fall coleus

I wasn't feeling too fond of the lime-and-green coleus earlier this year- I planted it in an out-of-the-way strip alongside the driveway. Turns out the level of shade was just right there, it flourished and now has turned red-and-yellow.

The blanket flower in same spot isn't doing so great. Not enough sun?

Took cuttings yesterday, of all the coleus, the persian shield, and the glossy-leaved purple flowering one I lost the name of.

I remember last year being very pleased with the 'exhibition limelight'- it made huge leaves alongside the deck stairs. This year it has remained puny. I wonder if removal of a tree changed the light intensity here. Or I didn't water it enough.

the big sideyard

I have to differentiate the two. The first sunny sideyard, which is narrower, I think of it as the smaller one. And the second sunny sideyard, which was in shade before we had those huge maples cut down, is wider and more open, so I think of it as the bigger one. I spent half a day out there, pulling crabgrass and the worst of the weeds. Left some things alone, like the wild violets

Found a few bugleweed (ajuga) that survived the tree-cutting

Yanked out a bunch of wild rose that was all tangled behind the beautyberry (those thorny stems had grown a lot thicker with more sun) and now it looks so nice! Anticipating the purple berries

Lungwort also impressed me how much it grew!

Ostrich ferns are doing way better now, too.

And the sensitive ferns seem to be reviving from the heat, and the bugs-

there's new fiddleheads under there

My shady 'purple corner' looks promising- I need more persian shield!

I like how the wandering jew has done, need more of that also!

Spiderwort is blooming again- floating above the green

final sowing

I started in pots today zucchini, cucumber, cantaloupe, bush green beans and cowpeas. They're on the lowest shelf of the greenhouse, door propped wide open so it doesn't overheat. Won't need a hardening off period, and really it's just to get the seed sprouted, then they go straight in the ground. So the squirrel doesn't dig up and eat the seeds immediately! 

Yesterday was a bit cloudy and today is due to rain, so I planted out: tarragon and salad burnet into the herb bed

Tithonias onto the empty sideyard, below where I buried the gladiola bulbs and above where I transplanted three wide-leaved common milkweed last week.

Two new england asters, also on that hillside, surrounded by a ring of stones so I don't forget where they are and step on them, they're so small yet.

Three hollyhock mallow aka zebrina flower, against the fence by the garden.

This purplish plant I bought on a whim and now can't remember the name of. Between the pots of limelight coleus, and the espresso geranium alongside the stairs.

Under the large holly bush, I tucked the persian shield plants in a few gaps between the dark heucherellas,

and a row of rooted tradescantia zebrina cuttings in front of that. Just for fun, to see how they do.

Edged that area with stones discarded from my husband's fossil-hunting. It's kind of my purple corner now.

And inside, I potted up some of my younger african violets. Most of these were still in those moldering paper cups, before.

green indoors

Undecided where to plant the persian shield yet, so it's still on plant bench-

This coleus is so attractive I haven't put it outdoors yet but keep it inside to admire. It's so velvety.

I really do think my new strawberry begonia will do fine-

Potted up the new group of young aloe veras. And promptly trimmed a leaf to use on a burn (steam from the kitchen kettle hit my thumb). A few small rocks in there on top of the soil just to keep the aloes propped up, they were falling over.

Tiny new leaves blushing green all over my jade!