Haunted Cemetery Halloween

Earlier this month, I was out and about with my camera looking for fall color, when I drove past the reputedly haunted White Cemetery on Cuba Road. It's a lovely little cemetery, but I thought I'd have some fun with a couple of the shots I took there.

Somehow, I missed getting any of those floating orbs in any of my pictures.

I am no longer feeling the shame

Finally, after several years, the Asclepias purpurascens (purple milkweed) has developed seeds to give back to the Native Seed Gardeners (NSG) program. I was so embarrassed that I was enjoying my free plants for so long without being able to live up to my obligation to turn over the seeds to NSG for sowing in the local prairies. This year, despite the drought, the three plants managed to produce four pods full of seeds. I cut off the pods, brought them inside, where I pulled the seeds off the silky down, and put them in an envelope ready to be turned in. I'm just so relieved.

Bloom Day October '12

Geranium 'Bob's Blunder'

I have 46 minutes in which to get this post finished. Last month's Bloom Day post attempt was a total failure. In the interest of getting this done before midnight CDT, I will be brief. The rains dried up around the middle of September, so it was drag the hose around time again. Then the rain returned with October. The garden has responded enthusiastically, with peak autumnal color. I know I show this little Geranium often, but it's just always so attractive. It looks its best now, with the bright orange tones of its changed foliage setting off the bright magenta blooms and the dark new foliage.
I'm not going to show all the Geraniums in bloom, just one more.

Geranium 'Blogold' (Blue Sunrise™)

The leaves of the Calycanthus floridus 'Athens' are showing their brilliant yellow fall color, making the vibrant blue/purple of Blue Sunrise really shine.

This October is Asterpalooza here at Squirrelhaven.

Aster tataricus

Symphyotrichum laeve 'Bluebird' with Lobularia maritima (sweet alyssum)

Symphyotrichum ericoides 'Snow Flurry'

One of the monkshoods is in full bloom.

Aconitum carmichaelii

I'm still waiting for Aconitum fisherii to bloom.

Back with fresh blooms are:

this mystery Fuchsia I've kept alive for several years,

Heuchera 'Fire Chief',

and Hydrangea macrophylla 'Penny Mac'. The orange-foliaged plant behind it is Porteranthes trifoliata, a/k/a Gillenia trifoliata, common name bowman's root.

Finally, the not-yet-done plants:

Antirrhinum majus 'Snap Daddy Yellow'

 Ceratostigma plumbaginoides with festive foliage courtesy of Platycodon grandiflorus

Coreopsis 'Star Cluster' with the colorful seedheads and foliage of Hylotelephium 'Matrona'

Anemone x hybrida 'Andrea Atkinson'

Tricyrtis 'Tojen' showing off fresh raindrops

Echinacea purpurea

I suspect this coneflower is 'After Midnight' (sadly, it is actually after midnight right now). It's not in the Nanoprairie, but across the driveway. I suspect I yanked it out a year or so ago & tossed it over there meaning to put it in the big green monster, but missed it. A happy accident in any event.

One last thing, not flowers, but just as good, the bracts of Heptacodium miconiodes.

It has a couple of blooms left on it, but the bracts are just outstanding this year.
As always, thanks goes to Carol at May Dreams Gardens for hosting Bloom Day.

The rest:
Actaea simplex 'Black Negligee' (one last flower)
Alchemilla
Begonia
Caryopteris x clandonensis 'Janice' (Little Miss Sunshine™)
Consolida (larkspur)
Dianthus 'Cranberry Ice' and a red one the name of which I can't recall
Eurybia divaricata
Geranium 'Jolly Bee', 'Rozanne'
Geranium nodosum 'Svelte Lilac'
Heuchera 'Havana' and 'Raspberry Ice'
Hylotelephium species
Knautia macedonia
Lavandula angustifolia 'Hidcote'
Lonicera 'Winchester'
Malva sylvestris 'Zebrina'
Oxalis regnelli 'Triangularis
Pelargonium
Phlox paniculata 'David', 'David's Lavender' and 'Blue Paradise'
Solidago 'Fireworks'
Symphyotrichum novae-angliae various cultivars
Symphyotrichum oblongifolium 'October Skies'
Tricyrtis 'Gilt Edge' and 'Guilty Pleasure'