. Lee@A Guide to Northeastern Gardening says

    October 15, 2020 at 2:44 pm

    Hi Carol. Your fall garden is looking good despite the lack of rain. The purple color of the alyssum and mums is gorgeous and yes…yellow mums do make me smile! We had a dry spell for weeks until just this past Monday and Tuesday when it rained for two days and now everything is very well watered. Hopefully you‘ll get some rain too. Happy Bloom Day and happy autumn.

    Reply
  6. Kris Peterson says

    October 15, 2020 at 4:19 pm

    Rain is still a foreign concept here. I wish I had as much success with snapdragons as you do. They're a rust magnet in my location so they don't last long. As always, thanks for hosting, Carol.

    Reply
  7. Lisa says

    October 15, 2020 at 4:29 pm

    Gorgeous purple alyssum. I can't seem to grow any but the white. I'll make a note to try again.

    Reply
  8. danger garden says

    October 15, 2020 at 4:36 pm

    Bring those zinnias inside!

    Reply
  9. VP says

    October 15, 2020 at 5:08 pm

    First frosts – ouch! I don't think it'll be that long before we join you on this side of the pond.

    Happy Blooms Day everyone!

    Reply
  10. Commonweeder says

    October 15, 2020 at 7:25 pm

    It has been very dry here in western Massachusetts all summer. The weatherman gives us promises but very very little rain. I love to see all the flowers, and agree that yellow, and red, flowers are very cheering.

    Reply
  11. Karin / Southern Meadows says

    October 15, 2020 at 7:36 pm

    Frost already? Ouch! Your marigolds are lovely. I forgot to plant any this year.

    Reply
  12. Pauline says

    October 15, 2020 at 9:49 pm

    Our first frost is due tonight, hopefully all my plants willbe ok as we are rather sheltered , thank goodness. Love the colour of your alyssum, such a lovely splash of colour.

    Reply
  13. Dee Nash says

    October 16, 2020 at 12:07 am

    Thank goodness for yellow mums! I actually did a GBBD post this month although it's really about taking cuttings and turning them into actual transplants. Happy Bloom Day my friend!~~Dee

    Reply
  14. WashingtonGardener says

    October 16, 2020 at 1:32 am

    Happy Bloom Day! I have that same purple/amethyst alyssum and it is right at my back door in a planter – it is the gift that keeps on giving – been blooming its head off since early spring. 🙂

    Reply
  15. Carol Michel says

    October 17, 2020 at 5:36 pm

    Thank you everyone for joining in for bloom day. This week, I'm going to try to get around to all your posts. But right now… leaves to rake… flowers zapped by the first freeze to pull out… bulbs to plant… you all know how that goes.

    Reply
  16. jpotuchek says

    October 19, 2020 at 3:10 am

    We are well on our way to winter in Maine and have already had several nights down into the twenties. Nevertheless, those tough autumn flowers bloom on. Like you, I have fall chores breathing down my neck — bulbs to plant, firewood to stack, another mast year of acorns to rake…. Thanks again for hosting this, Carol.

    Reply
  17. Yvonne says

    October 20, 2020 at 3:41 pm

    It's wonderful to see your flowers blooming as winter is not far behind where you live. I have yet to see the first frost in my gardens, but the leaves are coloring up nicely. As a child, snapdragons were one of my favorite flowers.

    Reply

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