Enjoying the Blossoms Before They're Gone

It was a really busy August, especially the second half and now,  here it is almost the second half of September! I didn't mean to stay away so long.

My garden is a mess and today was the day I was finally going to get some serious work done. But no. It's raining, darn it.

Such a weird summer. No long stretches of sunshine like we typically get from July through September. Fortunately with the cooler temperatures the flowers lasted longer and who knows, maybe I saved a few bucks on the water bill. 

Here's a look at what's happening.

My sister gave me a division of this Campanula. It started blooming in June and has been going nonstop since. It's a new favorite. Here is info on it.

Campanula 'Samantha'

This Rhodochiton overwintered on my patio and is has also been blooming nonstop.

Rhodochiton 'Purple Bells'

Another annual I plan to overwinter, is this Lavatera from Annie's Annuals. It's in the same pot as the pink flower behind it which, believe it or not, is a Black Eyed Susan Vine, both from Annie's.

Lavatera assurgentiflora  "Island Mallow" and Thunbergia alata 'Raspberry Smoothie'

The Lavatera has been a shy bloomer but that's okay.  I still like it. The Thunbergia vine has been threatening to swallow the house! I really love how the flowers start out a deeper pink and fade to pale pink. 

Thunbergia alata 'Raspberry Smoothie'

A few years ago I thought I dug out all of the Japanese Anemone but I didn't. Now I'm glad.

Anemone japonica 'Prinz Heinrich'

'Spider Woman' Dahlia has really impressed me. Pretty blooms and easy to grow.

Dahlia 'Spider Woman'

While my favorite Coreopsis is cherry-red 'Mercury Rising', C. 'Cosmic Evolution' is nice too. My only complaint is that it grows much taller and flops. 

Coreopsis 'Cosmic Evolution'

On an earlier post, I reported that Hibiscus x 'Almost Eden's Baby Pink' was blooming but after looking at the photos on Almost Eden's website, I'm convinced that what I have is Hibiscus 'Lufkin Red.' This means I'll have to reorder 'AE's Baby Pink' next spring. I'm not complaining. This plant is a winner. It's been pushing out blooms since June! And can have too many Hibiscus?

Hibiscus laevis 'Lufkin Red'

'Torchy's' flowers were semi-torched by the recent 90 degree weather but it has recovered.

Hibiscus moscheutos 'Torchy'

 

This canna was all but dead after the winter of 2013. Slowly the tiny subterranean parts that were still alive have finally recovered. Fortunately the Actaea isn't too concerned about being elbowed.

Actaea ramosa 'Atropurpurea' and healthy canna

With the cooler weather, the Silene has been blooming much longer than it typically does. It looks right at home, skirting the Colchicum. 

Colchicum var. 'Giant' with Silene schafta

I moved 'Princess Diana' Clematis last winter. It was a huge root ball and took some serious doing. The first flush of blooms this spring was fairly underwhelming. I cut it back, fertilized and now it's just starting its second flush. I'm glad it has recovered. I love this plant.

Clematis viticella 'Princess Diana'

And I love this Clematis my friend Deborah Hardwick sent me.

Clematis crispa seedling

I cut back Rosa 'Darlow's Enigma' because it was huge. I love these fragrant white flowers and so do the bees. 

Rosa 'Darlow's Enigma'

More blossoms:

Impatiens sodenii 'Flash'

Lewisia cotyledon

 And now for the Fuchsias!

Fuchsia 'Fuchsiade 88'

There is something so sweet about these small, purple blossoms.

Fuchsia 'Fuchsiade 88'

Fuchsia lycioides with its tiniest of flowers

Fuchsia 'Golden Herald'

Fuchsia 'Golden Herald'

'Lena' has whitefly but doesn't seem to mind terribly.

Fuchsia 'Lena'

Fuchsia 'Nettala'

I purchased Fuchsia glazinova a few years ago and trained it into a single trunk. It's over seven feet tall!

Fuchsia glazinova

Fuchsia glazinova

Fuchsia glazinova

'Flash' is planted in the ground but is almost five feet tall in its second year. I LOVE that plant!

Fuchsia 'Flash' with Lobelia cardinalis

Fuchsia 'Flash'

The Fuchsia below was an impulse purchase. At $4.00 for a one gallon I couldn't resist. The flowers are really big and the plant is healthy and vigorous. Sadly, the nursery label was incorrect so I'm going with Celia Smedly until I figure it out.

Fuchsia 'Celia Smedly' ?

The mild winter meant the typical die-back on hardy Fuchsia branches and stems didn't happen. This guy is really tall!

Fuchsia hatschbachii

Fuchsia hatschbachii making its way up the Arbutus enedo.

Fuchsia hatschbachii on the right with 'Baby Ann' photobombing on the left

Fuchsia 'Baby Ann' on the left

Fuchsia 'Baby Ann' with tiny F. lycioides trying to assert itself

And finally, try not to notice the bird poo on the leaves of  'Rosea'. The fountain bubbler is just out of view in the photo and is a bird magnet.

Fuchsia 'Rosea'

There are other Fuchsias in my garden, including several plantings of the species magellanica--can we every have too much hummingbird food--but this post has gone on long enough. 

Thanks for visiting!

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.