Fall Blooming Perennials

Think it's too late to garden this year? Not so! It's a great time to plant for fall color. No matter where you live there are some plants that enjoy - even need - cooler weather. And they reward you with pretty blooms starting in September with many lasting weeks and weeks. There are some high-maintenance varieties - requiring staking and pruning all summer and fall. This is not what Summer Casual is all about. We are all avid gardeners and know many very pretty varieties that are low-maintenance from spring through fall and will return beautifully year after year. The three we recommend are sure to please and easy to find at your local nursery.

1. The Hardy Mum - Zones 4-9

This plant has loads of choice for colorful blooms - yellow, orange, red, purple as well as variegated colors. With regular watering these plants grow nice and bushy with loads of flowers. They grow very well in pots and so are suited for small or large spaces. Because of their tolerance of the cold they are a regular sight through Halloween and even deeper into autumn.

There are so many glorious colors of mums from which to choose!

2. Autumn Joy Sedum - Zones 2-9

My personal favorite - I have several in various locations around my yard. Autumn Joy will start to appear mid-spring and continue to grow into a thick lush green plant all summer. They do well as borders as well as in planters. Around mid-summer they produce tiny green buds that turn a lovely lavender in fall.

Slow and steady... these flowers will take some months to bloom but it's so worth the wait.

3. Miscanthus "Morning Light" Grass - Zones 4-9

This attractive decorative grass will offer pink or white flowers in autumn. They grow best with some sun and can grow up to 20 feet! Deer do not especially like Miscanthus either so it makes an excellent ground cover.

There's no wonder why this plant is also called "Morning Light".

This decorative grass is absolutely beautiful to view in early morning.

Artist Profile - Andy Goldsworthy

Are you an avid hiker, naturalist or just like to sit out on in the fresh air? Or do you simply enjoy beautiful sights? Of course, beauty can be found just about anywhere. Because I am lucky to live in a wooded community I am treated to a daily concert of sights and sounds and no day is the same. The Artist Andy Goldsworthy Source: Kidzworld.com As someone who has always enjoyed nature and art I was thrilled to discover the art of Andy Goldsworthy. Although I've known his work since the mid-nineties he never ceases to enchant me. If you don't know who he is, prepare to be amazed. Goldsworthy is a man who enjoys the colors and textures of nature and presents them in a way you likely have never seen before. And, you don't have to be a nature-lover to appreciate his art. Rowan Leaves & Hole Source: Morning-Earth.org Goldsworthy is considered a pre-eminent "Earthworks" artist. This trend in art-making was popularized in the 1980s and 9...

Delicious Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Muffins

The school year is a good month in if you live in Cobb County, GA. Can you believe it? August has passed so quickly. This also means a month of making lunches and snacks for the kiddos. Store bought items are OK but after awhile they end up tasting the same. For me, they taste like either sugar or salt and maybe a little something else. When I have the time I prefer to do homemade snacks. Something that tastes like real food because it is - real flavor, real texture, really yummy. Muffins are my go-to homemade snack and can often make a great breakfast, too. They bake quickly and it's so easy to include healthy ingredients. I'm not the type to hide them. My son is not the best eater but I make sure he knows all the goodness that he does eat. The muffins will take you about 10 minutes to make and then 25 to bake. The ingredients are pantry staples. You may be able to make them today! Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Muffins Makes 12 Muffins Ingredients 1 1/...

Crafty Garden Ideas

I am a so-so gardener. I love the results but often don't want to put in the work. So, I am always looking for easy garden projects that will give me a lot of visual impact. But, I don't want them to break the bank or take up the whole weekend. An afternoon now and again is fine and, quite honestly, it does feel really good to play in the dirt. Photo Source: Empress of Dirt Crafty In Cobb is on Pinterest and I've made a board of Garden Ideas that could be really enjoyable to do. Hope you like!

Crafty In Cobb

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