A Peek at My Garden When Everyone Else Hates Theirs

My friends and relatives, most of us gardeners, hate the autumn mess in the yard this time of year.

But I’m in heaven here in Wisconsin. I’ve never been able to grow dahlias. Just look at these beauties in the backyard. The red ones are almost 6 feet high. The short yellow ones remind me of stars.

My sisters planted three puny little Coleus in my shade garden when they visited in late June. Three months later, they look elegant in their waist-high planter that I bought at a yard sale for $5 and spray-painted white:

I had almost given up hope on this one. My Morning Glories, started from two scrawny plants about 3 inches high, have taken over the porch railings and are finally blooming, more than a month behind schedule. When they’re in full bloom later this week, they’ll make a gorgeous backdrop for the pink Hibiscus. The blooms are so big and heavy that some of the stalks have broken:

 Who needs pumpkins when I can enjoy this for a few more weeks?