Greetings and welcome to the Saturday Morning Garden Blog! We talk about our gardens and all peripheral things. Feel free to post pictures or just lurk if you so desire. A respite from the mad, mad world we live in for a little while. We're usually here all week.
There are many things about September that I actually love. I can even forget sometimes that winter is coming soon.
For example, I love the weather. Usually it's very serene and pleasant. Temps are chilly in the morning but warm up during the day. Skies are sunny and blue. This year we have had a lot of haze from the California fires. It's improving.
September is a favorite because it's gem and mineral month. Denver now has two giant gem, mineral and fossil shows, scattered in venues throughout the city. Amazing! If you like rocks, gems, jewelry, stone carvings, stone lamps, animals carved from stone.... and more. One show runs for two weeks. People come from all over the world. Here's a link: Denver Mineral, Fossil, Gem and Jewelry Show. It's huge. I went during the final weekend so I got some decent deals on fun stuff. This coming weekend the Grand Junction Gem and Mineral Club is hosting a much smaller one to catch some of the dealers headed west on their way home. I have found some very nice items there also.
I also appreciate the fall colors. We will probably get peak leaf colors this weekend. Snow is forecast so it's likely to either be really pretty in the mountains or a total mess.
Coal Creek, Redstone, CO
Look at that blue, blue sky! A true September day. Our niece was visiting so we went to Redstone for the day on Wednesday. Perfect weather, and not crowded.
Today we are traveling to Moab, Utah for a little getaway. It is about three hours west of us. It's a great time of year to visit tourist towns. Kids are back in school, so it's us olds and the childless cat ladies. When we worked for the ski area back in the day, this month was a shoulder season between summer and winter so we have come to appreciate it. The tourist destinations have also figured out, CCL's and old folks have money to spend! Nowadays they are more likely to stay open after Labor Day. It's going to rain a bit but we're ready for it.
Speaking of color, this building was near our parking lot for the GM&F show. I don't know what it used to be except it 'was 4681.' It's colorful and I love the 3D art installation. It's part of the National Western Complex, a cluster of buildings and arenas in the middle of Denver. This complex is traditionally host to the National Western Stock Show, which is an expo for ranching stuff, horse shows and rodeos, and livestock. It's in late January, something to look forward to after Christmas.
Love those colors! What a really beautiful turn of the century building.
This area has a lot of historic significance in Denver. The stock pens are next to the train tracks for livestock export to the east, which was a part of Denver's heritage in the 1800's. Gold came on four hooves also. Some noveau Denverites in the 80's thought they could eliminate this part of our history as being 'country hick.'. They were unsuccessful. Denver will always be a cow town to me. We grew up going to the Stock Show. We still all go - four generations now! It's a blast. The city and other entities, including CSU, are revitalizing the area, which is exciting to see.
Another September bonus is that all the potted plants on the porch look fabulous ... right about when I get tired of watering everything.
No one uses the bird house but it looks nice behind these plants.
Then there's peppers. This was a freebie, destined for the trash. I have some from DHM, they're not ready yet but these are.
Chili de Arbol
Not in the picture, but Matt's cannas are blooming! They are looking great. I'll overwinter them again, and maybe start earlier next spring so they bloom earlier.
Another favorite is the fall blooming sedum. My mother also loved this variety. Drought resistant!
Autumn Joy sedum
A face! I spotted this in my travels.
Transformer?
Afternoon glories.
It's cool enough now that the morning glories are staying out longer. I will have many many sprouts next year. Sigh.
Oh! I passed my test, I may have mentioned it in comments. I am now a Certified Nursery Professional with a plaque and everything! I took September off from the nursery since it’s slow, but I'm getting ready to go back for the Christmas season. I am ready to get back to work. I now know Latin plant names and I may throw one at you once in a while for fun. Don't worry, I'll always give you the common name. For example, here's some: ipomea purpurea-morning glory. Ipomea batata-sweet potato. Who knew!?
Charlie had some teeth removed and a skin tag taken off. He's not feeling his best but he has his little spot he loves to scratch out and lay in these days. Mr. Light calls it his 'gravel pit.' It's pretty funny. Our little guy is getting old. :-(
Looks comfy?!
Last but not least, a gratuitous Red Mountain photo for GUG. :-D
September sunrise on Red Mountain
That's what's going in in my world right now. What do you like about September? (Or dislike, lol, I've got those too!) I'll be traveling but I'll be around for a little while. Enjoy your week!
