Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day - October 2017

Welcome to Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day for October 2017.

Here in my USDA Hardiness Zone 6a garden in central Indiana, the first of the autumn crocuses, Crocus speciosus, showed up in time for bloom day.  This truly is a flower that belongs to October.

If you look closely at the picture, you'll see a little bee buzzing around it.

This time of year, it seems every flower has a bee or butterfly on it. They know the season will soon be over so they aren't wasting any time when the sun is shining and the flowers are open for business. They want to get whatever nectar they can now.

The crocus is the only new bloom this month. Every other flower in my garden is a bloom that's holding over from earlier weeks, but since they are still blooming in October, they count for bloom day.

Come and zig-zag through the garden with me, checking blooms in the order the photos uploaded.

There are still some toad lilies, Tricyrtis sp., blooming in the shade. I apologize I don't know what this one is other than "variegated". It's a keeper.

I need to deadhead these Joe Pye weed seed heads or I will have Joe Pye weed everywhere next year.

Last year at this time, the asters were still going strong. This year, I think the dry spell we had through much of August and September did them in early.  Not much left of them now compared to other years.

Who can resist a monarch butterfly on a zinnia?

Or another monarch butterfly on another zinnia?

Wowser, this hyacinth bean vine didn't look like much all summer, but it is knocking it out of the garden right now.

And it is providing a nice resting spot for a monarch butterfly. There's a painted lady butterfly on there, too, but she's hard to see.

Good ol' marigolds. They just keep blooming. I bet they would look even better if I deadheaded them occasionally.

Here's an annual alyssum that's been blooming like this since early spring when I planted it.  (If we ignore that dandelion in the picture, maybe it will go away?)

I cannot get enough of the new 'At Last' shrub roses. I love the color. I love the scent. I love that a little bee is loving them, too.

And I love that the 'Rozanne' geraniums I planted in the spring are still blooming in the front.

And I love these tiny blue flowers of leadwort. They have the big name of Ceratostigma plumbaginoides.

That's not a pale tree trunk, that's the base of my bird bath.

And that's October here at May Dreams Gardens.  Not a bad showing, if you ask me.

What's blooming in your garden on this fine fall day? We would love for you to join in for Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day and show us. It's easy to participate. Just post about what's blooming in your garden on your blog, then come back here and leave a comment to tell us what you've got and a link in the Mr. Linky widget so we know where to find you.

"We can have flowers nearly every month of the year." ~ Elizabeth Lawrence.

Especially if we plan for it!