Fall coming on to the garden

Finally cold fronts are beginning to arrive and the garden is having a burst of fall color, many of the plants resuscitating themselves from the summer heat and putting on quite a bloom.  The vegetable garden is going in;  second planting includes newly formed ratproof (I hope!) surroundings.  Here's what's blooming and growing right now:

Morning glories at their height at the end of October

As the weather cools the morning glories decline, and after several hours of work, they are removed so that cool weather plants, hopefully the sweet peas I just planted, will take their place on the trellis.

 Here is succession for the migrating monarchs.  They sure love the asclepias (milkweed) and there are always many of them flitting about.  If you look closely below the adult, you'll see the little green larva that will shortly become a butterfly itself.  When they are growing rapidly, the stalks of the milkweed are stripped to only their stems.

Fresh planted hanging basket

 Gotta look up the name of this shrub.  I can't resist occasionally purchasing plants I know little about just to see if they will grow and thrive.  This one has and as you can see, is blooming very nicely for me this time of year.

First paperwhite narcissus of the season!  I'm still amazed to see these plants blooming this time of year.  Growing up in Pennsylvania, the daffodils and narcissus sure weren't blooming much before April.

Red pentas

These justicias really surprised me with their size - and blooming in a high-sun area.  Thought they were supposed to be shade lovers

The yellow salvia madrensis just beginning to bloom, you can see the red lantanas and blue mistflower, white zinnias, still blooming.

 Two different blooms on the Rothschild lily.  Do they come in male/female blooms?  Why do they look so different?

Monarch butterfly on milkweed.  Note the green seedpod to the right.

 Battered butterfly on the yellow lantana just coming into its own.

RATS!  The devils ate all of my first planting of broccoli, cauliflower etc. so here is my attempt at keeping them OUT of the vegetable beds.  I wonder how big the plants will have to get to be left alone, but I fear not for a long time if at all.  Interestingly enough, they have not bothered the lettuce or the sugar peas that (so far) have made it up about 6".  The fig tree in the background is losing its leaves.

Satsumas coming on!  This bunch is on the tree in my backyard.  I've been taste testing the more-advanced ones on my neighbor's tree.  Still a bit tart but so much better than store bought.

morning garden report. 

sorry for 1 handed typing, arm in sling for several more weeks with shoulder surgery, but finally feeling well enough to go out and enjoy my garden.

the recently planted petunia is growing and blooming

oranges ripening on the tree

 love these sweet and fragrant stocks

where protected by wire, veggies are coming along;  parsley, cabbage, bok choy.  how long until scent of fresh grown produce is too much for rats/squirrels and they overcome defenses?  i hope never

 morning light on unprotected lettuce.  not enough calories to interest rodents?  the devils ate all germinating radishes.  love the red lettuce

 tail end of the eggplants.  will the tomatoes produce this fall, make it thru the winter?  basil hiding under the fragipani.  grow boxes can go inside if it gets frosty here.  no frost on the island last year

 supervisors.