This week, those crazy, calendar-defiant lilacs of mine are blooming even more boldly than before. My snapdragons have also returned for a fall display. I’ve still got peppers, tomatoes, and new green beans, and my little carrots are finally ready for pulling. And maybe most exciting of all, I’ve got moon flowers on the way! I planted them ages ago, and the vines have yet to deliver a single flower, but just this week, the first flower buds appeared. Check out all the rest of the pics after the jump. Hoorah for October gardens! 

This cherry tomato plant has been going strong all summer. I’m so pleased it’s still pumping out the fruit! I have a few heirloom tomato plants that are loaded with big green fruit, and I’m crossing my fingers for some red tomatoes on the vine before frost hits. Bean-wise, I thought the green bean harvest was over, but on Friday I spotted a few new beans on the vine and even more new flowers. Exciting, but not as exciting as…

Moonflowers! That spiky bud there has put me into a frenzy of anticipation. Here’s the deal — we had awesome evening primroses all summer. They open at sunset, a bright lemony-yellow, and by morning, they’ve turned a rosier orange-y pink, and then by 10 a.m. they’ve withered and that’s it. Each bloom is a one-day-only special. They were such a gorgeous evening show, and when they started to fade, I was desperate for a night bloomer replacement. So I planted a bunch of moonflower vines. When they bloom, it’s with big white flowers that open only at night (as you might infer from the name moonflower). The vines have grown and grown, but so far, not a single moonflower has appeared. Until, ta da: spiky bud. I’m watching it every night, and rest assured, I’ll be out there with my camera when it opens.

Hope your October gardens are beautiful too!

 

Tags: lilacs, peppers, snapdragons, this week in the garden