September garden walk...the backyard, part 1

I'm adding the garden tour posts to this week's Outdoor Wednesday over at Susan, A Southern Daydreamer's blog. Please click HERE to see the many other's joining in.

Join me as we take a walk through the backyard on a sunny morning...as we come around the garage this is our first view.On the obelisk, Earnest Markham and the President are both blooming. I think they make a wonderful combination.
In previous walks we have always taken the shortcut path to the pond so that we can easily view Pine Hollow but as you can see it has been overgrown!
We'll have to lean in to see the fairies resting in various spots in Pine Hollow...
the flowers have really filled in and they have lots of places to hide as well as a few new benches to rest on.
Next we walk onto the main portion of the patio and see this view looking towards Pine Hollow...
before we start down this path to the cabin.
The air smells sweet and citrusy as we brush our legs on the many lemon gem and orange gem marigolds alongside the paths.
Just as we walk alongside the pond, a little visitor flies in...
and is not shy as we stand silently to watch him get a cool drink.
As we walk alongside the rock fountain we can see the sedums in blossom as well as a mammoth mum setting hundreds of buds.
Also in this area are some of my favorite self seeders...Wildcat Blue & Wildcat Mandarin Anagallis.
At this spot we can also turn to our right and see how huge the drying Annabelle hydrangea blossoms are.
As we continue up the path and stop in front of the cabin we see many of the self seeders in front of the cabin are still in bloom as well as the backgrown of pink & white coneflowers.
As we turn to the next path...there is a beautiful mum in blossom...
but let's take one last look back before...
heading down the path to the back arbor.
These days there is no walking through the overgrown arbor but I will pull many of these out this week so that the new clematis climbing the sides can get more sunlight.
I've postponed doing it so far because the goldfinches just love to feast on the cosmos seeds...
and this little cutie likes to feast on the insects gathering on the same plants.
Please continue to the next post for the 2nd half of the tour.

September garden walk...backyard part 2

From the back arbor we continue our walk up the path to the footbridge...where we can turn around and view the center of the garden...
before heading down the path to the satellite gazebo.
From the gazebo we see the tamarix is currently in a second (though smaller) blossoming period...
and the wild flower back border which is showing mostly anise hyssop and brown eyed susans at this time of the year.
We take one last look back up the path to the bridge before turning and continuing onto the path alonside the dry creekbed.
First we stop to admire the bright yellow mums...
and then the back planter. I have really enjoyed this bright combination of petunias and sedona coleus this summer.
From the path alongside the red chair & door we see how giant the yellow clematis Tangutica has grown...
climbing high into the pine tree.

Next we head up the path to the back of the house and turn on the path back towards the patio...
keep your eyes looking straight ahead to our destination or...
to the left at the pond as we walk by. Don't look down it is a weedy mess!
We are back to the patio and we can take a look back across the bridge and...
a view of the blossoms growing in front of the rock side of the pond. Here is where I planted all the lisanthus, the pineapple lilies and several mounds of the mexican shell flowers.
Did you notice I still have my oriole feeders up? I love this new fruit feeder, a gift from my friend Debbie!
The garden's oriole residents have all moved south but I am daily getting a few migrants still coming through.
It's hard to believe we are a week into September already and this will be the last full month of beauty in the garden. Join me once again for our October walks through all the gardens!

September garden walk...side and barn gardens

My sedum wheelbarrow planter on the side of the garage is all filled out and looking great these days...as are the rest of the side beds.
From here we can head over to my barn garden...notice how the robins have over half the mountain ash berries picked off already?
The barn garden is a mixture of flowers and veggies. I am growing tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers and herbs. This shot shows John Huxtable clematis climbing the barn red trellis. Next year I want to add more white flowers and make it a "white garden" and expand a little out towards the firepit with a few veggies.

I should have never hung the Hershey's milk choc cow sign on the barn as Hershey thinks this is her private garden. She has to be a healthy dog because she sure eats her share of vegetables. Here she is with a freshly picked pepper on the ground...but her favorite veggie is cucumbers and she picks and eats them daily. Here she demonstrates how you have to scope out the vine for the fattest cuke...
before latching on and giving a yank to pull it off the vine.
Looks like she found a good sized one and...
now just needs to find a shady spot to enjoy it. She does eat most of them but sometimes picks more than she can eat and half eaten ones are laying all over our yard and front steps.
This is the reason why I no longer have a zuchinni plant as the whole plant came out with her first picking!

September garden walk...front landscape

I am so happy with the front landscape that we added last year. It has beautiful roses and miniature trees with lots of room for perennials and annuals. This view shows the walled side with the 4 matching planters and includes my Japanese lilac, a pee gee hydrangea and a burning bush standard.
It is also home to several mums and...
this black and blue salvia. I have 3 of these b & b salvias this year and will add many more next year as they are constantly visted by hummingbirds (except when I standing there with the camera)!
I'm going to cut the blossoms of the pee gee this week as the poor little tree can't handle the weight of the blossoms.
King Kong coleus did well again in the front door chair planter and he'll be back again next year.
This view across the driveway at the rose garden shows another sure sign of autumn...the soybeans across the road are turning color and ripening.
The roses are doing really well and I enjoy the mixture of all the varieties as well as the kyushu hydrangea tree.
The purple emperor sedum is a bee magnet.
One last view before we move on.

September garden walk...the angel garden

I've overwhelmed somedays with how busy I am but life is good and I shouldn't complain. That said, I am a little embarrassed to show the September gardens as they are showing the lack of care they received in the last month. The angel garden takes the worst of the neglect since I don't spend any time out here and have seeded the remaining blank spots into wildflower seeds so in years to come it will be the "wildflower garden". The front of the arbor area is a weedy mess and I just couldn't buck it up enough to show you. It is what it is and you've waited long enough so let's walk around the perimeter and close your eyes while you walk past the front of the arbor.Hard to believe that leaves are starting to change already on my burning bushes...
and the asters and mums are blooming.
I love the view of color this garden gives those driving by on the road...
and all the wildflower varieties that grew from a mixed packet.
And, even though you can see a sprinkler head that I neglected to put away last spring this garden grows without care and supplemental watering.
Close your eyes now we are going to walk around the front of the arbor...

postponed...

Our September 1st garden walk is being postponed until Friday. I have been extremely busy this week getting a house I'm helping to sell ready for an open house on Thursday so I haven't been home in good enough light to take the photos. By Friday, I'll be ready for an extra tall latte to take you on a LONG walk ;)