Monday, August 15, 2016

Things Are All A-Buzz

Mine really is a summer garden. I planned it that way on purpose. Yes, I have a bunch of spring bloomers because I am an incurable plant addict. But spring weather can be unpredictable and during years when the rain is constant, the spring garden can be either ruined or ignored. 

Contrarily, summer here in the Pacific Northwest is pretty much sunshine and more sunshine and July through September is when my garden is happiest and busiest with buzzing and flittering. It's when I am outside and when indoor things get ignored. 

I don't have a lot of photos this time but here's what's going on right now.

Despite my devotion to Coreopsis 'Mercury Rising' I saw this Coreopsis (below) at the Peoria Garden plant sale and decided it had better come home with me. It's much lower-growing and has more needle-like foliage. And the flowers are outstanding. (Will it survive the winter? That's the question.)

Coreopsis 'Cruzin' Main Street'

Years ago I purchased Dahlia 'Bonne Esperance' from a local retailer. I can't recall how it met its demise but when I saw it on sale at Swan Island Dahlias, I knew it needed to be in my garden once again. It's a low-grower with clear pink, single flowers. 

Dahlia 'Bonne Esperance' blooming beside Coreopsis 'Mercury Rising'

This volunteer Love-Lies-Bleeding is anything but a low-grower! It's taller than my five feet now which is a good thing because it offers a bit of shade for the Fuchsia and Farfugium behind it. I'm going to let it go to seed again this year. It's a cool plant.

Love-Lies-Bleeding 'Dreadlocks' came true from seed from last year's plant.

There is something kind of magical about Scabiosa 'Fama' with its extra-large, flouncy flowers. The honeybees apparently agree. 

Scabiosa caucasica 'Fama'

I know for many, if not most gardeners, Pennyroyal is considered a smelly weed. But I love it. The pungent aroma reminds me of my childhood years traipsing along the shores of the North Umpqua River where it grew. For me it doesn't misbehave like the typical mint but I still grow it in a pot with lots of water. It smells wonderful and the honeybees love it.

Pennyroyal (Mentha pulegium) in full bloom. 

I moved my Indigofera (no small feat) this spring to an all-day sun area and it has recovered beautifully. I really love the foliage and flower on this plant. 

Foliage and flower on Indigofera heterantha.

My Digiplexis survived our mild winter but just sat there in its pot for months. Finally now it's fixing to bloom.

Digiplexis 'Illumination Flame'

I think the foliage on this hardy Geranium is especially cute when adorned with the droppings of spent flowers of the Seven Son Flower (Heptacodium miconioides). 

Geranium pratense 'Victor Reiter'

One of the highlights of the summer garden is the hardy Fuchsias I've collected. Below is 'Baby Ann' in all her glory growing alongside a native sword fern. 

Fuchsia 'Baby Ann'

I've been watering my Japanese Blood grass a lot and it is really filling in. I love everything about this grass.

Japanese Bloodgrass (Imperata cylindrica 'Rubra') partnered with a full grown
Hypericum androsaemum 'Glacier' seedling

And a few wide shots. Please pardon the imperfections.







19 comments:

  1. Your Mercury Rising is pretty, Grace, I got one similar to your new one but with yellow tips, Route 66, and I divided it into 2 plants last fall but only one made it through the winter and is blooming. It is very wispy and not as substantial as your Mercury Rising. Your garden looks really wonderful as usual, I seem to do nothing but fight weeds.

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  2. I see 'no imperfections', only glorious beauty. I love it all.

    Love & hugs ~ FlowerLady

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  3. Lovely, as always. LOVE the new Dahlia.

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  4. Another wonderful visit to your garden, and I saw no imperfections. I'm glad to see the Love Lies Bleeding. :)

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  5. What imperfections? It all looks lovely to me! I have Mercury Rising out there somewhere, thanks for reminding me. I think it's lost in the plant jungle out there. Obviously it might not being doing that well out there! I love the various coreopsis out there, but none of them seem to stick around here very long except for the common Moonbeam, which I do love.

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  6. I love both your Coreopsis! I've seen 'Mercury Rising' in catalogs but not in local garden centers and 'Cruzin' is entirely new to me. Coreopsis are surprisingly hard to find here - I had to order 'Redshift' by mail years ago. Our summer heat can admittedly take them out prematurely but the airy texture they add to garden beds can't be beat.

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  7. Your garden looks wonderful, Grace! So full of blooms. I'm looking forward to my Heptacodium blooming this year. It's loaded with buds, ready to open any day.

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  8. That 'Dreadlocks' plant is awesome! And I've always loved Scabiosa. Gosh, your plant combinations and hardscapes are so impressive!

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  9. 'Dreadlocks' is on my seed list...hope it performs as well for me. Just getting into the Fuchsia thing...where you lead, I will follow.

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  10. Looking good Grace! I'm wondering about your Indigofera. How much water does it get? I have a plant that was sent to me via a friend back east. Just a tiny start from his plant. It's alive but not thriving 3 summers later. Please tell me your secrets!

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  11. Grace, Your garden is beautiful, I see no imperfections!

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  12. Perfection is overrated...your glorious garden is my idea of heaven! So beautiful!

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  13. As usual your garden is looking fantastic. Isn't it so true that we gardeners always see what the issues are with our gardens? I see NOTHING wrong with yours. :-) Digiplexis 'Illumination Flame' sounds intriguing. Please be sure to share that bloom with us.

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  14. Hi Grace, I haven't visited your garden in awhile! I am behind as usual in all of my blog visiting now that I'm on FB so much. Your place is looking beautiful! My love lies bleeding is just starting to bloom. Yours is looking awesome! I like that penny royal, too. I've not grown it before.

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  15. I planted a 'fama' pincushion flower in late spring, four inch pot, full sun. It has not taken off. Am i being too impatient? Willow

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  16. Hi Grace,
    Can you please let me know name of the plant in front of the Blood Grass? One with "red berries". Thank you.

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  17. Hi Jay, that is a Hypericum androsaemum ‘Glacier’ seedling. It doesn't have as much of variegated coloring that its parents have. I thought it was a good partner for the Blood Grass.

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  18. My garden is planted for autumn, which is strange because we don't often have a long fall here. By Halloween for sure, there is snow. We did have a great summer this year, though not nice enough to even dream of overwintering most of your garden beauties. Our springs can be tempestuous with snow being a real liability, so I don't dare plan the garden for that season, a handful of bulbs every year and I call it good.

    Christine in Alaska, no Coreopsis yet

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  19. Thanks for sharing the pictures !

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Thank you for being here! Your comments feed my soul.