Still Blooming

One of the few things I like about living in New Jersey is the long growing season. Even after more than two decades, I still can't believe that it's November and I still have flowers. The Bachelors Buttons in the Entry Garden are blooming up a storm. I especially love this bi-colored one.

I've never seen one like this, have you? In addition to the usual blue, there are some lovely dark purple blossoms.

In the backyard, annual Black-Eyed Susans (Rudbeckia hirta) are still putting on a brave show.

The perennial ones (Rudbeckia fulgida) gave up the ghost long ago! I don't normally allow the annual ones to flower. I usually am pretty ruthless about weeding them out because they are so invasive but this border was virtually devoid of flowers this summer so I allowed them to grow and blossom. I will regret this next year!

Three of the rosebushes I planted this year are growing spectacularly! The first two are Belle de Crecy and Mme Pierre Oger. I didn't label them and I have forgotten which one is which. I'll find out when they bloom. The last is Seven Sisters.





The Seven Sisters is AMAZING! I thought that it had died so I asked the company for a replacement. By the time the replacement arrived, this rose had leaves so I transplanted it to its current spot and planted the replacement in the original spot where I wanted it. Now the replacement appears to have died. I'm just leaving it. It may come back and then I'll have two of them!