Tomato heaven at our garden by the Sound

Just picked from my garden.  The best part of my Indian summer garden right now.  The last few weeks have given us dozens of tomatoes from the seedlings my son brought from his aunt's plants in North Carolina way back in April. We weren't sure they'd survive a too early planting back in our cool spring or a severe plague of whiteflies that we got rid of - finally - with sprays of natural dish soapy
water, but they made it...and now they are giving us a gift of beautiful organic tomatoes.  And they are delicious!

Indian summer color in my container gardens

My containers in front of my house are still going strong in our New England Indian summer.  I know it won't be long till the first frost and I'll come out and find my beautiful tropical and heat loving annuals wilted and done.  And then the long cold winter is on the way and the dreams of spring 2012 begin.

9/11/11 sunrise over the Long Island Sound just now...another beautiful day

9/11/11 over the sound, just now.

The almost fall look of some of my gardens

The first blooms of my Caryopteris 'Blue Mist Shrub' - the bumblebees just devour its nectar, and this spectacular blue is so welcome amidst the late summer and fall colors. My Hydrangea Paniculata 'Tardiva' standard survived my crazy radical pruning of this past spring. I always prune it hard in late winter/early spring, but this year I really sheared the tree.  It came back with huge leaves and the biggest flowers it's ever had! I just love the red color the blooms of this 'Blue Billows' lacecap hydrangea turn in late summer.  They look so pretty sandwiched between the white panicles of my 'Tardiva' and the 'Blue Mist Shrub'. Fall is almost here....

Monstrous sunflower and more from my gardens by the Sound today

Whoops, this is the photo that should have accompanied my post below titled "Today in my gardens by the Sound"...not sure what happened to it as I was posting here on my iPhone while I wait for my sons and our neighbor to finish playing laser tag.  This is such a needed respite from all the summer fun at home :). Air conditioned blogging and all alone....aaaahhhhhh.

My hydrangeas and phlox still bring happy smiles even in this August heat

My front gardens today - they fared much better during "vacation neglect".  

More of my gardens by the Sound today

More of my gardens by the Sound today after my crazy hacking and chopping of yesterday.  I should have taken some before shots!