But it's still warm enough to maintain lots of bright color in the garden, and some plants are at their peak of beauty.
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| Zinnia elegans |
The Zinnias are coming on strong. The hot, bright light of August and September amplifies their vibrant colors and strong structure.
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| Hylotelephium spectabile |
Sedum 'Autumn Joy' is just beginning to display its deeper hues, and actually I think this is the prettiest stage--when the delicate pinks and lavenders dominate.
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| Hydrangea macrophylla |
The water-hogging Hydrangea is taking on its autumn colors. And I'm forgiving it for being such a baby--the rose, pink, and lime variegated hues of its blooms make me swoon.
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| Rudbeckia hirta |
Rudbeckia is definitely fading, but the deeper orange shades of the fading petals play up the autumn theme.
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| Echinacea purpurea |
I leave the seed heads of Rudbeckia and Echinacea standing through the winter for the birds. So I don't deadhead and don't expect to see new blooms, but this bright one was peeking out from under its faded neighbors.
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| Lamium maculatum |
Lamium keeps right on blooming from early spring through the first frost--and sometimes even afterward. This little perennial is so hardy I could post about it just about any time of the year.
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| Hosta aequinoctiiantha |
Hosta of the Equinox is chock full of pollinators--bees and hummingbirds, alike. But none of my "action shots" came out well. (One of these days I'll capture them with my lens.)
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| Lablab purpureus |
Hyacinth Bean really took off after the rain, and is now forming seeds--I can see this vine will be a winner next summer if I get it in the ground earlier.
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| Impatiens walleriana |
My potted plants are liking this mild, moister weather. The Impatiens, in particular are huge and healthy!
But the plant surprising me the most is this unidentified Rose. I really need to figure out the cultivar.
It usually blooms in May or June, and then it gets very straggly and bug-ridden. I trim it back liberally every summer and often get a few more small blooms later in the summer. But I've never seen blooms this pretty on this particular Rose before. What a pleasant surprise!
I'm joining Carol at May Dreams Gardens for Garden Bloggers Bloom Day. I can't wait to check out the other entries in her wonderful meme!
(Oh, and please add your thoughts to our Italy Garden Tours survey before Sept. 30--even if you don't think you can join us. Pretend money isn't an object, and let us know what you'd like to do on a garden tour of Italy. Thanks!)
(Oh, and please add your thoughts to our Italy Garden Tours survey before Sept. 30--even if you don't think you can join us. Pretend money isn't an object, and let us know what you'd like to do on a garden tour of Italy. Thanks!)
Oh Beth your garden is beautiful...love all the pinks. Few here. It has been a crazy summer. Very hot here until last night...finally more than a tenth of an inch of rain and a cool down starting. Happy GBBD!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Donna! The cold air is coming. It was near 90 last Wednesday, perfect this weekend, and now they're saying the high will be 59 on Tuesday! It's that changeable time of year. I noticed the robins and hummingbirds were going crazy today--fattening up for the migration, I guess. :)
DeleteYour fall garden is looking gorgeous! This is my favorite time of year. Love the cool mornings that warm up to pleasant gardening conditions. Plus the light is awesome!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Karin. It must be absolutely perfect weather in Georgia right now! And yes, the light is incredible. I need to make more time for photography this fall!!
DeleteThe colours of your garden at this time of year are lovely, Beth. i especially enjoy looking at the plants that don't grow well here, like the Hydrangeas and Echinaceas. It's a treat.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Lyn! I so appreciate having gardening friends like you in the southern hemisphere! It keeps life so interesting to hear about your spring during my fall, and your winter during my summer. I also enjoy your sense of humor!
DeleteThat rose is definitely a keeper...so beautiful! So far, we have had mild temperatures as fall approaches. I am hoping it will continue. I am done with the heat as well. Enjoy your lovely garden. The colors are breathtaking.
ReplyDeleteYes, the Rose blooms really surprised me. I had planned to pull out the plants this spring and replace them with a different cultivar. I'm glad I didn't, because it was a rough summer for new plants. Plus, I wouldn't have seen the pretty triplets in the photo! I don't know why that particular grouping is so healthy--I guess they're showing me their worth so I won't get rid of them. ;-) Thanks!
DeleteHi Beth, I enjoyed seeing your blooms. My hydrangea did not bloom this year. I hope it does next year. Yours sure looks full of blooms! I have a couple new coneflower blooms, too.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Sue. My Hydrangea didn't bloom much last year, and then it went crazy this year...before the drought. And I've been watering it nearly daily since May. But I absolutely love the way it's gorgeous from June through October!
DeleteI really like the Hyacinth bean - the flowers are such an interesting shape, plus the color of the pods.
ReplyDeleteYeah, I didn't know much about it until I started reading about the plant on other blogs. The chartreuse foliage compliments the burgundy beans and the fuchsia flowers. Love it!
DeleteBeth, we have so many of the same blooms that I think we must be sharing the same feelings about our gardens right now. It's funny that I showed one little new bloom on my macrophyllas, but I agree I really like the rosy hues of the fading blooms just as much. So glad your hyacinth bean finally took off--aren't those blooms just gorgeous? I think the seed pods are so attractive, too. I think they would be a great addition to some kind of craft project or fall decoration. I wish September would last for more than one month!
ReplyDeleteThat is funny how we have some very similar plants! Usually I clip the Hydrangea blooms when they're big and full for drying, but time slipped away from me this summer. I'm glad a bunch of them are still on the plant because they're so interesting to watch as the blooms and the foliage turn to fascinating variegated colors. I was reading somewhere that people sometimes use the Hyacinth Bean stems for floral arrangements.
DeleteThat hydrangea is truly gorgeous right now. I love those pinks and greens as it fades, too. The hosta is lovely. What a beautiful color. If I were a pollinator, I would definitely be attracted to it! I hate it, too, when the weather can't seem to make up its mind about being summer or fall. I suppose summer is reluctant to give up its reign.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Holley! I'm kind of bummed, because it sounds like today was our last day of summer-like weather -- maybe for the season. :( But we'll probably still have some mild weather in October. Time to pull out the sweaters and jackets.
DeleteIt is a transition time of year--the sun shines brightly but with a cool backdrop. I love the clarity and angle of the light though.
ReplyDeleteYes, the light is amazing--no matter what time of day, but especially in the morning and evening. Now I need to set aside some time to get some interesting garden shots. It's fun to play with the camera this time of year. :)
DeleteYour late summer/almost Fall garden looks beautiful. I like all the different shades of pink and purple you showcased. I've been away from the Web for a while.Off to see what the Italy Garden Tour survey is...
ReplyDeleteThanks! It's funny, I didn't even realize so many of the blooms right now are pink and purple. But those colors are definitely front and center in my garden right now. Hope you can join us for the trip!
DeleteIt's wonderful to see a resurgence in growth when cooler, moist weather arrives. I love your rose. I like the fact that it's a mystery even more. Did sedum have a name change? I thought the Latin for sedum was sedum.
ReplyDeleteHi Tammy: I wish the Rose wasn't a mystery, but the previous owners didn't mark many of the plants. I guess I should figure it out. Regarding the Sedum, I guess I should have listed it by its more common scientific name, but check out these links, which list Sedum as a synonym rather than the primary Latin name. http://1.usa.gov/SW7h3c http://bit.ly/OUNr20 I'm no expert on Latin names, though, that's for sure!
DeleteGreat photos and post.It's so much fun to venture out with the camera at this time of year. We also have to look a little it harder so tend to appreciate it more. Or at least I do!
ReplyDeleteI agree, Karen. The light is really incredible--maybe even more dramatic than in the springtime for some reason.
DeleteSuch pretty blooms. I love the delicate colors of the hydrangea! I am so glad that the weather is getting cooler and giving the plants a chance to recover from the hot summer. Happy Autumn!
ReplyDeleteHappy autumn, Indie! Yes, the shorter days and cooler temps are helping. We're still short on precipitation, but hopefully that will turn around soon, too.
DeleteI'm not a big fan of this time of year. I hate watching my gardens slowing fade and die. Over the past few years, I have been adding more fall bloomers for this reason. I need the bright flowers to help me get through the change of season! :-)
ReplyDeleteThat rose looks and sounds very much like my climbing rose. It has grown to about 15 feet tall and we keep cutting it back. It is beautiful, full and has tons of blooms in the spring, but looks scraggly and gross all summer. And, just like yours, gets a few straggler blooms in the fall.
Amy
I have to admit, I'm not a good gardener this time of year. I should do a lot more straightening up and pruning and preparing for next year. But, like you, I don't enjoy the drying up process. The bigger picture, though, with the amazing color show in the leaves can be breathtaking. That's not gardening, though, just appreciating. :)
DeleteLovely flowers, even the somewhat faded and battered blooms. The birds are loving the sunflowers.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Mary. Glad to hear your Sunflowers are helping to feed the birds. I'm sad that some of the songbirds have left. Last weekend, the backyard was crazy busy with hummingbirds, dozens of robins, goldfinches, and so many other birds. I think they were fattening up before the migration.
DeleteBeautiful blooms, Beth. I am pleasantly surprised that our temperatures have been steady in the 70's and 80's during the day, not that usual swinging. I hope for you that things begin to settle down. I love that hyacinth bean...gorgeous. And your garden looks beautiful at this time of year.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Michelle! We are definitely in roller coaster mode here. But that will probably be the case until winter. :( Maybe we'll have a nice stretch of mild weather--hopefully preceded by several days of rain.
DeleteThe hosta bloom is lovely--I'm such a sucker for hostas and anything that will grow in our (very) shady gardens. I really want to try hyacinth beans, but with our young children and menagerie,I think I'll wait a bit, as I've heard they are toxic. Your bloom is so pretty and very tempting, though! I just found your site and look forward to visiting your garden again soon--I enjoyed the tour!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Julie. Welcome! Yes, the Hostas provide a lot of structure to my shady garden. I'm afraid I take them for granted. I guess I'll have to be careful with the Hyacinth Beans when children come to visit!
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