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.
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| So let's walk through the gate to see what's going on in the cutting garden this month |
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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' |
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| 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. |
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| 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'. |
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| 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. |
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| This is the first year I've grown Amaranthus caudatus and I love it. So do the visiting skipper butterflies. |
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| Rudbeckia is an expensive annual here but I couldn't resist bringing home a 6-pack of R. hirta 'Denver Daisy' in early August |
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| 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.
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| 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. |
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| Aster x frikartii 'Monch' (left) doesn't seem to have been formerly reclassified as Symphyotrichum, unlike our native California aster, S. chilense (right) |
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| 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'. |
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| 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.
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| Hemerocallis 'Plum Perfect' is presenting an encore performance |
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| 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). |
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| 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.
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| 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' |
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| 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' |
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| Clockwise from the upper left: Clematis paniculata, Abelia x grandiflora 'Edward Goucher', Pandorea jasminoides, Myrtus communis 'Compacta', Phyla nodiflora, and Tanacetum parthenium |
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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
