Bloom Day - September 2019

Note: If you experience a sense of deja vu as you read this post, you're not delusional.  I took a look at my August Bloom Day post and, while not identical, there's a significant overlap.  What can I say?  Even if the calendar says fall is near, coastal SoCal is stuck in summer-mode.

We've been riding a weather roller-coaster lately, with bursts of heat for several days at a time followed by brief breaks before temperatures ramp up to uncomfortable levels again.  With the exception of a couple light showers in late May, we've no rain since April and the garden is very dry.  Irrigation only does so much and, as it's been a relatively mild summer overall, I haven't provided the garden the extra water I did during last year's difficult summer.  Only my cutting garden can be considered well-watered and, not unexpectedly, it's the most floriferous area by far.

So let's walk through the gate to see what's going on in the cutting garden this month

Dahlias have played a major role in my late summer cutting garden for the past 3 years.  They hold the starring roles this month.
Top row: 'Bluetiful', 'Diva', and 'Hollyhill Karen Lee'
Middle row: 'Enchantress', 'Otto's Thrill', and 'Labyrinth'
Bottom row: 'Citron du Cap', 'Punkin Spice', and 'Terracotta'

Zinnias take second place among the top bloomers in the cutting garden.  As I mixed up my seed packets, I can't identify all the varieties shown here; however, the one in the center is 'Benary's Giant Salmon Rose'.  'Queen Lime Orange' is shown in the upper right and I think the 2 below it may have sprung from the 'Benary's Giant Wine' seed packet.

My sunflowers didn't do especially well this summer but at least I got some to bloom.  Clockwise from the top is Helianthus annuus 'Panache', what I'm fairly certain is a mutant form of 'Panache', stunted 'Garnet Star', and the disappointing 'Moonshadow'.

I haven't grown Cosmos in quite awhile but I do love it.  I picked up a 3 varieties in 4-inch pots in mid-July, which looked great until powdery mildew suddenly set in last week.  From left to right are: 'Double Cranberry', 'Prom Dress', and a noID white cultivar.

This is the first year I've grown Amaranthus caudatus and I love it.  So do the visiting skipper butterflies.

Rudbeckia is an expensive annual here but I couldn't resist bringing home a 6-pack of R. hirta 'Denver Daisy' in early August

The Delphinium 'Pacific Giants' I planted in early spring surprised me by producing another round of bloom spikes.  They (and a few leftover foxgloves also sporting occasional blooms) are clear evidence of our mild summer.

The plants making a splash outside the cutting garden are tough drought-tolerant specimens.

This is the time of year the ornamental grasses are at their best, although I cut them back later than I should have, delaying their progress somewhat.  Clockwise from the top are Pennisetum advena 'Rubrum', P' 'Fireworks', P. 'Sky Rocket', and Bouteloua gracilis 'Blonde Ambition'.    The latter doesn't bloom heavily but I still appreciate the airy touch it adds to my back border.

Aster x frikartii 'Monch' (left) doesn't seem to have been formerly reclassified as Symphyotrichum, unlike our native California aster, S. chilense (right)

A variety of Leucadendrons are still convincingly impersonating flowers this month.  Clockwise from the top are Leucadendron 'Safari Sunset' (with an unidentified relative), L. 'Devil's Blush', and L. 'Summer Red'.

Lantana relishes the heat.  Clockwise from the upper left: Lantana 'Lucky White', L. 'Irene', noID orange and yellow varieties, and variegated L. 'Samantha'.

There were a few surprises.

Hemerocallis 'Plum Perfect' is presenting an encore performance

Roses are going another round too, in small numbers.  Clockwise from the left: Rosa 'Medallion', noID pinkish-lavender rose; R. 'Pink Meidiland', and noID white rose (accompanied by a Marine Blue butterfly and another unidentified bug).

A few noID Japanese anemones (Anemone hupehensis) and Hong Kong orchid tree blooms (Bauhinia x blakeana) appeared seemingly overnight

I'll end with a few color collages featuring some of the other blooms found during the scavenger hunt of my late summer garden.

Clockwise from the upper left: Evolvulus 'Blue My Mind', Plumbago auriculata 'Imperial Blue', Polygala fruticosa, Salvia canariensis, Salvia 'Mystic Spires', noID Scaevola, Tulbaghia violacea and, in the center, Trichostemma 'Midnight Magic'

Clockwise from the upper left: Eustoma grandiflora 'Cherry Sorbet', noID pink Eustoma (aka lisianthus), Pelargonium peltatum 'Pink Blizzard', Gomphena decumbens 'Itsy Bitsy', Aechmea fasciata, and Pentas 'Graffiti Pink'

Clockwise from the upper left: Clematis paniculata, Abelia x grandiflora 'Edward Goucher', Pandorea jasminoides, Myrtus communis 'Compacta', Phyla nodiflora, and Tanacetum parthenium

Top row: Aloe 'Rooikappie' Alstroemeria 'Indian Summer' and Bulbine frutescens 'Hallmark'
Middle row: Cuphea 'Vermillionaire' and Dimorphotheca sinuata 'Peach Delight'
Bottom row: Grevilleas 'Ned Kelly', 'Peaches & Cream', and 'Superb'

Visit our Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day host, Carol at May Dreams Gardens, to find posts by other gardeners featuring what's flowering in their gardens this month.


All material © 2012-2019 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party