DESPITE MOTHER NATURE'S little tirade earlier in the week, my garden remains fairly intact. I lost a few stems on my hardy Begonia and a lot of leaves from my Heptacodium (seven-son's flower) but by and large, it's all just a soggy mess in need of clean up.
I love Hydrangea serrata 'Preziosa.' In June, the blossoms emerge white with a hint of lavender. Slowly over the summer months, they morph to lavender, then pink, finally ending up like this--a deep luscious carmine red. My favorite!
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| Hydrangea serrata 'Preziosa' |
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| Agastache 'Big Box' leaning on a terra cotta pipe. |
At the beginning of the season, around April or May on my first trip to Fry Road Nursery, I purchased a small plug of this variegated leaf Pelargonium. It's huge now. The flower color is a jarring OSU orange so I snip off the buds before they have a chance to make me barf. (Nothing against the university.)
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| Pelargonium |
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| Hardy fuchsias: the pink one is 'Baby Ann.' The other one is called, I don't remember. |
Another serendipitous trip to the big box, (something I like to do occasionally on my lunch hour) brought me face to face with this fabulous Salvia. The tag had some weird silly, big box moniker I'd never heard of but since several years ago I grew one that looked identical to one and it was called 'Purple Majesty' I'm calling this one 'Purple Majesty.' So far the plant hasn't objected so I think it enjoys its royal treatment.
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| Salvia 'Purple Majesty' |
I know I'm in the minority by confessing that I don't care for the blue Salvias but I don't care for the blue Salvias. I like the purples and the pinks. So there you have it.
In the container below is a new (to me at least) cultivar of Brachyscomb (Swan River Daisy). I think it's called 'Jumbo Mauve.' Although the flowers aren't any larger than the old standby, the color is a much more vibrant electric mauve. (They should have named it "Electric Mauve." Duh.)
It looks really cute with this self-seeding annual Gypsophila (that I didn't plan).
And here's one of my favorite grasses:
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| Panicum 'Shenandoah' no flopping! |
This next plant is for Loree and all her followers. You know who you are. You who are enamored of the genus "Spiky" "Dangerous" and "Ultra-cool". Maybe you're already familiar with Cheilanthes sinuata or "Wavy Cloak Fern." It's new to me and when I spotted it at the Salem Hardy Plant Sale for a whopping $3.00, I said "gimmee." The tag reads:
Semi-evergreen Height 6-18'' Width 16-20" Part shade
A xeric fern w/ gray green fronds and a silvery-white underside.
Good drainage, it can take some sun and drier conditions once established.
Also does well indoors.
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| What's not to love? Because mine is small, I'll keep it in a container for now. But I've got high hopes for this puppy. |
Lucky for me, the local Farmers' Market has a Wednesday gathering. There is one really nice lady named Brenda who faithfully sets up her booth, not with edibles but a bunch of really cool plants. I've bought goodies from her for several years. Just recently I simply had to have this little guy. Like the aforementioned fern, this will also stay in a pot for safe keeping. Besides I want to enjoy these sweet little Meadow Rue-esque flowers up close and personal. Each flower is about the size of tic-tac.
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| Anemonella thalictroides 'Oscar Schoaf' |
This is typically a spring bloomer and goes dormant in summer.
Recently on a trip (lunch hour again) to the local Goodwill store, I found this cool rock. It's actually pumice, I think. It had a nice sized hole already drilled so I planted one of my Semp gatherings in it. I'd love to have a few (dozen) more of these in various sizes. Aren't they cool?
One of my current obsessions is hardy Geraniums. I bought seed for this one (below) in the spring. I'm very pleased with it. There was a few white flowered ones in the mix.
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| Geranium pyrenaicum 'Summer Sky' |
A few garden photos, taken before the winds.
Several posts back, I mentioned hubby Steve's and my decision to dismantle our deck and replace it with a cement patio. I promised before and after photos. Well, we're almost finished. My daughter is painting it in a faux flagstone motif that looks awesome. And my son has just gotten the tool that will allow him to mount the final posts for the roof. That said, photos will be coming shortly. I know you're all waiting on pins and needles, right? Ha, ha, ha...
When I saw the "this one is called, I don't remember" I laughed out loud. I suffer from that A LOT.
ReplyDeleteI can't wait for my trip to Fry Rd. Nursery next year. I will actually have room to plant! Yeah!
Lovely Grace
ReplyDeleteGlad your garden survived. That Salvia is really breath-taking! And speaking of breathing, yes, absolutely waiting with bated breath for the before and after shots of the patio. It sounds like a great family project. Fun!
ReplyDeleteMy garden survived too, but is very soggy with lots of small branches strewn throughout. Cool fern. Love that purple Salvia too.
ReplyDeleteOh I love the Wavy Cloak Fern and I'd never heard of it prior to you post. Must keep an eye out for it!
ReplyDeleteAs always your flowers delight my heart. I love the colors, the textures and love your new fern.
ReplyDeleteYour new patio sounds wonderful and looks great so far from what I can see. It's turning into quite the family project and I know it will all look great when the job is finished.
Love and hugs to you ~ FlowerLady
I have a few of those plants "I don't remember" too. LOL! Well I think your garden still looks so beautiful and has so many blooms. Mine is dying out and ready for fall. I need to cut a lot down to get ready for raking.UGH! LOL!
ReplyDeleteWhat a great find that rock was. Looks so pretty with your babies in it. I love the leaves on that pelargonium. Gorgeous.
Your garden looks particulalry luscious...we attempted fuschia this year and surprisingly it did not do well...maybe another year...good to see you Grace and happy October to you : )
ReplyDeleteI laughed at your comment about cutting the flower off the variegated Pelargonium. I have exactly the same reaction to the flowers that appear on most of those plants.
ReplyDeleteMy sister has a giant clump of that blood grass in her new yard and I'm itchin' to get my fingers on some.
ReplyDeleteThat rock is awesome. I have a piece of pumice with a sedum of some sort stuck in it and I love it.
Your yard looks like it held up really well in the rain. Mine got beat to crap. I can't even stand to look out the window at all the work that needs to be done. Whatever happened to those 80 degree October days? Oh wait, it's only the 2nd, isn't it?
Your garden did much more than survive...it flourished. No surprise there. So cool that your kids know how to make their mom happy.
ReplyDeleteHi Grace, I haven't been keeping up with blogs for awhile. I'm glad I made it here this evening. I didn't know you had a storm. I'm glad your garden survived.
ReplyDeleteYour mystery salvia reminds me of 'Black and Blue'. I have a similar agastache next to my salvia, but they are past their peak bloom. I deadheaded them, hoping they will have more blooms for the hummingbirds, which I'm not yet seeing.
Oh I might need that Shenandoah grass, very nice. (Studying grass now.) And I love you even if you don't like blue flowers.
ReplyDeleteGrace, how lovely is your fall garden! I love this carmine red color too, especially your hydrangea!
ReplyDeleteGrace:
ReplyDeleteI learned something new about the genus Hydrangea thanks to your post. Never would have thought Preziosa was considered a lacecap..... macrophylla [mop top] in a heartbeat, but it appears it is a hybrid between the two.... who would have thunk? As to the Anemonella, cherish it dearheart! They are gawd awful expensive in my neck of the woods and so frail and delicate...... the slugs loved mine to death,,,,, literally!
Where do I start with my comments? This was a most enjoyable post, Grace! The Hydrangea, first off, is a winner. I'm entranced with the way it changes color over the seasons! When I saw Agastache 'Big Box' I thought, "That must be a favorite with the pollinators and the hummingbirds!" The Fuchsia "bush" is fantastic! I'm assuming it's hardy to like zone 6 or 7? The Salvia looks like a pollinator magnet, too? Love the rainbow grass--and it's a plus that it doesn't flop! What a wonderful spot for the Hens and Chicks! I could go on and on. Thanks for all the great ideas!
ReplyDeleteHi Grace,
ReplyDeleteI really do like the clean look of the patio, shows off all of your great plants. I also love that Shenendoah grass, soft and not intrusive in the border.
Eileen
Grace your garden is stunning...hardy geraniums are putting on a little more growth here before the cold comes....
ReplyDeleteSo lovely to see beautiful garden and wonderful flowers
ReplyDeleteGrettings, Ela