Friday, August 15, 2014

Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day & Foliage Follow-Up August 2014: Late Summer Garden

August Garden
Welcome to another Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day and Foliage Follow-Up.  The dog days of summer have arrived with temperatures in the 80's and little rain.  This is typical for August before the cooler days of autumn arrive and there have not been many days in the upper 80's and 90's like in previous years, which has made for a pleasant summer.  But wait...that is not the end of the story.  On August 13th we had the highest recorded rainfall in 500 years here on Long Island...13.25 inches in one day with the first 9 inches within a couple of hours.  The long period of drought is over and the gardens are doing well displaying their late summer color.  Come take a walk with me to see what is blooming in the month of August.
Echinecea 'Magnus'

One of the newest arrivals in my garden is Echinecea.  I have always admired this plant for its late summer blooms and have found a place for it along side some fountain grasses in the front entrance where I can enjoy its beauty.
Platycodon (Balloon Flower)
Balloon Flower (Platycodon) is now in full bloom and such a fun perennial. Once again I eyed a friend holding the puffy blue balloon-like flowers in her hand investigating their unusual appearance.  This particular variety fades into little tan puffs that can be popped like plastic bubble wrap at the end of the summer.  One of my favorites, Playtcodon continues to supply much amusement in the garden!
Oriental Lilly (Lillium 'Stargazer')
Around the corner by the pool is Lillium 'Stargazer' which is always a hit with its bright pink spotted blooms, dense orange pollen and fragrance.  They have just about completed blooming for the season but you can still see this one in full display.
August Garden with Dwarf Butterfly Bush 'Lo & Behold Blue Chip'

The Dwarf Butterfly Bush (Buddleia Lo & Behold 'Blue Chip') is showing its deep purple fragrant blooms after coming back from a harsh winter.  The bees and butterflies are enjoying the flowers and so am I!
Hydrangea 'Tardivia'
The harsh winter also affected the hydrangea for this season, The 'Endless Summer' and 'Nikko Blue' suffered severe die back but have grown new foliage and will be back in bloom for next year.  To the rescue is my tree Hydrangea 'Tardivia' with its beautiful elongated fragrant white blooms that are opening in time for August and September.
Daylily 'Stella D Oro'
Constantly reliable throughout the entire summer and into fall is ever-blooming Daylily 'Stella D Oro' which you can see here with its bright golden-yellow blooms.  It brings color to many parts of the garden and draws many pollen loving insects.
Heuchera 'Caramel' in front of Japanese Garden Juniper
Here is Heuchera 'Caramel' in front of Japanese Garden Juniper.  This variety of Coral Bell grows to approximately twelve inches in diameter resembling a miniature hosta  with unusual orange-yellow foliage that lasts all summer and into fall.
Oriental Lilly (Lillium 'Cassablanca')
Here is Lillium 'Cassablanca' which is near the end of its bloom time but still displaying  lovely pure white fragrant flowers with deep crimson pollen....
Hemerocallis 'Sammy Russell' (Daylily)
along with the blooms of Daylily 'Sammy Russell' alongside the pool for some late summer color.
Salvia 'May Night'
In the perennial border the tall stalks of 'May Night' Salvia tower over the rest of the garden displaying their bright deep purple blooms.   The blooms are an attraction for dragonflies as you saw in last month's Bloom Day post and are now are a food source for butterflies and other creatures.
Double Knock Out Rose Pink
The Double Knock Out Roses have been filled with abundant blooms all summer with new buds opening each day...  
Crape Myrtle 'Sioux'
and yes...it is Crape Myrtle season with continuous mildly fragrant blooms from July until  fall just when the earlier summer blooms are fading. 
Sedum 'Brilliant' against Mugo Pine
Seen here is Sedum 'Brilliant' which will display deep pink blooms from the end of August into September, fading into straw colored seed heads for fall.  For now I am enjoying the show of light green clusters on succulent foliage before the blooms.
Foliage Combo:  Sedum 'Brilliant', Mugo Pine and Weeping Blue Atlas Cedar

Foliage is important in the garden as well.  Here is a combo of Sedum in front of the medium green of Mugo Pine and blue-green of Weeping Blue Atlas Cedar with a touch of variegated liriope in the backdrop to the right.  Below is the foliage of the Rependens Yew that I could not pass by without taking a macro with the new lens.
Foliage of Taxus 'Rependens'  (Low Spreading Yew)

I hope you enjoyed the walk through my August gardens.  It has been said that "the best way to create a garden is to begin with your heart" and since gardening is my true passion I must agree.  Please visit our hostesses Carol at May Dreams Gardens for Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day and Pam at Digging for Foliage Follow-Up.   I am also linking up to Creative Country Mom's new Home Sweet Garden Party. Thank you so much for visiting and if you leave a note I will know you dropped by to say hello and I will be sure to visit you as well!  

As Always...Happy Gardening!


Author: Lee@A Guide To Northeastern Gardening, Copyright 2014. All rights reserved



26 comments:

  1. Wooooww...... Your garden is so amazing.... Thanks for sharing, Lee.

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    1. Thank you for visiting and leaving a comment. I enjoyed your lovely gardens as well. Happy Bloom Day!

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  2. Your mosaic is beautiful - all your flowers are looking amazing! I have many of the same flowers as you've shown here. I don't have Crape Myrtle - I don't think it would be hardy in my area (zone 5) but I sure do admire photos of it and wish I could grow it!

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    1. Beth-I appreciate your kind words and thank you so much for visiting my gardens. I noticed you have a lot of butterflies. We seem to be having a shortage again this year except for a few Swallowtails I have just spotted recently. Happy GBBD!

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  3. Lovely walk in your August garden, the crape myrtl is such a beauty and Hydrangea 'Tardiva' so special.

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    1. Thank you Janneke. I look forward to my Crape Myrtle blooms every summer and am thankful that at least one of the hydrangeas produced blooms after all the winter die back. I am glad you enjoyed them and thank you for visiting!

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  4. I love the quote with which you begin your post. So true. And I am especially envious of those heucheras. I planted some this spring, but they are just sitting there doing nothing. Yours look extremely healthy.

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    1. Thank you so much for visiting and commenting Dorothy. The Heuchera I have are called 'Caramel' and I have found them to be a lot hardier than many of the other types. I also just purchased a new hybrid called Hercherella 'Buttered Rum' which is a cross between a Heuchera and Tiarella that is supposed to stay evergreen. I am looking forward to seeing how it does. :)

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  5. Lee I love your August flowers...I also had issues with my hydrangeas dying back. I would love a tree hydrangea and will add yours to my list of possibles.

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    1. Thanks Donna. The hydrangeas were definitely hit hard this past winter and I am hoping to be able to enjoy blooms again next year. The tree hydrangea is a bit stronger so I was able to at least show some blooms for August. Happy Bloom Day!

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  6. Beautiful photos, Lee. I love the "Carmel" heuchera. I have some of this, but not nearly as full as yours. I don't think mine gets as much sun as yours. I also liked the green textures of the sedum against the mugo pine. Very nice. I have some echinecea and I wish my rudbeckia behaved as well as the echinecea.

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    1. Thank you for dropping by and commenting Susan. The 'Caramel' Heuchera is in eastern exposure but it does get sun all day and is doing well. I read on your post that you experienced the same torrential rains we got just a few days ago. I have never seen anything like it before but the gardens needed it!

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  7. Your conifers are particularly beautiful. I find Caramel Heuchera to be one of the best performers of all these colorful varieties.

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    1. Thank you for visiting and commenting Linda. I am a fan of conifers, especially when the colder temperatures come around and the perennials die back. The conifers just keep on supplying color and structure. Heuchera 'Caramel' almost resembles an evergreen in that it holds onto its foliage for most of the winter.

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  8. Hello Lee ! Thank you so much for all of your kind comments !
    At the moment my gardens are a mess ... waiting for the big landscaping change to happen ..
    I miss my vines covering the arbour gate .. and how the gardens are going to look so different with the stone paths and work ..
    I love the fact we share so many plants ! ... I used to have a load of StarGazer lilies but the lily beetle scared me off with having so many .. I may rethink it all again because the scent is something I so loved .. Casa Blanca is wonderful for that but Eyeliner has none I am sorry to say. I hope to hear from you again !
    Joy : )
    PS .. Yes ! heuchera and some Japanese ferns can take a lot of sun and dry conditions once established .. a lot of gardeners don't realize that ... too bad

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    1. Hello Joy! I am so glad to have found your blog and I will be back to visit. Thank you so much for visiting and for your kind words. It is always a pleasure meeting new virtual gardeners!

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  9. Colorful, Lee. I have had Magnus for a while in my garden, but did not show it when I recently showed the coneflowers. I have quite a few coneflowers and have been worried they may get diseased and I would have to ripe them all out of the garden. I think your sedum/mugo pine combo is great texture juxtaposition. I like the coral bells also, they do lousy in our soils here though.

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    1. Thank you Donna! I just planted the coneflowers this season so I hope they do well. I had been wanting to find a place for them in my garden for a long time and love how the butterflies are so attracted to them.

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  10. Beautiful flowers! Your lilies look so gorgeous! What a shame, my platycodon have rotten then died.
    Have a wonderful day with your flowers.
    Endah, Indonesia

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    1. Thank you for your kind words Endah. I am sorry to hear about your Platycodon. I know they like a well drained soil so maybe try again. You must have gotten a lot of rain there.

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  11. From the great photo of the Heuchera 'Caramel' and the comments, looks like I might be in the market for one. I only hope it gets as good looking as yours.
    Ray

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    1. They are wonderful and I have had mine for three years now. Enjoy!

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  12. Lee: I didn't realize you could grow Crape Myrtles on Long Island--lucky you! Are you in zone 6 or 7? I guess our winters here in Wisconsin are too cold. But our summers must be warmer, because my Lilies, Echinaceas, and Salvias are winding down for the season (although I deadhead the Salvias and get repeat blooms all summer). We grow a lot of the same plants, though--a lot of my favorites. I don't have that 'Caramel' Heuchera--that's a beauty!

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    1. Thank you Beth. I am in zone 7 and have had my Crape Myrtles for about fourteen years or so now. There are hybrids now that will take the cooler climates but I do know that zone 6 is the coldest they will take and that is borderline. We do have a lot of the same favorite plants and I know you enjoy yours as much as I do mine! Enjoy your gardens!

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  13. Well, better late than never, here is a comment from me too! Loved your photos – especially your lilies, I actually have 7 of the plants you showed in this post, all favourites in my garden. We must all have similar taste, great taste :-) Hope you get a wonderful week, take care, Helene.

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    1. It is always a pleasure to have you visit Helene! Thank you for your nice words-we do have a lot of favorites. Enjoy your weekend!

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Thank you for visiting. I love reading your comments and knowing you have been here, and will try to reciprocate on your blog. If you have any questions I will try my very best to answer them. As always...HAPPY GARDENING!