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 90s but

Art, butterflies and flowers - a hearty morning walk around the Smith-Gilbert Gardens

We all have local places that we mean to visit but never do. And, you know, most of the time we really, really do want to go, right? My list of places is mostly outdoors - to visit local parks, gardens and trails and also to travel to all the beautiful waterfalls in Georgia. AN UNPLANNED VISIT The Smith-Gilbert Gardens in Kennesaw is practically around the corner and I'd known about it for years. But I never put it in the family's weekend plans. Two Saturdays ago we finally visited - on the fly. Other plans fell through and we still wanted to get outside. The Smith-Gilbert Gardens were just minutes away so we decided to go there. What a charming and playful garden it is! It is not overwhelmingly large. The well-designed grounds offer a variety of plant life for you to enjoy - and plenty of shade. The Woodland Walk is not very long, maybe a half mile, and takes you around the entire property under an umbrella of cooling trees. There are plenty of places to si

Crafty Lion Collage - How to Make Your Own

I completed this colorful mixed media collage yesterday and am pretty pleased with how it turned out. It helps that it's my 5th version, which is a tendency I have. Making variations on a theme until I can't stand it. This is a great rainy day activity for anybody and is a great project to do with kids. Would you like to try to make one? It's all a matter of materials and steps. If you want to have a go read on... MATERIALS & TOOLS Colorful Paper - not too thick so that the paper can absorb the adhesive really well. The colors I used are taupe (I cut this one 12x12" and worked on that surface), mustard, grass green, lime green, burgundy, red violet, red and white. You don't have to follow this exactly. NOTE: Keep the paper thin. No to cardboard and thick paper; Yes to magazine and newspaper. Paint - white and brown Adhesive - I use Blickrylic Polymer Gloss Medium but good old Modge Podge will work fine, too. You can get the latter at any craft stor

Crafty In Cobb

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