Deadheading:  it's a real thing, and VERY important for some plants, especially annuals.  

 

Your annuals' main goal in life is to make seeds.  And your plants spend most of their energy blooming and then turning those flowers into seeds.   

 

So, even though you have collected enough seeds for next year's garden, it is still important to get the dead flowers off the plants.  Because after all, once we have enough seeds for next year, what we really want is the profusion of pretty flowers.  

 

My favorite flowers this time of year are the marigolds.  Every time I go out to admire the garden, I bend over and pick off as many dead flowers as I can see.  

 

My picture today is what happens shortly after I pick off the dead flowers.  See all the new buds?  In a couple days, they will explode into gorgeous marigolds.  

 

Deadheading seems like a never-ending garden chore, but it is worth it, to get more and more flowers.  

 

BTW:  I have buckets full of deadheads, AKA:  seeds for next  year.

 

HAPPY GARDENING!!!

 

 

 

We were walking the loop the other day, and noticed the Bittersweet on Five Forks Drive has tons of yellow fruits.  

 

The seeds are inside these yellow shells, and when the shells pop open you can see the RED berries.  It won't be long now.

 

And don't worry, you don't need to find this particular vine, Bittersweet grows everywhere!!!  In fact, it takes over weaker trees and shrubs.  Just look around, you'll see some, especially when the berries pop out.  Then, you can see yellow and red all over the vines.  

 

It would be a great fall decoration for the mantel, except I'm not sure how durable they are.  Are the berries going to fall off all over the place?  I've seen bittersweet vines with berries in florist shops, but I think they are probably treated with silicone or something.  

 

Anyway, we just love seeing them in the neighborhood.

 

HAPPY FALL!!!

 

I know you've seen cattails before, but we saw these in Blairsville, in the north Georgia mountains!!!  They love swampy conditions, so it seems odd that they would be here in the mountains.  

 

But we saw them, and Jon parked close by, so I could get out and get a close up picture for you.  There are about 30 in this area.  Beautiful!!!

 

You can see them near the back entrance to Meeks Park, by the kayak and canoe put in area.

 

HAPPY FALL!!!

 

We saw this beautiful Strawberry bush in the park this week, and it made us both smile.  

 

Those bright red seeds just seem to jump out.  In fact, a local common name for this bush is "hearts a-bustin' with love."  Maybe that's what made us smile.  

 

Its botanical name is Euonymus americanus, and is commonly called Strawberry-bush.  It's in the same family as Burning Bush.  Same type fruits, similar leaves, twigs, and stems.  Both bushes glorious in late summer and fall.  

 

I hope you get to see them on your daily walks.

 

HAPPY FALL!!!

 

 

 

We picked the last of the red apples, and turned them into apple cakes and apple butter.  We also shared a bunch with friends in exchange for all those fabulous raspberries.  Good trade.  Jon also quartered a ton to give to the deer.  They love them.  

 

As you can see from the picture, these apples were near the top of the tree, where the birds could (and did) help themselves.  That's ok, we peeled them and chopped them up anyway.  

 

HAPPY END OF SUMMER!!!

 

 

 

 

 

We've been watching the Persimmons, and they are starting to turn orange.  That's a good sign.  They should be ready around the first frost.  Our first frost won't be for a couple months, usually around November 15th.  

 

Until the fruits start falling, we can only look at them, and enjoy how pretty they are.  You NEVER want to rush a persimmon, and NEVER pick them.  Until they are totally ripe, they are so astringent that they turn your mouth wrong-side out.  But when they are ripe, they will fall to the ground, and then they are delicious.  They taste like apricot jam.  They have 5 big seeds, so we don't bother collecting and preserving them.  We just snack on a few, and let the deer have the rest.  They love them too.  

 

Don't you know, I love seeing this many persimmons on the trees.  

 

HAPPY ALMOST FALL!!!

 

This apple tree has almost no leaves left.  But this morning when we went out to pick apples, we saw this!!!

 

Not sure why she's putting out new leaves in September, but there are several on this tree, and a few on the Granny Smith tree too.

 

So if you have been a little confused lately, you are not alone.  We are all feeling it.

 

HAPPY SEPTEMBER!!!

 

Last spring we bought 2 banana pepper plants.  Right now they are sporting about 200 peppers!!!!  We are eating a lot of sweet banana peppers.  Fortunately, they are really good, and easy to add to just about everything:  raw, sautéed, roasted.  And they make me smile every time i see them in the garden.  As the peppers mature, they turn orange, then red.  Maybe I can string them into ristras, like they do with chili peppers.  I love them.  But...

 

Next year I will only plant one.  That should be enough.

 

HAPPY END OF SUMMER!!!

 

The Devil's Walking Stick is looking really pretty right now.  The white flowers have given way to purple berries atop these beautiful red stems.  If you are walking, you have to look up to see them, as they are about 8-10 feet tall.  But if you are driving, they are easy to spot along the highway.  Just look for tropical looking stalks with fluffy red poufs.  The birds love the berries, so some plants that you see will just have the red stems, and no berries.  

 

They are deciduous, and will drop their leaves in about a month or so.  Then you can hardly notice them at all, until next spring when they start to grow again.

 

It's a fun plant to watch through the seasons.  

 

HAPPY END OF SUMMER!!!

 

The Sumac has bloomed and is now in its glorious fruit stage.  

 

I have a friend who makes a pink lemonade using sumac berries.  The berries are quite astringent, so you have to add a lot of sugar to make it taste good, but it's pretty and kinda fun to do...once.

 

HAPPY END OF SUMMER!!!