This Week at a Glance

How can it be October already?

September was a blur, and I have a feeling this month will go by just as fast. I’ll be out in the garden quite a bit this month, rain or shine.

The last few weeks have been gorgeous. Sunshine, cooler mornings, and afternoons still in the seventies, with a day or two of rain mixed in that was actually welcome. Thank you, Pacific Northwest. There’s more rain in the forecast next week, so we’re soaking up every bit of sun while it lasts.

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The leaves are starting to drop, slowly for now. Soon we’ll be mulching and moving them onto the dahlia beds and anything else that needs a little protection this winter.

We’ve also started the slow job of moving the geraniums out of the planters and into individual pots, then into the greenhouse to overwinter. One pot at a time, the greenhouse is filling back up.

I’ve started mapping out next year’s garden, including where the divided plants will go, which dahlia tubers and spring bulbs I need to order, and how I’ll bring a few tired beds back to life.

Have you started writing down your garden notes from this year? What worked, what didn’t, what you want to grow next year, and what was a total fail? It’s ok to fail. That’s how we learn, and I welcome it.

If you’re looking for a place to keep it all, my digital garden planner has 35 pages for journaling and planning next year’s garden. Take a look below if you haven’t already.

In the Garden

Lately, I’ve been focused on the containers and patios.

They’re officially dressed for fall with mums, ornamental kale and cabbage, pansies, violas, and trailing ivy.

I’ve also tucked pumpkins all through the garden and onto the porch. Fall doesn’t feel official without them.

The fall planters are my favorite part of the garden in October and where most of the color is.

I think I love them even more than my summer planters.

The color palette is so warm and has so much interest you don’t find in other seasons.

The little pumpkins finish them off.

The rest of the garden is still hanging in there with mums, asters, sedum ‘Autumn Joy’, euphorbia, and zinnias.

We’re slowly saying goodbye to the black-eyed Susans, which carried so much of the color in August and September.

The dahlias are still blooming throughout the garden.

The zinnias took a hit in the rain.

From a distance, they still look great as a group, but up close, a lot of them are looking a little ragged.

Growing your own pumpkins always feels like a big accomplishment.

This year was more about the little ones. I’m not sure what happened to my larger pumpkins. Not one green pumpkin showed up, so obviously I need to figure out why.

The winners were the white pumpkins that climbed the arbor in the cut flower garden.

On the Blog This Week

My Favorite Inspiration Around the Web This Week

This instant pot chicken pot pie casserole looks delicious!

Step inside this modern arch-filled La Jolla sanctuary.

This brown-and-white transferware pumpkin fall craft is the cutest idea!

Find the best Halloween spooky cocktails, mocktails, and punches, plus drinks for fall nights and cozy sips!

This Urban Grace home project will inspire you.

Here’s a guide for cutting and arranging chrysanthemums that you’ll want to see.

I’m loving this DIY black-and-white swag, crafted for Halloween.

These Toblerone shortbread cookies look so delicious!

Coming Up Next Week

The scarecrows come out this weekend, and I’ll share them with you next Sunday. I still need to take pictures of our cottage decorated for fall, so that’s on this weekend’s list too.

Wishing you a sunny October afternoon or two before the rain settles in, and a few last blooms to bring inside.

Until next time,

Wishing a wonderful week ahead,

Until next time,