I'm running out of time, for various dime-a-dozen personal reasons (these topics may hit the blog screen when/if life settles down in the fall).
So, my August "Bloom Day" post will be quick and colorful.
The sunny side garden is full of bright shades of pink, orange, purple, and yellow:
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| The fishman built me a new fence. Yay! |
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| Zinnia elegans 'Zowie! Yellow Flame' and 'State Fair Mix' |
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| Echinacea purpurea, showing wear from time and Japanese beetles |
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| Lantana camara 'Landmark Citrus' |
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| Rudbeckia hirta |
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| Cosmos bipinnatis 'Sonata Mix' |
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| Salvia nemerosa 'May Night' |
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| Helianthus annuus 'Autumn Beauty' |
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| Asclepias tuberosa |
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| Asclepias incarnata, currently the most popular plant in my garden |
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| Milkweeds and Black-Eyed Susans behind the fence |
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Had to throw in this 2nd instar Monarch caterpillar, part of the reason I have so much
Milkweed in my garden :) |
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| Conoclinium coelestinum |
In the shadier parts of the garden:
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| Allium tanguticum 'Summer Beauty' |
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| Callicarpa 'Pearl Glam' - a new shrub to my garden |
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| Impatiens capensis |
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| Lycoris squamigera, strategically placed by the previous owners under giant Hosta foliage |
And in pots and vases:
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| Anethum graveolens, for the swallowtails |
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| Calamintha nepeta subsp. nepeta |
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| Dahlia 'Figaro Yellow Shades' - first time I've grown Dahlias, believe it or not |
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| Borago officinalis - also a first time for me |
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| Asclepias curassavica, only in pots - it's not native here, but it dies with the first frost |
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| Impatiens hawkeri 'Ruffles Lavender' |
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| Fuchsia 'Marinka' for the hummingbirds |
How about you? What's blooming in your garden on this Garden Bloggers Bloom Day? Head on over to
May Dreams Gardens to see blooms from around the world.
Happy Bloom Day!
Lovely blooms and what a nice guest those blooms attracted!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Leslie! Yes, the Monarchs have been plentiful this year--sightings nearly every day since early June!
DeleteYour new fence really sets off all that bright color. Happy GBBD.
ReplyDeleteIt's such an improvement. We have to use fencing for that garden to keep the rabbits out, and the new fence is so much nicer than the old one!
DeleteBeautiful Color . . .
ReplyDeleteWhat a treat . . .
Happy Bloom Day for sure!
Thanks, Lynne. I wish I could hold on to this color palette through the winter...
DeleteWonderful flowerpost. Once I brought seeds from Asclepia curassavica with me from Portugal. I treated them as annual, sowing, potting up, planting out, flowering and collecting seeds again for the next year.
ReplyDeleteThanks! This is my first year with Tropical Milkweed. Of course, it can't survive our winters but I planted these from seed. I'm going to try to collect the seeds to do the same thing next year (along with Butterfly Weed and Swamp Milkweed).
DeleteOh, what beautiful blooms! You have many of my favorites, Beth, as you know. And the milkweed is gorgeous!
ReplyDeleteI think of you every time I see the Zowies, Rose! Monarchs are photogenic to start with, but they really pop sitting on those bright, beautiful flowers.
DeleteLOVE!!! Your garden is just overflowing with colour - how wonderful it must be to wander about and enjoy all of the beautiful blooms!
ReplyDeleteOne tip about the borage - it will self-seed like crazy! The pollinators love it though and the seedlings are easy to pull up, but just wanted you to be on the lookout!
Most of the bright colors are on the side of the house, facing west. I can't see that garden from inside the house, but it's fun to walk around to see the pollinator party! Re the borage: Good to know! It's hard to imagine because they're straggly in my pots. I love the cornflower blue color, though. And, yes, the bees love it!
DeleteYour flowers look so happy! Love the monarch caterpillar munching. Monarchs are starting to appear down in Texas again.
ReplyDeleteWe've had plenty of rain and now plenty of sun, so the plants are healthy and full. So many Monarchs and eggs and caterpillars this year! Glad to hear you're getting some back in Texas again. Get ready for a big migration from Wisconsin. ;-)
DeleteBeautiful blooms. Loved seeing the monarch cat--I'll bet they're really happy in your garden.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Tina. I've never had this many Monarchs, eggs, and caterpillars in my garden before. It started in early June, and I've seen Monarchs (in one form or another) all summer long! I have 36 in various forms in captivity right now. Almost 90 rescued for the season, and that doesn't count the ones I left in the garden.
DeleteBrilliant idea to put those lilies under Hostas. Love all those pink and orange and yellows. My favorite 60s color combo!
ReplyDeleteYes: The previous owners were avid gardeners, for sure. They knew what they were doing--both the landscaping and the plant selections/placements. The sunny garden is all mine. It's a combination of annuals and perennials (and a few edibles)--mostly selected for the pollinators.
DeleteHo how lovely so many nice flowers here photographed beautifully ...A joy to see.
ReplyDeleteAmanda xx
Thank you, Amanda! It is a joyful summer garden. It makes me smile to see so many pollinators, including Monarch butterflies (and caterpillars). :)
DeleteHi,
ReplyDeleteBeautiful. I just love the double colored zinnias. I have some as well. I saved my seeds from them last year, they did very well again this year. :-)
The Japanese Beetles are heading our way. They have been spotted in Southern Barron County. NO!!!
Thank you, Carla. Those Zinnias are awesome, aren't they? And obviously the Monarchs like them. :) Sorry about the Japanese beetles. We've had them for years, and there's not much you can do about them.
DeleteThose "personal reasons" don't seem to have slowed you down a bit.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Ricki. I know we all have reasons to slow down with posting and other activities. But there are so many plants blooming in my garden right now, I just couldn't miss Bloom Day this month!
DeleteHi Beth, i smiled at the "dime-a-dozen personal reasons", but it didn't deter you that much in posting these so beautiful colors. You have a lot, and insects are very much inspired there too. I remember a Filipina already living there in the US, a very good photographer and also rearing some monarch. I love her pics on FB, from the eggs to the adult eclosion.
ReplyDeleteThanks for understanding. :) Yes, life is interesting and busy, isn't it? Glad you have a friend who shares the special magic of captive-raising Monarchs. They certainly need our help after we've done so much as a society to diminish their numbers. I hope this will be a good year for the migration and the overwintering in Mexico!
DeleteI loved the way you hid your gas meter (I think) behind your Black-eyed Susans and also used it as a stake for your milkweeds, too smart. Thanks for sharing on GBBD.
ReplyDeleteJeannie @ GetMeToTheCountry.Blogspot.com
Hi Jeannie: Yes! I've tried to camouflage the gas meter and pipes, etc., without blocking the view. The tall Milkweeds are staked with tomato cages, with the help of some of the pipes. LOL.
DeleteVery nice! I'm jealous of your monarch cat. I've had a lot of butterflies in the garden this year, but haven't seen any cats on the milkweeds. (Well I saw some much earlier in the year from butterflies that must have overwintered here? But I haven't seen any recently.)
ReplyDeleteI'll go out and check later today!
Hey Aaron: Thanks! If you saw caterpillars on the Milkweed, they were either Monarchs or Queens, or perhaps Milkweed Tussock moth larva. But I don't think Queen butterflies are in your area much (certainly not here in Wisconsin). I DO know that the Monarchs made their way north very early this year. I had Monarch butterflies and eggs in my garden starting in early June, with no let-up all summer. Joy!
DeleteI have some milkweeds, and some parsley and dill in my garden, but I have never gotten to see any monarchs or any swallowtails in my garden. I did identify a Red Admiral once, but I had to look it up after I took my photo. Your garden is always so beautiful!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Pat. Keep up the good work with the host plants. I'll bet the caterpillars and butterflies are there--just not when you're looking. ;-) And if not, they're missing out! Red Admirals are beautiful, too!
DeleteLots of cheerful colors in your August garden! Love Asclepias seed pods when they start to open. It's almost like they contain a soft little bird inside.
ReplyDeleteHi Peter: Yes, the seedpods are wonderful. When I harvest the seeds, I like to gather a bunch of the fluff and tousle it around for a nice tactile experience. :) It's so soft!
DeleteOh what lovely blooms Beth. That Impatiens capensis is intriguing. Hope life settles down for you soon.
ReplyDeleteThanks! Yes, the Jewelweed is a fascinating plant. I still have some blooming here, but it's fading now. It's a favorite for the hummingbirds. :)
DeleteYour garden looks great! I have 9 monarch caterpillars and even had one much earlier in the summer. Yay for milkweed!
ReplyDeleteThanks! Yay for the Monarchs! Yay for Milkweed! Both were plentiful here all summer. I will miss them. :(
DeleteYou must be exhausted looking for a break.....love the bright garden flowers on that sunny side and a fence to protect them....yeah!!
ReplyDeleteHi Donna: Not too tired, just busier than I thought I would be this summer. But that's OK: It's been fun! The garden is still going strong, even though we haven't had rain for a while now and it has been very hot lately. Very strange for mid-September.
DeleteI wonder if our sunbirds notice the fuchsia?
ReplyDeleteInteresting question! I'd be surprised if they didn't: Fuchsias are so beautiful and dramatic. I love to watch the hummingbirds nectaring on them. :)
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