Sunday, August 15, 2021

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

Welcome to my August Garden!
Welcome! It's August and the Crape Myrtle are blooming along with many other sights to see! The "dog days" of summer are here with the past three days of  89 to 91 degree temperatures with lots of humidity. The gardens are loving it though and the blooms keep coming. Come along and join me for a tour of my Long Island garden!
Patio Garden
One of my favorite all-summer bloomers is this potted red Mandevilla vine which lives on the patio right by the back door entry. It is an addition I make a point of having every year and it provides so much joy! In the raised garden bed and along the patio are late summer blooming favorites, Crape Myrtle 'Sioux' and Platycodon (Balloon Flower) with more to follow.
Patio Garden Looking out to Island Bed
Lets take a closer look. Now in view is blue-hued Balloon Flower (Playtcodon 'Komachi') with the back island bed straight ahead. I've had the Platycodon for many years and purchased this Crape Myrtle at about four feet tall, grew it in a planter until it was 6 feet tall, then transplanted it into an island bed on the back lawn, created to become its permanent home. That was sometime in the late 1990's. It is now at a stately 25-30 feet tall and bears magnificent deep pink blooms which I look forward to late July into fall.
Crape Myrtle 'Sioux'
Here are the blooms of Crape Myrtle 'Sioux' up close...
Platycodon grandiflorus 'Komachi'
and an up close and personal with the Platycodon (Balloon flower)! 'Komachi' unlike other Platycodon varieties, never opens its blooms, making it very unique.
Crape Myrtle Exfoliating Bark
The bark of Crape Myrtle is especially interesting late summer into winter as it exfoliates to expose colorful layers. This is one of those additions that provides more than just the blooms for all season interest!
Perennial Border
In the perennial border, other blooms can be seen alongside Platycodon. They include Echinacea (Coneflower) Pow Wow 'Wild Berry', Stachys (Lamb's Ear ) and Echibeckia Summerina.
Rudbeckia 'Little Gold Star'
This dwarf form of Rudbeckia, Little Gold Star' has really done well since I purchased it about four years ago. It stays nice and compact and does not spread like its parent form.
Echibeckia Summerina 'Blazing Star'
This summer I returned to the local farm stand where I had purchased  Echibeckia last year and got another one for the opposite side of the garden. Now the two of them frame the path leading from the patio to the back lawn. I am really enjoying the new cultivar, which is a cross between Echinacea and Rudbeckia.
Southeastern Garden Border
The Sedum 'Brilliant' are about to show their pink blooms any day now as Double Knock Out Rose continues to bloom along the back fenceline...
Daylily Stella D' Oro Still Blooming!
and Daylily 'Stella D Oro' continues with its third round of blooms after rejuvenation.
Mandevilla
Here is Mandevilla up close!
Hydrangea 'Nikko Blue' Late Summer
Hydrangea blooms are always welcomed, as the blooms of this 'Nikko Blue' variety turn to a purplish hue as the summer moves on. The Hydrangea have had an outstanding season after suffering from two previous cold winters with no snow cover.
Driveway Border
Along the driveway border, Coreopsis 'Zagreb' continues its blooms throughout summer into fall with purple-leaved Weigela 'Spilled Wine' in the backdrop, Skylands Oriental Spruce to the left and Coral Bark Maple to the right. There is also Hinoki Cypress 'Verdoni' and Coneflower to the right.
Echinacea 'Cheyenne Spirit'
The Coneflower (Echinacea Cheyenne Spirit) is sporting several blooms this time of year. It's always a surprise what color flowers will form on this plant, with blooms ranging from pink to orange, to the cream colored blooms you see here.
Hydrangea 'Tardiva'
I always look forward to the blooms of Hydrangea 'Tardiva', a later-blooming panicle hydrangea along the northeastern side of the property. I will often cut the slightly fragrant flowers to give as gifts or to display in a vase.
Front Lawn & Tree Hydrangea
As you can see, it is a prolific bloomer.
Front Lawn-Blue Atlas Cedar
This very mature Blue Atlas Cedar lives on the front lawn, towering at about forty feet tall. Yes...it is the tree that I brought home in the back of a Ford Probe when I had just started designing. It was entertainment for everyone at the nursery as I loaded it into the back of the car through a hatch-back before finally moving to a pick up truck. Ahh...those were the days!
Front Lawn Long View
The Weeping Japanese Maples on the front lawn can be seen at this angle. To the south of the Japanese Maples is the front corner island bed with a dwarf form of Sedum, Sedum 'Pure Joy,' which is displaying its light pink blooms.
Sedum 'Pure Joy'
Here is a close up!
Driveway Border Southwest Side
Moving back along the driveway once again, Spirea 'Magic Carpet' is still pushing out some of its rosy pink blooms alongside Weeping Norway Spruce and the foliage of Variegated Iris.
Patio Container Garden
As we come to the end of the tour, this newly planted container garden with Dwarf Alberta Spruce 'Jeans's Dilly' (maximum height of three feet), Dwarf Hinoki Cypress and 'Franklin Boy' Ornamental Arborvitae' with its unusual threadlike golden foliage are thriving. I hope it continues to do well throughout the winter months.
Greeting Committee (just for fun!)
I hope you enjoyed your stroll and thanks for stopping by.  Hope to see you around! 
August Garden-Thanks for Visiting!
Thank you for visiting my August garden. As always, I enjoy hearing from you and seeing what's growing in your neck of the woods! 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 FotosMacro Monday 2, Mosaic Monday at Letting Go of the Bay Leaf, Nature Notes at Rambling WoodsImage-in-ing weekly photo share every Tuesday with NC Sue and Gardens Galore Link Up Party every other Monday with Everyday Living. I am also happy to join the Weekly Photo Link-Up at My Corner of the World on Wednesdays and Garden Affair at Jaipur Garden

A GUIDE TO NORTHEASTERN GARDENING NEWS:

The GardenComm 2021 Virtual Conference was a great success with so much fun, great information and the best group of gardeners you'd ever want to meet! Four fun filled days were packed with everything to do with gardening, from TV personalities to advice from professionals to garden tours around the world, and I was honored to be a presenter on the Meet the Authors Panel! Go to the GardenComm website to learn more and become a member!

If you haven't already done so, and would like to stay informed of new posts, there is a new follow.it subscription service at the top right side of this page to replace the feedburner app which will no longer send e-mail notifications in the future. You may have already received an e-mail to confirm your subscription to continue receiving posts. 

If you are a gardener or wanting to learn more about garden design and maintenance, you may enjoy my books. To learn more, visit 
My Author Page. I have written four books to pass along my knowledge and experiences as a landscape designer and gardener, which I have been all my life! They are A Guide to Northeastern Gardening: Journeys of a Garden Designer Zones 3-9Landscape Design CombinationsDream, Garden, Grow!-Musings of a Lifetime Gardener and my latest Gardening by Month: A Monthly Guide to Planning the Northeastern & Mid-Atlantic Garden

Be well and As Always...Happy Gardening! 😊

Author: Lee @A Guide to Northeastern Gardening,© Copyright 2010-2021. All rights reserved.

35 comments:

  1. Wonderful, beautiful blooms! Love the 'Cheyenne Spirit' Echinacea!
    And you reminded me of two things I meant to include in my post, but forgot: a sedum that is blooming, and my Crepe Myrtles, bloom and peeling bark. Oh well, maybe next month.
    Happy Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day!

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    1. Thank you Lea! Your blooms are so pretty and such lovely captures of the butterflies. Your Phlox is beautiful and I have not seen Turks cap bloom in a while, so that is a treat! Happy Bloom Day!

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  2. I am just in love with the deep purple and shape of the balloon flower. They just stand out beautifully in your garden. Happy Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day!

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    1. Thank you for stopping by my blog. I am enjoying your friendly and inviting post, love all your blooms, especially the Dahlias and Cosmos, and am so happy your two trees are doing so much better! As your temperatures cool, we are still in the 80’s here on Long Island after a heat wave the past few days. I am looking forward to the change of seasons.

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  3. Your garden borders are so beautifully designed with many points of interest. I've fallen in love with your bear holding the basket of plants.

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    1. Thank you Yvonne. I am enjoying all your photos of beautiful flowers, especially the Clematis, which caught my eye, and your first photo says it all as far as the temperatures. We just got over a heat wave with three days in the 90’s, but nothing compared to you!

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  4. Just beautiful and so many well-grown plants. I've never seen balloon flower so robust and the 'Tardiva' hydrangea is stunning.

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    1. Thank you Phillip. Your gardens are absolutely gorgeous and photographed so beautifully! The Acanthus mollis blooming is such a treat! Happy Bloom Day!

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  5. Your garden is always beautiful no matter the season. August is looking especially wonderful.

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    1. Aww…thank you for your kind words! I loved your flower arrangement with the hardy hibiscus!

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  6. Your beautiful garden looks fantastisc. There are a lot of colours.

    Happy MosaicMonday

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    1. Thank you Erica. I loved visiting your blog and photos! Happy Mosaic Monday and enjoy your day!

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  7. I so enjoyed seeing your crepe myrtle. One day there will be one for my zone 5b (Binghamton, New York area). I tried not to envy you! But just call us in Binghamton if you need snow cover this coming winter, and we'll see what we can do. Seriously, your Sioux is a beautiful plant. I also enjoyed seeing your patio planter with the evergreens. Alana ramblinwitham.blogspot.com

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    1. So glad you enjoyed the views. I love how you are growing your collection of unusual herbs. I grow the common basil, thyme and rosemary, but it would be so much fun to branch out. You are dedicated!

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  8. Lee - I look forward to your garden updates like a child awaits a bag of favorite candy! The balloon plant is so unique! The textures and various heights in your garden are proof of your master design skills! Well Done! A feast for the eyes! Thanks so much for sharing with Mosaic Monday!

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    1. Aww…thank you so much! I love visiting your blog and following along on your wonderful adventures. Your photographs are amazing! Thank you for sharing and hosting.

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  9. Your August blooms are still so vibrant and healthy, Lee! I love the mass of balloon flowers, and mandevilla is gorgeous. My last couple years before we downsized had me struggling with squirrels eating my mandevilla which had never been a problem 10 yrs prior. I grew mine in the ground on an arbor, and used a lot of red pepper those last two years! The crepe myrtle and hydrangea are showstoppers for late summer. I had an old timer relative who used to call sedum 'depression plant' as one of the last summer blooms to show. :) Thank you for your landscape tour. Stunning!

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    1. Thank you Rita and I am glad you enjoyed the tour! Your post started my day off with a smile. I especially enjoyed your new namesake! Have a great week!

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  10. What a riot of colour. Bravo. Happy Monday.
    I am at #11 of the linky today

    Much❤love

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  11. I watched them trim the Crape Myrtles on the golf course this morning. They have really been showy here this year. I love seeing what you grow there...beautiful blooms and shrubs!

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    1. Thank you! The swamp you visited looks like a peaceful place. You have captured the birds beautifully, especially the Green Heron!

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  12. I love your floriferous August garden, Lee! I was particularly impressed by the balloon flower display. I have a few of those plants in my own garden and the best I can say of them is that they haven't just up and died on me. I expect they want more water than they get here.

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    1. Thank you so much for your kind words Kris! Your garden is beautiful every time I visit it, I love your combinations of plants and the Agave is especially gorgeous!

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  13. The Crape Myrtles are standouts in your landscape! I wish my balloon flowers looked as beautiful as yours. They seem to grow wherever they want around here - never grouped together.

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    1. I am glad you enjoyed the views! I love your sunflowers! They are one of my favorites this time of the year!

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  14. Thanks for sharing at https://image-in-ing.blogspot.com/2021/08/warm-strawberry-puff.html

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  15. Thank you for visiting and for your kind words. Your blog is wonderful.

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  16. Your garden is beautiful, Lee.
    I love the tasteful Container Patio Garden
    Lovely landscape photos.

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    1. Thank you Nadezda! It’s always a pleasure getting to visit your garden!

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  17. Your gorgeous garden is filled with shadows, some subtle, and some strong.

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  18. Everything looks perfect! Not a leaf or bloom out of place. You have really been working hard. It is inspiring and makes me want to try harder.

    Jeannie@GetMeToTheCountry

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  19. I’m with you, a pot of mandevilla is a must have around here every summer. It will usually bloom well into November, maybe December if I get lucky. I recently bought what is labeled as Sunbeckia Alicia, but it sure looks exactly like your echibeckia. Obviously related. It’s been a while since I had any balloon flowers, yours is especially charming.

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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!