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

Welcome!

Welcome to my zone 7b Long Island garden! As summer passes by quickly, the month of August brings both an abundance of heat and blooms. With some days in the 90’s, thunderstorms arrive in the evening hours and bring some needed rain to the garden. Late bloomers such as Crape Myrtle, hydrangea, allium and  balloon flower (to name a few) bring color to the landscape. Join me for a tour of my late summer garden!

Hydrangea 'Firelight Tidbit'

The first stop is along the entry to the backyard as you pass through the gate. This newly transformed garden has stolen my heart as it was once my mom's iris garden which had finally run its course after some forty years. I planted these Hydrangea 'Firelight Tidbit' as a tribute to her and they have grown and become even more beautiful over the past three years. As fall arrives, the once white blooms will take on a pinkish hue.

Hydrangea 'Limelight Prime'

Also in the back portion of the property is another late summer blooming hydrangea, Hydrangea 'Limelight Prime', which brings beautiful white blooms to give contract against the deep green foliage of the Compacta Hinoki Cypress behind it, Mugo Pine to the right and Variegated Weigela 'My Monet' to the left.

Patio Surround

Along the patio border is Trombly's Red Sentinel Japanese Maple, Ableia 'Kaliedoscope' (blooms late August-September), Spirea 'Candy Corn', Echinacea and a rarely seen variety of Balloon Flower known as Platycodon grandiflorus 'Komachi' whose flowers never open up, but rather remain as uninflated puffed up balloons!

Platycodon 'Komachi' (Balloon Flower)
Here are the blooms up close, and yes...it lives up to its name!

Crape Myrtle 'Sioux'

On an island bed on the southern side of the property is Crape Myrtle 'Sioux', which started blooming about two weeks earlier this year, along with Compact Hinoki Cypress (to the left), Mugo Pine (front) and Juniperus 'Gold Lace' in the backdrop. The hydrangeas along the fence-line are completing their bloom for the season.

Buddleia 'Pugster Blue'

On the opposite side of the raised island bed is Buddleia 'Pugster Blue', a dwarf non-invasive hybrid of Butterfly Bush with large, deep purple blooms.

Spirea 'Candy Corn' and Echinacea Pow Wow 'Wild Berry'

Bordering the patio is Spirea 'Candy Corn' with a second mini round of blooms and in the foreground is Echinacea. 

Southern Border Garden-Secret Garden

Leaving the southern secret garden presents a different view, from before. Crape Myrtle 'Sioux' can be seen in the distance, with Allium 'Millennium' in the foreground. I love seeing these wonderful lavender blooms in late summer. The bumblebees love them too!

Allium' Millennium'
Here is a close-up of a very happy visitor!

Northern Border

Here along the northern portion of the property is a garden statue of a boy reading a book along with Weeping Blue Atlas Cedar and Heuchera (Coral Bells) 'Caramel'...

Echinacea 'Cheyenne Spirit'

and along the pool border, Echinacea 'Cheyenne Spirit' continues to bloom. An American Goldfinch visitor has been enjoying the seeds on a daily basis!

Patio Border

A dwarf form of Sedum growing to only 10-12 inches in height is Sedum 'Pure Joy'. Along the patio, it is starting to show its late summer blooms.

Back Northern Border 

Along the northern fence-line, Kousa Dogwood is joined by Hosta 'Patriot', Rudbeckia 'Little Goldstar',  Gold Lace Juniper (to the right) and Endless Summer Hydrangea to the left.

Rudbeckia 'Little GoldStar' (Dwarf Black Eyed Susan)

I enjoy how this cultivar of Rudbeckia is dwarf, more compact and does not spread everywhere.

Viburnum 'Summer Snowflake'

Summer is winding down, so Viburnum 'Summer Snowflake' is pushing out another round of its white star-like blooms resembling snowflakes...

Pool Border

and the Golden Pacific Juniper which I planted a few years ago seems to be very happy as it trails down the moss rock waterfall. The Juniper is joined by a mature Weeping Norway Spruce and Upright Variegated Boxwood.

Back Shade-Secret Garden

As we approach the end of the tour, a bluestone path leads to the back northern secret shade garden where another Weeping Norway Spruce is joined by 'Caramel' Coral Bells, Pulmonaria, Jacob's Ladder, Cherry Laurel and Variegated Boxwood. At the very end is a miniature bird bath which is visible around the corner bend.

Thanks 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, and Garden Affair at Jaipur Garden.

Connect With Me 🌼

It's time to plan your garden! Visit my Author Page 👈to learn about and purchase my books, each one focusing on different aspects of gardening, including landscape ideas, design principles, gardening by month for all-season interest, gardening tips and maintenance, shade gardening, gardening inspiration and more. And also be sure to check out my newest publication, The Houseplant Guide, to guide you on your houseplant journey! If you have read any of my books and have found them to be useful, reviews are very much appreciated!

Also, check out my newsletter Northeastern Gardening News for monthly updates all to do with gardening! It's free to subscribe or you can pledge a donation to show support for my work, or upgrade to receive extra perks monthly right into your inbox!   

Find me on Instagram at Northeastern Gardening and Facebook at A Guide to Northeastern Gardening Blog & Author Page.

Until we Meet Again...Happy Gardening!

Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day & Foliage Follow-Up September: Late Summer Long Island Garden

Welcome to my Garden!

Welcome to my Long Island zone 7b garden! After two months of extreme heat and drought, the seasons have shifted into fall mode with cooler temperatures in the 70's and blue, cloudless skies. September is one of my favorite months of the year as the garden is starting to transition into an array of changing colors. While new blooms appear and some blooms keep their momentum going, join me for a tour of my garden, a place that brings me joy.

Spirea 'Candy Corn' & Echinacea Pow Wow 'Wild Berry'

One of the first signs of autumn each year are the fading blooms of Coneflower, creating a feast of seeds for birds. Here is Echinacea (Coneflower) Pow Wow 'Wild Berry' against the foliage of 'Candy Corn' Spirea.

Abelia 'Kaleidoscope'

While Abelia 'Kaleidoscope' displays variegated evergreen foliage throughout the year, an added bonus is its trumpet shaped white blooms in later summer and into fall.

Patio Border

Along the patio border Upright Japanese Maple 'Red Sentinel' is pushing out some new growth...

Lamb's Ear (Stachys)

while the white fuzzy foliage of Lamb's Ear (Stachys) against the candy corn-colored foliage of Spirea 'Candy Corn' provide the excellent fall look!

Sedum 'Brilliant' (Stonecrop)

Out of the many varieties of Sedum available, Sedum 'Brilliant' provides excellent late summer color on a more compact plant, which grows to just 18-24 inches tall.

Pool Border

Another variety of Sedum (Stonecrop) is this Sedum 'Thundercloud' with tight clusters of small white flowers, which stays at about 12 inches tall. The blooms do remind me of thunderclouds; hence the name!

Pool Waterfall

Along the pool waterfall the Weeping Norway Spruce that was planted in 2023 is finally feeling at home and pushing out an abundance of new growth, while Golden Pacific Juniper starts to trail gracefully over the rocks. An mix of Upright Variegated Boxwood and groundcover Sedum accompanies them.

Hydrangea 'Tardiva'

Join me on the northern side of the property. Here is a sight I look forward to every year. The panicle white blooms of Hydrangea 'Tardiva' appear much later in summer and last well into fall.

Hydrangea 'Tardiva'

Here is a view of the full tree along with Repandens Yew and Variegated Lilyturf.

Knock Out Rose 'Radrazz' Late Summer

A true winner in the garden is Knock Out Rose 'Radrazz' displaying blooms non-stop from spring  through fall with little interruption. I deadhead after each round of blooms and it just keeps on giving!

Daylily 'Stella D Oro' Late Summer

Stella D Oro' Daylily is another winner with a burst of new foliage and reblooms late summer into fall with a little bit of mid-summer rejuvenation.

A Welcomed Visitor!

It is late summer and Dwarf Butterfly Bush 'Pugster Blue' is blooming away and attracting the Monarchs. I was thrilled to get this photograph, as I was in the right place at the right time! Note:  This dwarf form of Buddleia is long blooming and non-invasive! 

Dwarf Butterfly Bush 'Pugster Blue'

Here is 'Pugster Blue' again along with the foliage of Dwarf Mugo Pine and Hinoki Cypress 'Compacta' in the backdrop.

Crape Myrtle 'Sioux'

Crape Myrtle 'Sioux' has been producing a nice bloom since it was behind a couple of weeks during the cooler than usual spring. It has also been exfoliating bark much more than I recall in past years. Note: An interesting tidbit is that exfoliation is a sign that there has been a lot of growth during a season and this process is the tree's way of making room.

Liriope (Lilyturf) 'Big Blue'

This has also been a good year for Liriope 'Big Blue'. I love the spikes of deep purple blooms it produces this time of year.

Rhode Island Red Japanese Maple Patio Border

For some more late summer color, here is some of the new growth on Rhode Island Red Japanese Maple along with the variegated evergreen foliage of Osmanthus 'Goshiki', blue foliage of Weeping Blue Atlas Cedar and backdrop of Emerald Green Arborvitae and Knock Out Roses.

Front Walkway Garden

Along the front walkway and driveway border is Weeping Eastern Redbud 'Lavender Twist', Weeping White Pine, Golden Oriental Spruce and Coral Bark Maple, which is starting to look a little bit fall-like!

Front Lawn

Along the front lawn is a 40 year old Weeping Japanese Maple...

Hydrangea Firelight 'Tidbit'

and by the back walkway entry (planted last year) are 2-year old Hydrangea Firelight 'Tidbit'!

Hydrangea Firelight 'Tidbit'

Their blooms have gone from pale green to pure white and now take on a rosy glow.

Patio Planter (All Season)

Last, but not least, is this reliable all-season planter on the front stoop. I created this combination of evergreen Juniper, Dwarf Alberta Spruce and dwarf variegated Osmanthus (False Holly), which thrive perfectly together!

Thank you for Visiting!

I hope you enjoyed your visit to my September 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. 

Other Places to Find Me 🌼

You can visit my Author Page to learn about and Purchase My Books, each one focusing on different aspects of gardening, including landscape ideas, design principles, gardening by month for all-season interest, gardening tips and maintenance, shade gardening, gardening inspiration and more. And also be sure to check out my newest publication, The Houseplant Guide, to guide you on your houseplant journey!

Check out my newsletter Northeastern Gardening News for monthly updates all to do with gardening! It's free to subscribe or you can pledge a donation to show support for my work and receive monthly updates right into your inbox!

Find me on Instagram at Northeastern Gardening and Facebook at A Guide to Northeastern Gardening Blog & Author Page.

Until we Meet Again...Happy Gardening!

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

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. 

Other Places to Find Me:

You can visit my Author Page to learn about and Purchase My Books, each one focusing on different aspects of gardening, including landscape ideas, design principles, gardening by month for all-season interest, gardening tips and maintenance, shade gardening, gardening inspiration and more. And also be sure to check out my newest publication, The Houseplant Guide, to guide you on your houseplant journey!

Check out my newsletter Northeastern Gardening News for monthly updates all to do with gardening! It's free to subscribe or you can pledge a donation to show support for my work and receive monthly updates right into your inbox!

Find me on Instagram at Northeastern Gardening and Facebook at A Guide to Northeastern Gardening Blog & Author Page.

Until we Meet Again...Happy Gardening!

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