Twin Oaks in September

Another spectacular sunset looking off my front porch in mid-September.

September was mild with normal rainfall.  The last glimpse of summer gave way to the first hint of autumn.  We had a few crisp fall-like days but there was still plenty of warmth and humidity for most of the month.  This is the month when we start trimming things back.  What remained of the Black-eyed Susans and the tall Queen of the Meadow were cut.  But several things either continued to bloom or put forth for the first time.  I did not have to mow as much since the cooler evenings took with wind out of the various grasses.  The bird action began to diminish.  On some days you could hear more crows than anything else and the bird calls in my woods lessened in frequency.  There was still plenty of butterfly action.

Looking out the window in my study at the back garden in early September.  The Crape Myrtle in the center is in peak bloom.

More Crape Myrtle in full bloom.  These are three planted together in our front yard.

Two hummingbirds battling it out for water rights.  There were actually three of them being pests to each other but I couldn't get them all in one shot.  They are fast!

They rarely allow another one to drink while they are partaking.  Little demons.

 

A wall of Holly that was planted in our back yard about 25 years ago.  I planted half of them myself.  The other half were planted the following year by some hired help that was doing a lot of landscaping for us at the time.

A view of the holly from the other side with the setting sun filtering through the individual shrubs which are now over 20 feet tall.  The shrubs were planted in two rows.

In the middle at the northern end of the hollies are the tentacles of our Lady Banks Rose stretching up through the tall, sturdy shrubs.

 

The hollies start putting out berries in September.  They will turn red this winter and be food for the birds.

Yoshino cherries down by the road offer the first hint of fall color.  My driveway is behind them.

Hibiscus and Coleus near our back door.

Hibiscus close up with a tiny critter on the stigma.  Avery took this shot with her fancy iPhone.

Coleus.

A small flower emerges from the Coleus.  Avery took this one as well.

Mexican sunflower.  I took this photo and all the rest.

A Frittery butterfly in our rock terrace.

Eastern Tiger swallowtail.

Two frittery butterflies mating.  Looks as if they are practicing social distancing.

Having let much of the lower field go without mowing since March, late summer wildflower blossoms sprout forth. 

Goldenrod in the lower field surrounded by what was red clover back in April. 

A different type of Goldenrod in the lower field.

More Goldenrod.  A brighter shade of yellow.

I keep a small grass walking path mowed on the northern side of the lower field.  It starts wide but gets narrow as you approach my woods.  This shot is facing east.  I own the view.

Last year, we drastically cut back the shrubbery along the house facing the front yard.

The shrubbery is happy and exploding with growth again.

Most of my front yard facing southeast.  The maple tree on left blocks the view of my house.  The maple tree in the distance is the one that was mangled so badly in that storm we had back in early August.  I've trimmed all the dead stuff off of it with my chainsaw.  It isn't a perfect tree but I think it trimmed up nicely.  Hopefully, it will grow upward next year.  This whole space is about an acre or so.

The Loropetalum exploded with new growth this year engulfing the walking entrance to our woods.

 

Our magnolias are bursting with seed buds.

This looks very tropical to me, wet from a recent rain.

A gorgeous seed bud bursting forth in September.

Sweet potato vine beside the driveway.

Sedum Autumn Joy and neighbors on the rock terrace.

Blue salvia being held up by a tilted fence and garden ball, lantana in the background.

Our Moon Vine was not as robust this year as in years past.

The Moon over my trees in mid-September, facing the late afternoon sun.

Blogger has "updated" to a new interface that makes editing the html code much more difficult.  So I can not place these photos in the sequence I would like...

The loropetalum really grew a lot in September.  Here it is encroaching upon our forest walking trail.  We will have to trim it back this coming winter.  You can just make out the first of two benches in the woods.

Another butterfly around Goldenrod.

That patch of Goldenrod is situated just above the rock terrace.  You can see the red blooms of a Pineapple sage in the lower left.  The leaves really do smell like pineapple.  You can also make out the last cluster of Echincea which has survived since spring.

The Muhly grass fills in the space where other plants and leaves covered things up a couple of months ago.

Red spider lily blooms in late September as our Nandina makes subtle changes from green to red.

Highlights of the month: Late in the month a band of thunderstorms came through bringing much cooler weather behind.  Fall arrives!  My favorite time of the year.  More butterflies loving our rock terrace.  Lots of hummingbird action too.  The Goldenrod was beautiful. The Moon Vine put forth.  The scrubby lower field offered a rustic beauty.  Our first super clear days following the summer heat and humidity.  Fresh pears were especially tasty this season.  The kadydids vanish with the cooler weather, leaving the sounds of the night to frogs.  Plenty of rain and some prior cool nights before the storms will hopefully mean a colorful fall next month.