Our long, hot, dry summer has given way to September's milder temperatures. We're still short on rain, but the cool nights and mild days, especially this week, have been welcome relief.
This overwintered canna has been blooming for a few weeks, making this one of my favorite spots in the garden lately.
This overwintered canna has been blooming for a few weeks, making this one of my favorite spots in the garden lately.
Double impatiens and 'Diamond Frost' euphorbia are among my favorite hanging baskets this month.
'Rozanne' is my favorite geranium. Here, she's seen with my favorite oxalis.
'David's Lavender' is one of my favorite phlox varieties. Even during this very hot dry summer, this tall phlox kept all its foliage, and suffered no powdery mildew. It was one of the earliest phlox to start blooming, and one of the last still going.
Seen with Agastache 'Blue Fortune,' this was one of my favorite coneflowers this year. It had the most blooms of a single coneflower plant, and the goldfinches left its petals alone.
Sky blue aster, new last year, has upstaged the smooth blue as my favorite this month.
'Autumn Bride' is my favorite heuchera this time of year. Amazingly, the bunnies haven't eaten any of the flower scapes (yet.) Behind 'Autumn Bride,' 'Autumn Joy' sedum is just starting to color up. They're my favorite sedums this year, since I remembered to pinch them in June, and they didn't flop,
(unlike the un-pinched 'Matrona' flopping into 'Autumn Bride' on the bottom right.)
Hanging basket fuchsias are the hummingbirds' favorites, now that the cardinal flowers are finished for the season (and maybe finished for good after the swale went completely dry for the first time since I've here.)
Gomphrena 'Fireworks' is my favorite new annual in the garden this year.
The last black-eyed susan still blooming, just behind Japanese anemones, and next to an upright 'Matrona' I remembered to pinch.
Of all my favorite blooms in the garden this month, this is my very favorite-ist of all, shown at night when it's not only gorgeous, but amazingly fragrant too. 'Sunset' variegated angel's trumpet is in the midst of it's best show all summer, with two dozen blooms and as many buds yet to open.
There are a lot of favorites here during one of my very favorite months of the year. I can't remember a time when the mild days of September were more welcome.
For everyone who survived one of, if not the hottest summers on record in the Chicago area, the United States, and around the globe, I hope you're enjoying a mild September so far, with plenty of rain, and cool, refreshing evenings. Happy Bloom Day to all, and Happy Fall (almost!)
For more Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day posts, please visit our host, Carol at May Dreams Gardens.
Such a beautiful collection of September blooms. The Gomphrena flower is just magnificent. I also loved the double Impatiens and Euphorbia 'Diamond Frost' duo. The Canna looks terrific sitting in amongst all that 'Diamond Frost' as well.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Bernie!
DeleteLovely photos and amazing flowers! Loved the Sky blue asters, and as a fuchsia lover/grower myself I enjoyed your hanging basket. My 'annual' fuchsias are many years old and don't get lifted or covered during the winter here in London but I have them in the ground or in large planters.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Helene! Lucky you being able to overwinter fuchsias outdoors! Our winters here are still to cold for fuchsias, so our two will come indoors and winter over under a big light in the basement.
DeleteYou've got some of the koolest (is that even a word ?) looking flower photos. Your garden looks a lot like gardens over here in Sweden. Lately I've been photograph late season yellows and berries, *smile*
ReplyDeleteThank you, Timeless!
DeleteI thought I'd mention one more item. Cannas do great and over winter here as well. Don't ask me why. Our winters are worse than yours. Who would have ever though a tropical could do that ?
ReplyDeleteNow if I can only get Palm Trees to go dormant and over winter!!!
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Wow - how 'kool' :~) cannas overwinter outdoors there! It might work here, but actually this canna was overwintered indoors. I just left it in its pot and kept it in the basement under our big light with lots of other tender stuff. One of my clients has calla lilies in her garden that have overwintered in her garden for several years, even though we're zone 5b and callas are supposedly hardy to zone 7. Hers are near the brick of her house in a sheltered spot. I'm a little chicken to leave the cannas out all winter.
DeleteActually when I lived up in Anza California above Palm Springs in the San Jacinto Mountains at elevation 4600', Cannas would over winter there in folks yards. As long as the tubers are safe in the ground, they overwinter fine. And we had temps there at 6- F.
DeleteI've seen neighbours here who have dump end of season flower pots into our woods and next Spring new Cannas pushing up through these mounds.
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It is so lovely going out into your gardens any time of day. I loved being there for our beautiful lady's wedding, and wandering around early in the morning with dew still on the plantings. With a view out the kitchen window like that, why use the dishwasher? Lingering over hand-washing dishes, while gazing at the plantings is as close to meditation as any thing. Well, maybe pulling weeds and snacking on the occasional pea, green bean, or sun gold tomato in our veggie garden is right up there, too.
ReplyDeleteAw, thank you, Mom! Glad you enjoy the garden! I often hand-wash the dishes, especially for breakfast and lunch when I'm the only one home.
DeleteThere's nothing like eating veggies straight from the garden! Peas here especially, rarely make it into the kitchen!
So beautiful! I'm a big fan of Brugmansias as well. My eight year old Charles Grimaldi has been known to throw three hundred blossoms by end of season. I really love that Gomphrenia as well. I'm going to have to look for that next spring
ReplyDeleteOur Brug's about 4 years old Deanne. This year it's had a lot more blooms at a time than before, and I'm looking forward to seeing what it will do as it matures.
DeleteThank you for visiting!
Oh, I agree, Linda--I think September has just become my new favorite month of the year! I can see why you have so many favorites, too, with all these lovely blooms. The Angel's Trumpet is gorgeous, and I always admire your fuschia--love that combo of purple and red! I wish I had better luck with them. The red canna in the first photo with the 'Diamond Frost' is another great combo.
ReplyDeleteHope you've had time to put your feet up this week and just enjoy the garden!
September has been SUCH a relief after our sweltering summer, Rose!
DeleteI agree, Sky Blue Aster is really lovely.
ReplyDeleteIt seems to have tolerated the hot, dry summer a lot better than the Smooth Blue, gardeninacity.
DeleteI love your combination of Rozanne with the oxalis--nice contrast, and an idea that I think I might need to borrow! ;-) For enduring such a drought this season, your blooms look fantastic. (We didn't have a drought for the first time in ages, and my garden looks so tired right now.) Still, I also had luck with our phlox--also no powdery mildew this year, whereas last summer it was rampant. I also think I need to add the variegated 'Angel Trumpet'--gorgeous foliage and fragrance? Yes, please! Happy bloom day to you!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Julie!
DeleteSome parts of our garden look more tired than others. The spots where there are pots and hanging baskets fared a lot better since they got the overflow from watering.
I love, love, love the angel's trumpet. I used to overwinter it in the basement stairwell, but it's too big now, so it overwinters in the living room. It gets pretty sad-looking by spring, but as soon as it gets pruned, gets topped off with fresh soil and organic fertilizer, and goes back outdoors, it perks right back up again.
I'm amazed at all the blooms bloggers are posting. Lovely. I thought those double impatiens were roses. Very pretty! It has been soooo hot and dry. Can't wait for rain.
ReplyDeleteThat's what I love about the impatiens, Victoria. The look like little roses. With DF euphorbia, I think they look like giant roses-and-baby's-breath bouquets!
DeleteHope you get rain soon. We've had some, but all light. We need some good soakers here to help heal the damage from the insane summer weather.
Those impatiens look like roses. I recognize your new header...beautiful bouquet.
ReplyDeleteBalisha
I love that about double impatiens, Balisha! Too bad they don't smell like roses too!
DeleteThank you!
I'm glad you've mild temps now. The large double impatiens are stunning!
ReplyDeleteIt's such a relief, Nadezda!
DeleteI love the double impatiens, especially in late summer when they get more sun in our garden, and bloom more prolifically.
lovely! come over and link up to Fishtail Cottage's garden party!!! xoox, tracie
ReplyDeleteThanks, Tracie!
Deletelove your blooms but how do you do the frames??I love them
ReplyDeleteThank you, Sharon! I do the frames in Picasa (free photo-editing software,) using the last tab, and the Museum Matte setting.
DeleteSo pretty! So artistic!
ReplyDelete