Yet another Garden Bloggers’ Bloom Day, celebrated the 15th of each month and hosted by Carol at May Dreams Gardens. My garden is looking “tired” – a reflection of me? I am tired. Tired and struggling with allergies. The garden is beating me down. I have managed to cut a few things back, tidy up a bit, add a few small paths but that’s about all. Not much harvesting going on either – fresh salad, herbs and cucumbers.
Joe Pye is everywhere! But I love, love its big floppy, purple heads – all loaded with sleepy bees. I am going to move some of the volunteers to a new corner of the garden.
Joe Pye in the Potager
The Susans are also prolific even in spite of the severe rabbit pruning they received earlier this summer. They are taking over the Bird & Butterfly Garden (along with Joe). I will need to thin them this fall so the bee balm and coneflowers have more room to grow. My asters are buried and so is Husker’s Red – more moving around.
Joe Pye and Susans in the Bird & Butterfly Garden
Nodding onions are the star of the garden now. Great blue lobelia is just revealing itself.
Great Blue Lobelia and Nodding Onions along the Woodland Edge
Nodding Onions up close
Iron Weed has just come into bloom – flop. Lots of flopping going on. Don’t you just hate that?
Well, I wanted more flowers in the Potager and I have them!
Calendula and marigolds blanket the paths. Trumpet vine gone wild. These marigolds are 3-4′ tall!
Sunflowers are also beginning to bloom. I didn’t think any of them would make it given the rabbits’ taste for sunflower sprouts!
Mexican Sunflower
This Amaranth is taller than the sunflowers – almost 7′!
I find most of the action – blooms and birds, bees, etc. – in the Potager and Woodland Edge, but there is more going on in the new Hosta Row. Clematis Virginiana is blooming for the first time! Too bad the wind wreaked havoc on its trellis. That’s just the way it goes in gardening it seems. The snowball hydrangea bloom on and on and on (along with the Dogwood shrubs this year), in Hosta Row and along the Nice Driveway where the wall of grape and hydrangea has filled in completely.
Native Clematis Virginiana
Dogwood and Snowball hydrangeas in Hosta Row
Wall of grapes and hydrangea
New Hydrangea ‘Quickfire’ is blooming alongside Heuchera ‘Pinot Bianco.’
White Phlox that belonged to my grandmother also bloom along the Nice Driveway. Fresh against the fading Bee Balm.
Pink phlox blooms out front through a veil of Karl Foerester Feather Reed grass.
Mints are coming into bloom throughout the garden. Catmint blooms non-fail all summer in the Riverfront.
Soon to be outdone by the Russian Sage.
I don’t look out front too often but I’ll have to keep an eye on it as things are coming into bloom like this young NJ Tea and butterfly weed. This sheered off Mt. Bluet Centaurea is reblooming, too.
Mt Bluet Centaurea reblooms
New Jersey Tea Buds
Butterfuly Weed Buds
Of course, the honeysuckle blooms all summer until frost and even into December!
This is the home stretch. Not much more blooms from hereon out but beautiful Fall color to look forward to. Nights have been cool and some of the trees are already going dormant. Early fall this year? Obedient Plant is just starting to bloom – have to love a late bloomer like Obedient Plant even if it is a thug.
Be sure to join in Garden Bloggers’ Bloom Day by visiting Carol at May Dreams Gardens.
Blooms are fading fast. In the upcoming months it will be challenging to find any blooms outside in the garden, but we have had a true Indian Summer here in the North Country.
Out front Sweet Autumn Clematis is blooming. This plant can be invasive and I cannot recommend it. Of course, I didn’t know that when I planted it. I imagine that here in zone 4 it is not so problematic as it may be further south. To make myself feel better I just planted two native Clematis Virginiana in other areas of the garden – this spot on the front porch receives too much sun. I do have to say the Sweet Autumn smells divine.
This Woods Aster (pink blooms) always punctuates fall. The sedums are just about ready to burst into bloom. Catmint Walker’s Low is still faithfully blooming.
Along the drive California Poppies are bright as orange pumpkins. In the background Helenium and Verbascum bloom. Along the trellis the Purple Hyacinth Bean vine is still blooming strong and Scarlet O’Hara is now finally gloriously greeting the mornings.
In the woodland edge geranium Sylvia’s Surprise is surprising me with more blooms.
Persicaria Firetail is the work horse this summer … still a stunning show.
Chocolate Joe Pye was moved this year to this spot due to the porch renovation. Though not as big and bold in previous years, at least there are blooms to let me know that this spot will do. Hopefully next year will be big and bold once again. (Spied several flower flies on Joe Pye’s blooms though I am not sure of the specific species. Will have to revisit with guide in hand.)
Tradescantia Osprey says BOO! These were given to me through the mail by Jean at Jean’s Garden and were just planted this spring. Thank you Jean! They seem to be happy and they are oh so beautiful.
The potager is putting on a fall display of its own, no pumpkins, but comparable are the bright orange of marigolds and nasturtium.
And at last the Exotic Love Vine is dripping with blooms! If we didn’t have an Indian Summer, I’m not so sure if I would have been lucky at love.
Garden bloggers’ bloom day is hosted by Carol at May Dreams Gardens the 15th of each month. Join in the fun with your blog blooms!
The Violet Fern 