a few pics

This is Balloon Fest Weekend, and much to my disappointment, no balloons this morning. I guess the wind is from the wrong direction this year. Last year, I was able to get some nice pictures of balloons going over the house.

But here are a few garden pictures, and a knitting one. First is the Autumn Clematis, which didn't get as high this year as it has done in the past, but it's blooming beautifully.

Here's the shade garden, looking definitely the worse for wear at the end of the season. I'm not quite sure what's up with the giant hosta--usually it looks giant and confident, but the past month or so it's looked a bit odd, and less together. I'm wondering if it might need to be divided, although I haven't had the impression that hostas generally need dividing, but that rather the clump just spreads and increases. I'm going to mulch it with compost after things die back; maybe that will help.

This is the raised driveway bed, in a mixed state. The sweet peas have about had it. I've been so happy and thrilled with them, thanks to the cool summer, but they've also showed me that that area looks good with some kind of green viney background, so I think I'll try morning glories next year, since I can't be sure of getting another good sweet pea summer. I'm also totally thrilled with the strobilanthus (Persian Shield) and whatever variety of petunia I have growing in front of them--I think they're just gorgeous! And if I can I'll duplicate it next year, but add a strong pink to warm it up a bit. Both the strobilanthus and the petunia are going great guns. The pink petunias are doing all right, but they don't drape like the lavender ones do. So I should be sure to find draping petunias for next year. I'll have to think about annuals to put in this bed to fill in when all the May/June flowers (like the iris) stop blooming.


This is a sweater I'm knitting for my nephew. Maybe. I'm using the lighter-weight yarns I found last weekend, and making it up as I go, and I already see some things I don't like, but I think I'll just keep going. It may turn out okay. I cast on according to Ann Budd's The Knitter's Handy Book of Patterns, and I hope it will be big enough.