dianaschnuth

We’ve had some hints of autumn and a swing back toward the heat of summer. Most of the summer blooms have had it with the dry conditions, but there are a few late summer and early fall blooms to be seen…

Pow Wow White Echinacea is in its first year in my garden, and it seems to like its new home.

Nicotiana has been reliably self-sowing for the past two summers. It took a while longer to bloom this year than in the past.

I have been trying to eradicate the golden rod from this particular bed for a few years now, because it looks weedy and unruly before it blooms. I clearly have not been entirely successful at ridding myself of it… and I’m honestly kind of glad to have a few of their blooms to enjoy.

I’ve had this sedum in a smallish pot in my sunroom for a couple years, ever since I accidentally broke it off at the base while I was weeding one of my beds and rescued it. This year, I decided to move it into the flagging containers on the front step, joining the coleus and some creeping jenny I moved in from another border. So far, I’m liking it. I’m going for the low-maintenance container vibe… and yes, the “filler” in the background is totally weeds… but it’s green, so I’ll take it for now.

Ignore the grass and weeds and just focus on the fact that these Zahara Coral Rose Zinnias have been thriving and spreading from the four plants I started indoors from seed. I think I watered them once during the summer, and the rest of the time they’ve been making it on their own.

I think I’ll try direct-sowing these zinnias outdoors next year, and maybe try some other varieties, too. This is the kind of annual I can get behind.

I can’t forget these Japanese anemones! I believe these are September Charm windflower, but they were growing on the property when we first moved in some six years ago, so I can’t be positive.

Yesterday, my son asked to borrow my “clippers” for a minute. He and his dad disappeared into the front yard, and when they returned, my son brought this Althea bloom from behind his back with a flourish and dropped dramatically to his knees.

It was super cute.

That’s what’s doing on in my NW Ohio Zone 6 garden this Bloom Day! As always, thanks to Carol of May Dreams Gardens for hosting Bloom Day on the 15th of each month!