8 Point Buck Sneaks Through Yard

Lover Boy is lucky I  wasn't a bow hunter!

It's that time of year again when Wisconsin's whitetails start thinking about love.  One amorous boy wandered through our yard yesterday at lunch.  He was so busy sniffing out fellow deer on the trail that he didn't notice me sneak out onto the deck and get video and pix of him.  He's lucky I wasn't a hunter!

Purple Smokebush in fall color mode

Although most of the trees have lots their leaves, some shrubs and the buckthorn are still green.  Shrubs that still have their leaves are the elderberries, diervilla, kerria, itea and my oakleaf hydrangea.  I made sure to spray my japanese maples, arborvitae and others that the deer seem to enjoy munching on.  I also sprayed some oak seedlings.  I'm so happy to see the oak seedlings, by the way.  It means that I'm making progress in clearing out the woods to a healthier tree density.  Oh crud!  I just realized I forgot to spray the pine seedling I got from my youngest for mother's day!  Oops!  I know what I need to do this morning!

Still haven't planted my fall bulbs or dug up my cannas but it's gotten cold enough finally to get them going.  It's supposed to rain and snow today but I think I can sneak in some digging this morning before it does.

I've still got a few things blooming in my garden-some fleabane, salvia and goldenrod and of course, the longest blooming plant in my yard, lamium 'Pink Pewter.'  The flowers are small but 'Pink Pewter' gets going right away in the spring, rests once I stop watering it in the summer and then blooms all fall until covered with snow.

My potted asters didn't fare well with the heavy rains
 we got a couple of weeks ago

I haven't done much in the yard the last couple of months because our basement remodel has consumed our every waking moment lately.  I did get one item off my to-do list: chopped down a yew that had outgrown its space and just looked awful.  I was ok with it not coming back but I'm reading on the 'net that it'll probably return and actually look good in a couple of years.  We'll see.  Either way is fine with me.

Get out and vote today if you haven't already and good luck with your late fall gardening chores.  My list is long and my motivation short but I feel confident I'll at least get a few things done before the ground freezes solid.

Aster and Goldenrod in the Fall_Pretty!