No Shadows!

It's been a long, hot summer and today, timed precisely with the beginning of autumn, the shadows that have been a normal part of my gardening experience for the last three months were on serious hiatus. Sunshine lay hidden behind an ashen cloud cover keeping the temperature in the comfy sixties. And with beloved rain predicted tomorrow, needless to say I got some serious gardening done!  

Look at Aster 'Alma Potschke' 

Through the years I've divided this Aster many times and now there are several
throughout my garden. I love the vibrant pink color. 

Nicotiana 'Tinkerbell' has reseeded in several areas. I love everything about this plant. 

Rosa 'Rhapsody in Blue' is blooming again. The fragrance is delicious. 

And speaking of fragrance, here is a blossom on my 'Frost Proof' Gardenia.
The plant has been blooming non-stop since early August.

This is 'Fireworks' Gomphrena. It's been blooming since I bought it. 

This photo of  Rosa 'Adelaide Hoodless' is a little over-exposed but I love these luscious red puffs. 

Earlier this spring, I bought two Calibrachoa or "Million Bells."
They're still going strong. 

Fry Road Nursery has several species Impatiens. I bought this one as a plug
back in May. It's about three feet tall now and in constant bloom. 

I've discovered that if I give my Dianthus a drink now and then they'll thank me with blooms. 

Ditto for Clemmies. This is C. 'Confetti.' It's blooming again! 

My over-wintered Melianthus has been growing slowly all season. 

The red blooms here are Coreopsis 'Mercury Rising'. It's been blooming non-stop since June. 

Fuchsia magellianica and Himalayan Honeysuckle (Leycesteria formosa 'Golden Lantern')

And just next to the aforementioned plant combo is this one.
Rosa 'Cinco de Mayo' and Rhus typhina 'Tiger Eyes Sumac'. 

Here is a look at my garden looking north. 

And here it is looking south. The creeping thyme I planted between the bricks (where the lawn used to be)
is filling in nicely. 

Maybe a little too well in some spots. 

I am so much happier without my lawns. The "north lawn" used to be here. 

One of my projects has been to relocate this sad looking clump of Darmera peltata. As a lover of wet feet, it was constantly pouting at being sentenced to the desert conditions under my Seven-Son's tree. 

So I dug it out and replaced it with a very large and very tolerant Pacific Northwest native sword fern. 

The fern will take a while to settle in but this area will be much easier to manage next summer, which I'm
predicting will be much cooler! 

Fall Gardening and Admiring

DESPITE MY DESIRE TO be in the garden, today, I was forced indoors by a November-like wind and rain storm. This, to celebrate the first day of fall. I'm hoping it's not a harbinger of things to come.

Kiss-Me-Under-The-Garden-Gate, looking very pink in front
of the maroon Nine Bark foliage. 

Now that it's fall, I'm excited to be able to move plants around without the risk of transplant shock. Talk about the need for patience. There is one border that I designed this spring and it was a bust at best. Here's a photo.

See what I mean? No contrast, no definition, no excitement. Blah!
The only attention-grabber is the serendipitous volunteer Kiss-Me
with its vertical stature and heart-shaped foliage. 

So I'm going to be reworking this full-sun bed this fall. I thought about including the Melianthus (you can see on the right side of the photo) but I've got a different place for it. Instead I'm thinking I'll plant my huge pot of Cannas and my 'Tiger Eye' Sumac. And maybe a few small ornamental grasses in front. Any ideas? 

I'm also thinking next springI'll buy another Kale 'Lacinata' to it.
I'm so impressed with this plant. It's almost five-feet tall! 

In a semi-shady location, the hardy Fuchsias are still going strong. 

I'm loving my 'Burgundy Bunny' Pennisetum 

Isn't she gorgeous? I nabbed the last one of these sweet hardy Geraniums last month.
I think the tag is still outside and I don't want to get it
so if you want to know what it's called, just holler real loudly
and I'll fetch it.

Spigelia is blooming again. Although I rarely have yellow flowers, I love this guy. 

Rosa mutabilis drenched in rain water. 

Crimson Fans blushing

Almost too much pink for my camera. 

Lespedeza in full bloom 

And a blushing Melianthus 

'Sun and Substance' Hosta 

Fuzzy tassels on this Pennisetum 

Celosia

Luna Hibiscus... for Anna 

'Paris' Heuchera blooming again

Zip, inhaling 'Walker's Low' Catmint

Foliage of Begonia grandis

My "barely there" Acanthus. 

Tetrapanax, Artichoke and Kale, aren't they a happy threesome? 

One of the mildew-free species Impatiens from Fry Road Nursery
is this sweet thing called 'Lavender Bubbles.' 

And finally, I took a photo of my Northern Sea Oats before cutting them off for an indoor
display. They're so cool.