As August Ends

 
August has flown by and the short cool down we had
last week has ended when the hot, hot weather arrived
again this week with highs in the 90’s.
Just for the record this has been a very hot summer
for Ohio.
The cistern has finally ran dry and there is just a little
water left in the rain barrel so if the garden gets watered
it will be from the well water or hopefully we will soon get
some rain.
The flowers are already suffering from this latest hot,
dry spell. It is not any wonder though because this old clay
soil around here is now like cement.
A few die hard geraniums in pots are still going:

 

Rosebud Apple Blossom

Horizon Red Ice

Raspberry Ripple

Gaillardia Mesa Yellow just keeps growing and blooming.

The Blue Clips Bellflower sporadically gets a bloom or two.

The yellow Gerbera is still blooming in its pot on the porch.

 

The pots and containers of Impatiens shrivel
and their heads droop in the afternoon heat.
And the hungry deer ate all of them from the tipsy
pots out at the edge of the garden. Grrr!

Hibiscus Lord Baltimore is still having a few blooms
but its poor leaves at the bottom are full of holes and
turning yellow.

 

The dahlias are still blooming in their pots also but their
bottom leaves are all brown and they are looking terrible.

B  

This silhouette of a Hummingbird perched in the evening shade  was guarding the feeder on the front porch from the other
Hummingbirds. They like to dive bomb anything on the porch
including myself. Soon they will be leaving.

Even the alyssum in the teapot looks sad and is
lacking in blooms.

I can see through the trees that the Crape Myrtle
still has some blooms. It has been just full this summer
and has bloomed its heart out.

 

This ‘ Scentimental’ Rose bloom is representative of
the hot, buggy summer we have had. It is even blushing
pink where it should be white. Poor ravaged thing.

The yellow miniature rose was transplanted into a bigger
container and is loving all the room for its roots and showing
it with a lot of new growth and so many buds.

All of the tall phlox are still getting a few smaller blooms
from the continuous dead heading of them. I am still
spraying to keep down the  mildew on them.
This has been a terrible summer for mildew on the Bee Balm
and the phlox, even phlox that was suppose to be mildew
resistant. This Laura has resisted better than the rest.

The containers would be so terrible looking now but
for the seeded dahlias in them growing to fill them out.
The petunias just need ripped out of them.
The window boxes look the worse this year than I
can ever remember them. Even the geraniums in them
are barely growing at all. The pentas are still blooming
in them but the verbena is yellow.
I can hardly wait to ripe the plants out of them and add
pansies for Fall plantings. That will have to wait until the
weather cools down because the pansies would suffer now.
I hope all of your gardens are fairing better than mine
is right now and…..

Happy Gardening Everyone!!

Lona  H

Friday Blooms

Hello Everyone. I hope everyone has had a good
week. We had a cool down here for a few days and
it has been wonderful  working outdoors without
the feel of breathing and working in a sauna.
I got some last minute painting around the house to
get ready for that old winter weather. I shiver at the
thought of that  word and dread it even though we are
not into Fall yet.
That awful noise that the cicada’s have been making
for the last few weeks drowning out everything in the
garden even the water fountains has finally come to an
end and now it is just the katydids.
With the cooler mornings it has made one feel like Fall is
coming early this year but since we started into spring
weather earlier this year it is not surprising that Fall may
be here sooner than we want it to be. Where is the Summer
gone to?
On the gardening front some of the bulbs that were
purchased for next spring have arrived.
Seems I run in collections when it comes to bulbs or rhizomes.
I have gone from Lilies into Irises this  year most of which
will repeat their blooms. More bang for the buck and some
Autumn color in the process. Something different to look
forward to next Spring in the garden.
Today’s posting is being made also for a record to look back on
to what is happening , not happening, and not to repeat for
next springs garden.

 

The Butterfly weeds have been run over by orange aphids
and caterpillars along with some of the leaves from a
nearby hydrangea bush.

I have also been taking notes on what needs to be
improved on or moved this Fall and one of the moves
will be of the Monarda’s that are in the side bed.
I am so frustrated with the mildew on them and
fighting with it this summer that it is going to all be
moved to the Woodland bed.  Maybe they will also
get more circulation  there and cut down on the
mildew.With exception of a new half price Raspberry
Wine one that was planted this summer.
It is not suppose to mildew so I will leave it  until
next summer to see what it does.

This Hibiscus is finally starting to bloom that was grown
from seeds sent to me by Dirt Princess.I love the pink blooms with the deep burgundy eyes.  I was really disappointed
this spring thinking none of the hibiscus seeds would germinate
and after giving up on them I finally got surprised with seedlings.
Granted they took their time and some are still growing into
maturity but I have plants now and fought the Japanese beetles
this summer to try to keep  leaves on them.

I also have a Blue River hibiscus growing from seeds from Donna
and another that will be a surprise. A surprise because I took a
couple of seed pods from a bush at a local mall. Yes, my friends
I am a thief, a stealer of seeds.  c
I know none of you have pinched a seed head from a flower.
I do the same for wildflowers I am afraid. I just took a flower head
from a local cemetery that had Iron Weed growing along the bank.
I expect the local sheriff any day now to come and take me away.
 

Some of the re-sown seeds for cosmos all still growing
their heads off but no blooms yet but I am glad they
are just growing since I have had failure after failure with
direct sowing of seeds. The cerinthe are also still growing
but no blooms. I hope I get some blooms by Fall.
Some of my anemones are still budding long after
Queen Charlotte was in bloom.

Son hopefully anemones ‘Honorine Jobert, Party Dress and
Margarette will grace the shade bed with blooms.

I have fought all summer to keep Agastache Rosita
alive. It is finally starting to grow well and after deadheading
has started to branch out. But I am still trying to get the
Salvia ‘Blue Flame’ to grow. I have thought it a goner a
few times this summer and it is just setting there.

The Capistrano Rhododendron is almost dead now. I was hoping
to move it to a better location this fall to save it but now it looks
like it will be too late to save it at all.With two others nearby that
have grown so well I cannot figure out why this one did not.

The Crape Myrtle is still in bloom.

Dahlia Edinburgh has a bloom that is all burgundy and
minus the white markings on the petals.

The new Clematis Sweet Autumn is getting loads of
new buds on it and will be in bloom soon.

The new echinacea ‘ Lucky Star’ has gotten a bloom.

The Dahlias grown from seed are still looking wonderful
and I will grow them again next summer.

The Elderberry bushes along the woods have ripe berries on
them and the deer are enjoying  them. That is fine by me if
they leave the lilies alone.

The Blue Escapade  Plumbago is almost done with its blooming.
The blooms do not last very long but the blue is so beautiful on
them. This is a picture looking up from the bottom into the
evening light.

Today is also Fertilizer Friday with hostess Tootsie so join in and
”Flaunt Your Flowers”.

Also join in with Denise over at ‘First A Dream’ and link in
to her Weekend Porch and Garden Party.

Happy Gardening Everyone and
Have a Wonderful Weekend!

Lona  A

Franklin Park’s Bold Plantings Transition Into Autumn

 
On a visit to Franklin Park last Wednesday I noticed two 
new items of interest and some flowers that  could be
planted in the summer to go right into the  colors of Autumn.
A couple of the new ones I am dedicating to Joy over at
Garden Joy4Me who is a  little into this Halloween
season thingy.   A Little!!!  LOL!
Here are two new Petunia’s just for your Joy.

Phantom Petunia’s are very Halloween like. Eerie to say the least.
Dressed in blooms of creamy yellow  and black .
How would they fit into your Halloween garden scheme Joy?

They would be hard pressed to coordinate with other plants
but I knew Joy would like them.

Especially planted together with these Black Velvet Petunia’s.
Is this one a good choice for your Halloween fix Joy?

Now this the Black Velvet  petunia was pretty and it did look like velvet so the name suited and it truly was so dark it looked black.
Plant this with some bright orange flowers and you are all
set for Halloween container for the front entrance.

Maybe with some Ornamental Black Pearl Peppers??
Okay I have had my fun at Joy’s expense, she knows I care.
Now onto some flowers that bloom in the Summer that can carry on into the colors of Fall for your garden.

A giant bed of bold colored Marigolds bloom into a Fall display.
(If you can stand the smell, LOL!)

This Gaillardia Blanket flower will bloom right up until frost and transition from summer into fall colors.

These Gerbera daisies bloom all summer and will add fall
color and look especially pretty as  the grasses planted with
them start to turn golden or bronze along with the seed heads.

 

Dried hydrangea blooms tend to turn a rosy brown toward Fall.

Add some yellow Lantana for the small winged critters to
keep them until they move on to their winter homes.

These Red Ember Bracteantha Strawflowers just scream Autumn.

Some bold, dark orange New Guinea  Impatiens maybe.

And Stonecrop Sedums are a given for Fall blooms.

 

Bright orange Zinnia’s in single and double blooms will
brighten up a Fall garden.

 

I am not so sure the orange Hibiscus will bloom into Fall
but it is a beauty.

Add in some Fall colored glass decor from Chihuly and your
garden is ready for Fall or Halloween.

With all these bright flowers it looks like the Franklin Park
Conservatory is planting colors to go from Summer right
into Autumn in a bold way.
Maybe I should scatter a bulk of orange and yellow
zinnia seeds out in the woodland garden in the summer
to have them brighten up the yard for Autumn.
How do you plant for Autumn colors?

Happy Gardening Everyone !!
Lona