A Kansas Prairie Garden

Frosty morning

We woke up the morning of November 18 to a beautiful frost that edged everything in icy lace.

Our Sundae didn't think much of the icy deck. She tiptoed quickly back to the warmth of the garage. (If her coat is any indication, we have quite a winter in store!)

We've been emptying out pots and putting them away for the winter, but a few are still too pretty to get rid of. There are little bits of sedum and thyme thriving in the strawberry pot and I replaced the frozen coleus that was in the top with some ivy from the side of the shed. The front porch is well protected and gets nice morning sun, so things last longer there than anywhere else. We try to eke every bit of color and enjoyment from our flowerpots before we finally admit it's winter and time to store them away.

The view across the street

Autumn's last gasp is always stunning!

Mid-November views

We're starting to put the garden to bed, slowly emptying spent pots and pulling out raggedy flowers. Still, there is plenty of color in the yard and we're savoring the days before winter sets in.

Brrrrrr!

November 5 and this is what greeted us on the deck this morning. Not ready for ICE yet! : (

November panorama

Click on any photo to enlarge.

Front Porch Views November 1

It's a stunningly beautiful day in Kansas this morning. These are the views from our front porch.

Pansies

This basket of pansies has been the best $9.99 I think I've ever spent! They sit on the bistro table outside our kitchen window and they make me smile every morning.

October close-ups from the garden

Dahlberg Daisies (and a moth)

Frond from Purple Fountain Grass

Blue Daze (Evolvulus)

Sedum

Carefree Delight

Red Twig Dogwood

Pansies

BabyWing Pink Begonia

Bringing the garden inside

I always dread the time when the first frost threatens the potted plants. I usually try to bring in a few plants before that happens so we'll have a little color inside to enjoy into the winter months. Tonight was the night to dig the ivy "accents" out of the pots and replant them. Ivy loves the steamy atmosphere in the master bath, so that's where these pretty pots landed. The flower pots on the deck look a little empty, but I'm sure loving the way the bathroom looks!

The welcome mat is out

We're gardening on a very small budget this year, so not going all out with fall decorations. I may still splurge on a mum pot or two when they go on sale, but this basket of pansies (from our favorite Stone Creek Nursery) and the impatiens and begonias that are still blooming like mad on the front porch are as festive as any mums we've ever had.

Camouflaging a shed

The plantings around the shed (meant to "soften" the building, and hide the compost heap behind it) are coming along really nicely now in late October. Ken has already cut the English ivy away from the windows once, but I wouldn't mind if it covered the entire shed AND the house! Love that stuff. The pampas grass on the opposite side of the shed was moved from the front of the house. The grass and root ball weighed almost 200 pounds and had to be towed with the lawn mower, but it seems to feel right at home in this new spot and we love the way it looks there.

Autumn colors

We've had such a lovely autumn and the weather has stayed nice for weeks on end. October 19, and we still see a lot of green, but slowly the turning of leaves is happening. Beautiful, and yet, I'm always a little sad when it happens because that means the long Kansas winter is right around the corner. [Enlarge the second photo to see Sundae surveying her kingdom.]