Wednesday, October 22, 2008

Lest it frost

I haven't shared very many pics from the garden this summer and seeing as the season's come quickly to an end, I thought I might better do it now. My garden favorites, the goldenrod and joe-pye, did their thing and were promptly cut down weeks ago as part of the fall clean-up the DH insists on doing. His pride and joy, the tropicals, took their sweet time in blooming this year and are now flirting with frost.

Every day he debates bringing them into the basement for safety from the threat of frost or leaving them outside to continue the show they've waited so long to put on.

His dad had a passion and a green thumb for growing Angel's Trumpet's. We've not been able to grow these trees to half the size his dad could, but we don't have a greenhouse to overwinter them in, either. He hauls them into the basement for the winter instead and practices a sort of benign neglect with a dose of water every so often hoping that they'll go dormant and wake up the following spring.

If you know these flowers, you know how strong their scent can be on a hot summer night. We've not had that this year as they started blooming so late, but still they're beautiful in their own exotic way. Each day the blossoms change shape and color, unfurling in the late afternoon light.

We try out a new variety, or color, or flower shape each year and are often surprised. This one, a double, revealed a flower within a flower. There's still a few, new this year, that are just setting buds and will probably have to do their blooming in the dark basement if his procrastination and a frost don't get them first.

9 comments:

NCmountainwoman said...

They are definitely beautiful enough to warrant the attention. What a show!

Mary said...

Very pretty - enough to protect without delay! Serious frost here tonight in Charlotte. Hibiscus tree has been inside for a few days.

Lovely post, Laura.

Have fun with the Flock!

KGMom said...

Exotic looking--oh, thanks for the explanation on the double bloom. I was wondering. . .

Unknown said...

We supposedly have cold air heading down our way ... but it won't frost. But it could rain from the cold front they say.

Jayne said...

My mom has a huge one in a bed that just blooms and blooms. Hope yours survives in the basement again. It's lovely. :c)

bobbie said...

I'm not familiar with these. Very beautiful!

Anonymous said...

Fantastic! Thanks for the pix. Those look like pretty big plants. I can't imagine how big your father-law's plants were. How did your newly planted shade garden do this year?

Have a great time in Cape May with the flock. Post lots of pictures and silly stories for us.

Heather
Wayne, PA

RuthieJ said...

We've had a couple of really frosty nights this past week and I'm sure it's heading your way! Better tell DH "no more procrastinating!"

RG said...

About time to clip and bury our fushias. They sometimes overwinter by trimming them way back and then burying them in the compost pile until spring.

Don't have a basement or a partially heated garage.

That is a pretty flower!