Comments

1. 
   HelloFromMD 10/05/2015

   Hi Jan, gorgeous flowers. Your kale are spectacular. Does the comment mean you grew the from seed you planted in April? They're perfect. Do you have problems with cabbage worms? Love the mum Matchsticks, too. I'm intrigued by your garden path. Where does it go?

2. 
   meander_michaele 10/05/2015

   Welcome, Jan, you are certainly sharing some beautiful pictures with us. Add me in as a fan of that stunning kale...so colorful and textural...who needs blooms with all that fancy foliage. But, then again, I also adore your flowering mum 'Matchsticks'...that variety is a real winner. When does your first frost typically hit in your part of MI?

3. 
   wGardens 10/05/2015

   Very nice! Love the asters and Malva together. An impressive group of kale as well.

4. 
   Tim_Zone_Denial_Vojt 10/05/2015

   Thanks for sending in the great photos, Jan. Looks awesome. Your kale grouping does look amazing. You should consider getting a few more, sharp photos of the kale grouping and sending your best one in to the cabbage/kale challenge over at another garden blog:

   http://www.thedangergarden.com/2015/09/the-2015-ornamental-cabbage-and-kale.html

1. 
   meander_michaele 10/05/2015

   I thought of you the other day, Tim, when I was reading the most recent Danger Garden blog post. I was trying to recall if I even knew about it because, at some point, you had shared a link to it. Ah, well, the old memory "ain't what it used to be"...me and the old gray mare.

5. 
   user-7007140 10/05/2015

   Beautiful colors and plant combinations, Jan. I love Japanese anemones - they always look to me like butterflies fluttering above the lower plants, and asters are going to be a must in my garden in the future, but I think I have to give in and plant them in pots. Good - it just occurs to me I have another item on my shopping list! OOps!

6. 
   GrannyCC 10/05/2015

   Thanks for joining our group Jan. Your flowers are wonderful. Would love to see an overall view of your garden. I too am intrigued by the kale as to was it planted from seed in April. Where I live we always have the plants for sale in Sept.

7. 
   CJgardens 10/05/2015

   Jan, thanks for sharing your plants/blooms with the blog and welcome. I also would l love to see more photos of your gardens. Your plants are so healthy looking. Usually my ferns are very ragged by September; maybe it's the variety (thanks for labeling the varieties.) I'll have to check on that. I have pink, magenta, and purple asters blooming and the bees love them. The bright colors are so enjoyable when the rest of the garden is getting pretty drab. The flowering kale are beautiful; I've been looking for blue accents for my beds and they would work well. In Wisconsin I find them in 4 or 6 packs at the nurseries in the spring. I like the airiness of the Japanese anemone; the butterfly comparison is so right.
   cj

8. 
   schatzi 10/05/2015

   Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful! The matchsticks mum is lovely, and I especially like the white anemone. To me they always look so fresh and bright when other things are starting to look tired. Eddi, I think you are right to keep the asters in pots. In my garden, they try to take over in the ground. Me too, Michaela, re the memory lapses. Ain't old age fun? But it is better than the alternative. I like to be able to see my flowers, not be planted under them!

9. 
   user-4283329 10/05/2015

   Lovely photos Jan! Your whole garden looks beautiful. Such a great job of maintaining colour into the fall. Love the berries on your magnolia (bonus!). I'm a big admirer of Japanese anemones, especially Honorine Jobert but haven't tried to grow them. We garden in Ontario, zone 4b/ borderline 5. What is your zone in Michigan?

10. 
    sheila_schultz 10/05/2015

    Welcome to the GPOD family, Jan... Your fall flowers and foliage are spectacular! I didn't even bother with cabbage and kale this year since the cabbage worms got fat and sassy last year, but after looking at your gorgeous specimens I might just have to surround my newly planted small blue spruce's with cabbages to add a little fall charm to the containers! Thanks for the idea, Jan!!!

1. 
   user-7007076 10/06/2015

   My yard was full of a not so lovely flurry of cabbage moths that were devouring my Lacinato Kale until I fledged a warm on them with hot pepper spray. It was fantastic, cheap, and organic and I wished I engaged in the war earlier in the season. Place a tight lid on a large kettle and boil 3 tbs red pepper flakes in a gallon of water for 15 minutes then let it sit in the garage overnight. Then strain it and put it in a spray bottle. Do make sure to be careful and always keep a lid on as its peppery heat will become airborne. I did reapply after rain, but I was very pleased to be the only one eating my kale.

11. 
    user-7007076 10/06/2015

    Lovely photos! I especially love the dainty anemone!