We are in the 50's with howling winds today, cold compared to how downright hot & summer-like fall has been, trees are still mostly green but dropping leaves. We are supposed to drop below freezing tonight but I don't expect much die-back from one night, I've still got several plants blooming.

I just transplanted some Apache Plume shrubs that I'd been patiently waiting to be able to move.

I went a little crazy and ordered several new native grasses from the SRG fall sales - several of the named Big Bluestem which have very nice color, more Northwind switchgrass to add to an area of them I had for a larger mass planting, 14 Lindheimeri Muhly grasses which I planted along the west side where I've been cutting down and poisoning privet. I also bought several Bushy Bluestem which I'd been interested in for some time and one lonely 'Hot Rod' panicum to see if I can finally get a switchgrass to turn red in my conditions. Neither Rotstrahlbusch or Shenandoah turn red here but the baby 'Hot Rod' has.

Using freebie little bluestem volunteers, I had plenty of stock to plant 2 large swaths out back and I allowed many more to come up in the low mixed prairie up front which I basically let it fill in and do its thing this year and liked the results. The front mixed prairie has worked out to be low maintenance, drought tolerant and nice, cutting out a lot of watering & work so its finally paying off.

Two large trees were taken out next door so I have a lot more sun back there which fueled my gardening fervor in late summer and I've had some fun doing a lot of low budget planting (using my own volunteers) back there in what was previously difficult with less than stellar results (in other words trying to do something with dry shade). One tough and very ornamental grass in particular I want more of is Andropogon ternarius. I plan to plant seeds from the few plants I have.

Pin Oak next door means lots of unwanted leaves to be dealt with all winter. I always dread them.

We got down to 41 degrees this morning but they say we could be down to freezing tonight. I don't think we will , but maybe across the road where it is lower will. They got to 35 last night. If it freezes, I am in trouble because I ann gambling with unmoved pots of tender succulents. Yes, I am a gambling girl. I have just picked up 20 gallons of steaming mushroom compost and some DG mix for my natives. I have been planting lots of things I have been germinating all summer. Many New Mexican nameless wildflowers, echinacea, Amsonia longiflora, Silphium albiflora, a pink turkscap. chihuahua milkweed, or was that a Sonoran milkweed, I forget. The Antelope Milweed is blooming . That August cool spell confused the hell out of it.

I really need to hook up the trailer but then I have to unload it. I have been so busy working in town on some jobs that my back screams at me if I look at that trailer longingly. I can not take the van off till the trailers load is off. I tried once and bent the hitch part of the trailer to my husbands chagrin. So I have been hauling 40 gallons of stuff in my yellow Fit. I should get it out of the car but it is already dark. Instead I am typing and eating some home baked olive bread and cheese.

I raked in a bunch of seed that TxR sent me and I did take a paper bag and collected a bunch of Little Bluestem grass seed. Not much buying here. Just a plant swap. I still have about 10 pots of various trees, Anacho orchid tree , various native mimosa trees, Arroyo Sweetwood and other natives that I need to get in the ground tomorrow before getting on to my next job . It is a digging in Marl day tomorrow. OH I forgot the 10 hesperaloes and a bunch of seedling nolinas to put out in the wild part of the land.

I have more seedling echinaceas and it is a toss up if I should plant them now or wait till they are bigger. Same with the seedling American Beautyberries.

So I will leave you with a sunset picture of what I call "Da View". I have raked in a bunch of gaillardia and Liatris into Da View. Oh, I also planted 6 Salvia farenacea (collected in from georgetown, north of Austin) just beyond the bird house.

We dodged the bullet again last night and now for the warm up. That should put us into December before the next shot of cold air.

We got nicked last night but unless its wimpy hothouse plants like impatiens, nothing looks the worse for it. Strong southern winds really make 50's and 60's feel cold.

I planted some 2" tall echinacea plants a month ago from seeds I sowed in August, most of the plants are now gone. Poof, up and just gone like when a critter eats them, maybe it was grasshoppers, who knows. I'd leave yours in pots until spring to be safe. I have a few tiny ones up on the back porch that I will probably leave to fend for themselves out back but I'm sowing the bulk of the E. angustifolia indoors in starter mix and pots to set out in spring. I had dismal results direct sowing those seeds you sent last fall and don't want another failure.

TX, I might have some more seed, Do you want them? I find them easy when it is warm out. I never have any problem. Weird. I do sow them in pots. I don't direct sow them in the ground..

Thank you, but I think I have plenty with the ones you already sent, I only need a few plants scattered here and there for some contrast and a bit of color plus I'm planning to sow the E. pallida you sent too. I have 6 E. simulata plants so far there. Remember how widdle-bitty my 'pwairie' is Wah :(( I transplanted some purple prairie clover plants and think they will go well with the coneflowers. BTW, I never got any white prairie clover plants that I can tell so far, of course its always possible because it takes a while to get a blooming sized plant.

Oh and while I'm talking about white ones--- GET THIS! That odd duck white Mountain Pink plant started blooming again on one side of the plant. I couldn't believe it when I saw it a couple days ago. The other plants are pretty shattered and I've scattered the seeds but this one plant is still upright, intact and big. Now these blooms....so it was bigger, bloomed earlier, bloomed much longer and now its reblooming. Simply amazing. I plan to scatter seeds when it starts looking ratty like the others. It really stood out at night.

Beautiful view, wanto. Remind me what the large-leaved plant is in the left of the photo. Prairie dock possibly?

I like that Andropogon ternarius, might give that a try next year. The short height would fit my yard much better. I like that its native range includes the area SSW of here -- eastern KS and OK in particular -- that I'm most interested in.

We got down to 28 this past weekend. It's been dry here too, thinking of getting some water out on a few of the beds that have young plants in them...

The large leafed plant on the left is Pink Turkscap

I meant the one farther out in the field.

The Agave proto-americana?

Yep, that's the one! It reminded me I have an old pic (1995) of myself with what I assume is Agave americana near the Judge Roy Bean visitor's center.

What's the difference between Agave americana and protoamericana?

God only knows what the difference is between the two. They both come in many forms. The Proto- americana is often more cold hardy and sold and moisture tolerant. Some forms of protoamericana have wider, more wavy leaf margins and coloration differences with whiter forms cross banded forms.. There are MANY forms of both so it is impossible to make a generalization. . Some photo. The agave in my picture is happy in dense clay and has lived well through 13F in one cold snap. Also some americans do not like my alkaline dry soil and die on me or stay bonsai. Bonsai agave , what a concept.

We are definitely no longer waiting for the freeze. Temps dropped well below average about a week ago and it looks like we'll continue in that pattern for a while yet.

It's around this time of year, now that we've had enough hard freeze to put most things to sleep, that I think about putting some compost out in the shadier parts of the yard -- where I have forest or savanna type plants. This year I haven't put much time into the compost pile, so I'd have to have some delivered as I have in a couple of years past. I go back and forth about whether this is worth doing.

This year I've been enjoying the baptisia foliage out in the hell strip. It's turned a sort of charcoal gray color, a nice contrast to the grasses there.

Tomatoes are still with me. And my frost plants have not bloomed.

I got most of the stuff done save cutting back two of the three butterfly bushes in the yard. I find that you can hack at them almost any time. I think if we get a break in this week, I'm going to finish them up and the roses. Other wise I just wait for the late winter to trim them back. The odd thing was up until yesterday, I still had flowers blooming here in New Jersey. But last yesterdays cold and today seemed to put an end to the annuals that I haven't pulled out.

I was grateful for all the rain we have had, not only did it end the drought but I didn't have to water all the transplants and newer plants at all these last few weeks.