Fall officially here?

I'm going to assume that the weather will be cooler from now on.  In the 40's this morning and a high of 50.  Since it has been overcast for the whole day, my kind of weather.

The main focus today was tilling in the compost and getting beds ready for some fall plantings.  Have to visit the nurseries and see what is available.   So far, all I have seen is potted mums; large expensive pots, mid sized pots and 4 inchers.............

Mums are not really my favorite, but if that is all that is available right now, thats what it will be.

It is  amazing the amount of energy I have had today.  I guess the heat is not really my friend.

The things I potted a week or so ago survived our being gone for 7 days.  The first day we were gone, there was a nice soaking rain and then more the second day.   So, being cooler and rainy, the potted plants look like they are taking hold.

One pleasant surprise was the lavender bush I thought was dead.  When I started pruning back the branches, I found some sprouting green!  I salvaged what I could of these gifts and stuck them in pots.  It would be so great if they sprout roots!

There is one plant that is missing from my summer/fall garden. It is the orange Zexmenia. This is one I have usually had somewhere in my plantings.

 The other plant that has been missing is the Blackfoot daisy. Both of these plants are drouth hardy and perennial if kept in a southern exposure.  They will be in next years' gardens.  They both thrive in pots or tucked away in a forgotten area. They both have  "leggy" branching stems and drape over the sides of a pot.
The daisy more so than the Zexmenia. This is a "stock" photo.

So, I think the best thing I can do is make a plant list for spring.  This is a good habit to get into.  I have been lax in the past year or so since I was caught up in the physical work of keeping things alive and weeding, and watering.

Speaking of watering, I think the main problem with my mums is the fact I may have over watered.  Some of the stems are brown with the tops green leaves and buds.  Probably won't be as showy this year, but I did make cuttings of them as well.  In searching for a good 'stock" photo, I did find that these plants need to be pinched back just like the other mums.  That information too, will be on my spring shopping list.

ALL THREE OF THESE PLANTS ARE ATTRACTIVE TO BUTTERFLIES, BEES AND HUMMINGBIRDS.