The garden always looks less flowerful in September and this year the bloom display is perhaps sparser than usual as I just haven't been able to invest the time and energy my garden needs to stay on pace. It didn't help that, after cooler than usual summer temperatures at the start of the season, it got much hotter during the past month.
However, my garden did provide a few surprises recently.
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| This Hippeastrum appeared out of the blue from one of the bulbs I'd planted in my back garden 2-3 years ago with the intention of allowing it to naturalize. The bulbs don't seem to flower on any set schedule. This one may be 'Luna' but I'm no longer certain. |
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| I deadheaded all my Agapanthus more than a month ago, assuming they were done for the season. These stragglers appeared out of nowhere. The dark blue one was added to my collection a few years ago and has bloomed slightly later than those that came with the garden but even its flowers were unexpected. |
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| I sowed sunflower seeds in June and only half expected to see any results. I only got a few seedlings but this Helianthus 'Astra Rose' really pleased me. |
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| I never know if or when this Leucophyllum laevagatum will bloom but it seems to respond to summer storms. We seldom have those but I guess the remnants of Hurricane Marie are responsible for this appearance. |
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| This noID Caladium obviously isn't a flower but it's pretty enough to warrant a shout out |
Not to be outdone, the real stars of the garden this month were these:
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A few of the dahlias were disappointing and several seemed to have already bloomed out but this group is still producing flowers.
Top row: Dahlia 'Admiral Rawlings' and D. 'Enchantress'
Middle row: D. 'Labyrinth', D. 'Karma Caroline', and D. 'Omega'
Bottom row: D. Mystery Day', D. Snowball', and D. 'Table Dancer' |
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| The zinnias also got a late start this year and most have appeared only in small numbers at any one time. Clockwise from the upper left, those currently flowering include: Zinnia 'Benary's Giant Salmon Rose', Z. 'Oklahoma White', Z. 'Benary's Giant Purple', and Z. 'Benary's Giant Wine'. |
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| The most prolific and dependable of my daylilies, Hemerocallis 'Spanish Harlem', is midway through its second bloom cycle for the year |
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| I don't have many roses but 6 Rosa 'Pink Meidiland' shrubs came with the garden and continue to flower at the front of the house |
And then there are the usual old dependables, which serve as the backbones of my garden.
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| Abelia grandiflora 'Kaleidoscope' and A. g. 'Radiance' |
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| The everblooming Grevillea 'Superb' |
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| Lantana camara 'Irene' and noID yellow variety |
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| Not flowers but rather colorful leaf bracts imitating flowers, these are Leucadendron 'Devil's Blush' and L. 'Summer Red' |
I'll wrap up my late summer overview with a handful of honorable mentions tucked into a collage.
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| Clockwise from the upper left are: Catharanthus 'Blueberry Kisses', a noID Coleus, Daucus carota 'Dara', Rudbeckia 'Juliana', and Tanacetum parthenium 'Aureum' |
With the arrival of cooler temperatures this week, I'm hopeful that we're on the bridge heading into the fall season. My garden needs work and I need take stock of what should be yanked, what should be pruned back, and then compile a list of the prospects for replacements. What about you? Are you getting ready for the fall season yet?
All material © 2012-2026 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party
Yes, I've been editing. I'm a "more is more" gardener, but that quickly goes to overwhelming. I'm trying to dial it back. I really like 'Astra Rose', that's so nice. Grevillea 'Superb' is a stunner!
ReplyDeleteI can't ignore any pretty or interesting plant, and tend to cram new ones wherever there are empty spaces but I'm really making an effort to be more selective. We'll see how long I can keep that up ;)
DeleteAlways nice to see what is blooming in your garden, Kris. Our temps continue to cool– too cool for annuals, which are slowly fading, no longer pushing out new buds at the rate they had been. The exception are the dahlias which usually produce right up to frost. Per usual, the weeds are winning! ;) Eliza
ReplyDeleteI think the weeds are probably the happiest plants in my garden right now too, Eliza.
DeleteJust Lovely. Whenever I see things like Grevilla and Protea I am always jealous. I am guessing you are somewhere in Southern California. It's hard to do those beautiful flowers elsewhere. I grew up in Riverside so I know what it's like to have a wide variety of horticultural options.
ReplyDeleteYes, I'm in Southern California situated along the coast, John. I admit I'm lucky to have the range or choices in plants I do but I'm still jealous of what can be grown in areas like yours. I can't grow peonies, for example, although I've certainly tried.
DeleteI've been checking SoCal temps and noting the cooling trend too, thank goodness. Your garden will be much. more inviting as the weather cools,. Lantana is tough and also so good for pollinators.
ReplyDeleteLantana is indeed tough, Denise. I cut back many of mine about a month ago and it's in the process of springing back, although some could use replacing. The cooler temperatures are heavenly - I just hope they're back for the long haul.
DeleteAs much as I've been trying to avoid the "F" word, I know it's just around the corner. I've been strategizing on when to start the great migration and enjoying the sun in the mean time, tackling a couple clean-up projects I'd put off when watering was the most important task. I'm glad your temps are cooling and your garden will be a nice place to be. Great blooms!
ReplyDeleteIt's too early to call fall here yet but there are signs of its creep even so. Unlike you, I don't regret its arrival, although I'm more than a bit wary of what El Nino's impact on us may mean for us as the seasons change. In the meantime, I hope you get some good warm weeks in before you're compelled to start the great migration!
DeleteKris-you always have so much to look forward to in your garden and I love the collection of Dahlias and Zinnias. There has been a feeling of fall here the past couple of days and I have been outside getting some pruning and tidying up done in the garden. It is a nice time of year for enjoying outdoor chores.
ReplyDeleteWe're a little cooler at last but it's hard to say it's really comfortable to work in the garden on anything but small tasks yet. Hopefully, it'll steadily get better but, in the meantime, I'm lining up my favorite tree service to book a crew to handle the big stuff I'm not in any condition to manage on my own ;)
DeleteSparce, but still quite lovely! Thanks for joining in!
ReplyDeleteSorry, anonymous above was me, Carol.
ReplyDeleteThanks Carol! And thanks for the ID and for the many years you've put in sponsoring GBBD!
Delete"Flowerful" is such a great word!
ReplyDeleteSparse Flower Power does allow less noticed plants take center stage, so that's my silver lining take.
I'm not at all a rose person, but I like 'single' roses and love your Rosa 'Pink Meidiland'. It's absolutely charming. I also took notice of the possibly Hippeastrum 'Luna': a backlit, pale green-to-white loveliness. A good surprise indeed.
Chavli
I always receive notice of a spelling issue from Google when I use the word "flowerful" but it appears to be a legitimate adjective so I'm not sure why it gets called out! In any case, I too think it's descriptive. You're right that the sparsity of flowers does allow those that make an appearance a chance to shine ;)
DeleteWell, "flowerful" is definitely a word and Google isn't always right, so carry on with your flowerful garden. We are definitely moving into fall where I live in New York State and I spent part of today marking plants I want kept because (hopefully) a landscaper will be coming Monday to help me tame my overgrown front and back beds. In the meantime, as usual, I so enjoyed your dahlias. Your Hippeastrum 'Luna' is a beauty, too, but would have to be an indoor plant for me. As much as fall is beautiful where I live, it is followed by winter with its four letter word beginning with S.
ReplyDeleteIf only snow and any really frigid winter weather could just be limited to no more than one month around the year-end holidays I could probably get on board with that as a nice break! This time of the year is often our busiest work time in our SoCal garden and it can be exhausting. I hope the landscaper's visit is productive! You got me thinking maybe I should ask my husband to find me someone like that as a Christmas present - my garden needs some visionary help!
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