 |
| Welcome to my August Garden! |
Welcome to my Long Island garden for the month of August! With temperatures in the upper 80's and lower 90's, humidity and frequent thunderstorms, the "dog days of summer" have officially arrived. It has been an unusual August weather wise with almost daily torrential rains and flooding for the eastern seaboard, so I have to run out in between showers to tend to the garden. With all the rain the landscape is green and filled with abundant blooms, so please do come along for a visit. I hope you enjoy this months view!
 |
| Lillium Stargazer with Weeping Norway Spruce, Dwarf White Pine and Blue Globe Spruce |
The arrival of August is an exciting time for the poolside garden as it is filled with fragrant late summer blooms along with evergreens. Starting on the right is Weeping Norway Spruce with Stargazer Lily to the left, then dwarf white pine and blue spruce 'Montgomery' afterwards. The golden tree in the background (left) is dwarf golden Hinoki Cypress 'Nana'. The other golden tree to the far right is the new 'Skylands' Oriental Spruce, which I planted last spring.
 |
| Lillium Stargazer |
Lillium ‘Stargazer’ blooms are short-lived, but their aroma can be enjoyed from across the yard with the slightest breeze. I await their beautiful display with great anticipation as late summer approaches each year.
 |
| Pool Border Garden with Allium Seed Heads, Stella D Oro Daylily, Spirea and Weeping Norway Spruce |
Behind Lillium Stargazer are the seed heads from Allium 'Globemaster' rising above the fronds of Daylily 'Stella D Oro'. Spirea 'Limemound' is in the backdrop with small lacy pink blooms.
 |
| Daylily 'Stella D Oro' Still Blooming! |
With some rejuvenating, there are still several Daylily blooms to share.
Buddleia Lo & Behold 'Blue Chip'
My dwarf butterfly bush that I had for five years did not make it through the last winter, so I am trying something new. This new one which I just purchased is growing in a large planter which will be garaged over the winter. I am actually getting a lot more enjoyment from it now, as it is located right on the back patio and I can view the butterflies landing on it!
 |
| Buddleia Lo & Behold 'Blue Chip' |
Here are the lovely fragrant purple blooms up close.
 |
| Platycodon 'Komachi' Balloon Flower |
Platycodon 'Komachi' is in full bloom. I am intrigued by this plant every year, since the blooms on this particular variety do not open. Instead they form small air filled "balloons" that can be popped once they dry up.
 |
| Miniature Rudbeckia 'Little Goldstar' |
Another new favorite is this miniature Rudbeckia. It stays smaller and more compact than the traditional form, which tends to spread. I have been enjoying this new addition for the past two years.
 |
| Daylily 'Sammy Russell' |
Come along and view this Daylily 'Sammy Russell' with its vibrant color...
 |
| 'Pardon Me' Daylily and Echinacea Pow Wow 'Wild Berry' |
and here is 'Pardon Me' Daylily along with Echinacea Pow Wow 'Wild Berry' as we stroll around the back of the perennial border. Lamb's Ear and Astilbe blooms are right behind them, which is actually the front portion of the garden.
 |
| Echinacea Pow Wow 'Wild Berry' |
Here is Echinacea Pow Wow 'Wild Berry' up close as we view from the opposite side.
 |
| Astilbe 'Sprite' |
Astilbe 'Sprite' can be seen here in the pool border next to a Weeping White Pine. This is a later blooming cultivar of Astilbe, which is a plus in the late summer landscape. It's blooms are also much different in appearance and are quite interesting. The Sedum 'Dragon's Blood' is starting to bloom next to it.
 |
| Sedum 'Mr. Goodbud' (Stonecrop) |
Another late summer bloomer is Sedum 'Mr. Goodbud' with its neon pink blooms. This is a new addition from last summer.
 |
| Gazania (African Daisy) Annual |
This is Gazania, or African Daisy. I discovered this "deer resistant" annual while looking for plants for a client's garden. It prefers full sun and will tolerate dry conditions once established.
 |
| Bumble Bee Visitor |
It's nice to see that the pollinators are enjoying the blooms on these roses as a bumble bee performs his job.
 |
| Buddleia Pugster Blue |
Here is Buddleia 'Pugster Blue'. After purchasing a new Buddleia Lo & Behold 'Blue Chip', I could not resist also purchasing this shrub when I saw it at the nursery. It is a new dwarf hybrid with deep purple blooms the size of those on a regular butterfly bush. Needless to say...I'm in love!!!
 |
| Heuchera 'Caramel' and Skip Laurel Foliage |
For a little foliage, here is a combination of Heuchera 'Caramel' with Skip Laurel in the backdrop. Each of these plants possess an interesting texture and combine nicely together.
 |
| Buddleia Pugster Blue |
Before we move on, we just have to do another pass by the new 'Pugster Blue' butterfly bush! This time you get to see the Golden Tiara Hosta and Grafted Blue Globe Spruce in the backdrop.
 |
| Double Knock Out Roses |
Follow me around to the other side of the patio garden. The Double Knock Out Roses are still in bloom and just keep on giving...
 |
| Crape Myrtle 'Sioux' |
while Lagerstromeia (Crape Myrtle) 'Sioux' is blooming for August with its magnificent large pink flowers.
 |
| It's Sunflower Time! |
With the end of the summer months approaching, it's also sunflower season. It always brings a smile to my face when hubby comes home with a bouquet from the local farm stand!
 |
| Garden Wisdom |
As we come to the end of this month's tour, I will share a quote which I could not agree with more. "The lesson I have thoroughly learnt, and wish to pass on to others, is to know the enduring happiness that the love of a garden gives." ~ Gertrude Jekyll
 |
| August 2018 Garden |
I hope you enjoyed your garden visit. Special thanks go out to our hostess Carol at May Dreams Gardens, who makes it possible to see blooms on the 15th of every month with her meme Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day. Also, special thanks to Pam Penick at Digging who has hosted Foliage Follow-Up for all these years, a meme I will still continue to honor. I am also linking with some other wonderful hosts and hostesses at Floral Friday Fotos, Macro Monday 2, Nature Notes at Rambling Woods, Dishing It & Digging It on Sunday with Angie the Freckled Rose and Image-in-ing weekly photo share every Tuesday with NC Sue.
~As Always...Happy Gardening!~
Author: Lee@A Guide to Northeastern Gardening,© Copyright 2018. All rights reserved.
I loved your virtual garden tour, Lee. Your Platycodon 'Komachi' is awesome, I'd like it as well/ But my favorite is of course Crape Myrtle 'Sioux', it's stunning!
ReplyDeleteHappy GBBD!
Glad you enjoyed Nadezda! I enjoyed your focus on white flowers, which bring a feeling of peace and serenity to the garden. Your white roses, hydrangea and Lillium are especially beautiful! Nice post!
DeleteWow! beautiful plants and pix! We've seen more monarchs and swallowtails this year and are very happy.
ReplyDeleteThank you Pat! It's so good to hear that your butterfly population is increasing. I always make sure I have plants to draw them in and the butterfly bushes are one of them!
DeleteA lot of beautiful blooms in your garden!
ReplyDeleteMy favorites are the buddleias, the lilies, and the crepe myrtle.
And then there are the pretty roses, the sedum, and...
Happy Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day!
Your garden is looking lovely for the month of August Lea and I love the hummingbird! It is rare that we see them here and whenever I do, I can never get to a camera in time. Your first photo capture is amazing and bloom photos are beautiful too! Happy Bloom Day and thanks so much for sharing!
DeleteAs always, your garden looks stunning and even more so now with all the gorgeous blooms. I can almost smell 'Stargazer' from here. The fragrance of Oriental and trumpet lilies is one of my favorites. Alas, the lilies in my garden have all finished blooming so I'll have to wait for another year to enjoy it again. I so admire how you've blended excellent design with fabulous plants. My garden needs fewer plants and a better design as it's pretty much a jungle of whatever catches my eye at the time.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for your kind words Peter. It is always a pleasure visiting your gardens and I love all the colorful blooms that you have. I also enjoyed your last post on the gardens of Rick Main and Kim Brewer...fabulous!
DeleteWow, you've reminded me why I miss England (I'm an ex-pat living in San Francisco) and what I've seen of the east coast of America - it's lushness! Here in the west, everything has turned dry and brown, except for my precious little sweet pea patch that I just posted about. How I miss the rain (not seen a drop since the beginning of the year).
ReplyDeleteWe have had the opposite with rain, rain and more rain! I enjoyed your beautiful post and your arrangements of sweet pea are so beautiful and inviting to look at. You should take your idea of a National Sweet Pea Day and promote it! It would probably catch on!
DeleteLove the tour. Your garden looks immaculate, wish I could say that about mine right now. Thanks for sharing it with everyone.
ReplyDeleteThank you Rebecca! I enjoyed your lovely blooms and the Gladiolus are gorgeous!
DeleteBeautiful! I love your colors and varieties. We had so much rain from July to early August that my Zone 7a is looking more like late spring than summer. I have three lo and beholds and really enjoy them, glad you found a workaround for yours!
ReplyDeleteRight now we're dealing with tree maintenance along our city riverbank property. We were leaving it naturalized with some very old silver maples and river birches, but a few storms did some major damage (one completely knocked down, another fell into two other trees). Bottom line, $$$$ maintenance for having trees cut and hauled up a pretty steep riverbank.
Thank you for visiting and commenting Rita. I am glad you enjoyed the views. We finally got through a whole two days without rain so the garden can dry out.
DeleteWonderful tour of your blooms and foliage. I love the new small buddelias. I also love the balloon flowers. We don't see many of these in nurseries around here. I have a short one that seems to be tough as nails. It comes back and reproduces. I would like to have a tall variety and I never think of it at the right time to hunt one down. Happy GBBD.
ReplyDeleteThank you Lisa! I am enjoying your beautiful blooms and love the photo of the Swallowtail on the milkweed. I am glad to hear that you were able to get a little rain. The garden must be rejoicing!
DeleteYour sedum looks great! Mine is only budding right now. Loved the tour.
ReplyDeleteJeannie@GetMeToTheCountry
Hi Jeannie. The Sedum that is blooming is called Mr. Goodbud. It blooms earlier than the others, which will bloom in a few weeks. Your blooms look like they are thriving despite the heat and I love that you have Monarchs! I enjoyed the visit and your last photo is priceless.
DeleteYour landscape designs always took my breath away ,that shot of balloon flower is lovely.
ReplyDeleteThanks so much Arun. Your garden has so many wonderful blooms and the Blue Plumbago is gorgeous! The Night Blooming Jasmine looks wonderful as well and I can just imagine the fragrance!
DeleteYour garden is so "clean". the photos look like they came out of a nursery catalog, definitely a well designed and maintained garden.
ReplyDeleteYour kind words made my day Greggo! I always enjoy visiting your garden as well and love the changing view throughout the months. Your combination of color and foliage is stunning!
DeleteA beautiful garden with lovely colors!
ReplyDeleteThank you! I am glad the photos brightened your day!
DeleteThere is nothing that makes me smile more than my grandson and my garden. And your garden is amazing and I doesn't seem the worse for all the rain. We had drought here that is now broken....Michelle
ReplyDeleteGlad you finally got some rain. Thank you so much for your kind words.
DeleteLovely! So many flowers!
ReplyDeleteJust catching up on blog comments. Thank you for visiting my blog and for your kind words. Looking forward to your posts!
DeleteYou always have fabulous flowers! The colors are so brilliant!
ReplyDeleteThank you Betty! I always enjoy my visits to your your neck of the woods!
DeleteWow! That crape myrtle is stunning! Wish they would grow here. I am interested to see how your dwarf butterfly bush does in its planter. I miss the invasive ones I removed, and was considering buying a dwarf one. I lost so many plants in last year's harsh winter, that I may just try growing it in a container. Amazing photos as always. P. x
ReplyDeleteThank you Pam. I will keep you posted on the Butterfly Bushes in containers. I sure hope they winter well in the garage. The dwarf varieties have gotten so borderline here with the last couple of winters. It just got too cold..
DeleteWhat a gorgeous garden with stunning blooms. I so enjoyed visiting with you. Thank you so much for linking to Gardens Galore!
ReplyDeleteHi Pam. Thank you so much for visiting my blog and for your kind words. I will be enjoying your posts from now on!
DeleteLee, I will be featuring your stunning gardens at my Garden Galore Link Party tomorrow. I hope you can join me again.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much Pam.. I was honored when I saw it! Have a great week!
DeleteBeautiful and I am going to check out your books Lee...Thank you..Michelle
ReplyDeleteThank you Michelle. I enjoyed the photos of your changing landscape. Each season does have its own beauty and even though summer always seems to rush by so quickly, the start of autumn is lovely.
DeleteI like the lilies, beautiful!
ReplyDeleteThank you Endah. I love the fragrance they produce. I just wish the blooms would last much longer!
DeleteWOW,WOW and WOW!It is a pleasure visiting your blog!What a wonderful garden...Made my day!Here was so cloudy today...I came through "Gardens Galore",from Pam.Nice to meet you!
ReplyDeleteNice to meet you too and thank you for your kind words. You made my day!
DeleteIt’s always such a pleasure to walk through your garden in this way! I haven’t tried any of the mini butterfly bushes. Did it not survive because it was in a container? My lilies are long gone by now. And that crape myrtle is an absolute stunner! I’ve never seen one here in my zone 6A, not sure they do well here.
ReplyDeleteHi Robin. I am glad you enjoyed the virtual tour and thank you for your kind words. I enjoyed my Dwarf Butterfly Bush in the garden for so many years until the past two winters. The extreme cold weakened it two years back and the past winter killed it. I am trying two new ones in pots as an experiment so that I can bring them into the garage over winter. I think I would be heartbroken if I planted one in the ground again and lost it, so we'll see how this works. The Crape Myrtle is hardy to zone 6/7 so zone 6 is really borderline for survival. My zone 7 Crape Myrtle is very established but did lose some branches last winter.
Delete