Around The Garden

It is that terrible time of the summer when our plants are bitten up, wilting, brown spots and general disarray in the garden.  I have had terrible rose problems this summer with midges and Japanese Beetles and am looking for a single rose that is fit to show.

All The Rage

The phlox has mottled leaves but it ready to rebloom again.

I have begun cutting down the daylilies that have already bloomed so that other plantings can peek through.

The vegetable garden seems to have done well this year, huge tomato plants but I am not sure the yield will be that great.  The Fanfare cucumber has been just great, no disease and wonderful tasting cucumbers.

Fanfare Bush Cucumber

I have lots of miniature eggplant and now need to make a delectable recipe out of them along with the multitude of hot peppers.

Hansel Eggplant

I have to give the Gardener's Supply double decker tomato cages a thumbs up for holding up the Super Beefsteak and the Big Boy tomatoes.

Super Beefsteak Tomato

Nasturtiums supposedly keep aphids away from the vegetable garden, don't know, but I haven't seen any!

Blue Sunshine Geranium has been a winner all summer.

The coleus border, Indian Summer, with black sweet potato vine has done well all summer.  However, the sweet potato vine is a mound and not trailing, never had one like this!

This is Kim's Knee High and it has been my best Echinacea, blooming all summer never losing color.

I deadheaded Sweet Lorraine Heliopsis and it has put forth a multitude of blooms.

Perilla is an annual in my area but it is a wonderful plant to grow, related to coleus but much stronger and taller.  It fills in my border along the fence with Sweet Lorraine Heliopsis.

Rudbeckia and Zahara Zinnia
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The south side is doing great this year with plants that welcome the heat and humidity.

Zahara Zinnias

Purslane has been a star this year in the heat, goes well with other tropicals.

Pennisetum is getting its fuzzy little flowers.

Henry's Garnet Sweetspire has been trimmed back and Limelight Hydrangea is ready to bloom.

Tidal Wave Petunia with Ninebark Summer Wine.  This is a spreading petunia like you have never seen, but does well in the landscape with some pruning.  I don't recommend it for containers unless you have a huge amount of room to let it trail many feet.

 Autumn Fern is new under the Chanticleer Pear with Lirope.

Heuchera with Japanese Painted Fern

Raspberry Ice Heuchera also under the Chanticleer Pear

Japanese Painted Fern with Lirope and Heuchera Flowers

Heuchera Vilosa Purpurea

Hydrangea Starlight Let's Dance

Lady Lucille is new this year and mid-season to late blooming.

Silom Space Age

Mid-Season

Unique Hydrangea is beginning to bloom.

It's been an unusual summer in that I didn't think I had much to show because of all the heat and the insect damage, but I guess I was wrong.  There is always so much more than what we see is going wrong with specific plants.

Around The Garden

Well, Thanksgiving is over, the weather has turned colder, the garden is finally giving up the ghost.  My last tree to lose its leaves is the Chanticleer Pear, beautiful colors this year.

The Chanticleer Pear is much narrower than the Bradford or the Trinity.  Therefore, it is much less susceptible to limb breakage. It is insect free, beautiful shiny leaves, white spring flowers, small little fruits, beautiful fall color.

I was so glad that I moved the cabbages into the garden.  In fact I think I will plant some in this area next year.

Little Henry's Garnet Sweetspire has had several years of not doing well, almost getting pulled out.  I fed it a systemic this spring and it has really put on a show.  Hopefully, it will finally be in full flower next summer.



My resin container in front is almost completed with painted grapevine spheres and sprayed dried hydrangeas.  I'll add some ribbon that will hold up outdoors.

There is a lot in the concrete boxes on the front ledge.  I have added a shatterproof ornament, large pine cone and sprayed dried hydrangeas.

I just added a little moss to the blue ceramic containers by my front door, love those little pomegranates.

Pepper Berries, Juniper Berries and assorted greens in the cast iron planters.



Heuchera Southern Comfort continues to be a surprise with it's deepening colors.  It really pops amongst the myrtle and against the boxwood.

The alley garden is in full fall color set off by the Panicum Northwind grasses.  I don't look forward to the snow plow coming through and covering everything up.

Autumn Fern is in my back garden and will develop reddish tinges before going to sleep for the winter.

Look who I found, Becky, hiding behind a clematis vine!

Henryi looks a little tattered but I never knew he would be around at the end of November!

I don't have the heart to pull out the pansies.  I think I will just go over them with some holiday greens.

I have eight Rainbow Knockouts around the back garden.  I was thinking if I had put in more I would have a yard full of blooming flowers at the end of November.  But, then I wouldn't have room to plant anything else which might be little boring.