Early Fall Blooms...51º

It seems that what I think of as my late bloomers, are showing their faces in August, instead of September...But in looking back through last years photos, these same flowers were blooming mid August last year...My mind is playing tricks on me again.

I'm working hard this year to thin out the crowded irises and day lilies, before I add bark mulch to cover and clean up the flower beds...Thinning them out allows me to share starts and it encourages the plants to bloom more next summer...Hard work is usually worth the effort...Both Herb and I are enjoying the cooler days, sun is just now up and the lighting is surreal, so I will add a few photos to this blog and get to work...Hugs To All...OWAV:)

This Clematis is Mr. President, gorgeous blooms that last and last, that is if the deer will leave them alone...It has had blooms for about a month now but so far these are the only ones that have lasted through the night...Maybe the deer have found something else to chew on.

 The purple cone flowers are one of my favorites and the bees (honey I think) really like them as well...I'm digging the new starts and replanting, can't have enough of them.

Four new starts of "Blanket Flower," I bought at the nursery for more fall color, have been eaten off twice by the deer, just as they started to bud...They should be almost 2 feet tall, but instead are about a foot tall and and struggling...They are slowly adding color and the bees also love them.

 Golden Glow came from Mom's garden and is a prolific bloomer, it has to be staked and supported to  keep it from falling over...I read that in the olden days it was called the "outhouse plant," maybe to decorate the outhouse, or provide a cover so the outhouse wasn't so prominent?

In my spare time this week, I played with pie crust and huckleberries and came up with "hand pies." A bit disappointed because they leaked out and left the pies a bit dry...Had to eat them with ice cream...Darn!

Wishing everyone a lovely day.