Moving Toward Autumn

I had just finished cleaning the barn floor, hauling multiple loads of sodden bedding and manure out to the compost pile with the tractor bucket. I decided that it was time to re-dig the drainage ditch, which tends to fill in over a few years. I used the tractor bucket, starting at the barn and working my way downhill:

I had to move to the opposite side of the ditch and move my way back up toward the barn before I was finished. I hope that I am now prepared for big rainstorms and snow melts:

I've been calling this the Carefree Delight, but I began to doubt when I looked at the website and saw what it was supposed to look like. I emailed the nursery owner and he identified it instantly. This is a Carefree Beauty and it is grown right next to the Carefree Delight. The similarity in location and names caused the workers to pull the wrong plant. He said he'd send the correct rose immediately but I asked him to wait until springtime, when I will probably add a couple more rose varieties. I did notice that both Carefree roses grow quite large, so I'll probably move this one and plant both new roses together in the middle of the lawn somewhere:

When all the other varieties of Daylily were almost done for the year, the Frans Hals variety burst into bloom and hasn't quit yet. It is by far my favorite:

This is a tall mass of weeds which I mow around whenever I cut the lawn. It consisted mostly of Goldenrod and Wild Cucumber in bloom, and Wild Grapevine not in bloom:

And I've kept bringing flowers to church on Sunday. This was multiple colors of Yarrow plus my Frans Hals Daylilies:

Another vase contained purple (wild) Joe-Pye-Weed, yellow (wild) Goldenrod and various colors of Sunflowers:

The Amish farm down the road had Sunflower also, but apparently a variety grown for its edible seed. The sweet corn was growing right next to them:

I was driving past my own place on the county road one day when I stopped and snapped a picture of my cows, filing past the horse corral on their way to the stock tank for a drink of cool, clean water:

And in many places along my road, the field corn was ripening. Spring rains meant late planting, but short season varieties and good drainage in some fields allowed them to ripen almost on schedule:

I used my zoom lens for a closeup of the ripening ears of corn. Yes, winter is on the way - but beautiful autumn will arrive first:

August On The Farm

The pure white Morden Snowbeauty was the only rose of the six I planted this spring which had not yet bloomed. It finally began to flower, and right next to the pink Carefree Beauty:

 In the pasture, the wild Butter-And-Eggs began to flower:

 And the white fantail pigeons were having a good year:

 They produced more successful nests and babies this year than ever before:

Newborns in a cake pan nest:

 A newly hatched baby being fed "pigeon milk," which is partially digested food, regurgitated for their babies (by both parents, who share the caretaking):

 Another wildflower bloomed, in the lawn and pasture - Birdfoot Trefoil:

 The Rugosa roses continued to bloom and the wild Bouncing Bet continued to add its white flowers to the extravagant display:

The neighbors' Narragansett Turkeys still roam the county road and strut their stuff for passersby. I imagine their displays will come to an end near Thanksgiving:

 I had left the barn uncleaned for longer than usual and took a picture to illustrate how badly it needed cleaning - but alas, the picture makes it look rather clean. OK then, let's just say I've been keeping an immaculate barn! Really though, I hauled 6 or 7 loads of sodden bedding out of there with the tractor:

 And a heart shaped sunflower appeared, perhaps a good omen:

 Green Elderberries began to form by the millions, and the Wild Cucumber vines began flowering on top of the Elderberries:

The Beginnings Of Autumn

Even before the hot days became cool days, skeins of Canada Geese were passing overhead. Then one day I noticed that the Pennsylvania Smartweed in the pasture was turning red:

Because Rose Mallow blossoms are all at the top of one stem, I can't cut any without cutting them all and therefore have to wait until the end of the season. I wanted to bring some to church but there were no flowers on the Sunday I planned to do so. The next Sunday, though, there was one red one. I cut it, put it in a vase and filled in around it with flowers from the Tree Hydrangea:

The Rugosa roses put on an end of season display. I may cut them down to about half their height this winter to give them a fresh start in the spring:

I discovered a new wildflower while walking across the south field but couldn't identify it. I sent a photo to a botanist in Saratoga County but she said it was insufficient for an ID and suggested I photograph an entire plant on white paper. I sent her this:

I sent five other photos, including closeups of the tiny flowers. I thought they might be American Pennyroyal, but she said they were Hyssop, an unrelated plant. It was a first for me and I thanked her for her help:

Sunrises are often spectacular this time of year:

I cleaned the barn floor again. I'll be happy when the horses can stay outdoors all night (if they want to, which they usually do):

I was driving the tractor around the pasture, searching for Remy's shucked muzzle when I spotted Christmas colors along the fence line. I had to get off the tractor and cross the fence for a closer look (I'd had the presence of mind to turn off the electricity before I went out). It was Bittersweet Nightshade with autumn berries, a common enough plant and long one of my favorites:

I also found these Wild Cucumber vine fruits in the barnyard while searching for Remy's muzzle. In fact, that's where I found them - just a few feet from the muzzle:

The Morden Sunrise rose produced a flurry of blossoms. I took many photos but none truly showed the beautiful pink and yellow petals. They are truly striking, much more colorful than they look in this photo:

The Mandarin Honeysuckle didn't grow much until the end of the season, but then it began taking off like a rocket. I think it's going to do well over the winter:

The neighbors stopped by with a basket of the most uniformly ripe cherry tomatoes I've ever seen. They were delicious and didn't last long. I sure have good neighbors:

The Last Days Of Summer

As our nights got cooler, the morning mists and dew grew heavier. This morning view is looking from the dog yard out over the Ninebark bushes, gravel road, north field and the trees beyond:

One pair of pigeons produced another baby. I feared it wouldn't make it, but it's been doing just fine:

The Wild Cucumber vines bloomed everywhere but were especially dramatic atop the old-fashioned rose bush. Alas, no photo of the combination turned out and I had to settle for just a photo of the Wild Cucumber blossoms:

Goldenrod, Burdock and Cattails abound along the fence line:

The New England Asters began to bloom. I hope they'll attract masses of butterflies like they did last year. There are a number of Monarch butterflies around but they won't hold still for photos:

One day I found half of my north field mowed:


And the next day my neighbor began tedding the mowed hay. Tedding is turning it over so it will dry thoroughly in the sun:

There was so much dew that he had to ted the mowed hay repeatedly:

And then, just before rain was expected, he and his uncle came to bale the hay. There were only 54 bales because the drought had kept it from growing for a month, but it was beautiful hay:

The best part for me was standing around afterwards and chatting:

The pink Rose Mallows began to bloom. They produce all their buds at the top of a big stalk which displays nicely outdoors, but renders them unusable for cut flowers, at least until the end of the season when there are just a few left. As you can see, the opening buds are gigantic like the flowers:

With the neighbors' barn and horse across the road, I thought they made a great late summer picture. You can see a red Rose Mallow bud on the top left, just about to open and add to the color:

Around The Farm, The All Botanical Version

The fence line is a jumble of wild plants and, in some places, quite beautiful. At this spot, the Wild Cucumber vines were in full bloom and Goldenrod added color to the jumble of wildflowers. The gravel road and north field were in the background:

A few of the Tall Garden Phlox, which I thought had all died, have sprung up and bloomed after all:

The wild Day Lilies bloomed:

And so did the new red Hydrangea:

The Mandarin Honeysuckle I planted last year died, so I planted another one this spring. It has taken off and is growing happily, the secret being to keep it well watered:

Though apples aren't abundant this year, there are still more than I know what to do with. I occasionally pick up a windfall and bite into it:

But I have learned never to do so after first eating the super-sweet plums. The apples are not sweet enough to follow the plums:

The Tree Hydrangea is putting on quite a show this year:

And so it the brand new Morden Sunrise rose bush:

The pink Rose Mallows began to bloom in late summer and were just getting started when I took this picture. You can see the abundance of buds:

The pink variety blooms earlier and has bigger flowers than the red variety:

I have a problem with English Sparrows in my hay loft. They are breeding in there and causing quite a disturbance. They were also gobbling up all the Elderberries, so I quickly snapped a photo before there were none left at all: