For the most part, my garden is a spring garden. It reaches its fullest potential in the spring, and declines from summer onward. That makes sense since spring is my favorite season. I don't much like the heat and drought of summer, and by fall I'm usually too tired to want to look at my garden. Right about now I'm at the point where I would like to take a break from gardening, but I have dreams already that next year will be better. I have two large beds badly in need of renovation, including one that I've already made a start on since I have so many plants that I acquired over the course of the summer that need to get in the ground. So -- no break for me.
That preamble is all by way of a disclaimer to explain why there are sparse blooms on everything, and you are probably going to see weeds in the following pictures. The garden is tired and so am I.
 |
Begonia boliviensis blooms draped over the foliage of two other Begonias grown for their interesting leaves |
The tuberous Begonias are still going, but even they are starting to look like they're nearly at an end. They've been flowering machines all summer long, so I can't complain.
 |
Tuberous Begonia |
 |
These poor hanging tuberous Begonias got hit with a little moss-killing dust when the guys came and treated my roof, but they seem to have survived |
 |
Dahlia 'Black Beauty' grown from seed, in the newly renovated Ruby Red Death Bed (see my recent post here) |
 |
Dahlia 'Black Beauty' closeup |
 |
Cactus Dahlia bought on sale recently at McLendon's Hardware store, waiting to be planted |
 |
Dinnerplate Dahlia with no name in the cutting garden |
 |
Lupine 'My Castle' |
 |
Daucus carota 'Dara' |
 |
Geranium x oxonianum 'Wargrave Pink' produces a flush of flowers in the spring and then flowers sporadically all summer long, even with limited watering |
 |
Calamagrostis brachtricha -- when I planted these clumps a few years ago I split several gallon-size plants, and they are finally starting to beef up |
 |
Stipa tenuissima |
 |
Geranium 'SAnn Folkard' -- I cut all the long runners back a few weeks and she has rewarded me with a few new flowers |
 |
Corydalis lutea |
 |
Oh my fried brain -- the name escapes me |
 |
Geranium x oxonianum 'Wargrave Pink' and Corydalis lutea |
 |
Panicum 'Northwind' waiting to go in the bed that I'm working on redoing right now |
 |
Our recent rain has already produced some fresh Echinacea flowers |
 |
The first flush of Echinacea flowers ages in place |
 |
Sedum 'Autumn Joy' |
 |
Heliopsis |
 |
Panicum 'Rotstrahlbusch' is one of the most drought-tolerant plants in my garden -- it gets no summer water |
 |
Aloe 'Christmas Carol' |
 |
Aloe 'Christmas Carol' |
 |
Pregnant Onion bloom |
 |
One flower cluster on Leycesteria formosa |
 |
All the previous flowers have turned into berry drupes like this one |
 |
More Sedum 'Autumn Joy' along the front near the street |
 |
Echinacea 'White Swan' |
 |
Orange Alstroemeria |
That's just about everything I could find. Hope you are having a wonderful September!
Carol at May Dreams Gardens hosts Garden Bloggers Bloom Day. You can check out her post
here.