I am a Victorian Soul, who lives in a small townhouse that was built in the mid 1970's, not a huge Mega Mansion!! I just recently lost my Hubby Joe, who was a Retired Letter Carrier. I worked night shift as an RN on a Hospital based Rehabilitation( Physical Medicine) Unit for 37 years before I had Knee Replacement Surgery and officially Retired in 2019 after 41 years working in Direct Patient Care ... I am so glad that we retired at 62 years of age and got to spend that time together before he passed....I still do love Retirement!!!!

I DABBLE IN A BIT OF THIS AND THAT!!!!

" IT IS NEVER TOO LATE TO BE WHAT YOU MIGHT HAVE BEEN"
George Eliot
George Eliot was actually a pen name for a woman named Mary Anne Evans......

BLOGGING FOR FUN AND FRIENDSHIP!!!!!!

Sunday, September 26, 2021

Late September Garden Update. 2021

 



 

 

  Welcome to Debbie-Dabble Blog!!

 
I am so happy you decided to stop by!!
 
Just a reminder, I will be posting on Wednesdays and Sundays every week so be sure to check back on those days to see a new post......  

Today, I will be sharing a Late September Garden Update......
 
 
 But first, I want to Thank Barb, over at French Ethereal, for choosing my post, Landscape Update, A Storage Trick, a Transformation and a PSA,  as one of her features from last week's Share Your Style Linky Party!!!!
 

 Thanks so much, Barb!!

Please stop by and link up to this charming party!!!

 
 
And now for a few Personal Notes...
 

Joe and Joey left today for their Annual Father/Son trip to Pittsburgh.....
 
They have been going since Joe retired but missed last year due to the Pandemic....
 
This will be their 4th time out on Pittsburgh and they both are really looking forward to it!
 
So am I!!
 
They will be back on Tuesday so I get almost 3 whole days alone!!
 
I will be taking advantage of that and finishing my Fall/Halloween decorating by doing the Dining Room and the Powder Room..... 
 
Joe actually offered to help me get things down from the attic for once.....He wanted his suitcase down for the Pittsburgh trip......LOL!!

Interestingly enough, 3 days ago it came up in my FB Memories feed that Joe won $500 a few days before their 2019 trip to Pittsburgh....
 
Well yesterday, Joe cashed in the $20 he won on a Bingo Lottery ticket for this $20 ticket and once again, won $500 right before his trip to Pittsburgh!!!
 

 He first was happy with the $100 he won when he first scratched off the bonuses......


And then he scratched off the Win All symbol, winning an additional $400 for a total of $500!!!

Since Joey is paying for the room as he insisted on the largest suite with his own bedroom, Joe is paying for all the Food, Gas and admissions to any places that they go to while there for 2 days.....

Not sure who will have the better deal out of that because Joey loves to eat!!!!

All I know is that I can get the Dining Room decorated in peace while they are gone.....
 

 
I did get all of the Kitchen decorated and a lot of the things I had been buying and embellishing and crafting, I was able to put to use in there....
 





 I will be sharing that in my next post.....
 
I also was able to use the ornaments that I had made from Dollar Tree wood cut outs on my Halloween Kitchen Tree......
 



 I will also be sharing this soon......
 
 
 
Our wet and humid weather continued where this past Wednesday into Thursday, we received 2 1/4 inches of rain!!!
 

 
Just from a front and not even from remnants of a Hurricane!!!
 
Crazy weather!!
 
On Thursday when the skies cleared, this was the view from my front porch!!!!!
 

 
 
 
Looks like the sky is on fire......




And from the back yard.....

 


The sun now is barely making it around to the front of our house so the Sunsets that I can take pictures of in the front of our house is limited......

The good thing about this front moving through was that it brought an end to the humid weather we had been having.....
 
Hopefully, for the rest of the year.....


Now those temps. are more like it!!
 
My type of weather!!!


With all that rain and hot and humid weather this Summer, except for June, I hardly got to enjoy any time out in the back yard and Patio as it was simply too hot or raining so for me, the Summer was a Bust!!

I hope that our Summers are not changing to be like this because for me, it might as well be Winter because I was stuck in the house with the air conditioning blaring....


It seems that some of my annuals, especially in the back yard because they are still getting a lot of Sun, are growing as if we lived in the Tropics which is what this Summer has felt like here....

The Impatiens in the back yard are looking the Best that they have all Summer.....

Even my hanging bags that I plant myself look better than they have in the last 3 months!!!

Usually by this time of year, they have been pulled out of the bags already!!

The petunias in the coal bucket are usually in the garbage by now too!!

And look at the impatiens in the watering cans!!

Over on the other side of the yard......

This potted coleus that Joe bought has just exploded in size!!!

It is as big as a shrub!!!

The impatiens in this bird cage finally filled in....at the end of the Season!

And will you look at the Fountain, turned Bird Bath, turned planter!!

You can't even see the pot in the middle planted with marigolds which did awful this year!


This is the chair planter under the awning in the Patio.....

And a hanging basket in the patio.....


This was one of the flower pots that I was able to save after a Squirrel attack....


It is amazing that I have not seen one single squirrel in our back yard after my neighbor stopped feeding them!!!

I look forward to next year when I will not have to constantly be battling them when I plant annuals in my pots!!!

This is the other chair planter in the yard  planted with begonias which have done well.....

And the sedum in front of it has been in bloom since the middle of August.....

One of the potted begonias that Joe bought.....

And the other Begonia that I separated into 2 pots.....

The other potted coleus that Joe bought.....

Since it is in such a small pot, the wind has knocked it over many times but it is still growing strong!!!

And my Asters are blooming as they are Fall Bloomers....

These are right off the Patio.....

And these are on the side of the shed.......


These Asters are off the other side of the Patio.......

 
They are just starting to bloom......

 
Out in the front of the house.....

The coleus is growing like crazy!!!!

This is how it looked back in May when I planted 4 plants in each of these planters!!

Now look at it!!!!


 I will keep these until the first frost kills them and then I will replace them with evergreen greenery cut from the trees in the woods and on the side of our road for the Winter......
 
Because of the rain and humidity, I seem to have a slug infestation like I never have had before.....

 
Yesterday morning, I pulled about 6 slugs out of the Mum on the right side.....

 
Unfortunately, I think some critter jumped over or sat in the pot on the right because part of the Mum in the back was broken off.....


 The slugs are doing a number on my Marigolds this year with pretty much gnawing down all of the ones I had planted in pots in the back yard....

What they didn't get, I transplanted in the pots out front......

This one doesn't look too bad despite that Joe mistakenly bought mini marigolds this season and not the kind that I usually get which normally grow quite full and large....


The 2 pots in front of the railing are actually looking pretty good as I planted some seeds in them that I had from last year's marigolds.....


But the marigolds in this poor pot are getting gnawed right down!!


I even tried coffee grains as they say that works but to no avail....
 
I don't know if it's because this pot is not as protected by the roof overhang as much as the other ones are but yesterday morning, I also plucked about 4 slugs out of this pot!!!

I am keep the marigolds until the frost gets them and then, depending on how early that happens, I may replace them with mums.....

While the impatiens in the back are doing well, those in the front....not so much!!


You can see this one is losing leaves and blooms so I decided to transplant one of the mums Joe bought a few weeks ago that I just kept in the pot it came in, into this pot.....
 
 
The pumpkin stake was one bought in Dollar Tree a few years back that the paper peeled off due to the elements so I just used stickers and put our house number on it.....


 This mum will look great when all the blooms open!!
 
You may remember in my last post that I mentioned my neighbor Caled and his family gifted me this set of Owls......
 

 I decided to fill this one half way full of sand for weight and sprayed him with a clear sealant so I can display him outside!!

 
I did the same with the other 2 which I am using in the Kitchen right now.....


 

Adds the perfect touch for Fall and Halloween......


This humid and wet weather has also really helped the azaleas that we cut way back!!
 
This one is on the far right of our front flower bed.....
 

 When we cut it back.....
 

Now look at it!!!

This is how the one in the middle looks.....


 How it looked after cutting it back......

It looks like a brand new shrub!!

And this one on the far left.....

 

This one looked the worst when it was trimmed down.....

Doesn't look like the same plant!!!


This is our neighbor Ed's Burning Bush after we cut it back when we landscaped his yard in the Summer..........


It was losing it's leaves and looked as if it was dying.....
 
This is it now!!
 
 
And there is even more tiny leaves budding in the center.....

 
Hopefully next year, it will look like this again!!!


Ed was also kind enough to use up the fertilizer that he has been putting on some of his shrubs and azaleas on our azaleas and rhododendron.....

We really do have a great group of neighbors here now....



The leaves are starting to change on the trees around here!!

This is in our neighbor Brandy and her Dad Joe's yard.....
 

You can see the red in it.....

 
The sun was behind the back of our houses when I took this picture....

 
And this is how it looked with the Sun hitting it at Sunset the other evening, creating quite an orange effect!!!!!!



This is the tree in my neighbor's yard directly across from us that I have had the pleasure of watching it's leaves turn now for about 40 years.....

 
You can see it is starting to turn red in spots....




By the end of October, it should look like this again!!!


Gosh, I just love the Fall Foliage here in NEPA!!!!


I also wanted to give an update on the flower bed by our Mailboxes that I extended at the beginning of the Season.....


 
 
 Joe did cut down some of the spent perennials already but the asters that I planted are also in bloom here....
 
 
 
The empty spot is where the Missouri primrose is planted but has already been cut down.....



Today, I transplanted a perennial that I had taken out of my neighbor Tom's yard when we were getting it ready to put the weed block fabric down when we landscaped it.....

 
This is what it looks like in Tom's yard.....it is the purple flowered plant..

 
 And I also transplanted another deep purple aster that I took out of my back yard.....


After the first frost, Joe will cut everything back in this flower bed.....
 
I am sure in a few weeks we will have had that first frost and even some snowflakes as we usually do here in October.....
 
We even had a 9 inch snow fall on October 30th in 2011!! 


 
 
So you never know what Mother Nature has in store for us!!! 

I hope all of you are finally getting a break from the oppressive heat and humidity of this Summer!!
 
  I hope you will stop by to visit again soon!!
 
Stay safe, healthy and most of all, HAPPY!!

Thanks to those who took the time out of their busy day to spend a little bit of time with me!!

If you do not have a blog, PLEASE  give me some way to reply to your comment, maybe by including your email in your comment.  If I can not find a way to reach you, I will reply on the post where you commented so please check back......


I am linking up to these parties:
 
 

 

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14 comments:

  1. LindaSeptember 26, 2021 at 9:05 AM

    Lucky Joe, I'm sure they will enjoy their trip. Gardens are looking lovely. Cooler weather here too, need to take some coleus cuttings to see about growing new ones for next year. Wonderful sky photos. The mailbox garden is looking lovely and the shrubs you pruned are really growing. Happy days.

    ReplyDelete
  2. JeanieSeptember 26, 2021 at 9:45 AM

    Your flowers are so pretty! I think my garden is long gone -- it looks like you have lots of life in the blooms yet.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Miss MerrySeptember 26, 2021 at 10:44 AM

    What gorgeous skies!!! Your flowers are amazing. It is almost the end of September and it is still summer in your secret garden! The colors are so lovely and everything just looks wonderful. I know you will enjoy your three day vacation. I will say I am a little jealous. I'm sure the boys will be having a great time, too.

    ReplyDelete
  4. AnnSeptember 26, 2021 at 1:27 PM

    Hello from your newest follower - and thanks for following/commenting on my blog. Your flowers are AMAZING...all that rain really did them good. I love all your decorations - Dollar Tree is great. You have to get items when you see them - I went this week to get some more Fall items and they are all picked out - now putting out the Christmas stuff! Enjoy your garden and have a fabulous Fall !

    ReplyDelete
  5. MinnieSeptember 26, 2021 at 4:06 PM

    Spectacular sky! WOW!
    And the flowers, I am so envious❤️
    A squirrel ate some of my mint and remaining morning glories. When I tried to chase him away he simply put his little hands on his hips
    and chirped what I think were dirty words at me.
    And good on Joe, $500. win. Chu ching$$$$
    Enjoy your 3 days alone and play time. Can’t wait to see the results.
    Blessings to you 💜
    Minnie

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Debbie-Dabble Blog and A Debbie-Dabble ChristmasOctober 1, 2021 at 8:41 PM

      Minnie,
      Thanks so much for taking the tie to visit again!! I was able to get the DR cleaned and decorated in 2 days with Joe gone...It usually takes me 3 days!! LOL! Amazing what you can get done without interruptions...Stay safe, healthy and happy!!
      Hugs,
      Debbie

      Delete
  6. StacieSeptember 27, 2021 at 3:55 PM

    Your impatiens are just beautiful! I'm envious of them! I had a hanging basket of them early before the summer heat struck, but they didn't last too long after the heat really got to them. I planted mums in my flower beds, so now I'm waiting for them to bloom; they should all be pumpkin orange colored.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Judy at GoldCountryCottageSeptember 28, 2021 at 5:35 PM

    Hi Deb. Your home looks so beautiful, inside and outside. Love all the fall in the kitchen and your flowers and trees are really gorgeous. Joe got lucky again didn't he? That is so great. The skies look like there is electrical current running through the clouds. Very beautiful..Happy Tuesday..xxoJudy

    ReplyDelete
  8. The Crowned GoatSeptember 28, 2021 at 7:43 PM

    So many beautiful pops of color in your garden, Debbie! It's so pretty. I'm definitely taking notes because you have such a great thumb. Love seeing all your festive decor - it's really creative. I can't believe how lucky Joe is that is so cool. I hope they have a great time and safe travels! Hugs, CoCo

    ReplyDelete
  9. Michele MorinSeptember 29, 2021 at 8:18 AM

    Your coleus plants are STUNNING!

    ReplyDelete
  10. Louca por porcelanaOctober 1, 2021 at 9:26 PM

    Wonderful garden! Happy Pink Saturday!

    ReplyDelete
  11. PamOctober 5, 2021 at 12:16 PM

    I love all of the fall touches ot your house. Your plants all look amazing! Those coleus are huge and beautiful! I bought a coleus plant for the first time ever this year, and it's looking the best of all of my plants. I need to get the hang of mums. :) Wow, your husband is so lucky, and those sunset pictures are gorgeous.

    ReplyDelete
  12. PamOctober 6, 2021 at 1:39 PM

    P.S. I will be featuring this lovely post at the TFT party tomorrow. Congrats! :)

    ReplyDelete
  13. Life as a LEO WifeOctober 8, 2021 at 4:41 PM

    Wow! Your flowers have done amazing throughout the year! They colors are gorgeous. We don't see much color change where I live on the Gulf Coast during the fall. It's still in the high 80's into the 90's every day. We're still swimming, and probably will be able to into late October, maybe even November. I wish it would cool down a bit, but I despise the cold... outdoors at least. I keep the thermostat at 67 inside at all times! Our kiddos complain that it's cold, and we tell them to put more clothes on, lol. It's so exciting that your husband won $500 again! That's wild! I'm glad you got some good, quality alone time and they got some quality father/son time! Thanks for sharing on Happiness is Homemade at LifeasaLEOWife.com. Traffic Jam Weekend is now open for sharing as well.

    ReplyDelete

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