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

Welcome!

Welcome to A Guide to Northeastern Gardening and to my August Long Island zone 7b garden! With record breaking heat, this has been our hottest summer on record as June hit 101°F. July also ended up being more than 3°F warmer than average and nearly tied for as “hottest on record” along with five inches of rainfall on the 31st. Now that we are in the start of August, the first week brought much cooler temperatures in the low 80's, with another heat wave back again this week. The garden is in full bloom, so join me for a tour!

Lilium 'Stargazer'

Our first stop is along the pool border where Lilium 'Stargazer', with its fragrant blooms. It had an earlier bloom time compared to previous years, so here is a view from two weeks ago.

Dwarf Butterfly Bush 'Pugster Blue'

Today in the garden, Dwarf Butterfly Bush 'Pugster Blue' is in full bloom along with the start of flowers on Sedum 'Brilliant'.

Sedum ' Pure Joy'

Sedum 'Pure Joy' is starting to display its more compact pale pink blooms. This cultivar grows to a smaller size of just 10-12 inches tall and is excellent for smaller spaces.

Backyard Island Bed

In the back raised island bed Weigela 'My Monet' is showing off its lovely variegated foliage and is accompanied by the blooms of Hydrangea 'Limelight Prime'.

Hydrangea 'Limelight Prime'

The blooms of Hydrangea 'Limelight Prime' start off as a pale green, mature to pure white, then fade to  a pinkish hue, giving all season interest.

Rudbeckia 'Little Goldstar' (Black Eyed Susan)

Along the back border Rudbeckia 'Little Goldstar' is making its presence known with an abundance of golden-yellow blooms with black centers...

Echinacea Pow Wow 'Wild Berry'

and Echinacea Pow Wow 'Wild Berry' continues to display its long lasting blooms. I have found that a little deadheading after the first round of blooms encourages even more blooms and a longer bloom time, while leaving seed heads for the birds to munch on later in the season!

Platycodon 'Komachi'

Here is Balloon Flower, Platycodon 'Komachi' with its interesting blooms which do not open up like other species of Balloon Flower, but rather stay closed like balloons! I found this variety many years ago and I have been on a mission ever since to find it again!

Abelia 'Kaliedoscope'

Now going on its third season, Abelia 'Kaliedoscope' continues to please with its colorful variegated foliage and white trumpet-shaped blooms in later summer...

Spirea 'Candy Corn'

while upright Japanese Maple 'Twombly's Red Sentinel' and Spirea 'Candy Corn' add some colorful foliage for interest throughout the entire summer.

Allium 'Millenium'

Here is Allium 'Millenium', which I planted along the southern pool border a few years back. It is showing off its wonderful blooms! This has become a favorite in the late summer garden!

Salvia 'Blue By You'

Salvia 'Blue By You' continues to bloom along the patio border with just one deadheading back in early July. The newer cultivar of perennial Salvia is hardy in USDA zones 4-9 and has the longest bloom time I have experienced out of all the Salvia.

Double Red Knock Out Rose

Old reliable Double Knock Out Rose continues to push out blooms and will continue to do so throughout the rest of the summer and into fall...

Groundcover Sedum

and the assortment of varieties of groundcover Sedum continue to supply interest along the pool border.

Viburnum 'Summer Snowflake'

Viburnum 'Summer Snowflake' is pushing out another round of late summer blooms. I love how this more compact form of Viburnum can have several bloom periods throughout the season.

Daylily 'Stella D'Oro'

Stella D' Oro joins in the mix as well with a second round of blooms after a late summer rejuvenation.

Crape Myrle 'Sioux'

As we approach the end of our tour, Crape Myrtle is starting to display its amazing deep pink blooms.

Crape Myrle 'Sioux'

Here is a close up view! If you look closely, you can see that the tree is also in the process exfoliating its older bark. This is a normal process, especially in more mature trees, and soon the newer more colorful bark will be exposed.

Tree Hydrangea 'Tardiva'

Along the northern side of the property, Hydrangea 'Tardiva', a later blooming variety of hydrangea, is displaying its fragrant panicle-shaped white blooms... 

Hydrangea 'Firelight Tidbit'

and Hydrangea 'Firelight Tidbit' is also in full bloom.  It is now showing hints of a pinkish hue on the more mature flowers. I am so enjoying this new addition for its second year.

Thank you for Visiting!

I hope you enjoyed your visit to my August garden. I so appreciate you being here, look forward to your comments and enjoy seeing what you have growing in your garden. 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 had hosted Foliage Follow-Up, a meme I will continue to honor. I am also linking with some other wonderful hosts and hostesses at Floral Friday Fotos, Nature Notes at Rambling Woods, Image-in-ing weekly photo share every Tuesday, Weekly Photo Link-Up at My Corner of the World on Wednesdays and Garden Affair at Jaipur Garden. 

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Until we Meet Again...Happy Gardening!

Author: Lee @A Guide to Northeastern Gardening, © Copyright 2010-2025. All rights reserved.