August 2013 Bloom Day

For this Bloom Day, I've classified my August blooms into 5 categories:

• Star Players - the flowering plants that are making the biggest impact in my southern California garden right now
• Marathon Runners - the long-blooming plants that keep on giving
• Splash & Dash Performers - the plants that make a big impact for a short period and then suddenly take a bow
• Come-Back Kids - the plants that made appearances earlier in the year and have come back for a repeat performance
• Probationary Players - the plants that may not make the next round of cuts 

Here are my current Star Players:

Aster novae-angliae 'Skyscraper', making the first of hopefully many annual appearances

Coreopsis 'Big Bang Redshift" showing her back to the stage

The same Coreopsis pointing her pretty face toward the sun

Gaillardia 'Arizona Sun' with a mutant yellow side-kick

The Marathon Runners include:

Acanthus mollis (maybe 'Summer Beauty'), still putting out new spikes

Echinacea hybrid 'Sombrero Hot Coral', a good performer even when she's more pink than coral

Hebe 'Wiri Blush', not flashy but does her part in the garden 

Osteospermum ecklonis '3D Silver', a major performer in late winter willing to play a minor role for much of the rest of the year

Pentas 'Nova', a relatively new addition, now coming into her own

Pennisetum setaceum 'Rubrum' brings his own fireworks from summer through fall

Polygala fruticosa 'Petite Butterfly', a bit player but she does her job

Rudbeckia 'Cherry Brandy', now a little ragged but still showing incredible stamina

Salvia 'Mystic Spires Blue', which doesn't take a good picture

Achillea 'Moonshine', which adds her glow to the garden repertory

Not pictured above is Cuphea ignea 'Starfire Pink' which blooms its heart out all year unless mercilessly cut back for its own good.


The Splash & Dash Performer of the month is:

No ID lily (possibly 'Stargazer'), which arrived with a bang in late July only to fade into obscurity before August Bloom Day

The Come-back Kids include:

Coleonema pulchelium 'Sunset Gold', an unexpected summer bloomer

Self-seeded Cuphea vienco in an unexpected return role (she apologizes for the poor head shot)

Another self-seeded Cuphea vienco, returning in a new white and lavender costume 

Hemerocallis 'Cordon Rouge', reblooming just as her publicist claimed she would

Eupatorium corymbosa, reprising his spring role in a low-key way

Leptospermum scoparium 'Pink Pearl', returning in a walk-on part or understudying for a starring fall/winter role in the dry garden?

Plectranthus zuluensis, unexpected but welcome

Rose 'California Dreamin', a recent introduction to the garden

Rose (no ID), still a favorite even if her foliage is a bit rusty

The Probationary Performers include:

Globularia x indubia shows good-looking foliage but those blue eyeballs are hard to warm up to

Lisianthus, a pretty annual but she doesn't hold her own in the back border so she may not be invited back next year

Rose 'Buttercream' blooms heavily but always looks a little ragged and fades quickly

Please visit Carol at May Dreams Gardens, the host of the monthly Bloom Day event, for links to other gardeners' selections of blooming plants.