October in the front yard

It is time to put the garden to bed. We have been enjoying the last few sunny days. This October has actually been very good. We have had several days of rain and overcast but we have also had several streaks of 3 or more days of sun.

The tropical plants have appreciated the long season. Many of the salvias have bloomed accenting the garden with their hot bright colors. But the forecast is for torrential rains and wind on Sunday. It may not happen but we’re preparing. Plus it could freeze at anytime. Sometimes we get a hard freeze the week before Halloween. Other years it has gone almost until Thanksgiving. But more often than not, we should get a hard freeze in the next week or so.

We have moved our potted tropicals into the garage. These are cannas, abutilon, fuchsias, brugmansias and agapanthus. We cut back the cannas, fuchsias and agapanthus but we do not cut down the brugmansias and abutilon. We move them in, strip off the leaves and keep them dry over the winter. They go into hibernation.

G is also adding more insulation to the greenhouses. He has heavy bubble wrap on the ends of the greenhouse and he wanted to add another layer. We ordered a regular shipping grade roll of 1/2″ bubble. It is pretty thin but probably will help since we have another layer already on the greenhouse.

Not much left in the vegetable garden. We have moved a few pots of salvias to make a nice grouping. Otherwise we have a few carrots and some lettuce or endive. We can’t figure out which one it is.

Now, we just wait for La Nina.

Hardy Bananna – Musa basjoo

Burgundy leaves of Oak leaf Hydrangea – Hydrangea quercifolia

Oak leaf Hydrangea blooms

Bishop of Llandaff Dalhia

Rudbeckia ‘Herbstsonne’

Hedychium gardnerianum (kahili ginger)

Late blooming Salvias

Salvia ‘Wendy’s Wish’

Salvia involucrata

Salvia tubifera

Brilliant Fall colors of Full Moon Japanese Maple

October in the Backyard

Carrots

Lettuce

Overwinter plants in Garage

Bubblewrap for insulation

Bubblewrap insulation in Greenhouse