Things Are All A-Buzz

Mine really is a summer garden. I planned it that way on purpose. Yes, I have a bunch of spring bloomers because I am an incurable plant addict. But spring weather can be unpredictable and during years when the rain is constant, the spring garden can be either ruined or ignored. 

Contrarily, summer here in the Pacific Northwest is pretty much sunshine and more sunshine and July through September is when my garden is happiest and busiest with buzzing and flittering. It's when I am outside and when indoor things get ignored. 

I don't have a lot of photos this time but here's what's going on right now.

Despite my devotion to Coreopsis 'Mercury Rising' I saw this Coreopsis (below) at the Peoria Garden plant sale and decided it had better come home with me. It's much lower-growing and has more needle-like foliage. And the flowers are outstanding. (Will it survive the winter? That's the question.)

Coreopsis 'Cruzin' Main Street'

Years ago I purchased Dahlia 'Bonne Esperance' from a local retailer. I can't recall how it met its demise but when I saw it on sale at Swan Island Dahlias, I knew it needed to be in my garden once again. It's a low-grower with clear pink, single flowers. 

Dahlia 'Bonne Esperance' blooming beside Coreopsis 'Mercury Rising'

This volunteer Love-Lies-Bleeding is anything but a low-grower! It's taller than my five feet now which is a good thing because it offers a bit of shade for the Fuchsia and Farfugium behind it. I'm going to let it go to seed again this year. It's a cool plant.

Love-Lies-Bleeding 'Dreadlocks' came true from seed from last year's plant.

There is something kind of magical about Scabiosa 'Fama' with its extra-large, flouncy flowers. The honeybees apparently agree. 

Scabiosa caucasica 'Fama'

I know for many, if not most gardeners, Pennyroyal is considered a smelly weed. But I love it. The pungent aroma reminds me of my childhood years traipsing along the shores of the North Umpqua River where it grew. For me it doesn't misbehave like the typical mint but I still grow it in a pot with lots of water. It smells wonderful and the honeybees love it.

Pennyroyal (Mentha pulegium) in full bloom. 

I moved my Indigofera (no small feat) this spring to an all-day sun area and it has recovered beautifully. I really love the foliage and flower on this plant. 

Foliage and flower on Indigofera heterantha.

My Digiplexis survived our mild winter but just sat there in its pot for months. Finally now it's fixing to bloom.

Digiplexis 'Illumination Flame'

I think the foliage on this hardy Geranium is especially cute when adorned with the droppings of spent flowers of the Seven Son Flower (Heptacodium miconioides). 

Geranium pratense 'Victor Reiter'

One of the highlights of the summer garden is the hardy Fuchsias I've collected. Below is 'Baby Ann' in all her glory growing alongside a native sword fern. 

Fuchsia 'Baby Ann'

I've been watering my Japanese Blood grass a lot and it is really filling in. I love everything about this grass.

Japanese Bloodgrass (Imperata cylindrica 'Rubra') partnered with a full grown
Hypericum androsaemum 'Glacier' seedling

And a few wide shots. Please pardon the imperfections.

Between the Downpours

The weekend weather was superb. I got so much done. Plants that needed to be moved, got moved and newbies that needed an in-ground home got one. I still have more to do, of course. Don't we all? 

Today I took some photos between downpours but had to hurry because the sunny reprieve was short and I didn't want raindrops to ruin my camera. Now, at my laptop, it's sunny outside again and this after hail about ten minutes ago. It's fall. 

Somebody found this pillowy zinnia a little too comfortable and forgot to fly home. 

My pink Bacopa is in a hanging container. It has been blooming nonstop since April.
The bees love it. And so do I. 

A final Echinacea blooms amid the upright pink Indigofera blossoms. 

Oenothera pallida is still blooming. It's very fragrant too. 

Dahlia 'Rip City' is trying. It's a newbie. I think the plant will look better next year. 

Dahlia 'Mystic Wonder' has a few blossoms left too. 

Dahlia 'Ivanhoe' is such a cool plant.

Dahlia 'Dutch Explosion' is the definition of prolific bloomer.

Here is another blossom. I love it. 

Look at my 'Frost Proof' Gardenia. I thought it was finished blooming but it surprised me. 

Brachyscomb 'Radiant Magenta' is another long bloomer. 

This is progeny of Nicotiana 'Tinkerbell'. I grew its parent three or four years ago, let it go to seed
and now each year I get baby plants that grow up and bloom and scatter seed for the following year.
Most of them are a medium pink color but this one is a dark red. 

Several weeks ago, walking past my Elaeagnus x ebbingei 'Gilt Edge'
I caught a whiff of its tiny but extremely fragrant flowers. It is still going strong.
And the bees love them.  

Fuchsias are still dazzling, despite being hammered by rain and hail.
How do they do that? 

This fuchsia and the one above it are NOID. Darn it.

This is 'Olympics Sunset'--a newbie from Fry Road this year. 

Believe it not, this too is a Fuchsia. It's called 'Whiteknights Cheeky.'
The tag says it's hardy here in my Zone 8 garden. It's still in a pot but the chances of winter survival
increase dramatically if it's in the ground. I need to get it planted soon.  

Here is another one that still needs an in-ground home.
It's called Fuchsia 'Blue Troll.' The flowers are really tiny. 

A bunch of plants in this photo are cut back already exposing too much dirt (for my taste).
Next year, next year....
In the front is, Farfugium japonicum 'Crispatum'. Behind it, Euphorbia stygiana and behind
that is Zingiber mioga 'Nafuku'. If the temps get seriously cold this winter,
I'll be throwing a thermal blanket over the whole lot.
 

In the same bed are a few more leafy loves. Since the return of wet weather,
the Acanthus mollis has really perked up, making Hosta 'Paradigm' look good, despite all the slug holes.  

The berries on my Aronia arbutifolia 'Brilliantisima' are Christmas-red now, even though the
foliage is still apple green. In short order, the foliage will be as red as the berries. 

And soon thereafter, the robins will devour the berries. 

One of the little independent nurseries I love to visit every year had this little plant for sale.
Mimosa pudica or "Sensitive Plant." Here it is in Stage 1. 

Here it is after being gently touched. 

And here it a few seconds later. Such a fun plant. It grew wild in Hawaii. I remember as a kid, playing with it while
tromping around the countryside of the Big Island. 

The coleus I tucked in to the scented Geranium (Pelargonium) pot has finally grown tall enough to be seen. 

Speaking of "tall enough," this Canna was a gift from gal Pal Carol.
It's gotten huge. I love it. 

Random gardens shots... the south end. 

The north end... The Heptacodium foliage is making a real mess of things. 

In the middle, looking south. 

In the middle looking north. 

Looking out from the patio to the world beyond. 

In the past few months, I've posted a few photos of Zip but lest you think

 we are a simple, clear headed, one-cat family,

I'll dispel that myth with photos of the other three. 

Yes, we're a four-cat family.

This is Nala. Notice her sitting on our expensive, high-end furniture. (Not.) 

This is Nala's brother Taz. He looks like a kitten here but he's actually bigger than Nala. 

And this is Mira.