A Season in Limbo

I think this is my least-favorite time of year in my garden.  We are just days away from the official start of Fall but we're still having 90-100 degree days. The summer plants are looking ragged and need to be pulled, but it's still too hot to plant the fall/winter annuals. Most everything looks a little distressed and tired. The garden had a busy summer producing beautiful flowers for our enjoyment! While out piddling today I decided to not worry about how straggly everything is, the work it will take to ready the garden for the next season, and to focus on the positives. No matter the season, there is always something to appreciate in a garden. 

My sunflowers are way past their prime and I will be pulling them soon. We had to tie them up so they wouldn't flop over! However, the flower heads are drying and the birds flock to them every day, enjoying their culinary delight!

The dahlias are browning but they still attract butterflies, getting nourishment from the nectar the flowers provide.

The coneflowers are a muted version of their spring fuschia color but the finches just love the seeds on these plants. I will leave them until either the seeds are depleted or winter's frost does its job.

See the empty space in the end of the flower bed?  Next week construction starts on our wood-fired oven! Our fall will consist of many pizza nights!

The lantana is doing quite well and will last until frost. It, too, attracts butterflies as well as hummingbirds. The morning glory, on the other hand, is looking very tired and being devoured on by something.

The pomegranates are getting redder and riper by the day.  Soon it will be time to pick and juice them, another year's supply of pomegranate jelly is just around the corner.

We are supposed to have another week of warm weather then cooler fall temps will prevail.  Next week I will begin the task of cleaning up the summer garden and planting for the fall and winter. Soon the garden will be filled with things like mums, ornamental cabbage, cyclamen, pansies and the warmish colors of fall.  At the market this morning the prettiest flowers were fall-colored ones. Summer is coming to a close.