There are still flowers here and there in my garden but their numbers have dwindled and the dahlias haven't yet filled the breach, although the first buds are in the process of opening. I can't entirely explain why the dahlias have been so slow to develop this year but I'm glad to see that at least my "crop" isn't going to be a complete bust. If I'm lucky, maybe some will bloom well into October. In the meantime, I took advantage of some of the most recent arrivals in my back garden borders to fill two vases this week.
New flower stalks of Amaryllis belladonna continue to appear. They look gawky where their leaf-less stalks aren't hidden by other plants so I've little reluctance to cut them, especially as the blooms have a relatively long vase life.
I kept the to a relatively simple color mix of pink, burgundy and white |
Back view: Daucus carota 'Dara' is gradually finishing up it's long bloom season |
Top view |
After a few years of well-mannered behavior, my native California aster, Symphyotrichum chilense, spread throughout one entire bed following the comparatively heavy rainfall we had during our 2018-2019 "water year." This year, despite very low rainfall, flower stems have popped up all over again; however, many are rapidly turning a crispy brown without flowering but, even with the die-off, there are enough stems with blooms to cut. I'm considering digging out as much of the aster as I can this fall when it finishes its bloom period to replace it with something more manageable but I intend to enjoy the flowers I have this year.
Back view: I added the last presentable Agapanthus bloom I had to the mix, as well as the last of the ruffled Shasta daisies |
Top view |
Maybe next week I'll have a dahlia bloom or two to share. For other IAVOM creations, visit Cathy in Rambling in the Garden.
All material © 2012-2021 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party