Tuesday, August 14, 2012

Sunburn Itch

I BLEW IT LAST SATURDAY. Working in the garden, with a tank top that scooped a little too low in the back, I burned myself. My shoulders and arms are fine because they've been exposed enough but my back. OUCH. Actually it didn't really hurt until yesterday and it's more like an intermittent stinging sensation than a pervasive burning feel. Weird. You'd think by now I would have learned but NO! 

So I have a few photos to share. Lots of bloomers. As much as I hate the thought of summer winding down, the garden in August is going strong. 

Buddleia  
I've been picking Butterfly Bush blossoms because in a vase, with honeysuckle, the two scents combine into one amazing delight. 

Clematis viorna 
One of my WINS from Dancing Oaks a few years ago, Clemmy viorna puts forth these waxy bells in late July and August. The vine is hardly vigorous so I've got the few stems climbing a single rebar.

Clerodendrum bungei 
Clerodendrum bungei is starting to bloom too. This is a thirsty plant and with the imminent heat wave this week, it might falter but for now, it's looking mighty fine. 

Annual Baby's Breath, Gypsophila elegans
This particular Baby's Breath reseeds nicely. If I reuse any of the previous year's potting soil, (I admit, I do this) there will inevitably be seedlings emerging. I either move them or let them stay depending on what's growing with them.

Eupatorium cannabinum ‘Flore Plenum’ 
It seems to me the botanical name for Joe Pye has changed, right? I'm behind the times, obviously. Anyway, the above species grows similar to the more common Eupatoriums but the flower clusters are slightly papery and compact. They dry well too.
 
Eupatorium dubium ‘Baby Joe’ 
Little Joe ain't so little this year. I'm wondering if someone didn't test this guy sufficiently before marketing it. Oh well. I still love him. 

Gaura lindheimeri ‘Siskiyou Pink’ 
All of my Gauras look fabulous this year. I think it might be the additional rain we received in June. It certainly wasn't anything I did, unless they perform better with neglect. 

Rose of Sharon, Hibiscus syriacus 
Yes, the pink theme continues. Here is my little Rose of Sharon. Love those blossoms.

Verbena hastata 
This Verbena is a curiosity. I thought it would be fun to use a few stems in a bouquet. When I brought them indoors to arrange, immediately all of the petals began wiggling like there were tiny bugs burrowing into them and tossing out the petals. Before long, there was a sink full of petals and bare stems. It was very strange. I think I'll just keep this flower outdoors, thank you very much. 

Phlox paniculata 'Starfire' 
The Phlox, again thanks to June's rains are stupendous this year. I wish I had an acre of them.

Salvia microphylla ‘La Trinidad Pink’ 
The above Salvia is my favorite for obvious reasons. I believe this plant is on its third summer, meaning it's hardy here in my Zone 8 garden. 

Verbena bonariensis 
Who, these days, isn't familiar with Verbena bonariensis? I have a love/hate with this plant. It reseeds with abandon and often gets in the way of other plants, leaning and making a pest of itself. But what can I say, it's too cool not to have in a garden.  

Tetrapanax papyfifera ‘Steroidal Giant’ 
And finally on the foliage side of things, just a photo of my Tetrapanax. Actually this photo was taken last year. This year the plant is much taller.  

So sorry I've been away from all of your blogs. I am working on getting caught up.


19 comments:

  1. Funny...I just discovered Verbena hastata last Sunday at Joy Creek. A single stalk stood in the middle of a tallish ground cover and looked like a candelabra. Lots of labels, but seldom on the things I'm curious about, so I had to track someone down to ask about it.

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  2. Everything looks splendid! What a feast for your eyes and now for ours..thank you Grace!

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  3. Your flowers look fabulous! I've never seen the verbena hastata up close. Very cool plant. :o)

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  4. Sorry to hear about the sunburn. Yikes.
    That clematis viorna is too nice!
    Quite the pink post! (One of my favorite colors in the garden I'm a little embarrassed to say)
    I've been offline for quite a while with computer problems which I hope we're getting sorted out. Technology can be such a pain.

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  5. Sorry to hear about your back, it sounds like it really hurts. I've had more than my share of sunburns. Your pink flowers are all so pretty! My Little Joe is rather tall as well. I have it in the wrong spot, hopefully this year I will get around to finally moving it to the back of the bed. I wish I could keep Gaura alive, don't know what I'm doing wrong.

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  6. All of your flowers are gorgeous! A few that I never heard of, but love. Thank you for sharing!

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  7. I love all your nice flowers. They're beautiful! My fav's are the rose of sharon and baby's breath - funny, I thought baby's breath only came in white. Hope your sunburn feels better soon.

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  8. Grace, I love all your blooming flowers but the Clematis viorna is really stunning!

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  9. Hi Grace. All of your blooms are just beautiful but I love that Rose of Sharon. So pretty. Girl I get sunburn every summer too. You would think I would learn to do get it a little at a time instead of one swoop. LOL!

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  10. Hi Grace, love your garden. I grew the verbena in my zone 9 garden, it did well for a time and then it died. i will try it again next year.

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  11. Your Verbenas really look so amazing.
    Seemed to falling in love with all the tiny flowers compacted together in a cluster.
    Surely the flowers are doing their best in blooming well in your garden

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  12. I'm finding the Eupatorium(a) are really water dependant I've got 'Gateway' that normally is about 8 feet for me - this year, it is barely 5. It would seem that if it's starved for water during May/June, it just never recovers. Wonder if your abundance of water has encouraged Little Joe to be more Hoss-like?
    B

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  13. Gracie girl I am having itchy feelings now myself between your sunburn (ouch!) and those wiggling leaves you talked about ! LOL
    Your garden is doing so well .. love all the pretty plants .. I took a quick walk about in mine this morning and it so needs some TLC !
    I have to work up to it .. hopefully by Saturday because tomorrow we are supposed to have some rain again .. fingers crossed BIG time !! haha
    Joy

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  14. I need to be in the garden (not getting a sunburn) but just working. It's been so darn hot!
    You always have fabulous blooms Grace ~ love that clematis. I just saw it for the first time in a gardening magazine now in your garden!! Smart girl!
    I tried growing verbena hastata from seed a couple years ago (since no one sells it around here) & had zero luck. :(
    I think I would leave it in the garden too with the behavior you described! I've also never thought to bring buddleia blooms indoors ~ genius! It smells pretty fantastic outside so I'm guessing it must be better indoors?!
    p.s. I'm "out of it" too since I hadn't heard Joe Pye had been renamed?!

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  15. Wow, you still have such beautiful flowers...everything is pretty much done here with such hot weather and no rain...very unusual weather for us.

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  16. That Clerodendrum is gorgeous! I hope it has that same heavenly summer scent as C. trichotomum. Sorry about your sunburn, Grace. Sometimes, we gardeners are slow studies!

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