Even though I've been doing much more watering than usual, I'm surprised at just how much I have blooming in mid-summer. Thus far, my summer water usage has been hovering just below 60% of the level budgeted by our water service provider so I'm not feeling too guilty yet - we'll have to see if the August billing changes things. Meanwhile, deep-watering selected areas of the garden once a week has made a difference.
Like August last year, my Bloom Day stars are the dahlias, lisianthus (
Eustoma grandiflorum), and zinnias. The dahlias and zinnias are less profuse than mid-month last year but I think that's largely attributable to the fact that I planted both my tubers and seeds late this year.
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| Clockwise from the upper left, the dahlias that have made appearances thus far this season are: 'Loverboy', 'Otto's Thrill', 'Punkin Spice', and 'Terracotta' |
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| I've got many more varieties of Eustoma grandiflorum this year. Some of those I planted last year returned for a second year of bloom and I added a couple of new varieties. I don't have cultivar names for all of them but the one on the upper left is 'Balboa Blue Rim'; the one in the lower right corner is 'Mint Cocoa'; and the one in the lower left corner is 'Black Pearl'. The unnamed green variety in the middle is my current favorite. |
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| I supplemented the Zinnia elegans seeds I planted with plugs and I can no longer account for which is which. My best guess is the the variety on the upper right is 'Queen Red Lime'; the one on the lower right is part of a 'State Fair' mix; and the one on the lower left is 'Benary's Giant Salmon Rose'. I've no idea where the cream-colored flower on the upper left came from. |
A few other plants are making their seasonal splash as well.
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| My mimosa tree (Albizia julibrissin) continues to struggle. It was almost 3 months late in leafing out and I didn't expect it to bloom at all but it has. While the back half of the multi-trunked tree looks fairly good, several large branches in the front are naked of both leaves and flowers. I'm planning to consult an arborist in September about the prospect of pruning out the bare limbs. |
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| Callistemon 'Cane's Hybrid' is covered with blooms and bees this month |
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| Magnolia grandiflora makes up for its summer litter habit with lots of beautiful blooms |
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| Pennisetum advena 'Rubrum's' summer-to-fall bloom cycle is off to a good start |
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| I planted 2 California asters (Symphyotrichum chilense 'Purple Haze') in September 2016. I don't remember much in the way of flowers in 2016 or 2017 but the plants have spread dramatically throughout a large area this year producing a mass of airy blooms. Its spread is a little frightening, though. |
The bed I featured last month is still the most colorful space in my garden.
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| A photo of the bed is shown in the center of this collage. Clockwise from the upper left, the elements in bloom include: Ageratum houstonium 'Blue Horizon', noID Anigozanthos, blue Eustoma grandiflorum, Gaillardia 'Mesa Peach', Gaillardia 'Fanfare Citronella, Lantana 'Samantha', and Nierembergia 'Purple Robe' |
There were a few surprises as well.
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| Amaryllis belladonna (aka the naked lady lily) produced a single bloom stalk. This and 23 other bulbs were sent to me by Tammy of Casa Mariposa in March 2015. I got a few blooms last year but this is the first one thus far this year. I'm hoping it's the start of a stampede, despite our very poor winter rain.. |
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| Two of my begonias recovered sufficiently from the nuclear heatwave in early July to produce new blooms. The one on the left is 'Fragrant Falls Peach'. I've lost the name of the one on the right. |
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| My fuchsias in the lath (shade) house also recovered from the heat blast. On the left is Fuchsia 'Galfrey Lye'. 'Mendonoma Belle' is on the upper right and 'Old Berkeley' is on the lower right. |
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| A light scattering of rain lilies (Zephyranthes candida) appeared in response to the extra water they received |
As has become my habit, I'll close with collages covering the best of the rest.
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Top row: one of the last Agapanthus, Catananche caerulea, and Melaleuca thymifolia
Middle row: Osteospermum '4D Silver', Plumbago auriculata 'Imperial Blue', and Scabiosa 'Fama Blue'
Bottom row: Tibouchina urvilleana, weed-like Tradescantia, and Wahlenbergia 'Blue Cloud' |
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Top row: Abelia grandiflora 'Edward Goucher', Agastache 'Ava' (backed by Cuphea 'Starfire Pink'), and Cistanthe grandiflora
Middle row: Pseuderanthemum 'Texas Tri-star', Rose 'Pink Meidiland', and Crassula falcata
Bottom row: flower-like Leucadendrons 'Safari Sunset' and 'Blush', and Gomphrena decumbens 'Itsy Bitsy'
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Top row: Coreopsis 'Redshift', Cotyledon orbiculata, and Echeveria 'Afterglow'
Middle row: Euryops chrysanthemoides 'Sonnenschien', Grevillea 'Superb', and Hesperaloe parviflora
Bottom row: Russelia equisetiformis 'Flamingo Park' and Leonotis leonurus |
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Top row: Asclepias physocarpa, Asparagus densiflorus, and Gazania 'White Flame'
Middle row: Tanacetum parthenium, Scaevola 'Surdiva White', and Helianthus 'Sun-fill Green'
Bottom row: Pandorea jasminoides, Phylica pubescens, and Lantana 'Lucky White' |
My biggest disappointments this August are my sunflowers. I planted seeds late; germination was low; and repeated heatwaves sapped the strength of the few seedlings that sprouted. The plants I got had spindly stems easily broken by strong winds. Lesson learned! Next year I'll start my sunflowers much earlier, in pots if space in the cutting garden is temporarily limited as was the case this year.
For more Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day posts,
visit our esteemed host, Carol at May Dreams Gardens.
All material © 2012-2018 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party
