Hey there, everybody! I know it is mid-August and most of you are done with your gardens and getting ready for school to start or for fall to begin but, I love summer and flowers, and I am not ready to give up quite yet with my garden. I think gardening extends through September and if you are lucky, into October, as well! Therefore, I decided to go check out a few local nurseries recently to see what they had available in their yards at this late date in the summer in order to freshen up my garden and maybe even bring it steadily into fall~
My first stop was Nunan's in Georgetown, MA. Nunan's happens to be a five-minute drive from my house. Aside from being closer to all my children and grandchildren, Nunan's is one of the best perks to my moving into this area a year and a half ago. Nunan's always seems to have beautiful, thriving plants all season long and it didn't disappoint on my latest trip.
Before I begin, I should apologize for my not-so-good photos. I was feeling a bit shy about taking photos at the nurseries. After all, I am just a meager blogger with not much cred so I was afraid people might question why I was taking pictures of their flowers and signs. The photo below was taken from inside my car at a distance, no less :). Some of the other photos were taken quickly and I didn't realize they were not totally focused! Sorry about that!
Anyway, as I entered the nursery I found these lovely pre-fall offerings. The sunflowers, ornamental corn and mums almost made me forget it is still summer....but not quite. I am a summer lover all the way. But, I will keep them in mind as the days shorten and get cooler.
This combo of Black-eyed Susans and Globe Amaranth were lovely too!
This display of ornamental peppers did get me though. I purchased some to go in my raised container planter that is needing a little love at this point in the summer. I will be back for more. They are just too gorgeous and fun!
More spectacular flowers to choose from!
And aren't these zinnias something else??!!
I traveled outback to look at what might be available for perennials just as the cloudy sky started to make thunder sounds. So, I wasn't able to really search for perennials but, I did notice this sign and plan to go back at another time to take advantage of the sale. I would like to add more varieties of perennials to my backyard garden if possible before the season ends. Hopefully, the selection will be good enough to accommodate me.
On the way out of Nunan's and with the dark sky looming, I spotted this collection of flowers. Everything is always beautiful there. I am not sure what the blue flowers are (I will check the tag next time I go.) but I love them!
Even though the sky was ominous, I decided to head East because I thought the storm was coming from the West and I could outrun the rain and visit another nursery or two. I headed to Wolf Hill in Ipswich, MA. Wolf Hill is another beautiful and well stocked nursery nearby. It is a lot of fun to visit because they have annuals, perennials, trees and shrubs, almost anything you could need for the garden. They also sell lawn furniture and ornaments. It is a full-service nursery. They even have a store inside filled with beautiful seasonal decorations and garden tools. It is great!
However, the rain was starting to fall and I needed to hurry. So, I took a few photos, kind of in an incognito way, and quickly ran into the indoor shop to peruse for just a minute.
Outside there were sunflowers and ornamental grasses. I love those too!!
These Black-eyed Susans are what I was thinking I would get for my backyard garden. I believe they spread easily and are quite hardy. I am not sure how well the hybrid kinds do in terms of coming back year after year. Maybe some of you know the answer to that.
Sedum is always a great late summer plant to add to the garden too. I have a deer problem when it comes to sedum, however. They love to eat it, I have found. The deer didn't eat it at my old home in Groton but, they certainly do in Boxford. It is maddening.
These are those beautiful late summer hibiscuses you see in some yards this time of year. I thought the pink color was pretty.
After shopping in the inside shop for just a minute, I quickly walked to my car. The sky was still looming but, I had one more place I wanted to go. I have been meaning to go to Marini Farm, also in Ipswich, all summer just to see what kind of flowers they might have. Marini Farm is mostly a farmstand with vegetables, some flowers and lots of baked goods and other yummy things. This day, I was going for the flowers and plants.
Well, I got there and this ↓ was pretty much the extent of the flower/plant selection. Again, I apologize for the photos. I took this picture from my car also. There was an older gentleman sitting in his truck next to me. I assumed he was waiting for his wife. I didn't want him to see me taking a picture of this small selection of plants. I am pretty sure he would think that was strange.
I did go into the farmstand and as far as farmstands go, it was wonderful! They sold ears of corn, all sorts of fresh vegetables, some cut zinnias that looked beautiful and above all their baked goods looked delicious! The homemade breads were to die for but, that was not why I was there :(. I plan to go back soon, maybe with a grandchild in tow to check out the food and candy offerings. We'll see.
So, at the end of the day, considering the weather and all, I found that there are plenty of places I can still go to lengthen the growing season for my garden. I still have at least three other local nurseries that I can't wait to visit. Next time I will check the radar on my phone or maybe get out a little bit earlier in the day so I can visit all of them. Haha!
Enjoy the weekend!!!
***Please note I have not been compensated for writing this post~
