With all the political unrest these days, isn't it nice to have Nature to sooth us? It's been rough here with a record-long heat wave to start the month of August. It's back to reasonable now, thankfully and the flowers are singing their summer tunes.
The first of my five herbaceous Hibiscus plants just burst into bloom yesterday.
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| Hibiscus moscheutos 'Kopper King' |
I bought this one for the dark foliage but the flowers aren't too shabby either.
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| Tons of buds! |
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| Volunteer Morning Glory |
Below is a garden miracle. This Crape Myrtle was a gonner many years ago when a windstorm broke it off at ground level. I replanted the area with other things and didn't look back since I have another Crape Myrtle in a different part of the garden. Last year, I noticed leaves and life! Now look at it. It's a miracle.
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| Crape Myrtle blossom (Lagerstroemia) |
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| The miracle Crape Myrtle with Alstroemeria 'Tri-Color' |
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| Volunteer Nicotiana. Aren't they cool? |
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A cute crispa cross Clematis from my Ohio friend Deborah.
Isn't it adorable? |
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| Mystery Clematis is still putting out blossoms. |
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| Clematis 'Alionushka' is happy too |
I lost most of my Dahlias after last winter's ultra cold, ultra wet madness. These are the tried and true. (Junkyard Dog is alive but hasn't bloomed yet.)
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| Dahlia 'Rip City' |
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| Dahlia 'Bonne Esprance' |
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| Dahlia NOID |
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| Dahlia 'Ivanti' |
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| Dahlia 'Pink Princess' |
I love this rose:
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| Rosa mutabilis |
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| Lonicera 'Major Wheeler' |
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| Major Wheeler Honeysuckle |
Right on cue, the Cyclamen popped up.
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| Cyclamen hederifolium |
I got the below plant from my friend Nancy in Corvallis. It is looking nice in one of my woodland borders.
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| Eurybia divaricata 'Eastern Star' (formerly Aster) |
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| Kniphofia 'Pineapple Popsicle' |
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| Salvia 'Wendy's Wish' |
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| Clerodendrum bungei |
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| Heuchera 'Paris' |
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| Iris x norrisii 'Sangria' (aka Pardancanda norrisii) |
New this year 'Fat Domino' Persicaria. I had my doubts as to whether it would live up to its name but I'm pleasantly surprised. The mature spikes are definitely fatter than the species.
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| Persicaria 'Fat Domino' |
This Evening Primrose is such a happy camper. I've had it reseed in my garden now and it winters over just fine and blooms all spring and summer.
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| Oenothera kunthiana 'Glowing Magenta' |
The epithet says "magenta" but it's more like a warm pink, which I love.
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| Oenothera kunthiana 'Glowing Magenta' |
I love this Epilobium. (I can't get used to its new name Chamaenerion.) It's a dwarf Willow Herb from
Dancing Oaks that I just love. It reseeds politely and has a really long blooming time. And the bees adore it.
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| Epilobium fleischeri |
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| Epilobium fleicheri |
My two little 4 inch pots of this Phlox have finally spread out to cover this area (below). Mingling with Sedum 'John Creech' and S. 'Tri-Color' (and various weeds) it looks really cool in this mostly shady spot.
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| Phlox glaberrima ssp. triflora 'Triple Play' |
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| Rheum palmatum var. tanguiticum rising above more 'John Creech' Sedum |
A few of the resident buzzers...
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| Campanula lactiflora 'Lodden Anna' and honeybee butt. |
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| Garlic Chives Allium tuberosum and bumblebee butt. |
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| Allium tuberosum |
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| Heliotropium cv. |
Oh so much more. But enough for now.
I hope your garden is bringing you sweet respite from the world's woes.
The daily news does wear one out, doesn't it? Your garden is full of beauty despite the blast of heat all of you in the PNW received. I love the crape myrtle-Alstroemeria combination and I'm envious of how well your ground cover sedums do.
ReplyDeleteA visit to your blog is always so delightful, Grace! That Hibiscus is gorgeous! It's going to be a stunner for several weeks now with all those healthy blooms. :)
ReplyDeleteYou must have kept things well irrigated during the heat wave. Your Rheum looks really good. Mine just collapsed. Chamaenerion sounds like a creature from a Harry Potter book. Love your Dahlias. I'm looking for names to grow next year in my cutting garden. I like the looks of 'Rip City.'
ReplyDeleteI love the dahlias! Grasshoppers like to feed on dahlias here. I agree with Beth, a visit here is delightful!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful! So many favorites- the dahlias, the Paris coral bells, the heliotrope...
ReplyDeleteBeautiful as always Grace. Naturally I love the hibiscus...the dahlias are beautiful also. I have always found flowers sooth my soul also. Know what you mean about the heat wave, we are experiencing one also but that's not unusual for Texas in August. My summer annuals are about pooped out. The only things that are thriving are a huge five year old poinsettia plant I keep mostly in the shade. My gardenia is still nice too. I had a patio tomato plant last year that must have dropped one in the dirt and a bunch of volunteers came up in July so I transplanted them in pots other stuff had withered in and they are doing great. Two crops in one year will be nice. You are so right about the stress the current political scene can cause, I feel like I've been through a war on FB and I am going to take a break. Some folks can be downright snarky if they don't agree with your view. It kind of behooves me when they post so much about love and kindness the rest of the time. Oh well, that's life and I love it. XOXOXO
ReplyDeleteGrace, I just discovered your blog and I love your gorgeous garden! I will read all your posts from now on. Greetings from Argentina!
ReplyDeleteYour dahlias are beautiful. I especially love that first one. I planted one that I bought at a Master Gardener sale and it is blooming. I have not really grown them in the past.
ReplyDeleteHi Grace--Love all the bee butts...so many! You have a happy garden. I started some of those hardy hibiscus this year too--they (and I) can't wait until they get in the ground! (Have to wait for some deer fencing to get finished).
ReplyDeleteI hope to meet you one day at one of the Portland garden bloggers things.
~Alyse
I have tried in vain to get 'Lodden's Anna' to grow but no such luck. I also have 'Triple Play' phlox and love it. The cyclamen popping up through the rocks are so dang cute. :)
ReplyDeleteOh yes, my garden does bring me respite. Your dahlias are especially lovely, mine have barely started to bloom and we only have about a month left till frost.
ReplyDelete