Late September brings a few last flowers before the garden heads into sleep for the winter. The geraniums don’t seem to know that it is fall, and continue to produce long-lasting pink flowers in abundance.
They are such an intense hue, lovely color on the veranda.
My purple dahlia has put up another flower stalk, and is slowly opening. It may take a few more days to fully open.
Autumn is the prime blooming time for dahlias, and I have several more buds developing. These will open in October sometime.
While we are on the subject of dahlias, the Dahlia Quilt raffle fundraiser has passed $4300 in ticket sales for Bullington Gardens! I have to say I have been blown away by the response. I had hoped it would bring in a few hundred, but the result has surpassed everyone’s wildest dreams! The Bullington Gardens board is overjoyed. The drawing will be held on Friday of this week, and the winner notified.
Another dawn over our mountain view shows wispy clouds hanging in the valleys.
On the bird feeder, migratory birds are showing up like this rose breasted grosbeak enjoying a meal with a year-round resident cardinal.
I can’t tell if this is a flock or a family. An adult male rose breasted grosbeak perches on the right with a female adult on the left, and what appears to be a juvenile male behind her.
For a moment, it appeared that the female was giving a seed to the young one, but a goldfinch distracted them.
A little later, the adult male was back and the juvenile male with him. A female cardinal perches on the back side, while a titmouse tried to grab a beak full.
These are both female grosbeaks, one is smaller that the other, perhaps mother and daughter.
The little male was having a lively conversation with the cardinal.
Apparently, he still had a point to make, but she was more interested in a meal. On the right, two little black capped chickadees ignore the discussion.
In the garden, the hydrangea is still producing lovely lavendar blooms.
Some of the blooms are this deep, speckled pink. I need to cut a few more for the vase in the pine cone ring.
The shasta daisy is blooming profusely now. I’ve staked it up a bit as the stems were laying on the ground.
As the nights were getting cooler, I brought the Thanksgiving cactus and the orchid back inside. The cactus has almost doubled in size this year, and I need to think about repotting it.
Later, as it gets colder, I’ll move some plants to the Carolina room on the back of the house. Next month is bulb planting time, and I’d like to add more daffodils to the island, and hope the squirrels and rabbits don’t dig them up to eat.
What is happening in your garden?
From My Carolina Home 
I’m not surprised your quilt has raised such a hefty sum……very well deserved and equally….high praise for your generosity!
Thank you for telling us about Bullington Gardens. I went there this past weekend with friends from Wilmington. Had a great time. The quiet stroll through the woods and the gorgeous dahlia garden were the highlights of my trip up the mountain from Lenoir. I hope to visit again when the leaves get a little more color. We all got quilt tickets…..hope I win!
Vicki
Chick-a-dee-dee-dee. The grosbeak family sings so beautifully. Just last week we were still smiling at youngsters begging Daddy for a seed, wings fluttering away peeping like hatchlings. Now the fledging goldfinches have taken their place. The sheltered spot around my house escaped the freeze around me. I still have purple asters, goldenrod, and daisies in my meadow. Virgina creeper has turned from salmon color in shaded areas up to a deep rusty red in sunny spots. I don’t have a lot of maples for color, it will be later in fall before the oaks give up their green. Then the evergreens will shine, providing needed color against a neutral gray & white background until spring.
What a great raffle for the Bullington Gardens & the lucky winner.
Love the pics of flowers and birds. Thanks for reminding me to get my cactus back in the house. I hope mine blooms this year. I put it out on the back porch for the summer. We’ll see how it goes.
Love the narrative for the bird feeding visitors. Lol, that last word of the grosbeak with the cardinal. Love them all, but goldfinch and chickadees are so sweet, cardinals so majestic.
Carole, your bird photos are always enjoyable. I still have dahlias and zinnias blooming, but not much else. Enjoy your day!
Gorgeous flowers and fun seeing the bird chatter. My geraniums are also producing a second wave of flowers. I had to laugh…I have always called you Thanksgiving cactus a Christmas Cactus. They do produce such lovely blooms. Mine has done well for years (10 t yrs) remaining in her tighter quarters. She is very massive like yours.
There are three types of Cactus, all named for holidays – Thanksgiving has spiky leaves, Christmas cactus has rounded leaves, and there is also an Easter cactus that has little bristles on the leaves and it blooms in spring.
Wow, no wonder my cactus blooms at Thanksgiving…….I have a Thanksgiving cactus!! I thought it was a Christmas Cactus.
Reading your blog everyday is so inspirational. I look forward to them. You are teaching us the beauty of nature along with the beauty that surrounds us. Thanks for the smile today…..I love the birds. Fun to see the migrators that were here in Northern NY on their way south. Have a great day.
congratulations on your quilt making such a hefty contribution to Bullington Gardens. It is beautiful and will make someone very happy, so I can see how the money was so easily raised.
The birds are so beautiful, and your garden plants look sweet and healthy.
My zinnias and tithonia are still looking beautiful but require trimming. I usually wait for that as the finches do like the seeds, they also like the sun flowers.
My rose bushes look terrible. Everything needs pruning. Overall, my yard looks messy but the flowers are impressive. We live on a corner lot in Broadlands and everyone passes by and says our yard looks so pretty. I really do not know why they say that hahaha
Happy Tuesday
congrats raising so much on that quilt! your quilting is wonderful on it and someone will be lucky to get that quilt.
Your quilting was wonderful and I had no doubt it would raise a considerable amount. Congratulations. I know you worked so very hard quilting it. I can’t imagine how many thread changes you went through. Love the bird photos and the conversations they are having. Nothing but weeds in my garden .
Your Thanksgiving cactus is beautiful . My Spring cactus not so. It just keeps falling apart.
How impressive your beautiful quilt has been so successful but none of us are surprised. It is beautiful and you worked hard on it.
Great news about the ticket sales! Loved the bird photos and story, it made me smile. We are still cleaning up in the garden on nice days. Have mowed over the bean and corn stalks now so they can fertilize and cover over the winter. The broccoli has had a huge surge…we had left the best plant for seeds, but it just keeps putting out these nice sized heads. The Brussels sprouts are hanging in, I think we will get some, and we are picking about a quart of raspberries every 2-3 days. 😍
Your photos are always so vibrant and beautiful. Congratulations on the giant dahlia quilt!
What a lovely post! I am so happy that your quilt raised such a nice sum for the gardens….it is certainly a worthy cause. I can just imagine their joy!
Love all the photos of the flowers as we don’t have much in bloom now due to the heavy frosts. Our little flocks of birds as the feeders seem to have their own vocal socializing. Congratulations on a fantactic fund raiser -tthe dahlia quilt is stunning.
It is nearly October First here in the Southwest Sonoran Desert and we are at last saying goodbye to the over 100-degree (F) temps that have been routine here for the past two months. We can now put plants outside for the winter! We do have to watch for frost warnings, but for the most part, most of the plants that I’ve had to keep inside will live happily outside on the patio. The Zinnias mentioned above seem to be the all-round best plant for any climate. – My giant ones are in full bloom, were beautiful in the heat of the summer, and will stay that way until late November when I pull the spent blooms and save the seeds for next year, although they’ve done a fine job of reseeding themselves for the past couple years.
Happy your gorgeous quilt raised so much for the Gardens – congrats! Loved all the bird photos – you’re able to get in so close for such great detail!
Barb in Tucson
Wow, what great results for your auction item. It may be hard to top that one next year. Your bird conversations are amusing. I have dahlias, zinnias, and marigolds putting on their autumn show. Red geraniums on the deck are full of blooms. But, alas, they must come inside very soon.
Our flowers are just going crazy with the cooler weather here in Oklahoma. We will enjoy them while they last.
Your dahlia quilt is just gorgeous. I can see why it is doing so good.
I always love your pictures.
We are still enjoying a few blooms in the garden, but I have to admit my interest is turning more inside now. Your photos are gorgeous! They are always a delight.
I did enjoy seeing all the beautiful birds at your bird feeders.
Many congratulations on the amount raised on your gorgeous raffle quilt. Someone will be avery happy winner and the amount raised will be put to good use, I’m sure.
Gorgeous flowers, thank you for sharing them with us. and I love your mountain views-that’s awesome!
Your quilt is so gorgeous!! so happy it is raising lots of money-as it should the winner will be super thrilled
Your quilt is worth every penny of that. Such a worthy cause too. The birds are adorable – we lost 7 trees that had to be cut down and I think the birds are peeved at me. Heard from a friend in the west, he, his wife, 2 kids and 2 dogs have been out of their house because of the fires and going from one friend to another every 3 days or so. It’s really hard to imagine the divistation.
he mountain pictures are so uplifting. Thanks for the birds and flowers and scenery.
Carole, what are your tips for growing a Thanksgiving or Christmas cactus? Carol in Texas
Your garden is looking lovely and the mountain view is wonderful. Love seeing all the birds at the feeder.
Gorgeous pictures! You certainly have a green thumb to add to quilter, photographer, hostess with the mostess (with you table settings), philanthropist, educator, and I know there is more that we all get to enjoy through your blogs. Thanks
Wow! So exciting that your quilt has raised so much money for a place you love. That’s amazing!