A Summer's Goodbye

There are certain signs in the garden that announce the end of summer.

When Limelight Hydrangea blooms I know fall is not far behind.  This is a hydrangea you can count on to bloom consistently each year.  It does like sun and water, fertilize with an acid fertilizer in the spring and after blooming.

Unique Hydrangea loves part shade on the north side, not as full as Limelight but turns to a beautiful rose color in the fall.

 

I'm thinking of pumpkins when I begin pulling out spent annuals and replacing with plants that will not only take our present heat and last through the first frosts.  The ivy is left from my summer plantings and will take the cooler weather.

Zinnia Uproar and late blooming daylily Sandra Elizabeth

Sandra Elizabeth is a great late blooming daylily!
 

 

Zinnia Magellan Coral

They are in their glory this time of year but will not withstand a frost.

 

Cleome Hot Lips

 

Iris Gerald Darby

I love the light green color against the dark ninebark, however, it has gotten so large it may have to be moved.

 

My new favorite Pennisetum Piglet

Much lighter, smaller and more free flowing than Hameln

 

I redid the north side last year putting in a variety of interesting plants.  It has been a learning experience with one side being sunnier than the other, lots of moving plants around adding some full sun plants.

 

Sedum Autumn Fire

 

Sedum

This is a sedum I used in my fall containers last year, planted them along the back walk in November and they are just beautiful!  Don't hesitate to use perennials in your containers for repurpose in the garden later.  I can't find the name for this one, not Vera Jameson!

 

Rudbeckia Harry Eilers

This is a plant I added this year, tall, see-through, great popping up through zinnias, daylilies, etc.

 

Deadheading really does extend the seasons, take a little time as you walk by to snip, snip, snip!

 

Blue Paradise Phlox after deadheading, not as full but certainly worth the effort.

 

Clematis Bourbon

Type II Clematis will rebloom in late summer if cut down after the spring bloom time.

 

 

Allium Millennium

Similar to Summer Beauty, a little shorter, better color and larger fluffier flowers

 

Huge Purple Heirloom Tomato

This is a grafted tomato sent by Harris Seeds, hope it turns purple before frost!

 

Heirloom Italian Parsley (Renee's Seeds)

It has a much stronger flavor than the new varieties.

I have carrots planted with it, good luck in harvesting the carrots!

 

AAS Winner Mascotte

This is the bean for me, only sixteen inches tall, produces beans in five weeks and works well doing two plantings, late  spring and middle of summer.  It will be available as seed for 2014.  I received these seeds from Harris to evaluate in my garden.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Downy Mildew

We were warned!  Some nurseries had signs this year but many did not and many stated their impatiens were fungus free.

It does not show up very much on the top of the leaf, so you have to turn it over to see the mildew.

I did not put in very many of the affected impatiens this year but they sure were a beautiful addition to my north side path garden.  It will not affect any other plantings, but the color is gone from this part shade garden!

I pulled all of them out and will not take a chance on putting them in next year.  New Guinea impatiens are not affected by this problem.  It is a shame to not be able to use the Walleriana variety because they are reasonably priced and the effect is much more showy than the New Guineas.

It is advised to wait at least three years before replanting impatiens in the affected area.

The Joys Of July

In most  gardens July is the crescendo of gardening with our most loved plants putting on a great show.

The borders are full of interest lush with lilies, hydrangeas, heucheras and daylilies

 

This is also the time of year I look at how certain plants are working.

 

The mid-late season daylilies are beginning to bloom.  It is now time to cut down the leaves of the earlier varieties.

 

Daylily Cherry Cheeks

Daylily Space Age
(alternate placement of flowers on stem)

Daylily Chicago Apache
(with Heliopsis Sweet Loraine)

Daylilies, Heliopsis Asahi and Molinia Moorhexe in south border

 

 



 Daylily Entrapment
Blooms over a long period of time

Geranium Blue Sunrise

Both Rozanne above and Blue Sunrise are on an Obelisk and have never produced as many blooms when trailing.

 

 

Daylily Lady Lucille

 

Daylily Tetrina's Daughter
A tall later variety, great as a focal point

  

I always trim down my daylilies when they are done to produce fresh new foliage for the fall.

The Orienpet lilies also have staggered bloom times.

Orienpet Boogie Woogie
Blooms later and long lasting

Orienpet Friso

Orienpet Anastasia

Orienpet Conca d'Or
Earlier but the longest blooming in my garden

Orienpet Lavon
Almost as long blooming as Conca d'Or but taller

Phlox is also part of the July garden but with deadheading can last into fall.

Phlox David Lavender
(later blooming but earlier than white David)

Franz Schubert
Mid-Season

Phlox Bubblegum

Mid-Season

 

Phlox Miracle Grace

 

Unnamed Hot Pink Phlox

(came in the same pot as a named variety)

 

Unnamed Phlox found in my front border two years ago, left it because it looked like a hybrid

 

Platycodon

(Supported this year with invisible circles, made a great difference in the growth and number of blooms)

 

Very long blooming if faded blooms are clipped off

 

 

 

Allium Peek-A-Boo

This is a shorter variety of Summer Beauty.  I have not seen this one on the market yet but it was supposed to come out this year.  I actually think the flower is larger than Summer Beauty.

 

Phlox Pink Thai Jade

 

Little Lime Hydrangea is actually blooming earlier than Limelight!

 

 

Panicum Shenandoah
Great small grass for the border, can be left up all winter

Sedum Matrona
Earlier blooming  than Autumn Fire and Autumn Joy

Autumn Fire

Many years ago I did not have much to expect from the late summer and fall garden, but now I have many more wonderful plants that I have incorporated into a four season garden!