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Curtain About To Fall On Late Bloomers

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - Are you still here?

For a week or two, the garden's been caught between two seasons - while plenty of plants stopped their show long ago, several annuals, shrub roses, and summer perennials are still going strong. That's how I found myself staring at gianormous bright pink native hibiscus flowers still blooming like they have been since the Fourth of July, but now, with a decidedly different background. The green leaves of nearby dogwood trees have taken their fall turn to maroon.

To be honest, the whole scene looks a little ridiculous, as if an actor walked on stage off-cue. The autumnal backdrop of the dogwoods doesn't really go with the swamp rose mallow's summery costume. Much as I personally prefer summer shades to the pumpkiny oranges, russets, and golden tones of fall, it's pretty clear summer flowers need to wind up this performance and start to prepare for their final bow. And the quick curtain of the first frost will certainly see that they do.

Reported By Phran Novelli, KYW Newsradio

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