In my Maine backyard, October has been weirdly heat, with daytime excessive temperatures 10-20 levels (Fahrenheit) above regular and with no in a single day lows even near freezing and, due to this fact, no frost. Vegetation are usually not fooled by these summery temperatures; the shorter hours of daylight inform them that it’s time to cease placing on new development and go into dormancy. The leaves of deciduous timber are shedding their chlorophyll and dropping to the bottom. Regardless of the temperature, this can be a certain signal of autumn, as are the fringy yellow flowers of our native witch hazel (Hamamelis virginiana) peeking out between leaves of an identical coloration.

However the lack of frost has made it doable for flowers on many crops to proceed to bloom. Shrubs of Spiraea bumalda x ‘Neon Flash,’ which started blooming in late June within the entrance backyard and on the entrance slope slightly below the retaining wall, are nonetheless displaying off various sizzling pink flowers in opposition to their blue-green foliage.

Additional down the entrance slope, Vernonia lettermanii (narrow-leaved ironweed) ‘Iron Butterfly,’ which normally struggles to open any of its buds earlier than the primary frost, has virtually completed blooming. Though I finished deadheading purple poppy mallows (Callirhoe involucrata) and types of coreopsis a number of weeks in the past, they nonetheless have buds flowering.

On the high of the slope, lavender (Lavandula augustifolia ‘Hidcote’) is having fun with a second flush of blooms. The flowers of Sedum ‘Neon’ have turned a deep burgundy as they start to show to seedheads, and the flowers of Hydrangea paniculata ‘Pinky Winky’ have additionally deepened their coloration.

Within the entrance border, long-blooming stalwarts Tradescantia virginiana ‘Osprey’ and Geranium x oxonianum proceed to flower.

A lot fuller and extra good shows may be discovered on perennials that usually flower in fall. These embrace the tall Rudbeckia x ‘Herbstsonne’ and clean blue aster (Symphyotrichum laeve) ‘Bluebird.’ The latter grows in a protected spot by the inspiration of the home, the place it usually escapes the primary frosts and may generally proceed flowering into November.

Backyard Bloggers’ Bloom Day is a month-to-month celebration of flowers hosted by Carol Michel at Could Desires Gardens. Go to her web site to see October blooms from gardens in quite a lot of climates.