Gardening Flowers & Foliage

That first food garden pic...thats 2 butternut squash plants. And, the entire garden had to come back from a frost a week after we planted, which was memorial day weekend. The plants that survived were 50-80% wilted and brown. Needless to say we got a later than normal start. Luckily the sunflowers weren't up yet during the frost.

 

Wow! Those are tall! do you harvest the seeds? If you can reach them.

 

Eggshooterist Is there a "green with envy" emoji? That looks spectacular. My thimbleberry, salmonberry and weeds are doing well. Hopefully I can get them all cut down before fall.

 

I believe a shallow face cut combined with the back cut, will fell the stalks, making access to seed heads easy.

 

We let the bees, birds and squirrels do their thing. We might harvest a couple heads to have seed for next year.

 

Something magic about cow poo and wood chips I guess. Lol

 

We had a giant decend one and stomped off into the forest.

 

Native wild hydrangeas in bloom. They may not have huge flowers but the pollinators love them.

 

Wild white wood asters:

 

Nice looking flowers.

IMO - wild = invasive. They're all over the place around here.

 

They’re certainly an aggressive self-seeder and can quickly encroach on a gardener’s kept garden. I let the ones that aren’t in my way grow, but I know where you’re coming from.

 

Good one! I wonder how long firewood made from the stalks would take to dry and would the BTUs be worth it.

 

As we head towards fall each year, I rediscover why I love the tree hydrangea that was ancient when I bought my house. First, it stayes in bloom for a very long time. This year it started 2-3 weeks ago. Once it has gotten going, it shows so many moods at once (all pictures, except very last one, were taken yesterday, 8/31/25):

The blooms start out greenish (a couple of weeks ago, I had actual green blooms but no pictures so this is as close as I have currently)



Then they turn white


Then they start blushing pink (but sometime the greenish flowers will start blushing pink)


Then the pink gets darker


The blooms will get darker and darker - found this picture from 10/20/23 (yes, that date is correct) and I don't believe that is at the darkest stage. Way over on the left, there is still a white bloom.