September: The New August (Thanks Loree)

WELL, DESPITE MY PROTESTS, which included foot-stomping, copious whining fits and episodes of outright denial, I was unable to keep the curtain from closing on August.  I know many of you are welcoming the cooler days of September and its subtle hints of autumn but not me. 

Fortunately the garden has many late-summer beauties to keep me smiling.  

The Asters are making quite a scene right now. 

Usually my Feverfew flowers are done but this little bunch surprised me. 

Rosa 'Jacques Cartier' has been blooming all summer and still has buds.
And he's very fragrant!

I've been taking bouquets to work. Here is one from a few weeks ago.
Roses, Honeysuckle, Butterfly Bush and Phlox smell wonderful. 

On a recent Drive-By, I was surprised to see a white-flowered Wisteria blooming this time of year. 

Also, although the grounds look sad, this Clerodendrum (Harlequin Glory Bower) tree is amazing.
One of the nicest I've seen. 

Here are the fragrant flowers of the Clerodendrum.
On the right you can see one of the forming blue seed pod balls. 

A few days ago I found a few hiding clumps of Cyclamen hederifolium.

Anemone 'Pamina' I love these flowers. 

This little Dahlia blooms non-stop. 

Gaura is such a happy plant and drought-tolerant too. 

PINK!

And finally, speaking of pink, I saw this gaggle of flamingos on a recent drive-by. Fun! 

Is your garden still going strong or winding down?

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.

A Change of Heart

For those of you who are regular visitors, there is no doubt you're aware of my reluctance towards autumn. You've patiently read my incessant bemoaning; my carrying on ad nauseum; whining and bitching like life was really handing me a bitter pill.

The last cluster on my Carpet Rose

Which is absolutely ridiculous. No bitter pills here.

One of my Fuchsias. They're all still looking really swell. 

It's not so much fall itself I was protesting. It was saying goodbye to summer. Witnessing the long, sun-filled days and evenings come to and end and with it, the decline of my summer garden. I know I'm not alone either because many of you have written of the same reluctance. 

Another Fuchsia. I don't know the names of most of them. 

Well, I confess that, finally, here in late October, my attitude has adjusted favorably. Finally. 

Fuchsia

Yet another Fuchsia. See I told you they look good!

           














I suppose it's the allure of the blushing trees, the soft glow of the sunlight, the cooler temperatures, orange scatterings dancing across the road; russets, reds and golds illuminated by a cloudless blue.  How can you not love that? 

Geranium 'Patricia' leaning into the pathway 

 Foggy mornings, the smell of wood smoke... you get the picture.

Geranium 'Jolly Bee' making a serious attempt at defying fall. 

 Yes, autumn is very enjoyable right now.

Cyclamen growing in an obscure place

The temperatures have been very pleasant lately. I'm still behind on garden work but didn't let that deter me from snapping photos earlier today.

The plight of the garden...pretty things among the "ruins." 

Granted, there is lots of chaos but treasures can still be found.

Gaura

Echium tuberculatum is still blooming like crazy. 

Lespedeza thunbergii just finishing up

Canna 'Tropicana' still looking decent

Anemone, alive and thriving

Blushing Hydrangea blossoms

The last few raspberries

The last few blueberries

I still have a few goodies left in the garden. The berries are just finishing up. I got a nice handful of both raspberries and blueberries. Tasty! 

The tomatoes were tasty too. 

The last of the tomatoes

The last of the cherry tomatoes

My neighbors have a politically incorrect Ivy vine. Whether they are aware of Ivy's propensity to smother trees or not, I don't know. I'm thinking not since they're allowing it to climb the fence and basically take over. 

Check out the little sputniks on the left. They are the flowers of the Ivy. This photo is but one small representation of a huge mass of blooms right now. The sound of the honeybees is what alerted me to them. Not much to look at, they sure make the bees happy. So I guess Ivy does have one redeeming quality. Who'd a thunk?

A small toadstool growing in the pathway rocks

 I thought I'd leave you with one final lilliputian treasure. Cute, isn't it?

What do you think of my new header photo? This and the new one on Subplots By Grace, my other blog, are the fruit of my Saturday, sitting on my arse. I've got a new post over there too, if you've got a minute. Thanks for your kind comments!