Gardening and Stitching and...

I'm plugging along on "Sunflower Sampler".  The birds are stitched with WDW 'Black Crow', but they look more like 'Brown Birds' to me.  I think I'm going to frog them out and restitch using DMC 310.

It's Tuesday once again. 

Parvati is your Garden Party Guide today. 

Here she is enjoying the last bit of sunshine before the rains returned this past weekend.  We ended up with about 1.0" of much-needed rain.

Look what I got!  My Mom returned from a road trip to the Southwest and brought me back this lovely Blue Elf Aloe.  It is a tight clumping aloe that grows to 18" tall by 2' wide.  It has narrow upright gray-blue leaves that contrast well with spikes of orange flowers which appear from early winter to early spring (January-April) and attract hummingbirds. It should be planted in full sun and watered only occasionally. Hardy to to 20°F. Useful in containers or in mass plantings. I had the perfect planter just waiting for it too. I'll have to move it under the eaves later this fall, so it does not drown. 

My two Chrysanthemums are blooming up a storm. 

The deer munched on them earlier this Summer, but that just acted as a good 'pinching' and they are covered this buds as a result.  

Does anyone else have a Witch Hazel blooming now?  I have one that's been in bloom for 3-4 weeks.

In early October my two Fuchsia Baskets continue unabated...

...and I still have lots of color from my Begonias.

Sometimes foliage is the prettiest thing in the garden.  I love the rain drops dotting this small Cedar.

And look at the contrast of the the flaming Sweetgum against the gray-green Douglas Fir.  Spectacular!

Tom-Cat thanks you for joining our short garden tour and suggests that it might be time for a nap.