The scruffy side of summer

As mentioned in my last post, my garden has slid into the summer doldrums, taking the gardener with it.  There's no better symbol of the reasons for that than the Agapanthus.  They bloomed later than usual this year and arrived en masse.  In mid-July they were looking pretty good.

This was the collage of Agapanthus photos I included in my July Bloom Day post

This photo was taken around the same time, showing off the blue Agapanthus in one segment of my back garden border

 

As the month progressed and heat intensified, the flowers that bloomed together began to rapidly die off together.

Here's what that same area of the back garden border looked like on July 31st

Some of the Agapanthus closest to the driveway in the front garden died off even earlier

 

I cut down the scruffy stems in the front garden last week, although the blooms shown in the background of the prior shot have declined since that photo was taken and they still need to be removed.  However, I tackled the scruffy collection in the back garden yesterday.  I'd estimate that I cut down over one hundred stems.  I still have more to remove but I put the rest off when the temperature climbed into the upper 80sF.

This is the area of the back garden border I cleared.  I left 2 presentable blooms in place and stripped the flowers and seedpods from 16 other stems to provide interest.

Frankly, the bare stems don't show up well against the green hedge behind them.  I'm not going to spray paint them but perhaps I'll use the stems in another floral arrangement before I remove them (assuming the gardeners don't beat me to that.)

 

There are still isolated stems producing new blooms but we're on the trailing end of the season for the Agapanthus.

Agapanthus 'Elaine', planted 2-3 years ago from a 4-inch pot, is always late to bloom.  It's notable for its inky blue color.

 

Earlier in July, I tackled another plant that needed pruning.

This was the Helichrysum thianschanicum 'Icicles' I highlighted in my June Bloom Day post.  I usually don't allow it to bloom at all but I decided I liked the pale yellow flowers against the silvery foliage.

The flowers eventually turned a mustard brown I didn't much care for.  In addition, the plant grew so wide I couldn't walk along the flagstone path except by stepping into the bed on the right so I used the battery-operated pruner my husband gave me for my birthday and cut it down to size.

 

Meanwhile, the daylilies are throwing in the towel; the flowers of the Salvia clevelandii are rapidly transitioning from bright blue to brown; and the Argyranthemums in the back garden look like they've been toasted.

Argyranthemum frutescens (aka marguerite daisy) is a short-lived perennial in my climate.  It often comes back for a second year but that doesn't look likely in the case of the 'White Butterfly' variety in the center of this shot.  The smaller 'Yellow Grandaisy' in front of it looks only slightly more promising and I've already tossed out the 'Red Grandaisy' in my cutting garden. 

 

Even some succulents in my cutting garden have been scorched.

Aeonium haworthii 'Kiwi' generally holds up well in full sun even during its summer dormancy but the plants at the front of the display (left) burned up - I've never seen that happen before.  I pulled the scorched plants out but left the self-seeded purslane weed (Portulaca oleracea) where it was.  Also known as "tasty weed", purslane is edible.  If I'd noticed the scorched Aeoniums earlier, I'd have transplanted the purslane I pulled elsewhere to fill in this area.

 

It's hard to find joy in my garden right now.  The dahlias will no doubt change my outlook when they arrive - I'm finding more buds on the plants every day - but for now I'll share this bright spot.

I don't remember planting Dieties grandiflora (aka fortnight lily and African iris) but, if I did, it was years ago and it disappeared until this year's rain resurrected it

All material © 2012-2023 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party