Gardening and Gardens

The last few days have been perfect September weather - cool mornings and evenings, warm days and low humidity. The sunlight hits the garden differently this time of year - warmer, softer and somewhat more peaceful.  Here's what's blooming in my Long Island, NY garden this month: Although the Rudbeckias (Black-eyed Susans) are starting to fade, their seed heads are a wonderful treat for the birds. In a few more days, the mums will be in full bloom, prolonging the show in this garden. The panicle hydrangea is still in full bloom. I just love the fullness of this shrub, the delicacy of the flowers and its long season.  The Crape Myrtle finished flowering weeks ago, but the seed heads will remain and are quite attractive.  The Knockout Rose shrub is still blooming, with new buds appearing every day. It's a lovely compliment to the light green and pink of the neighboring Sedum. Deep in the shade of my shade garden, these Toad Lilies are ...

A few weeks ago I purchased a hummingbird feeder at our local nursery. As much as I tried to plant flowers that would attract these facinating birds, I just never got any to visit. But within a few hours of placing the feeder where we could watch from the kitchen windows, we saw one! What an absolute delight to see! Hummingbirds get their name from the sound their wings make when they fly because they are flapping so fast (about 80x per second!). They have a unique ability to fly in any direction -  right, left, up down, backwards and upside down too. Hummingbirds are attacted to food by sight, and though red flowers are huge attractors, these birds will go to any colored flower, so long as they are rich in nectar. My feeder is red and yellow, but the nectar is clear.  If you haven't done so already, I highly recommending attracting hummingbirds either with a feeder or plants. Perennials such as bee balms, columbines, daylillies, lupines and annuals like cl...