At MortgageDepot, we believe that informed homeowners make the best decisions for their properties. One crucial aspect of homeownership that often goes overlooked is the type of waste management system a property uses. Two common systems are septic tanks and cesspools, each with its own set of characteristics, benefits, and drawbacks. Understanding these differences can help you make better decisions about property maintenance and potential home purchases.
Septic Tanks
Modern septic tanks are typically made of reinforced fiberglass, although older models may be constructed from concrete. These tanks are designed to be watertight, ensuring that sewage is properly contained and treated. When waste enters a septic tank, it separates into three distinct layers:
1. Scum Layer: Organic matter floats to the surface and forms a scum layer. Over time, bacterial action liquefies this organic matter.
2. Sludge Layer: Waste matter from the decomposition process settles at the bottom of the tank, forming a sludge layer.
3. Clear Water: The remaining clear water flows slowly out through the tank’s outlet and back into the soil, eventually rejoining the water table.
This separation process ensures that only treated water is released into the environment, making septic tanks a more eco-friendly option.
Cesspools or Cesspits
Cesspools, also known as cesspits, are more primitive holding tanks for raw sewage. Unlike septic tanks, cesspools allow tainted water to leach out through the walls of the pit into the surrounding ground. Here are some key points to consider:
1. Frequent Emptying: Because cesspools are not sealed, they require much more frequent emptying compared to septic systems.
2. Flooding Risks: Cesspools are more vulnerable to flooding from heavy rains or snowmelt, which can lead to untreated water contaminating the water table.
3. Root Penetration: Tree roots can penetrate cesspools, causing blockages and overflows. This can result in raw sewage backing up into the property or breaching the hatch and flooding the garden.
Key Takeaways
Septic Tanks: More modern and eco-friendly, requiring less frequent maintenance and posing fewer environmental risks.
Cesspools: More primitive, requiring frequent emptying and posing higher risks of flooding and contamination.
Understanding these differences can help you make informed decisions about property maintenance and potential home purchases. At MortgageDepot, we are committed to providing you with the information you need to make the best choices for your home and family.
For more information on homeownership and financing options, feel free to contact us at MortgageDepot. We’re here to help you navigate the complexities of homeownership with ease and confidence.
Manchester United are reportedly still interested in signing Adrien Rabiot, as per the transfer journalist Rudy Galetti.
The Red Devils opted to strengthen the midfield department by signing Manuel Ugarte this summer. But, despite that, it looks like Erik ten Hag’s side lack firepower in the engine room.
Casemiro struggled to showcase his best last term and has also endured a dire start to this season. Moreover, Christian Eriksen has seemingly fallen completely out of favour so 19-year-old, Kobbie Mainoo has all of a sudden become the main man for United in the middle of the park.
Toby Collyer is also an option for Ten Hag but the Englishman hasn’t made his full Premier League debut yet. The 20-year-old came on after the interval against Liverpool last weekend and displayed a steady performance, although Man Utd lost the game.
Now, reporting on TEAMtalk, Galetti has stated that Man Utd have held internal talks about whether to sign a new free-agent midfielder to add depth in the engine room with Rabiot on their radar.
Rabiot to Man Utd
The journalist says Newcastle United are also plotting a swoop for him, while Galatasaray have already submitted their proposal to the player to sign him.
But, the 29-year-old, valued at around £29.5m by Transfermarkt, is keen on playing in the Premier League, therefore he is currently waiting and hoping Man Utd or Newcastle will formalise their interest.
However, Galetti states that Man Utd have changed their transfer policy and have no intention of hiring an older player like Rabiot. Moreover, considering the player wants a hefty wage, United don’t want to sign him by matching his demands.
Therefore, it looks like Ten Hag will have to keep faith in Casemiro this season, although he has found it difficult to showcase his best in recent times.
United fans will be hoping that Ugarte will be able to hit the ground running straightaway after the international break and resolve the midfield issues.
So, if the Uruguayan can perform at his best at Old Trafford then Ten Hag could opt to go with him in the Premier League and use Casemiro in the cup competitions.
As a late bloomer in life, I can say with the utmost sincerity that the valleys of my life have been the most formative, the most beautiful seasons I’ve experienced. Ask anyone who’s dealt with their fair share of chaos and heartbreak and they’ll likely tell you that while it was an incredibly difficult chapter (one they’d rather not relive again!) that they saw God moving in their hearts and in their character more than ever before.
It’s often those moments of obscurity and doubt that we come face to face with God Himself.
For this reason alone, the struggles are worth it. As James 1:2-4 states, “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.”
For today’s blog post, I’m touching on the very real, very transformative power of life in the desert—when we’re alone and all hope is (seemingly) lost. In the moment, these seasons of life seem barbaric and downright cruel. How can a loving God allow me to endure such heartache? This is what we’ll be exploring together. Let’s dive in.
When All Seems Lost…
After this, the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision,“Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your very great reward.” But Abram said, “Sovereign Lord, what can you give me since I remain childless and the one who will inheritmy estate is Eliezer of Damascus?” And Abram said, “You have given me no children; so a servant in my household will be my heir.” ~ Genesis 15:1-3
From the very beginning of the Bible, we see God aching to be with His Creation. He created us in His own likeness to be in union with him, despite some cultures’ views of having the world ruled by distant, unloving power. Since our humble beginnings in Genesis, our chief goal has always been to glorify God and enjoy Him forever.
Of course, we know what happens right away once we’re given freedom in Genesis 3. We choose to betray God and fall from grace. Ever since this storied moment with Adam and Eve in the garden, God has stopped at nothing to reconcile the world with Himself.
If we’ve learned anything about God, is that He makes beauty of our brokenness.
He makes meaning of our hopelessness, devotion from our apathy. He makes all things new.
In this instance above with Abraham and Sarah, this is the perfect example of a couple navigating the “desert” of life. They had previously been promised by God that they would be fruitful and blessed. After years and years of infertility, Abraham and Sarah must have been wrestling with all those tough emotions. Guilt, doubt, despair, anger, loneliness. Still, they continued to hold on to hope and wait on the Lord.
God’s Unlikely Redemptive Plan
Then the word of the Lord came to him: “This man will not be your heir, but a son who is your own flesh and blood will be your heir.” He took him outside and said, “Look up at the sky and count the stars—if indeed you can count them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your offspring be.” Abram believed the Lord, and he credited it to him as righteousness. ~ Genesis 15:4-6
God’s original plan to redeem humanity after The Fall of Adam and Eve was highly unlikely, to say the least. He could have activated armies or angels to do His work on earth but instead, it all begins with Him blessing a family. I love this. It’s so simple, so intimate, so beautifully touching, and it shows God’s heart for His people.
When God makes a promise, He never forgets.
Now, it’s important to focus on this because it’s a major motif throughout Scripture. Through blessing one family, He will bless all the families of the earth. That’s why there’s that phrase often circulating that we are “children of Abraham” or “children of God.” We are all part of one family. Yes, we’ve been chosen as God’s children, but we’re not called to stay comfortable and keep this good news to ourselves. No, we’re called to be a blessing to others, too.
Patience to Witness a Dream Fulfilled
When the sun had set and darkness had fallen, a smoking fire-pot with a blazing torch appeared and passed between the pieces.On that day the Lord made a covenant with Abram and said, “To your descendants I give this land, from the Wadiof Egypt to the great river, the Euphrates—the land of the Kenites, Kenizzites, Kadmonites, Hittites, Perizzites, Rephaites,Amorites, Canaanites, Girgashites and Jebusites.” ~ Genesis 15:17-19
It’s worth noting here that Abraham did not have God’s full perspective, just like we don’t either. When we go through a long, hard season where we feel like God is distant, we don’t know what His big-picture plan is. We simply have to trust and move forward the best we can.
As we see in the Scripture above, God knew what He was doing all along. He knew that he would make a promise to Abraham and his family, lead him through a tough season of trial and obscurity, and would end up fulfilling His promise. Abraham and Sarah would emerge from that chapter of their lives stronger than ever.
It took 25 years for this particular promise to come to fruition. That’s a long time! Especially when you’re living in the desert. We see this as a common theme throughout the rest of the Bible, as God tests those He uses for His great redemptive work. Think of Noah, Moses, David, the Apostle Paul, and the list goes on.
God never promised that a life following Him would be easy. In fact, it requires a lot of waiting. Yes, there were the eventful years when God would reveal Himself in a big way and make an impact, but there were also days that were just plain hard. We call these their years of obscurity because they were aimless, fruitless, confusing. Not much has been documented on this, but you can just imagine their pain as they waited on the Lord.
Key Takeaways
I want to encourage you today. If you’re in a season of adversity, like you’re living life out in the desert, you are not alone. You’ve never been alone once in your life. God is with you, even if you can’t see it now. Not only that, but He has a bigger plan set in place to redeem you. You may face trials that shake you to your core, but you will never be separated from Him—not if you keep your eyes fixed firmly on Jesus.
In the end, when your time in the desert has come to an end, you will emerge stronger than ever before. You’ll tell the tale of how God brought you through the lowest valleys of life and blessed you beyond imagination. Don’t give up hope, LiF sister. The best is yet to come.
Gratitude No Matter What
In mountain high or valley low, we will continue to praise His name. We may not know what God is up to, but we know it’ll be pretty awesome. Sometimes the smallest of Godly reminders can make a HUGE difference in our day. That’s why we started Love in Faith in the first place. Our founders were committed to providing uplifting messages of hope and comfort through premium Christian apparel and accessories. We hope it blesses you!
Long-time readers of this blog may have noticed that new posts have been very sporadic over the last couple of years. A series of issues kept arising, including the pandemic and various personal matters that resulted in there always being a bunch of matters that needed to be addressed ASAP and always had to take priority to writing blog articles. That’s ok, writing a blog is something that can go in fits and starts… however, the same issues have affected staying up to date with my quake preparations and making sure emergency supplies like food and medicines aren’t expiring. And that’s the reason for me mentioning all this: it underscores that there will always be reasons to put off taking quake precautions or keeping them up to date, and there will sometimes be reasons that make such postponements unavoidable, until the point is reached that the risk to the future of putting them off starts to outweigh the risk at the present of not doing them now. Where that line is, is a matter for personal choice and priorities, of course.
I’m distressingly late in checking my food supplies to replace any that are no longer good, and as I reported the last time I replaced my expired supplies, this is a real issue! Some stored foods really do go bad, there was the amazing exploding vitamin pill incident, and even the plugs for emergency power of mobile devices become defunct! The problem is that earthquakes can hit at inconvenient times. And lest you figure you typically keep enough food around and usually are not near the end of your prescription refill cycle, remember that quakes can occur when you are low on food and medicine. In fact, Murphy’s Law would seem to dictate that this is exactly when the next large quake will occur! After all, how many times have you gotten a bad cold right when it was time to buy more Kleenex?
“Fortune favors the prepared mind” (yes, yes, I know, there are different translations), to which Murphy laughs and says, “I eat procrastination for breakfast.”
So one purpose of writing this article, along with needing to finally break the silence and get these articles flowing again, is to goad myself into pulling out the emergency supplies and doing the expiration check that I have not done since early 2019 (too long!) even though I have a bunch of other things I need to do. Hopefully, some of you will also realize you have been saying about basic earthquake precautions that “it’s on my to-do list” for the past 10 years.
The other purpose: one of the matters that kept me from blog writing was the passing away of my mother Joyce about half a year ago, after the better part of a year of many health problems. It’s ironic because she was the main inspiration for a lot of my insights about quake safety, the talks I give (which have recently also been sporadic), and the blog articles that I write. She went through the 1971 Sylmar quake in the San Fernando Valley, along with me and our family. Then she lost her apartment in the 1994 Northridge quake, and went through the whole ordeal that those who have seen my talk know about, including being stuck in her apartment until being freed, and losing just about everything. She moved to nice safe Simi Valley, where earthquakes don’t seem to cause as much of a problem, and ironically ended up having to evacuate a few times due to wildfires; then ended up in an assisted living facility in her final year where she had to deal with COVID outbreaks. (There’s no perfect solution to avoiding earthquakes.) It was seeing all the stuff she had stuck down to surfaces in her Simi Valley apartment that initially made me think she was over-reacting, but then got me seriously thinking about the issue and realizing how sensible it was.
During her health issues last year, at one point when she was a bit out of it due to the health problem du jour, she asked me out of the blue without context “is this the end of the blog?” I thought she might have been a little disoriented since we had been talking about something else, but then realized that even in her state, she must have noticed the absence of Quaketips update e-mails. I assured her that it was not the end of the blog, and indeed, it isn’t.
Next time, I’ll be reporting on my field trip to the earthquake supplies section of a major department store in Tokyo.
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The fifth annual BiggerPockets Conference (BPCON) is right around the corner, taking place Oct. 6-8 in Cancun, Mexico. We can’t wait to see you in just 31 days (or fewer, depending on when you are reading this)!
Whether you’ve already booked your trip or are still on the fence—what are you waiting for?—here are a few things you should know before you pack your bags and head to this real estate investor’s paradise.
Who’s Going?
With over 1,000 attendees and counting, the event will have investor attendees from all over the U.S. and beyond! No specific real estate investing strategy or experience level is required—all are welcome!
We recommend taking a moment before you travel to the conference to figure out who you want to meet so you can get the most out of your experience. Your next partner, accountability buddy, agent, lender, or real estate-obsessed friend will likely be in attendance!
Where All the Action Is: Moon Palace Sunrise
Moon Palace Cancun beams with energy, luxury, and possibility. This dynamic, all-inclusive resort features fine gourmet dining and unlimited premium drinks.
We can’t wait for our 2024 BiggerPockets Conference attendees to experience this gorgeous resort, where we’re confident you’ll meet valuable connections, boost your potential, and close more deals.
Once you land in Cancun (CUN), it’s a short 15-minute drive to our host resort, Moon Palace Sunrise. You can take the transportation of your choice–Uber, a cab, etc.–but we recommend pre-scheduling a ride via the resort’s preferred vendor, Edge Transportation.
Click here to schedule your shuttle or private car. Use the password BPCANCUN.
Can’t-Miss Events
We’re known for putting on some pretty epic events, and this year is no exception! The purpose of our conference events are to give you the opportunity to meet other attendees—all while having a cool experience in an awesome setting. After all, why not make it fun?
Sunday opening event
The conference will kick off with a poolside opening event sponsored by Easy Street Capital on Sunday. Grab your favorite resort wear and head down to the pool area, where you’ll enjoy unlimited cervezas, cocktails, and local cuisine while mingling with other attendees. Everyone in your party is welcome to attend!
Monday exhibit hall happy hour and author signings
On Monday, we’re hosting a happy hour in the exhibit hall. This is your chance to grab a drink and a light bite, meet the 60+ companies ready to help you enhance your real estate business, and get your favorite books signed by BiggerPockets authors!
Don’t have space in your luggage to bring your favorite BiggerPockets Publishing books? Don’t worry—we’re building a beautiful bookstore on-site so you can shop your favorite authors at the event!
Tuesday closing event
Following the closing keynote on Tuesday, we’re closing out the conference beachside with extravagant entertainment, an open bar, decadent food stations, and more. Get ready to light up the night on your last night in Cancun!
Additional events
We have two additional events on Sunday for more fun, networking, and time to soak up some sunshine! Both events can have 50 participants and unlimited spectators! Grab a cold drink from the pool bar and check it out, even if you’re not interested in playing.
2-4 p.m.: Beach volleyball tournament sponsored by Furnished Finder
3-5 p.m.: Cornhole tournament sponsored by Baselane
Want to play? Sign up at the conference registration table!
What to Do When You Arrive
You’ve made it to Moon Palace! If you arrive on Saturday or Sunday, the resort will likely direct you to a satellite check-in at the conference center, located in the building next to the Sunrise check-in lobby.
Here, you’ll check in with Moon Palace for your room (they will need your passport upon arrival for everyone in your group), and we’ve made it extra convenient this year so you’ll be able to check in for the conference in the same area as well!
Our team will be ready to get you set up with your conference badge (please wear this at all times during the event), a swag bag, and a welcome cocktail sponsored by BluPrint Home Loans.
Inspiring Expert Keynotes
Read about our keynotes—Codie Sanchez, Lauren Saidel-Baker, and James Dainard—as well as our 60+ other speakers and panelists here.
Content-focused
If your primary reason for attending BPCON is for education, here are some tips for soaking up as much information as you can:
Leave your laptop in your room. It’s too easy to get distracted during the sessions by email alerts and work back home.
Take this time to focus on building your business and achieving your goals. We are supplying notebooks for all attendees, courtesy of Steadily, so you can take notes old-school style!
We’ll send the slide decks after the event so you can reference the speaker presentations post-conference if you like!
Networking-focused
We’ve added two sets of guided networking sessions this year to provide you with intimate, small-group networking opportunities based on your niche, unique life experiences, or geographic location. Sign up for these early to get your preferred spot!
Networking with a Purpose by Location
Networking: She Builds Wealth—Women in Real Estate
Networking: How to Use Your BP Membership to Grow Your Business
Networking: All Things Syndication: Sponsors, Accredited Investors, and more!
Networking: Short- and Medium-Term Rental Investors
Networking: FI/RE—Money Nerds Unite
Networking: Long-Term Buy & Hold Investors—Meet Others Based on Location
Networking: Rookie Investors—Get Your First Deal & Meet Others Based on Location
Networking: GrandesBolsillos! For Spanish-Speaking Investors
Networking: Property Management Business Owners
Networking: How ADHD and Other Neurodiversities Can Guide Your Real Estate Business
Networking: Investor-Friendly Lenders & Agents
Networking: Military Investors, Veterans, and Dependents
What to Pack
Pack like you would for a beach vacation, but with some layers, as conference centers are often chilly! There’s no conference dress code—wear what makes you feel most comfortable! Our attendees typically wear business-casual clothing.
We recommend fun florals and resort wear for the opening event! The closing event will feature neon and fire, so if you’d like to get in theme, we’re all for it!
Finally, don’t forget your swimsuit and sunscreen so you can take advantage of the incredible pools in your free time!
Bookstore, Podcast Host Meet-and-Greets, and More!
Our infamous bookstore is back and better than ever! This year, we’re adding the BiggerPockets hub, so you’ll have a chance to meet your favorite podcast hosts and learn more about BiggerPockets tools and products to help you scale your business, especially if you are an agent, lender, or property manager! Plus, meet some of the BiggerPockets teams who work behind the scenes to build cool site features for you!
Fun Extras
Our conference attendees will be able to choose from 17 gourmet dining options, 11 bars, extravagant shows, and amenities—all included, and no more than a golf cart ride away.
At Moon Palace, you’ll enjoy pristine beaches, a 27-hole Jack Nicklaus Signature golf course, a world-class Awe Spa, exotic tours, the best nightly entertainment, and super-fun kids and teens areas.
Even better, we’ve got some discounts for you!
Golf: 40% off greens fees
Awe Spa: 15% off spa services
Hot tip: We recommend booking your preferred dinner reservations, golf, and spa services when you check into Moon Palace.
Other FAQs
Here are some other FAQs to help you prepare for the event.
Still have questions? Email our event director, Alex at [email protected].
Are you not yet registered and still on the fence about attending? Read the eight biggest reasons Noah Bacon is excited about BPCON.
Elevate Your Real Estate Investing at BPCON2024
Discover the latest trends, tactics, and tools to grow your portfolio and achieve financial freedom. Plus, immerse yourself in an all-inclusive Cancun getaway. Limited spots are available—secure yours now!
Note By BiggerPockets: These are opinions written by the author and do not necessarily represent the opinions of BiggerPockets.
Many times we gardeners tend to grow weary by the end of summer and we don’t give much thought to how our flower gardens will look at the end of the summer and into fall. But, you know what, with a little planning your flower gardens can look vibrant and amazing right through fall and up until the first frost.
In spring and early summer, after dreary winter, garden centers stock blooming beauties and we are naturally inclined to grab those spring season flowering perennials and flowers: their blossoms lure us in! But if we think ahead, we can also have an amazing fall flower garden with all the brilliant colors of Autumn!
The Best Fall Perennial Flowers
Although the best time to plant perennial flowers is in the spring, they can also be planted in late Summer and Fall. The reason for planting perennials in spring, is so that their root systems will have time to develop and become established over the summer.
If you do decide to add some of these amazing fall perennials to your garden in late summer or fall, be sure they receive adequate moisture to help them become established in their new home before winter sets in.
If you garden in a colder climate, covering your new plants with extra mulch or leaves will serve to give them a better chance at survival through winter.
Although we often think of fall colors as warm tones like orange, yellows, and russets, the best fall flowers include a very wide range of colors. So let’s get started with some of the most stunning Fall Perennial Flowers to give your late summer and fall gardens a boost.
Full Sun – Part Sun Fall Perennial Plants
Chrysanthemums
Chrysanthemums (aka Mums) are widely popular fall plants! When you think about fall flowers, I’ll bet Mums are the first flower that pops into your mind. Perennial, or hardy garden mums, are a great choice to add to your fall perennial garden. (These are not the same as the large flowered florist mums.)
If you keep them pinched back during the summer, they will get bushier and not bloom too early. They can even be shaped to look like shrubs.
If you live in colder climates, be sure to look for mums that are hardy in your area at your local garden center. Although it’s best to plant hardy mums in the spring, if you do plant them in the fall, it’s especially important to give them added protection over winter. Hardy in zones 4 – 9.
New England Asters
New England Asters (pictured below) are adored by bees and butterflies! It’s like they’re just gleaning all the nectar they can before their winter flight or hibernation! There are many varieties of Asters from very short to very tall.
If you don’t already have some, I highly recommend adding some perennial asters to your garden this year! The bees, butterflies, and you will be glad you did! Hardy in zones 3 – 8.
If you live in the south, an aster you may consider is the Aromatic Aster, Symphotrichum oblongifolium. It’s native to Texas, which gives it a bit more tolerance to heat, and it’s still hardy all the way to zone 4!
The asters pictured below are purple dome, a popular variety, that can be found at many garden centers. They are stunning when they are in full bloom!
Rudbeckia
Rudbeckia, aka Gloriosa Daisies or Black-eyed Susan’s, with their vibrant, traditional fall colors are true standouts in any fall garden! There are many varieties, some of which do better in cooler areas and some in warmer areas.
If you want to plant a variety you love, but which may not be hardy, try it anyway! It might survive winter, but if it doesn’t, you will still have enjoyed a beautiful plant. If you’re lucky, maybe it will reseed!
Rudbeckias are awesome cut flowers and look amazing in fall bouquets. Hardy in zones 3 – 9.
Goldenrod
Goldenrod should not be confused with ragweed! Although many believe it causes an allergy flareup, goldenrod is not ragweed! They are two completely different plants that just happen to bloom at the same time.
Although goldenrod is a native plant, some hybrids are better suited for a home garden. The hybrids are 18-24 inches tall and don’t spread like the native variety, so you don’t have to worry about them overtaking your garden. Hardy in zones 3-9.
Helenium
Helenium (aka Helen’s flower or Sneezeweed) starts blooming mid-late summer and will carry on right through fall with its amazing rich russet, gold, and yellow colors. Helenium is another plant that benefits from being cut back in late spring to encourage branching for a bushier plant. These bright yellow blooms are just so cheery! Hardy in zones 3-9.
Autumn Joy Sedum
Autumn Joy Sedum is another great perennial for fall! Like many sedums, it’s not especially eye catching, but that starts to change in late summer. When Autumn comes, it begins to show how it earned its name!
As the weather gets cooler, the mauve-colored blooms get darker and more intense. This is another plant that the bees and late summer butterflies flock to. Plus, it’s super easy to grow.
To keep your Autumn Joy Sedum from becoming floppy, pinch a couple of inches off of the stems in summer. Pinching slows it down a bit and makes it a bushier plant. Hardy in zones 3-10.
Part Sun – Partial Shade Fall Perennials
Japanese Anemone
Japanese Anemone (also called Windflowers) are beautiful plants with lovely pink and white flowers that are actually from China! They’re good transitional plants between the summer and fall seasons, as summer flowers fade and before fall flowers hit their stride! Depending on the variety, they can grow anywhere from 2-4 feet tall, making them a candidate for the back of the border.
Because of their airy growth habit, they can look at home in both cottage gardens and woodland settings. They can also be grown in pots! Japanese anemones can take a few years to become established, but they’re worth the wait!
Keep in my mind that they spread by underground rhizomes, so keep an eye on them so they don’t become a nuisance. Most are Hardy in zones 4 – 8, but some varieties can grow in zone 9 with afternoon shade.
Hydrangea
Hydrangea is technically a perennial shrub, but it’s included here because with many varieties, the fall colors of the big poofy flowers are simply amazing and a perfect plant to add to your garden. Some of the varieties I have in my gardens start out white, then turn pink and from there the color just goes into deep mauve right into fall. There are even some that turn olive green! Hardy in zones 3 – 9!
The picture below includes Strawberry Sundae hydrangeas, yellow and white chrysanthemums and a Walkers low cat mint.
Turtlehead
Turtlehead is a lovely late summer blooming perennial that just doesn’t make many perennial lists. It is a North American native and it has the sweetest pink flowers that supposedly resemble turtleheads. They prefer moist soil and some afternoon shade. The foliage is pretty and glossy looking too. Hardy in zones 4 – 9.
More Perennials in Fall
Many long blooming summer flowers will continue right into autumn. These summer bloomers are especially great to include in your flower beds because of their extended growing season.
Blanket flower (the common name for gaillardia) is an amazing native perennial with a long bloom period. Once it starts blooming in late spring, it will keep right on blooming into late fall. It’s hardy in zones 3-10.
Purple coneflower can bloom straight into fall depending on the heat. In the south, they go dormant in July and August, but begin flowering again when the weather cools down a bit. It’s hardy in zones 3-9.
Balloon flower will grow throughout the season and into fall if you deadhead it. It’s hardy in zones 3-9.
Joe Pye Weed is another native perennial that will keep blooming and attracting bees to your fall flower gardens. It’s hardy in zones 4-9.
Russian sage also looks good in a fall garden. Hardy in zones 4-9.
Coral bells come in a wide range of colors and are grown mostly for their foliage. They look stunning in an arrangement grouped with other fall blooming flowers. They are hardy in zones 4-9.
Autumn sage (the common name for salvia gregii) is a wonderful woody perennial that comes in a variety of colors and is attractive to hummingbirds. Hardy in zones 7-10, a few selections can be grown as far north as zone 5.
Catmint (aka Nepata) is another perennial that will add some fall color to your gardens. Shearing it back a few times throughout the summer will keep it blooming again and again. Hardy in zones 3-8.
Ornamental grasses are a must-have in summer and autumn garden! They add texture and fun element that flowers cannot add! They also make a rustling sound and add movement to the garden as they sway in the breeze.
Adding fall flowering perennials is just one step to designing a perennial garden that has continuous color from early spring right through fall. If you’d like to learn more about designing your perennial garden with 3 seasons of blooms, Gingham Gardens has a Workbook/Guide with tons of tips, tricks, and instructions for doing just that. Learn more about Designing with Perennials for 3 Seasons of Blooms.
What are your favorite fall blooming perennials? Are they included on this list, or did I miss yours? Be sure to leave a comment (the form is at the bottom of the page) and let me know.
I hope you’ve been inspired to add some amazing fall perennial flowers to your gardens to include some brilliant and beautiful autumn colors in your home’s landscape.
Here are some additional posts about fall gardening that you will enjoy:
Thanks so much for stopping by Gingham Gardens today! I hope you’ve enjoyed your visit. Be sure to share your favorite fall perennials with me by leaving a comment below, or by saving any of the pictures or pins (below) to your favorite gardening board on Pinterest.
Blessings, Julie
p.s. You can find Gingham Gardens on Pinterest and on Facebook too.
Pins to Save to Your Favorite Gardening Board on Pinterest:
Carnival Cruise Line today announced its lineup of 2026/27 cruises from two of its U.S. homeports: Tampa and Mobile. The new cruise vacations are now available for booking for sailings to popular destinations including The Bahamas, the Caribbean and the Panama Canal.
“As America’s cruise line, we continue to sail from more U.S. homeports than any other line and our 2026/27 offerings from Tampa and Mobile are great examples of that commitment to provide our guests with the convenience of sailing from homeports that are a short drive away,” said Christine Duffy, president of Carnival Cruise Line. “With a variety of itineraries, many of which feature our own unique destinations Celebration Key and Half Moon Cay, our guests will have plenty of great vacation options, and our travel advisor partners will have some unique experiences to offer their clients.”
Cruise from Tampa on Carnival Paradise and Carnival Legend
Carnival Cruise Line is celebrating 30 years of sailing year-round from Tampa this month and will continue that tradition in 2026/27 with Carnival Paradise based in Tampa year-round and Carnival Legend sailing seasonally.
Carnival Paradise will sail a range of four-day Western Caribbean cruises, four-, five-, and six-day Bahamas cruises, along with five- and six-day Western Caribbean cruises. Guests can choose among a wide variety of destinations to visit, such as Cozumel, Mahogany Bay, Belize and Grand Cayman, as well as Celebration Key, Princess Cays and Nassau.
From Nov. 2026 through March 2027, Carnival Legend will offer a variety of Western Caribbean and Bahamas sailings from Tampa. A series of six- and seven-day cruises feature stops in Grand Cayman and Cozumel, as well as Costa Maya, Belize, Ocho Rios, Montego Bay, Mahogany Bay, Celebration Key, Half Moon Cay and Nassau. Three eight-day Western Caribbean sailings are also available, as well as two eight-day voyages to Panama, with stops in Limon, Costa Rica; Grand Cayman and Colon, Panama, from which shore excursions to tour the Panama Canal are available for purchase. A 13-day Carnival Journeys cruise to Panama includes Aruba, Curacao, Amber Cove and Colon.
Cruise from Mobile on Carnival Spirit
Carnival Spirit will arrive back in Mobile, where it homeports seasonally, with a unique 16-day one-way Carnival Journeys cruise that transits the Panama Canal. The cruise departs Seattle Oct. 8, 2026 and stops in Cabo San Lucas, Puntarenas, Costa Rica and Cartagena, Colombia. Carnival recently opened a Carnival Journeys sailing from Mobile to Seattle that takes place earlier in the year, in April 2026, ahead of the ship’s summer series in Alaska. These sailings will be the first cruises connecting the ship’s two seasonal homeport cities.
From Oct. 2026 through March 2027, Carnival Spirit will resume its seasonal schedule of six-, seven- and eight-day cruises from Mobile to The Bahamas. Six-day Bahamas cruises all include stops at Celebration Key, with an additional stop in either Nassau, Bimini or Princess Cays. Seven-day cruises feature Celebration Key with additional stops in Key West and Half Moon Cay or Princess Cays and Nassau. Ten eight-day Bahamas sailings visit Key West, Celebration Key and Nassau, along with either Half Moon Cay or Princess Cays.
For additional information on Carnival Cruise Line and to book a cruise vacation on Carnival, call 1-800-CARNIVAL, visit http://carnival.com, or contact your favorite travel advisor or online travel site.
ABOUT CARNIVAL CRUISE LINE
Carnival Cruise Line, part of Carnival Corporation & plc (NYSE/LSE: CCL; NYSE: CUK), is the first cruise line to sail over 100 million guests and is proud to be known as America’s Cruise Line, for carrying more Americans and serving more U.S. homeports than any other. Since its founding in 1972, Carnival has continually revolutionized the cruise industry and popularized the cruise vacation as an affordable and fun travel option. Carnival operates from 14 U.S. and two Australian homeports, as well as seasonally from Europe and employs more than 48,000 team members representing 120 nationalities.
Carnival’s fleet of 27 ships reflects an exciting period of growth that continues with the addition of seven ships through 2033: two ships joining in February 2025 when P&O Cruises Australia integrates into Carnival; a fourth and fifth Excel class ship scheduled for 2027 and 2028 respectively; followed by three additional new ships from an innovative new class currently under development. Carnival’s next new guest offering will be the all-new exclusive destination, Celebration Key, set to debut on Grand Bahama next summer.
Now 21 years old, the alleged victim has spoken out about her experience for the first time. (BuzzFeed News is referring to her as “G.” to protect her identity.) Then just 11 years old, G. was on the cruise with her grandmother and little sister and was excited about the vacation. “Automatically, as a child, you think it’s going to be amazing,” she said.
Before the ship had even cast off for the Caribbean, G. went downstairs to get the Wi-Fi password, she told BuzzFeed News. “I asked the person that was outside of the restaurant for directions to the lobby,” she recalled. “And when he guided me, he immediately grabbed on my boobs.”
G. ran to the lobby in search of someone who could tell her the Wi-Fi password. She said she “was scared to go through the same direction” on the way back because she might cross paths with the man who had touched her. But she needed to return to her room and feared getting lost on the giant ship.
As G. walked past the restaurant, she got into an elevator. She said the same employee followed her in, blocking the doors. “He said, ‘Can I have a kiss?’” she recalled. “I gave him a kiss on the cheek, and he said, ‘No, not there.’” She then alleged that the employee leaned down, kissed her on the mouth.
After he let her go, G. ran to her room in tears. “I didn’t know what to do,” she said.
She said she told her grandmother why she was so distraught, and they went to the lobby to report what happened to guest services. G. said they asked her about the incident and what the employee looked like and promised it would be investigated.
Taplin, who was on board at the time, said she watched the elevator surveillance footage, which confirmed the child’s version of events. Later, G. said she was asked to identify the assailant by looking at photographs of four employees. According to both Taplin and G., the girl identified the assailant as a waiter at one of the ship’s restaurants.
Taplin said she did her best to investigate the case but claimed she was obstructed throughout the process. She claimed she told one of the ship’s senior officers to call the FBI while the boat was still docked in Port Canaveral, Florida. But the officer decided to cast off at around 5 p.m. and did not inform the FBI until the ship was in international waters.
Afterward, Taplin said, the senior officer interviewed the accused crew member while she was present. The official report of the meeting, obtained by BuzzFeed News, states that the crew member “hesitated, but eventually denied kissing the girl” and only gave her a “high five and hug.”
Taplin said that what wasn’t included in the report was that during the meeting, the officer had threatened the crew member, saying, “I’m going to cut off your dick right now” and that he would remove the crew member’s testicles and “put his balls in his mouth.”
When the ship docked in the Bahamas the next day, local police officers arrived. According to Taplin, the police berated and threatened the alleged attacker, pressuring him to confess. “It was just so wrong,” Taplin said. “I mean, you got him red-handed with what he’d done, right?”
In the end, he signed a statement that Taplin alleged was written by the Bahamian police. “I touched her right breast with my left hand,” the signed confession reads. However, Taplin noted that the alleged suspect was not arrested. Instead, he was repatriated to the state of Goa, in India.
G. said she was so scared for the rest of the vacation that she didn’t want to leave her grandmother’s side and never felt safe on board again. She said she could only relax during a stop at Castaway Cay, a private Caribbean island that Disney owns, because she knew her assailant wouldn’t be there.
After G. reported the attack, she said that Disney instructed the employee who was cleaning her room to demonstrate how they create little animals out of the towels and they put a princess bedspread on her bed. “But that was basically it,” she said. After she got home from her cruise, G. said that her family only heard from Disney once to tell them that the accused crew member had been deported.
