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!

Summer in April

I started this post a few weeks ago but was circumvented by some sort of virus or a bad case of hay fever. Whatever it was and is, it has (and is) kicking my butt and rendering me a lazy blogger, among other things. So the first photos are from that earlier attempt.

Clematis alpina 'Constance'

Clematis macropetala 'Markham's Pink'

A blurry bumblebee!

Ligularia 'Garden Confetti'

Ornamental Rhubarb (Rheum palmatum var. tanguiticum)

I was heartened to finally see the resident swallows return to their summer home. I was worried by their late arrival.

One of the swallows

The chickadees are also fun to watch.

Chickadee bath time

Several months ago, on her way to Portland,  Willow Murawski stopped by and gave me this really cool vintage sewing machine to display in my garden. Right now its sitting beneath the lacy white flowers of the Spirea. Thank you Willow!

Circa 1923 Singer Red Eye Treadle sewing machine

Okay, now on to today's post:

It's been unseasonably warm the past week or two. It has helped wake up the garden. 

Last spring I found a variegated Glechoma and fell in love with it. Usually the leaves are a gray-green with white edges. Not this baby! Check out the spotted green and white variegation! Eventually the entire plant went rogue and I was a happy camper.  Just now I did a search and discovered that my plant tag was incorrect in stating that it was Glechoma hederacea 'Variegata'. It's actually G. h. 'Dappled Light'.

Glechoma hederacea 'Dappled Light' last year

 

I was very careful to keep it safe from winter's cold and this spring, it's rewarding me with these elegant little flowers. Yes. It's the small things.

 

The sweet little flowers of Glechoma hederacea 'Dappled Light'

The Penstemon rupicola is in full bloom. I love it so much.

Pink flowered Penstemon rupicola with Helianthemum nummularium 'Ben Ledi'

 Isn't it gorgeous? And to think that it's native to the Cascade Mountains.

Penstemon rupicola

Penstemon rupicola

My good friend Gail Barnard shared a piece of this hardy Geranium earlier this spring. It has grown and now it's blooming. I didn't really want it for the flowers. It's the variegated foliage that makes me happy.

Geranium phaeum 'Margaret Wilson'

Geranium phaeum 'Margaret Wilson'

Clematis 'Asao' is always the first large flowered hybrid to bloom in my garden. Of course, it's pink!

Clematis 'Asao'

Speaking of pink, another native, Pink Pussy Toes is in full bloom right now. Such a little charmer.

Pink Pussy Toes (Antennaria dioica)

Pink Pussy Toes (Antennaria dioica)

Last year I decided I had to have an Enkianthus. This is the first time it's bloomed for me. I'm not disappointed. 

Enkianthus campanulatus 'Showy Lanters'

And now for some wide shots:

Silene robotti

River rock that I'll place in the garden after I get the plants situated and the mulch down and yada, yada.

A new area ready to be planted.

 

Too much fence showing here again. Must remedy this.

There you have it. So much to do and loving it.

How about you?