We moved in the spring to a yard with no plants! So I've been planting perennials like crazy. I can't wait for next year... or really the year after that to see them really pop! I hope they all make it. I have a few looking questionable now but not giving up yet.

This was my first year to not get to grow anything from seed so next year I will be able to do that again. Looking forward to 2019!

New nursery stock beds - I am honestly sick of attempting to keep 100s of 4inch pots alive over summer because autumn is my peak planting time,

Xeric plants - this summer has been the most awful shocker since I began gardening (apart from the year of the pesticide disaster)...so I am only sowing'propagating plants which will survive no irrigation (after the shortest possible establishment period).

A massive rose cull and transplant to the wood edge (in order to make room for nursery beds).

A home irrigation set up.

Another 1000 narcissus in the wood.

Establishing raspberries and blackcurrants in the wood because disease blights any allotment attempts.

A small wildflower meadow along the western edge of the wood so will be spraying off all the topgrowth in the next couple of weeks...and again in spring.

Possibly a larger pond (my goldfish are parents).

All to be accomplished on a budget of almost zero

Too soon for me.

Still waiting to see visions of 2018 lol.

Am certainly hoping that my mixed perennial gardening will continue to produce bloom through Fall. Still September into October is quite a challenge, much of which had to be set up the previous Fall. For me, a lot of the late-season effort involves asters; New England, smooth and calico asters. Certainly intend to get some more smooth aster 'Blue Bird', powder blue-flowered, well behaved, long-lived and our number one late-season perennial loved by bees.

Don't need to get any more Phlox paniculata 'Nora Leigh'; have planted lots, but as said before, it's also a truly exceptional late-season perennial in our location. 'Nora Leigh' began to come into flower (in sunnier locations and this year) about a week ago, but second blooms, and much more so, it's tall architectural form and variegated foliage (latter coupled with exceptional mildew resistance) help to carry the garden into October.

I planted Rudbeckia laciniata and Helianthus maximiliani from seed this year. They havent flowered but are growing pretty well right now. I love the big leaves on the Rudbeckia. This might sound strange but I cant wait until they start spreading uncontrollably lol.

I also planted Pycnanthemum incanum, hoary mountain mint, at the end of a bed. I am hoping that one starts sending rhizomes toward the lawn and down the slope its next to.

Im also hoping the pussytoes and golden ragwort start to spread next year.

Add me to the list of people being sick of it already...

I'm heading out in a few minutes to spray paint lines for bed extension in one area right off the patio, that should be ready to plant in a few weeks; it's a small area and I have a few things waiting to go in there. I don't know if I have the energy (well, motivation, really...) to do the big bed extension across the whole back of the house - I keep putting if off, and I'm not sure why - it might have to do with feeling like my creative juices have run dry. I really should get that done, though --- fall is best time to rack up deals on clearance plants, at the very least I should try to be ready to plant the "bones". Ugh I just have to make myself get out there and get it done!

I've been making notes on the veggie plot and annuals in prep for next year -- I won't remember some of the finer details of what worked and what didn't, especially when I'm caught up in the thrill of spring and all the lush, gorgeous plants for sale. A lessons learned kind of thing. Have been thinking about what to do about a shrub border on the other side of the house -- I'm considering going to a local nursery that will draw up a plan for a flat fee, might be worth it because frankly I'm getting sick of re-arranging shrubbery. I know I know gardeners are always tinkering, but if I could just get it right the first time playing around with perennials and annuals to complete the shrub border will be enjoyable -- moving shrubbery is not.

I'm also looking forward to adding more shade trees in the front, but I've got to put more thought into how to better screen my house from the road with tree placement before making that investment. Here again, I probably should just pay someone to draw up a plan... I would love to plant a horse chestnut and have the perfect spot for it where an old oak bit the dust - the oak needs to be removed but DH said it's too big for him to handle with the chainsaw, so I have to call to get that done first. I really would rather put the tree in in the fall rather than 2019, it is so much easier to get trees established in the fall. We'll see. So yea I'm definitely thinking about 2019 and all that I want to get done if time, motivation, or funds don't allow for this year.

I ordered 1,600 flower bulbs to plant this fall! Lots are secondary bulbs like chiondoxa and muscari of various types, so hopefully they won’t be too onerous to plant. The big bulbs are for a new bed that I’m setting up, which has got some VERY hard clay mixed with gravel. I’ll do what I can with compost, and add some new topsoil as well to bulk it up.

we are also building a freestanding office for my husband this winter, which I’m sure will need new flower beds all around it (right?). It’s also going to have a rooftop garden which I’ve never done before, so that’s exciting.

Right now I’m working on my late summer/fall garden. I’m desperate for something that’s not yellow! I think my new favorite is plumbago. The blue flowers are so refreshing this late in the year, and the foliage will turn red when it starts cooling down at night.

Wow faith you sound like a busy little bee!

And yes, of course, you for sure can’t have a naked office :)

I’ve just been walking the gardens, as I’m so done working in the heat. Voice recording what I want to divide and shuffle around, bed by bed.

So my visions are coming around, and now I’m getting anxious to get started and be done!

Just waiting for the weather to cool...

Faith, 1600 bulbs? I feel like we are kindred spirits! I'm probably only ordering about 100 - 200 this year. :( Quite the reduction, but I have to leave space for summer bloomers....darn it.

Next year is about winter sowing annuals to fill in my garden as I have these annoying empty spots after the bulbs leave. I will also be starting most of my vegetable garden seeds using winter sowing.

I'm planning to add thornless raspberries starts to the back of the vegetable garden, rhubarb starts in a line outside the vegetable garden fence and maybe expand the asparagus bed.

I have to replant all the glad bulbs that the dang chipmunks ate this year. We took care of those little buggers.

For some ridiculous reason we created two new garden areas during the heat of summer. We bought things, moved things- even moved a six foot Japanese Maple during dead summer- lots of shadecloth and water but everything did well. I managed to call a halt to the madness before finishing and am now making lists of all the perennials I need to divide to finish out the spots- mostly hostas and daylillies. I have to wait for my experimental 'plantation' of cotton plants to finish up for the season as that takes up a substantial area in the new bed. Have a new weeping spruce to install after that when temperatures break a bit. I hope it all comes together in practice next spring as well as it looks in my head right now.

After that it will be more putting everything to bed properly which is where I usually drop the ball as my head turns to other areas like prepping the house for holidays..

I'm just about winding down for this season too. I've given up on the vegetable garden that really didn't get enough of my attention this year to be successful. And a fall crop is iffy for me, with not enough sun after the angle of the sun drops. So I'm going to spend the rest of the growing season preparing the veggie beds for next season.

The full sun bed is still pushing out flowers and I'm deadheading a lot, but it's going to be winding down soon. Still have Chrysanthemums and Sedums to come into bloom, but after that, I'll be ready to start cleaning up and getting ready for next year.

2019? I'm dreaming about being all caught up. [g]. This year we spent a lot of time getting around to tasks that have been neglected and needed to be done. A lot of major pruning of shrubs, fertilizing the lawn, a few shrubs cut down to the ground and dug out, setting up rain barrels, mulching and edging beds. Since the weather is going to cool off soon, fingers crossed, I'd like to get out there and update one long bed that needs it and just basically clean everything up and be ready for spring without any delays or long to do lists. The vegetable beds will be the priority next year.

2019: I will probably add more shrubs & trees. And add hydrangeas everywhere I can. I planted a lot of new perennials this Spring, some of them did not bloom this year, so I'm looking forward to their first blooms next year.

I'll have to finish up a really large garden border started this Spring. I mostly added unusual conifers, and next year I'll add large rocks for structure, and ground covers for color. I ran out of mulch, and just did not feel like making another trip to get some more.

Also, I have three wooden raised garden beds that I've really let go this year. I did not weed out once. I was still able to harvest asparagus & strawberries, but I need to make a decision, as it looks really unkempt. Should they stay or should they go...I would so love to have a veggie & berry garden that is ornemental as well (aka no rows). I'm spending a lot of time googling images & searching pinterest trying to find ideas, but I have not made up my mind yet.

I like that we have plenty of space (27,000 square feet), but even though I've planted a LOT of trees, shrubs & perennials, it still looks unfinished. Maybe because everything is still so small. Also, one of my struggles is making design choices. This
Spring, I planted a perennials-only garden in our front yard, only to realize that it lacked structure. So I moved a lot of plants, and added spireas. I find that it now looks ok when you're up close, but lacks that "wow" factor when you're looking at it from a distance. I recently won a one-hour consultation with a local landscape designer. I'm looking forward to his visit, in order to get a professional opinion on what should be changed.

"I recently won a one-hour consultation with a local landscape designer."

What a great thing to win! It might be really helpful to have another set of eyes to give you some ideas.

I have plenty plants that I manage to get through the summer to plant. so Planting I will go as soon as we get some rain. No rain , no water in the cistern, no planting. My tomatoes are budding so I might have a fall crop of them. They are still in pots. They do not go in the ground till the rain flows. Otherwise it will be container tomatoes. I will be replacing trees that I planted last November they died this summer.

Salvias have come through this awful year in fine fettle...Salvia coccinea is doing its stuff right now, with an orange s.stolonifera and a brighter orange calceolaria ( a pot for you, Festiva Maxima) so I have ordered more salvia seeds including one completely new to me - salvia viscosa (as well as salvia hians).

Lots of little verbascum and sedum seedlings to fuss over...plus a batch of echinacea came up today.

Well, my big thing is that it looks like several backyard projects that I thought would be more spaced apart into next year, will all be done at one time this fall. We are talking pruning of my two huge trees, a new backyard fence, a retaining wall for the back garden bed, and a new wood patio. Timing has worked out such that I can coordinate it all to happen in the lat half of October. So it will be a crazy time and stress with one thing happening after another - but the best time for all those workers to come trampling in my back and garden. And then come spring, everything will be DONE - though I still may be broke.

@ lennoxa, I might be tempted to get the hardscape in and then take a rest and continue in the spring.That sounds like an awful lot. I am not doing anything. it is 102 out there, or will be soon.

Actually, this is in an established garden. So it's really all maintenance / repair work; pretty straight up replacement in most cases. And the retaining wall being replaced is only about 18" high, so not too major...though ask me again in November and I might be singing another song...