August GBBD: Blooms From A to Z

The Latin names for today's plants progress from A to Z: from Agastache to Zinnia (although a few letters are missing).

I'm squeaking by with a Garden Blogger's Bloom Day post. On the 15th day of each month, gardeners around the world share what's blooming in their gardens.

Here in Southern Wisconsin, USA, it's been an incredible summer! A little challenging for the plants, with record rainfall in June, and nearly no precipitation in July. But the temperatures have remained around 80F/27C nearly all summer. Some plants don't mind the fluctuations in precipitation, especially with those mild temps.

Here are some highlights in my garden this month, from A to Z:



Anise Hyssop (Agastache foeniculum 'Golden Jubilee') is new to my garden. I thought it might be too shady here, but it's getting just enough dappled sun and seems quite happy. I'm thinking I should deadhead these to encourage more blooms through the fall.



I missed these guys last year--'Rocket Mix' Snapdragons (Antirrhinum majus). This cultivar creates various colored blooms that get quite tall and are fabulous cut flowers. I pinch them off early in the growing season for larger late-summer blooms. These flowers are just getting going and will bloom until frost in October.



We had a bit of an accident earlier in the summer when an unnamed family member knocked over the tops of some of these Swamp Milkweed (Asclepias incarnata) stems. But that's OK: This created more stems that will bloom in progression during the coming weeks. This plant is a bee, butterflly, hummingbird, and White-Lined Sphynx moth magnet. Of course, as a Milkweed, it's a larval host for the Monarch, and I seem to be seeing at least one Monarch butterfly on it each day lately. It has a beautiful vanilla scent.



The Meyer Lemon (Citrus x meyeri) seemed a little shocked when we moved it outside in May. A few Lemons remain and are getting larger. Meanwhile, it's adjusting well now and has quite a few new blooms.



I could fawn over this flower for hours, but I won't. Suffice it to say, I can't imagine a summer garden without Cosmos bipinnatus. It never fails, and it's one of the best cut flowers around--just plop some in a vase for several days of beauty.



The Purple Coneflowers (Echinacea purpurea) are fading a bit but still attracting many pollinators, like this Goldenrod Soldier Beetle. It's fun to watch them landing on and traversing the cones.



One of my top performers every summer is Fuchsias in hanging baskets. This year, I selected 'Marinka,' which has been blooming nonstop since mid-May. I might even try bringing a couple of the baskets indoors (in the sunroom) this winter to keep the Meyer Lemon company.



Last year, I took a break with Impatiens because of the downy mildew plaguing them across the country. But I missed them, so I planted 'Fiesta Pink Ruffle' amongst several other potted plants this year. It reminds me of a delicate Rose, and seems quite hearty.



The Hyacinth Bean (Lablab purpureus) blooms are reaching for the sun at the top of my obelisk. They attract hummingbirds, bees, and butterflies. These plants got a bit of a late start, but I hope they'll continue to bloom and produce their pretty purple beans into the fall until the frost.



The Lantanas (L. camara 'Lucky Flame') are performing surprisingly well this summer, and are attracting butterflies and bees. I only discovered this annual plant a few years ago, but now it's one of my favorites.



'Blazing Star' Liatris (L. spicata) is winding down, but still attracting pollinators. Soon I'll deadhead the faded blooming stalks, because I'm not crazy about how they look when they're brown and dry. Plus, the garden has plenty of "winter interest" blooms that will remain standing.



The Resurrection Lilies (Lycoris squamigera) seem to be blooming early this year. These flowers seemingly appear out of nowhere in late summer--from foliage that goes dormant after the spring. Also called "Naked Ladies" and "Magic Lilies," among other nicknames, they're lovely in dappled sunlight. They weren't even visible in my garden earlier this week.



Black-Eyed Susans (Rudbeckia hirta) are another favorite of the Goldenrod Soldier Beetles. They're a cheery focal point in my garden during the late summer.



This variegated Sweet Potato vine (Solanum jasminoides) is a great companion to the Fuchsias in my hanging baskets. The delicate white and yellow flowers come and go, while the foliage is visually appealing throughout the growing season.



And finally, the Zinnias (Z. elegans 'State Fair Mix')! I missed them last year, and I'm so glad I included them this year. It's been a challenging year for them with the fluctuating precipitation, but they're coming on strong now--just in time for some fabulous late-summer, early fall floral bouquets.

Thanks for visiting! Head on over to May Dreams Gardens to find out what's blooming in other gardens around the world. Thanks to Carol for hosting!

Tree following: nuts, nuts, everywhere

The ground underneath a Shagbark Hickory (Carya ovata) tree is a dangerous place to be during late summer and early fall--particularly if you have a sizeable squirrel population in your neighborhood. Many times I've come close to getting bopped on the head by falling nuts!

I'm joining in Loose and Leafy's "Tree Following" meme, and my posts each month are about our Shagbark Hickories.



I suppose the Hickory nut drop probably wouldn't cause serious damage to my head--and might even knock some sense into me. But it can be quite a surprise to see the moderately sized nuts (one to two inches in diameter) dropping from several yards up in the tree.

Someone asked me in the comments of an earlier post if I harvest and eat the Hickory nuts. The answer is "no." And the main reason is that the squirrels get to them first! Even before the nuts are full-size the squirrels gnaw on the branches to dislodge the nuts.

Occasionally, I manage to grab a few nuts as they drop before the squirrels snatch them up, but the nutmeats are quite small at this stage, and hardly worth all the effort for a few bites.

Here are a few observations:



Evidence of a squirrel party;



More evidence;



More evidence;



Fresh nuts;



Nuts dried for about a week.

I've read that you should dry the nuts in the sun for two weeks and the husks will naturally pull away from the nut. But if I leave them outside, the squirrels will get them!

So I've been drying them inside in a sunny window for about a week. They're not quite ready, but I'll break them open so you can see what's inside.



Sliced and partially peeled hull;



Hulled Hickory nut in the shell;



And cracked open.

You can see that the nutmeats themselves are rather small. If they had a chance to grow larger before the squirrels got them, however, they might be more substantial and tasty.

The taste?



Apparently, this little fellow thinks they're delish.

Personally, I find them ... rather bland. But maybe if I'm able to get some larger ones and let them dry a little longer, I'll be a convert.



So, that's a brief update on the Shagbarks. The leaves are still deep green and not much sign of changing color. One could say the trees are at the peak of their productivity--providing food, beauty, shade, and shelter all at the same time.

To read about trees other bloggers are following, visit Lucy at Loose and Leafy.

Hey, this is my tree!!

The Ridges Sanctuary: A Midwestern Treasure

Upper Range Light, which along with the Lower Range Light, was built in 1869.

Lower Range Light, nearly 1,000 feet directly to the south of the Upper Range Light.
From the water, a sailor got "on range" by lining up, vertically, the lights in the two buildings.

If you live near Door County, Wisconsin, or you ever plan to visit, make sure The Ridges Sanctuary is on your "must see" list. It's one of the most unique collections of habitats and plants found in the U.S.

The Ridges began as a labor of love by private citizens to preserve a unique tract of land on Bailey's Harbor. The sanctuary, formed in 1937, was Wisconsin's first land trust. The most biologically diverse ecosystem in Wisconsin, it's home to more than 475 plant species, including 25 of the 40 species of Orchids native to the state, and 60 species of migrating and nesting birds.



The sanctuary is named for its distinctive topography: a series of 30 ridges and swales formed by the movement of Lake Michigan during the past 1,400 years.





This ridge-swail complex provides a wide range of environmental conditions--from open beach, to bog, to densely shaded conifer forest. Click here for a Google Earth image of the area, where you can see the unique ridge formations.

When we visited earlier this summer, Yellow Lady Slippers (Cypripedium parviflorum) and Indian Paintbrush (Castilleja coccinea) were in full bloom.









I've never seen so many Yellow Lady Slippers in one place before--growing here and there, in large groupings, and even alongside the roadway.









The Indian Paintbrushes were beautiful up close, and when viewed in a meadow--thick with their bright, flaming highlights.

Other plants of note:



Cranberry Viburnum (Viburnum opulus var. trilobum), which was blooming in many places around the peninsula.



Starflower (Trientalis borealis)





Pitcher Plant (Sarracenia purpurea)



Marsh Marigold (Caltha palustris), which had recently finished blooming



Labrador Tea (Ledum groenlandicum)



Vast stretches of Irises growing with Junipers, which must be lovely when blooming



Gaywings (Polygala paucifolia)



Numerous sedges--I think this is Brown Bog Sedge (Carex buxbaumii)







And fabulous mosses of various shapes and sizes.

There's so much more to The Ridges than I can cover in one post, but this offers a small hint of its uniqueness. I'd like to go back during a different phase of the growing season to see other plants in their prime.

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Update: Please note the link in the second paragraph above to a partial list of plant species at The Ridges. And special thanks to The Phytophactor for helping to identify the sanctuary's unique mosses.