Three Views

Zinnia elegans 'Scarlet King'

The Last Gasp

One of the advantages of the long growing season in NJ (zone 6), now prolonged thanks to Global Warming, are the number of plants still in bloom in October. Not shocking, I know, to those of you in warmer climes but still a wonder to those of us who were raised in much colder areas of the country. I brought my camera with me today so that I could capture the beauty of the Display Gardens at Rutgers Gardens before the plants are removed and the beds raked next weekend in preparation for winter.

Photo of the Day

I love that the seedheads are all leaning to the side contrasting with the rigidly upright stems. The ornamental grasses in the perennial borders captivated me. I have a love/hate relationship with ornamental grasses. In the spring and summer, they repulse me. I wonder how anyone could possibly plant such ragged, weedy plants in their flowerbeds. But in the fall and especially the winter, when they come into their own, I am bowled over by their beauty. I am determined to add them to my landscape. I carefully choose spots where they will look best in my yard. And then, in the spring, the cycle repeats itself. I find myself at the nursery, staring at ragged, weedy plants in pots wondering how anyone could possibly plant such ugly things in their flowerbeds.

Look at the color! The patterns! Who could resist this?

Personally, I like this photo more. It looks like a child scribbled on it.

I’m still struggling with light. Since I was photographing in strong afternoon sunlight which I dislike, I tried getting around it by shooting shaded subjects like this:

That same harsh light, though, produces magical photos like this:

The Yellow Garden Cosmos (Cosmos bipinnatus) in my plot is finally blooming and yellow:

The earliest flowers were white, but like the Seashells Cosmos which curled as the season grew later, these cosmos have become yellow at the end of the season. I like them so much that I think I will grow them at home next year.

Another flower that I would like to grow at home is lantana.

I haven’t figured out how to use it, but after seeing these berries and falling in love, I’m going to try harder to find a way to include it next year.

Just like in my own yard, insects were everywhere.

The sky was an incredible blue today, as you can see from the first photo in this post. While I was photographing the bee, I looked up and saw this:

Blooming in My Garden

The green marigold continues to unfurl its petals. I hope that it has a chance to fully open before a killing frost hits.

Calendula officinalis
I’m continually surprised at how many insects are out and about in my gardens.


My hardy mum continues to delight.


Even when the flowers have begun to fade, the delicate pink of the dying petals enhances the bloom.

Blooming in My Garden

Here's something that you don't see every day: a green marigold.


I just adore these marigolds. You will see them in my garden again next year.

Blooming in My Garden

They are just so gorgeous when they are fully open.

Blooming in My Garden

Anemone from the back.


What's left after the petals drop.


Yet another in a seemingly endless succession of photos of my one and only hardy chrysanthemum.

Blooming in My Garden

Of all the cyclamen I planted last fall, only one survived the predations of the squirrels. It produced a nice clump of blossoms of which this was the nicest.


My original intention was to capture the unique coloration of this cosmos, but when I uploaded it to my computer, I noticed the that the peony leaves made a great background.