Autumn in Pennsylvania

wild turkeys in the back yard

Fall is definitely here. The roofs (or is it rooves?) and grass were all frosty this morning at the bus stop. A heavier coat and mittens were in order. I will probably mow the lawn one last time next week.

Just about everyone has mums on their porches (except me). I love mums just as much as the next person but it's the only thing you see- mums, mums and more mums! I like variety. Home Depot and Lowe's offer nothing but mums! A person could have nightmares about mums!

The rebel in me put mums in the backyard rather than the front. The cheapskate in me planted them to come up year after year rather than buying new ones each year. Besides- they'll eventually get HUGE! Right now they are the size of soccer balls and a nice yellow color.

Because it breaks my heart to throw out any living plant (even cuttings when pruning) I still have impatiens on the porch. They are pink and huge and beautiful. I guess the way my home is laid out, they are protected from the cold. I can't throw them out until they are done sharing their beauty with me.

Footnote - I hate it when malls and businesses dig up and throw out perfectly good plants just because they are in the mood for something new to match the season. I wish I could rescue them!

One plant I love for the fall, that will survive the winter, is Japanese Daisy aka Nippon Daisy. It's a bush and the flowers are white daisy-like. The leaves are succulent. The stems can't take the heavy weight of snow so I cut mine back once the flowers are gone so that it's the main stem and then the branches are maybe 4 inches long. And it's easy to root cuttings (and you know I did)! I bought one small plant about 10 years ago. I now have 4 large bushes. The flowers bloom in the fall. My mom asks me to email her pictures of them every year.