I feel like August passed me by quicker than usual, and not in a good way. The weather was either too rainy or to hot to get outside and weed, or I had other commitments (like evening karate classes twice a week for myself and my son).
Still, I did manage to get out and photograph on Bloom Day, even if I didn’t post the photos on the 15th.
The Altheas are self-sowing, and I honestly don’t really mind. It looks like the main purple one may have died this year, but other purple seedlings that I didn’t yank up last year are blooming this year. I’m OK with that, even if they’re a little crowded. Maybe I’ll prune them into a hedge and get rid of the front fence someday.
I didn’t get a photo of Heritage English Rose recently, but she’s doing well, although she’s surrounded by milkweed. My other two stalwart roses are blooming quite nicely, despite my benign neglect this summer.
I had to do a lot of sleuthing to recall what this is and when I bought it, since I seem to have misplaced my 2018 gardening journal. This is Wall Germander, which I chose for its Zone 5 hardiness, its ability to withstand drought, its evergreen nature, and its flowers. It’s survived being sheared to the ground by overzealous lawn guys, and I think it’ll fill out to be a perfect border by the garage.
I think I’ve already mentioned that Zinnias are my new favorite annual. I’ve started these Coral Rose zinnias indoors for two years running, and I plan to branch out and try other varieties next year.
The containers by my front door are looking OK for me not really tending them much. The idea is to get perennials in there — again, benign neglect and all that. I’d love to sit down and plan containers for each season, but it’s not my top priority.
The sedum I transplanted last year from where it volunteered elsewhere in the yard seems to love this spot, but the Creeping Jenny I moved in with it didn’t come back this year. I bring the kalanchoes indoors each year to overwinter.
I adore this panicle hydrangea. My neighbors to the north side, maybe not so much, as it shades their own flower garden… but they don’t complain. In fact, they’ve been known to hop the fence in the spring and clip off the remaining dead flowers for us, so they don’t roll like tumbleweeds through their yard.
As for the various volunteers… there are some that I love and hope they continue to return.
The aforementioned neighbor had his old dying evergreen taken out recently, so this stand of phlox went nuts with the added sunlight. This is just the very end of its bloom — at its peak, it was a huge blotch of purple.
I love to hate these Morning Glory vines. I’m never going to be completely rid of them. I love the flowers, but the vines just grow up everything and look messy and jungle-y. If I could contain them, I would try to save some, because I really do like the flowers. We’ll see.
In the past couple of weeks, a few new blooms have popped up — most notably, some sort of yellow helianthus-looking flower that came up amongst the zinnias. It works, so I kept it there.
I suspect I’ll write at length about the wins and losses of this gardening season in the coming weeks… if I can carve out the time, that is.