Wordless Late Summer Blooms and Bugs

Western honey bee on Hylotelephium telephium ‘Autumn Joy’

Cabbage white butterfly on Clinopodium nepeta

Common hoverfly on Conoclinium coelestinum

Shiny sugar ant on Hylotelephium telephium ‘Autumn Joy’

Cocklebur weevil on Echinacea purpurea foliage

Shiny sugar ant on Zinnia elegans ‘State Fair Mix’

Flat-tailed leafcutter bee on Conoclinium coelestinum

Bee and fly on Hylotelephium telephium ‘Autumn Joy’

Common eastern bumble bee on Clinopodium nepeta

Common greenbottle fly on Hylotelephium telephium ‘Autumn Joy’

Goldenrod soldier beetle on Heliopsis helianthoides

It's Only Foliage in a Vase on Monday

The garden is still bursting with blooms!

But I needed to trim some of the foliage on my potted plants, so I thought it might be fun to do a "foliage only" arrangement. I clipped, clipped away out in the garden, gave it a little thought, and here's what I came up with. The "foliage only" grouping includes:









Several mixed cultivars of Coleus (C. scutellarioides) that I grow in pots;



The wonderful framing element of Hydrangea foliage (H. macrophylla);



A couple sprigs of the sprightly Dusty Miller (Jacobaea maritima);



A fun, squiggly spot of Cosmos (C. bipinnatus);



And several groupings of Polka Dot Plant (Hypoestes phyllostachya), to add some character.

This was a fun one! I might try to do this more often in the future...it's a slightly more challenging departure from the equally delightful bloom-focused arrangements.

Thanks so much to Cathy for hosting In a Vase on Monday!

Wordless Discoveries After an August Rain

Lotus corniculatus with Cupido comyntas

Echinacea purpurea
(and grass)

Lobelia siphilitica

Solidago canadensis

Trifolium pratense

Helianthus spp.

Andropogon gerardii

Rubus allegheniensis

Monarda fistulosa

Asclepias syriaca

Sorghastrum nutans

Erigeron strigosus

Cirsium discolor

Lotus corniculatus

Sorghastrum nutans

Verbena hastata

Oenethera guara

Oenothera biennis

Rhus typhina

Wordless Wednesday

Fond Memories of Chanticleer

Chanticleer is a magical place.

I shared a few of my thoughts about it and photos last September, after the Philadelphia Garden Fling. But when I couldn't attend this year's recent Puget Sound Fling, it had me thinking about Chanticleer again.

My words and photos can't do it justice, but it seems like a good time to share a bit. I don't have tags for all the varieties of plants in my photos, but I did my best to ID most of them. Mainly, while at Chanticleer, I wanted to simply take it all in at this special place instead of focusing on the details too much. I definitely want to go back again...

The plantings were regal throughout the grounds, including these groupings of Birds-of-Paradise (Strelitzia nicolai), Elephant Ears (Colocasia esculenta), and Spider Plants (Chlorophytum comosum).



The pathways throughout the grounds were well-maintained and great for visitors of all abilities; subdued, but also beautiful.



The meadow edges were naturalistic, but at the same time artfully arranged.

This grouping of hedges and border plantings was organized, yet comfortable.



The Ruin Garden was fascinating--combining the beauty of historical structures with lush, beautiful, draping plants.



Here and there were surprise combinations, like this potted grouping of succulents.



The naturalistic, yet creatively placed, elements throughout the grounds really appealed to me--like this pollinator house paired with beautiful rocks, mosses, plants, and structures.



The wildlife seemed at peace at Chanticleer, too, like this juvenile great blue heron.

While I don't have all the variety names, here are some individual blooming plants that captured my eye:

Tricyrtis formosana

Physostegia virginiana

Lantana camara 'Samantha'

Hydrangea macrophylla

Echinacea purpurea 'Green Jewel'

Dahlia pinnata with Symphyotrichum spp.

Dahlia pinnata

Colchicum autumnale

Anemone x hybrida

The water features, perhaps most of all, really captivated me during our visit. Many who reported on Chanticleer after the Fling noted these lovely floating displays of mixed colorful blooms and foliage.

Nymphaea mexicana with koi

The koi fish enjoyed the Waterlilies as much as we did.

Nymphaea nouchali

Nymphaea mexicana

Our time at Chanticleer was enchanting and way too short. I must go back.

To learn more about the Garden Fling--past, recent, and future--visit gardenfling.org.