The first week of school is over….Whew!!! It is always such a busy time….fun….but exhausting!  If you think your kids come home tired after their first days….

Imagine the adults!!!!  
Mr. S. was smart enough to go off with “the guys” to fish….
nice for me because then I can stagger home and just “chill” after those long first days!
 But….Look at these gorgeous fresh faces ready to learn!
Their obvious enthusiam and excitement makes all the hard work worth it!
These photos are from Our school’s DAY ONE celebration!
We all gather on the front lawn of the school….music playing….dancing….celebrating! 
It is a wonderful way to begin the year…
The Sweetwater Garden is usually one of the “casualties” of the shift in focus from home to school.
THIS YEAR….I am dedicated to NOT letting that happen!!!
I got to thinking……
Why is it that In MAY….I am so exciting and refreshed when I go out in the garden after a busy school day?
HMMMMMM…..
Maybe in SEPTEMBER….gardening could be the same kind of therapy!
SOOOO….I am committed to keep watering and fertilizing those flowers that I enjoy so much!
I replaced some “tired” plants with this annual grass….even after the frost it should stay looking nice!  You can get some great bargains on these grasses right now!

 It is hard to believe these Dahlias started out in little 4 inch pots…..I keep cutting them and bring them inside for small arrangements! I know I could dig them up and keep them in the garage to plant again next year…but I probably won’t….hey they only cost 3 bucks a piece!!!

Hardy Garden Mums are such great late summer blooms in the garden!

I have to admit I am not good at pinching them back all summer like you are supposed to…I let them bloom and use them in arrangements all season…..

And now….they are in full bloom….and they will stay looking nice even after our first frosts.

Mums last a long long time in cut flower arrangements!

These bronze colored flowers are some of my favorites because the color goes so well in our house!

I just adore Sunflowers!  Most years the deer munch them right down to the ground…but this year we have a nice stand right outside my “work room” window.  I will let them reseed and hope that this happens again next year!

The “Profusion” Zinnias and Rudebekia are looking good too!

It didn’t seem to matter to them that we had such a hot dry summer…

These Gerbera Daisy plants were gifts way back in May….

Never before have I kept them alive and blooming all summer!

Usually they die from the center and stop growing after a couple of weeks….

These guys don’t seem to ever quit!!!

I wonder what I did RIGHT this year!!!

 Lots of fertilizer, dead heading and watering has kept the deck plantings looking pretty good so far…..
 
the Sweet Potato vine is kind of taking over…..maybe next year I will find something different for trailing……
 The bistro table has this support ring on the bottom that is just the perfect size for a round planter….
The impatiens loves this sheltered shady spot….alas it will be the very first victim of any cold evening….but in the meantime it is looking fine!!!!
Maybe I will make a fall arrangement of some sort when the frost comes!

The fall color of this Sedum spilling out of the planter fountain is really pretty….

I might add a couple of two dollar mums to replace the Begonias so that it keeps looking good for a month or so!

I would have to say that this “end of season bargain” plant  (five bucks!)
was well worth it!!!
HMMMM…..that was on sale in July….
2 months later….
still going strong!!!
Minnesota weather in September is unpredictable….90 degrees one day….50 degree mornings the next!
 I actually looked it up and found out that the average first killing frost in our area is not until the end of September …three weeks away!!!!
So until that time….I am challenging myself to keep all these beauties looking good…and enjoying them!!!
Wish me luck!