Kaleidoscope of Kolors: 2024

While paint manufacturers often promote a certain color each year, and Pantone also declares which color is THE ONE to buy, we need only to look as far as OUR GARDENS to find decadent, delicious colors for our eyes to behold!   

(These colors are truly reminiscent of the toy kaleidoscope I owned as a child… long, long ago!)    

The growing season of 2024 has been quite amazing in Southeast Wisconsin, although some areas received excessive amounts of rain and flooding which does not enhance the ability to grow those favorite flowers and veggies.  Gardeners in our immediate area were quite fortunate since we received adequate rainfall during most months of spring/summer; supplemental watering was sometimes needed to keep plants healthy and happy.

From peonies and poppies in late spring, to purple cauliflower and tomatoes in late summer, bold colors abound in our gardens. 

Pollinators were plentiful in our backyard, and they are always welcome here!   Even a few frogs (not tree frogs and not toads) took up residence in our backyard, which was a surprise to me since there is a river very near that would provide a more suitable habitat.  I have been researching some ways to provide shelter for these frogs, so in 2025, I’ll do my best to provide a clay pot for shelter and a nicer habitat for them.  

(By next year our small rain garden should be completed, so that will likely be an attraction for our local frogs.)

Other Stars of the Show this season were the prickly pear cactus, clematis with its bold purple blooms, and an heirloom tomato (cultivar ‘Mexico Midget’ which grows on an indeterminate plant and often is the largest of all my tomato plants.)   The other tomato varieties I planted look healthy, but most remain VERY GREEN in mid-Sept.   Since tomatoes don’t thrive in temps less than THIRTY-SIX DEGREES, I am hopeful they will ripen on the vine really soon! 

(Just last week we had one cold night of 43 degrees— not much time left to ripen on the vine.)

Can’t forget about herbs and annuals… they contribute color AND texture to our gardens each year.  The marigolds shown here are cultivar ‘Little Hero’ (I have collected seeds each year when seed pods are fully dried on the plant.)  I usually direct sow these seeds in late May, and they begin blooming in early July.  The rosemary plant shown is cultivar ‘Madeline Hill’ and is rated as a Zone 5 plant; since our area has been designated as Zone 5 for several years, I am going to allow this plant to remain in ground over winter. In years past I wintered over indoors under grow lights.

NEW FIND IN THE GARDEN:  On AUG 1^st, a white flower crab spider visited our magenta monarda patch.  A pure white spider with a pink marking— quite beautiful but a bit bizarre too!

TO OUR “GOODNESS IN THE GARDEN” READERS:   Hope your gardening adventures this season were productive, educational AND fun!   Enjoy looking back at blogs from past years (we started writing in FEB 2012) since most articles are timely to a season of the year—but not a specific year.  Happy reading and happy gardening to you!  

Cheers, Lynn

M. Lynn Schmid, Master Gardener
A.A.S. Landscape/Horticulture/Arboriculture