Friday, August 31, 2018

The Last Day of Augst

August may be winding down but I'm not giving up on summer. No way.

Here are some random photos of a garden still going strong.


Hibiscus moscheutos 'Kopper King'



Here is the backside of that bed.

The white flowers on the left are Gardenia 'Frostproof'. The shrub, planted in 2013 is almost four feet tall.

I think this might be Fuchsia 'Flash'


Clematis versicolor

Such cute little bi-colored bells

A darling Clematis hybrid from my friend Deborah in Ohio.

One of our three strawberry troughs. There is not much activity in June but the summer berries are prolific!
This is a day-neutral variety called 'Aroma'. They're fantastic.

The 'Fall Gold' raspberries are equally delicious.

'Tritonia disticha subsp. 'Rubrolucens' ... bulbs from Debs across the pond. Aren't they pretty?
A short story:
At least ten years ago a wind storm took out my single-trunk Crape Myrtle "tree". I was heartbroken but purchased another one, planted it in an adjacent bed and forgot about my earlier casualty. Two years ago, I was surprised to see a single stem of familiar looking foliage jutting upward through the thicket of perennials, in the exact spot where the earlier crape myrtle had died. Below is a photo of it today. Apparently there was enough root left to nourish a new plant. And is it every happy! Lesson: Don't be too quick to assume a plant is dead.
Crape Myrtle in full bloom



A few woodland gems





One of my rock garden areas where Silene shafta is a happy camper.




The foliage on 'Orion' hardy Geranium is really cool but the plant gets HUGE. I may need to relocate this guy. 

'Santa Cruz' Fuchsia with 'Glowing Embers' Hydrangea









A bit of organized chaos

My weird obsession with rocks. All of these were found with holes in them.

Who doesn't love a little pot of Hens & Chicks?

Or a BIG pot of Hens & Chicks?

Talinum (or Phemeranthus) calycinus is such a great plant but completely disappears in winter. Hence the pot.



Persicaria 'Fat Domino' with its vibrant red spikes. 

'Fat Domino' with 'Shenandoah' Switch Grass (Panicum) in front.

A happy clump of Garlic Chives (Allium tuberosum)



Dahlia 'Rip City' on the right. I've had this one for several years.

These are new Dahlias this year. In front, D. 'Spider Woman' and behind, 'Contraste'.


Dahlia 'Sorbet' is another plant resurrection. Purchased in 2016, it was a no-show last year.


Long-lived Dahlia 'Park Princess'

This is an old photo of Dahlia 'Bonne Esprance' The plant is so big this year and a blooming machine.


New this year, this irresistible Scabiosa Gelato™  Blueberry. I'll let you know if it survives the winter.





Finally, below you can see both Crape Myrtle trees. The flower color is nearly identical in both. The one on the left is the resurrected one, still a bit floppy from top-heavy flowers. It will require some judicious pruning. The newer one is peaking out from behind the Banana. Here, it looks as though they're right on top of each other but there is actually a large area between them. 




 I could go on and on but I'll stop for now. I need to go outside.


12 comments:

  1. I think of August and September as the low points for my own garden but yours looks marvelous, Grace! I'm particularly envious of your robust fuchsias - I've finally got a few of my own thanks to the lath (shade) house my husband built for me but they're nothing like yours!

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  2. I will be glad to slap Summer on its butt on the way out the door. I'm ready to welcome Fall with open arms. I have lots and lots of plants I have to get in the ground, but I need to wait until there is a promise of regular rain in the forecast. I don't know how you've kept your garden looking so good after this hot, dry summer. It looks wonderful, so lush and colorful.

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  3. Wow and wonderful once again! I always enjoy a stroll through your lovely gardens. What a fantastic tub of strawberries.

    Have a great weekend ~ FlowerLady

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  4. Incredible garden and lovely pictures.
    Thank you.
    Phyllis

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  5. I never tire of looking at your garden. You have a talent for combining plants and objects in a beautiful way.

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  6. I LOVE the woodland gems. And the crepe myrtle. Wish I could grow it but rural Quebec is much too cold in winter.

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  7. I love your strawberry trough! And the big pot of hens and chicks is fabulous.
    So the rocks with holes, are those from the beach? Or did you find them in your garden? I've only seen rocks like that at the ocean-side.

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  8. superbe article pour un jardin toujours opulent
    merci pour ce joli partage de fin d'été
    @ bientôt
    christine (de France en champagne)

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  9. Just so beautiful!! Hooray for that crepe myrtle! I love rocks, too. :o)

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  10. Loved your column Jazzed up..my wife and bet that you knew that wasn't a dahlia in the picture...so we went to your blog and loved it too.

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  11. You are a summer garden sorceress! Amazingly fresh and bloomy for end of August. The rock garden plantings are wonderful. And congrats on the Lazarus performance of your crepe myrtle!

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  12. I have to learn a lot about gardening! Thanks a lot for this post 

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