I could cry when I see how beautiful your garden is yet. The color on your ES is fabulous. None of mine looked like that before the frost, but they were blooming like crazy right up the end. I am so pleased with them. You are right the KO roses are real workers. The dahlias are stunning as well. Thanks for a peek at your beautiful fall garden.
Michelle

Deanne: I feel fortunate to "see" everything in the larger perspective, as well. Truly a 3.5 season garden in Z5. Knockout doesn't just describe the rose :-)

Martie

Lookin' good, Deanne! I have to agree that the Knockout roses are superior garden plants (and I'm not a rose fan at all). Anything that blooms that long and looks good all season gets prime space from me. I'll have to keep an eye on my Endless Summers. They don't perform as well for me in the flowering department and I don't recall good fall color. Last night I was looking out at the patio in the rain and was amazed at how much was still blooming and had good foliage. Remind me in two months that it all does come back.

Sue

Deanne, your last 7-8 words sum up how I felt about ANYTHING that bloomed in my yard after this year's deer and drought devestation! Although the wild ageratum (Eupatorium coelestinum) has spread in various locations around our yard, it is appreciated for it's fall blooms, and they are putting on a show right now. Other than the tame chrysanthemums,morning glories,and sedum (the latter 2 are deer damaged), the only other blooms are wild......and they are goldenrod, white Eupatoriums, and asters. If it hadn't been for the potted plants, this summer's beauty would have been a 'bust'.

Will you have anything blooming in your house this winter, besides the orchids?

Marian

Deanne, things are still looking really good at your place. I'm envious. I had to chop back all of my brugs and dahlias last week and I'm missing them. Love your Knockout, I planted a pink one this year and hope it looks as good as yours next season. Is that h. little honey foliage with the peace rose? They look great together.

Eden

Luscious and lovely gardens still....amazing! Thanks for sharing it with us.

It is still looking colorful and beautiful, as I expected it would. How nice to still have a Clematis blossom; that flower next to the rose is so delicate looking at this time of year. Isn't it fun to have flowers still in bloom and other yards just have mums? I always get a kick out of that. I don't need to put mums in my windowboxes since I still have fushsias and impatiens flowering and the Iresine and sweet potato vine foliage remains nice.

I really enjoy Fall colours and you still have them Deanne! I agree with Monique on the mums in so many gardens. There actually are some new ones that are quite nice, but seems like an over-dependence on them to me too. Love that Sambucus photo! Marian, goldenrod, asters and eupatorium are nothing to sneeze at. Nature does a great job with them!

Thanks everyone! It seems that things are turning to browns a bit slower this year than in past seasons. Maybe itÂs just because IÂve planted more things that have fall color.

Marie, I have to agree with you about the Sambucus. That ÂSutherland Gold is my favorite shrub here and itÂs especially neat because I planted it because of the recommendations from this forum. The color and form are always lovely. I have to move a few things because it has gotten so large now but I was anticipating that when I planted it.

Monique I havenÂt planted a mum in three years now. I agree that the fuchsias are so great for fall color. The only downside of them is they donÂt come in the really hot colors like the mums. IÂd really like to find those gentians like you have. Those are fantastic for fall color!

Eden, so happy you noticed the ÂLittle Honey behind the ÂPeace rose! I noticed that when it was blooming the other day and would love to do something with that combination but donÂt have any room to plant that hydrangea there. Good food for thought though.

Marian, the only other things I have blooming here in the winters are a few of the fuchsias and abutilons. IÂm looking forward to seeing how the larger flowered abutilons perform under the lights this winter. The ones IÂve already pruned back and have under the lights are already sprouting some new growth.
Deanne

Deanne, your garden looks so good! I love the dahlias, and well, just everything...There is something peaceful about a fall garden to me... such a mixture of textures, and the way the air feels. It is one of my favorite times of the year.

D.

I want to emphasize that I do like mums, its just that some yards ONLY have mums, while those in the know have many other flowers (and berries and colorful foliage color) in the fall :-)

I have a perennial mum called 'Lucy's Pink' that is just starting and will go into November along with late blooming Aster 'Fanny'.

Given a choice between a mum and a peony, I'd take the mum any day. (ducking)

Sue

I have a couple of mums in container garden groupings on the front deck. I'd have to think hard about giving perennial mums garden space though. I'll have to check out the ones Monique mentioned. I do have a good variety of asters though. As for peonies, with the exception of a few tree peonies and my very special molly the witch from Ei I got rid of the rest last year. Too floppy for me, their faces always seemed to be in the mud. I do buy big bouquets of peonies at the farmers market when they're in season though for the house. I'm feeling the same about bearded iris and daylilies these days too. They have to be really special and ones that I really love to deserve garden real estate.

Eden

I can understand where those of you with limited garden space are coming from. As for me I really like the large late season impact I get from mums. I actually don't have that many. I think that they can be over done. Now that everything is pretty much toast here, the mums are still looking pretty good.

As long as Sue is ducking, I'm going to throw a peony at her. I really like the singles and this one blooms nicely in partial shade with no flopping. I just added 'Scarlett O'Hara' this fall which is a single red since I know pink isn't your color. I hope Deanne doesn't mind me adding a picture to her thread.

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Michelle, I've got a Peony 'Bowl of Beauty' on the "hoik" list. Shall I toss it in the mail? lol Truly though, I've got nothing against Peonies. Sure, the flowers are gorgeous (for the 10 days or so that they flower provided it doesn't rain during that time which it always does). In some years the foliage even stays somewhat mildew free (this was not one of those years). But for the amount of space they take up in full sun or close to it, I can find scads of other plants that will provide many months more of garden interest.

Sue

Seriously Sue, I tell myself no more peonies. I am just razzing you. Here's one more picture showing another season of interest for peonies. Oh, and I have never had powdery mildew on peonies.

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