Garden Bloggers Bloom Day: The August Garden

 

Our rains have finally dried up and my central Ohio zone 6b garden is looking a little tired. We've had less than three-fourths an inch of rain so far this month, but I'm not complaining as overall we've had great rainfall this summer.

In August zinnias are the stars of my garden. These were all sowed from seed outside in May. Most of the seed I saved from the Dawn Creek Pastels zinnias I grew last year. I have no idea where that bright fuchsia zinnia in the top left came from, but that's part of the fun.

While the zinnias are doing great, it's been a bit of a disappointing dahlia year. Of my big dahlias, only Sweet Love is blooming so far. It's extremely reliable and has been blooming since early July. 

My favorite, Otto's Thrill, was severely pruned by the deer when it first set buds, which set it back quite a bit. There are two new buds now and I'm crossing my fingers I'll get some blooms yet. I also lost one other dahlia over winter, a hazard of not digging them up. But I still find the convenience is worth the risk.

Sweet Love dahlia

My dill is also in bloom. These umbel flowers are so pretty.

But when I looked closer yesterday, I was excited to discover seven Black Swallowtail caterpillars! This is exactly why I grew this dill, which I hope is enough to sustain them. I'm already plotting to grow more host plants for them next year. I also spotted two Monarch caterpillars on my sad-looking rose milkweed. Hopefully it will work for them.

This dwarf sunflower is a survivor! I grew 10 or so plants from seed, but the darn deer ate every single one down to nubs in June. I thought they were goners, but the plants grew side shoots, then buds and now one of them finally bloomed! A head-clipping weevil got the second bloom on this plant. Gardening is tough business sometimes.

I'm also excited to see this garden phlox bloom. Keeping it in a cage is the only way to keep the critters from eating it.

I wintersowed this mistflower last winter. Not only is it blooming during it's first summer, but it's also been ignored by all the critters in my yard, a major bonus!

I love volunteer flowers and these cleomes have been blooming and bringing me joy for weeks.

This wild petunia (ruellia humilis) is quickly becoming another favorite. I love its color, that it blooms for months and that it spreads a bit. Unfortunately the critters also love it, so I keep it caged.

And last but not least are the tomatoes which keep blooming away and proving me with these yummy cherry tomatoes to eat.

Also in bloom are agastache, snapdragons, coneflowers and even pansies (since March!). Thanks for stopping by and please visit May Dreams Gardens to see what's blooming elsewhere.

Six on Saturday: Late summer

 

It's beginning to feel like late summer in the garden. It's hot, but not the breath-taking heat we had in July. We even had a lovely break last weekend and I was able to turn off the AC for two whole days. For the first time this gardening season we could use some rain, but thanks to all the rain we've had previously, things are still looking pretty good.

This little corner of flower pots by the back door is one of my favorite spots right now. I just love these big, blousy zinnias which are Dawn Creek Pastels grown from seeds I saved.

Here is a closer view of the zinnias which come in an array of pastels colors.

Another spot I'm really enjoying is the view from my bedroom window of these volunteer cleome. I need to plant more next year.

This white liatris has been here for years, but was getting tall and floppy. Somehow the massive bulb was uprooted and broken earlier this year and I just plunked the biggest piece back in the ground. It turned out to be a happy accident as it survived and is looking better than ever.

This 'Blue Fortune' agastache is finally blooming and is looking pretty good this year.

I'm also quite please with this blue mistflower (conoclinium coelestinum) which I grew from seed this year via winter sowing. And bonus, this is one of the few plants in this bad bed that the deer and other critters haven't mowed down.

This is the year of volunteer lilies, which is perplexing since I've never, ever planted a single one. Perhaps a squirrel planted it? This one is aptly named surprise lilly, my plant ID app tells me. It's pretty, but since lilies are extremely toxic to cats and our cats occasionally visit the garden as does a neighbor cat, I'll be pulling it after it blooms.

That's my six this week. Visit Garden Ruminations to see what's happening in other gardens around the world.

A Very Late July Bloom Day

Front garden bed with monarda, Shasta daises, coneflowers
and mealcup sage (Salvia farinacea)

 

It's been a week, so while I took photos in time for July Bloom Day hosted by May Dreams Gardens, I'm just now posting them. I didn't want to miss the occasion altogether though since my garden is currently in peak bloom.

Coneflower with an unknown variety of monarda

The monarda in the front garden bed has thrived this year. Usually the heat and lack of rain means a shorter bloom time and powdery mildew by now, but it's loving the wetter than normal summer we're having.

unknown variety of gladioli

Last year the deer ate all my gladioli before they had the chance to bloom, but this year I've been vigilant about spraying them with deterrent and have gotten to enjoy quite a few of these stunning blooms.

White swan coneflower

I just love the mix of pinks in this Firefly Fuschia yarrow, planted last year.

My Sweet Love dahlias have been blooming since July 5, but I'm still waiting on my dinnerplate dahlias to bloom. Despite being in zone 6b, I don't even bother digging these up anymore. They like where they are and have returned two years in a row. 

I love the dainty delphium butterfly blend (delphinium grandiflorum), which I grew from seed from Botanical Interests. I just wish I could manage to grow more than one plant a year.

I've planted so many rudbeckia seedlings, but the critters have been relentlessly eating them. I'm really enjoying this one that managed to bloom (as is this ant). 

There are also several other native plants blooming now in my garden, but you can see some of those in my last post if you're interested. And visit May Dreams Gardens to enjoy other fantastic gardens in bloom.

Six on Saturday: Natives in bloom

We had a little break from the extreme heat last week and it was "only" in the high 80s rather than the mid 90s and above. The humidity also dropped, so while still hot it wasn't completely miserable.

But it's back in the 90s for the weekend, of course, so the only gardening I'm doing is early or late. Currently, I have the most native flowers in bloom at once in my garden, led by the coneflowers.

 
For years I avoided white coneflowers, like the White Swan coneflower (echinacea purpurea alba) above, because I thought they'd be lost in front of my white house. But after growing them once, I can't imagine being without them.

The tall larkspur (delphnium exaltatum) is starting to bloom. This is another favorite native in my garden because not only is it pretty, but it also reliably attracts hummingbirds. It's so tall that's it's hard to show the blooms and foliage in one photo though.

The mountain mint (pycnanthemum virginianum) attract lots of pollinators, is deer resistant, plus it does well in my dry native bed that is near a silver maple that hogs the moisture.

Next to the mountain mint, the swamp milkweed (asclepias incarnata) is also in bloom. Strangely, it does better in this dried bed that in the medium to moist back bed. Unfortunately, though, I haven't seen any signs of monarchs so far.

This spiderwort, newly purchased this year, has been reliably blooming since I planted it in May. I just love the vibrant blue color.

That's it from my garden this week. Visit Garden Ruminations to see what else is in bloom from gardens around the globe.

Six on Saturday: Feels like summer

We made it through our heatwave--six days in the 90s (32C). Luckily it wasn't quite as hot or as long as expected. And we got nearly an inch of rain one day so I just had to water some of my new seedlings. Not much gardening was done beyond that.

Today is a slightly cooler 87F (30C) and is supposed to be overcast later, so I'm hoping to get in some much-needed weeding. Here is a peek at some of the new things blooming in my garden for Six on Saturday, hosted by Garden Ruminations. 

My hydrangea macrophylla 'Linsey Ann (L.A. Dreamin' hydrangea) just started to bloom a few days ago. This is its third season in my garden and while I miss the bright blue it was when I bought it, it's still pretty. It's perfectly at home in this pot on the deck, safe from nibbling deer (so far!), receiving morning sun and afternoon shade. I overwinter it in our unheated garage and am always amazed it turns from display of dead-looking sticks back to this.

This 'Firefly Fuschia' yarrow I planted last year is living up to its name. I planted it in the fall and the color was much more muted then, but I like this version too. 

This unknown version of monarda is blooming, probably a month after the wild bergamot in the back bloomed.

The common milkweed is blooming. I need to remember to grow more of this next year.

Much of the species coneflower (echinacea purpurea) received the Chelsea chop courtesy of the deer, but is starting to bloom now. Coneflower spreads like a weed in my garden, not that I mind.

Unlike me, this elephant ear loves the heat. I've had these two for years and am still amazed they spend all winter in a cardboard box in the basement, then do this.

That's it from my garden this week. Visit Garden Ruminations to see what else is in bloom from gardens around the globe.

Six on Saturday: June 21 edition

I was finally able to get out in the garden today after a few days forced hiatus thanks to a nasty case of vertigo. It was therapeutic to see what's blooming and and take some pics to share for Six on Saturday, hosted by Jim at Garden Ruminations. This is the first day of an expected 9-day heatwave in our region. Today was the coolest day we'll have at 90F/32C, but at least we've had plenty of rain going into it. 

The Shasta daisies 'Alaska' are still blooming their heads off. They always strike me as such happy flowers and this is the healthiest they've looked in years.

I'm also completely enamored with the breadseed poppies (papaver somniferum) and so are the bees. I love the variety of this heirloom mix. Double poppies rarely pop up, so I had to feature this beauty.

This is my first time growing clary sage (Salvia sclarea v. turkestanica) and the deer are leaving them alone which is a nice bonus. Supposedly they smell like grapefruit, but I haven't experienced that.

The deer have been munching all of my drift rose blooms, but this one survives for now.

I haven't bought many plants this season, but couldn't resist getting these two Midnight Masquerade Penstemon last week when they were on sale at my local garden center. I love the dark foilage and they filled this hole nicely.

I was surprised to see this lily today. It must have hitched a ride with some free bearded irises I was given. I'm going to let it finish blooming and then will dig it up and pass it on as lilies are extremely poisonous to cats. I don't want to risk it since our cats enjoy "supervised visits in the wild" from time to time.

That's my six for today, don't forget to visit Garden Ruminations for more or to share your own.

June Blooms

It officially feels like summer in my central Ohio zone 6b garden. Some things are still behind, but it's heating  up and so far we're still getting enough rain to keep the garden looking fresh. It's been in the high 70s and 80s for the last week and by next weekend we're expecting to be in the 90s. The hot temps are a little too warm for me, but that's summer in Ohio.

This week I'm most excited about my favorite poppy, the breadseed poppies (papaver somniferum). These are from a heirloom mix I purchased from Select Seeds last year. I  saved and direct-sowed thos seeds in early spring and this is the result. I just love the variety and go outside each morning to see what new variations have bloomed.

This is the first dahlia to bloom this year. While pretty, it's certainly not Penhill Dark Monarch as advertised. That's the risk of buying from a big box store I guess.

And this yellow dahlia is a surprise as I thought I'd pulled the yellow dahlias last year (they don't quite fit my color scheme). But here is one I missed that survived winter. The bees will love is, so it'll stay for the season and I'll reevaluate it this fall.

'Alaska' Shasta daisies

I have a bunch of lavender and wouldn't be without it. I like to dry a bit each year to display as dried flowers in winter. And the bees love it.

bellflowers

My first-ever clary sage (Salvia sclarea v. turkestanica); bloom and it's so unique. I grew this biennial from seed last year via winter sowing and this is the first one to bloom. It has also been completely deer resistant so I plan to grow more in the future.

The lamb's ear is also blooming. It's not my favorite look, but the price was right on these (free) and the  bees have been enjoying it.

Also in bloom are salvia farinacea, pansies purchased in March (well worth it), a few coneflowers and foxglove beardtongue.

That's it for this month in my garden; visit May Dreams Gardens to see what is blooming elsewhere.