When the calendar flips over to October, it may feel that the gardens are finished. However, the gardens have the fullness of their beauty on display in October. All of the growing and waiting these plants have done throughout the warmer months has come to fruition. Indeed, some of my very favorite flowers bloom in late September and October. They are always worth the wait.

I will start with the crowd favorite: dahlias. I hardly meet a person who does not love dahlias. Their appeal is undeniable. Dahlia flowers come in a wide array of forms that are sure to catch almost any eye. And the colors! Pick a color and you can find a dahlia in that shade. From clear white to a red that is almost black, these blooms span the spectrum. In the gardens here at Blithewold, we have dahlias in bloom in most every garden. In the Rose Garden you will find shades of pink and deep maroon. In the North Garden there are peach, white, and yellow blossoms scattered throughout the garden beds. The Idea Garden is home to some of the more unusual cultivars and many dahlias that were grown from seed.

While you are wandering through the Cutting Garden admiring dahlias you may take notice of vines rising above you on trellises along the pathway. Love in a Puff (Cardiospermum halicacabum) are delicate yet enthusiastic vines that have spent the latter half of this summer winding their way up the bamboo trellises we made early in the spring. This annual vine puts on an astonishing amount of growth in one season, easily reaching to 8-10′ without breaking a sweat. While considered invasive in the southeast, it is a favorite annual vine for us here in the Northeast as our winters prevent them from being garden thugs. And, as an added delight, inside each puff that has matured to brown in color are three black seeds with white hearts. Thus, the plant earns its moniker – love in a puff.

Speaking of love, I would be remiss if I failed to mention some of our late season bloomers that the bees are loving right now in all of the gardens: Asters! I find these garden stalwarts are underappreciated and underutilized by many in favor of perfectly coiffed mums that sit nicely beside gourds and pumpkins on the front steps. May I wholeheartedly endorse asters as the late season flower that you will never regret planting. Not only is this a one time purchase, but these plants will slowly increase in size over the years so you can easily split them and have late season color wherever you would like in your garden. And, as I said at the beginning, the pollinators will thank you. I find in my home garden the bumblebees sleep in the aster flowers all night – a sweeter bed I could not imagine!

There are so many more flowers in bloom right now, but I will show you just a sampling of what else you can see here at Blithewold.

As you can see, October is not the end, but simply another season with plenty to offer. Come and enjoy all the blooms at this most beautiful time of year!