Bloom Day-August 2008

Geraniums, botanically known as Pelargonium hortorum. A reminder of my days in Germany. These are in a window box on the porch. I love red. Can you tell?

Late summer and fall are the best times in the garden, in my humble opinion. I love that all or most of the plants are now fully grown so the garden looks lush and full. You can't say this about spring no matter how hard you try to spin it. Spring gardens are bright and welcoming and very green, but not usually so full because the plants are small. But they grow so fast and soon summer and fall are upon us.

Late summer is also a super time to be a gardener. Since the plants are mature, rain slows down a bit and it is hot, weeds tend not to be a problem. Yahoo! There is no planting to be done in August (you really shouldn't), no leaves to rake, just the lawn mowing, doesn't August sound like an ideal month? This is for all of you out there sweating and cursing the weeds and lack of rain-can't you see the possibilities in August? Well, if not, let's take a short stroll around my garden in honor of Garden Bloggers Bloom Day (GBBD) and see some color and mature plants.I think these are of the Profusion series of zinnias.
Annual salvias, started from seeds. These salvias are very tall, unlike the kind you buy in flats in the big box stores.Sweet Autumn Clematis, a sweet vine indeed.'Lavender Perfection' dahlia. Also blooming is 'Garden Wonder' dahlia. In the background are 'Goldsturm' and melampodium and some passed by 'Annabelle' hydrangeas. Dahlias are not hardy here. I will dig these corms in September/October and store for the winter.
'The Fairy' rose. This is the only rose I will not garden without.Mystic Spires blue salvia. Salvia 'Balsalmisp'. A fairly large and vigorous perennial salvia.Unknown pink sedum. This sedum was one of five perennials on the property when we purchased it seven years ago.

'Starfire' Garden Phlox; which was supposed to be red but appears a deep reddish pink to me.
Orange cosmos stealing the show and attracting TONS of butterflies and hummingbirds. Indigofera amblyantha is in the background and to the left in the vegetable garden, showing its multitude of pink blossoms. This is a GREAT shrub.
Verbena bonariensis with a Gulf Frittilary butterfly (thanks Skeeter), and 'Biloxi' Crepe Myrtle in the background. Biloxi is a rather tall and robust pink flowered crepe with attractive mottled bark.

Joe Pye and Goldsturm in the perennial bed. This garden is so full you absolutely cannot see the ground.

Rose of Sharon or some type of hibiscus. I never know what these are called and get confused with althea, Rose of Sharon and hibiscus. I have several colors and a double as well. Margie down in Dickson kindly allowed me to dig half a dozen or so from her beautiful garden. She also shared some red peonies and surprise lilies. Sharing peonies with others is rare and I was honored.

Moonbeam coreopsis. The other plant in the running for August's Plant of the Month. Great plant that has been blooming for more than 6 weeks!
Helenium, August's Plant of the month, blooming with red bedding begonias.

Also blooming in the garden: Vitex, impatiens, hostas, unknown helianthus, hydrangeas, zinnias, torenia, mums, kerria, dianthus, oxalis, crepe myrtles, delphiniums, azaleas (Hino blooms sporadically all summer), a couple of daylilies, cranesbill, agastache, toadflax, cape fuschia, cannas, cleyera, begonias, 'Adagio' ornamental grass, catmint, Russian sage, sedums, Veronica spicata 'Sunny Blue' (it has bloomed for more than two months now!), butterfly bushes, crocosmia, melampodium, 'Summer Snowflake' viburnum, surprise lilies, coneflowers, oregano, dill, parsley, scabiosa, potentilla (yellow), impatiens, toadlilies, and gaura.

Some things that are now out of bloom are: gladioli, balloon flowers, racemosa, Queen Anne's lace, and shastas.

I have chosen not to post all pictures of blooming plants in Tiger Gardens for two reasons. The first being that many blooming plants have upcoming posts or have already been posted about, and the second is this post would be pretty long and it would take so much time loading them all!

in the garden....