arborvitae and corner boxes

the arborvitae would seem to have had a good first year( top photo )...some of the branches died back after it was first planted and we worried a bit...but we hammered away at giving it all the water it needed ( aided by an oddly on again-off again wet summer ) and it responded...we were worried about drainage too since the site was once a building and we kept dredging up all sorts of debris as we put in raised beds...but that issue has never materialized and the tree has grown about eighteen inches...thanks to the nu lambda chapter of the alpha kappa alpha sorority for the donation of the tree we have a winner...the corner boxes are dying back along with the rest of the garden...there is a bit of color left in ellen's bachelor buttons ( second third and fourth photos ) but that will be fading soon...the season looks to be in neutral at best but there's still movement out there as preparations are already underway for next season.